David Sawitzki has been a consulting geotechnical engineer, operations manager and program manager for more than 30 years. Specializing in civil and geotechnical engineering, David’s expertise is focused on foundations, dam and levee design, and mining and landfill disposal. Throughout his career, he’s managed over $220 million in architect-engineering program contracts, led numerous teams of engineers on complex projects and generated stakeholder engagement in multiple communities where flooding has threatened livelihoods and lives.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.

I knew that I wanted to pursue a career that allowed me to travel and be in the field, so I focused on geological and geotechnical engineering—which turned out to be a smart choice as my professional journeys have led me to project locations across the United States and Canada, and even internationally in the Middle East.

Working as a consulting engineer gives me the opportunity to see numerous geologic settings, communicate with diverse project owners—from federal, state and local agencies to the private sector—and solve problems in markets as diverse as architectural, manufacturing, development, mining and power. It’s this constant variety, combined with the ability to support large, critical infrastructure projects that affect people on a daily basis that keeps me inspired.

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

One of my most rewarding projects was serving as the program manager to rehabilitate the Mosul Dam in Iraq. I led a team of 60 professionals working in support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), mobilizing on-site at the dam for a period of two-and-a-half years under demanding conditions.

While the logistics of working in an active war zone were unprecedented in my career, the project itself was also exceedingly complex due to the dam’s deteriorating foundation and neglect from years of war sanctions. Preventing a catastrophic failure of the dam meant protecting millions of people living downstream within the Tigris River Valley, so when you talk about scale and impact, this project is certainly at the top of my list.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.
We recently collaborated with USACE in Martin, Kentucky, where severe flooding from Beaver Creek caused an ongoing threat to the town and its residents. Our innovative project design called for raising the town itself an average of 16 feet—as you can imagine, that’s no small feat. First, we modeled the local waterway to establish the FEMA floodway limits. More than 340,000 cubic yards of soil and rock were placed over the existing 10-acre site, up to the floodway line, to raise the entire town three feet above the 100-year flood elevation. All structures within the 100-year floodplain were identified for demolition, and the town’s infrastructure was relocated at the new, higher elevation.

We prepared a digital model of the planned town and developed a conceptual design layout of buildings and infrastructure for a 3D visual “fly-through” so the local government and citizens could see and better understand what their new community would look like. Additionally, in accordance with ESG principles, we reclaimed the former town floodway area as greenspace, stabilizing a creek channel and establishing a new wetland habitat.

Share a piece of career advice
Try to find a way to say “yes” when approached with an opportunity and always build your internal and external professional connections. The relationships you develop will bear fruit in ways that are often impossible to predict, providing opportunities to get involved with challenging projects in unique locations or accepting work outside of your comfort zone so you can grow in unexpected ways. Connections are invaluable, and the work we do is facilitated and driven by developing meaningful relationships.

The post People Spotlight: Meet David Sawitzki appeared first on Blog.

Since joining ArchTam in 2015, she has been supporting private and public sector clients to build, improve, monitor, and evaluate their programs and operations to work towards more sustainable and resilient practices. Most of Claire’s work focuses on climate change vulnerability and adaptation, environmental justice and community engagement, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy, action planning, and reporting.

Prior to joining ArchTam, she worked for non-profits, and as a contractor to the federal government, focused on water quality and improving the sustainability of clean water interventions. Claire holds a Master of Public Health in Environmental Health from Emory University and a Bachelor of Science in Geology from The College of William and Mary.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry

I grew up in a family that fostered a love for the environment from a young age and I credit a lot of my foundational thinking to an educational summer camp I attended and later worked at – Nature Camp. From there, I continued to cultivate that interest into applicable study areas with geology in undergraduate and environmental health in graduate school. Following the completion of my master’s degree, I was trying to find a career path that could utilize my scientific background, while moving the needle forward on creating a more socially and environmentally responsible world. During my job search, I found a job posting from ArchTam that included language around sustainability and after some research into the company’s practices, I applied. Seven years later, I’m still here. I’ve grown to truly value this industry for the amount of change we’re able to make by supporting our clients and working through complex ESG issues alongside them.

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

My favorite ArchTam project to date is hard to choose! The first that comes to mind is our work with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in Boston assessing the vulnerability of their Red Line to future climate change scenarios. The project itself was a collaboration between MBTA and ArchTam where we developed a methodology that made sense for their assets and operations, which could be applicable to other parts of their system moving forward. The results of the analyses felt very tangible and useful to MBTA as they move forward with their own asset management and capital improvements. The other part of this work that makes it stand out are the internal team, who were engaging, sharp, and a joy to work with.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

Early in my career with ArchTam, I supported a project that assessed the disaster resilience of 208 small to mid-size businesses on several New Orleans historic corridors with funding from the United Nations. Given the vital role of small businesses within communities, the project sought to understand the resilience capacity of these businesses and identify meaningful ways to build up that resilience. During in-person interviews, business representatives reflected on and considered their disaster preparedness and resilience position, thus gaining an important learning opportunity through participation. In addition, they were provided with informational materials and offered free attendance to disaster preparedness and sustainable business trainings. The information has also been used as the city developed its Resilient Corridors Initiative which also has direct benefits to the community.

Share a piece of career advice

Never stop networking and try to put your best self forward with those interactions (when you can, we’re not robots!). Working at such a large company, it’s essential to market yourself to find individuals across business lines and practice areas that you enjoy working with and that you can foster relationships with. This has helped me be successful and have the pleasure to work on a wide array of projects with interesting people across the country and globe.

The post People Spotlight: Meet Claire Still appeared first on Blog.

“On behalf of SAME, I am thrilled to welcome Rear Adm. Mark Handley, PE, F.SAME, USN (Ret.) as the Society’s 102nd National President,” said SAME Executive Director Brig. Gen. Joseph Schroedel, PE, F.SAME, USA (Ret.). “Mark has been a leader throughout his career, with the U.S. Navy, in private industry, and in SAME. Foremost, he inspires others to action by his example and hands-on engagement, from working personally with Society leaders and stakeholders, to improving how we operate to deliver value to our members. Mark has made significant impacts in the years leading up to our Centennial, but his commitment now to strengthening our industry-government engagement efforts will make a tremendous difference for our nation, our profession and SAME.”

We sat down with Mark to talk about SAME, ArchTam’s infrastructure work in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense and federal agencies, and his vision moving forward.

You have been a member of SAME both during your service in the Navy and your tenure in the A/E industry. What are the benefits for other colleagues to get involved? In 1995, when I was a junior officer in the Navy, the senior officers encouraged me to join SAME. I initially joined for the social aspect, but was quickly drawn to the extensive opportunities for training, education, and professional growth through conferences, networking events, strategic partnerships, webinars, technical publications, and leadership development. As an officer in the Navy, I found SAME to be a great platform for industry-government engagement. For me, it provided a tremendous opportunity to interact with the private industry and to learn while in uniform. SAME provided a pathway for technical and professional development for myself and many of my fellow service members.

When I transitioned from military service to private industry, I stayed active in SAME. Drawing upon my previous knowledge and experience in the Navy, I found a space to provide feedback to government agencies about the challenges military engineers are facing today. I’m proud that ArchTam is such a strong partner with SAME and I appreciate that our leadership team is so supportive of the time I spend volunteering with the Society. The work we are doing is critical for the future of national defense and the engagement we foster between industry and government is invaluable.

What projects have you found most rewarding, both in the Navy and at ArchTam? As the Head of Environmental Contracts at the Western Division of NAVFAC in 1990, I had the opportunity to work with professionals in the industry as we executed the first Comprehensive Long-Term Environmental Action Navy (CLEAN) contracts for the Navy. Interestingly, one of the first three CLEAN contracts was with URS, which is now part of ArchTam. ArchTam’s CLEAN team is light years ahead—in terms of technical expertise and innovation—from where we started the program. These contracts, the first of their kind, have now become the gold standard in environmental contracting.

With ArchTam, I am incredibly proud to have worked on the Guantanamo Bay Energy Savings Performance Contract. Our team partnered with Siemens Government Technologies to provide energy-saving upgrades to key systems on the remote, isolated Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as part of the largest-ever Department of Defense island installation program, which is directly improving resiliency and mission readiness in the region. The energy savings achieved each year will be large enough to pay for the capital investments in equipment and technology, bringing stability and reliability to power generation, transmission, and distribution across the island.

Infrastructure is a hot topic. Can you give us some insight into the importance of ArchTam’s infrastructure work in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies? At ArchTam and throughout our industry, there is a strong focus on improving our infrastructure. While the current stimulus initiatives in Congress have been rightfully focused on the economic benefits of enhancing our infrastructure, there is a national security component as well that includes improving our military airfields, ports and installations to safeguard our nation’s defensive capability. For example, ArchTam is currently supporting the Navy’s planning efforts to upgrade four major shipyards under their ship maintenance program. This planning work will optimize the Navy’s $20 billion investment and improve readiness, which ties directly to ArchTam’s company-wide commitment to environmental, social, and governance priorities, as well as SAME’s mission to support military engineers and strengthen national security.

What are you most excited about achieving as SAME President? As SAME National President, I am most excited about service and giving back to the Society. My top initiative this year is a continued emphasis on industry-government engagement through thought leadership. SAME has more than 27,000 members and I look forward to bringing the best in industry and government to supporting our military engineers through collaborative engagement. With issues such as the Great Power Competition, project delivery reform and an infrastructure bill, now is the time to increase SAME’s focus and support on key issues affecting the broad military engineering community; expand the platforms in which SAME influencers can discuss and promote thought leadership; and continue developing relationships with strategic partners to raise SAME’s involvement in key A/E/C issues.

Through the equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) programs at ArchTam, I have gained a strong appreciation of the impact of this renewed focus on very tangible initiatives, which also align with DOD values. In connection with SAME’s large membership base, I am making ED&I a priority. Just as the industry and our federal partners focus on ED&I, so must the Society. We will develop a SAME National Action Plan to increase awareness across the Society and make near-term progress to achieve balanced representation of leadership at every level. We are committed to broadening our diversity of thought and inspiring members from various backgrounds to help lead our Society into the future.

I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to bring a wide range of ArchTam’s capabilities to help address key issues and continue supporting the military engineer community. As a SAME member since 1995, I consider it an honor to support our military engineers.

Banner image: Norfolk Naval Shipyard Photo credit: Courtesy of the U.S. Navy. Photo by Ernest R Scott.

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What are eVTOLs? Powered by electricity, eVTOL take off vertically like a helicopter, and fly horizontally like a traditional airplane. Differing from its predecessors, eVTOLs are technology-heavy, featuring virtually silent electric motors or rotors that communicate with the batteries that power them – functions that require sophisticated proprietary software and charging technology.  As a result, we are seeing eVTOL developed by technology companies that have hired experts from the aviation industry.

This new transportation mode may improve mobility by quickly transporting small numbers of people within cities and across regions. They may also provide the rapid response logistics needed for emergency situations and increase small and rural market access.

How might they operate? There are currently two passenger transportation models, each designed to accommodate specific needs and functions. The first is based around vertistops, which is envisioned for urban locations and designed for short hops that allow for easy mobility within cities. These can be placed on existing infrastructure such as building tops or other unused spaces. The second model is compatible for intracity travel within a 150-mile range, restoring regional air service discontinued by traditional airlines due to cost considerations. Longer range eVTOL might require vertiports, stand-alone terminals, Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) operations and charging facilities within existing airports, greenfield sites or on top of other existing infrastructure. As a faster way to travel, eVTOL may replace cars, regional trains or buses, with many developers and manufacturers focusing on making eVTOLs affordable and accessible.

Vertiports: green infrastructure required. With many eVTOL developers aiming to launch by the year 2024 with the potential for established networks by 2030, these aircrafts represent an entirely new zero carbon industry that must be served by a new type of conducive infrastructure. With these aircrafts not always depending on airport access, our ArchTam team is currently studying the re-purposing of existing, non-traditional infrastructure such as parking garages and distribution facilities. The aircraft may also use existing logistics facilities as vertiport hubs and nontraditional rural locations, such as repurposed roadway infrastructure, as logistic hubs, significantly improving supply chain speed and remote location access.

As with all electric vehicles, eVTOL will increase energy demand. Grid upgrades will be needed to supply the energy required for battery charging and cooling. To complicate matters further, these aircrafts are expected to vary in size, each with proprietary charging methods and requirements specific to the manufacturer. Because of this, these vertiports and vertistops will require facilities to support multiple eVTOL designs and charging types.

What are the challenges in development? Federal, state and local governments are working with developers to create necessary practices, regulations and certifications, with a strong emphasis on flight standards. Given their similar range of motion to helicopters and airplanes, the industry is using those standards as a preliminary form while working to develop one overall flight standard. ArchTam is actively involved in this process with several agencies that are driving policy around the future of eVTOL, such as NASA and North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). In addition, ArchTam holds a board position on the City of Los Angeles Urban Movement Lab, which is a dynamic collaboration between communities, local government and mobility innovators.

Establishing a new industry demands experience and insight. ArchTam is meeting those needs by providing expertise to private developers, airport agencies and eVTOL developers. Recognizing our focus on the future of infrastructure and global airport experience, eVTOL manufacturers are presenting their business models and technical capabilities to our design professionals to help determine feasibility in their ideas and designs. And our familiarity with eVTOL is driving airport authorities, private developers and infrastructure providers to ArchTam for assistance in determining potential preparations and support required to make eVTOL viable.

These efforts may seem like to be a heavy lift but with advanced technology and our integrated expertise combined with manufacturer, federal, state and local government focus, eVTOLs are poised for a smooth takeoff and with them, a more sustainable, equitable future for aviation.

The post Vertiports: The future of flight infrastructure is green appeared first on Blog.

A part of our team of over 500 tunneling professionals, our female leaders bring a unique perspective to this traditionally male field, from their upbringings around the world to their technical training and vast project experience. We sat down with the women who are helping to shape the future of the industry to discuss their inspirations, favorite projects and what they think is next for women in this profession.

Nooshin Falaknaz, P.Eng. Senior Tunnel Engineer, Canada

Nooshin specializes in Rock Mechanics- Geotechnics

What inspired you to join the tunneling industry? This job brings various challenges, particularly when it comes to working with difficult ground conditions and geological situations. The gratification of overcoming obstacles during field investigations, underground design and field works is my greatest motivator.

What is your favorite ArchTam project and why? I recently became involved in the Metro Blue Line Extension in Montreal. Of the projects I have designed, my favorite is the Blue Line Metro because it allowed me to draw on my past experiences and play a hands-on role from start to finish on various design elements and technical challenges.

How are you helping to advance women in the tunneling industry? As a young woman in the tunneling industry it has been common for me to be the only female on a project. As a result, I always encourage female students and younger colleagues with backgrounds in geotechnics and rock mechanics to consider a career in tunneling. I share my positive career experience, and I offer to mentor them and provide technical support to help them succeed in their project work and advance their careers in tunneling.

What do you see as the next major advancements in the tunneling industry? I believe we can expect a range of projects from expansion of existing underground transit systems to entirely new tunnel construction. Deep rock tunnels are being considered to enable rapid transportation between cities and urban highway tunnels may offer a convenient opportunity to reduce pollution. Advances in tunneling engineering and technology will be crucial to delivering economically constructed, functional and sustainable environments. I believe we will use more new and innovative technologies for site characterization, design and analysis of underground excavation, tunnel excavation methods, and during field works to minimize risks and expedite project completion.

Theodora (Dorina) Vovou, Tunnel Engineer, US East

Dorina specializes in Tunnels and underground structures design and management

What inspired you to join the tunneling industry? Growing up in Greece, a country with significant mineral wealth and a historical background of tunneling, I found the tunneling industry an appealing challenge for engineers. I was motivated to pursue a career in tunneling while I was a student, after seeing the construction of Greece’s first subway system and the challenges that went along with it.

What is your favorite ArchTam project and why? My favorite ArchTam project is the Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM) project in Montréal, Canada. I have been part of the project team from its conceptual design – which began about 4 years ago – to its design and ongoing construction. As part of the team, I have paid attention to every detail as the project developed and seeing it progress has reinforced my dedication to its completion.

How are you helping to advance women in the tunneling industry? I am a member of Women in Tunneling, a group affiliated with the Underground Construction Association (UCA) of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME). As part of our efforts to advance women in the industry, we organize virtual and in-person networking sessions while also discussing and developing measures to encourage more women to become involved in the field and promoting women engineering students to pursue their careers in tunneling and underground construction.

What do you see as the next major advancements in the tunneling industry? I think we will be seeing more underground space used for recreation, in the form of underground streets, pedestrian tunnels and shopping malls. I also believe there will be an uptick in subway systems around the world and an expansion of existing subway systems resulting from increased transportation demand in urban areas.

Kiranmayee (Kiran) Akunuri, P.E., PMP Tunnel Engineer and Project Manager, US West

Kiran specializes in geotechnical engineering for tunneling and project management

What inspired you to join the tunneling industry? I have been fascinated by underground structures since childhood, possibly because of all my excursions to historical places with underground structures and caves in India, where I grew up.  Over the years, this interest drove me to learn more about them and ultimately, to pursue a career in underground structures.

What is your favorite ArchTam project and why? My favorite is the Delhi Metro Rail Program where ArchTam was a design consultant for over six packages and projects. This was my first tunneling project in which I had an opportunity to be part of the segmental lining design of twin tunnels for Earth Pressure Balance Shields – Tunnel Boring Machine (EPB-TBM) tunneling. I was also able to make several site visits during the construction of the tunnel and underground stations to observe firsthand the implementation of my design. This project has been acclaimed for its international recognition.

How are you helping to advance women in the tunneling industry? As a member of the Society for Women Engineers (SWE) and Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), I motivate and encourage more women to join the tunneling industry by sharing my experiences and challenges and making them aware of the opportunities and recognition this industry could bring to women engineers and professionals who are driven and passionate about the industry.

What do you see as the next major advancements in the tunneling industry? Underground high-speed rail systems and the Hyperloop will change the transportation industry globally. We have to be ready for this transformation.

Amanda Foote, P.E., Tunnel Project Engineer, US West

Amanda specializes in Wastewater Conveyance Tunnels

What inspired you to join the tunneling industry? I was introduced to the tunneling profession through a project manager who was responsible for leading a tunneling project in Akron, Ohio, when I was only a few years out of college. My experience on the project team for the Akron tunneling project, along with the mentorship of my project manager, led me to fall in love with the tunneling industry and the various aspects of a tunnel design and construction. After the Akron project, the same project manager brought me into work on other tunneling projects to continue to expand my experience.

What is your favorite ArchTam project and why? My current project with the Michigan Department of Transportation Interstate I-75 Segment 3 Design Build job is my favorite. I am the project engineer on the 14’ diameter drainage tunnel for the project. As my first design build job, I’m enjoying the collaborative relationship with the contractor where we can share ideas and tunneling experience firsthand.

How are you helping to advance women in the tunneling industry? As a woman in a male dominated industry, it is not uncommon for me to be the only female in the room for project meetings. I have worked to identify other young women that may have an interest in tunneling to join the industry and helping to bring them onto projects when opportunities are available.

What do you see as the next major advancements in the tunneling industry? I see the tunneling industry advancing into more underground high-speed rail systems to connect larger cities.  As metropolitan areas continue to grow, I also expect that extensions to already constructed wastewater and stormwater tunnels will be needed to handle increased flow demands and reduce the impact on the environment.

The post Women in Tunneling: Delivering complex underground projects appeared first on Blog.

We felt the need to start this group for many reasons, with the main one being that to stay in the workforce and attain influential positions, women must support and empower each other at all career and life stages. Our group’s mission is to facilitate that idea to all women within ArchTam, regardless of career level or job title. The group is open to ArchTam women in all disciplines and all experience levels within the Philadelphia Metro District, and recently expanded to other local offices, including Conshohocken, Wilmington and Philadelphia. The group has been very successful mainly due to the support of local leadership and the enthusiasm of its members. Our efforts were recently recognized by the Women’s Transportation Seminar Philadelphia Chapter Diversity Award, which honors a group that has made significant contributions in promoting diversity and cultural awareness within their organization.

Women’s LEAD meets monthly, and discussion topics are centered on professional development intended to facilitate opportunities for women and minorities. Participation within LEAD has led to improved relationships within the workplace; knowledge of the industry and trends; and advanced leadership skills such as communication, team building and negotiation. Our monthly meetings have included motivational speakers, professional development seminars, book reviews, video presentations and even field trips. In 2014, our group visited Amtrak’s 30th Street Station as well as the Philadelphia International Airport, where we took a driving tour on the airfield and saw the airport from above in the ramp control tower. With the support of local and regional ArchTam leaders, LEAD was honored to host inspiring leading ladies at ArchTam such as Jane Penny, president, National Governments end market, and Denise Casalino, Chicago Metro Area lead. It is noteworthy to add that the men around the office have expressed an interest in attending meetings. Recognizing that exclusion means isolation, we have begun sponsoring discussions where all members within the organization, both men and women, can join and collaborate together!

Women’s LEAD has been a passion of ours, and it is LEADing us to new heights of personal development, enhanced relationships and promising possibilities for the future. Think about starting a group in your office today!

Comment below to share your experiences with Women’s LEAD and other women’s leadership organizations! Be sure to use the #WomenExcel hashtag when you share this post on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

Noreen Nolan (left) is a project manager in ArchTam’s Philadelphia office. She has been with ArchTam for more than 14 years, where she has worked on a variety highway bridge and transit/freight projects — beginning as an accountant/management analyst, and now working as a project manager. Noreen has been a long-time advocate for women’s advancement stemming from her involvement with Women’s Transportation Seminar, and currently with Women’s LEAD. Outside of the office, Noreen enjoys spending time with her family, as well as exercising, golfing and coaching soccer.
LinkedIn: Noreen Nolan

Jihane Fazio (right) is a transportation project manager in ArchTam’s Philadelphia Metro office and has been with the company for more than 14 years. She is a professional engineer and was recently recognized by Engineering News-Record MidAtlantic as a 2015 Top Young Professional. She is an advocate for gender diversity; women in science, technology, engineering and math fields; women in transportation and is the chair of the American Road Transportation Builders Association’s National Women Leaders Council. She enjoys spending time with her family and is involved in the Girl Scouts of America with her daughters.
LinkedIn: Jihane Fazio
Twitter: @JihaneFazio

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As a resident of San Francisco, earthquake risk is a reality that I am always aware of. Although ground shaking will cause damage, fires following an earthquake are just as problematic. After the 1906 earthquake devastated the city, the fires that followed were the worst in the history of the United States. As a result, San Francisco built a separate water system, the Auxiliary Water Supply System (AWSS), specifically to fight large conflagrations.

The system includes a reservoir and two tanks, and the original network used extra-thick pipe. Two pump stations along the coast can also feed the system with water from the bay, and underground cisterns dot the city as standalone water sources. Due to the age and the limited coverage of the AWSS, ArchTam was selected to perform a capital-planning study on how to improve and potentially expand the system. My involvement focused primarily on the hydraulic and reliability-modeling aspects of the project, which utilized probabilistic methods to evaluate system performance and the proposed improvement projects.

The biggest challenge was to determine the best way to represent and test the system with the information available to us. This process required our team to work closely with reliability and seismic-modeling experts, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), and other stakeholders, such as the San Francisco Fire Department, to create a methodology that was defensible and useful to determine future capital improvements. Ultimately, we had to create new processes and tools to help the SFPUC make the decisions needed for improving the AWSS. It is absolutely gratifying to see some of our recommendations being built right now in the city. Next time you are in San Francisco and you notice two different fire hydrants or brick rings in the streets, you’ll know that it’s the AWSS, ready to put out fires when “the big one” hits.

While not running hydraulic models, I am also involved in working on sustainability for infrastructure projects. There is a new sustainability framework and rating system called Envision, which is meant to be used on a broader range of infrastructure types such as pipelines, roadways, parks, etc. Right now, I am serving as the sustainability manager using Envision for a wastewater treatment plant upgrade project for the City of Davis in California. My role is to work closely with the design team to ensure that the design elements and construction processes follow the sustainability metrics prescribed in the Envision system. Our goal is to make sure that the work we do aligns with the sustainability targets for the city. This project is exciting because Envision is fairly new, and the work we are doing can set precedents for similar projects in the future.

Outside of the office, I volunteer with the San Francisco Professionals Chapter of Engineers Without Borders – USA. You can read about my recent trip to Fiji on my previous blog post on the ArchTam Impact blog. Our team is currently planning our next implementation trip this summer to build a new 20,000-liter reinforced concrete water storage tank for one of the villages, and I am excited to continue working to bring clean and reliable water to three villages in rural Fiji.

Check out Aaron’s video of his work below:

Aaron Lee (Aaron.Lee@archtam.com) is a civil engineer with ArchTam’s water business unit in the San Francisco office.
LinkedIn: Aaron Lee, P.E.

The post Protecting San Francisco against fires appeared first on Blog.

For many, it is hard to understand not having access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Unfortunately, this is a reality for 780 million people in the world today. The statistics are truly frightening:

• 780 million people do not have access to clean water.
• 5 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation.
• Approximately every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of poor sanitation.
• 152 million work hours per day are spent by women and girls around the world collecting water.

We can help make a difference by donating time and money to organizations such as Water For People that work to provide safe drinking water and sanitation to people in developing countries.

Early in my career, I spent time living in Lesotho and Botswana while working on water projects and truly gained an understanding of the importance of water and sanitation in human health and development.. This experience has stayed with me and, as a result, I try to support water projects in developing countries when I can.

Water For People has been active since the early 1990s, and I was lucky enough to go to Guatemala on one of its first trips. I had an exciting time in Guatemala examining the existing, non-functional water system for three villages, and identifying improvements that were needed to fix the system. In the following years, we installed a new pump and generator and helped to build a concrete storage tank.

During this time, I lived with and shared meals with a hospitable local family and enjoyed their excitement about getting a more consistent water supply. Our trips to view the existing (non-working) facilities were always an event as village leaders joined us with what seemed like all of the kids in the village. And getting caught in a flash flood was just part of the experience.

A young girl looks after her brother in Guatemala.

Since this project, I traveled to Guatemala in 2010 and 2011 to work on different water projects where we designed and helped to construct water tanks and pipelines. In my most recent trip to Guatemala, the leaders in the villages we were supporting set off fireworks to start the project. (I don’t see that much in the U.S.).

Water For People’s “Everyone Forever” approach enables countries worldwide to free themselves from water and sanitation aid dependency by striving to provide every household, school and public health facility or clinic in a defined geography with improved water and sanitations services. This aligns with ArchTam’s mission of social responsibility, which focuses on community focus, collaboration, sustainability and environmental responsibility.

Many ArchTam employees support Water For People through their time and/or financial commitment. In North America, we have established a network of regional and district Water For People advocates who will share opportunities and needs with our staff. Also, our employees are giving more than $110,000 per year to Water For People via direct deduction from their salary. To date, ArchTam and employees have donated more than $640,000 to Water People, and we are hoping to encourage greater participation in 2015.

Richard Hope (Richard.Hope@archtam.com), chief technical officer, water, Americas, and leader of ArchTam’s Water Technical Practice Network, has been with the company since 1991. As the leader of ArchTam’s relationship with Water For People, he is responsible for identifying volunteer opportunities and helping to coordinate fundraising to support Water For People’s mission.
LinkedIn: Richard Hope

The post Increasing access to safe drinking water and sanitation appeared first on Blog.