The team will support navigation, flood risk management, water resources management, sediment management, and military engineering projects.
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has tasked the joint venture of Taylor Engineering and Woolpert with providing research and development services for its Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL). The $49 million, single-award task order contract will support CHL projects that advance navigation, flood risk management, water resources management, sediment management, and military engineering.
ERDC is the primary scientific research and development organization for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and oversees seven research laboratories across the U.S. Located in Vicksburg, CHL is responsible for the discovery, development, and delivery of coastal, estuarine, and hydraulic water resources research in both the Civil Works Program and military domains.
Woolpert Vice President Eric Dillinger said that the JV leadership team has extensive experience managing projects for CHL, ERDC, and USACE. This team includes Woolpert Director of Advisory Services Jeff Lillycrop, a former ERDC technical director with 33 years of experience serving CHL, and Taylor Engineering President Jim Marino, a former USACE officer with over 20 years of USACE experience, including three and a half years leading the military research program at the Coastal Engineering Research Center before it was consolidated into CHL. Marino is the managing partner for the JV.
“The Taylor-Woolpert joint venture represents decades of focused and complementary expertise coming together,” Dillinger said. “This contract will be led by a team intimately familiar with and fully capable of meeting the complex research needs of the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory.”
Taylor Engineering Vice President Christopher Bender said this is the first contract executed under Taylor and Woolpert’s new Mentor-Protégé Program agreement, which was approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration last year.
“Taylor and Woolpert are currently working as professional partners on multiple projects across a variety of service lines,” Bender said. “We look forward to this next chapter working alongside Woolpert and providing a truly world-class team of engineers and researchers for ERDC and its missions.”
Global research and infrastructure advisory firms are serving as subconsultants for this contract, which is now underway. Those firms include Applied Research Associates and Moffatt & Nichol, as well as Alden Labs, Desert Research Institute, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Jackson State University.
Since 1983, Taylor Engineering Inc. has provided leading-edge solutions to challenges in the water environment. The company focuses its attention on water-related engineering, planning, management, and environmental challenges with emphasis on coastal regions for public, private, and government clients. A Federal Small Business and a Jacksonville Business Journal’s 2022 and 2023 Best Places to Work, Taylor Engineering has over 50 employees with three offices. Taylor Engineering’s six service groups, Coastal Engineering, Coastal Planning, Dredging and Navigation, Environmental, Water Resources, and Waterfront Engineering, along with our Coastal and Marine Geosciences Laboratory, deliver leading-edge solutions in the water environment. For more information, visit www.taylorengineering.com.
Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG), and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to effectively serve public, private, and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is a Global Top 100 Geospatial Company, a Top 100 ENR Global Design firm, has earned seven Great Place to Work certifications, and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity, and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been America’s fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. Woolpert has over 2,000 employees and more than 60 offices on five continents. For more information, visit woolpert.com.
THE SUCCESS MEMO PAVES THE WAY FOR IMMEDIATE INSTALLATION AT OVER 800 U.S. FACILITIES.
TechFlow, a 100% employee-owned forward-thinking energy, mobility, logistics, and digital solutions company, today announced it has received a success memorandum from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) for its self-sustaining electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure solution. This distinction marks the DIU’s first recognition for an EV charging solution.
The success memorandum allows all Department of Defense (DoD) Services – including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard – along with Civilian Agencies to enter production agreements with TechFlow, enabling the immediate installation of EV charging infrastructure across more than 800 facilities nationwide.
TechFlow’s EV charging infrastructure solution represents the pinnacle of adaptability and sustainability in EV charging. Adeptly designed for versatility, TechFlow’s solution accommodates a comprehensive suite of applications, including Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS), Government-owned Government-operated (GOGO), Government-owned Company-operated (GOCO), Company-owned Company-operated (COCO), and multiple tenancy models. Compatible with a wide spectrum of vehicles, TechFlow’s solution supports both Government Owned Vehicles (GOVs) and Personally Owned Vehicles (POVs), providing each access to utilize the same Level 2 and Level 3 fast charging assets, thus reducing infrastructure costs.
Beyond mere self-sufficiency, TechFlow’s solution seamlessly integrates cutting-edge energy storage systems, microgrid technologies, and a diverse array of energy sources, ensuring the delivery of robust and efficient EV charging services that are responsive to the rapidly evolving energy landscape.
TechFlow’s year-long collaboration with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has culminated in developing and successfully deploying advanced EV charging infrastructure prototypes at multiple Department of Defense (DoD) sites across the United States, including Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy bases. The DIU thoroughly evaluated TechFlow’s EV charging infrastructure and associated cloud software, confirming TechFlow’s exceptional service delivery with over 99% uptime.
“The recognition from the DIU is a testament to TechFlow’s commitment to engineering excellence and versatility in our EV charging solutions,” said TechFlow Vice President of Energy and Mobility Solutions Michael Genseal. “Our approach is customer-centric, ensuring that our infrastructure not only meets the diverse needs of the Department of Defense but also paves the way for adaptable installations across various agencies, enabling reliability and efficiency in their shift to clean energy.”
“We are immensely proud to be among the first recipients of a success memorandum from DIU’s Energy Portfolio,” said TechFlow President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Carter. “This recognition underscores TechFlow’s pivotal role as a critical partner in delivering innovative solutions for our government customers, and this significant achievement is a testament to our team’s dedication and expertise.”
About TechFlow
TechFlow Inc. is a 100% employee-owned company with nearly three decades of success defined by innovation, agility, and proactiveness. As employee-owners, we balance technology and human factors to determine the best outcome for our customers’ missions. The company supports government and commercial sectors as system developers, integrators, and optimizers in mission-critical markets: digital, platform, base management/logistics, and energy and mobility solutions. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with offices throughout the United States, TechFlow delivers leading-edge solutions for customers in mission-critical markets. TechFlow. Always Ahead. For more, visit https://techflow.com.
November 14, 2023 - NIKA, a global provider of facility life cycle solutions announced that it has been awarded an $840 million multi-disciplinary contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). NIKA will provide general project support services, facility operations and maintenance support, facility support services, project development support services, quantity verification and analysis services, commissioning, occupancy support services, and facilities system support for medical facilities in the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Facilities Enterprise (FE) located in the Contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. Territories.
"We are excited to continue serving our DHA customers under the MFSS vehicle," said Kabir Chaudhary, CEO/President at NIKA. "NIKA is currently providing these critical services to DHA medical facilities across the globe and will continue to bring the same level of commitment to improving health and building readiness as we have successfully done for the last decade of this most important mission."This indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract has a duration of seven years with a three-year base and two, 24 month options.
NIKA delivers comprehensive services and solutions to support the full life cycle of facilities. For more than two decades, the Department of Defense and federal civilian agencies, as well as commercial and higher education institutions, have trusted NIKA to design, build, operate, and manage their real property. By combining facilities operations management, engineering, and logistics services, we provide value and expertise for complex and mission critical facilities and infrastructure. Headquartered in Rockville, MD with offices in San Antonio, TX, NIKA helps clients enhance operational excellence in locations around the globe.
For more information about NIKA, please visit http://www.nikasolutions.com.
November 14, 2023 - Tetra Tech, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTEK), a leading provider of high-end consulting and engineering services, announced today that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Rock Island District, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, selected Tetra Tech for a $33 million task order to provide architectural and engineering (A-E) services to design a new 1,200-foot navigation lock on the Illinois River.
Tetra Tech was awarded the task order through the USACE Great Lakes and Ohio River Division’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Contract. Tetra Tech scientists, consultants, and engineers will design the new lock chamber to improve efficiency, reliability, and safety for navigation traffic along the river. The new lock will be twice as long as the existing lock system which will reduce wait times by more than seventy percent, accommodate larger vessels, and improve mariner safety. The project is a top priority of the USACE Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program.
"The USACE Rock Island District maintains navigable waterways that are essential to the transportation of goods throughout the Midwest," said Dan Batrack, Tetra Tech Chairman and CEO. "Tetra Tech looks forward to using our Leading with Science® approach to design systems that improve critical infrastructure, support public safety, and enhance the resilience and reliability of U.S. waterborne transportation supply chains."
About Tetra Tech
Tetra Tech is a leading provider of high-end consulting and engineering services for projects worldwide. With 27,000 employees working together, Tetra Tech provides clear solutions to complex problems in water, environment, sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy, and international development. We are Leading with Science® to provide sustainable and resilient solutions for our clients. For more information about Tetra Tech, please visit tetratech.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
Sixteen years to the day after Hurricane Katrina slammed into Louisiana, Hurricane Ida made landfall just 40 miles down the coast. In addition to their date and location, these storms shared similar characteristics, which has lead to multiple comparisons. Thankfully, lessons learned from Katrina and efforts to mitigate future devastation have been successful.
Following the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) embarked on one of the largest and most comprehensive public works projects in American history. The USACE established the Hurricane Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS) to provide the greater New Orleans Area a 100-year level of risk reduction, meaning that infrastructure would be established to defend against a storm surge that has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year.
One of the most critical measures of HSDRRS is protecting levees against the erosion-causing hydraulic forces of wave overtopping. Without protection, overtopping can lead to significant erosion on the landside of the levee and lead to a potential breach of the levee itself. The primary reason that Katrina was so catastrophic was that the 28 to 30 foot storm surge overtopped the levee system, causing massive erosion and scour that lead to multiple levee breaches. The failure of the levee system created extensive flooding that impacted about 80% of New Orleans.
To improve erosion control on the top and side slopes of the levees, the USACE used High-Performance Turf Reinforcement Mat (HPTRM) to armor the levees against overtopping. The HPTRM protection included four feet on the flood side, across the top and completely down the protected size, ten feet past the grade brake.
The USACE requested HPTRMs that meet the standards outlined by the EPA and Storm Water Technology Fact sheet. PROPEX Armormax was selected as one of the systems to be used. Armormax combines HPTRM with Engineered Earth Anchors to lock soil in place and protect against hydraulic stresses.
To ensure its effectiveness, the USACE required rigorous testing before the project began. USACE partnered with Colorado State University (CSU) to build a full-scale wave overtopping simulator (largest in the world). The simulator tested erosion resistance of Armormax for 500-year resiliency overtopping conditions.
Testing showed that Armormax provided increased levee resilience and durability. Additionally, testing showed that using the Armormax system reinforces vegetation on the earthen levees, which reduces the risk of breaching caused by wave overtopping.
On August 29, 2021, the upgraded levee system was put to the real test when Hurricane Ida rolled ashore. The next day the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East shared that “there were no levee breaches or overtopping within the HSDRRS.”
While Hurricane Ida has been Louisiana’s biggest test since Katrina, Armormax has stood its ground against two other destructive hurricanes. Penn Levee, which is armored with Armormax, withstood overtopping from both Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Isaac.
Solmax has had an ongoing relationship with the USACE for 14 years, and Armormax has been used to stabilize more than 100 miles of levees throughout the New Orleans area. The success of stabilizing the levees in New Orleans had led the USACE to use Armormax on river levees and canals both for erosion control and slope stability throughout the United States.
Ninety-nine percent of counties in the United States have experienced at least one significant flooding event in the last 25 years, and there have been 33 flood events costing a billion dollars in the U.S. since 1980 according to the American Flood Coalition. Similarly, the EPA estimates that the average 100-year floodplain will increase 45 percent by the year 2100.
Due to this anticipated surge, engineers and agencies are taking a more proactive approach to mitigate flood hazards rather than addressing damage after it has occurred. For example, FEMA launched the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program that shifts funds from reactive disaster spending toward investment in community resilience. With this proactive approach, sustainability and resiliency are becoming more important in flood mitigation project design.
According to the FEMA fact sheet, Natural Hazard Mitigation Save Interim Report, for every $1 spent on federal mitigation grants, an average of $6 is saved. Additionally, the losses avoided by federally funded riverine flood mitigation projects exceed the money spent, with an estimated 7x return on investment.
The cost of Hurricane Ida is estimated at around $75 billion and ranks as the number 5 most expensive hurricane is U.S. history1. Without the mitigation efforts of the USACE, it’s safe to say these costs would have been much higher. Hurricane Katrina tops the list, costing $128 billion.
AECOM, announced that a joint venture between AECOM and Black & Veatch (AECOM-B&V Lakes and Rivers JV) has been selected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to provide architectural and engineering services for infrastructure projects for the 17 states within the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, and nationwide. The multiple-award contract has a five-year term and is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“We’re proud to continue our 100-year partnership with the USACE delivering infrastructure solutions that protect communities and the environment,” said Karl Jensen, executive vice president of AECOM’s National Governments business. “This important work ties directly to our firmwide environmental, social, and governance objectives, which are rooted in our commitment to delivering a better world, and we look forward to teaming with Black & Veatch on this transformative program.”
The program will focus on renovating and modernizing infrastructure, mitigating flood risks, and restoring ecosystems. Projects under this contract are expected to include sustainable design, renovation, and modernization of critical infrastructure, including dams, locks, levees, flood walls, pump stations, bridges, roadways, and canals, as well as stand-alone buildings and ecosystem restoration.
“As the USACE seeks to reduce disaster risks and energize local economies, we’re proud to bring comprehensive expertise in sustainability and resiliency that meets its program’s complex technical needs,” said Matt Crane, chief executive of AECOM’s U.S. West region. “Our team is excited by the opportunity to design innovative solutions that improve critical infrastructure and strengthen resilience for generations to come.”
The scope of work may include master planning; feasibility studies; site assessments; permitting; environmental compliance; and design for design-bid-build and design-build projects. Through an integrated design approach and an emphasis on environmental stewardship, sustainable design efforts may include energy and water conservation, use of recovered and recycled materials, use of alternative energy, and waste reduction measures.
“Black & Veatch’s civil works solutions have supported federal and military clients for more than a century and continue to expand globally,” said Rick Kaiser, Federal Agencies Segment Leader and President of BV Special Projects Corp. for Black & Veatch. “The joint venture will deliver sustainable, critical infrastructure that plays a crucial role in protecting the environment and improving lives in surrounding communities.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District has selected Horsepower Geospatial LLC for a five-year, $6 million architecture and engineering contract to deliver geospatial surveying and mapping services. The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract will serve the needs of the New Orleans District and may be utilized within the Corps’ Mississippi Valley Division, South Atlantic Division, and Southwest Division. Horsepower Geospatial is a U.S. Small Business Administration mentor-protégé joint venture of Woolpert and Resolution LLC.
Under this contract, Horsepower Geospatial will provide services that include GIS and geospatial production, digital aerial photography, airborne lidar, photogrammetric mapping, remote sensing, large- and small-scale topographic mapping, river navigational charting, and land use/land cover analysis.
Woolpert Geospatial Program Director Tim Summey said Horsepower Geospatial unites the strengths of Woolpert and Resolution staffs, capabilities, and experience specific to the needs of the Corps. This was the first contract award and first contract submitted by Horsepower Geospatial.
“Staff members from our two companies have worked together for decades, and by formalizing our relationship, we can collaboratively build on past performance and responsiveness with the Corps, while gaining the inherent versatility of a true joint venture,” Summey said. “We’re very excited to get this first contract win because it confirms that the Corps sees the same value in this union that we do, and providing what the Corps needs will always be our top priority.”
Resolution COO Jeff Lower added that this extends the combined team’s work throughout the South, as well as the Mississippi Valley Region.
“Members of Horsepower have been involved in this contract in one way or another since 1994,” Lower said. “We know the area and the needs of the Corps, and our teams have a collaborative, client-focused approach to accurate and efficient geospatial data solutions. We founded our company based on integrity, service, and excellence, and this is what we will continue to deliver to the Corps.”
About Resolution LLC
Resolution LLC is a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business and SBA Certified 8(a) firm founded in 2016, with expertise in geospatial, surveying, environmental health and safety, and project management services. Resolution has experience in supporting geospatial data collection and production for agencies including USACE, Air Force, NAVFAC, and NASA. For more, visit resolutionhsv.com
About Woolpert
Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG), and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to effectively serve public, private, and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is a Global Top 100 Geospatial Company, a Top 100 ENR Global Design firm, earned six straight Great Place to Work certifications, and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity, and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been America’s fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. Woolpert has over 2,000 employees and more than 60 offices on five continents. For more, visit woolpert.com.
Aleut Building Company, LLC (Aleut), a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) certified 8(a) program participant and Small Disadvantaged Business, is proud to announce that it has been awarded a Single Award Task Order Contract (SATOC) by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Huntsville to serve U.S. Army Garrison Alaska (USAG-Alaska). This non-personal services contract encompasses multi-disciplinary maintenance and repair services for a wide range of USAG-Alaska facilities, systems, sub-systems, components, and equipment.
"This contract award further solidifies Aleut's commitment to supporting the mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers," said Aleut Federal's Senior Vice President of Construction Services, John Mroz. "Aleut is honored to contribute its expertise and resources to ensure the continued operational readiness and excellence of USAG-Alaska's facilities."
Under this contract, Aleut will be responsible for providing comprehensive maintenance services at various locations, including Fort Wainwright (FWA), Fort Greely Alaska (FGA), Donnelly Training Area (DTA), Yukon Training Area (YTA), Black Rapids Training Site (BRTA), and Seward Military Resort (SMR). Aleut will deploy its highly skilled personnel, along with state-of-the-art equipment, tools, vehicles, materials, supervision, subcontracts, and other necessary resources to perform all corrective maintenance (CM) tasks for designated sites and facilities.
The contract has a base period of performance of one year and includes four 1-year option periods, ensuring long-term support for USAG-Alaska's critical infrastructure and operational needs. Aleut's expertise positions them as an ideal partner for this endeavor, capable of delivering innovative and efficient solutions across a diverse range of construction services.
"Aleut looks forward to a successful partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville and USAG-Alaska, delivering exceptional services that meet and exceed the highest standards of quality, safety, and efficiency," said Mroz.
About Aleut
Formed in 2021, Aleut Building Company, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aleut Federal, LLC, a holding company for federal subsidiaries of The Aleut Corporation (TAC). TAC is one of 12 Alaska Native regional corporations established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1971.
Aleut Building Company, LLC is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) certified 8(a) program participant and Small Disadvantaged Business specializing in design-build and design-bid-build solutions, providing a wide range of traditional and specialty construction services.
Berlyn Martin
Aleut Federal, LLC
Phone: 571-560-0828
SOURCE Aleut Federal, LLC
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has announced the signing of an Educational Partnership Agreement and a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the United States Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), the premier research and development center for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The EPA between UIUC and the U.S. Army ERDC will encourage and enhance study in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, such as materials engineering, computer and data science, digital twinning, material science, physics, robotics, supply chain logistics, and sustainability and resilience.
Meanwhile, the CRADA will enable closer collaboration with ERDC and UIUC, especially with the Grainger College of Engineering, in research efforts of interest to the military.
These agreements cement a long-standing relationship between UIUC and ERDC. The UIUC campus has played host to the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, one of ERDC’s seven laboratories, since 1969.
“Under this partnership, CERL reaches into the university for support from UIUC students and interns who work with CERL engineers and scientists to conduct cutting-edge R&D while working side-by-side with some of the best researchers in the world,” said Dr. David Pittman, director of the ERDC and chief scientist for the Army Corps of Engineers. “Quite simply, successful outcomes to the CERL and ERDC mission would not be possible without the support of these students, interns and faculty."
Highlights of that strategic partnership include adapting 3D printing methodology for additive construction; developing an improved system for washing military vehicles; creating the Digital Opacity Method, which used off-the-shelf still cameras and modeling software to measure atmospheric plume opacity efficiently and accurately; developing a facility for earthquake engineering and shock testing; and evaluating micro-hydro units for army resilience.
“UIUC has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with the ERDC that began more than 50 years ago with the founding of CERL on our campus. Our civil and environmental engineers, among others, have partnered with CERL scientists to solve some of our military’s most immediate and complex challenges,” said Rashid Bashir, dean of UIUC’s Grainger College of Engineering. “This agreement will further reduce the barriers of collaboration between our two organizations to enhance educational efforts that are essential to our nation’s well-being.”
Woolpert has hired Jack Patton, a program director with over 35 years of federal experience, as a geospatial business strategist and consultant. Patton will help identify and develop geospatial and surveying business opportunities that will actively advance the work of U.S. Department of Defense and other federal civilian agency clients.
Before joining Woolpert, Patton worked for more than three decades at Trimble, an industrial technology and geospatial company and Woolpert partner. At Trimble, Patton served as director of U.S. military systems and products, leading the development of long-term plans, partnerships, and strategies for U.S. military and security clients. He has worked with Woolpert staff for many years, providing support to projects like the U.S. Air Force’s Combat Support Geospatial Information and Services Program, also known as GeoBase.
"I have been working with Woolpert and GeoBase for more than 25 years, assisting (Woolpert Market Director) Vince Sclafani as he expands that business," Patton said. “Woolpert has been in the geospatial industry for over 100 years, and they are experts at helping clients mine the value of geospatial data and its expanding applications. The longevity of Woolpert’s service and commitment to clients is impressive, and I am grateful to be able to continue to support the U.S. federal government and its agencies through Woolpert.”
Patton has been an active member of the Society of American Military Engineers, the U.S. Army Engineer Association, and the Association of the U.S. Army for many years. He earned his Master of Business Administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati and will work out of Woolpert’s Dayton headquarters.
“Woolpert has enjoyed a decades-long relationship with Jack Patton through our partnership with Trimble,” Woolpert Senior Vice President Shane Imwalle said. “He brings long-term, invaluable relationships and industry knowledge to the table and is already helping us better serve our federal client base. We all love working with Jack, and we’re very happy to have him on our team.”
About Woolpert
Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG), and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to effectively serve public, private, and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is a Global Top 100 Geospatial Company, a Top 100 ENR Global Design firm, earned six straight Great Place to Work certifications, and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity, and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been America’s fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. Woolpert has over 2,000 employees and more than 60 offices on five continents. For more, visit woolpert.com.
