Dec 2011 - Parsons Brinckerhoff

DECEMBER 2011
PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF
Notes
Power On Demand

Letter
from the
CEO
Inside
Page
18
© 2011 DAVID SAILORS
Increasingly, power producers must not only generate a constant supply of electricity, but must also
produce additional power on demand—whether in response to scorching summer temperatures or to
supplement the sporadic nature of wind and solar energy. For clients worldwide, Parsons Brinckerhoff is
contributing to power plants that can quickly ramp up to meet peak demands. In this issue of NOTES we
present some of those projects as well as examples of our work in traditional base load power generation
and geothermal technology.
As part of a joint venture with TIC, Parsons Brinckerhoff developed Arizona’s Coolidge Generating Station
under an engineer-procure-construct contract. The Coolidge plant (pictured on the cover) can start up and
produce 500 MW in just 10 minutes when the searing summer heat in the American Southwest results in a spike
in demand for electricity to run air conditioners. Parsons Brinckerhoff and TIC also collaborated on a similar
peaking power plant that helped Austin, Texas, keep cool during a record-breaking heat spell this past summer.
In Portugal, Parsons Brinckerhoff was owner’s engineer for the Pego Power Plant, which can rapidly
produce more than 800 MW to meet demands for energy in a country that relies heavily on wind power. In
Ireland, Parsons Brinckerhoff served as owner’s engineer for the Whitegate Independent Power Plant, which
combines reliable base load efficiency and fast response time, allowing it to complement wind power while
satisfying the nation’s daily power needs.
Halfway around the globe, Parsons Brinckerhoff is contributing its engineering and project management
expertise to the Te Mihi geothermal power station in New Zealand, continuing a tradition of work in
geothermal that began more than 50 years ago and includes more than 100 projects in New Zealand,
Australia, Indonesia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and the Philippines.
Parsons Brinckerhoff’s experience in conventional power generation extends back even further, to the early
1900s, when the firm designed some of the earliest hydroelectric power plants on the Hudson River in New
York. The firm dramatically expanded its presence in the global power market in the late 1990s through
its acquisition of British engineering consultancies Merz and McLellan and Kennedy & Donkin, as well as
DesignPower New Zealand, a specialist in renewable energy. Parsons Brinckerhoff’s global power portfolio
includes some of the largest power stations in the Middle East in addition to projects throughout Asia,
Australasia, Europe, and North America.
As it has since its inception, Parsons Brinckerhoff offers a broad range of expertise in both conventional
and renewable technologies to help energy suppliers worldwide produce power on demand.
George J. Pierson
President and Chief Executive Officer
Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc.
Page 2
Page 10
Page 14
2
Arizona’s Coolidge
Generating Station
This peaking power plant quickly
goes into action when demand
for electricity soars.
6
Powering County Cork
Parsons Brinckerhoff was owner’s
engineer for one of the most
efficient electricity-generating
plants in Ireland.
10
Responding to Demand
Portugal’s Pego Power Plant is
able to quickly adjust to shifts in
demand for electricity.
12
Austin Gets Power Boost
The enlarged Sand Hill plant
helped meet demand for energy
during a period of record high
temperatures.
13
Tapping the Heat Below
New Zealand’s Te Mihi geothermal
power station turns the Earth’s
heat into usable energy.
14
Bangalore Opts
For Sustainable
Transportation
Namma Metro or “Our Metro”
opens in India’s third-largest city.
16
World’s Longest
Guided Busway Opens
The Cambridgeshire busway
extends 25 kilometers (15.5
miles) from St Ives to Cambridge.
18
A New Home
For Justice
A new courthouse and judicial
center opens in Augusta, Georgia.
20
Notes on Projects
24
Notes on the Firm
ON THE COVER:
The Coolidge Generating Station
in Arizona.
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 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
Julie Johnson
Terry Kuflik
Tom Malcolm
Kathy Montvidas
Susan Walsh
Graphics Services Manager
Richard Mangini
Graphic Design
Gary Hessberger
Director of Corporate
Communications
Judy Cooper
Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc.
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NOTES is published three times a year by
Parsons Brinckerhoff for the employees,
affiliates, and friends of Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Please contact the Executive Editor in the New
York office for permission to reprint articles.
© 2011 Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc.
All rights reserved.
Notes • 1

Arizona’s
Coolidge
Generating
Station
More megawatts in minutes
POWER
The regions of the U.S. with the fastest
population growth—the south
and west—also have the hottest climates,
which puts the heat on local
utility companies to deliver more and more
power, especially during the long air conditioning
season. In rapidly growing Phoenix,
Arizona, average daily high temperatures
exceed 38 C (100 F) for four months of the
year. During the hottest part of the day, as
air conditioners work harder, there is a sharp
increase in electricity demand.
A new power plant in Coolidge,
Arizona, located between Phoenix
and Tucson, is helping to meet that
peak power demand. The Coolidge
Generating Station—among the
largest “peaking” power plants in
the U.S.—is designed to start up in
only 10 minutes, rapidly producing
more electricity when needed
and shutting down when demand
tapers off.
Along with helping to cool
the hot days, Coolidge enhances
the reliability and flexibility of the
power grid by providing backup
electricity when wind and solar
plants are not producing or when
other plants are down for maintenance.
For electricity customers
in the region, the addition of
Coolidge to the grid means ample power on
demand at the best possible price.
Beating the Summer Heat
The 512-MW gas-fired simple-cycle plant
is owned and operated by TransCanada
Pipelines, Ltd., a major North American
developer of energy infrastructure, as an
energy resource for local utility provider Salt
River Project (SRP). TransCanada engaged
Parsons Brinckerhoff and TIC, in joint venture,
to develop the plant under an engineerprocure-construct
contract.
Parsons Brinckerhoff, under the direction
of Project Manager Colin McRae, provided
all engineering services, including
civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and
control systems. Aside from the plant’s 12
turbine generators, which were procured
by TransCanada, all other procurement and
construction was performed by TIC. Parsons
Brinckerhoff provided engineering support
The Coolidge Generating
Station – among the
largest “peaking” power
plants in the U. S. – is
designed to start up in
only 10 minutes.
during construction and developed the plant
start-up and operating procedures.
Coolidge was completed ahead of
schedule and under budget, and went on
line in May 2011—in time to help customers
beat the summer heat.
Reliability and Flexibility
Unlike base load power plants, which are
designed to operate continuously, Coolidge
runs only when needed, during times of
high demand for electricity. On a hot summer
day power demand rises throughout the
afternoon, peaking at about 5:00 p.m. SRP
may need additional electricity from noon to
early evening, and it would direct Coolidge
to start up and produce power. The plant is
expected to run about 700 hours per year.
A typical combined-cycle base load
plant would take about two hours to reach
full power production. By contrast, says
McRae, “One of our contractual performance
tests was to demonstrate that Coolidge
could go from zero to 500 MW in 10
minutes or less.” The General Electric
LM6000 turbine generator, often used
for peaking plants of this type and
selected by TransCanada for Coolidge,
is an “aero-derivative” turbine—a
modified GE aircraft engine that is
capable of the fast start-up needed on
peaking plants.
Plant operators can run any number
of the 12 turbines to generate
the amount of power needed, from
25 MW to the full 500 MW. Plant
start-up can be initiated by the plant
operators on site or can be executed
remotely from SRP’s dispatch center in
Phoenix. “Typically, Coolidge receives
the planned operation order from SRP
a day in advance, advising how much
power will be needed during which
hours, so the plant operators know how
many units to start up,” McRae explains.
“However, if more power is needed quickly,
Coolidge can deliver.”
Even in the winter, when air conditioning
demand is minimal, Coolidge will
help ensure the reliability of the power
supply because it can be operated if one of
SRP’s base load plants is off-line for major
maintenance. “Peaking plants also make it
possible for a utility to bring more wind
2 • Notes
Notes • 3

Using Water to Clean the Air
Minimizing air pollution was a
priority for owner TransCanada
at the Coolidge Generating
Station. The plant runs on
natural gas, which is the cleanest-burning
of the traditional fuel sources. Nevertheless,
all combustion creates nitrogen oxides
(NO X
) when the nitrogen and oxygen molecules
in the air break apart. The higher
the flame temperature, the more NO X
produced. Flame temperatures in turbine
combustion chambers are extremely high—
around 1,100 C (2,000 F)—making NO X
the
primary air pollutant of concern for most
power plants.
Coolidge, like many modern plants,
uses turbine water injection technology to
reduce NO X
air emissions. Water is mixed
with the fuel as it is injected into the combustion
chamber to lower the temperature
of the flame, which in turn lowers the
amount of NO X
produced. Further, because
the water adds mass to the power turbine,
more power is produced for each unit of
fuel burned. That translates to fewer emissions
per MW of electricity produced.
Water injection technology is part of
the General Electric turbine design, but
Parsons Brinckerhoff was responsible for
engineering the supporting systems. “Water
injected into the turbines must be ultrapure
and demineralized. We designed an
on-site well water supply and a water treatment
facility that works by reverse osmosis
to purify the water. The water piping is
stainless steel to prevent corrosion,” says
Project Manager Colin McRae.
Water injection reduces NO X
emissions
by a factor of about 10 at Coolidge bringing
levels down to 25 parts per million (ppm).
To achieve further reductions, Parsons
Brinckerhoff implemented a selective catalytic
reduction system—similar to the catalytic
converter in a car—to convert NO X
to water
vapor and nitrogen. It reduces stack emissions
to below 2.5 ppm, exceeding environmental
permitting requirements. “The air permit
for this plant only requires a tons-per-year
limit on air pollutants, not the typical (stricter)
parts-per-million limit, but TransCanada wanted
to invest in low emissions,” says McRae.
“Minimizing air pollution is the right thing to
do, and also avoids possible costly retrofitting
in the future if local regulations change.”
At Coolidge Generating Station, routine maintenance is performed on the General Electric LM6000 combustion turbine, an “aero-derivative” turbine—a modified
aircraft engine capable of the fast start-up needed for peaking plants.
and solar power onto the grid because
they can quickly come up to speed on a
still, cloudy day to make up for the fluctuations
in power availability from renewable
sources,” says McRae.
Built for Extremes
The design was developed according to technical
and performance specifications established
by TransCanada. “For example, the
plant design criteria included operation in
ambient temperatures up to 122 F [50 C]—but
it was up to us to determine how,” McRae
explains. “The lubricating oil systems on
peaking turbines are often air-cooled, but
at an ambient air temperature of 122 F, air
cooling won’t work. Therefore, we had
to use a chilled water cooling system. A
cooling tower would have been the typical
solution; however, TransCanada wanted to
minimize the amount of plant wastewater
generated. We designed a closed chilled
water system using mechanical refrigeration—unusual
for a power plant.”
It does get cold on occasion in Phoenix,
so Coolidge also had to be able to handle
freezing temperatures. “If the water vapor in
the air entering the turbines freezes, serious
turbine damage would result,” McRae says.
To prevent the turbines from icing, the team
designed a large electrically heated hot water
closed-loop circulating system to heat the
turbine air intakes.
Coolidge was also required to be a
“zero liquid discharge” plant, meaning all
wastewater goes to lined evaporation ponds
on site rather than to the local sewer system.
Minimizing the amount of wastewater generated
by the plant’s cooling systems made
it possible to design smaller ponds on the
40-hectare (100-acre) site.
Benefits of Tight Teamwork
Several factors contributed to the team’s ability
to complete the project ahead of schedule
and under budget. McRae notes that most
of the Parsons Brinckerhoff team members
have worked together on numerous power
projects and most are located in the firm’s
San Francisco office, which made coordination
and communication easy and efficient.
Further, Parsons Brinckerhoff and TIC have a
long history of successful partnership. “That
proven teamwork and trust in our capabilities
appealed to TransCanada. In turn, the team
received the go-ahead to begin engineering
early—while the final plant permits were
being obtained—which was a great advantage
on this project,” McRae says.
Cost savings and better solutions also
came from the nature of the contract. “On
a joint venture, all partners share in the risk
and profit. It helps keep the designer and
the builder working collaboratively to come
up with better ideas that will save money in
the long run,” says McRae. “That’s good for
the joint venture partners, the owner, and the
utility’s customers, who want reliable electricity
at a fair price.” n
Colin McRae
4 • Notes
Notes • 5

Powering
County Cork
Parsons Brinckerhoff
POWER
continues to support Whitegate
Power Station during its first year
of commercial operation
Courtesy of BORD Gáis Energy
On Ireland’s west coast in County
Cork, an area replete with history
and natural beauty, small
villages, fine harbors, and rolling
farmland, a very modern industrial plant is
now providing a much-needed resource:
power. The Whitegate Independent Power
Plant (IPP), a 445-MW combined-cycle gas
turbine (CCGT) plant with the capacity
to power 440,000 homes, marked its first
anniversary of commercial operation on
November 8, 2011, and has exceeded operational
expectations.
As one of the most efficient
electricity generating plants
in Ireland, Whitegate was constructed
in just over three years
from greenfield site to commercial
operation by leading
Irish energy provider Bord Gáis
Energy (BGE), under a lump
sum turnkey contract by the
consortium of General Electric,
based in the U.S., and Gama from
Turkey. Parsons Brinckerhoff was
engaged by BGE as owner’s engineer
to provide specialist support
during the contract negotiation,
construction, and commissioning
period, during which the two
companies developed a close
working relationship—one that
continues today.
Efficiency Plus
Nearly everything about the Whitegate IPP is
efficient. The plant uses high-pressure natural
gas as the main fuel, with fuel oil from the
adjacent refinery as a back-up supply. Having
successfully passed extensive grid code testing
on both fuels, Whitegate is generating
power into the national grid at 220 kV with
high availability. “The plant has exceeded my
expectations in terms of a number of key
operating parameters. These are mainly in
the areas of availability and reliability,” says
George Martin, Head of Asset Operations for
BGE. “We have enjoyed a very low forced
outage rate and high starting reliability. Both
of these have helped us to build a very good
reputation as a dependable plant and have
exceeded the targets we set for ourselves for
the first year of operation.”
“With environmental considerations
and reductions of greenhouse gas emissions
becoming increasingly important,
Whitegate’s efficiency of around 58 percent
sets a benchmark for providing an efficient
and reliable electricity supply to the national
Whitegate’s efficiency
of around 58 percent
sets a benchmark for
providing an efficient
and reliable electricity
supply to the national
grid in Ireland.
grid in Ireland,” says Judith Packer, Parsons
Brinckerhoff’s Project Manager. “It also means
that it is one of the preferred units to be dispatched
when power is needed and complements
intermittent wind generation.”
Parsons Brinckerhoff is also providing
ongoing technical support to BGE during the
current two-year defects notification period,
and assisting in developing technical service
agreement contracts for the next 30 years of
plant operations. “This is the time we get real
feedback on projects, when we see the effects
of good design as well as areas that can
be improved,” Packer says. “It is also really
satisfying to maintain the relationship and
to know that we can be of real value to the
client at every stage of the project.”
Owner’s Engineer:
Collaboration to Achieve
Excellence
Parsons Brinckerhoff was appointed owner’s
engineer in March 2007 with prime
responsibility for the technical oversight,
quality surveillance, project management,
commercial support, and site supervision
of the engineer-procure-construct (EPC)
contractor. It also provided support to
BGE on other matters, particularly safety
and risk management aspects.
“Whitegate was strategic in BGE’s
development as an electricity generator
in Ireland. Parsons Brinckerhoff had a
strong reputation from earlier projects in
Ireland as well as internationally and BGE
wanted to utilize this expertise to ensure
that this new project added real value to
its traditional business of gas supply and
distribution,” says Packer.
“Parsons Brinckerhoff played a
‘privileged role’ as owner’s engineer, acting
on BGE’s behalf. We looked out for
the client’s interest in a technical sense,
certainly. So it was really beneficial to
understand their thinking, objectives,
and preferences; all that became second
nature to us.”
Packer notes that BGE and Parsons
Brinckerhoff shared an extremely high expectation
on safety standards that permeated
the entire site construction team including
the contractor. “Making sure everyone went
home safe each night was top priority and
this influenced how we all worked on a dayto-day
basis.”
Throughout the project, Parsons
Brinckerhoff engineers worked as a seamless
team with BGE staff on the same
issues and in the same building. “We
drank the same coffee and took turns to
buy the milk and biscuits,” quips Packer,
6 • Notes
Notes • 7

judith packer: improving the world
though technology
Control room of the Whitegate Independent Power Plant during commercial operations as power is being
exported to the Irish grid.
noting that the proximity allowed Parsons
Brinckerhoff staff to communicate issues
as soon as they occurred and keep BGE
fully informed. Packer’s team employed
several management tools including a
“design comments log” and a site progress
tracker to keep close tabs on activity.
Diligent attention to detail on a daily basis
along with accurate progress reporting
was a must, even when forecasting delays.
“It might not have been what BGE wanted
to hear at the time, but it enabled them to
plan ahead for gas purchase and strategically
allowed BGE senior management to
address cost considerations, which were
heightened by the economic downturn in
Ireland,” Packer says.
Packer also credits “brokering the right
solutions between BGE and the contractor”
as a step toward success, and maintains that
active design review and site supervision were
central to Parsons Brinckerhoff managing the
EPC contractor. “This meant that the majority
of issues were solved before they ever got to a
higher management or contractual level,” says
Packer. “Our aim was to give suggestions and
practical solutions in a timely manner, aiming
to ‘get it right the first time’ for the benefit of
the overall project.”
Specialist Advice at the
Right Time
One of Packer’s missions throughout the
project was finding the right people for
the task. “I have more than 100 Parsons
Brinckerhoff staff to thank for the success
of this project,” she says. “There were some
amazing specialists who provided their
expertise for a couple of hours, as well as
staff who worked on the project for years.”
Packer recalls drafting electrical engineering
specialists to work on an “earthing” design
to properly ground electrically conductive
elements of the power station to earth—
essential for the safety of the facility and
those who operate it. “Without their help,
the plant would have been incorrectly
designed and potentially at unnecessary
Modular lift being performed during construction.
Power stations are more frequently being
developed using a modular design.
excessive cost to the detriment of both the
client and the contractor.”
“Parsons Brinckerhoff played a key role
in helping to deliver a plant that was as free of
defects as was practically possible to achieve,”
says BGE’s Martin. “Their rigorous approach
to identifying defects and ensuring that the
EPC contract was delivered to specification
has largely contributed to ensuring that all
key systems and components were proven fit
for purpose and met their acceptance criteria
before commercial operation.” n
Staff at project site (left to right): Parsons Brinckerhoff Site Manager Robin Elven, Guerka Staeva, Project
Manager Judith Packer, Katherine Austin, and Tadgh O’Connor.
interested in using science
and technology to improve
our world,” says Judith Packer,
“I’’m
a Group Manager for Power
Generation in the UK. A mechanical engineer
with 25 years of professional experience,
Packer got her start on this lofty
goal at the tender age of seven when she
built Lego ® models with her brothers and
tinkered alongside her chemist father in
his workshop. After studying engineering
at Oxford University, she began her career
with eight years in gas turbine design and
manufacturing, which was then followed
by assignments working for a contractor,
then a developer. For the past 10
years with Parsons Brinckerhoff, Packer
has been involved as project manager in
power plants in Belgium, Turkey, Tunisia,
and now Ireland.
Packer’s leisure pursuits are completely
different but still have an international
flavor. Having rowed at university for
her college in Oxford, Packer crewed for
several years, later serving as an umpire.
Now she has been selected as one of the
few National Technical Official volunteers
for rowing events at the 2012 Olympics to
be held in London. “As the assistant starter,
I will be working directly with international
umpires and interfacing with the rest of the
start team to make sure all goes smoothly.
I will know if we have done a good job if
none of the athletes notice us!”
Packer is known as a manager who
champions her staff. She is particularly
proud of the fact that there were three
generations of women on the Whitegate
IPP project. “It was only on International
Women’s Day in March 2011 when I realized
that despite my time in the industry, it
is still unusual to have female colleagues,”
she says, noting that, at the same time,
“There are more opportunities than ever for
women and there is really no reason why
women cannot be successful in the engineering
industry.”
She also feels strongly about tapping
the strengths of new graduates as they
start work “They bring new enthusiasm
and modern skills. Given a bit of guidance
and coaching, they can quickly contribute
to the business in a meaningful way,” she
says. She assigned Andrew Charles, a university
undergraduate working with her
team, to produce podcasts for in-house use
to update her group on project progress.
Charles also reported his summer placement
as a podcast rather than the usual report
so that future undergraduates could get a
better insight into working with Parsons
Brinckerhoff. “Everyone has something to
contribute,” Packer says. “The trick is to
match their skills with what has to be done.”
Judith Packer
8 • Notes
Notes • 9

Responding
to Demand
Pego Power Plant offers
flexible energy source
POWER
The Pego Power Plant in Portugal,
in operation since March 2011,
is capable of fast start-up times,
allowing it to quickly adjust to
that country’s frequent power supply and
demand shifts. “That flexibility is of particular
advantage in Portugal, where a large quantity
of the energy mix is generated from wind
power, a variable energy source,” says Liam
Ellis, Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Project Manager.
Parsons Brinckerhoff was the owner’s
engineer for the 840-MW, combined-cycle
gas turbine (CCGT)
facility with two single-shaft units,
the most technologically advanced
gas-fired station in Portugal. It is
owned by Elecgas S.A., a joint venture
of two private companies—the
UK-based International Power and
Spanish utility Endesa S.A.
Efficient Design
The power station was developed
as a modular design, constructed
and on line producing power in
less time than many other facilities
of a similar size using different
technologies, comments Ellis.
Additional advantages are that “the
capital costs of a gas-fired singleshaft
unit are less than a multi-shaft
arrangement supplying the same
power output. The power station footprint is
also smaller and single-shaft units are quite
simple to operate.”
The new plant was connected to an
adjacent coal-fired power station, providing
the opportunity for the CCGT to utilize
shared services such as cooling water and
steam. A material called P91 was
utilized for the plant’s high temperature
and pressure piping.
The material offers superior
performance at high temperatures,
but must be carefully
controlled from initial sourcing
of the raw piece of metal
through the manufacturing and
heat treatment process to avoid premature
failure. Parsons Brinckerhoff played a key
role in auditing the stringent quality assurance
measures required to certify the traceability
and manufacturing quality of the
P91 for Pego.
Rapid Response
The construction program for the plant was
advanced because Siemens, the engineerprocure-construct
contractor, found a means
The Pego Power Plant
was connected to an
adjacent coal-fired power
station, providing the
opportunity to utilize
shared services such as
cooling water and steam.
to transport the heavy machinery on Portugal’s
Tejo River much sooner than anticipated, in the
summer months of 2009. Parsons Brinckerhoff
and Elecgas quickly adjusted to this development
by finalizing the design review process
through rigorous, face-to-face meetings with
the engineering team from Siemens, and
expediting the mobilization of the site
supervision team.
Pego brought together
Parsons Brinckerhoff staff
from different business areas
around the globe. The design
review team was located in
the UK, quality services staff
were in Switzerland, the U.S.,
the UK, and Asia, and local support was
offered by personnel in Spain.
Safety Efforts Add Up
On the safety front, the project recorded
more than two million hours of labor without
a lost time accident. This milestone was
the result of initiatives put in place by the
client and Parsons Brinckerhoff. Programs
included the establishment of the Site Safety
Steering Committee (which sought out
high-level involvement from the site
contractors); a safety working group
consisting of one representative from
each major subcontractor; and additional
safety staff to provide training
and supervision for on-site workers.
“Parsons Brinckerhoff performed
a key role in communicating
a responsible attitude toward
health and safety,” says Ellis. He
cited Portuguese contractors on the
project who viewed the safety lessons
learned as another bonus, to be
rolled out to other projects.
The local community in Pego,
a sparsely populated town 140 kilometers
(87 miles) north of Lisbon,
welcomed the power facility because
it brought revenue and jobs—1,000
during construction peak and 30
permanent positions.
Ellis notes that Pego is currently runing
more often than originally forecast,
due in part to the high level of efficiency
and reliability achieved to date, despite the
economic downturn in southern Europe,
which has negatively affected energy use
by businesses. He predicts increased use of
the Pego plant in the future because of the
retirement of two large oil-fired power stations
in the region.
The client was pleased with the overall
effort and result. Duncan Thew, Construction
Director for Elecgas, wrote in a letter to Ellis
that, “in every sense, the contribution from
Parsons Brinckerhoff was critical to the
delivery of this project.” n
10 • Notes
Liam Ellis
Notes • 11

Austin Gets
When the city of Austin,
Texas, experienced
temperatures in excess
of 38 C (100 F) for
the 70th consecutive day in August
2011, breaking an 86-year-old record,
Austin Energy met the extraordinary
demand for electricity with the help of
a peaking power plant that had been
expanded a year earlier.
Austin Energy expanded the Sand
Hill Energy Center to provide an additional
100 MW of generating capacity,
enough to power 75,000 homes. Two
new units began commercial operation
in July 2010, enabling the peaking
power plant to produce a total of
580 MW of electricity.
A Range of Services
Sand Hill Energy Partners, a joint
venture of Parsons Brinckerhoff and
TIC, was selected by the city of Austin
to engineer, design, procure, construct,
install, integrate, start up, and commission
the new gas turbine generators
and associated auxiliary equipment.
The joint venture’s additional services
included site work and interface/
modification to existing equipment
and facilities. Parsons Brinckerhoff was
detailed design engineer for the fasttrack,
design-build project.
Services included a review of
the city’s design criteria and the turbine
manufacturer’s specifications and
arrangement drawings. The joint venture
also developed a site mobilization
plan, layout drawings, a quality
control plan, and a design criteria
manual. Following the city’s review and
POWER
Power Boost
Sand Hill peaking plant
expanded to meet demand
tAPPing the
approval of the design criteria manual,
a comprehensive scope of services,
with projected costs and schedule,
was developed and implemented.
Innovative Design
“This is the first project designed by
Parsons Brinckerhoff to use screwtype
gas compressors, which require
far less maintenance than the more
commonly used reciprocating compressors,”
according to Project
Manager Jay Johnson. The large
5 kV, 2,800 horsepower compressors
provide high-pressure natural gas
for the two new combustion turbine
generators—GE LM6000s with
selective catalytic reduction (SCR)
exhaust systems for pollution control
that were purchased by the city
of Austin—as well as the original
four combustion turbine generators
already on site.
The turbine generators are
actual jet engines used to power
commercial aircraft that have been
modified to turn electric generators.
They can go from startup to full
output in about 10 minutes, ensuring
flexible, cost-effective power
generation; and the SCR exhaust
systems reduce the nitrogen oxide
emission rate by 80 percent.
“Through a cohesive group
effort, design criteria challenges were
met, including the interface of new
and existing equipment. This culminated
in reliable units to meet excess
power demands before outages or
failures could interrupt service,” says
Johnson. n
POWER
Heat Below
Geothermal plant
captures Earth’s heat
The Sand Hill expansion project added 100 MW generating
capacity, enough to power 75,000 homes.
Natural gas turbine installation provides high-pressure natural gas for
two new combustion turbine generators at the Sand Hill Energy Center.
Parsons Brinckerhoff has
worked to develop geothermal
power—a largely
untapped, clean, sustainable
source of energy—for more
than 50 years. The firm has provided
engineering services to support
more than 100 geothermal
projects in such countries as New
Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines,
and Australia, and played a role
in the first geothermal plants in
New Zealand, Indonesia, Kenya,
and Ethiopia.
Geology and Geography
Derived from the Greek words
“geo” (earth) and “therme” (heat),
geothermal literally means “heat of
the earth.” Originating at the earth’s
core, geothermal heat is carried in
magma that rises toward the earth’s
surface. In certain areas, this heat source
meets groundwater. Where the water is
trapped in fractured or permeable rock, a
geothermal reservoir forms, creating temperatures
of more than 300 C (570 F) and
a potentially accessible source of abundant
renewable energy.
New Zealand’s location on the Pacific
Ring of Fire makes it home to some of
the world’s largest geothermal resources,
providing about 10 percent of the country’s
electricity. Stretching from the center of
New Zealand’s North Island into the Pacific
Ocean, the Taupo Volcanic Zone encompasses
a vast geothermal system. Within that
zone is Wairakei Power Station. Designed by
Parsons Brinckerhoff and commissioned in
1958, Wairakei is now owned and operated
by Contact Energy, New Zealand’s largest
In New Zealand’s Taupo Volcanic Zone, where the Te Mihi
geothermal plant is being constructed.
producer of geothermal power.
With assistance from Parsons
Brinckerhoff, Contact Energy is at work
on its newest project, the Te Mihi Power
Station, “Our primary role is to deliver
the engineering and design with ongoing
technical support to the procurement and
construction activities,” says Roger Hudson,
Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Project Manager. “We
will also take a lead role during plant
commissioning and performance testing.”
Previously, the firm provided feasibility
studies, front-end engineering, owner’s and
lender’s roles, and detailed design of the
steamfield or power plant.
Big Picture
With the construction of Te Mihi, Contact
Energy will add two new 83-MW units near
the Wairakei steamfield resource. Te
Mihi is the biggest geothermal generation
project Contact Energy has undertaken,
and important to its strategy for
ensuring security of energy supply for
New Zealand.
Derek McCoy, Parsons Brinckerhoff’s
Regional Director for New Zealand, says
the project is consistent with broader
government goals for renewable energy.
“Projects like Te Mihi support the New
Zealand government’s target of 90 percent
power generation from renewable
sources by 2025,” says McCoy.
Parsons Brinckerhoff and its integrated
joint venture partners SNC-Lavalin and
McConnell Dowell were awarded the
engineer, procure, and construct contracts
for the project in February 2011.
When the Te Mihi units are completed
in 2013, 45 MW of the Wairakei
power station will be decommissioned
in accordance with resource consent
requirements and to most optimally use the
new steam production in the west of the
field. This will result in a net increase from
the combined Te Mihi and Wairakei stations
of about 114 MW.
Renewable and Reliable
Contact Energy Managing Director David
Baldwin says the commitment to Te Mihi
reflects its view that geothermal is New
Zealand’s most cost-effective and reliable
source of power. “Geothermal energy is
New Zealand’s most strategically important
energy source,” he says. ”It has a major
advantage over other renewable energy
sources, such as wind power, because it
doesn’t depend on the weather and, as
such, is always available.” n
12 • Notes
Notes • 13

Bangalore opts
for Sustainable
tRAnsportation
Bangalore is a city with wide boulevards,
beautiful parks, pleasant climate, and rich
cultural heritage.
Like many growing cities beset by traffic congestion, Bangalore is building a Metro
Bangalore’s transition to an international
city has received a boost
with the October 2011 opening
of the city’s Metro, which is
expected to offer efficient transit across the
city and relieve traffic congestion caused by
Bangalore’s rapid growth.
Residents of this southern Indian city
are now riding the sleek purple-and-white
cars of “Namma Metro” or “Our Metro” as
it’s called in Bangalore, India’s third-largest
city, noted for its wide boulevards, beautiful
parks, pleasant climate, and rich cultural
heritage. The first segment of the Metro
stretches 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the
center of Bangalore to its eastern suburbs.
“The mass rapid rail transit seeks to
provide an economical and environmentally
sustainable rail infrastructure for a
better quality of life,” says N. Sivasailam,
Managing Director, Bangalore Metro Rail
Corporation Ltd.
Parsons Brinckerhoff has been a vital
force in the Bangalore Metro as part of an
international consortium for the system,
providing general consultancy services
including project and construction management,
design services, tendering, and
testing and commissioning. Principal-in-
Charge Milind Nirmal is leading the firm’s
services on the 42-kilometer (25-mile)
Phase 1.
A Sustainable Vision
The Metro is expected to pay big dividends
for Bangalore. Since 1981, Bangalore’s
population has more than doubled from
2.9 million to 6.6 million, generating a
dramatic 13-fold growth in traffic. It is
expected that the Metro will reduce traffic
congestion, fuel consumption, accidents,
and pollution.
“The Metro, along with other urban and
regional planning initiatives, is a vital part of
ensuring orderly growth for Bangalore,” says
Sivasailam. “There is a strong vision here
that a sustainable urban transport system
translates to a more livable city.”
The Metro is seen as having a positive
environmental impact by reducing reliance
on fossil fuels, thereby placing Bangalore on
a low-carbon growth path.
The Metro will also use regenerative
power from the braking systems of the
rolling stock. A regenerative brake is an
energy-recovery mechanism that slows a
vehicle by converting its kinetic energy
into another form of energy, which can
either be used immediately or stored until
needed. Rapid transit systems worldwide
have experienced an average 20 percent
savings in traction power because of
regenerative braking, which also acts to
reduce heat load in the tunnel and thus air
conditioning requirements. “For a Metro,
regenerative braking is a means of further
reducing greenhouse gas emissions,”
Nirmal says.
Nirmal credits Bangalore Metro Rail
with a strong commitment to sustainability,
strong governance, and accountability to
ensure operational efficiency and financial
sustainability. The Bangalore Metro Rail has
concluded discussions with the state-owned
city bus operator to ensure the modes dovetail
through a system of feeder buses that
enhance the metro catchment. “The Metro
is positioned as a complementary, rather
than competitive, mode of transport, and is
envisioned to work in tandem with the bus
system,” says Sivasailam.
An International Team
A cadre of international experts has ensured
that the Metro is designed and built with the
latest expertise. The general consultant team
comprises companies from several countries,
including the U.S., Japan, and India.
Parsons Brinckerhoff’s U.S. architects
One of the stations along the first segment of the Bangalore Metro. Parsons Brinckerhoff worked with local
designers from RITES, an Indian government enterprise, for station planning.
collaborated with local designers from
RITES, a government of India enterprise,
on station planning, while mechanicalelectrical
engineers from the Hong Kong
office ensured that detailed design provided
the client with suitable station
designs in both form and function. On the
systems side, traction engineers from the
UK worked with trackwork designers from
Germany and India, and traction equipment
suppliers and trackwork contractors
from Bangkok, in powering the Metro.
“This wealth of experience from a diverse
range of people in locations spanning
the globe benefitted the Metro in countless
ways,” says Nirmal. “It brought it all
together for Bangalore.”
Moving Up
Property values are expected to soar along
the first section of the Metro to open, known
as Reach-1, which boasts some of the most
upscale destinations along the entire first
phase, including UB City, Bangalore’s largest
commercial project. Many commercial spaces
are in demand close to the Reach-1 route, and
some shops along the route are expected to
experience a boom in business.
“The real estate market is responding well
to the Metro, if increasing property prices in
the Metro neighborhood are any indication of
the shape of things to come,” says Sivasailam.
Adds Nirmal, “When transit operates
smoothly, people want to live and work
near it.” n
14 • Notes
Notes • 15

World’s Longest
Guided BUSWAy
opens
At the opening of the Cambridgeshire
Busway, local officials including Councillor
Ian Bates, Cabinet Member for Growth and
Planning (second from left), cut the ribbon.
Ridership trounces expectations in the slowest month of the year
David Eve
The Cambridgeshire Busway, a
guided busway running 25 kilometers
(15.5 miles) from St Ives to
Cambridge in the UK, opened for
business August 7, 2011— and has already
surpassed ridership projections.
“The plan was for ridership to increase
gradually over three years to 300,000 passengers
per month, but the new busway already
attracted more than 224,000 passengers in
August, its first month of operation and typically
the least busy month of the year,” says
David Eve, Deputy Project Manager, speaking
just a few weeks after the opening. “Already,
the service has had to run double the number
of buses originally planned and triple during
rush hour just to keep up with demand.”
Parsons Brinckerhoff was part of a
detailed design-build joint venture for the contractor,
BAM Nuttall, and the Cambridgeshire
County Council. Detailed design started in
September 2006 and continued through construction,
which began in 2007.
Bus with Rail Amenities
The Cambridgeshire Busway, the longest
guided busway in the world, is meant to
offer most of the comfort and speed of light
rail, including mechanical guidance, complete
separation from motor traffic, on-time
reliability, speeds up to 100 kilometers (60
miles) per hour, platform stations, advanced
ticket purchase, low floors for easy boarding,
parking, and real-time passenger information—all
at less than half the construction
and operational cost of a light rail system.
“Buses are not typically a first choice for
commuters,” says Eve, “but guided busways
offer a very smooth ride, air conditioning,
leather seats, wireless Internet connectivity,
and AC outlets so passengers can work on
their laptops or cell phones. The ride is so
smooth you can drink your coffee en route.”
The goal is to attract a wide rider demographic,
including professionals who would
not normally abandon their cars for public
transportation. In doing so the Cambridgeshire
County Council hopes to draw cars from route
A14 (a congested highway that follows a route
similar to that of the busway), and reduce auto
traffic and parking problems in Cambridge.
“It can take you an hour to do just about
the same route on A14 during rush hour that
you can do in 35 minutes with the guided
busway,” says Eve. A city with a rich history
and architecture, Cambridge is seeking to
protect its heritage by reducing auto traffic
and promoting walking, public transportation,
and cycling.
The new busway runs on the abandoned
Huntingdon to Cambridge rail line
and a section of disused track south of
Cambridge between the city train station and
the Trumpington Park-and-Ride, with links to
Cambridge railway station, Regional College,
Science Park, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, and
new housing areas. A newly completed parkand-ride
site sits adjacent to a proposed station
in the new town of Northstowe.
The Best Alternative
Aside from cost, one of the principal reasons
for choosing a guided busway was its narrow
width requirements compared to a traditional
non-guided busway, enabling construction of
routes in both directions on the existing rail
line right-of-way. “Since the bus is locked into
the guideway, you only need enough width
for the bus and a small amount of additional
space to prevent the side view mirrors from
colliding,” says Eve.
Building rail service into Cambridge
would have required breaking up historic
streets for rail and attaching overhead electrification
wires to historic buildings, which
was not an option. Another advantage is
flexibility, as the same bus vehicle that runs
along the guided busway becomes a typical
bus running along city streets once it enters
Cambridge’s historic districts.
The concept for a guided busway started
At the St Ives Park-and-Ride passengers disembark from the bus that runs on guideway (see photo at left).
The Cambridgeshire Busway extends 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from St Ives to Cambridge.
with a 2001 report entitled the “Cambridge
to Huntingdon Multimodal Study,” which
analyzed traffic issues in the Cambridge and
Huntingdon region and concluded that widening
A14 would not fulfill the goal of reducing
auto traffic in the city’s business district.
The report also found that bus rapid transit
would have a better benefit/cost ratio than
light rail, providing the region with a public
transport alternative to the car and meeting
the government’s growth plans without
increasing congestion and carbon emissions.
Big Challenges
The project faced many design and environmental
challenges requiring ingenuity
and flexibility from the designers. Parsons
Brinckerhoff designed a new 220-meter
(722-foot) viaduct in three months after discovering
the original plan to repair existing
brick piers and build a new superstructure
was not viable. Recycled shredded tires
were used as infill for rainwater drainage
trenches, a scheme that won the project
the UK’s 2009 Chartered Institute of Waste
Management award for materials selection
and sustainability. Highly complex modeling
was employed to avoid an adverse impact
on the existing floodplain.
The result is reliable, high-quality transit,
smoother traffic flow, and increasing business
activity along the busway corridor. n
16 • Notes
Notes • 17

A New Home
For jUStice
One of the 18 courtrooms in the structure that
houses the Augusta-Richmond Judicial Center
and John H. Ruffin Jr. Courthouse, which opened
earlier this year.
Court is in session at a new courthouse and judicial center in Augusta, Georgia
There was no doubt that Augusta,
Georgia, was in need of a new
judicial center and courthouse.
Services were scattered across a
number of facilities in different locations.
The Greene Street building, home to courtrooms,
was approximately 50 years old,
with several shortcomings, among them
inadequate courtroom technology, HVAC
systems, and security.
Following voter approval of a specialpurpose
local option sales tax, Augusta-
Richmond County had the opportunity to
enhance some of the city’s most noteworthy
institutions. The design and construction
of the Augusta-Richmond County Judicial
Center and John H. Ruffin Jr. Courthouse
were among the projects to be completed.
Heery International (the U.S. buildings operating
company of Parsons Brinckerhoff) was
hired by the county in 2004 to serve as its
capital improvements program manager.
Right-Sizing the Structure
Heery’s first assignment was to review the
judicial center’s capital program, which had
been completed in November 2003. This
review led Heery to suggest a reduction
in the building’s size from 28,000 square
meters (300,000 square feet) to 19,000
square meters (200,000 square feet). The
team then shaved an additional 1,900 square
meters (20,000 square feet) from the plans.
“By evaluating and subsequently adapting
the project’s scope, we were able to better
meet the client’s financial requirements,
saving the county at least $30 million,” says
Project Director Don Green.
To put the project on a faster track,
Heery convinced county officials to employ
the construction management at-risk method,
the first time the county had used it for
a building project. “By using CM at-risk, we
were able to bid package the site, foundation,
and concrete framework for early
award,” Green says. “As a result, groundbreaking
could take place in late 2008 with
construction completed in early 2011. Both
milestones exceeded initial expectations.”
Unique Challenges
One of the most unusual characteristics of
the project was its location on a transitional
plane between different geographic zones—
The Piedmont and Coastal Plain. “The
county hired a local geotechnical firm that
quickly recognized the soil could potentially
liquefy in the event of seismic activity,” says
Heery Project Manager Lindsay Johnson.
“The solution was to drive more than 600
auger piles to stabilize the foundation and
eliminate the possibility of movement in the
event of seismic activity.”
While the team recognized the soil
challenges early on, they were taken completely
by surprise when they discovered 3
to 3.6 meters (10 to 12 feet) of brick during
the installation of storm drains for the future
parking lot. The brick belonged to a longforgotten
ice and coal plant built around
the turn of the 20th century. “Removing
the entire foundation would have cost an
additional $500,000,” Johnson says. After
further exploration, the team determined
that removing approximately 1 meter (3
feet) of soil, installing geofabric, and adding
approximately 1 meter (3 feet) of good fill
dirt for the parking lot base would suffice.
The courthouse lobby features high ceilings, blended limestone-porcelain tiles, and wood panels.
Court Is Now In Session
Despite the challenges, court is now in session
in the 17,000-square-meter (180,000-squarefoot)
concrete structure. “Like the city itself,”
Johnson says, “the building is gracious but
simple.” The lobby is impressive with its
11-meter- (35-foot-) high ceilings, blended
limestone-porcelain tiles, wood panels,
sound absorption panels, and an expansive
bank of windows. A total of 18 courtrooms
and hearing rooms are housed in the fourstory
building, while court officials’ offices
were placed in the two-story circular wing.
The new facility also boasts the county’s
first sallyport, allowing officials to transport
prisoners directly from police vehicles to
holding cells. Separate elevators for prisoners,
visitors, and judges offer an additional
layer of security.
Looking back over the project,
Johnson believes part of the facility’s success
stems from involving all user groups
in the design and construction process.
“From the beginning, we sought input
from representatives of the state and superior
court, sheriff, and marshal’s offices, as
well as security and maintenance professionals,”
Johnson notes. “The county now
has a facility that not only meets budget
requirements, but will serve judicial needs
for years to come.” n
18 • Notes
Notes • 19

Notes
on
Projects
On Wacker Drive,
the Show Must Go On
Tom Nutter may not be Parsons
Brinckerhoff’s opera aficionado,
but few people are as in tune
as he with the Lyric Opera of
Chicago’s schedule given his
role as Parsons Brinckerhoff’s
Project Manager for the Wacker
Drive Viaduct demolition and
reconstruction. The Civic Opera
House takes up an entire city
block, and is one of many structures
impacted by construction.
Wacker Drive, a two-level roadway in downtown Chicago, is
undergoing reconstruction that will improve traffic flow and
extend the useful life of the viaduct.
“The noise and requisite
detours associated with the construction,
which takes place 20
hours a day, six days a week,
had the potential for interrupting
performances and other events,”
Nutter says. To avoid such disruption,
the team visited the space
during construction to determine
noise impacts, and then coordinated
construction milestones
around performance and event
schedules. “While the street was
closed for construction, which
also impacted parking, our goal,
which we achieved, was to have
that portion of construction completed,
and open for valet parking
and taxis as the new season
began on September 29, 2011.”
Weekly coordination meetings
with the city and building
managers allow Nutter’s team to
provide updates on the week’s
traffic pattern. The city and
building owners can then inform
everyone from commuters and
pedestrians to delivery companies
and tourists.
Protecting the city’s complicated
technology infrastructure
also falls under Parsons
Brinckerhoff’s purview. “The
fiber-optic lines for several financial
and transportation control
centers lie beneath the surface of
our work area. Maintaining these
communication links at all times
is critical,” says Nutter.
Despite the challenges,
Nutter couldn’t be more positive
about the project’s ultimate
completion. Not only is the viaduct
designed to last 100 years
because of its extreme post-tensioned
concrete deck, it will also
improve traffic for the upper and
lower levels of Wacker Drive
through the addition of such features
as left-hand turn lanes and
higher ceiling clearances.
New Roles on
China Buildings
Parsons Brinckerhoff has supported
the completion of two
high-profile buildings in China
this year.
Hong Kong’s 50 Connaught
Road Central, completed in April
2011, is the newest landmark
office property in the city’s business
district.
Led by Project Manager
Max Chan, Parsons Brinckerhoff
provided project and construction
management services, a
role that also included support
during the acquisition of the
existing buildings and oversight
of demolition work starting in
September 2007.
Designed by Robert A.M.
Stern and inspired by some of
Manhattan’s iconic historic skyscrapers,
the LEED- (Leadership
in Energy and Environmental
The Dalian Park Central is a 48-story
luxury residential tower in Dalian,
China.
Hong Kong’s 50 Connaught Road Central (center) is an office building designed
by Robert A. M. Stern that stands out from the surrounding glass towers.
Design) certified building features
a facade cladded in European
limestone with inset triple-height
windows and bronze-finished
details for a classical aesthetic
that stands out from other nearby
curtain wall office buildings.
Parsons Brinckerhoff’s
responsibilities also included
the management of the interior
fitting-out works, and management
of architectural, civil, structural,
building services, facade,
and lighting specialist consultant
team members.
In Dalian, a major city and
seaport in northeast China, the
Dalian Park Central is a 48-story
luxury residential tower over a
podium with 380 parking spaces.
As project manager, Parsons
Brinckerhoff managed the design
process, assisted the client in
identifying high-quality building
materials and finishes available
locally, and provided advice on
the best strategy for procurement
and tendering.
“The client was adamant
about good design, and equally
stringent on budget control,”
says Chan, who also led the
firm’s role on this project. “Our
local know-how proved to be an
effective tool in bridging the gap
between international standards
and local practices.” The first
phase of the Dalian Park Central
was completed in June 2011.
Transit Center
To Improve Travel in
Lower Manhattan
When the $1.4 billion Fulton
Street Transit Center in Lower
Manhattan is complete in June
2014, the 300,000 daily commuters,
residents, and visitors
who pass through will find
travel vastly improved.
At the existing Fulton
Street subway complex, transfers
require use of multiple
stairways, circuitous ramps, and
narrow passageways; entrances
are obscure and poorly identified;
and access is hampered
by narrow sidewalks and heavy
street traffic.
By contrast, the new Fulton
Street Transit Center will have a
highly visible aboveground structure
serving as the main entrance,
providing access to stations for
nine subway lines and PATH
trains operating between New
York and New Jersey. New and
expanded station mezzanines and
passageways and more surface
access points will facilitate transfers
and eliminate bottlenecks.
The new center will also promote
safety and reduce congestion at
heavily trafficked street crossings.
The transit center concourse will
have a new underground passageway
connecting it with the
redeveloped World Trade Center
site, and will feature more than
2,800 square meters (30,000
square feet) of retail space.
Parsons Brinckerhoff is providing
construction management
services on behalf of Metropolitan
Transportation Authority Capital
Construction (MTACC).
Martin Tagliaferro, Program
Manager, reports that the overall
project is more than 65%
complete. Additionally, a new
station entrance was opened in
August 2011 and the complete
reopening of a subway station
within the complex followed in
September 2011.
A rendering of the new Fulton Street Transit Center in Lower Manhattan as
it will look when it opens in 2014.
20 • Notes Notes • 21

Notes
on
Projects
Toronto Tower
Saving Energy
First Canadian Place, Canada’s
tallest office building at 72 stories,
is undergoing major improvements
both outside and inside.
The building is a massive
complex at nearly 280,000
square meters (3 million square
feet). Originally clad in Italian
Carrara marble, the tower is
being re-clad in glass. Inside,
changes have been taking place
that have reduced energy use
by 15 percent for the client,
Brookfield Properties.
“Working with the building’s
mechanical and electrical
An energy assessment at First
Canadian Place resulted in a 15
percent decrease in energy use.
Runners of all ages celebrated the September opening of a new highway in the
Salt Lake region.
engineers, we did a high-level
assessment to look for energy
conservation measures. We got
dramatic results,” says James
Wilkinson, Project Manager for
the energy assessment conducted
by Halsall Associates, the
building engineering division of
Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Canadian
operating company.
“We took enormous strides.
We helped push the envelope,”
adds Monica Montefiore,
Managing Principal of Halsall’s
Green Planning and Design
Group, noting that Halsall has
worked on various projects in
the building since 2004.
Energy conservation
measures range from replacing
a boiler that is 70 percent
efficient with one that is 90
percent efficient to changing
operating schedules so they
align with certain systems such
as lighting and air conditioning
to operate only when people
are in the building. “People
like to look at the high-profile
green things,” says Montefiore,
“but a lot of savings come from
practical solutions that are
aren’t very sexy, like renovating
washrooms with low-flow
fixtures, going from three bulbs
to two, or changing a 60-watt
bulb to a 40-watt bulb.”
New Interstate Link
Near Salt Lake City
Hundreds of runners inaugurated
a new 4.8-kilometer (3-mile)
highway linking Redwood Road
in Lehi, Utah, with Interstate
15, as part of an enthusiastic
opening ceremony and ribbon
cutting in late September
2011 for the Mountain View
Corridor project. Also on hand
were Bert Wilson, the Mayor of
Lehi, and Teri Newell, the Utah
Department of Transportation’s
Project Director.
Parsons Brinckerhoff has
played a major role in the project,
producing an environmental
impact statement in 2008
that called for a 56-kilometer
(35-mile) highway connecting
Interstate 80 and Interstate 15,
as well as a dedicated bus rapid
transit system, and a system of
pedestrian and equestrian trails.
The total cost of the multiphased
project is estimated at
$4 billion, with the recently
opened section of highway costing
approximately $120 million.
Parsons Brinckerhoff produced
the design for the new segment,
oversaw significant community
outreach, and is acting as program
manager for the entire
project in partnership with HDR.
A $730 million, 24-kilometer
(15-mile) segment is also under
construction in Salt Lake County
with an expected completion
date of December 2012.
“The unique phased implementation
addresses the need for
additional road and transit capacity
as it’s needed by acquiring the
necessary right-of-way now,” says
Ed Rock, Parsons Brinckerhoff’s
Project Manager. “In doing so it
provides an immediate connection
to I-15 for several rapidly
expanding communities and a
balanced transportation solution
for the Salt Lake region’s current
and future growth.”
Denver’s Union Station
Plan Comes to Life
Denver’s Union Station, built in
1881, and listed on the National
Register of Historic Places, pays
homage to the early days of the
rail road. Now, with the master
planning assistance of Parsons
Brinckerhoff, the station not
only represents history, but history
in the making. The master
plan provides the framework for
a new multimodal transportation
center that offers commuter
and light rail systems, regional
bus lines, and an extension of
the adjoining 16th Street Mall.
The approximately 8-hectare
(20-acre) parcel is also slated for
residential, retail, and commercial
development.
“We spent two years in
the master planning process
with the Regional Transportation
District, the city and county
of Denver, the Colorado
Department of Transportation,
the Denver Regional Council of
Governments, and a large community
group to create a facility
that embraced the building’s
history while creating a new
transportation hub,” says Project
Manager Eric Anderson. “We
held regularly scheduled public
meetings to get input from our
various stakeholders, and to
review and fine-tune our initial
plan.” The firm also assisted
the Development Advisory
Committee with the selection of
the developer team.
Anderson is enthusiastic
about seeing the vision of
the master plan come to life.
“The three-track light rail station
opened in September,
and the 22-bay regional bus
facility is about halfway
through construction,” he says.
“Construction is about to start
on the commuter rail system,
and the first of five parcels
slated for development is
scheduled to break ground in
the first quarter of 2012. Truly,
the Union Station project is a
catalyst for downtown Denver
development, one that also creates
an opportunity to bring
more people downtown.” n
Construction is under way to transform historic Denver Union Station to a multimodal
transportation center with associated development.
22 • Notes Notes • 23

Notes
on the
Firm
© 2011 david sailorS
© 2009 david sailorS
Jim Lammie
Cathy Connor Bob Close Peter Halsall Ian Cameron
Three Win Kudos
From ARTBA
The American Road and
Transportation Builders
Association (ARTBA) recently
recognized three Parsons
Brinckerhoff figures for their
contributions to the industry.
Jim Lammie, former
President, Chief Executive
Officer, and Chairman of Parsons
Brinckerhoff, was named to the
ARTBA 2011 Transportation
Development Hall of Fame. The
Hall of Fame honors individuals
or families from the public and
private sectors who have made
extraordinary contributions to
U.S. transportation development
during their careers. Lammie
was honored in the category
of Transportation Design &
Construction Industry Leaders.
Cathy Connor, Manager
of U.S. Federal Government
Affairs, won the Ethel S. Birchland
Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award was presented as
part of the inaugural 2011
ARTBA Women Leaders in
Transportation Design &
Construction Awards. Named
after ARTBA’s Executive
Director in the mid-1920s, the
award is given to women who
have demonstrated outstanding
leadership and dedication
to the advancement of women
in the transportation industry.
Connor, who has three decades
of experience working in the
transportation industry in
Washington, D.C., directs federal
legislative, regulatory, and
political activities for Parsons
Brinckerhoff in the U.S. capital.
She serves on numerous
industry committees and coalitions
that advance the cause of
the transportation construction
industry.
Bob Close, a civil engineer
who is the Area Manager for
Orange, California, was named
the recipient of the Guy Kelcey
Award, which honors one of the
organizers of ARTBA’s Planning
& Design (P&D) Division. The
award is presented each year
to an ARTBA member who
has exhibited a high degree of
service to the P&D Division.
Close has 39 years of experience
managing large-scale,
multi-disciplinary transportation
design, planning, and construction
administration projects that
include highway design, bridge
structures, rail, transit, airports,
and water resources projects.
He has been Principal-in-
Charge on such projects as the
Anaheim Regional Transportation
Intermodal Center; phase 2 of
the Expo light rail project in
Los Angeles; Grade Separation
Environmental Studies, Orange
County, California; and I-5/La
Paz Interchange Improvements,
Laguna Niguel, California.
Halsall Fellow of
Canadian Academy
Peter Halsall was inducted
into the Canadian Academy
of Engineering as a Fellow.
Honorary fellowships recognize
distinguished achievements and
career-long service to the engineering
profession.
Halsall is Chairman of
Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Canadian
operating company. He is
also Global Market Leader for
Sustainability. As champion of
Halsall’s green design activities,
he has advised government
agencies and planners, managed
the integrated design process
for buildings and communities,
and provided compliance
services for green certification
programs. Within Halsall he has
implemented the IRIS Project, a
comprehensive company-wide
internal sustainability project that
has set targets for improvement
in the company’s triple bottom
line (financial, environmental,
and social).
Cameron Lauded
By Australian
Water Group
Ian Cameron, a water engineer
in the Brisbane office,
received the Australian Water
Association (AWA) Queensland
Water Professional of the Year
2011 award. Cameron has more
than 27 years of engineering
and project management experience
on major water projects
for municipal, defense, and mining
clients. In his current role
on the Logan Water Alliance,
in Queensland, he coordinates
design and documentation for
water supply and wastewater
infrastructure projects.
Fellowships Address
CCS and Tunnel Design
Kirsten Foy, a Dublin-based
senior carbon capture and
storage engineer, is the recipient
of the William Barclay
Parsons Fellowship for 2012.
Two finalists, Norris Harvey
and Jimmy Thompson, will
also receive funding to further
their research.
Parsons Brinckerhoff’s
annual fellowship awards
program, launched in 1985
to honor the firm’s founder,
William Barclay Parsons, sponsors
employees’ research and
publishes their findings.
Foy’s proposal, “Development
of Oxyfuel Design Capability,”
aims to develop a computer
model of the oxyfuel method
of carbon capture and storage
(CCS). “The global economy is
dependent on the use of fossil
fuels, and CCS is a viable way
of using fossil fuels without
Kirsten Foy
releasing more carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere,” she says.
“Renewable energy will be available
in the long term but it is
not available at the scale that’s
needed, and carbon capture can
be rolled out more quickly.”
Norris Harvey, a supervising
mechanical engineer in New
York, was named a finalist for
his proposal, “Development of a
Fixed Fire Fighting System Model
for Use in Road Tunnels.” Harvey
will conduct research to develop
a computational fluid dynamics
computer model code that
can simulate the performance
and effectiveness of water-based
sprinkler systems in road tunnels
during a vehicle fire.
Finalist Jimmy Thompson,
a tunnel engineer in San
Francisco, was cited for his proposal,
“Tunnel Design for High
Speed Rail,” under which he
will develop specifications to
address the aerodynamic effects
of trains traveling at very high
speed through tunnels and the
fire life safety requirements for
such systems. n
Norris Harvey
Jimmy Thompson
© 2011 david sailorS
© 2011 david sailorS
24 • Notes

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