ENR Texas and Louisiana Top Design Firms 2018
For the sixth consecutive year, KSA was ranked among Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) Top Design Firms in Texas and Louisiana. ENR Texas & Louisiana is a regional subset of ENR Magazine. Out of 107 firms located in Texas and Louisiana, KSA was ranked 61st based on annual revenue. ENR is a weekly publication geared to the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. With an audience comprised of contractors, project owners, engineers, architects, government regulators, and industry suppliers, ENR’s purpose is to provide news, analysis, and commentary that will benefit the industry overall.
Every April, ENR publishes 16 top lists which include Top Design Firms, Top Contractors, Top Environmental Firms, Top Green Design Firms, and several others. ENR is a respected industry publication with over 47,812 paid subscribers and more than 196,000 unique website visitors a month. KSA considers it an honor to, once again, be included in ENR’s Top Design Firms in Texas and Louisiana ranking. Being listed among some of the best in the region fuels our drive to continue to work every day to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve.
NEW FACES
The past year has also brought an influx of talented new hires to KSA. To highlight a few: Peter J. Van Pelt, AAE, joined our Aviation Services Group as National Aviation Director. Peter has managed seven airports in his 21-year management career from the largest of the large, to the smallest of the small. Peter’s primary focus is expanding KSA's Aviation services within and beyond our established service area. His areas of expertise include airport planning, airport development, operations and management, strategic planning, public outreach and regulatory compliance.
Another new face on our KSA team is Clay Livingston, P.E., PMP, who is part of our Municipal Services Group in Austin, Texas. Clay is registered as a Professional Engineer in the State of Texas, as well as a licensed Site Evaluator for On-Site Sewage Facilities (OSSFs) through the TCEQ. Clay is also certified as a Project Management Professional through the Project Management Institute (PMI). With 11 years of experience in his professional career, Clay brings an immense background of engineering, development consulting, site development, and public infrastructure and utilities experience. Clay has provided services on drainage, roadway, pavement, storm water, and wastewater projects of all sizes. Clay’s contacts will strengthen KSA’s client base and expand into new areas.
Craig Clairmont, P.E. also joined KSA’s Aviation Services group as a Regional Manager and Senior Project Manager working from our Sugar Land, Texas office. Craig has over 27 years of experience in his professional career. Craig brings a broad background of experience across most aspects of aviation and airport design, including airside and landside projects, planning, environmental, facilities and grant management assistance. Craig has provided professional services on over a hundred projects at airports of all sizes, from municipal general aviation to large commercial service hubs. Craig has had the privilege of working in four different FAA regions and 6 different states, all of which affords him a unique breadth of experience and perspective. His contacts with local, state and federal agencies will help KSA strengthen its existing base and help expand into strategic new areas.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
KSA just wrapped up the Chennault International Airport Runway Rehabilitation Project in Lake Charles, Louisiana as part of a multi-year contract. KSA was engaged to conduct a study that would determine the load-bearing capacity of Runway 15-33 and its connecting taxiways. KSA provided maintenance and rehabilitation recommendations for a 20-year period and obtained federal funding for construction.
To simulate and determine in-situ soil conditions, KSA teamed with consultants to perform non-destructive and heavy weight deflection testing. The project was funded by federal Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LaDOTD) Aviation grant monies. In compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations for airports completing projects with AIP grants, KSA determined the airport’s load-bearing capacity and assigned it pavement classification number (PCN) values, which help to justify future pavement projects and discover problem areas that need to be addressed in the airport’s capital improvement program.
Based on projected aircraft operations and the calculated PCN, KSA devised a plan to address the pavement deficiencies observed. The project included replacing the existing joint sealant material and removing and replacing distressed, isolated concrete panels. This will eliminate existing voids in the pavement and further protect the underlying subgrade. Full depth panel replacements, also recommended, will eliminate a key source of foreign object debris (FOD) on the runway. The project also includes a full reconstruction of a portion of the runway, consisting a 17-inch portland cement concrete surface.
KSA coordinated seamlessly with the FAA and LaDOTD Aviation to negotiate adequate funding and a reasonable construction schedule. Construction will began in the spring of 2018. To facilitate constructability, the project team again coordinated with the FAA and LaDOTD to transform the parallel taxiway into a temporary runway during construction. This will give the contractor free reign of the primary runway, which should shorten the overall construction time. The primary runway will only be closed for 120 working days. KSA allowed the contractor to salvage reusable concrete at the project site, which saved the airport money on the construction bid.
SERVICES PROVIDED
Civil Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Planning
Construction Administration
KSA CONTACT
Craig Phipps, P.E., Principal-in-Charge
Jonathan Farmer, P.E., Project Manager
Ricky Hall, Resident Project Representative
OWNER
Chennault International Airport
OWNER REFERENCE
W. Kevin Melton, Executive Director
337.491.9961
DESIGN
Start: December 2015
End: May 2016
