Tuesday, December 27, 2011

An Advocate for Bike-Friendly Communities

The Little Rock Bicycle Friendly Community Committee has selected Garver Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dan Williams to serve as a member.

The committee is working to make Little Rock, Arkansas a Bicycle-Friendly Community and achieve this designation through the League of American Bicyclists. Committee members interact with the city and community to make Little Rock safe for bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists; to create a network of connected on-street facilities and bicycle-friendly trails to safely travel anywhere in Little Rock by bicycle; and to promote and encourage bicycling for recreation and transportation.

Dan is just one example of Garver’s commitment to bicycle advocacy, which is fueled by employee passions. Through leadership, athletic example, and engineering design, Garver is encouraging communities and individuals to stay fit and have fun on two wheels. Moreover, Garver’s “cyclelogical” attitude reflects the public’s growing trend to settle in communities with bicycle-friendly infrastructure.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Merry Christmas

See the world through children's eyes
Apt to dream and journey far
Soaring high beyond the skies
Free to race a shooting star

Christmas kindles hopes anew
Giving flight to passions great
Take a child's point of view
Go for launch! Your dreams await!

Friday, December 16, 2011

Coats at Christmas

Garver's Fayetteville office has organized a drive to collect winter coats for families in northwest Arkansas. The employees gathered more than 30 coats as well as gloves, hats, and scarves for the Peace at Home Family Shelter.

The winter clothes have been donated to the shelter's thrift store, which provides clothing, furniture, and household items free of charge to its families. The organization is committed to ending family violence in northwest Arkansas and provides a crisis hotline, safe emergency shelter, support groups, and assistance in finding employment and transitional housing.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

IQ Volume 3 Issue 4


The newest issue of Garver's IQ will hit the streets soon.
This edition features:

Power to the People. Garver’s Energy Group is providing generation, transmission, and distribution services designed to client standards. Many clients have energy-related methods, processes, components, and training already in place. When they need to update and expand their aging systems, Garver develops designs that meet today’s standards while satisfying each client’s unique requirements.

Mission at Knox Hall. Knox Hall has served Fort Sill, Oklahoma for nearly 70 years. Now home to the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), the two-story building hadn’t been remodeled since an addition in 1962. Garver provided services to redesign the second floor and helped the TRADOC continue its mission.

Abandoned Pipeline Saves City Millions. When the City of Okmulgee, Oklahoma needed an economical way to increase its raw water conveyance capacity, it turned to a low-impact, trenchless method that cost $2.1 million less than an estimated open-trench technique. The solution lay with a 90-year-old concrete pipe and a subsurface technology known as sliplining.

All About Perspective. Three projects at Nashville International Airport in Tennessee are changing the way pilots, air traffic control, and the aviation industry view the airfield. Garver’s recent projects improved landside and airside lines of sight, reconfigured how taxiways interact, and installed airside synthetic turf.

It's Cyclelogical. Garver’s commitment to bicycle advocacy is fueled by employee passions. Through athletic example and engineering design, Garver is encouraging communities and individuals to stay fit and have fun on two wheels. Moreover, Garver’s “cyclelogical” attitude reflects the public’s growing trend to settle in communities with bicycle-friendly infrastructure.

You can read our newsletter and past issues on the Garver Website.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Engineer Starts College Scholarship

Aviation engineer Adam White, EI has teamed with two friends to start a scholarship for engineering students at the University of Arkansas. The Honorarium for Dedicated Leadership and Outstanding Character Scholarship is a $1,500 scholarship awarded to junior and senior civil engineering students who demonstrate leadership skills in academic and extracurricular activities.

“We all had the financial capacity to start the scholarship," Adam told the University of Arkansas Alumni Association. "We didn’t want to wait... It is rewarding to give back to students. You get so much out of it, and it helps you grow as a professional just as much as they grow as students.”

Adam graduated from the university in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He worked with Garver as an intern while in school, and he has worked with Garver since he graduated.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Helping Students Prepare for a Drafting Career

Senior Technician Charlie Macom is helping students at the University of Arkansas Community College in Morrilton prepare to work in the drafting industry.

Charlie has nearly 25 years of experience in drafting and surveying, and he is part of an advisory committee that provides the university's drafting program with ways to improve its curriculum. Charlie represents the engineering field and joins professionals with backgrounds in machine and mechanical, architectural, interior design, and aircraft industries.

The drafting program introduces students to the drafting profession, principles, and  technology. Throughout the program, students learn and work with computer-aided drafting and 3-D modeling programs. Students gain experience in residential and structural drafting, machine drafting, and pre-engineering drafting by working on realistic projects. The drafting program curriculum includes design concepts and sustainability theories to gives students an edge in today's workplace.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Exceeding Construction Safety Standards

Project representatives from Addison Airport, Garver, and EAS Contracting

A Garver reconstruction project at Addison Airport won the Federal Aviation Administration's Excellence in Construction Safety Award. The FAA presented the award at its Southwest Region Conference.

Addison Airport is one of the busiest single-runway general aviation airports in the United States. Garver's engineering services involved full-depth reconstruction and asphalt overlay on the 7,200-foot runway. The improvement project also graded runway safety areas to meet current standards, improved the airfield drainage system, installed runway guard lights at all 12 runway hold lines, installed new high-intensity runway lights, and replaced the MALSR approach lighting system.

The annual award honors one airport that exceeds FAA construction safety standards during a project. Because of the airport's high number of operations, Garver designed the $10.5 million project in multiple phases to keep the runway open and limit closures during construction. Construction activity increases the risk of vehicle/pedestrian deviations (V/PD). Even with complex construction phasing and aircraft operations for more than 600 based aircraft, the project had no V/PD incidents.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Garver Client Receives Treatment Plant Awards

The Oklahoma Water and Pollution Control Association has named the City of Norman's water and wastewater treatment facilities as "plants of the year." Garver has provided recent engineering services to improve the plants' capabilities and efficiency.

In the newspaper article Utilities Commended, published by The Norman Transcript, Utilities Director Ken Komiske said, “This award is given to only one large treatment plant — one water and one wastewater — for the whole state and is chosen by peer review, audit of operations and a site visit. We are very proud of the treatment plants and, more importantly, the operators that keep them running and producing great, quality water and effluent.”

Garver designed a new 13,000-foot-long, 48-inch raw water conveyance line from Lake Thunderbird to the Vernon Campbell Water Treatment Plant to meet increasing water demands. Specific design features included increasing water line capacity, keeping the existing 30-inch pipeline connected and operable, and providing inter-connective piping to facilitate pipeline redundancy.

At the wastewater treatment plant, Garver is providing existing system assessment, alternatives evaluation, and cost estimates to expand the plant to 17 million gallons per day and implement state-of-the-art technology. Garver also provided energy improvement designs that included blower upgrades, RAS/WAS pumping upgrades, and conversion from 4160v to 480v power.

The Oklahoma Water and Pollution Control Association is a non-profit operator association organized in 1926 and dedicated to advancing knowledge among water and wastewater system operators.


Thursday, November 3, 2011

Sisemore Presents at ACPA Workshop

Aviation Project Leader Ryan Sisemore, PE  presented at this year's Airport Pavement Fall Workshop hosted by the American Concrete Pavement Association, Southeast Chapter.

Sisemore presented a 30-minute case study about Garver's recycled runway project at Nashville International Airport, which has received international attention. The presentation focused on how existing concrete pavements can be recycled into crushed base stone, what testing is required for compliance, how recycling can lead to project cost savings, and how sustainability goals were met during the Runway 2L/20R reconstruction at Nashville International.

Ryan Sisemore (left) at Nashville International during the concrete demolition phase.
















This year's event set an attendance record with representatives from federal and state agencies, airports, engineering consulting firms, and construction companies. The workshop focused on ways to enhance education in designing, constructing, and maintaining airport pavements. The workshop allowed a free flow of ideas, questions, and real-world industry case studies.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Earning the Aviation Merit Badge

Perry Havenar (left) helps the Boy Scouts earn the Aviation Merit Badge.
Garver Senior Aviation Planner Perry Havenar is helping a Texas Boy Scouts of America Troop earn the Aviation Merit Badge. In early October, Havenar introduced Troop 1177 to the world of aviation and spent 1.5 hours talking with the Scouts about aviation history, aerodynamics, aircraft engines, and airport design.

Joe McAnally
Perry also joined with Joe McAnally,
Addison Airport operations manager and Eagle Scout, to give the Scouts a behind-the-scenes tour of the airfield on October 19. They visited the American Flyers maintenance hangar, Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicle and fire station, and airport management offices. The Scouts received 2 hours of hands-on exposure to the aviation world and the many careers it offers.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Buddy Walk


Garver's Shannon Hanks and her family recently participated in a Buddy Walk hosted by the Down Syndrome Association of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Buddy Walk is an advocacy event in which people with Down syndrome invite "buddies" to walk with them. The Hanks family participated for the third consecutive year and were buddies for their son, Tyler.

The Buddy Walk promotes October as National Down Syndrome Awareness month and encourages greater acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. It is an inspirational and educational day that celebrates people with Down syndrome and their many abilities and accomplishments.

The walk has expanded from 17 walks nationwide in 1995 to more than 300 this year. In Tulsa, more than 5,000 people attended the ninth annual walk and event activities, which began in 2002 with 500 people.

Garver served as an event Gold Sponsor.


Thursday, October 13, 2011

Pulling for Education Trap Shoot

Garver's Gary Bennett takes aim during the trap shoot competition.
Garver employees are continually finding ways to support and give back to their communities. At the end of September, and for the third consecutive year, a group of Garver employees competed in a competitive clay pigeon shooting contest to raise funds for a two-year, higher-education institution.

Garver organized two teams and participated with 60 shooters and 20 teams in the Fifth Annual Pulling for Education Trap Shoot in Columbus, Arkansas. Proceeds benefited the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope Foundation. Garver's team of Gary Bennett, Jim Ward, and John Ed Watkins won first place in the second flight. Glynn Fulmer, TJ Bruck, and Blake Martin also teamed together.

Left to Right: Gary Bennett, Representative David "Bubba" Powers, U.S. Congressman Mike Ross, John Ed Watkins, Jim Ward, and Chris Thomason, Chancellor of the UofA Community College at Hope

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

New ASCE Officers

Garver congratulates Nick Braddy, EI; Kyle Williams, EI; and Wayne Black, PE on their service as 2011-2012 branch officers for the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Nick is serving his second consecutive term as the Tulsa, Oklahoma Branch Secretary. Nick is an engineer in our Transportation Group and has worked with Garver for 2.5 years.

Kyle is serving as the Tulsa Branch Young Member Contact. Kyle is an engineer in our Transportation Group and joined Garver in May.

Wayne is serving as the Jackson, Mississippi Branch Vice President and recently completed a term as Treasurer. Wayne is an engineer in our Transportation Group and has worked with Garver for 5 years.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Inspiring a New Generation of Engineers


"Carmen Cobb is harvesting her cornfield. She planted 270 rows of corn, and there are 130 corncobs in each row. It will take Carmen 18 hours to harvest her corn. How many corncobs did Carmen Cobb collect every hour?"

Whew. Remember the days of fifth-grade word problems? At the time, they may not have seemed important, but they foster knowledge application and problem solving skills - which just so happen to be essential in construction services.

Jim Heard, a Garver senior construction observer, recently visited several fifth-grade classes in Jay, Oklahoma. During his interaction with 100 students, Jim demonstrated why math and science are important on the job site. Jim's visit was a hit, and the teacher sent Garver the following thank you note:

"The students really enjoyed getting to hear how the math and science they use in class can be applied to the real world! I've had parents tell me that since Mr. Heard's talk, their children have quizzed them on information about highways and bridges as they drive over them. What better way to get kids involved in learning!"

And don't think that you're off the hook. Put that calculator in a drawer and grab a trusty pencil. How many corncobs were collected every hour?

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Recruiting the Best Talent

Tulsa transportation engineers Jenny Sallee and Michael Winterscheidt recently visited their alma mater to participate in the Oklahoma State University College of Engineering Architecture and Technology career fair. Many students stopped by the Garver booth, and we received resumes from students in various engineering fields, including civil, electrical, environmental, and construction management technology.

"Career fairs are always an exciting way to keep in touch with the young engineering community. They're the future of our industry," Sallee said.

Our Tulsa and Norman offices are a great place for young engineers to discover their niche in the industry and for experienced professionals to advance their careers. Our offices are growing and need quality engineers; the Tulsa Business Journal listed our Tulsa office as a Top Place to Work; and Garver's education reimbursement program helps engineers achieve higher education degrees. For more information on Garver job opportunities, visit our Website.


Thursday, September 29, 2011

Sharing Traffic Knowledge

Garver traffic engineering employees (left to right): Mike Spayd, Claire McKinney, Annette Porter, Traffic Leader Nicci Tiner, and Nathan Becknell.





Approximately 15 years ago, Garver added traffic engineering to our expertise. What started as one person dedicated to traffic studies and design has developed into a team of professionals with a passion to improve our transportation systems' safety, quality, and driving experience. The Garver Traffic Team provides traffic engineering services such as traffic studies, signal design, intersection design, pedestrian facilities, permanent signing, ITS, and maintenance of traffic. By having a team focused on traffic aspects, we can provide a high-degree of technical competence and develop solutions to complicated projects.

Several members of Garver's Traffic Team recently attended the Missouri Valley Institute of Transportation Engineers (MOVITE) annual fall meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas to share and receive industry knowledge. The three-day technical conference included presentations on pedestrian accommodations, roundabouts, highway safety, and accessible pedestrian signals.

In addition to hosting a vendor booth and assisting with registration, four Garver employees contributed to the presentations. Garver Traffic Team Leader Nicci Tiner, PE, PTOE; 2011 Arkansas MOVITE Director Nathan Becknell, PE; and Project Engineer Claire McKinney, EI served as session moderators. Becknell also led a session on traffic knowledge, and Bridge Design Manager John Ruddell, PE, SE discussed the new Two Rivers Bridge that Garver designed.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Kentucky's First All-LED Airfield

Russellville-Logan County Airport is the first all-LED airfield
in Kentucky.

Garver recently provided design and construction administration to improve the airport's lighting system, which was dated. The parallel taxiway didn't have edge lights or signage, the medium intensity runway lighting system was old, and the approach lights were not functioning correctly. The airport now features LED runway edge lights, LED taxiway signs, LED runway end identifier lights, and retro-reflectors for the parallel taxiway.

Converting the airside lights to LED technology will provide the airport with decreased operational costs, increase lighting system reliability, and improve airfield visibility for pilots.

Garver also worked to give the airport a new rotating beacon and beacon tower, standalone vault building, and equipment. Together, the enhancements work to improve safe airfield operations, especially during low-visibility conditions.

Over the past decade, Garver has provided electrical services on numerous projects that led the way in new airfield LED technology.

2002 - North Little Rock Municipal Airport: First LED taxiway edge lights in Arkansas
2008 - Arkadelphia Municipal Airport: One of the first LED REILs in Arkansas
2009 - Ada Municipal Airport: First LED airfield signs in Oklahoma
2009 - Little Rock National Airport: First LED runway guard lights in Arkansas
2011 - Paris Municipal Airport: First LED MIRLs in Arkansas
2011 - Russellville-Logan County Airport: First all-LED airfield in Kentucky

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Magazine Includes Garver Project in High-Profile List


CE News, a monthly publication by ZweigWhite, has listed a Garver project as one of 29 significant road, highway, and bridge projects in progress. Ranked by estimated cost, the I-269 Loop Highway near Memphis, Tennessee is valued at $670 million. The project is a new four-lane controlled-access interstate, and Garver's portion involves an eastern section. A total of four consultants are working on the corridor.

Garver is providing engineering services for multiple phases, including surveys and roadway and bridge design. First phase services involved right-of-way plans for the project, which includes 6.3 miles of interstate highway. Garver's section involves one interchange, several grade separation structures, and a 4,000-linear-foot bridge over the Coldwater River. We are currently working on final construction plans.

The article, Transportation Projects Roadmap, lists 58 notable infrastructure projects in road-highway-bridge, rail-transit, port-waterway, and airport. This the second annual CE News transportation projects roadmap.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Balancing Work, Life, and Volunteering

Garver transportation engineers Nathan and Natalie Becknell understand what it means to give back and are making it a priority to mentor young engineers.

The University of Arkansas's newest edition of The Volunteer View features the alumni Becknells. The publication highlights ways Nathan and Natalie are balancing their work at Garver with life responsibilities and volunteer opportunities.

"As alumni, we learned quickly that you don't have to endow a scholarship to make a difference," Natalie told The Volunteer View. "We make it a priority each year to give back, and we do what we can."

The Becknells contribute money to engineering scholarships, serve as student advisers, and regularly visit the university to offer students advice and encouragement.

"We give reassurance," Nathan said. "The students who are doing the best academically often doubt themselves the most. We give advice that will help them with current classes and projects and also prepare them for the real world."

The Becknells' real world activities also include taking part in the Illinois River Watershed Project by planting trees and cleaning streams, participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and staying active in the University of Arkansas's concrete canoe contest.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Airplane Cuts Ribbon to Re-open Runway

At most ribbon-cutting ceremonies, the tool of choice is a pair of scissors. At Addison Airport in Texas, the instrument is an airplane flying 15 feet above the runway.

Addison Airport recently re-opened its 7,200-foot-long runway. To celebrate, acrobatic pilot Jan Collmer flew his plane down the runway and used a wing to cut the ceremonial ribbon, which was stretched high above the pavement. Trailing a cloud of white smoke, Collmer dipped a wing as he flew by the ribbon, successfully cutting the material in two. Town of Addison Mayor Pro Tempore Blake Clemens accompanied Collmer in the plane.

Addison Airport posted a ribbon-cutting video. (If you have trouble viewing it, right click on the video and turn HD off).

Addison Airport is one of the busiest general aviation airports in Texas and the United States. Garver's engineering services on the $10.5 million project involved full-depth runway reconstruction, high-intensity runway lights, runway guard lights, hold position signs, a medium-intensity approach lighting system with runway alignment indicator lights, and an airfield lighting control and monitoring system. Improvements were also made to the runway safety area and airfield drainage. To put this project into perspective, it involved:

1,263 truckloads of asphalt. If you lined up the dump trucks bumper to bumper, the traffic jam would stretch longer than 7 miles.

157,700 square feet of runway and taxiway paint. If you painted a 4-inch-wide line, it would stretch 181 miles.

38.5 acres of seeding and 38,900 square yards of sodding.
This is enough to cover 35 NFL football fields.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

National Recognition in Engineering Inc.

 As 23,000 readers pick up the newest edition of Engineering Inc., they'll see Garver featured in the glossy pages and read about our $128 million "Building Big" project.

The American Council of Engineering Companies publication dedicated a portion of its September/October issue to complex mega projects and their designing firms, which includes our multimodal bridge across the Arkansas River in Tulsa to replace the deteriorated westbound I-244 bridge.

The article, Tulsa Goes Multi-Modal, highlights Bridge Team Leader Jason Langhammer, PE and Garver's services as lead design consultant. The new westbound I-244 multimodal bridge will carry highway traffic on the upper level and high-speed rail, light rail transit, and pedestrian/bicycle traffic on the lower level. The westbound bridge is currently under construction, and the eastbound bridge, which will carry only highway traffic, is in final design.

The project involves 2.5 miles of combined highway, rail, and pedestrian bridges, 1 mile of multi-lane interstate highway, and a pedestrian trail system extension. To meet the provisions within the federal TIGER grant (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery), Garver completed design within an accelerated, nine-month schedule.

According to the publication, Engineering Inc. is sent to engineering firms across the United States, every member of Capitol Hill, numerous federal agencies, and state departments of transportation.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Big Dam Bridge 100 and Jersey


Registration is open for Arkansas' largest cycling tour, the sixth annual Big Dam Bridge 100, which starts in Little Rock, Arkansas and ends in North Little Rock on September 24. A change in the 100-mile course includes a new route over the Garver-designed Two Rivers Bridge.

Garver is again providing a rest stop at our corporate office, cheering on a group of company riders, and designing the official event jersey. Here's a peek at this year's design with the slogan, "It's just the Big Dam Bridge. Get over it."

The event jersey can be ordered on the Big Dam Bridge 100 website when you register for the ride. And if you participate in the tour, keep an eye out for bicyclists wearing our past designs:

2009

2010

In the next few years, bicyclists will benefit from several Garver-designed improvements made to the central Arkansas bicycle trail system. Construction crews are beginning work to add a west leg to the Little Rock side of the Big Dam Bridge, which will allow bicyclists to connect with the Two Rivers Bridge without attempting a tight 180-degree turn. In addition, design on the pedestrian bridge at Shilcutt Bayou is nearly complete. The new replacement bridge will provide a safer and smoother ride than the existing alignment, and it will offer cyclists a route that is not limited by the existing timber structure.

Monday, August 29, 2011

IQ Volume 3 Issue 3

The newest issue of Garver's IQ will hit the streets soon.
This edition features:

Cars Above, Barges Below. Improving a State Highway 51 bridge in Wagoner County, Oklahoma required designing for two modes of travel: highway and waterway. The bridge crosses the Verdigris River, which is part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System.

Setting the Standard. Garver's CE&I teams are expanding and keeping a close eye on construction.

Reborn in Concrete. Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport in Texas is finding new life after overlaying its aging airfield pavement in concrete.

Taking Charge of Energy Use. Proactive utility owners are making energy use more efficient at their water and wastewater treatment plants, and Garver is helping by providing energy optimization solutions and project funding assistance.

Map Quest. Certifying your levee will keep it on FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Maps. Garver is working with communities to certify and provide evidence that levees meet current design, construction, maintenance, and operation standards.

You can read this issue and past editions on our Website.

Is there a project you'd like to see featured in IQ?

Monday, August 22, 2011

Mountain Biking 100 Miles Across the Sky

With a wild look in their eyes and an unbending determination to conquer the extreme, Garver's Steve Jones and Kyle Kruger recently pushed themselves to the limit across brutal mountainous terrain.

Nicknamed the Race Across the Sky, Steve and Kyle tackled the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race in Colorado on August 13, a 100-mile course in the Rocky Mountains.

With 15,000 feet of total climbing and an ultimate high at Columbine Pass (12,424 feet above sea level), the race features forest trails and mountain roads, steep climbs and narrow descents, sharp turns and switchbacks, creek crossings, and panoramic views. With an entry field of over 2,000, less than 1,300 finished.

With arms raised high as he crossed the finish line, Steve completed the race in 11 hours and 39 minutes. Steve started near the back of the pack but passed nearly 1,000 riders to finish.

Pushing hard to the finish, Kyle completed the course in 11 hours and 58 minutes. Kyle overcame several challenges during the race to finish ahead of the 12-hour cutoff. This was his second time to complete the race; in 2008, he finished in 10 hours and 17 minutes. 

This wasn't Kyle and Steve's first experience together with long-distance mountain biking. Last year they rode with a Garver group (including President Brock Johnson, Chief Operating Officer Dan Williams, and Chief Marketing Officer Chad Clinehens) on a challenging seven-day, 215-mile hut-to-hut adventure from Durango, Colorado to Moab, Utah.

Question
Have you ever biked in a 100-mile race?

Would you try?

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Same Service, New Mississippi Location


Our Brandon, Mississippi office has moved to a new building. The office is relocating approximately one mile west. This location provides us room to grow and enhances our ability to serve Mississippi with exceptional responsiveness and professionalism. The new address is:

224 Commerce Drive, Suite 200
Brandon, MS  39042

A map and driving directions are located on our website. The office phone and fax numbers remain the same.

Monday, August 15, 2011

ACEC Oklahoma Board of Directors

Brent Schneirs, PE has been instated as an officer on the American Council of Engineering Companies Oklahoma Board of Directors.

Brent is serving as the 2011-2012 Vice Chair - Business Practice. Last year he served as the Vice Chair - Education/Public Relations. Brent is Garver's transportation team leader in our Tulsa office.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Run Safe and Beat the Heat

Like many Garver employees, Bill Ruck enjoys competing in races. He recently ran in the Big Dam Bridge Twilight 5K (finishing first in his age group), the River City 5K (finishing second in his age group), and the Firecracker Fast 5K (finishing third in his age group).

If you plan to run or exercise during the summer months (and especially during this heat wave), take precautions to avoid overheating and dehydration. Below are some running tips to keep in mind when you're having fun in the sun.
  1. Make sure to drink fluids before and after you exercise. 
  2. Avoid running in the afternoon. A good tip is to run when your shadow is taller than you.
  3. If you do run in the afternoon, be prepared to run at a reduced pace; the heat takes a lot out of you.
  4. Wear thin, synthetic materials free of cotton, including your socks. They allow moisture to escape to the surface where evaporation brings a lot of cooling.
  5. Don't forget the sunscreen. Ball caps trap a lot of heat on your head.
  6. Run with a buddy, and recognize the signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion.
  7. Unlace and dry your shoes after each run. Stuff your shoes with newspaper while they are stored in your gym bag.
  8. If you don't breathe well through your nose, a piece of gum keeps you from getting a dry mouth.
  9. Nourish yourself with a balanced diet low in fats and high in carbs, natural vitamins, and electrolytes to enable your cooling system to operate at peak efficiency.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Best Place to Work

Garver's Tulsa, Oklahoma office has been named one of the city's Best Places to Work by the Tulsa Business Journal. The ranking is determined by employees who completed a 20-question survey, and Garver received high marks for firms with 300 or more employees.

"Garver employees are young, enthusiastic, and excited about helping our clients improve the infrastructure of our surrounding community and state," said Team Leader Kelly Fincannon, PE. "It takes more than Garver's great pay and great benefits to be a great place to work. Garver also provides a place to 'work hard and play hard,' a place where everyone contributes to excellence in our work, and a place with huge opportunities for career development and advancement."

More than 700 surveys were submitted. The surveys asked questions about benefits, professional and personal growth opportunities, health programs, company communications, promotion opportunities, pay, work/personal life balance, and work culture. Garver received an employee satisfaction rating of 4.942 out of 5.

Anonymous staff comments were published in the article, such as this one from a Garver employee: "In the engineering consulting area, it is very hard to find a company that values the personal/work life balance as much as Garver."

Monday, August 1, 2011

Two Rivers Bridge: Now Open


More than an hour before the Garver-designed Two Rivers Bridge opened to the public at 7am on July 23 in Little Rock, Ark., over 200 enthusiastic bicyclists and walkers stood in line to celebrate the event. The pedestrian bridge connects the Arkansas River Trail with Two Rivers Park and provides 17 miles of uninterrupted trails. The 1,760-foot-long bridge sits nearly 40 feet above the river's high-water mark and is 14 feet wide.

This year's Big Dam Bridge 100 bike ride (September 24) has a new route for the 100-mile course that includes the Two Rivers Bridge. Register for the ride.

Transportation Director Bert Parker attended the opening and took pictures.

Workers remove the temporary barrier, allowing access to the bridge and its trail system.

The bridge remained busy for many hours.

Both walkers and bicyclists turned out to enjoy the beautiful morning and be some of the first to cross the bridge.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Reconstructing Kilo


Garver has kicked off a project to reconstruct a portion of Runway 13/31's parallel taxiway at Nashville International Airport. The majority of Taxiway Kilo's asphalt pavement has dropped below the minimum service level, and more than 432,000 square feet of pavement will be reconstructed. Design aspects also include correcting non-compliant longitudinal gradients as well as runway and taxiway safety areas.

Taxiway Kilo is one of the most heavily used taxiways at the airport. To keep from impacting airport operations, Garver and its subconsultants recently performed the topographical survey and geotechnical investigations over a three-night period from 10pm to 6am.

Garver is also providing construction phasing, pavement design (which includes a life-cycle cost analysis between asphalt and concrete pavement sections), all geometric design, drainage improvements, electrical and NAVAID design, bidding, and construction support services.

Garver's previous projects at Nashville International Airport include reconstructing Runway 2L/20R (which featured a unique pavement recycling process) and reconstructing and rehabilitating numerous taxiways throughout the airfield.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Transportation Time Capsule

This year, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation is celebrating its 100th anniversary. As part of the year-long observance, ODOT will bury a time capsule for future Oklahomans to open in 50 years. During an ODOT press conference in June, Garver transportation team leader Brent Schniers and transportation engineer Kevin Moore witnessed state leaders dedicate the time capsule.

The capsule's contents include:
  • A list of current ODOT employees with their signatures
  • Copies of June 15 editions of two major state newspapers
  • Cover sheets for significant transportation projects throughout Oklahoma
  • A sample of paving materials currently in use
Garver has worked with ODOT for more than 25 years, and some of our notable design projects include:
  • Interstate 244 multimodal bridge across the Arkansas River, Tulsa
  • Inner Dispersal Loop west leg, Tulsa
  • Interstate 44 interchange at 163rd Street, Rogers County
  • US-169 widening and resurfacing, Tulsa County
  • State Highway 10 realignment, Ottawa County

AddThis

 
Subscribe to our blog Follow us on Facebook Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on LinkedIn