Printable Version

ACEC/CO Celebrates Smart

At the ACEC/CO annual Engineering Excellence Awards Luncheon on November 2, 150 engineers and guests gathered at the Brown Palace Hotel to "Celebrate Smart." Twenty-two projects were entered in this year's competition and were presented and honored at the luncheon. Dave Fraser, Chief Meteorologist for Fox 31, was the master of ceremony and announced the awards. Eight projects received excellence awards, two received honor awards, and 12 received merit awards. These projects demonstrate the highest degree of merit and ingenuity, and provide a major contribution to technical, economic, and social advancements by Colorado-based engineering firms. Read More..

News from National

ACEC President's Report
News from ACEC's President Dave Raymond on the latest developments of ACEC's government affairs on your behalf.  Read more..

In the News

2009 Salary Survey Now Available

The 2009 ACEC/CO Salary Survey is now available. Click here to review this year's salary highlights and access the order from for the complete survey.

Membership Notices and Engineers in the News

Membership Notices
See this section for new and prospective members and other membership changes.

Engineers in the News
Find out about the latest from our members and member firms making the news.

ACEC/CO Events and Professional Development

Register online, by calling 303-832-2200, or by e-mail for ACEC/CO programs.

• ACEC/CO Upcoming Committee Meetings
  This week's committee meetings. Read More..
  
  
• Wake-up Call Breakfast Series
  The next Wake-up Call Breakfast will be December 2. Jody McNerney, Vice President of Compass Bank will be presenting "The Reality of Bank Lending" Read more..
  
  
• ACEC/CO General Meeting
  Our next general meeting will be held Tuesday, January 26. Please save the date now.
  

Marketing and Business Development

ACEC/CO Sponsorship Opportunities
ACEC/CO would like to encourage our members to consider sponsoring a meeting and/or event as a marketing strategy to get your name out there and in front of other member firms. Read more..

Invitation to Bid
Sealed Bids will be received by the City and County of Denver, acting by and through its Board of Water Commissioners (OWNER), at 1600 West 12th Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80204, in Engineering Conference Room 308 until 10:00 a.m., local time, Thursday, November 19, 2009, for the Vault Modifications 2009/2010 project.

Pre-qualification forms for this project are obtainable from Denver Water's Website:
http://www.denverwater.org/doingbusinesswithus/

Additional Professional Development Opportunities and Events

• Business Certification Program
  Held every Friday morning: Learn how to certify your small or disadvantaged business for contracting opportunities offered through the city and county of Denver. Read more..
  
  
• Rocky Mountain Green 2010
  Save the date: April 21-22, 2010 Read more..
  

News From National

President's Report

General

• ACEC’s Fall Conference in Palm Springs was highlighted by the former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, and an “outstanding business and social program.”  (See Last Word, October 15, 2009.)
• ACEC Nominating Committee recommended the following individuals for new officers.  Terry Neimeyer (Maryland), for Chair-elect; Sergio Pecori (Illinois), for Treasurer; Paul Grosser (New York), Miller Love (South Carolina), and Robert Paulson (Florida) for Vice Chairs.
• ACEC/Maine received $15,000 Minuteman Fund grant to help defeat two public ballot initiatives that would severely limit infrastructure investment.

Government Affairs

• Undertook accelerated efforts with House and Senate leaders to pass a multi-year transportation authorization program as central to economic recovery.
• Secured critical intervention by the Federal Highway Administration to oppose Wisconsin DOT’s effort to arbitrarily reduce contracted fees without re-negotiating scope. (See Last Word, October 29, 2009.)
• Successfully intervened with Amtrak to modify key terms and conditions in A/E General Services contract relating to standard of care and warranty provisions that had placed an unfair burden on engineering firms.
• Lobbied the Senate against onerous employer mandates in the health care bill.

Institute for Business Management

• Completed a state-by-state summary of lien laws that outlines which states specifically include engineers in their lien laws, whether pre-lien notices are required, deadlines for filing pre-lien and lien documents, and citations to relevant state laws.  (See: www.contractscentral.net.) 

Engineers in the News

At Martin/Martin Inc.'s recent stockholder meeting, Stanley L. Welton, PE, SE, LEED AP, was elected to the firm's board of directors. A Principal with Martin/Martin’s Structural Engineering Department, Welton has over 30 years experience in the design and construction industry with a strong background in criminal justice, public administration, office, education, sports and parking facilities including coordination, quality control and checking all aspects of major, multi-structure projects.

Belt Collins, a planning, civil engineering, landscape architecture and
environmental consulting firm headquartered in Honolulu, announced the move of its Colorado
operations to new offices on Pearl East Circle in Boulder. The move consolidates the operations of Love
& Associates, Inc., a water resources and civil engineering firm, and Shapins Belt Collins, a planning
and landscape design firm. The consolidated company will operate under the name of Belt Collins West.

Marketing and Business Development

ACEC/CO Sponsorship Packages Available

ACEC/CO is pleased to present you new sponsorship packages for you. Being a sponsor of a meeting or event will give you the opportunity to get your name and company before our membership. Sponsorships allow ACEC/CO to continue to provide quality programs and activities at a reasonable price. Click here to view sponsorship packets and more information.

ACEC/CO Celebrates Smart

At the ACEC/CO annual Engineering Excellence Awards Luncheon on November 2, 150 engineers and guests gathered at the Brown Palace Hotel to "Celebrate Smart." Twenty-two projects were entered in this year's competition and were presented and honored at the luncheon. Dave Fraser, Chief Meteorologist for Fox 31, was the master of ceremony and announced the awards. Eight projects received excellence awards, two received honor awards, and 12 received merit awards. The excellence projects will be submitted to ACEC National for its 2010 competition held on April 27. All of the projects demonstrate the highest degree of merit and ingenuity, and provide a major contribution to technical, economic, and social advancements by Colorado-based engineering firms.

Entries were judged by business, media and industry professionals who recognize excellence based upon five criteria: originality and innovation; meeting and exceeding client needs; social and economic value; complexity; and future value to the engineering profession.

This year's judges were: Major General Steve Abt, Senior Reserve Component Representative at the U.S. Army Accessions and former CSU Professor of Civil Engineering; Brian Ahrens, Chief of Modeling & DSS for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources; Stuart Coppedge, AIA Colorado President and Associate Principal with RTA Architects; Taryn Edwards, President of the Colorado Chapter of the Association of General Contractors; Deb Kleinman, Executive Director of Colorado Chapter of US Green Building Council; Glenn Lamoree, Branch Chief of Design and Construction for the National Park Service; Mike Lowell, Director of Design & Construction Division of the General Services Administration

Excellence Award Recipients

Malcom Pirnie, Inc.
"Innovative Strategies for Radionuclides Rule Compliance”
Client: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment launched a precedent-setting program - the Colorado Radionuclide Abatement and Disposal Strategy (CO-RADS) to evaluate comprehensive radionuclide compliance options and provide technical expertise free of charge to help 33 small water systems find sustainable compliance solutions. Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. was retained to provide policy development assistance, groundwater sampling, treatment technology evaluations, radioactive waste disposal evaluations, workshops, innovative bench and pilot scale studies and engineering report development.  Now these 33 affected small water systems have detailed, system-specific information to support the selection and implementation of a Radionuclides Rule Compliance strategy.
Ultimately this project will benefit the public health of more than 31,000 Colorado residents, the environment, and provide a model to help water systems nationwide.

Merrick & Company
“Levee Certification Using Geospatial Technologies”
Client: City of Wichita, Kansas

Following Hurricane Katrina, FEMA is now requiring many cities to recertify their levees and flood control systems.  The City of Wichita, Kansas, which has an extensive levee system, selected Merrick & Company to provide high-resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), digital aerial photography and ArcHydro storm water modeling services for its levee recertification application.

Data was collected over a 1,000 square mile area with a focus on a 33-mile stretch of the Arkansas River consisting of levees, floodways, improved channels and control structures.  By using advanced geospatial technologies for recertification, the geodatabase created can be used to identify areas likely to flood and/or retain run-off, design culverts and bridges, identify pathways of flood flows, assist in new development site plans, and support overall storm water mitigation.  

As one of the first congressionally mandated levee recertification projects in this U. S., this sets a standard for other FEMA levee recertifications and provides the public increased safety, protection of property and lives and preservation of the social fabric of the community.

URS Corporation
“Groundwater Cleanup at Spill Site 7 – F.E. Warren Air Force Base”
Client:Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment and F. E. Warren Air Force Base

Treating contaminated groundwater at F.E. Warren Air Force Base Spill Site 7 in Wyoming required an innovative engineering approach that would deliver results in a timely manner. Past manufacturing practices and chemical spills had created eight acres of contamination requiring treatment.

URS successfully executed the cleanup design and implementation using naturally occurring and lab-grown microbes to degrade contaminants below ground.  Hydraulic fracturing was used to overcome the complex soil conditions and deliver treatment materials. By treating the contamination in the subsurface, Warren Air Force Base was able to make use of the site immediately following fracturing activities.  The installation of injection wells for subsequent injections resulted in reduced costs, energy requirements and site impacts.  Innovative use of this technology resulted in an effective groundwater treatment solution, meeting cleanup standards in less time and completing the project 25 percent under budget.

Due to the success of this application, the Department of Defense is employing the technology at other contaminated sites. 

Brown and Caldwell
“Littleton/Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant – Phase 2”
Client: Littleton/Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant

The cities of Littleton and Englewood addressed new regulatory requirements and increased their capacity to meet future growth needs for two decades by completing the Phase 2 of the Littleton Wastewater Treatment Plant, the third largest water treatment plant in Colorado.  The 8½-year, $114 million design and construction project, which serves a population of 300,000, added new treatment processes, increased the capacity of the facility and improved aged infrastructure.

Brown and Caldwell’s innovative engineering solutions incorporated into the design include a new patented Denitrification Process that reduces the amount of nitrates and chemicals present in the treated effluent flowing into the South Platte River.

The wastewater treatment project is now effectively providing better treatment and water quality in the South Platte River and by incorporating innovations to optimize plant performance, ensure affordable sewage treatment and promote environmental stewardship principles, the facility is one of the most advanced wastewater treatment plants of it kind in the nation. 

Richard P. Arber Associates, Inc.
“Crystal Clear Future Alamosa Arsenic”
Client: City of Alamosa

Successful completion and operation of the Alamosa Water Treatment Facility designed by Richard P. Arber Associates for the City of Alamosa allows the city to achieve compliance with the U.S. EPA’s Arsenic Rule by removing arsenic from the city’s otherwise pristine groundwater wells. Timing was crucial as after nearly seven years of planning, design and just month’s prior to the completion of the new 5 mgd water treatment facility, more than 390 salmonella cases were reported and linked to the water system.

The City of Alamosa Water Treatment Facility uses the coagulation/membrane filtrations process to the city’s well water and is one of the first facilities in the nation to apply this technology for arsenic removal. 

Arsenic levels are now consistently well below the allowable level and the plant is using only half of the coagulant that was expected based on earlier pilot studies. 

CH2M Hill
“Austin Bluffs Interchange at Union Boulevard”
Client: City of Colorado Springs

Located in the heart of Colorado Springs, the intersection of Austin Bluffs Parkway and Union Blvd. was one of the highest accident locations and most congested intersections in the city. CH2M Hill developed a new interchange configuration, known as a single-point diamond interchange, designed to improve traffic safety and flow. The project included a bridge on Austin Bluffs Parkway passing over Union Blvd. and a new frontage road to improve local access to this major east-west corridor.

Most design standards for interchanges are geared toward freeway classifications, however since this project is located in a populated residential area with speed limits of 40 mph, CH2M Hill’s design team was also able to develop new standards and criteria for low-speed interchanges in urban settings for future generations of engineers to reference.

From initial planning through construction, under a fast-track schedule, the more user friendly, multi-modal interchange solution has improved mobility, accessibility and connectivity, providing for the safety of motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.  

Felsburg Holt & Ullevig
“C-470/Alameda Parkway Interchange”
Client: Carma Colorado, Ltd.

The C-470/Alameda Interchange is a leading example of sustainable transportation design that also bridges Colorado’s past with its future. Located between two state historic treasures - Dinosaur Ridge and the Rooney Ranch Historic District - Felsburg Holt & Ullevig was challenged to design an interchange for Carma Colorado, Ltd. to alleviate traffic congestion at adjacent C-470 interchanges and address future traffic levels, while protecting a wealth of environmental resources and a heavily used bike trail network.

Sustainable solutions included use of existing overpass materials in roadway design, best practice pond design to enhance water quality, LED lighting applications for energy savings and reduction of light pollution, low-water landscaping and context-sensitive aesthetics, such as incorporating a color palette and sandstone look for retaining walls to mimic Rooney Ranch’s historic structures and surrounding rock formations.

The interchange is a successful example of how sustainable design can be cost-effectively applied to improve transportation infrastructure as well as preserve natural and historic resources.

EMC Engineers, Inc.
“Revitalizing a Community Landmark”
Client: Monte Vista School District

Re-engineering older buildings without changing their appearance is complex.  This was the challenge EMC Engineers, Inc. faced when their client, the Monte Vista School District, wanted to enhance energy efficiency and comfort of the 71-year-old Monte Vista Central Auditorium/Gymnasium.

The building is a community landmark and used by the Monte Vista School District and the community for a wide range of events, however energy use was inefficient.   Creative thinking and a ‘reuse instead of replace’ mentality enabled the design and implementation of numerous sustainable mechanical and electrical system improvements, all of which needed to be made without significantly altering the building’s interior or exterior appearance while ensuring the safety of students who occupied the building during much of the project.  In the end, EMC accomplished a 58 percent reduction of overall energy usage, while retaining the charm and character of the 1938 building. 

Honor Awards

M-E Engineers, Inc.
“Research 2, University of Colorado Denver”
Client: Fentress Architects

Research 2, a 506,000 square foot laboratory and support facility, provides the ultimate in flexible, energy efficient laboratory space. M-E Engineers provided creative, cost effective and energy efficient MEP systems design. An interconnected air handling system reduces air flow required to condition and clean the air, saving energy and providing back-up capacity when needed. Heat recovery loops, evaporative cooling and careful process load sizing also save energy. These measures resulted in 40 percent less energy use than comparable facilities. Reduced energy costs and 3D construction coordination saved the owner money while still providing exceptional laboratory space for students, faculty and researchers.

The RMH Group, Inc.
“LDS Church History Library”
Client: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

In an effort to preserve its collection of more than five million publications, photographs, and audiovisual materials, the LDS Church sought energy-efficient and technologically-advanced solutions to be incorporated into their new Church History Library. The RMH Group was the project’s mechanical and electrical engineer and LEED consultant, and provided a number of innovative solutions to meet these requirements. Because extreme temperature and humidity can quickly deteriorate materials, RMH designed a tightly controlled system to regulate environmental conditions and achieve a high level of air purity. The new library also includes archival storage rooms maintained at constant temperatures as low as -4 degrees. As the Church’s first LEED-registered building, many sustainable design elements were incorporated including efficient lighting, daylight harvesting, ultra-low-flow water fixtures, and furniture crafted from recycled materials. 

Merit Awards

PBS&J
“Eagle County Traffic Incident Management Plan”
Client: Colorado Department of Transportation

The I-70/Eagle County Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Plan developed unique and innovative strategies to cope with closures of the remote 15-mile section of I-70 over Vail Pass east of Vail, Colorado.  A “staged closure” strategy was developed to progressively close the highway upstream of an incident as the small towns in the valley fill to capacity with diverted vehicles.  A “staged release” systematically re-opens the highway without causing gridlock.  The study was a collaboration of 39 agencies including several departments within CDOT, the Town of Vail and numerous other emergency service providers in Eagle County.

Terracon Consultants
“Up Against A Wall: University Village Colorado Retaining Wall”
Client: Kratt Commercial Properties

Just northwest of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs a once blighted 80-acre area is now being transformed into a premier retail center. Terracon was asked to design a nearly half-mile-long soil retaining wall that was needed to address significant grade change between the east and west site boundaries formed by Fountain Creek. Terracon’s design of a concealed spillway minimized the potential overflow and protected the lower wall tier which is intended to prevent a potentially catastrophic consequence. Terracon addressed major design challenges and produced an attractive and sustainable structure that complements the surrounding natural environment. 

Ayres Associates
“Protecting the Pleasant Valley Pipeline”
Client: City of Fort Collins

Heavy runoff in 2006 caused rivers and streams in Northern Colorado to pick up debris including pine needles from beetle-killed pine trees and other forest litter. The debris was finding its way into the Pleasant Valley Pipeline’s influent, posing risk to the City of Fort Collins’ secondary water supply. The Pipeline’s original manual bar screen was insufficient to handle the debris. Ayres Associates designed an unconventional, yet effective screening solution involving a dual-flow traveling screen that was retro-fit into the existing intake structure. The solution worked best for its low head loss, low electrical power requirement, ease of maintenance, durability, reliability and overall cost-effectiveness.

Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co, Inc.
“Fairplay Wastewater Treatment Facility, New Plant Design”
Client: Fairplay Sanitation District

At nearly 10,000 feet elevation, Fairplay Colorado is one of the coldest towns in America. Consequently, the town’s wastewater lagoon system, which relies on warmer temperatures to be effective, was not meeting the new ammonia limits set by the State. Burns & McDonnell recommended an integrated fixed-film activated sludge facility capable of biological nutrient removal, which operates on autopilot while also treating wastewater at 5 degrees Celsius and provides winter protection for every piece of equipment. The result of the project was a facility completed in one construction season that treats wastewater to quality levels well beyond the requirement of their current permit limits.

Merrick & Company
“Water and Sewer Master Programming Services”
Client: Bancroft-Clover Water and Sanitation District

Merrick implemented a master program of multiple projects to upgrade the ageing water and sewer system of the 55-year-old Bancroft Clover Water and Sanitation District. The District serves a population of 95,000 in Lakewood.  Merrick planned, designed, and managed the construction of over $5 million of improvements over a five-year-schedule utilizing state-of-the-art methods that minimized environmental impacts, reduced costs, reduced time, and eliminated disruptions to existing residents and businesses.

Richard P. Arber Associates, Inc.  
“Lone Tree Creek Water Reuse Facility Expansion”
Client: Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority

The Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority and Inverness Water and Sanitation District are stewards of the water quality in Cherry Creek Reservoir, which is a major recreational resource for the Denver region. Driven by rapid population growth, the two districts determined that partnering in the expansion of the Lone Tree Creek Water Reuse Facility would best serve their customers while protecting the reservoir. Arber Associates served as project manager for the expansion project and provided planning, permitting assistance, preliminary design, design, services during bidding, and services during construction.  Limited resources were stretched to complete of this regional wastewater treatment facility which is now capable of meeting the communities’ treatment needs for many years.

AECOM Technology Corporation
“Woodmen Road Corridor”
Client: El Paso County Department of Transportation

With few major east-west thoroughfares in the western portion of El Paso County, commutes were long and opportunities for development diminished. As a catalyst for improving travel, the El Paso Department of Transportation called upon AECOM to provide planning, design, and construction support services for the development of the Woodmen
Road Corridor over a nine-year period. AECOM delivered innovative strategies to transform six miles of rural two-lane county road into a four-lane expressway, adding a new bridge and a four-mile recreation trail to the city’s trail system in the process.  AECOM worked with El Paso County to maximize funding resources through innovative financing strategies, and reduced costs through Low Impact Development design and unique design/construction phasing approach.

PBS&J
“RidgeGate Parkway and I-25 Interchange”
Client: City of Lone Tree

A public-private partnership between the City of Lone Tree, Coventry Development, CDOT, and Douglas County collaborated to construct a new RidgeGate and I-25 interchange with a unique bridge and architecture. PBS&J’s unique design elements included geometrically shaped native stone walls, and grading to mimic adjacent landforms while a thin box girder bridge provides unimpeded scenic views.  The project achieved multiple regional and local transportation benefits for less cost than separate projects and has received outstanding public response.

Summit Engineering Group, Inc.
“State Highway 58 Ramp A Flyover Bridge”
Client: Colorado Department of Transportation

The Ramp A flyover bridge was designed to allow access to the east side of the city of Golden from eastbound I-70. Summit performed the structural engineering design of the bridge substructure and superstructure and provided extensive engineering support to the Contractor. The Ramp A project demonstrates the advantages of using locally manufactured, precast concrete components to construct cost-effective, complex, long-span structures in high profile applications. The project was successfully constructed in a challenging location where maintenance of traffic was essential using unique design solutions that produced an elegant structure while advancing the state-of-the-art of bridge construction in Colorado.

URS Corporation
“I-25 Reconstruction Non-Stop Relief”
Client: Colorado Department of Transportation

URS was selected to provide design services for two separate, but adjacent segments along the north Front Range between SH 52 and SH 66. Traffic volumes for this section of I-25 are projected to exceed 106,000 vehicles per day by the year 2022 and heavy trucks comprise nearly 15 percent of the average daily traffic. The full reconstruction of 8.5 miles of aging interstate included one new lane in each direction, a new interchange, added pavement for future HOV lanes, and 30 feet envelope for transit.  Real-time camera information provides travel condition input for variable message signs and added capacity allows semi-truck traffic to operate with less impact to other users. These two projects were completed under budget and ahead of schedule.  

Drexel, Barrell & Co
“Fruita Reservoir No. 1 Rehabilitation”
Client: City of Fruita

The City of Fruita faced a dilemma when an inspection by the State Engineer’s Office declared Fruita Reservoir No. 1 unsafe and ordered it drained. Budget constraints meant losing not only an important recreational and raw water storage facility, but also valuable water rights under the doctrine of “use it or lose it.” Under a first of its kind program, the City enlisted the help of the Governor and the Colorado National Guard to construct the new dam as part of the Guard’s annual training exercises resulting in savings to the City, thus allowing them to fund the remaining dam improvements. Drexel, Barrell & Co. designed the new embankment, spillway and outlet structure. The combined efforts resulted in savings to the City of Fruita of an estimated $350,000, secured the City’s water rights, and the real-world training experience for the Colorado National Guard has established a model for future collaborations.

Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc.
“Increasing Generation Capability at Craig Unit 3”
Client: Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc

Colorado’s largest coal-fired generating station, the Craig Station, is owned and operated by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. To keep up with growing demand, Tri-State sought to expand the generating capacity of Craig Station Unit 3. Tri-State hired Burns & McDonnell to modify systems that would allow Craig Station Unit 3 to realize its increased generation capacity while strengthening their emission control system. They designed components during this upgrade that help regulate and control power plant emissions. State of the art burners and over fire air ports helped maximize the plants efficiency while controlling NOx.  Craig Station is now able to supply more environmentally friendly energy to sustain the populations in surrounding communities.

800 Grant St Suite 100

Denver CO 80203

303-832-2200; Fax 303-832-0400

www.acec-co.org

acec@acec-co.org