Thursday, March 31, 2011

IQ Volume 3 Issue 1

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

A military base that has opened a university center for airmen and civilians. The Little Rock Air Force Base and City of Jacksonville, Arkansas constructed a joint-university center that provides 30 classrooms for 800 college-level students. It is recognized as the first education facility built through a community and U.S. Air Force partnership.

A project to relocate an airport runway's aircraft arresting system, which is used in emergency situations to stop malfunctioning fighter jets. In operation for more than 30 years, Tulsa International Airport in Oklahoma updated its aircraft arresting system to the latest U.S. Air Force site criteria. This included a new steel cable that crosses Runway 8/26 to snag an F-16 Fighting Falcon's tailhook.

A freeway project that paved inside the grass median to ease commuter traffic. More than 65,000 vehicles use U.S. 169 every day, and transportation officials initiated improvements to increase capacity and provide a safer artery between Tulsa and Owasso, Oklahoma. The project widened the urban freeway from four to six lanes and involved cost-effective design methods, a unique drainage profile, and special bridge features.

A wastewater treatment plant that is prepared to meet unprecedented effluent phosphorus limits targeted for 2012. By implementing the first phase of an enhanced nutrient removal program at its plant on Sager Creek, the City of Siloam Springs, Arkansas is well on its way to meeting anticipated phosphorus discharge limits.

Garver's newest service: architecture. Garver has received its corporate certificate of authority to provide architectural services in several states.

Watch your mailboxes for this issue or read past editions on our website.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

National Recognition in Airport Improvement Magazine

Two notable Garver projects are receiving national attention in Airport Improvement magazine. The March-April issue features the Nashville International Airport Runway 2L/20R reconstruction project and also Little Rock National Airport's new terminal construction.

Garver and Aviation Team Leader Ryan Sisemore, PE are prominently featured in the article, Nashville Int'l Reconstructs One Runway, Rehabs Another. The article details our runway reconstruction project that utilized an innovative concrete-recycling method and saved the client more than $2 million.

Garver is also identified as a project engineer in Little Rock Nat'l Lays Financial & Operational Groundwork for New Terminal. Garver is providing civil, mechanical, electrical, and structural engineering services to improve the terminal at Arkansas' largest airport.

Airport Improvement provides information about aviation infrastructure projects throughout the United States, focusing on the best and most innovative projects. The magazine produces six editions a year, and more than 5,600 subscribers receive the periodical, including airport management teams, consultants, government officials, and industry suppliers.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Southwest Region's First LED Runway Lights



Hollis Municipal Airport in Oklahoma is the first airfield in the Southwest Region (Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico) to operate with FAA-certified LED medium intensity runway edge lights (MIRLs).

The airport's out-of-date incandescent runway lights had been in poor shape, and Garver provided engineering services to install the state-of-the-art LED system. Garver designed a new electrical vault, regulators, and 45 fixture lighting circuit that together are anticipated to reduce airfield energy costs by 25 percent. The airfield's new LED lighting fixtures save approximately 450 watts of power usage, and the fixtures are expected to last more than 50 times longer than incandescent lamps. Combined with reduced relamping costs and maintenance hours, the energy savings roughly equate to a five-year return on investment as compared to incandescent fixtures.

Williams Electric constructed the runway portion of the lighting system in approximately one month, despite record snows and ice, which minimized impact to businesses based at the airport. Now that the lights are operational, local tenants say the new LED lights—even on low intensity—are more visible than the old lights at high intensity.

The project also included new LED airfield signs, taxiway edge reflectors, and an electrical vault transclosure.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

ACEC College of Fellows

Garver President Brock Johnson, PE has been accepted as a member in the ACEC College of Fellows. The group consists of approximately 200 engineers nationwide who've made significant contributions to the engineering profession through their experience, knowledge, and networking abilities. Brock Johnson is only the second engineer from Arkansas to be accepted as a fellow by this elite group.

Brock Johnson has overseen Garver's transformation from a prominent central Arkansas engineering firm to a regional company with 300 employees and 12 offices. Over the past five years, Garver's success has been reinforced by a leap from #496 to #262 in the Engineering News-Record’s list of Top 500 design firms nationwide.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Two Projects Win ACEC of Arkansas Awards

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Arkansas honored Garver with two Engineering Excellence Awards at its annual banquet March 17.

Garver's War Eagle Bridge Rehabilitation Project won in the Structural Systems category. Built in 1907, the bridge was in dire need of repair, and Garver provided services to rehabilitate the main truss span and the approach spans. The project also included restoring the stone piers, timber deck, steel stringers, floor beams, and approach span bearing assembly. Because the single-lane bridge is recognized as a historic place, the integrity of its appearance had to be conserved. Throughout the renovation process, Garver maintained communication and consulted with the State Historic Preservation Officer, the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, and the Federal Highway Administration.

Garver's Arkansas International Airport Electrical Vault Rehabilitation Project won in the Building/Technology Systems category. Garver worked with the airport to upgrade an old electrical vault. The building’s 2,400-volt exposed wire bus and equipment endangered the maintenance staff because the equipment was within easy reach and didn’t protect against accidental contact. A safer, more secure vault was constructed. In addition, a state-of-the-art airfield lighting control system provides reliable controls via fiber optic network and an intelligent controller to assist in proactive maintenance.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Garver Wins Main Street Viaduct Replacement Project

Garver has been selected to provide engineering services to replace an 84-year-old bridge over a rail yard in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

The city is proposing to replace the Main Street Viaduct over the Union Pacific Railroad. The 0.35-mile project is expected to replace the existing facility with an overpass or underpass and cross five main line railroad tracks, two spur tracks, and local streets. The design is also expected to accommodate the possible future expansion of the River Rail Trolley System along Main Street.

Garver's services will include design, evaluating alternative cross sections (similar to the conceptual rendering shown), and construction engineering and inspection.

Monday, March 14, 2011

The Centers for Youth and Families


Community involvement is one of Garver's core values. We actively support not-for-profit organizations, including The Centers for Youth and Families. As a Gold Level Corporate Key supporter, Garver provides the center with financial support. In addition, Garver President Brock Johnson serves on the Agency Board of Directors.

The Centers for Youth and Families is Arkansas' oldest, continuously operating, not-for-profit. Founded in 1884, the center has evolved over the years, and today it focuses on helping runaway and homeless youth, foster children and parents, emotionally and behaviorally disturbed youth, impoverished youth, children of incarcerated parents, learning disabled youth, and pregnant and parenting teens. Every year, the center serves more than 8,000 children and their families.

The center offers many services and programs, including counseling, school-based therapy, case management, emergency shelter and independent living programs, and after-school programs. Community services also include parenting classes, a community center, and special events.

Please watch this video about the center's story and how they are touching lives.



For more information on volunteer opportunities, charitable donations, special events, and center programs, please visit http://centersforyouthandfamilies.org.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

26.2 Miles


Garver congratulates structural engineer Jason Johnston on completing his first marathon. Jason ran in the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday and finished in 5:14:56.

Although running 26.2 miles is a great accomplishment in itself, Jason's achievement has an inspiring subplot. Last September, Jason learned that he had cancer under his tongue. After surgery and a month of recovery, he began training for his first marathon.

"I'd already planned to run the Little Rock Half Marathon, but getting mouth cancer out of the blue—I've never used tobacco—definitely got me motivated to run the full," Jason said.

Along with his wife, Erin, who ran a half marathon, Jason's run began with a cold 37-degree start Sunday morning. A little more than five hours later, and keeping a 12-minute-mile pace, Jason crossed the finish line with hands raised.

Jason hopes to run in the Little Rock Marathon again next year. In the meantime, he plans to run a half marathon every spring and fall.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Safety Counts During Traffic Counts

Along one of the busiest stretches of highway in Oklahoma, Garver engineers Andrew Snyder, Nick Braddy, and Caleb Coltrane recently set out 24-hour tubes and traffic counters to capture daily traffic volumes along Turner Turnpike (I-44) in Oklahoma.

With vehicles speeding by at 75 mph, Garver's crew worked in tandem with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority Maintenance Division and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The patrol cars moved with the team in a coordinated dance that shifted traffic down to one lane while another patrol car protected the Garver employees from oncoming traffic. With a top-notch coordination effort, the task was completed without incident.

Recording traffic counts along a 20-mile stretch from Bristow to Sapulpa, Oklahoma is one of the first steps in performing a high-profile corridor study to widen the turnpike. The study includes traffic studies, right-of-way footprints, utility relocations, environmental impacts, and conceptual design plans with cost estimates. In all, the corridor includes three interchanges that will have to be modified as well as 14 span bridges, five bridge boxes, and 22 roadway class culverts.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Appointed to Two National Transportation Committees

Garver congratulates Director of Transportation Bert Parker, PE on his appointment to two national transportation committees, the 2011-2012 ACEC Transportation Steering Committee and the ACEC-AASHTO Joint Committee.

The American Council of Engineering Companies Transportation Committee monitors legislation and regulation on transportation infrastructure issues, including highways, railroads, aviation, and mass transit. The committee also develops and recommends council positions and legislation/regulation for promotion before legislative, executive, and state agencies.

The ACEC-AASHTO Joint Committee seeks to ensure the provision of quality and responsive engineering services for the nation's transportation system. The committee also seeks to improve the programs and services provided by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and its member departments of transportation.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Officials Celebrate Tulsa I-244 IDL Opening

All legs of Tulsa's I-244 Inner Dispersal Loop are now open to traffic, and numerous representatives and dignitaries came to celebrate with a ribbon cutting last Thursday, including U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla, Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Garver provided road and bridge design on a portion of the $70 million stimulus project, and project team members were on hand to recognize the project's major achievement.

Constructed in the 1970s, the IDL pavement had worn out and needed replacement. Located in the heart of Tulsa, the IDL handles 62,000 vehicles daily, and rehabilitating the loop became a massive undertaking. In fact, when ODOT assigned the project to multiple contractors, it was the single largest project ever let by the Department.

Various media outlets covered the event. Additional information can be found below.

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