Tuesday, October 30, 2012

ReStore



Several members of Garver's transportation group volunteered at the Habitat for Humanity of Pulaski County ReStore in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The Arkansas Society of Professional Engineers organized the opportunity, and AJ Khairi, Claire McKinney, Luis Cobos, and Joel Skinner represented Garver at the event.

Their service at the ReStore involved moving walls and shelves to build a larger display area for donations. The ReStore accepts donations such as building supplies, working appliances, home furnishings, light fixtures, doors, and windows.

"The ReStore is a great place to help because they serve the community by offering discounted home-building items," Skinner said. "I also enjoyed developing closer relationships with my coworkers by serving together."


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Engineering Magazine Features Article About Brock Johnson's Legacy

The newest issue of Arkansas Professional Engineer magazine features an article about past president and CEO Brock Johnson.

Johnson passed away in August, and the article, "Johnson, a man with vision, a mission," details how he led the company through unprecedented growth and how he is remembered for his influence on others.

The article takes a look at Johnson's Mission Possible campaign to expand Garver and build a stronger corporate brand, his commitment to health and wellness, and the way he mentored engineers and encouraged his employees to pursue their passions and career interests.

You can read the article on Garver's website. Arkansas Professional Engineer granted Garver permission to post this article online.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Racing for the Cure

Members of Team Garver before the race. L-R, Back Row: Patricia Edwards, Bree Rush, Judy Allen, and Kathryn Kennedy (Mary’s mom). Front Row: Nancy Fulmer, Dorothy Junkin (Judy’s Sister), and Mary Kennedy.

Garver employees participated in the Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure in Little Rock on Saturday. As one of the top five largest events in the series, the Arkansas Race for the Cure had over 40,000 participants, and several of those runners were members of Garver’s team. “I do quite a few races throughout the year, and this one is the most emotional, uplifting, and exciting race that anyone can attend. The energy and happiness among the crowd will put a smile on your face,” said Garver’s Team Captain Bree Rush.

Along with running and walking, a total of 16 Garver employees supported the cause.



Thursday, October 18, 2012

Outstanding Engineering Design Award

The American Society of Civil Engineers/Arkansas has given its 2012 Outstanding Engineering Design of the Year Award to Garver's Norfork Dam bulkhead and siphon project.

Accepting the ASCE/Arkansas design award for Garver is Terry Johnson (retired) and project leaders Paul Strickland and John Watkins.

 The two cutting-edge projects at Norfork Dam in Baxter County, Arkansas are meeting unique needs. A siphon through the dam improves North Fork and White rivers trout habitat by sending a constant flow of cooler water downstream, and a 65-ton steel bulkhead allows maintenance staff to easily seal and dewater the dam’s spillway gates.


Steady Flow for Trout Below: The 42-inch-diameter siphon draws water from Norfork Lake, carries it through the dam and down the structure’s face, and discharges it into the North Fork River. This cooler minimum flow provides a more stable condition for the cold-water fish habitat, which contributes to the area’s world-class fishery. The nearly 5-mile-long tailwater to the White River is stocked with brown, rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout that struggle to survive and reproduce when water warms and pools.


Rolling Bulkhead: The unique spillway closure system consists of a 130,000-pound maintenance bulkhead that runs along a 667-foot-long steel monorail beam attached to the dam. After motorized trolleys slide the 24-foot-high by 48-foot-wide bulkhead in front of a tainter gate bay, the spillway gate is opened. As the bay is dewatered, the resulting differential pressure pushes the bulkhead into the opening and holds it in place. This allows maintenance crews to work on the gates and gate mechanisms in a dry condition.

The bulkhead project was recently featured in our newsletter, IQ, and the siphon project will be featured in a future issue.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Ruck on the Radio

The Talk Business with Roby Brock radio program interviewed Garver civil project manager Bill Ruck about his involvement in the Envision program. Ruck is the first professional in Arkansas to achieve the Envision Sustainability Professional Credential, which is an environmental rating system to manage and rate infrastructure on sustainability.

“We’re turning the corner, and that’s what makes this certification so interesting,” Ruck told Talk Business. “It catches the civil engineering world up to the LEED program that architects have been practicing.”

You can listen to the seven-minute interview online or read about the certification on Garver's blog or the Talk Business website.


Friday, October 12, 2012

Expanding Operations in Tulsa


Garver is expanding its operations in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Today, October 12, we're moving into larger office facilities on South Lewis, about 6 miles southwest of our East 51st Street location. Our new office allows us to expand our staff in Oklahoma and to offer even more services to our valued clients.

Our new address:
6450 South Lewis
Suite 300
Tulsa, OK  74136

Our phone and fax numbers remain the same:
918-250-5922 (office)
918-858-0107 (fax)

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Project Engineer Plays in USTA Nationals

Project Engineer Kyle Williams, right, receiving serve with his doubles partner.
Transportation Project Engineer Kyle Williams is playing in the United States Tennis Association’s National Championships with his team this weekend. In August, Kyle’s team played in the Missouri Valley Sectional Championships in Oklahoma City and went 4-0 to advance to the national tournament.

“We are one of 17 teams in the USTA 3.0 Men’s National Championships, held in Tucson, Arizona,” Kyle said. “Teams will be representing the entire United States. We will need to win four matches, two on Friday and two on Saturday, to advance to the semifinals on Sunday.

“We have nine guys, and eight play at a time: three lines of doubles and two lines of singles,” Kyle continued. “I have played the #1 line doubles as well as captained the team.”

Good luck this weekend Kyle!

Friday, October 5, 2012

Alabama Clean Water Task Force


Kevin Mullins, PE, PLS has been appointed to serve on the Alabama Clean Water Task Force as a civil engineer expert. He was recommended by the Alabama legislature and approved by Governor Robert Bentley.

Kevin is the Water Business Team Leader in Garver's Huntsville, Alabama office with 30 years of experience as a water project manager and business professional.

"I am extremely honored and pleased to serve in this capacity," Kevin said. "I'm looking forward to working with this task force to study and improve Alabama's water and wastewater infrastructure."

The Alabama Clean Water Task Force serves as a platform to study Alabama's water treatment infrastructure and provide suggested methods to improve public health, the environment, industrial and economic development, and project financing.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Big Dam Bridge 100

Garver employees came out to support the Big Dam Bridge 100 last Saturday by joining approximately 2,500 cyclists and by hosting a rest stop in the parking lot of our North Little Rock, Arkansas headquarters.


A number of Garver employees and their families tackled routes that ranged from 15 to 100 miles. Although some of them were a blur as they went by, we spotted Bert Parker, Brent Anderson, Beverly Green, Nancy Fulmer, Patricia Edwards, David Gambill, Robert Sunta, John and Deanna Ruddell, David Yandell, Madison and McKenzie McEntire, and Adam and Stacey Hall. A special congrats goes out to Diane and John Barton and Derek Berry for completing the 100-mile ride.


We again hosted a rest stop for cyclists riding past our corporate office. Liz Hoover, Kate Hoopchuk, Chad Clinehens, Laura Nick, Larry Taylor, and Lawren Wilcox greeted participants with Gatorade, fruit, PB&J, pickles, and even music from loud speakers we'd set up.


Garver also served as a sponsor and designed this year's jersey. According to ride officials, the first round of 550 jerseys sold out, and a second order will be placed around October 17. It's not too late to order one!


Visit our Facebook page to see more pictures from the event, and be sure to ride with us next year!

Monday, October 1, 2012

Sustainable Engineering Practices


After training and testing, Bill Ruck and Wes Mittlesteadt have earned the Envision Sustainability Professional Credential from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). Ruck is the first person in Arkansas to reach this milestone, and Mittlesteadt is one of two from Tennessee. Their training in the Envision software certifies them to manage and rate infrastructure projects on sustainability, much the same way as architects score buildings on the LEED system.

The ISI is a partnership created and founded by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the American Public Works Association (APWA), and the American Consulting Engineers Council (ACEC). The Envision software used for project scoring was developed by the Zofnass Program at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.

The ISI is managed by six permanent committees, and Ruck serves on the Intergovernmental, Nonprofit, and Global Affairs Committee. This committee has subdivided, and his subcommittee focuses on requests from other countries to utilize the Envision software. He hopes to draw from the experience of the National Council of Examiners of Engineers and Surveyors (NCEES) in presenting its engineering/surveying exams to professionals in other countries.

Ruck has participated in sustainable efforts in North Little Rock for over four years as an original member of its Green Agenda Committee created by the city council in 2008. Ruck has served continuously as its vice-chairman and led North Little Rock to become a charter member of ISI.

The ISI has recently announced the next opportunity for professional training – Project Verifiers. Following training and examination, the verifiers will judge project rating submittals and issue final project ratings on behalf of ISI.

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