Featured Archives - Terracon

Logistics Facilities Services Newsletter

terramedia — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 20:35:20 +0000

Retrofit your warehouse space to meet current needs

As your requirements grow and evolve, our logistics professionals have a large suite of services to help take your built facility where it needs to go. Whether you’ve had your warehouse for years or just acquired a new facility, we can make that property meet your specifications. Let’s get started.

Get the full picture first

Understanding a facility’s condition before you buy it gives you peace of mind that you’ve made a sound investment. When a logistics client had questions about whether to invest in an unused warehouse, Terracon facilities experts assessed the building using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) to provide 2D and 3D models. Both methods detected deflection in the wall panels, with possible water ponding on the roof above. Providing these two data sets in the same scope of work eliminated the need (and cost) of additional testing and gave the client a holistic view of the challenges to help them make informed decisions.

Building health covered – from top to bottom

Roof Assessments. One of the biggest assets at any facility, roofing keeps the elements out while protecting everyone and everything inside. Make sure concerns about your facility’s roof won’t hang over your head. Learn more.
Structural Assessment. A facilities condition assessment (FCA) gives a clear picture of where a facility is, making it easier to develop a plan for getting it where it needs to be. Here’s how.
Pavement Solutions Pavement might be an even larger asset than the roof. Our Pavement Technology Solutions can help set up a long-term pavement maintenance plan based on data – not speculation. Find out how.

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Power Generation Solar Services Newsletter

terramedia — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 20:27:55 +0000

Up to date: Here’s the latest on WOTUS rule amendment

The Sackett v. EPA Supreme Court decision in May altered the landscape of future Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rulings. Recent amendments, released in late August, brought a little more clarity. Our WOTUS subcommittee has been following these and other ongoing developments for more than three years. Here’s how the latest amendments could affect future solar projects. Learn more.

At the forefront of pile load testing data delivery

Accurate pile load testing (PLT) data can be the catalyst for a more sustainable and cost-effective solar project. Our new, proprietary pile load testing tripod is lighter, more transportable, and changing how we gather this critical data. How can this new PLT system benefit your next solar project? Let’s get to work.

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Power Generation Sustainability Services Newsletter

terramedia — Mon, 22 May 2023 19:14:27 +0000

Bringing sustainability to renewable energy projects

Making renewable energy structures more sustainable to construct reduces project costs as well as environmental impacts. Sustainability was the primary focus when developing our GripTerra wind turbine foundations, solar foundations, and other solutions for pipelines and various linear projects. The resulting products require less materials and excavation, saving time and money. We’re here to help you lead the way to meet current and future energy needs. Learn more.

Let’s connect in New Orleans at CLEANPOWER 2023

Renewable energy is essential to meet current and future demand, and our team is ready for the challenge. Join us at CLEANPOWER 2023 in booth 2241 to learn more about our innovative GripTerra wind foundations, solar foundations, and other services designed to meet project and sustainability goals. See you there.

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Transportation Alternate Delivery Group Newsletter

terramedia — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 14:30:22 +0000

Accelerating success on alternate delivery transportation projects

Alternate delivery transportation projects require precision timing, meticulous coordination, and good, old-fashioned experience to keep on schedule – that’s nothing new. So what is new? We’ve created an Alternate Delivery Group of professionals solely focused on making sure these complex projects succeed. From Los Angeles to Charlotte and Minneapolis to San Antonio, you get a consistent partner on every project, every time. Learn more.

Creating solid, stable ground for a major port project

Massive upgrades to one of the largest shipping container ports in the country weren’t going to happen unless major geotechnical issues were addressed. We were part of the team that helped get this groundbreaking project across the finish line. What geotechnical challenges can we help you solve? Read more.

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Show Up and Keep Up

terramedia — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 17:40:25 +0000

Alternate Delivery Group Ready to Meet the Needs of Dynamic Transportation Projects

Fast is the pace at which design-build, public-private partnership (P3), and other alternate-delivery transportation projects move. Consistency in leadership, processes, and deliverables are essential to keeping each unique project on schedule. This was the inspiration behind Terracon creating a new alternate delivery group. While no two alternate delivery projects are alike, our clients can expect a consistent and reliable experience from project to project, no matter where it’s located.

Meeting the Unique Demands of Alternate Delivery

Being a trusted partner requires meeting clients where they’re at. This mindset led to the creation of the alternate delivery group, so our services to transportation clients could evolve alongside changes in the industry. “We created the alternate delivery group out of our transportation and infrastructure sector to get laser-focused on consistency in the pursuit, execution, and delivery of transportation projects,” Chief Growth Officer Michael O’Grady said. “Today there is a tremendous number of transportation projects going into alternate delivery, whether it be design-build or P3. It takes a certain amount of expertise to understand how to manage those projects and deliver to our clients, so we felt we needed a group to focus strictly on that part of the transportation market.” Alternate delivery projects have their own rhythm. As the emphasis on timing and scheduling increases, so does the need for experienced professionals who can manage the challenges at hand, with the foresight to anticipate and plan for any potential future issues. “The alt-delivery structure allows us to narrow in on the needs of our clients as well as the risk associated with these projects. At the same time, we will manage those risks to effectively meet project needs and schedules,” O’Grady said. Alternate delivery projects will become more streamlined as their numbers continue to grow. The experienced professionals in Terracon’s alternate delivery group have the specialized skills and experience to partner with you every step of the way. Let’s get to work on your next project.

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Environmental Permitting Expertise Helps Bring Power to the People

terramedia — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 20:32:41 +0000

National resources and attention to detail deliver meticulously and fast

It began with a permitting matrix, a proposed solar farm in rural Georgia, and a client’s desire to have Terracon flesh out the local, state, and federal procedures for project development. From this request grew other due diligence services, including desktop constraints analyses (DCAs), Phase I environmental site assessments, wetland delineations, cultural resource surveys, threatened and endangered species evaluations, and geotechnical investigations. These services quickly became the client’s go-to package items for each new rollout (more than 75 project rollouts and 700 deliverables to date), and Terracon their trusted vendor whenever a new package was required.

Rising to Meet New Challenges

One day in 2015, the client presented Terracon with a development challenge: complex permitting requirements from multiple jurisdictions on two separate projects with the same investor timeline. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ) Renewable Permit By Rule (PBR) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Assessment (EA) documentation to comply with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utility Service funding. At the time, these two projects would be some of the very first to be permitted under the new PBR process, and the addition of EA requirements for USDA funding added another layer of complexity. The client trusted Terracon to assist them with these challenges. We were able to turn a difficult situation into a win for both Terracon and the client:

“We hired Terracon to manage and complete the environmental permitting. In spite of a change of (federal agency) personnel mid-project, they were able to provide a level of service and competency that allowed both the Federal process and the Virginia Permit by Rule process to be accomplished expeditiously and to completion. Terracon made their own deadlines and met them, interacting with Federal and Agency personnel to the great benefit of our company. The team helped us to problem solve particular issues that were unexpected but resolved properly, and were personable and professional at all times.” – Senior VP, Project Development with energy development company

A Trusted Partner From Coast to Coast

With these two successful projects wins, Terracon quickly became the client’s go-to firm for difficult and detail-oriented project situations. When the client entered into Ohio with the desire to permit under the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) requirements, Terracon was one of their first phone calls to help them navigate the process. Since then, Terracon has assisted this client on numerous other permitting applications for solar farms in Ohio and the client has partnered with Terracon on dozens of multi-faceted energy projects nationwide. Using a vast network of offices, resources, and service lines, Terracon consistently meets the needs of this energy client in all four corners of the country. From battery storage facilities in California to one of the largest solar projects east of the Mississippi River, Terracon has partnered on a variety of complex projects and conditions. Terracon can provide all aspects of environmental planning services (both natural and cultural resources) in-house through a robust practice resource group. Our planning professionals can help guide the client from initial planning stages through 404 permitting, to EPC site development, and all procedures in between. What began as a single permitting matrix in Georgia has now blossomed into a multimillion-dollar national account for a highly successful client who is dominating the energy sector.

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Environmental Services Are the Key to Tomorrow’s Solar Projects

terramedia — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 20:11:15 +0000

Solar projects continue to be hot. But much of the ideal land for solar development – flat, with few trees and limited environmental constraints – has already been selected. It wasn’t long ago avoiding environmental challenges on solar projects was as easy as simply looking elsewhere. Tomorrow’s solar projects will navigate a more delicate path for development involving wetland permitting, cultural resource services, habitat and biological assessments for threatened and endangered species impacts, and a number of state and federal compliance hurdles which can adversely impact the outcome of a project. Solar energy and environmental services share a common goal of protecting and preserving the world around us. Terracon’s national network of resources and locally based environmental professionals can partner with you to navigate environmental challenges on your next project.

Local knowledge keeps projects moving forward

The potential environmental challenges facing solar projects are as varied as the land on which they sit. The key to success is strong client and regulatory relationships to navigate a collaborative path to compliance. Terracon’s work on an ongoing project in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and Southwest Power Pool (SPP) region has required collaboration across a number of our offices and specialized expertise related to multiple Authority’s Having Jurisdiction (AHJs). This includes tribal, state, and federal interests with a variety of requirements that have the potential to adversely impact the outcome. In response to our client’s request, we developed a resource pool consisting of field archeologist, project managers, subject matter experts, and project executives to immediately devise an approach to meet a very aggressive schedule for development of these projects in 2023. This internal collaboration has proven to be critical based on the pressure on the field schedule. To meet the client’s timeline, we compiled field teams consisting of nearly 20 field technicians and archeologist from seven states and two operating groups that have completed pedestrian surveys over approximately 1,800 acres of land and nearly 18,000 shovel test pits. Much of the work was done through the cold Midwestern winter months and several extreme winter storms. In parallel with the field efforts, the Terracon teams have completed extensive literature and archival review as part of the preparation for Cultural Resource Reports that will be submitted to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and local state and tribal historic preservations offices for review with the intention of obtain a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) from the USDA. Through this collaborative effort Terracon has proven its ability to scale to the scope of work to complete the projects without affecting the client’s development schedule. In the eyes of our clients, environmental constraints can be seen as a significant roadblock to the progress of a project. However, by employing the right people and the right strategies, the path to success will be secured based on the partnership with a firm that values hard work, innovative approaches, and a desire to succeed as an essential part of their project team.

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P&H Wind Tower Foundations — Reducing Costs From the Ground Down

terramedia — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 18:48:24 +0000

P&H tensionless pier installation

Using wind power to generate energy isn’t a new concept. For hundreds of years, the classic windmill harnessed the wind’s energy. Today, modern wind farms use wind turbines to generate energy on a much larger scale. These massive structures require costly construction materials, land leases, and maintenance. Specifically, the wear and tear on traditional spread foot foundations need knowledgeable partners to manage repairs or, once the turbines have outlived their service life, need complete replacement. Although wind turbine generators, transmission lines, and land costs are generally fixed, tower foundations can be unpredictable, leading to unexpected expenditures. Selecting the best foundation strategy for a project can result in significant cost savings due to fewer repairs, as well as extending the life of the structure. Today, the next generation of wind turbine foundation solutions are stabilizing design and construction costs. These advanced foundation solutions help fill the gap following expiration of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and reduce the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). As the exclusive provider of the Patrick & Henderson (P&H) soil and rock anchor foundations and the most experienced designer of the P&H tensionless pier foundation, Terracon can bring value to your next wind project. There is a P&H solution for most every wind project, providing construction cost savings and performance risk reduction.

Fewer Materials Equal Fewer Costs

Wind power is capital intensive, with land-based, utility-scale wind projects running about $2 million per turbine installed. About 68 percent of the total cost is attributed to the turbine and 23 percent to the balance of plant, which includes the foundation. The foundation accounts for about 17 percent of the balance of plant. Through testing, research, and geostructural design experience and innovation, a more streamlined wind turbine foundation has been developed as a design alternative. The result is a foundation that is much smaller in diameter, faster to construct, and much less expensive. Not only does it require a fraction of the materials, but it reduces development, civil work, and O&M costs as well. All in all, these alternative foundation designs represent a savings of anywhere from $250,000 to $400,000 per foundation depending upon site conditions and turbine size. The P&H foundations use 70 percent less concrete and requires 80 percent less earthwork when excavating. Fewer materials equal less costs, approximately 50 percent less than typical spread foot foundations. P&H foundations are also more efficient to install. Traditional wind foundations can take two weeks for a typical spread foot foundation. However, the time has been minimized to as little as five days for P&H foundations. On a large project, under favorable conditions, contractors have experienced a production rate of as high as the completion of one P&H Tensionless Pier foundation per day. These foundation designs are optimized to incorporate the varying subsurface conditions, considering drainage, grading, and other possible bedrock and geological roadblocks.

Upgradable for the Future

The P&H foundations are not only deeper but have key elements which are post-tensioned, reducing the risk of wear, fatigue, and failure from overturning. The deeper design of P&H wind turbine foundation solutions also reduce the risk for seismic hazards and threats related to scour and erosion. The tensionless design of P&H wind turbine foundation virtually eliminates concrete fatigue since the concrete is always under compression. This enables it to potentially handle the loads of larger wind turbines in the future, an option that isn’t viable for spread foot foundations. Terracon’s P&H foundation systems offer wind turbine foundation design solutions that can extend design life while reducing costs. With more than 8,000 installed foundations globally, (including more than 6,000 installed foundations in the U.S.), representing more than 15,000 megawatts in production, Terracon stands ready to design the foundation. Terracon also provides geotechnical investigations and construction quality control, inspection, testing and observation, and controls risks through certified construction technicians and more than 140 testing laboratories nationwide. Through the implementation of the P&H foundation system, Terracon is ready to handle challenging soil construction and complex construction situations with strategic emphasis on protecting the ecosystem moving into the future. Want to learn more? Click HERE to watch our four-part webinar series on P&H wind foundations.

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What we know will help you

terracon — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 20:37:41 +0000

Innovation Reduces Subsurface Risk

Would you like to know how subsurface conditions will impact your construction cost and schedule—even before you select the location for a new retail site or an alignment for a transmission line, pipeline, or highway? There’s a new way to reduce the unknowns in your planning process, because what we already know will help you. To reduce risk associated with site selection and due diligence, Terracon has developed a new way to anticipate site conditions. This predictive analysis, known as Stage1 GeoReport® (Stage1), can be applied to small sites, large sites, or linear projects. Utilizing innovative processes for compiling and managing data, we are streamlining site selection and providing clients access to a conceptual geotechnical model before field exploration takes place.

DRAWING ON DATA AND EXPERTISE

Intrusive geotechnical exploration and testing of a site is required to design foundations, pavements, and retaining structures. This work usually takes weeks or months to complete. By the time the geotechnical exploration and testing is completed, many decisions have already been made about location and construction that would benefit from having the geotechnical data in advance. With technological advances in other industries creating an expectation that we should be able to find the information we need to know in seconds via internet-based, knowledge sharing services, the time needed to get even preliminary geotechnical information has become a painful experience. Until now. Tackling this challenge head-on, Terracon has created a powerful new tool that utilizes valuable data collected from more than 50 years of previous studies and the deep experience of our geotechnical practitioners across the country. We’ve meticulously documented the location and conditions encountered in nearly 300,000 projects nationwide and are adding more than 15,000 new projects annually to our database. Our Geographic Information Systems (GIS) database details information associated with each historical project location, allowing our practitioners to draw on a vast and readily-available database to supplement their understanding of local subsurface conditions. Digitizing the historical subsurface information creates a catalyst for our interactive, web-based GeoReport platform which combines the historical data collected by Terracon with data currently available in the public domain, and utilizes the opinion of a local, experienced Terracon geotechnical practitioner. Adding that essential local, personal experience, Terracon’s practitioners render a conceptual model of subsurface conditions, possible variability in those conditions, and a confidence level in the predictions. This is done incredibly fast. We deliver these opinions within days of your request, not weeks. It is easy to see how this combination of historical data, public domain resources, and local experience, delivered within one week, aids in the reduction of risks associated with unknown conditions on prospective project sites. The advantages go beyond risk reduction. With adequate confidence opinions, more precise project feasibility analyses are possible, and preliminary designs can proceed. A customized exploration and testing work plan can be dialed in to the known site conditions.

HOW STAGE1 BENEFITS YOU

Predicts expected subsurface conditions in days
Helps to make better and faster decisions regarding candidate sites and routes
Allows an understanding of subsurface risk prior to site purchase for a very low cost
Provides key information to lead site location studies
Serves as a basis for an efficient exploration and testing program
Gets construction design started earlier

THE COMPLETE RISK-REDUCING PACKAGE

Stage1 is Terracon’s way of maximizing the value of data in site selection and design. We have developed systems to make this an easy, first look for any project that needs to discover what is below the surface allowing for the elimination of non-invasive sites and routes. Though not all risk can be eliminated, and all sites should be explored to allow final designs, Stage1 clients are better informed and able to anticipate geotechnical conditions, construction challenges, and reduce the inherent risks in development, saving valuable time and money. Our clients move forward into the next steps of geotechnical exploration and engineering much quicker than ever before. Learn more about this innovative service at: terracon.com/services/geotechnical/stage1/

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Helping Heavy-Wear Pavements Last Longer

terracon — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 19:05:42 +0000

Imagine – how would you get to work, to school, or to anywhere without good roads? Without passable paved roads, driveways and parking , our lives would be immensely more complicated. Of all the infrastructure that gets used constantly, pavements are one of the most overlooked and, perhaps, the most neglected. Heavy traffic, heavy loads, water and weather changes, can lead to rutting and cracking, shortening the pavement’s potential lifetime. Recognizing the long-term impact of premature pavement failures, Love’s Travel Stops (Love’s) proactively partnered with Terracon to develop solutions to their pavement problems.

Maintaining Pavement Keeps Business Moving

As a major national truck stop operator in the U.S., Love’s business depends on good pavements. Hundreds of trucks drive through each truck stop daily, and each one can weigh between 80,000 – 130,000 lbs. All those slow-moving, turning and idling semi-trucks wear out truck stop pavements, fast. The impacts include more maintenance, frequent major repairs, and shortened overall pavement life. With more than 450 truck stop and convenience stores in 41 states, Love’s has a lot of pavement to maintain. Our approach begins from the “ground up” with a thorough geotechnical investigation to properly characterize the soil conditions at a potential site. Because we anticipate site soils will support heavily trafficked pavements, our recommendations incorporate soil improvement methods such as chemical amendment or geogrid reinforcement where necessary or economically beneficial. Materials are an important component to any pavement system, and with Love’s heavy traffic, they are critical. To provide Love’s with the solution, Terracon’s pavement experts investigated a variety of materials and methods. Recently, Terracon recommended the use of high-capacity polymer-modified asphalt concrete materials, supplemented with Kevlar fiber . Although commonly used by state departments of transportation, this kind of asphalt is unusual in truck stops. It was selected because it performs better over a wider temperature range than conventional asphalt, and doesn’t get brittle.

Quality Material Selection and Construction Essential

Construction is the final piece to the pavement puzzle, and one of the most important because even the materials won’t last as intended if not properly constructed. For example, asphalt should not be placed when the temperature is below 40° F. To prevent this issue and other problems, Terracon’s project managers and inspectors partner with Love’s and their team to observe, document and report on construction progress. Additionally, our teams sample and test to verify the correct pavement materials are used, and that construction quality meets the project specifications. And, when things don’t go as, our teams work together to find solutions. In the end, Terracon’s goal is to help Love’s manage their construction and Travel Stop operations in the most efficient and cost-effective manner by being responsive, resourceful and reliable.

Preventing pavement failure begins from the ground up:

Characterization of subsurface
Site-specific design
Site improvement when needed or cost effective
Innovative materials
Construction observation and testing

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