PBS&J was recently selected to provide architectural and engineering consulting services at Dallas Love Field Airport to assist the City of Dallas and the Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT) in plans to increase the airport’s efficiency and capacity.

“This is PBS&J’s first major aviation project in the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) area since we opened our aviation offices last February, so it’s a milestone for us,” said Mitch Holmes, group manager at PBS&J. “We’re looking forward to helping improve such a vital transportation resource.”

Due to the repeal of the Wright Amendment and decreased flight restrictions, Love Field expects an increase in flight traffic over the next few years. Because of this, the City of Dallas and the DPWT are looking to increase the airport’s efficiency, making changes to significantly increase the airport’s ability to meet the demand.

PBS&J will help reconstruct and extend Taxiway M, an existing taxiway currently not in use. The length of the final taxiway will measure 6,300 feet, over twice its original size, and will connect to a nearby existing runway to serve as a queue for flights awaiting departure, as well as those arriving and taxiing to the terminal gates.

“We bring project management experience from both the airport management and engineering sides,” said Holmes. “I worked for DFW airport for many years, so I’m familiar with what these projects require, and PBS&J has substantial experience with aviation projects in Texas and throughout the country.”

The Dallas City Council approved the project on June 23, and PBS&J will complete a six-month design process before construction begins.

The Rothenbach Park Landfill Reutilization Project has caught the attention of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) in the form of an Honor Award in the 2010 AAEE Excellence in Environmental Engineering Awards competition. The award was announced during an awards luncheon and conference held on April 28, 2010, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

During 2008, Rothenbach Park, formerly Sarasota County’s Bee Ridge Landfill, underwent a major transformation from a closed landfill into an environmentally conscious, 450-acre park. Officially opened in 2009, the community park sports more than 6 miles of multiuse recreational trails, a children’s play area, raised boardwalks, circuit training equipment, an open air pavilion, a concession stand, a meeting room, and restrooms. It is also the site of one of the state’s largest solar arrays (250-kilowatt photovoltaic).

Rothenbach Park was honored by AAEE in the category of environmental sustainability, specifically acknowledging projects which support a long-term balance of environmental stewardship, economic development, and social well being, including timely substitute replacement of nonrenewable resources.

PBS&J served as the engineer-of-record for the closed landfill, the park, and the solar array.

Two PBS&J projects have been recognized with Project Achievement Awards from the Construction Management Association of America South Atlantic Chapter (CMAA-SAC). The annual CMAA-SAC project achievement awards program recognizes outstanding achievement in the practice of construction management. The awards program is designed to recognize and promote professionalism and excellence in the management of the construction process.

PBS&J’s Memorial Drive and I-285 Interchange project for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) was recognized in the Infrastructure Category, constructed value greater than $50 million, less than $10 million. The GDOT Interchange project was recently completed and features utility relocations, improved off ramps, and enhancements to the Memorial Drive Bridge over I-285 in Atlanta.

The Perimeter Community Improvement District (PCID) project was recognized in the Infrastructure Category, Program Management. The PCID project included over $8 million in improvements that provide nearby office workers and residents with pedestrian access to the Dunwoody MARTA station and Perimeter Mall. The project is expected to encourage mixed-use developments in the area, which would provide more jobs and housing. The project also recently received the 2010 Engineering Excellence Award from the Georgia Engineering Alliance.

The awards were presented during CMAA-SAC’s Annual Banquet and Project Achievement Awards on June 15.

CMAA-SAC promotes and enhances leadership, professionalism, and excellence in managing the development and construction of projects and programs. CMAA-SAC is comprised of 350 members from Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

St. Lucie County International Airport has received the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) Southeast Chapter (SEC) Project of the Year Award for the design of the New Runway 10L–28R and associated taxiways. The award presentation was held on April 20 at the SEC-AAAE annual awards luncheon in Memphis, Tennessee.

The project, consisting of a new 4,000-foot parallel runway, was located in a 161-acre highly wooded and wetland-laden area, which posed many challenges and involved a lengthy environmental and permitting process.

During the course of the project, the airport worked closely with general engineering consultant, PBS&J, maintaining environmental integrity through close coordination with oversight agencies and attention to mitigation diligence. Ultimately, creative thinking, disciplined coordination, and strict attention to time and budget resulted in a successful project that was recognized from among its competition as Project of the Year.

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association–Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) named PBS&J as the recipient of a 2010 Globe Award. The firm is being recognized for its work on the State Road 408 Widening and Reconstruction Project in Orlando. The award will be presented at the ARTBA Federal Issues Program and Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) Fly-In, to be held in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, May 25, 2010.

SR 408, a 16-mile toll road traversing downtown Orlando, was experiencing traffic volumes exceeding design capacity. The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA) needed to add lanes to alleviate congestion while staying within the existing right-of-way footprint. This required a unique approach to the design combining engineering and landscape architecture disciplines.

PBS&J used a context-sensitive design process to develop designs that highlight the best aesthetic features of the community and help the project blend with the surrounding area. Aesthetic design elements were incorporated with colors and textures that complement the historical architecture of the surrounding neighborhoods. The Lake Underhill Bridge was designed with an added feature to create a new “gateway” to downtown Orlando and provide a “missing link” to the pedestrian trail that exists on the southside of the lake.

Mike Snyder, PE, OOCEA Executive Director said, “We could have approached the project strictly as an opportunity to add capacity. But we had a second chance to make a really positive impact on the community.”

The Globe Awards celebrate private-sector firms and public-sector agencies that do an outstanding job in protecting and/or enhancing the natural environment in the planning, design, and construction of U.S. transportation infrastructure projects.

Fort Hood calls itself the largest active duty armored post in the United States with nearly 45,000 service members. The Texas installation is proud to provide high quality housing for soldiers and their families, and has committed to a 5-year (2008-2013) Whole Barracks Renewal Project that will provide new, modern, and comfortable accommodations.

PBS&J Constructors, Inc., doing business as Peter R. Brown Construction, Inc., recently won a $32.3-million design-build contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Fort Worth District, for a 3-story, 240-unit modular building, which will be occupied by 480 enlisted soldiers when it is completed in April 2011.

Each unit will contain a shared common space with a full-service kitchen, dining room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. Each floor of the building will have a shared laundry area. In addition, the building will have a common office and lobby area with an entertainment room.

The new barracks will comply with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) requirements. A silver rating under LEED’s Green Building Rating System is planned. Of note are efficiency practices including: reduction of stormwater runoff from the site that would increase storm load on nearby streams and rivers; utilization of recycled metal, glass, and plastic during construction; and reduction of energy consumption by at least 30 percent below the Standard 90.1-2007 set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

Peter Brown Construction will serve as the general contractor for the project. The design is a collaboration among the various disciplines within The PBSJ Corporation, including architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and interior design.