Month: April 2025

Tips for maneuvering 4th of July construction

Drive safe

Between the increased number of travelers and the numerous road construction projects underway this summer, the Fourth of July is one of the most dangerous times to be on the roads in Minnesota. This year, there will be 70 different construction projects happening over the holiday, several of which are occurring on major highways from I-35W to I-94.

As a Director of Safety and Risk Management at WSB, it’s my job to ensure that we’re doing everything we can to keep drivers, their passengers and road crews safe when moving through a zone where our surveyors and engineers are working, from signage and lights to proper barricading. But there’s plenty you can do too, to ensure the safety of your family and those around you as you hit the road for the holiday.

Follow these tips

Make sure your vehicle can go the distance.
Swimsuit? Check. Sunscreen? Double check. You may have nailed your packing list, but your vehicle needs just as much attention. Make sure your tire pressure and tread are up to par, and that your spare tire is looking good too. And don’t forget to keep a break-down/emergency kit handy as well! This includes a jack and tools for any flats or blow outs that may occur.

Plan ahead.
Knowing whether there is road construction on your route is important. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) posts all construction projects on its website, and most map applications should be up to date with the latest detours and lane closures.

Stay alert.
Don’t count on coffee to keep you vigilant while driving. You may be itching to get to your destination, but make sure you take regular breaks and get at least eight hours of sleep before hitting the road.

Adjust your speed.
Speed is the number one cause of accidents and fatalities in construction zones. Move over for parked emergency or maintenance vehicles, and slow down to 20-miles-per-hour when passing.

Practice defensive driving.
It may take a bit of a driver’s ed refresh, but defensive driving is key. Accidents in construction zones are often a result of drivers having little or no reaction time, leading to rear-end collisions. Avoid distractions, cell phones or passengers who are taking your attention from the roadway. Allow plenty of stopping distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you, a minimum of two car lengths.

Do NOT drive impaired.
It seems obvious but driving while under the influence is a leading cause of death in construction zones, second only to speed. If you choose to indulge on your holiday travels, be sure to have a designated driver.

As we all look forward to the fun this holiday will bring, keep these tips in mind. This simple list could be the difference between getting to the fun safely, and not getting there at all.

Jason Daugherty is the Director of Safety and Risk Management on our construction team with over 20 years of experience performing safety management in construction, pipeline, aviation, DOT, environmental, and incident and accident investigation. 

WSB announces vice president promotions

July 1, 2019

Environmental services, corporate development and technology divisions get new leadership

Minneapolis, Minn. – Local engineering firm WSB today announced the promotions of Brian Bourassa and John Mackiewicz to vice president positions in the environmental services, corporate development and technology divisions, respectively. In their new roles, Bourassa and Mackiewicz will be responsible for their divisions’ revenue targets and new business goals; growing markets and service areas; and improving the use of technology solutions – all while focusing on attracting and retaining talented staff.

“I am incredibly excited about the expanded roles and responsibilities that all three of these leaders are taking on at WSB,” said Bret Weiss, WSB president and CEO. “Andi, Brian and John have made impressive impacts to our firm’s success, and I am thrilled that they will continue to help drive our results as we grow our business.”

The promotions come on the heels of significant growth at WSB, as well as the expansion of the executive team with the creation of chief financial officer and chief operating officer positions. As the fourth-largest engineering firm in the Twin Cities, WSB has 12 offices in four states, with its newest office opening recently in Austin, Texas.

To view the resumes and headshots of the two new vice presidents, click on the links below:

• Brian Bourassa, Vice President of Corporate Development
• John Mackiewicz, Vice President of Technology

Downtown Afton Revitalization awarded 2019 Project of the Year

WSB was recently selected as a 2019 Small Cities/Rural Communities Projects of the Year recipient for the Downtown Afton Revitalization by the American Public Works Association’s (APWA). The revitalization project was featured in the Historical Restoration/Preservation award category. The award recognizes excellence in project management, administration, and coordination of public works projects. Winners are selected based on six project categories.

The APWA is a nonprofit organization that provides support to public works personnel through educational and networking opportunities. The Public Works Project of the Year winners will be recognized at the 2019 APWA Public Works Expo in September.

See the complete list of winners in this month’s issue of the APWA Reporter.

Newsletter | Issue 1 | 2019

Newsletter | Issue 1 | 2019

Municipal Engineering Resource Guide

Municipal Engineering Resource Guide

Brownfields: The land of opportunity, not blight

By Ryan Spencer, Senior Environmental Scientist

The term “brownfield” describes property that has the presence or potential presence of hazardous materials, pollution, or contamination. Generally, brownfields consist of current or former industrial, manufacturing, or recycling sites that are vacant and underutilized by the community. However, they can also include current/former gas stations or drycleaner sites located in residential neighborhoods. Brownfield sites are often an eyesore and contain dilapidated buildings, poorly kept grounds, and miscellaneous trash. Cities usually obtain ownership of brownfield sites through tax forfeiture which causes concern due to unknown environmental risks and pressure to redevelop. Rather than viewing a brownfield site as a liability, experienced cities and developers see them as an opportunity.

In recent years, brownfield redevelopment has become more common due to infill redevelopment and the shortage of developable land in urban areas. Through up-front work and investments, communities can take steps to ensure their brownfields are attractive to developers and ready for redevelopment. Additionally, there are numerous investigation and cleanup funding sources available along with additional avenues to obtain liability assurances, which help curb redevelopment costs and reduce contamination liability.

Do your due diligence
Performing environmental due diligence on a brownfield site uncovers potential environmental risks and contamination liabilities. Investing in the upfront due diligence is an important step in any successful redevelopment project. Typically, this is achieved by completing a Phase I Environmental Assessment (ESA), subsequent Phase II ESA (if warranted), and an Asbestos and Regulated Materials Survey on buildings (if present). The potential environmental risks are always scarier than actual risks. Once the environmental risk area is understood, the site is one step closer to redevelopment.

How do I fund this?
Investigation and cleanup funding are critical components of brownfield projects. If you don’t have the money, where do you start? There are many local, state, and federal funding sources available for brownfield projects in Minnesota. This is great, but can also be overwhelming. It’s important to understand the funding source application requirements, schedule, and scoring criteria. Funding is typically awarded in cycles (often biannually), resulting in vigorous competition among projects. The projects that best meet the funding source’s criteria will be awarded funding.

Upcoming funding opportunities
In Minnesota, two major investigation/cleanup funding sources include:

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Contamination Cleanup and Redevelopment Grants – Applications Due May 1 and November 1 each year.

These grants are available to both public and private redevelopment sites and can be used for environmental investigation and/or cleanup. Applications are eligible if known or suspected soil or groundwater contamination is present. Key scoring criterion include; creating and retaining jobs and affordable housing.

Additional information regarding DEED funding can be found at:  https://mn.gov/deed/government/financial-assistance/cleanup/contamination.jsp

Metropolitan Council Tax Base Revitalization Account (TBRA) – Applications Due November 1 each year.

TBRA provides $5 million annually to investigate and clean up brownfields for public and private redevelopment sites. The funding is limited to sites located within the 7-county Twin Cities metro region and key scoring criteria include; increasing tax base, preserving livable wage jobs, and producing affordable housing.

Additional information regarding TBRA funding can be found at:  https://metrocouncil.org/Communities/Services/Livable-Communities-Grants/Tax-Base-Revitalization-Account-(TBRA).aspx

Brownfields – a path to prosperity
A successful brownfield redevelopment can have a substantial impact on a community. It spurs economic momentum while showing commitment to continuous city improvements. Surly Brewing in Minneapolis was once a blighted underutilized property and is now a booming social attraction with rapid development occurring around it. Similarly, Kaposia Landing in South St. Paul – a popular waterfront park and recreation area – was once a landfill with little to no community value.

The next time you drive by a vacant underutilized property, think of what could be. Chances are, you are not the only one who has a vision of the site being repurposed, revitalized, and an asset to the community.

Ryan Spencer is a Sr. Environmental Scientist on WSB’s Environmental team. His expertise extends to Phase I & II Environmental Site Assessments, construction soil screening and documentation, contamination disposal and other hazardous material mitigation. He consults closely with both public organizations and private developers on their environmental needs.

How visualizations are changing the engineering industry

In a technology-driven society, we are challenged to adapt and prepare for the changing technologies of tomorrow. As a Visualization Studio Manager, helping clients see the big picture and visualize completed projects drives curiosity and reveals the potential impacts of our work. Creating visualizations plays a crucial role in helping communities and clients evolve. In the past few years, visualization capabilities have changed rapidly, allowing renderings to be completed in minutes. To stay on top of this cutting-edge technology, we must understand the software and carve out new markets from existing industries.

New developments in ray tracing

Up until last month, real-time and ray tracing couldn’t be used in the same sentence without a bank of 10 GPUs and 2500 watts of power. Ray tracing makes renderings dynamic and realistic and thanks to powerful GPUs, shortens the amount of time spent on each frame. This recent advance in technology allows clients and the public to see reflections, higher quality shadows and experience the creation for themselves. Today, we’re utilizing these technologies to create stunning visualizations for our clients. Once the projects have been modeled, iterations are produced in minutes, instead of days or weeks.

For some, classic visualization techniques and development are still the only way to produce the highest quality imagery when secondary shadows, complex caustics, and very high resolutions are required. In real-time, there is an abundance of data creating the visualizations of skyscrapers or roadways. In some cases, classic visualization allows an audience to see specific renderings that assist beyond the scope of just engineering. Ray tracing, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) allow us to visualize how things work from transportation and infrastructure to medical devices and demonstrative evidence.

Applying AR and VR

Immersive technologies, both AR and VR, allow clients to become part of their projects months or years in advance. Specifics such as material schedules, lighting, and species-specific landscaping create a three-dimensional rendered experience for people to become immersed in before it becomes a reality. From using VR to drive through a road design or using AR to see a properly placed medical device from any angle, visualizations reveal findings in a way anyone can understand. These technologies provide an unparalleled tool to investigate or market the feasibility and accuracy of a product or service.

What does a Municipal Engineer do?

Brandon Movall, Graduate Engineer, WSB

Creating a livable city space for residents to enjoy is no easy feat.

Civil engineers who dedicate their careers to supporting a specific city or municipality are known as municipal engineers. You may only know of one main city engineer in your community. However, there is likely a team of municipal engineers working behind the scenes to ensure all city operations are running smoothly.

Here are five things that municipal engineers do to support your community.

1. Design

One of the most noticeable things that municipal engineers do is design the public infrastructure in a community. Local streets are designed to get you around town. Public utilities are designed to provide drinking water and indoor restrooms to homes and businesses. Trails are designed for recreational enjoyment. Storm sewer systems are designed to properly manage storm water runoff and prevent flooding. All the above and more are designed by municipal engineers.

2. Review

Developers and residents rely on municipal engineers to review developments within their city. Large-scale developments, usually done by a developer for a residential, commercial or industrial area, take thorough reviewing by municipal engineers to ensure the development is compliant with city rules and regulations and adds value to the community. Similarly, residents with plans to modify their land seek approval from municipal engineers to ensure their design and modifications meet community standards and avoid potential issues for neighbors or future residents.

3. Plan

Municipal engineers are always looking to the future. They develop Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) to identify the most crucial needs of the city and plan for future projects. These plans typically project 5-10 years into the future. Additionally, municipal engineers work with city planners and regulatory agencies to establish comprehensive plans for the community. Most comprehensive city plans typically project 10-20 years into the future.

4. Budget

Managing a city’s infrastructure budget is an essential part of being a municipal engineer. Cities often operate on a limited budget so they must think carefully about where to allocate their spending. Likewise, municipal engineers assist cities with applying for state, regional, and federal funding.

5. Collaborate

Municipal engineers collaborate with invested stakeholders to improve their communities. Through public engagement and speaking with residents, city officials, regional and state agencies, they gather input and analyze the best course of action to create a viable city that works for everyone.

Brandon Movall is a Graduate Engineer on our municipal team with experience in project design and bringing creative solutions to community problems. Learn more about our civil engineering services and recent community projects.

Pipeline inspections: What communities should know

John Gerlach, Director of Pipeline Field Operations, WSB

Learn how inspections and monitoring can keep your utilities running smoothly and safely.

Whether filled with natural gas to fuel and heat homes and businesses or transporting liquid fuels from one location to another, most communities have miles of pipes embedded underground with other critical infrastructure. There’s a misconception that these lines are primarily located in remote areas. In reality, pipeline infrastructure can be found beneath our roadways and sidewalks or near homes, businesses, landmarks, parks and other natural resources. Pipeline infrastructure can range from large, high-pressure steel lines that serve cities and powerplants, to small plastic lines, used to transport gas from the street to your home or place or business. These complex networks require expertise to ensure the safety of people and the environment, as well as reliable access to the fuels we need to enjoy hot showers, drive to work and keep the lights on.

With increasing federal regulatory standards, now is the time to become more focused on pipeline integrity and safety. WSB offers inspections that help utilities and cities understand the condition of their infrastructure, reduce costly and inefficient repairs, improve safety and maintain the long-term integrity of these important pipelines.

Why hire a third-party inspector?

Pipeline inspectors can add value and security to any project near utility lines. Most commonly, inspectors are hired to oversee the contractors working on infrastructure projects such as roadway improvements or utility replacements. When these projects interfere with the natural gas system, pipeline inspectors who can recognize and mitigate potential risks are invaluable. 

Third-party experts can also be utilized to verify the results of other inspections, like performing audits that identify pipeline locations before a project is started. A second opinion can identify costly errors before the damage is done. In our experience, an audit of locate work finds mistakes roughly 30% of the time.  

A new regulatory environment

Investigations into high-profile pipeline releases over the past decade have prompted new regulatory recommendations and standards. Pipeline releases can have devasting consequences to people and the environment including fatalities, injuries, forced evacuation and damage to properties and natural resources. In many cases, regulators – like the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board – require independent, third-party inspections of pipelines and pipeline projects. 

Technology advantage

New technologies have made evaluating pipeline integrity more efficient. Rather than digging up pipelines under a densely populated area to check for deterioration, a device can be sent through the line that shows anomalies like corrosion and damage from past construction. Most pipes should be replaced every 15 to 20 years. Since pipeline replacement projects are typically planned in coordination with other infrastructure improvements, this type of check can help communities identify which projects should be prioritized first.  

WSB also offers real-time reporting on pipeline status through an ArcGIS platform. This technology can detect an increase in pressure or corrosion on the line and send notifications to technicians in the field.  

At first glance, hiring an outside expert to ensure compliance and verify accuracy can appear costly. In the end, pipeline inspectors can make your project run smoothly, reduce issues in the field and reduce the risk of releases, accidents and other safety hazards. Reach out to WSB’s utility and pipeline experts today to learn more.

John Gerlach is a Director of Pipeline Field Operations with more than 30 years of experience. His expertise extends to pipeline design, construction inspection and safety and risk management.

Fall 2018 Update from Bret Weiss

Fall is here which means the Minnesota golf season is ending and winter is on its way. I am not a winter sport guy, so this season gives me a chance to evaluate our year and start planning for 2019 and the new services and markets that we are going to pursue. This has been a challenging year on many levels. Choosing to grow, expand, and improve does not happen easily and yet it’s necessary to the sustainability of any organization.

We continue to mourn the loss of Vern Hedquist, a valued staff member who was killed earlier this fall on a job site. We know that this loss is much more difficult for his wife, Cindy, and his family. Finding solutions to design and manage projects while facing the reality of construction zone dangers with the increasing number of inattentive drivers is never far from our minds. We have been buoyed by the kind support from you and all our friends in the industry. Thank you for showing how much you care. My coach Lou Holtz always said, “People want to know that you care.” That care came through in a very strong way. One of the things that we know all too well is that life doesn’t stop for anyone.

In October we celebrated our 23rd anniversary and have accomplished a lot this year thanks to our clients. It is so helpful to have clients that are willing to partner with us to find new ways to deliver solutions. We have a strong entrepreneurial culture which fuels our passion for innovation and curiosity. We have developed new software applications that are being used by real estate and alternative energy developers throughout the country. Our pipeline group now reaches across the country and continues to grow and develop. We hope it’s clear that we never shy away from trying something new and we don’t back down from a challenge. Please continue to challenge us.

We recently rebranded. We know that changing a logo or mark doesn’t inherently change a company. In our case, we were searching to align who we are as a company with our mark and messaging. We are a bold company with a vision to find ways to improve our industry. This is expressed with passion and energy and for the sake of our staff, we needed a change. Who we are has not changed, but how we express it has. We will continue to improve our processes, quality, and solutions as we move into 2019.

I want to share one final quote that I love, and typifies our staff at WSB. “It is not simply the brightest who have the best ideas; it is those who are the best at harvesting them from others. It is not only the most determined who drive change; it is those who most fully engage with like-minded people. And it is not wealth or prestige that best motivates people; It is respect and help from your peers.” – Alex “Sandy” Pentland, Director of MIT’s Human Dynamics Laboratory

Thanks for continuing to inspire us every day.

Bret Weiss, President/CEO