Message from President and CEO Jerry Stump

News and Awards

Project Highlights

Key Hires

Volkert ViewsWINTER 2018

IN THIS ISSUE:

As you may know, in mid-January we made a significant leadership change at

Volkert, and I was honored to have been named President and CEO of the firm.

It is with a great deal of enthusiasm and optimism that I take on this role. I

would like to thank Perry Hand for his leadership and support, and I am excited

that he will remain as our Chairman of the Board.

Jerry Stump, PEPresident and CEO

3 News and Awards

4 Bringing New Life to a Tired Bridge

5 Planning Helps Communities Thrive

6 Restoring Florida's Old Tampa Bay 7 Building on 24 Miles of History

8 Transforming the I-66 Corridor

9 Learning in Style

10 A River Runs Under It

11 Flowing Right Along

12 Key Hires

Winter 2018

On the CoverLouisiana's Lake Pontchartrain Causeway construction circa 1969. Volkert designed the original northbound span of the bridge in the mid-60s and was recently selected to design long-awaited shoulder additions to increase safety (see p. 7).

As we enter our 93rd year of business, Volkert is well-positioned for continued

success. Thanks to the outstanding efforts and diverse talents of our 1,000

employees, we have seen tremendous growth during the last few years. I

have no doubt that we will continue to strengthen our reputation as a top-tier

infrastructure engineering firm in 2018 and beyond.

Looking forward, we will continue to grow our expertise in our four focus

markets—transportation, energy, water, and environment—and will pursue

innovative and transformative projects for clients across the nation and in

international locations.

To all of our valued clients, thank you for placing your trust in us to responsibly

manage and complete your projects. We take great pride in our rich history,

company values, and quality work. Our goal is to see your projects—whether

bridge rehabilitation (p. 4), urban planning (p. 5), utility installation (p. 11), or

any of the professional services that we offer—positively impact the public and

the communities you serve.

From the CEO

I look forward to leading our firm as we partner

with you to engineer the future of infrastructure.

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News and Awards

Greg Dutton Elected National President of ASHE

Greg Dutton, PE, has been elected the National President of the American Society of Highway Engineers. Dutton works out of the Volkert Orlando office on the I-4 Ultimate project and with the Florida CEI department.

Dutton first joined the Northeast Florida Section of ASHE in 2003 as a government employee. In 2007, while working as a senior engineer/construction project manager for the Florida Department of Transportation, he was asked by the ASHE Northeast Florida Section to serve as their regional director. Dutton stays active in ASHE and has served in past leadership roles and on numerous committees.

Volkert Wins Top Project Award at WEFTEC

The Water & Wastes Digest editorial staff announced winners of their 2017 Top Projects at the Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference in early October. Volkert’s Diamondhead Wastewater Treatment Facility project in Mississippi was named a Top Project.

During extreme rainfall events, the 1.25 mgd (million gallons per day) facility can accommodate a hydraulic capacity of nearly six times the average daily flow. The operations staff has already noted a decrease in power consumption and increase in treatment performance.

Perry Hand Elected as 2018 Chairman of the Business Council of Alabama

Volkert Chairman of the Board Perry Hand, PE & PLS, was elected to serve as the 2018 Chairman of the Business Council of Alabama (BCA). Founded in 1985, BCA works to improve the business climate throughout the state. It is a powerful advocate for Alabama businesses at the Alabama Legislature and in U.S. Congress.

“We have an aggressive agenda for 2018,” explains Hand, a native Alabaman. “Plans include promoting state infrastructure funding, BCA membership, the election of a pro-business legislature, and business support for education excellence to create an outstanding workforce for Alabama business.”

Hand served as the CEO of Volkert from 2011 to 2018, Alabama’s Secretary of State from 1989 to 1991, highway director of the Alabama Department of Transportation from 1991 to 1993, and was elected to two terms in the Alabama Senate. His diverse experience throughout Alabama will serve BCA—and the entire state—well.

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Bringing New Life to a Tired Bridge

Volkert’s Carolinas Region was selected by the City of Greensboro, North Carolina, to conduct structural assessments, develop plans, and execute construction inspections for the rehabilitation of the 41-year-old South Eugene Street Bridge. Stretching above Spring Garden Street and Norfolk Southern Railroad, the steel and concrete bridge carries over 11,000 vehicles per day into downtown Greensboro.

“This project provided an opportunity for us to showcase the talents of our team, who can take a project from concept, through assessment, to design and development,” explains Volkert’s project manager Lacy Love.

Volkert’s initial assessment and deck evaluation found that the concrete is in need of repair, with extensive patching and delaminations due to deicing salts. Several steel beams and bearings are rusty and show significant section loss from leaking joints. While safe for traffic, it was clear that the 486-foot bridge requires some work to serve the needs of the city.

During the next phase of the project, Volkert developed recommendations for repairs, contract specifications, and bid documents. The recommendations include steel beam end improvements, deck repair and latex concrete overlay, joint replacement, and concrete substructure repairs.

The construction phase is set to begin soon, with Volkert overseeing contract administration and construction inspection of the bridge repairs.

Throughout this project, the Volkert team has used their expertise to provide the City of Greensboro with a turnkey final product—restoring life to one of the city’s most-traveled bridges.

Volkert Carolinas Team Members:Lacy Love, Project ManagerEmily Murray, Senior Structural Project EngineerPatrick Holder, Structural Design EngineerDarrell Ferguson, CEI Project ManagerRicky Williams, NBIS Team LeaderTim Earp, NBIS Team LeaderCarlton Adams, NBIS Team AssistantWarren Hackler, NBIS Team Assistant

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During the last few years, the Volkert office in Franklin, Tennessee, has continued to build the reputation of its award-winning urban and regional planning practice. Planning for local or state government clients can include a wide array of services: comprehensive planning, land use development strategies, major thoroughfare planning, transportation infrastructure prioritization, parking studies, corridor planning, and parks, recreation, and greenway facilities.

“One of the most important things we can do as planners is to fully understand the client’s needs,” comments vice president and Tennessee manager Brad Thompson. “The key to completing a successful planning project is finding balance between aspirational goals and the constraints of reality.”

Volkert planners have served several clients in Tennessee by finding innovative and responsible solutions to planning challenges.

The Spring Hill Bicycle and Greenway Plan, authored by planning and environmental services manager Micah Wood, illustrates Volkert’s planning work in this area. The plan serves as a vital multimodal element of Spring Hill’s comprehensive land use and transportation planning by establishing a city-wide greenway and bicycle network.

“The cost-effective design elements within the Bicycle and Greenway Plan are intended to be easily replicated across Spring Hill, as they see fit, in order to create a connected trail

network,” explains Wood. “This project functions as a key link between Spring Hill’s Land Use Plan, Major Thoroughfare Plan, and Parks and Recreation Master Plan.”

In 2015, Volkert’s Spring Hill Bicycle and Greenway Plan was chosen as the Outstanding Plan for a Small Jurisdiction by the Tennessee Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Another notable project is the Town of Nolensville’s Comprehensive Plan, adopted in December 2017. This project is crucial for the Town to prepare for anticipated growth and development. The final plan included a future land use and development planning element, a transportation planning element, as well as a greenway and trails planning element. Taken as a whole, the Comprehensive Plan provides the town with a clear and predicable strategic growth policy.

These are just two examples from a long list of planning projects that Volkert has completed, ultimately helping local communities create plans and policies that help increase quality of life for their residents.

Volkert Central Team Members:Brad Thompson, Vice PresidentMicah Wood, Planning and Environmental Services ManagerDyan Damron, Traffic Engineering & Transportation Planning ManagerTeresa Neal, Transportation Planner

Planning Helps Communities Thrive

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Restoring Florida's Old Tampa Bay

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) recently chose Volkert to provide design and construction support services for the State Route 60 / Courtney Campbell Causeway bridge addition. Volkert will team with the selected contractor to ensure that the construction phase is successful.

This initiative, FDOT's Water Quality Improvement Project, was created to improve water quality in Old Tampa Bay—the body of water north of the Causeway—and restore habitats and other natural resources, specifically seagrasses.

Volkert’s goal is to harmonize infrastructure improvements with Tampa’s multifaceted natural environment. The proposed bridge will replace 229 feet of existing causeway, increasing water circulation between Old Tampa Bay and surrounding waters. This increased circulation is expected to elevate Old Tampa Bay to the same water quality level as other bays in the area.

“Our design will provide an inventive solution to this environmental issue,” comments Volkert’s project manager Joe Hitterman. “Throughout the construction process, we will ensure safe travel lanes and multi-use trails. By using innovative structural approaches in our bridge design, we will decrease future maintenance of the bridge and walls.”

Volkert will also implement a temporary traffic control scheme during construction that maximizes safety.

The finished bridge will boast three 12-foot eastbound lanes, two 12-foot westbound lanes, 10-foot outside shoulders, 8-foot inside shoulders, and a 16-foot access road on the westbound side. It will continue the 12-foot Courtney Campbell multi-use trail on the eastbound side.

“We are confident that this project will benefit Tampa, its residents and visitors, and the adjacent natural environment,” Hitterman says. “Volkert is honored to be able to use our talents to better our community.”

Volkert Florida Team Members:Joe Hitterman, Design Project ManagerMark Lauckner, Design Deputy Project ManagerAmanda Serra, Drainage EOR Jamie Wolczynski, Roadway and Traffic Control Plans DesignerEd Brekhus, Structures EOR Ken Drake, Structures Designer Matt Ellis, Structures Designer Elena Adams, Structures Designer

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Building on 24 Miles of History

Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, the longest continuous bridge over water in the world, is in desperate need of shoulders to increase safety on the bridge. Volkert was selected to design these essential and long-awaited shoulder additions.

The bridge shoulders, comprising 12 “safety bays,” will provide a safe space for disabled vehicles to pull over out of traffic. They will also increase safety for motorists and emergency personnel in the event of a crash.

This project will be executed using the Construction Manager at Risk alternative delivery method, a first for the state of Louisiana.

“We were able to design shoulders 16 feet wide and 1,008 feet long within the $50 million budget—exceeding the Commission’s original request of 672-foot shoulders,” explains Volkert’s project manager Jan Evans.

Piles will be boated to the work site and driven into the water by barge equipment. The precast caps and deck units will also be brought in by barge and lifted into place. Concrete will then be poured to connect the existing bridge deck to the new.

Volkert designed the original northbound span of the bridge in 1969 (construction pictured on the cover), which won an

American Institute of Steel Construction award in the movable span category.

“We are thrilled by the selection of Volkert for this project by the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission, and we’re excited to be working with them again,” comments Evans. “The Commission and the Causeway are significant parts of Volkert history.”

Volkert Gulf Design Team Members:Jan Evans, Project ManagerJohn C. “Juba” Diez, Agency LiaisonDave Haxton, QA/QC Structural DesignerLisa Fruge, Project ManagerChris White, Structural DesignerHannah Leumas, Structural DesignerKen Powers, Electrical/ITS DesignerStephen Heraty, Cost/Constructability/MOTReggie Jeter, Cost/Constructability/MOT

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Transforming the I-66 Corridor in Northern Virginia

In 2016, the Virginia Department of Transportation completed the Interchange Justification Report (IJR) and the Transportation Technical Report (TTR) to incorporate new high-occupancy toll lanes along I-66 from I-495 to Gainesville, Virginia.

The main goal of the $2.3 billion Transform I-66 Outside the Beltway Project (I-66 OTB) is to create a multimodal corridor that provides approximately 200,000 users per day with new travel options and reliable trips. The project features 4,000 additional park-and-ride spaces, providing convenient access to the express lanes for motorists forming car pools of three or more during peak periods—necessary in order to avoid paying tolls.

The awarded concessionaire, I-66 Express Mobility Partners, LLC, developed revised technical concepts during procurement in order to further enhance access and operations along the affected corridor. Volkert was then selected to revise the original IJR and TTR to incorporate the new technical concepts and design solutions.

Volkert’s analysis of the project encompassed 13 interchanges along 22.5 miles of general-purpose lanes and new express lanes, as well as approximately 90 signalized and unsignalized intersections on arterial roads.

In addition to updating the IJR and TTR, Volkert also conducted a safety analysis for the new technical concepts by using the Enhanced Interchange Safety Analysis Tool and Highway Safety Manual spreadsheets.

“We are particularly proud of our involvement on this project,” says Volkert project manager Hari Thaker. “We are honored to have the opportunity to join the Transform I-66 OTB team and contribute to improving operations and safety on such a regionally significant corridor.”

Volkert Mid-Atlantic Team Members:Hari Thaker, Project ManagerManuel Richardson, Senior Traffic EngineerJacob Green, Traffic Engineer

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Learning in Style

The Union Parish School District selected Volkert’s project management team to oversee the design, construction, and budget of a 151,000-square-foot high school in Farmerville, Louisiana.

The School District had passed a referendum based on an initial plan to renovate the existing high school. Although the existing facility was severely challenged architecturally and had significant site restraints, a renovation is all the District thought it could afford.

Once hired, Volkert quickly analyzed the project and discovered that a new high school could be constructed on adjacent, District-owned land for the same cost as renovating the existing school.

As program manager, Volkert developed the project scopes and design schedules. During the design process, the construction market tightened as it came out of the 2008 recession. Volkert anticipated the inevitable cost escalations and responded through creative design modifications to keep the project on budget. Due to mutual cooperation, Volkert, the contractor, and their subcontractors stayed on schedule and provided a quality final product.

Volkert managed the flow of information, submittals, progress payments, permits, and other project records throughout the construction process through eBuilder software.

“We also developed a project-specific purchase order system so that each purchase was accounted for and approved by the project owner,” Volkert senior vice president Leon Barkan explains. “We were able to keep change orders to an absolute minimum on the $28.5 million project.

“Once the construction was complete, we solicited and reviewed several furniture manufacturers for product durability, style, and pricing,” Barkan continues. After consulting with the School District, we placed the orders and managed the delivery and installation of nearly $1 million of furnishings.”

This project demonstrates Volkert’s program management services. Union Parish School District superintendent Dr. George Cannon was elated with the finished school and remarks, “I wouldn’t do another project without Volkert.”

Volkert Program Management Team Members:Leon Barkan, Senior Vice President, Principal in ChargePhilip Russell, Vice President, MarketingGlenn Slater, Program Manager

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A River Runs Under It

The stretch of I-35 that runs through San Marcos, Texas—an environmentally rich but sensitive area—is in desperate need of improvements. Volkert has been selected by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to oversee this complex project as part of the larger TxDOT Mobility 35 corridor plans, which will extend managed lanes from north of Austin to San Antonio.

San Marcos, in addition to being home to Texas State University and one of the largest retail outlet malls in the country, is widely known for the crystal-clear water of the San Marcos River. Locals and tourists alike enjoy kayaking, paddle boarding, tubing, and snorkeling year-round.

The river runs right along I-35, occasionally running under one of its many bridges. Due to this proximity and the constant threat of flooding, Volkert is developing a design that protects the integrity of the area’s environment and offers increased functionality of the interstate and frontage roads.

Because this is the first TxDOT Austin District project to be designed in OpenRoads, a program used for civil design, Volkert will be developing templates for use in future Mobility 35 projects.

“Volkert is pleased to be able to bring expertise to the comprehensive undertaking,” notes project manager Travis Falls. “This project touches it all: intelligent transportation systems, signals, complex river hydraulics, utility relocations,

bridges, retaining and noise walls, illumination, public outreach, environmental protection, pedestrian shared use paths, and even airspace encroachments.”

“The project is especially challenging as the interstate must be widened and raised 10 feet, and the frontage roads widened and raised by eight feet, while maintaining all lanes of traffic without additional right-of-way,” Falls continues. “We look forward to increasing our statewide reputation as a full-service design firm who can deliver on tough projects.”

The Volkert team plans to keep all stakeholders informed of progress and potential impact for the duration of this project, as they provide a final product that offers both service and beauty to the community.

Volkert Texas Team Members:Travis Falls, Project ManagerTrevor Reed, Deputy Project ManagerChris Wickham, Roadway Task LeadChris White, Bridge Task LeadClark Bailey, ITS Task LeadJason Goffinet, Environmental Task LeadMaurice Pittman, Constructability Task Lead

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Flowing Right Along

Volkert began working with the Illinois American Water Company engineering group in 2014 with a water main and service transfers replacement project in Granite City, Illinois.

The 6,100 feet of existing water main was replaced with new ductile iron pipe, and all services were transferred to the new main. Volkert also completed topographic survey, permitting, and customer service line notifications.

Since 2014, Volkert has completed seven additional design projects and three feasibility studies for the Illinois American Water Company. In total, Volkert has designed approximately 35,000 feet of pipe in Belleville, East St. Louis, Washington Park, and Granite City.

The largest of these projects included design and installation of a 24-inch ductile iron main to parallel and support an existing 24-inch concrete main that connects the French Village pumping station to Belleville, Swansea, and Shiloh customers.

Scope for each project included feasibility analysis and alignment alternative evaluation, topographic survey, design of the preferred alternative, plan and specification production, permitting through various agencies, and bid document preparation. Several of the contracts also included inspection work for the installation of the designed main.

Volkert West Central Team Members:David Holloway, Senior Project Manager / Client LiaisonJoe Hemphill, Project ManagerDavid Moore, Real Estate Project ManagerGarren Hixson, Project Engineer / Construction InspectionJosh Frank, Project Engineer / Construction InspectionHeather Donze, Real Estate Specialist

Randy Bena, PE, comes to Volkert with 40 years of experience in engineering and construction. He retired from TxDOT in 2013, leaving his 12-year post as the area engineer in Victoria, Texas. Randy will now serve as Volkert's CEI project manager for the Gulf Coast and San Antonio Districts. A well-respected professional throughout the state, he is a key asset for Volkert.

Dyan Damron, PE, PTP, brings 16 years of experience to Volkert's Franklin, Tennessee, office. Dyan has extensive knowledge of traffic engineering, comprehensive transportation planning, corridor analysis, public involvement, community and campus planning, safety and access, multi-modal planning, and more. Her expertise in these fields will help Volkert grow its traffic engineering and planning reputation.

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Teresa Driskell joins Volkert’s Florida Region with over 22 years of experience in construction, engineering, and contract administration. Currently serving as the quality assurance firm manager for Volkert’s I-4 Ultimate project, Teresa’s past work on numerous high-profile and complex FDOT projects throughout the state is proving invaluable.

Vernon Hackett, PE, who has more than 26 years of civil construction experience, joins Volkert as the senior project engineer for Florida's I-4 Ultimate project. Having worked in both the public and private sectors as an FDOT administrator, contractor and consultant, Vernon has developed a unique skill set that allows him to foresee and solve construction-related issues.

Key Hires

Robert "Bobby" Hester, PE, joins the Mid-Atlantic Region as the director of municipal and highway engineering. Bobby’s 25 years of experience includes work for municipal and DOT clients. At Volkert, he provides consulting services to municipal clients, utilizing our full-service capabilities to deliver innovative solutions for transportation infrastructure challenges.

Jeff James comes to Volkert with over 29 years of experience in construction management, testing, and inspection. He now serves as a senior project engineer with the Florida CEI group, managing construction contracts for FDOT. Jeff’s diverse background in this field will be a key asset for the Florida Region.

Nelson T. "Ty" Lee, Jr., PE, joins Volkert’s Virginia Beach office as the director of transportation. Ty brings 30 years of experience in the transportation infrastructure industry, including managing multi-disciplinary roadway and bridge projects while serving the City of Virginia Beach and VDOT’s Hampton Roads District.

Chris Wickham, PE, joins Volkert as a senior engineer in the Austin, Texas, office. His 21 years of experience includes the planning, design (PS&E), construction, and maintenance of transportation facilities as a public- and private-sector employee.