Fall 2015 Spicer Promotions & New Hires

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2 Fall 2015 Spicer Promotions & New Hires Spicer Promotions & New Hires GUIDE, Part 2 Belleville Boardwalk Paving the Alabaster Pathway Akron Township Hall Associate Nathan G. Shepherd, P.S. Spicer group is proud to announce the recent promotion of Nathan G. Shepherd, P.S. to Associate. Mr. Shepherd was hired as an intern at Spicer Group in 2008 and worked summers from 2008 to 2011 for our Survey Group in the Saginaw Office. He was then hired on full-time in January of He has a bachelor s degree in Land Surveying and Civil Engineering from Ferris State University. In May of 2015, he became a licensed Professional Surveyor in the state of Michigan and will soon have his P.S. license from the state of Georgia. Mr. Shepherd recently transferred to our Atlanta, Georgia office and will begin working as our Lead Land Surveyor. Tracy Anderson - Tracy was recently hired as a Design Engineer for our Municipal Group in Spicer s Dundee office. She has a bachelor s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and another one in Applied Physics with a minor in Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Robert Briggs - Robert was recently hired as a Project Manager for the Survey Group in Spicer s St. Johns office. He has an associate s degree in Applied Science in Civil Engineering Technology from Michigan Technological University and more than 15 years of experience designing all aspects of road and highway projects for MDOT and local governments. Jennifer Clawson - Jennifer was recently hired as a Community Planner in the Planning Group at our Saginaw office. She has a bachelor s degree in Urban Planning and Development from Ball State University. Michael Gottlieb - Michael was recently hired as an IT Technician in Spicer s IT Group at our Saginaw office. He has a bachelor s degree in Data Communications and Psychology from Central Michigan University and a LEAN Office Champion Certification. Zach Guerrero - Zach was recently hired as a Design Engineer for our Municipal Group in Spicer s Saginaw office. He earned a bachelor s degree in Civil Engineering from Michigan Technological University. Erikka Hammond - Erikka was recently hired as a Human Resources Generalist in our Saginaw office. She earned a bachelor s degree in Business Management from Saginaw Valley State University. Stephen Harris - Stephen was hired as a Drafting Technician in Spicer s Water Resources Group in our Dundee office. He has an associate s degree in Business Administration from Jackson College. Stephen Heilman - Stephen was recently hired as a Construction Services Technician for our Construction Services Group in Spicer s St. Johns office. He has an associate s degree in Architecture and Engineering Technology from ITT Tech and more than 40 years experience in construction. Front cover: Horizon Park, Belleville, MI Inside cover: Horizon Park, Belleville, MI Nicol Parker - Nicol was hired as a Water Quality Analyst for Spicer s Applied Technologies Group in our Holt office. She has bachelor s degree in Chemistry and Biology from Adrian College. 2

3 In our previous issue, we gave a brief overview of the Geospatial Utility Infrastructure Data Exchange Initiative (GUIDE) which is being conducted by the Michigan Utility Coordination Committee (MUCC). More formally known as the 2014 GUIDE Pilot, the effort included the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Consumers Energy, DTE Energy and AT&T and focused on acquiring accurate 3-dimensional geospatial information during the installation of utilities on seven different projects by having a survey professional on-site during construction. While sending professional survey staff to a utility construction site to collect geospatial data may sound easy, this task presented several challenges. However, by implementing the GUIDE standards on seven different pilot projects, the stakeholders were able to try various approaches in acquiring this valuable data which will prove to be very helpful in planning future projects, reducing costly utility conflicts, and identifying the best ways to integrate this new protocol into everyday utility installations. In this issue, we discuss a few of these projects and the various approaches that were used by survey personnel in acquiring the location data of utilities that were involved with the GUIDE Pilot effort. One of Consumers Energy s projects involved the relocation of 1,340 feet of 6-inch gas distribution main along M-21 in Shiawassee County. Consumers Energy s contractor was tasked with placing 4-inch diameter cardboard tubes over the newly installed gas main where it was open cut. This allowed crews to continue working, and they could backfill around the tubes, leaving them exposed.. For the sections that were horizontally directional drilled (HDD), the contractor marked the pipe centerline above the bore head with wood stakes and included the depth reading as indicated from the HDD drill head. Survey crews were able to obtain direct observations by placing the GPS pole down each tube and collecting the top-of-pipe position in 3D. Ground observations were obtained at the staked locations in the HDD area using the depth reading that was marked on the pavement to calculate the top-of-pipe elevation. Combined, these two techniques allowed for the construction crews to do minimal extra work in the field while simplifying the coordination of the surveying activities. AT&T ran into a situation that exposed the risk of using stakes to pinpoint a utility s location during the HDD process during the installation of two miles of 1.25-inch HDPE conduit for fiber optic along M-61 in Gladwin County. Where the contractor used HDD for installation, stakes were placed to mark the conduit s location. When trenching the conduit in, the contractor attempted to place PVC tubes over the exposed utility at tie-in and bore pit locations, then backfilled the tubes. However the surveying consultant noticed that the PVC tubes had filled with water and sand had seeped in preventing the utility from being visible. Additionally, areas where stakes were used had been in mowed yards and some home owners had removed them. The removal of the stakes caused delays in getting the survey crews on site to record the locations due to not being able to locate the conduit. Thankfully, once the fiber was placed, the contractor was able to tone the fiber and re-locate it using standard electromagnetic locating equipment. The survey crew was then able to go to the site and obtain the required observations. Short of vacuum excavating the utility where the stakes were removed, toning was the only viable method of finding the utility. The below-ground depth of DTE Energy s M-85 project became a major obstacle to accurately record the position of a 12-inch high-pressure gas main that was installed using the jack-and-bore method in Wayne County s City of Brownstown. The depth GUIDE Shaping the Future of Utility Location of the project and the steel sheeting used as shoring disabled the surveyors use of GPS. The survey team overcame this obstacle by creating control points that were established by static GPS observations through single 20-minute static GPS sessions. Data for those control points were submitted to the National Geodetic Survey s Online Positioning User System which automatically processes static GPS observation data to the nearest Continuously Operating Reference Stations and returns XYZ coordinates to the user s selected coordinate system. DTE s surveyors then used a Total Station and occupied the established control points to make direction observations on the exposed utility with a prism pole. Combined, all seven projects including the three discussed in this article painted a vivid picture of the level of effort needed for capturing accurate geospatial data during utility installations. Each project was different and presented unique challenges. However, the projects shared several of the same logistics issues that can be ironed out after further training and planning measures are pursued. In the upcoming Winter issue we will discuss a few common logistical data acquisition challenges and the plan to overcome them. 3 4

4 The Belleville Boardwalk New boat slips, canoe and kayak launches installed on Belleville Lake. BELLEVILLE The recently-completed improvements at Horizon Park were the center of attention during a dedication held on August 20 at this year s Taste of Belleville event. 5 The park, which is the City s only public access to the 1,270-acre Belleville Lake, hosts several popular events annually, including free live outdoor concerts on Thursday nights throughout the summer, the Belleville Lake Water Sports Show, Free Fishing Day and the Taste of Belleville festival. 6

5 Prior to the recent completion of waterfront improvements at the lake, however, the park lacked a safe and easy way to visit the City by boat. The existing dock was too high and designated boat docking was very limited. We have always looked for ways to improve our residents access to the lake, Carol Thompson, the Administrative Coordinator for Belleville s Downtown Development Authority (DDA), said. And improving the existing boardwalk was one of those ways. The City s DDA focused its efforts on acquiring funds to improve access to the lake for residents and visitors of all abilities and provide a valuable link between Belleville Lake and the City s downtown business district that is full of restaurants and shopping boutiques. After successfully applying for and receiving a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant in the amount of $120,700, the DDA contracted with Spicer Group to develop designs for a new boardwalk, ADA-accessible boat docking and accessible canoe/kayak launches. The new dock is a floating structure attached to the existing boardwalk and is designed to leave the other lakeshore area of the park in an open and natural state. This design minimized the impact from development and includes a gangway that leads down to the boat docks and canoe/kayak launch. David Vallier, the project manager for Spicer s Horizon Park improvements, said the modifications were a challenge because of the natural slope of the embankment. He said those challenges were overcome, however, using Logical Lasting Launches - A Design Guide for Canoe and Kayak Launches. We excavated the existing high bank to a threeon-one slope and built a timber stairway with the canoe and kayak slide beside it so users can easily get their watercraft onto the floating dock system, Vallier said. Construction was recently wrapped up on all of the new improvements and even with summer coming to a close, it has already become a popular addition to the park. 7 Since the installation and grand opening, the kayak and canoe launches have been used more than the boat slips have, Thompson said. The floating canoe/kayak launch is one that has been used on previous Spicer projects and has proven to be a successful universal accessible launch. It is wide enough for wheelchair maneuverability, has a transfer assistance system, slide-in canoe/kayak rack, and a roller system to maneuver a canoe or kayak into the water. The new launch also provides direct access to and from the Huron River Water Trail. Belleville Lake is a dammed up impoundment on the Huron River which incorporates the 104-mile-long paddling trail that connects people to the river s natural environment, its history, and the communities it touches. Thompson said the final result of the Horizon Park improvement project was beautiful. People are really pleased with the new boardwalk and launches and are using it, she said. We waited a long time between the grant and permitting process to be able to build this and now that it is finished, it has turned out just great. 8

6 neighborhoods into town. This most-recently constructed southern end of the trail winds through woods and along the Lake Huron shore through property that is on the National Register of Historic Places. The property is part of the U.S. Gypsum Company mining town that existed in Alabaster in association with the gypsum mining industry that began there in the late 1830 s. Gypsum is still mined from the quarry to this day but the town has since been abandoned. Tanya Moore, the project manager for Spicer Group, said while traveling along the pathway, users can see remnants of the old gypsum mining operation, such as a rail line, a weigh scale, dock remnants and tee markers from the former disc golf course. An archaeological review of the trail s route through the property was conducted by Orbis Environmental Consulting. They found no significant impacts to the historical site by the trail s construction, although they did find a few pieces of ceramic plates and some rusted nails. pav i n g t h e sunrise side pat h way ALABASTER TOWNSHIP Finishing touches have been completed on the nearly three-and-a-half mile long second phase of the Sunrise Side Pathway in Iosco County. The newly developed section of path is a paved, non-motorized, universally accessible trail that runs from Alabaster Road to Dyer Road. This portion of the pathway follows along U.S. 23 to Kobs Road, then along Turtle Road, through historic U.S. Gypsum property, and back towards U.S. 23 to a trail head and parking area at Dyer Road, which is also the Arenac and Iosco County line. It is a small piece of the Sunrise Side Path, a regional planned non-motorized trail along the U.S. 23 corridor that winds through Lake Huron coastal communities. 9 In 2007, Alabaster Township was awarded MDOT grant funding to develop and construct the first threemile portion of the trail in the township. Alabaster Township Supervisor Stephanie Wentworth said the usage the first phase of the path received was amazing. It was really shocking to all of us, she said. We had not had a path in Alabaster Township before so we really didn t know what to expect. But once it was in, people use it year round. Construction on the pathway began in spring of this year and finished in early September with the placement of a 100-foot-long pedestrian bridge over Pilot Creek. The uniqueness of this portion of the pathway is just the beauty of being able to look out over Lake Huron, Moore said. People are going to go on that path and be amazed by the beauty and inquisitive about its history. Wentworth said she expects this portion of the path will be used even more than the previously constructed three miles. We are thrilled, absolutely thrilled, she said. After all these years working on it, it is far better than we had even imagined. It s done, it is beautiful and everybody loves it. In 2013, the Township again successfully applied for and were awarded an MDOT Transportation Alternatives Program Grant in the amount of $718,160 for the southern portion of the pathway. Alabaster Township partnered with Spicer Group to apply for the grant, design the pathway, and provide bidding assistance and construction engineering for this project. The first portion of the path provided a nonmotorized option for residents to travel from their 10

7 Spicer Group, Inc. 230 S. Washington Ave. Saginaw, MI St. Johns, MI PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Saginaw, MI Permit No. 189 Dundee, MI Holt, MI Grand Rapids, MI Detroit, MI Benton Harbor, MI Manistee, MI Atlanta, GA Township Hall kron In 2014, the rural community of Akron Township in Tuscola County acquired a former restaurant building and property along M-25 near Unionville with the intention to renovate it into a new hall and offices for Township officials. The 1,900 square-foot building had been out of service for some time and there were a few issues with its adaptive reuse as a township hall. Spicer Group completed an evaluation of the original structure and made recommendations for updates that would be needed to accommodate new staff and serve the Township s administrative operation needs. The Township moved forward with these recommendations which included a complete renovation of the existing building and the addition of 1,040 square feet of office space. New walkways and a crushed limestone parking lot were also installed. At the time of publication, nearly all of the improvements were completed, and the final touches to the interior were just about finished. Spicer provided the design for the improvements and also assisted with bidding and construction administration. 11