Mining: A Bright OppOrtunitY - Parsons Brinckerhoff

SEPTEMBER 2011 

PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF 

Mining: 

A Bright 

OpportunitY

Letter 

from the 

CEO 

Inside 

Page 

14 

© 2011 DAVID SAILORS 

The urbanization and industrialization of developing nations, including China and India, is driving the 

demand for mineral resources around the globe. Transformed, these minerals provide the necessary 

building blocks (steel, electronics, power, etc.) for the development of these nations for current and future 

generations. To aid in that development, Parsons Brinckerhoff is expanding our services in the mining 

industry to support the efficient, safe, and sustainable extraction of mineral resources around the world. 

Parsons Brinckerhoff has been active in mining for four decades, particularly in eastern and southern 

Australia. Recently, the firm has sought to leverage this capability by creating a global business focused 

on the mineral resources sector. This business operates across all commodities including coal, iron ore, 

and base and precious metals—and has expanded its geographical footprint to Western Australia, Africa, 

South America, and Asia. 

We offer a broad range of services in support of mining projects from concept studies through to 

construction and operational support. Through our long history in infrastructure development, we 

are able to provide “pit to port” solutions that include the full range of services required to develop, 

operate, and maintain a sustainable mining project. 

The firm’s aspirations in the mining sector will build on the success of recent projects such as the 

Mangoola Coal Project in New South Wales and the Jacinth-Ambrosia Mineral Sands Mine in South 

Australia. For Mangoola, Parsons Brinckerhoff was part of an alliance with Xstrata Coal that successfully 

delivered the project, including rail, road, and industrial facilities. For Jacinth-Ambrosia, the firm was 

part of a delivery alliance with Iluka for the development of the mine processing plant as well as 

the associated infrastructure for the project—including roads, a desalination plant, an airstrip, a 

remote water source, and a construction and mining village. Jacinth-Ambrosia was also developed 

in a sensitive environmental area with the continuous engagement and cooperation of the local 

Indigenous communities. 

We envision mining as a major market for Parsons Brinckerhoff. Our strategy for growth in this sector 

includes organic expansion of our core capabilities, acquisition of companies with specialized mining 

expertise, and leveraging the broad range of capabilities within Parsons Brinckerhoff and Balfour Beatty. 

With a commitment to enhance communities for current and future generations as our goal, Parsons 

Brinckerhoff is expanding its mining business to support our clients in the efficient, safe, and sustainable 

extraction of mineral resources. 

George J. Pierson 

President and Chief Executive Officer 

Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. 

Page 4 

Page 10 

2 

Mark Dimmock on 

Mining Opportunities 

The Managing Director of Global 

Mining discusses his mission. 

4 

Unearthing Zircon in 

Remote South Australia 

The Jacinth-Ambrosia mine 

illustrates strong client-consultant 

cooperation. 

10 

More Opportunities in 

Coal Mining Country 

Hunter Valley, in New South 

Wales, is the scene of new 

and expanding mines. 

13 

Shining Brightly in 

The Philippines 

With a wealth of copper in 

Mindanao, Philippines, Parsons 

Brinckerhoff studied the 

feasibility of obtaining it. 

14 

A Boom in Iron Ore 

Working in Western Australia’s 

Pilbara region, the firm’s mining 

experts help clients meet growing 

demand for the metal. 

16 

Notes on Projects 

20 

Notes on the Firm 

ON THE COVER: 

The mineral sands processing 

plant at the Jacinth-Ambrosia 

Mineral Sands Mine in South 

Australia. 

Parsons Brinckerhoff, founded in 1885, 

is recognized as a leader in strategic 

consulting, planning, engineering, program 

management, construction management, 

and operations and maintenance for all 

types of infrastructure. The firm has 

approximately 14,000 people worldwide 

in more than 150 offices on six continents. 

Parsons Brinckerhoff is part of Balfour 

Beatty plc, the international infrastructure 

Group operating in professional services, 

construction services, support services, and 

infrastructure investments. 

Editorial Board 

George J. Pierson 

Nick Flew 

Chuck Kohler 

David McAlister 

Pat Schaffner 

Judy Cooper 

Executive Editor 

Tom Malcolm 

Editor 

Muriel Adams 

Contributors 

Muriel Adams 

Leon Erlanger 

Charlotte Forbes 

Terry Kuflik 

Tom Malcolm 

Jerry Mannarino 

Graphics Services Manager 

Richard Mangini 

Graphic Design 

Jamie Dugan 

Director of Corporate 

Communications 

Judy Cooper 

Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. 

One Penn Plaza 

New York, NY 10119 

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NOTES is published three times a year by 

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affiliates, and friends of Parsons Brinckerhoff. 

Please contact the Executive Editor in the New 

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© 2011 Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. 

All rights reserved. 

Notes • 1

Mark Dimmock on Mining Opportunities 

Mark Dimmock, Managing Director of Global Mining, is taking the firm’s expertise 

in infrastructure for mining operations worldwide. Sydney-based Mark has been 

with Parsons Brinckerhoff for 21 years, and was named to his current position 

at the end of last year. He discussed his mission with NOTES. 

What is your vision for the mining 

business for Parsons Brinckerhoff? 

Our vision is to be a leading 

provider of EPCM [engineeringprocurement-construction 

management] services to the 

resources sector, leveraging Balfour 

Beatty companies in delivery of 

the infrastructure, participating 

along the development spectrum 

from concept through delivery. The 

objective of the business is a turnover 

of $1 billion dollars annually 

by 2015. 

How will you achieve your goals? 

Our growth strategy is in three 

parts. The first is to continue our 

organic growth. The second 

is to complement our 

current capabilities by 

adding mine planning capability 

and process engineering—by 

acquisition. And the third is 

to leverage the Balfour Beatty 

companies, in particular Balfour 

Beatty’s construction capabilities 

in rail and utilities, with 

Parsons Brinckerhoff ’s existing 

engineering, environmental, and 

water capabilities. The mining 

business provides a single point 

for delivery of the breadth of 

services available from all Balfour 

Beatty groups to mining clients. 

Balfour Beatty brings construction 

and construction management 

capability and Parsons 

Brinckerhoff brings project 

management and engineering 

capability. 

How large is the mining market? 

The mining market is clearly a 

huge market and expenditure in 

2010 was about $150 billion. In 

professional services alone it 

was about $8.4 billion. The market 

continues to grow, driven by the 

growth of China and India, and 

that growth curve will continue. It 

is absolutely a huge opportunity. 

Clearly there is a lot of room for 

Parsons Brinckerhoff to grow into 

that market especially in EPCM. 

How will Parsons Brinckerhoff 

approach this work? 

We employ study managers 

to assess a project as early 

as possible—and to stay 

with that project through the 

whole development cycle. 

Study managers will employ 

the capabilities of Parsons 

Brinckerhoff—particularly 

engineering, environmental 

planning, and water capability— 

and carry that through to deliver 

projects for clients. 

Have there been any standout 

projects? 

We couldn’t have asked for a 

better reference project and 

better platform than the Jacinth- 

Ambrosia Mineral Sands Mine. 

It typifies the way in which we 

want to deliver projects. It was 

collaborative with the client, 

collaborative within all parts of 

Parsons Brinckerhoff, and that is 

the way we want to do business 

with our clients—in a very open 

manner. I really appreciate the 

work the team did to deliver 

that project. It was a fabulous 

outcome. 

What are some other key 

projects? 

There are a few other projects that 

exemplify the way that the global 

mining business works. Mangoola, 

which we recently completed for 

Xstrata Coal in Hunter Valley, 

New South Wales, was delivered 

ahead of schedule and ahead of 

budget by an integrated team 

with the client. Our team did a 

great job delivering it and it also 

exemplifies the way in which 

we want to do business, in a 

collaborative open-book type of 

way where we build relationships 

with our clients for the long term. 

A project we are currently in 

the process of delivering is the 

Bengalla mine for Rio Tinto 

in Hunter Valley. It’s being 

delivered using a similar kind 

of model. There is focus on a 

collaborative working environment 

and it is well-organized, has 

a strong safety culture driven 

by Bruce Mitchell, our Project 

Manager, and has all the 

hallmarks of success. 

Another project we have 

completed in Hunter Valley was 

actually a combined project—the 

Glendell-Liddell project. It was 

completed in 2010 and again, 

the reference there is that we 

continued on to do the Mangoola 

project for Xstrata. 

Geographically, where are the 

opportunities? 

The business for us now is in 

Australia, especially Western 

Australia. But we are following 

our clients to the locations they 

operate in all around the world. 

There are a couple of coal projects 

that we’ve undertaken in southern 

Africa. In Mozambique we 

completed a feasibility study for 

Talbot Resources. In South Africa 

we worked with Xstrata as part of 

an integrated team doing EPCM. 

In Botswana we completed a 

feasibility study. We are looking 

at Indonesia and we have a small 

start-up there. And we are working 

with Balfour Beatty to develop 

the mining business in South 

America. 

What is the short-term outlook 

for the mining business at 

Parsons Brinckerhoff? 

We are working at a very fast pace 

and we are going to grow more in 

the next 12 months as we seek to 

gain market share. Our objectives 

are ambitious, they’re bold. We 

are absolutely determined to make 

them. At the same time we are 

committed to delivering projects 

in a safe manner, in a professional 

manner, and delivering excellent 

outcomes for our clients whilst 

we build relationships for the 

future. n 

2 • Notes 

Notes • 3

Unearthing Zircon in Remote South Australia 

Parsons Brinckerhoff supports a world-class mining project 

Zircon … It is a mineral with high 

temperature resistance used to whiten 

products from toothpaste to ceramic 

tile. With world reserves dwindling and 

demand skyrocketing, particularly in 

developing countries, Australian mining 

giant Iluka Resources looked to remote 

South Australia for additional supply. 

There, Iluka found the world’s richest 

zircon deposit with the potential to 

supply 25 percent of the global market. 

Rushing to capitalize on global demand, 

Iluka built the AU $420 million Jacinth- 

Ambrosia Mineral Sands Mine in just five 

years from discovery to commissioning. 

Opened in February 2010, the mine is 

exceeding anticipated production rate in 

a booming market. 

The story of the Jacinth-Ambrosia 

mine is one of strong client-consultant 

cooperation, in which global mining 

giant Iluka and Parsons Brinckerhoff 

collaborated on a complex project in a 

remote and environmentally sensitive 

desert area where temperatures regularly 

hit 40 degrees C (104 degrees F), 

completing the mine several weeks ahead 

of time—and below budget. It’s also the 

story of a planned disappearing act, as the 

alliance of Iluka and Parsons Brinckerhoff 

designed and built the mine to operate 

for an 11-year period, after which the area 

would be returned to its natural state, with 

hardly a trace of mining 

activity left. 

The Allied Mission 

While alliancing 

may be common in 

urban infrastructure 

projects, it is relatively 

rare in mining. But 

Parsons Brinckerhoff’s 

Project Manager Scot 

Coleman credits the 

Jacinth-Ambrosia 

mine’s various successes to the firm’s 

alliance arrangement with Iluka, 

which covered all project phases from 

feasibility through government approvals 

and commissioning. “To Iluka, the 

mine represented more than just a 

project,” says Coleman. “It represented 

a significant portion of the company’s 

future revenue. So the project had to 

be expertly delivered with high levels 

of operational efficiency. It was really 

the integration and co-location of 

personnel that facilitated a 

team culture dedicated to 

establishing a business, not 

just a project, with a sense 

of urgency championed 

by Iluka that made a real 

difference.” Coleman cites 

easy access to Iluka’s General 

Manager Hans Umlauff and 

Operations Manager Andrew 

Whatham as a valuable 

advantage. “Decisions could 

be made quickly, and 

feedback provided as to 

what would and wouldn’t 

work operationally,” he says. 

“Everyone was very focused 

on clear targets.” 

License to Operate 

Early on, the alliance focused on 

obtaining a “social license to operate,” 

given the mine’s location within 

the Yellabinna Regional Reserve, its 

proximity to Indigenous communities, 

and its economic importance to the 

region. “We coined the term to reflect 

Iluka’s insistence that the alliance 

team act like a guest in the region. 

Engagement with local stakeholders to 

gain community trust was important 

The Jacinth-Ambrosia alliance had to build all 

infrastructure for the site including its own airstrip. 

Craig Ryan, Principal Metallurgist for Iluka, and David Cruickshanks-Boyd, Regional Director for Parsons Brinckerhoff 

South Australia, in May 2009, when the first cutting of the mine took place. 

initially and maintained throughout the 

project,” says Coleman. 

In addition to ongoing presentations 

to local councils, community groups, 

and park rangers, the alliance patronized 

local businesses from cafes to car rentals, 

sponsored local sporting activities, and 

even brought a haul truck to a school, 

explaining the importance of safety 

around these large vehicles. Coleman 

calls the rapport with the community 

“excellent and unusual,” adding that it 

was a linchpin of Iluka’s ability to do 

business in the region. “Constructing a 

mine in a regional reserve was a major 

achievement,” Coleman says. “And 

this was the first mine to be granted a 

license to operate in a protected area 

under South Australia’s Natural Parks 

and Wildlife Act. The State government 

recognizes it as a benchmark for future 

developments.” 

Iluka’s Samantha Doudle, 

Rehabilitation Specialist, collects 

seeds to use in rehabilitating the 

Jacinth-Ambrosia site after its 11-year 

use as a mine. The new desert shrubs 

will be grown in nurseries. 

Building … and Unbuilding 

Before Iluka, the Jacinth-Ambrosia 

Mineral Sands Mine site was a tabula 

rasa. “We had nothing to start with— 

no infrastructure at all. So we had to 

do everything from scratch,” he says. 

“It was desert, 200 kilometers [124 

miles] from anywhere,” he says, noting 

that potable water was non-existent. 

“The only available water was too 

saline for human consumption, so we 

built a desalination plant. But until 

it was up and running, freshwater 

had to be trucked in several times a 

week.” In addition to water supply 

facilities, the alliance designed and 

built a water treatment plant; a power 

station and 33kV overhead line; a 

90-kilometer (56-mile) access road; 

a 120-person village with provision 

for an additional 200 people during 

construction; a satellite phone system 

and microwave links; and an airstrip—all 

with great attention to sustainability and 

harmony with the environment. The 

nearby port of Thevenard was upgraded 

to enable the shipment of heavy mineral 

concentrate to Western Australia. 

In developing the infrastructure, the 

alliance mantra was “fit for purpose.” 

“That was how we maximized value 

and ensured the budget was properly 

managed,” says Coleman, noting that 

the mantra applied right down to 

the smallest details. For example, 

the alliance retained native 

vegetation around the housing 

4 • Notes 

Scot Coleman 

Housing was constructed for more than 300 people who would build and operate 

the mine. 

Notes • 5

A Unique Purpose-Built 

Mining Machine 

Most mining unit plants consist of several 

components—the dozer trap/receiver, the 

vibrating screen, and the trommel/slurry 

pump, all of which operate separately and 

have to be dragged from one location to 

another along the length of the mine. To 

maximize productivity, the Iluka Parsons 

Brinckerhoff Alliance pioneered an innovative 

approach at the Jacinth-Ambrosia Mineral 

Sands Mine. All three components were 

combined on a single chassis with its own 

power and steering. With self-propulsion, 

the unit could be relocated in hours instead 

of days, requiring less energy while still 

exceeding the expected processing capacity. 

However, as with all first-of-a-kind 

machinery, there were design and fabrication 

complications. While the contractor chosen 

was highly experienced in traditional mining 

units, that expertise did not extend to the 

electrical controls that would allow selfpropulsion. 

The alliance team came forward 

with the right technical and managerial 

resources to get the job done. Pre-assembly 

planning and testing was conducted off site 

so that when the equipment arrived on site 

it was “shovel ready.” The 1,000-ton unit was 

erected in 14 days with minimal hitches. “This 

unique structure was engineered specifically 

to meet the requirements of the mine, and 

it has set a new benchmark for the mineral 

sands industry,” says Parsons Brinckerhoff 

Project Manager Scot Coleman. 

units, which cost more, but reduced dust—a key consideration 

in an already dusty environment where the slightest breeze 

could kick up a fine powder that would drastically reduce 

visibility. Also, many of the roads and services were designed 

just for the limited 11-year mine life, with the focus on easy site 

rehabilitation rather than long-term maintainability. “In building 

the roads, only the uppermost layer of topsoil was removed, 

and is being maintained in piles, so that when we cap the 

mine, the topsoil can be put back,” says Coleman. “There 

will be little evidence that we were even there.” The alliance 

enlisted the expertise of Indigenous residents in starting a 

nursery of native plants to eventually re-vegetate the entire site. 

Ahead of Schedule 

“For Iluka, delivering the project on or before schedule meant 

that the ore mined at Jacinth-Ambrosia could be processed at 

the company’s Western Australia plant, and the resultant zircon 

sold on the open market as soon as possible to offset the 

upfront capital outlay,” says Coleman. “So we strived to beat, 

not just meet, the schedule. We were always reaching for the 

‘stretch’ target, rather than the base target dates.” 

Rigorously managing critical path activities was crucial. Case 

in point: the wet concentrator plant, which was scheduled to 

be relocated from Iluka’s U.S. site to dovetail with finalization of 

construction permits. But when it became apparent that there 

Construction of the Jacinth-Ambrosia process plant, where ore pumped from the mining 

unit plant is screened, washed, and processed to remove clay and sand to produce heavy 

mineral concentrate for shipping. 

Mobile mining unit in operation in the mine. Bulldozers push ore into the dozer trap for 

initial screening in the trommel, and then the ore is pumped as slurry through the white 

pipes to the process plant. 

were delays in designing and finding 

parts for the mining unit plant, staff 

switched gears—the Deputy Project 

Manager Gary Neave and Contract 

Administrator Gerry Schmied changed 

focus to concentrate on that unit’s 

delivery, providing extra mechanical/ 

electrical support to the contractor, 

packaging work to multiple fabricators, 

Iluka is looking for additional 

mineral sands deposits in the 

vicinity of the Jacinth-Ambrosia 

site, hoping to discover deposits 

that can be processed there 

rather than having to build 

a new mine. 

and planning and scheduling of 

transport and erection of 

the unit. (See sidebar.) 

“You obviously can’t start 

processing ore without 

first mining it. So 

the mining unit 

plant became the 

critical path 

activity,” says Coleman. “Ultimately, the 

focus on the changing critical path was 

what enabled us to achieve ahead-ofschedule 

completion.” 

Scrutinizing Cost 

With the original project cost estimate 

of more than AU $500 million 

unacceptable to Iluka, the alliance value 

engineered the proposal, managing 

to reduce the capital cost to a more 

palatable AU $420 million, attributable 

mainly to matching the plant to achieve 

a design throughput in accordance with 

Iluka’s requirements. 

“‘Have we overdesigned this? Did 

we design it for 20 years when we 

only need 10? Is there a better way 

of building it? These were the kinds 

of questions that we asked of every 

item initially, especially during the 

bid process, and continued to ask 

throughout,” says Coleman. 

Another key to keeping costs 

down was the alliance’s focus 

on relatively small manageable 

6 • Notes 

Notes • 7

A pump station circulates water through the process plant, with the result that all process water is recycled. 

A transfer tower, part of the ship loading facility at the port of Thevenard, 270 kilometers 

(168 miles) from the mine by road. 

construction packages. “Rather 

than avoid risk by hiring 

large construction companies, 

we deliberately used midtier 

contractors and actively 

managed the increase in risk,” 

says Coleman. “It may have 

required more attention on our 

part overseeing the contractors 

in terms of safety, environmental 

regulations, and expediting, 

but because the packages 

represented a significant portion 

of these contractors’ work, we 

had more immediate access to 

their key decision makers.” 

We’re All in it Together 

Coleman recalls when a 

manufacturing defect was 

detected in a major piece of 

installed equipment during 

commissioning. The team and 

The first heavy mineral concentrate to be transferred from the Port Thevenard stockpile to ship for final processing at Iluka’s 

plant in Western Australia. 

its contractors pooled resources, 

and a replacement part was 

designed, manufactured, freighted 

to the site, installed, and ready for 

commissioning within two weeks. 

“There may have been more than 

a few late nights,” says Coleman. 

“But the emphasis was always 

on fixing the problem, rather 

than laying blame. This ‘we all 

win or we all lose’ philosophy 

was constant throughout the 

project—and that’s what drove 

the outstanding results.” 

Indeed, the project won a Gold 

Award in the project management 

category in Consult Australia’s 

2010 Awards for Excellence, 

a Program Management 

Excellence Award at the 2010 

South Australian Engineering 

Excellence Awards, and the 

Project Management Achievement 

Award for South Australia from 

the Australian Institute of Project 

Management. It was also Parsons 

Brinckerhoff’s 2009 Project of 

the Year. n 

Recession-Proofing the Local Economy 

The Jacinth-Ambrosia Mineral Sands Mine is located by 

road 270 kilometers (168 miles) northwest of Ceduna, in 

remote South Australia. Yet a top priority for the alliance 

was supporting the local Ceduna economy. The team 

focused on using local services and employing Indigenous 

and non-Indigenous residents both directly and through 

contractors. Some 300 people were employed during 

construction, with the Indigenous workforce exceeding the 

employment target of 20 percent—an impressive outcome 

recognized by South Australia Members of Parliament, 

municipal councils, and the community. Ceduna Mayor 

Allan Suter commented that, to some extent, the local 

economy had been “recession-proofed” by the economic 

activity stemming from the development of the mine. 

8 • Notes Notes • 9

More Opportunities in Coal Mining Country 

In the south and east of Australia there is coal to unearth 

Hunter Valley, in New South Wales, 

is an area rich in coal mines. There is 

still more coal to be mined and, with 

demand high, additional coal mines 

are being developed, several with the 

expertise of Parsons Brinckerhoff. 

Eric Rattray 

History in Hunter Valley 

Parsons Brinckerhoff has been working 

on mining projects in Hunter Valley for 

more than 40 years. The firm recently 

expanded its Newcastle office to meet 

the continued growth of project work 

in the heart of coal mining country and 

now employs more than 160 engineers 

and scientists in Hunter Valley. “Our 

increasing involvement in the design 

and delivery of infrastructure projects 

in this area means company growth 

is projected to continue,” says Glenn 

Thornton, General Manager for the 

Hunter Valley region. 

Xstrata Coal Co., a major 

global diversified mining group, 

is an important client for Parsons 

Brinckerhoff. The firm has worked on 

open-cut projects for Xstrata in Hunter 

Valley, among them the Glendell, 

Liddell, and Mangoola mines— 

performing such activities as feasibility 

Xstrata Coal engaged Parsons Brinckerhoff to support its expansion of the open-cut 

Liddell mine in Hunter Valley. 

studies and environmental impact 

assessment, engineering, procurement, 

and construction management. 

Liddell and Glendell 

In 2007, Parsons Brinckerhoff was 

engaged to support Xstrata Coal with 

the expansion of its coal mining 

operations in Hunter Valley. Parsons 

Brinckerhoff provided engineering, 

procurement, construction management, 

and detailed design services for the 

expansion of Xstrata’s existing open-cut 

Liddell mine and the establishment of 

the new Glendell mine 20 kilometers 

(12 miles) away. This involved moving 

the Liddell mine infrastructure area 

(MIA) south 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) 

and establishing a new MIA area. 

Parsons Brinckerhoff’s analysis 

indicated that the two sites had 

similar requirements. “Efficiencies 

were achieved by ensuring 

consistent and simultaneous design 

Parsons Brinckerhoff was part of an alliance with Xstrata coal to manage design and on-site construction supervision of Mangoola, 

a new mine, which achieved operational completion in April 2011. 

and delivery of work at both sites,” 

says Eric Rattray, Project Manager for 

these two mines and Development 

Manager for the coal mining 

operation in the region. He adds 

that environmental initiatives were 

key. Water was recycled where 

possible and energy use reduced 

through passive building design 

features and energy-efficient 

devices. 

Work at both sites involved 

clearing and earthworks; access 

road and intersection works; 

a new office, administration 

and bathhouse compound for 

240 employees; new and relocated 

fuel and lube facilities; a new 

high-voltage power supply; a 

three-bay heavy vehicle workshop; 

tire change pads; heavy and light 

vehicle wash bays; raw water 

supply pipeline; fire protection; 

and wastewater treatment and 

recycling to the process-water dam. 

Final works for Liddell were 

completed under budget and on time 

in April 2008. Works for Glendell 

were completed and the entire site 

handed over under budget and on 

time in December 2010. 

Mangoola 

The Mangoola coal mine in the 

upper Hunter Valley achieved 

operational completion on April 

20, 2011, two years after Parsons 

Brinckerhoff began preliminary 

work on the project for Xstrata 

Coal New South Wales. 

“Parsons Brinckerhoff was 

engaged in an alliance with Xstrata 

Coal, where we managed the design 

and on-site construction supervision 

of the early works and the major 

project works,” says Project Manager 

Malcolm McPhan. These consisted 

of 7 kilometers (4 miles) of 

provincial road upgrade, mine 

access road; and initial preparation 

of the site. It also included 

engineering, design, procurement, 

and on-site construction management 

of all the bulk earthworks and haul 

roads, MIA consisting of a five-bay 

workshop, fuel and lube facility, 

heavy vehicle and light vehicle 

wash bays, sewage and water 

treatment plants, as well as an 

administration and stores building 

complete with bathhouse, and the 

mine bulk water system supplied 

from the Hunter River. 

Parsons Brinckerhoff was also 

responsible for procurement and 

construction management for the 

raw water and pit water dams and 

the rail loop and signaling contracts. 

Additionally, the firm was charged 

with managing the master schedule, 

total project budget, and all major 

project interfaces. “All works were 

executed well ahead of time and 

well below the forecast cost 

at completion with zero losttime 

incidents,” reports McPhan. 

Development consent 

was granted in 

November 2009; first 

coal was processed in 

February 2011. 

The scope was to 

establish a 10.5-millionton 

per year open-cut 

mine averaged over 

a 20-year operating 

life. “This target is 

well on the way to 

being realized, with 

operational completion 

achieved some eight 

weeks ahead of the 

original milestone,” 

says McPhan. 

Malcolm McPhan 

10 • Notes 

Parsons Brinckerhoff was also engaged by Xstrata to deliver a new mine, Glendell, 

not far from Liddell. Glendell opened in December 2010. 

Notes • 11

Shining Brightly in the Philippines 

Copper lies beneath the ground 

The Bengalla Mining Company’s expansion of its mine was intended to increase capacity to process more coal. 

Bengalla 

Phase 1 of the Bengalla Expansion 

Project commenced in November 

2010 to increase Bengalla’s capacity 

from 7.8 million tons of run-of-mine 

coal production to 9.3 million tons 

by the first quarter of 2012. 

Overall, the project involves 

three main contracts: civil works, 

coal handling and preparation 

plant (CHPP) upgrade, and the 

mining infrastructure area upgrade. 

The scope of work includes: two 

additional heavy vehicle workshop 

bays to accommodate additional 

trucks and temporary/permanent tire 

bays; expansion of the bathhouse; 

extension of existing offices; 

increased car parking capacity; 

improved outdoor stores facilities; 

upgraded heavy vehicle wash 

station; and oil/water separation 

plant. The CHPP is being upgraded 

to handle the higher throughput of 

coal. Also in the scope of work are 

improved tailings de-watering with 

six additional belt press filters; coal 

handling; and preparation plant 

drain realignment. Additional 

Phase 1 tasks were purchases of 

heavy mining equipment such as 

four new trucks, one excavator, 

one grader, one dozer, one water 

cart, and a fleet of light vehicles. 

“The project team was an integrated 

team consisting of 26 staff from both 

Bengalla Mining Company and 

Parsons Brinckerhoff,” says Bruce 

Mitchell, Project Manager. 

Indeed, mining in the Hunter 

Valley region is growing. “We are 

well-poitioned to take advantage 

of it,” notes Thornton. n 

One of the largest undeveloped coppergold 

deposits in Southeast Asia has 

the potential to significantly brighten 

the economy of the Philippines and, 

in particular, the Mindanao region, the 

second largest island in the country. 

Sagittarius Mines Incorporated 

(SMI) set out to learn if a mine at 

Tampakan was feasible, and engaged 

Parsons Brinckerhoff to contribute to 

the extended pre-feasibility study and 

subsequent feasibility study. Parsons 

Brinckerhoff’s services for the $6 billion 

Tampakan project were delivered 

through 2010 under the direction of 

Project Manager Kate Gilchrist, based 

in Brisbane. 

Comprehensive Studies 

For the extended pre-feasibility study, 

the firm produced a project definition 

report; project delivery schedule for the 

entire project; capital cost estimate; and 

infrastructure design for a wide range 

of facilities—mine area power supply 

and distribution; mine area facilities 

(workshops, warehouses, etc.); waste 

and ore crushing and conveying; roads, 

mass earthworks; administration facilities; 

information technology; communications; 

and water distribution. 

Next, for the feasibility study, the firm 

provided feasibility 

level engineering 

for on-site roads; 

off-site roads; mass 

earthworks; buildings 

and structures; water 

distribution; electrical; 

communications; and 

control distribution in 

addition to port and 

power station layout 

support; geotechnical 

support and review; 

In the Mindanao region of the Philippines, Parsons Brinckerhoff studied site conditions, 

topography, and altitude to determine if a copper mine would be feasible. 

independent review of design criteria; 

and administrative and technical support 

to the SMI team. Parsons Brinckerhoff’s 

3D visualization services were used to 

produce models to support community 

consultation. 

“Staff from the Manila office worked 

on the studies, which reduced the cost 

and demonstrated in-country capability,” 

says Gilchrist. 

There were challenges along the way. 

The team overcame a range of technical 

obstacles including working in areas 

of high rainfall where the topography 

ranges from 450 to 1,550 meters 

(1,500 to 5,000 feet) above sea level. 

The studies identified open-pit 

mining as the most appropriate and 

safest extraction method, given the 

location and the geology of the site. 

The development of a mine, however, 

is subject to necessary community, 

government, and company approvals. 

SMI submitted the Tampakan Mining 

Project Feasibility Study to the 

Philippines government in April 2010 

and estimates production could start 

in 2016. 

Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Manila office 

is currently assisting SMI through the 

resettlement and approvals phase of 

the Tampakan project. The firm has 

undertaken a validation assessment 

of proposed resettlement sites and is 

currently providing engineering services 

for resettlement sites and providing 

technical support to the owner’s team. 

In addition to its involvement in the 

Tampakan project, Parsons Brinckerhoff 

personnel are strongly represented in an 

integrated owner’s team on the feasibility 

study for the Frieda River Project, a 

proposed copper/gold mine in 

Papua New Guinea. n 

At the Bengalla Expansion Project site are Construction Manager George Anderson and 

Project Manager Bruce Mitchell. 

Kate Gilchrist 


A Boom in Iron Ore 

Mining in Australia’s Pilbara region 

Ray Stocker 

Mining has taken off in Western 

Australia’s Pilbara region—-one of the 

richest sources of iron ore on earth— 

thanks to massive demand for steel 

from China and other rapidly 

developing economies. 

Parsons Brinckerhoff is providing 

environmental consulting and groundwater 

hydrogeology engineering 

services, including environmental 

impact assessments, health and safety 

monitoring, groundwater resource 

identification and de-watering options 

for areas where iron ore sits below the 

water table. The firm is also working on 

engineering-procurement-construction 

management (EPCM) projects; developing 

engineering designs; procuring 

equipment, contractors, and suppliers 

for construction; and managing the 

construction process. 

“Lots of consultants do structural, 

civil, and water engineering,” says 

Ray Stocker, General Manager, Metals, 

Global Mining for Parsons Brinckerhoff. 

“Parsons Brinckerhoff does all that as 

well, but where we feel we excel is in 

project and construction management 

particularly for the infrastructure to 

support the mine, including workshops, 

miner accommodations, roads, water 

supply, power generation 

and distribution, 

desalination plants, 

and materials 

handling.” 

Another strength 

of the firm is its 

reputation for 

BHP Billiton’s Rapid Growth Project 5, Yandi mine, where Parsons Brinckerhoff has 

provided services in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. 

expertise in all aspects of sustainability. 

“Sustainability is a major aspect of 

everything we do,” says Stocker. 

“We don’t look at sustainability as an 

additional feature but as a key part of 

the process including the materials we 

choose.” This approach, Stocker says, is 

important to mining companies because 

today’s mining projects have a raft of 

stringent regulations, environmental 

requirements, and safety challenges that 

must be addressed. 

Some of the biggest investors in 

Western Australian mining are also some 

of the largest mining enterprises in the 

world, including BHP Billiton and Rio 

Tinto. There are also companies such as 

Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) that are 

rapidly growing. All of these companies 

intend to invest billions of dollars, with 

the bigger players each looking to 

“Sustainability is 

a major aspect 

of everything 

we do.” 

—Ray Stocker 

significantly expand its operations to 

meet the increasing demand for iron 

ore, particularly from China. 

“With iron ore prices at record levels, 

profits being generated by the industry 

are also at record levels, and this is 

driving the huge capital investment 

in mine expansion to meet increasing 

demand,” says Paul Reed, Regional 

Director of Mining in Western Australia. 

BHP Billiton 

BHP Billiton has a number of new 

mining operations in Pilbara that it calls 

Rapid Growth Projects 1 through 6. 

Parsons Brinckerhoff’s involvement has 

been with Rapid Growth Projects 5 and 

6, where BHP Billiton is expanding its 

iron ore production. 

As part of this effort, Parsons 

Brinckerhoff worked together 

with another global engineering, 

procurement, and construction 

company, to deliver the prefeasibility 

study for the Yandi mine portion 

of Rapid Growth Project 5 and the 

non-process infrastructure section 

of the more detailed feasibility study. 

Train loading facilities at Yandi mine in Pilbara, Western Australia, where Parsons 

Brinckerhoff was part of the team that delivered infrastructure prefeasibility and 

feasibility studies, detailed design, and construction support services. 

Parsons Brinckerhoff was also involved 

with EPCM for infrastructure construction. 

Tasks included a review of mineral 

processing options, including crushing, 

screening, materials handling, stacking, 

and train loading, and a recommended 

strategy and cost estimation at the 

detailed feasibility stage for several nonprocessing 

support facilities, including a 

1,500-person mining village, workshops, 

roads, and structures for refueling, 

explosives, and laboratory work. 

Parsons Brinckerhoff was also 

involved in the delivery of the nonprocess 

infrastructure portion of the 

prefeasibility study for Rapid Growth 

Project 6 and Quantum projects. 

Currently Parsons Brinckerhoff is 

providing hydrogeology services to 

BHP Billiton for its future mine 

developments including groundwater 

studies to identify environmental impacts 

of mining operations, sources for a 

reliable water supply, and requirements 

for de-watering. 

Rio Tinto 

Parsons Brinckerhoff has been involved 

with several aspects of Rio Tinto’s 

expansion projects in the Pilbara region 

over the past year, helping the company 

upgrade materials handling equipment 

to speed production and providing 

engineering design for an ammonium 

nitrate storage facility. The firm is also 

assisting with integrity work for the 

port facility assets, which are more 

than 40 years old and due for a major 

upgrade. 

Fortescue Metals Group 

Parsons Brinckerhoff will be providing 

EPCM services for FMG’s Rowley 

Yard T155 Rail Infrastructure Project 

over the next two years, overseeing 

numerous contractors for the design and 

construction of rail maintenance facilities 

and various other smaller rail elements 

for the owner. “We’ll provide engineering 

services, project and construction 

management, and technical support for 

procurement, particularly for equipment,” 

says Reed. 

Part of the firm’s technical support is 

intended to help FMG introduce more 

automation capability to speed up the 

removal and maintenance of railroad 

car wheels and running gear when 

necessary. 

Challenges Ahead 

With an explosion in Australian mining, 

including major projects not only in iron 

ore but in coal, oil, and gas, the principal 

challenge, according to Stocker, is to 

secure resources to meet the design and 

construction milestones. “Every contractor 

is very busy and has huge demand for 

its services.” Recently contractors from 

China, India, Spain, and the U.S. have 

become involved in Australian mining 

projects. “China has massive investment 

in Australian mining to fund and protect 

its source of supply,” says Stocker. 

Another challenge is simply building 

credibility in iron ore mining projects 

where Parsons Brinckerhoff brings 

its long experience and expertise in 

engineering project management to the 

table. “We’re in the process of building 

relationships, and we aim to deliver well 

and build on our reputation as a trusted 

advisor in these areas of engineering,” 

says Stocker. “The name of the game 

is trust, and trust is built on delivery. 

Well-delivered projects will build 

credibility and credentials with larger 

and mid-tier players.” 

Boosting the Economy 

Stocker maintains that mining projects 

bring economic benefits to the specific 

region and the larger Australian economy 

as well. 

“We’re helping to build the Australian 

economy,” says Stocker. Each mining 

project employs hundreds or thousands 

of mining personnel and support staff 

and requires workers for facilities in the 

mining villages under construction and 

the general community. 

“This drives employment throughout 

the community, including retail stores, 

restaurants, bakeries, taxis, trucking, 

airlines, and airports,” 

says Stocker. The 

major mining 

companies have 

been making 

efforts to increase 

employment 

opportunities 

for the local 

Indigenous 

population, 

as much of 

what’s being 

built right now 

is located on 

Aboriginal land. n 

Paul Reed 

14 • Notes 

Notes • 15

Notes 

on 

Projects 

Bus stop: In Reno, a 1960s-era bus 

makes it clear that the new building 

is a bus transit center. 

Reno Bus Station 

Rides into Town 

The new RTC 4th Street Station 

in the heart of Reno, Nevada, 

offers modern and efficient bus 

transportation and amenities for 

passengers, passersby, tourists, 

and neighborhood residents. 

Funded by the Federal Transit 

Administration, it replaced 

CitiCenter, a smaller bus station 

located two blocks away. 

Parsons Brinckerhoff provided 

planning, architectural, 

preliminary engineering, and 

final design services for its client, 

the Regional Transportation 

Commission (RTC) of Washoe 

County. 

Opened in October 2010, the 

station, located on 4th Street 

and part of the historic Lincoln 

Highway, is adjacent to several 

rail facilities dating from the 

early 1900s. “Our mission was to 

provide a design that reflected 

Reno’s place in early railroad 

history in a form capable of 

achieving LEED [Leadership 

in Energy and Environmental 

Design] Silver certification,” 

says Tom Brooks-Pilling, 

Architectural Practice Leader 

for Parsons Brinckerhoff. “The 

twin-arch canopies that span 

the station evoke the imagery 

of train sheds, and the building 

façades are in harmony with the 

neighboring Barengo Building, 

built as a passenger and freight 

depot in 1910.” 

The Parsons Brinckerhoff 

team projected there would be 

16,300 daily riders at opening 

and planned the facility for 

28,300. Nearly a year after its 

opening, Lee Gibson, Executive 

Director of the RTC, says, “The 

system’s overall ridership has 

increased 8 percent and this 

is directly attributable to the 

location and convenience of 

our new transit center.” 

On a 1-hectare (2.5-acre) site, 

the new transit center consists of 

two, one-story buildings situated 

on three islands, surrounded by 

23 bus bays. The station contains 

passenger waiting areas, 

restrooms, retail outlets, and 

operations and maintenance 

facilities. 

The transit center is marked 

by a striking piece of public art: 

an actual 1960s General Motors 

bus, modified for its installation. 

“The thought was for the work 

to act not only as a sculpture, 

but as a sign, indicating the 

bus station,” according to the 

sculptor, Donald Lipski, who 

worked with RTC to develop 

the concept. 

RTC 4th Street Station was 

recognized as the Outstanding 

Structural Project of the Year 

for 2010 by the Truckee 

Meadows (Nevada) Branch of 

the American Society of Civil 

Engineers. 

UK Agency Studies 

New Energy Source 

On behalf of Britain’s Energy 

Coast and North West Regional 

Development Agency, 

both of the UK, Parsons 

Brinckerhoff has confirmed 

that tidal power generation 

is technically achievable on 

the Duddon Estuary in North 

West England by building 

a tidal barrage—a structure 

that captures energy from the 

change in tide levels. Parsons 

Brinckerhoff’s report indicated 

that more energy could be 

generated than previously 

suggested by an earlier study. 

It also found, however, that 

many protected environmental 

areas and wildlife—including 

the natterjack toad—could 

be adversely affected by the 

proposal, requiring extensive 

and expensive mitigation. 

The study was to determine 

if tidal power generation on 

the Duddon was still practical, 

given changes to UK energy 

policy that encourage greater 

use of renewable power, 

projected costs for renewable 

energy in the future, and the 

introduction of more stringent 

environmental legislation. 

Parsons Brinckerhoff was 

appointed in February 2010 

to examine various options 

and locations for power 

generation, the cost of 

construction, operation and 

maintenance, and job creation 

potential. Environmental 

and socioeconomic impacts 

were analyzed and the study 

examined opportunities for 

combining a road crossing 

with any option. Stakeholder 

engagement meetings began 

in March 2010 and continued 

throughout the study period, 

which ended with a report in 

August 2010. These meetings 

provided valuable input regarding 

issues that would need 

resolution if any tidal power 

project were to be developed. 

“The study highlighted the 

environmental challenges of 

the project,” says Peter Kydd, 

Director of Strategic Consulting 

for Parsons Brinckerhoff in 

the UK. “It also showed that 

280,000 MW per year of lowcarbon 

electricity could be 

generated by the new 160-MW 

facility, enough to power 

50,000 homes.” 

The study concluded that 

combining the barrage with 

a new 10-kilometer (6-mile) 

road crossing would improve 

the cost-benefit ratio of the 

project but that it would not 

be economical in the current 

market. 

Wastewater Treatment 

And Recycling Plant 

At Work in Australia 

Construction and commissioning 

is complete on the Gippsland 

Water Factory, a wastewater 

treatment and recycling plant 

in Victoria, Australia, that 

processes 35 million liters (9 

million gallons) of residential 

and industrial wastewater each 

day from more than 15,000 

households and businesses. 

The Gippsland Water Factory 

project was delivered by an 

alliance comprised of Gippsland 

Water and three specialized 

companies: Transfield Services 

Limited, CH2M Hill, and Parsons 

Brinckerhoff. The firm provided 

multidisciplinary engineering 

and environmental design and 

stakeholder engagement services 

for the $260 million plant. 

The plant, the first of its 

kind in Australia, produces 

8 million liters (2 million 

gallons) of high-quality recycled 

water daily that is sold to a 

nearby producer of paper 

products for use in its industrial 

processes. The remaining highly 

treated odor-free wastewater 

is discharged into the ocean 

until a suitable customer can 

be sourced. 

By selling recycled water 

to the paper manufacturer, the 

Gippsland Water Factory frees 

up an equivalent amount of 

freshwater—about 3 billion liters 

(800 million gallons) annually— 

from the region’s rivers and 

reservoirs, enough to service 

a town of 40,000 people for 

an entire year. 

The Gippsland Water 

Factory uses a three-stage 

treatment process that 

features biological treatment, 

membrane filtration, and 

reverse osmosis. “By relying 

on biological methods rather 

than chemical treatment, 

and locating the plant close 

to the paper manufacturer 

and residential development, 

we minimize the use of 

electricity in transport and 

wastewater processing,” 

says Andrew Hodgkinson, 

Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Gippsland 

Water Factory Alliance Technical 

Director. 

Biogas produced by the 

treatment of the paper mill waste 

and plant sludge, plus a microhydro 

plant constructed nearby, 

are used to generate 20 percent 

of the plant’s electricity needs. 

Also constructed on the site is 

the Vortex Centre, which provides 

visitors the opportunity to learn 

about water conservation and 

sustainable water management. 

Clear water: At the Gippsland 

Water Factory in Victoria, 

Australia, the sedimentation tank 

is part of the process of recycling 

wastewater for industrial use. 

It’s educational: Gippsland’s 

Vortex Centre teaches visitors 

about water conservation and 

sustainable water management, 

enabling future security of the 

local water supply. 

16 • Notes 

Notes • 17

Notes 

on 

Projects 

Going underground: Seattle’s seismically vulnerable Alaskan Way Viaduct will 

be replaced by a bored tunnel, the largest ever constructed by a tunnel boring 

machine. Shown here is the approach to the south portal. 

Rent-A-Car: The Miami Intermodal Center-Rental Car Center is capable of 

washing and fueling up to 7,200 cars per day. 

Making tracks: Two new light rail lines 

nearly doubled the length of tracks 

of Salt Lake‘s TRAX system. 

© 2011 david sailors 

Salt Lake City 

Opens New Rail 

New trains burst through a 

banner proclaiming “everything’s 

falling into place” at inaugural 

ceremonies in August for Salt 

Lake City’s new West Valley 

City and Mid-Jordan TRAX light 

rail extensions. Officials and 

riders celebrated the extensions, 

which were completed ahead 

of schedule and significantly 

under budget. The new lines 

nearly double the length of 

track and number of train cars 

in service. 

Parsons Brinckerhoff is 

program manager for the newly 

opened lines, as well as for 

the Utah Transit Authority’s 

(UTA) entire FrontLines 2015 

program, which is one of the 

largest and most aggressive rail 

expansion programs in the U.S. 

To accommodate Utah’s fastgrowing 

population, FrontLines 

2015 will expand UTA’s existing 

103-kilometer (64-mile) transit 

network with two additional 

new light rail lines and a second 

commuter rail line (the first 

opened in April 2008), totaling 

113 kilometers (70 miles) of 

added service. These new 

services will provide residents 

with transportation options and 

enhance mobility for non-riders 

by decreasing traffic congestion. 

Kevin Cox, Project Manager 

for Parsons Brinckerhoff, 

credits the ability to meet an 

accelerated schedule to an 

integrated approach. “From the 

beginning, Parsons Brinckerhoff 

teamed with UTA to develop a 

management plan that placed a 

premium on integrated teams and 

partnering and used a range of 

creative approaches to contract 

packaging, scheduling, and 

funding,” says Cox, noting that 

the agency is a strong advocate 

for a collaborative arrangement. 

“Parsons Brinckerhoff has 

been a partner with the Utah 

Transit Authority for the past 

30 years,” says Mike Allegra, 

UTA General Manager. “They 

share our commitment to the 

community.” 

Projects of the Year 

Illustrate Innovation 

Parsons Brinckerhoff’s 2010 

Projects of the Year demonstrate 

innovation in the use of new 

materials and technologies and 

a creative approach to problemsolving 

on behalf of the firm’s 

clients. 

“The four winning projects 

demonstrate the breadth of practices 

of Parsons Brinckerhoff— 

highways, tunnels, buildings, 

transit, and bridges,” says George 

J. Pierson, President and Chief 

Executive Officer. “In addition to 

innovation, they exemplify teamwork 

and strong leadership.” 

The four Projects of the Year 

are as follows: 

Alaskan Way Viaduct and 

Seawall Replacement 

As general engineering 

consultant for the Alaskan 

Way Viaduct and Seawall 

Replacement, Parsons 

Brinckerhoff served for 

10 years as lead strategic 

advisor assisting the Washington 

Department of Transportation 

in eliminating its greatest public 

safety risk — the seismically 

vulnerable viaduct running 

along the Seattle waterfront that 

carries 110,000 vehicles daily. 

Conceptual design was 

prepared for replacement of 

the 2,000-meter- (6,500-foot-) 

long Elliott Bay seawall. The 

firm’s responsibilities included 

preparing an environmental 

impact statement and bid 

documents in connection with 

the replacement of the viaduct. 

The proposed 3-kilometer- 

(2-mile-) long tunnel will be 

17 meters (56 feet) in diameter, 

the largest ever constructed 

by a tunnel boring machine. 

The team met challenging 

technical obstacles and a 

demanding schedule. 

Mike Rigsby was Project 

Manager and Jared Smith was 

Principal-in-Charge. 

Miami Intermodal Center- 

Rental Car Center 

On behalf of the Florida Department 

of Transportation, District 

VI, Heery International provided 

architecture, overall architecture/ 

engineering coordination, and 

construction administration services 

for the Miami Intermodal 

Center-Rental Car Center. 

The rental car center is a $355 

million, 300,000-square-meter 

(3.4 million-square-foot) facility 

in the Miami Intermodal Center, 

offering passengers one location 

for rental car agencies with rapid 

transportation to and from Miami 

International Airport and connectivity 

among several transportation 

systems. 

Heery was the architect of 

record for a four-story structure 

that includes the first multi-level 

fueling, fluid top-off, and wash 

bay facility in the U.S. The 120 

fuel dispensers required special 

approvals from fire prevention 

officials; the team devised and 

executed a sophisticated performance-based 

design using computer 

simulations of fire scenarios 

and solutions. The result: capacity 

to fuel and wash up to 7,200 

cars per day. 

Rosendo E. Marcet Jr. was 

Project Manager and Roberto 

Sequeira was Principal-in-Charge. 

Project Architect was Roberto 

Vich. Heery is the U.S. buildings 

operating company of Parsons 

Brinckerhoff. 

Dearborn Subway 

Track Renewal 

For the Dearborn Subway 

Track Renewal project, Parsons 

Brinckerhoff was the construction 

manager representing 

the Chicago Transit Authority 

(CTA). The $87.8 million project 

involved the rail replacement 

and extensive tunnel rehabilitation 

of the Dearborn (Blue Line) 

Subway, a 6-kilometer (4-mile) 

segment connecting the Chicago 

downtown business district with 

O’Hare International Airport. 

Most of the work on the 

60-year-old tunnel was performed 

during 54-hour weekend 

track outages. The CTA limited 

the number of outages to 23 

scheduled around the city’s 

summer and fall public events. 

The system was returned to full 

service on Monday mornings in 

time to support the rush-hour 

commute. The team, led by 

Parsons Brinckerhoff and the 

CTA, completed the project on 

time and below budget—with 

minimal disruptions in service. 

Ken Davidson was the Project 

Manager. Tom Nutter was the 

Principal-in-Charge. 

Fort Eustis 

Railroad Bridges 

The Fort Eustis Railroad Bridges 

project involved design of the 

world’s first railroad bridges 

made of recycled plastics—at 

the U.S. Army base at Fort 

Making it new again: The Dearborn Subway Track Renewal rehabilitated a 

key segment of Chicago’s Dearborn (Blue Line) Subway. 

Eustis, Virginia—applying a new 

sustainable construction material 

to major bridge components. 

The two new bridges, 

12 meters (40 feet) and 

24 meters (80 feet) long, 

respectively, replaced halfcentury-old 

structurally deficient 

timber railroad bridges. 

The thermoplastic material, 

developed by scientists at 

New Jersey’s Rutgers University 

and manufactured by Axion 

International, uses post-consumer 

plastics that would otherwise be 

deposited into landfills. Although 

this material had been in the 

marketplace for 20 years, this 

was its first application to major 

infrastructure. One challenge 

was convincing the U.S. Army 

that plastic could support 

120-ton locomotives. Another 

was meeting the aggressive 

schedule set by the Army; 

the design-build team handed 

complete construction plans 

to the contractor two months 

after the contract was signed. 

John S. Kim was Project 

Manager. Vijay Chandra 

was Principal-in-Charge. n 

Thermoplastic: One of the railroad 

bridges made of recycled plastics at the 

U.S. Army base at Fort Eustis, Virginia. 



Mike Abrahams 

Notes 

on the 

Firm 

OPAL Award to 

Mike Abrahams 

Mike Abrahams has won the 

OPAL (Outstanding Projects 

and Leaders) award from 

the American Society of 

Civil Engineers for lifetime 

achievement in design. He 

will receive the award in 

March 2012 at an awards gala. 

Established in 1999, the OPAL 

award recognizes individuals 

for lifelong accomplishments 

and achievements that have 

made significant differences in 

five areas of civil engineering: 

construction, design, education, 

government, and management. 

This was the third time a 

Parsons Brinckerhoff employee 

garnered the award; Jim Lammie 

received it for achievement in 

management in 2001 and the late 

Lou Silano for design in 2005. 

Abrahams was also recently 

awarded the John A. Roebling 

Medal by the International 

Bridge Conference (IBC). The 

award, named for the designer 

of New York’s famed Brooklyn 

Bridge, recognizes an individual 

for lifetime achievement in 

bridge engineering. Abrahams 

received the award at the IBC’s 

annual conference in Pittsburgh, 

Pennsylvania. 

Abrahams, who is based 

in New York and is the 

firm’s Technical Director for 

Structures, has been with Parsons 

Brinckerhoff for 40 years, 

involved in designing some 

of its preeminent structures. 

Among them are the Arthur 

Ravenel Jr. Bridge in Charleston, 

South Carolina; the George P. 

Coleman Bridge Replacement 

in Virginia; the Admiral Clarey 

Bridge in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; 

and the Hood Canal Bridge 

in Washington—for which, 30 

years after his first association 

with the bridge, he served as 

Project Manager for the upgrade 

completed in 2009. 

To Abrahams, the real thrill 

is not the size of the bridge 

or the recognition it receives. 

“The rewarding part is working 

with others to create something 

that has meaning and value to 

society,” he says. 

Chuck Kohler Leads 

AAPSA Company 

Chuck Kohler has been named 

Chief Operating Officer (COO) 

of the Asia/Australia-Pacific/ 

Southern Africa operating company 

based in Singapore. In 

his new role, Kohler oversees 

nearly 5,000 employees who 

work on hundreds of transportation, 

power, mining, water/ 

wastewater, and community 

development projects throughout 

Asia, the Australia-Pacific region, 

and southern Africa. He will also 

maintain his position of Director 

of Project Operations. 

“Chuck brings extensive 


Chuck Kohler 

international project experience 

as well as broad expertise in 

finance and management to 

his new role,” says George J. 

Pierson, President and Chief 

Executive Officer. “I know we 

can count on him to expand 

Parsons Brinckerhoff’s presence 

in some of our most important 

markets.” 

A 24-year veteran of Parsons 

Brinckerhoff, Kohler joined the 

firm as a bridge engineer in 

the Chicago office. Following 

that he worked in Asia, serving 

as Project Engineer on the 

Singapore Underground Road 

System, Project Manager of 

the Tuas Bay Tunnel, and 

Deputy Director for program 

management of the Singapore 

Deep Tunnel Sewerage System. 

In Hong Kong, he was Manager 

of the office’s civil engineering 

division and Project Engineer on 

the Western Harbor Crossing. 

Kohler returned to the 

Parsons Brinckerhoff corporate 

headquarters in New York in 

2000, where he worked in 

corporate finance for three years 

before going back to project 

work as Project Manager on the 

first phase of the Upper Rouge 

Combined Sewer Overflow in 

Detroit, Michigan. In 2005, he 

moved to the firm’s Godalming, 

UK, office, as Director of 

Operations for the Europe- 

Africa organization. Named 

Executive Vice President in 

December 2007, Kohler returned 

to the corporate headquarters in 

New York, where he assumed 

responsibility for overseeing 

major projects. 

Kohler has an M.B.A. from 

the Kellogg Graduate School of 

Management at Northwestern 

University, Chicago, and master’s 

and bachelor’s degrees in civil 

engineering from the University 

of Illinois at Champaign. 

Frank Medina 

Honored by Magazine 

Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Frank 

Medina has been selected as one 

of the “Top 200 Most Influential 

Hispanics in Technology” by the 

editors of Hispanic Engineer & IT 

(HE&IT) magazine. 

Medina has been with 

Parsons Brinckerhoff for more 

than a decade and has extensive 

experience in the design, 

management, and construction 

of major transportation, drainage, 

sewer, and water system 

projects. 

Earlier in his career he 

worked in the public sector, as 

a project manager for the city of 

Scottsdale, Arizona, managing 

the design and construction of 

public improvement projects, 

and as staff engineer in the 

Statewide Project Management 

section of the Arizona 

Department of Transportation. 

“It is an honor to be included 

in such a prestigious group,” 

says Medina. “My selection is 

© 2011 J-F VERGEL 

Frank Medina 

a direct reflection of the outstanding 

opportunities that our 

clients have given us and of 

the exceptional performance of 

Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Arizona 

staff.” 

The “Top 200” features 

individuals in a variety of 

sectors. Companies represented 

include General Motors, Boeing, 

Google, Verizon, and Facebook. 

Extensive research was done 

on thousands of employees 

of various corporations and 

government agencies. HE&IT 

editors then evaluated and 

selected the “Top 200” based 

on excellence in their work, 

strong commitment to their 

communities, and leadership 

as role models. 

HE&IT magazine is distributed 

to Hispanic professionals, highlevel 

government and industry 

policy makers, and engineering 

students. 

Jerry Givens On Board 

Of Keston Institute 

Jerry Givens, Los Angeles Area 

Manager, has been named to 

the Board of Directors of the 

Keston Institute for Public 

Finance and Infrastructure 

Policy, which, in the Institute’s 

words, “seeks to actively address 

the economic policy, financial, 

demographic, and other dimensions 

of public 

infrastructure 

development 

in California.” 

The Keston 

Institute was 

established at the University of 

Southern California (USC) in 2002 

and seeks to leverage USC’s intellectual 

resources to help California 

and the nation address critical 

infrastructure issues. 

A native Angelino, Givens has 

more than 30 years’ experience 

in public sector infrastructure 

and management. His background 

includes positions such 

as City Administrative Officer and 

Director of Public Works for the 

city of Inglewood, California. He 

has also been Deputy Executive 

Director of the Los Angeles County 

Transportation Commission, 

Executive Vice President of Rail 

Design and Construction, and 

Deputy Chief Executive Officer for 

Los Angeles County Metropolitan 

Transportation Authority (Metro). 

Projects he supported during his 

tenure with Metro include the Red, 

Blue, Green, and Gold lines as 

well as Metrolink and Alameda 

Corridor, a freight rail “expressway” 

connecting the national 

rail system to the ports of 

Los Angeles and Long Beach. 

He is currently Parsons 

Brinckerhoff’s Principal-in- 

Charge for the extension of the 

Metro Green Line to Los Angeles 

International Airport. 

In his current position, Givens 

manages nearly 100 Parsons 

Brinckerhoff employees at work 

on a wide range of projects in 

southern California. n 

Jerry Givens 


C o r p o r a t e H e a d q u a r t e r s 

P a r s o n s B r i n c k e r h o f f • O n e P e n n P l a z a • N e w Y o r k , N Y 1 0 1 1 9 

1 - 2 1 2 - 4 6 5 - 5 0 0 0 

w w w . p b w o r l d . c o m 

w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / p b w o r l d 

w w w . t w i t t e r . c o m / p b w o r l d 

F o r a l i s t i n g o f o u r o v e r 1 5 0 o f f i c e s , p l e a s e v i s i t o u r W e b s i t e a t w w w . p b w o r l d . c o m 

o r c o n t a c t u s a t t h e f o l l o w i n g l o c a t i o n s : 

New York 1-212-465-5000 

Dubai 971 4 449 7222 

London 44-(0)20-7337-1700 

Singapore 65-6533-7333 

Sydney 61-2-9272-5100 

Toronto 1-416-487-5256 

8M09/11P11

Mining: A Bright OppOrtunitY - Parsons Brinckerhoff

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