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Freese and Nichols is a firm built upon innovation. We’ve been inventing and innovating since Freese and Nichols’ founder, Major John B. Hawley, pioneered municipal water solutions in the late 1800s. His work laid the foundation for infrastructure and processes we rely on today. Innovation remains a part of our work, in the new ideas and creative concepts implemented by our project teams to address unique project environments and overcome challenges.

Our Innovation Awards Program inspires teamwork, builds innovators, and recognizes project teams who have introduced, developed and delivered services and technical solutions. Since 2006 this internal awards program has encouraged solutions that exemplify our delivery of excellent

customer service. As an outcome, some of the best technical innovations are shared across our company.

Innovation is our commitment to clients and staff, an integral part of our culture, and our motivation to find more efficient and cost-effective ways to view projects. It is an honor to introduce you to the faces of innovation.

Robert F. Pence, P.E., BCEE President and CEO Freese and Nichols, Inc.

FACES OF INNOVATION

Innovation at Freese and Nichols is defined as implementing effective methods and ideas that improve or simplify existing tasks, processes, services or design. Innovation may also lead to the development of new services, products, technology or patents. Innovative thinking is an integral part of our continuous improvement journey.

Freese and Nichols’ continuous improvement journey follows a long but fruitful road that we embarked on 17 years ago. We’ve had milestones like the 2007 Texas Award for Performance Excellence and 2010 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and we’ve also had detours. Many of these were guided by embracing examiners’ feedback after each award application. Each feedback report allowed us to map areas for improvement and establish a path forward. The resulting journey has been transformative.

What we have found along the way is that the road to performance excellence can be achieved through many routes. As an outcome of our journey, we’ve had the opportunity to work with cities, independent school districts and other engineering firms to strengthen their organizations. Pursuing performance excellence based on the Baldrige criteria provides guidelines that, taken in whole or in part, can improve an organization and position it for the future. The path is yours to choose. Many organizations decide to apply for the Baldrige award, and others use the guidelines as a framework for improvement.

One organization we’re partnering with is the City of Fort Worth, Texas. The City is using a culture analysis tool that has helped their Planning and Development Department to be more client-focused. We have also held benchmarking sessions with the City on various topics, including performance management and professional development.

“Thanks to Freese and Nichols, Fort Worth was able to transform its business processes for plan review and development, and we greatly improved service to our citizens and businesses,” said Tom Higgins, City Manager for the City of Fort Worth. “Their leadership is a remarkable asset to our city, especially as all municipalities work to maximize the use of resources in the face of difficult economic challenges.”

We value the opportunity to serve as a resource as you pursue performance excellence. It is the reward of our initial commitment when we embarked on our continuous improvement journey: that we would give back to the clients who have supported us in our continued business success. Please let us know how we can serve you.

Emily Darr’s journey to an engineering career began at North Carolina State University (NCSU) the summer before her senior year of high school. “I attended a week-long engineering camp where we stayed on campus, learned about Best Management Practices (BMPs), completed field surveys and worked on an actual stormwater project,” she said. This visit spurred her interest in engineering and led to an undergraduate degree at NCSU.

Now, with bachelor’s degree in hand, Emily is starting her professional career in our Raleigh, N.C., office. She’s already lent her expertise in BMPs during a two-month transition in Fort Worth, Texas, with our North Texas Stormwater Engineering Group. “Working here provided a huge opportunity to meet staff and build relationships, work on a variety of projects and immerse myself in the Freese and Nichols culture,” Emily said.

This story of opportunity is reminiscent of our newly opened Dallas office in the 1990s. Mike Wayts, P.E., CFM, began his career with us as a full-time intern in 1996 while studying at the University of Texas at Arlington. After graduation, he continued his professional career in our Dallas office, working on site development, municipal and stormwater engineering projects. The office grew from four people in 1996 to 60-plus professionals today.

Earlier this year, Mike headed to North Carolina to lead efforts in the Southeastern United States. “I am very excited about this opportunity to experience a new place to live, meet new people and help grow our business,” he said. “Just as Freese and Nichols gave me an opportunity and training to become a leader in our company, I look to help the next generation develop those same attributes.”

Our office on the NCSU campus in Raleigh connects us to the research and innovation that drives technical solutions at the core of our projects. With performance excellence and client service as driving factors, finding a home on campus signifies a two-way partnership for expanding our knowledge through research, technology and innovation, interacting first-hand with future engineers of the Southeast, and reaching out to the North Carolina Performance Excellence Program housed on campus.

“I am thrilled to have Freese and Nichols on campus,” said Morton Barlaz, Ph.D., P.E., Professor and Head of the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at NCSU. “They bring a wealth of experience and a sincere interest in finding ways to utilize university research to better serve their clients and society. I look forward to ongoing engagement with our faculty and students.”

Our Journey to North Carolinaby Charles Archer

by Cindy Milrany, CPA

OUR ROAD TOPERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE

CINDy MIlRANy, CPA, is Chief Financial Officer of Freese and Nichols and leads our strategic planning and continuous improvement program. Her guidance and leadership contributed to Freese and Nichols’ successful pursuit of the 2010 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. She guides and oversees our team’s efforts to stay on the performance excellence journey and reapply for the Baldrige Award in 2016.

CHARlES ARCHER has an extensive background of municipal experience that includes Chief Operating Officer and lobbyist of the North Carolina league of Municipalities, Halifax County Manager and Director of Planning for the City of Roanoke Rapids. He joined the Freese and Nichols team in January 2013 as Account Manager for our Raleigh office.

Freese and Nichols’ office on the Centennial Campus of North Carolina State University

Freese and Nichols’ delegation at the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award ceremony on April 12, 2012

TECHNICAl WORkSHOPS Reaching out into the professional community, our Raleigh office hosts technical workshops each month on topics such as roadways, water, wastewater, stormwater and professional ethics. Spearheading this effort is leslie Meacham, who brings her experience in training state and local officials at UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Government. Course attendees earn professional development hours toward certification renewal and all proceeds are donated to the yMCA of the Triangle. For more information, contact leslie at 919-582-5859 or leslie.Meacham@freese.com.

View more resources about our continuous improvement journey

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As Freese and Nichols has grown, we’ve found that inspiring new employees with the importance of innovation, in our projects and in our everyday tasks, is an integral step in our continuous improvement journey.

Innovation serves as a starting point for all activities at Freese and Nichols, and our Inspired Innovation Committee connects, inspires and mobilizes employees. Over the past year, we have connected innovation to our cycle of Continuous Improvement and Quality Assurance reviews for projects. Moving forward, innovation will become an aspect of our client satisfaction surveys and application for the 2016 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

In 2012, in response to an idea submitted by an employee, we made Research & Development (R&D) funding available to our teams to advance their knowledge and expertise. The R&D Program allocates $50,000 each year for employees to develop their ideas into reality. Last year, three initiatives received funding: two projects aimed at sustainable practices in mixed-use development and municipal roadway design (see sidebar on facing page for more information) and one project dealing with total nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment plants. So far this year, two projects have received funding with additional funds still available.

Our corporate investment in R&D funding drives innovation by encouraging our professionals to provide unique solutions on projects and processes as we aim to be the firm of choice for clients and employees and stay at the forefront of innovative thinking.

by Barbara Nickerson

BARBARA NICKERSON is a Freese and Nichols Vice President, Principal and Environmental Science Group Manager. She is also the leader of our Inspired Innovation Committee.

In our firmwide focus on stewardship of resources, one notable area of success is Freese and Nichols’ winning entry in the Low-Impact Development (LID) Design Competition hosted by the North Texas Land/Water Sustainability Forum. Members of our Urban Planning + Design Group joined with our North Texas Stormwater Group to research and apply LID strategies in design of a one-mile stretch of South Lamar Street in Dallas, Texas. After the competition, the City of Dallas awarded Freese and Nichols the project to implement these strategies as part of their goal to create a livable city.

“To continue its commitments to sustainability, the City of Dallas wanted to encourage the local engineering community to learn about and use LID strategies, so we participated in funding the design competition,” said Jill Jordan, P.E., an Assistant City Manager for Dallas. “Freese and Nichols’ design changed the City’s approach to this project, and the project will be a showcase for implementing LID in the Dallas area.”

The competition provided more benefits than we initially realized. Our multi-discipline team was given a chance to think outside the box through research and practical application of livable roadway solutions. It has also been a strong team-building opportunity to drive innovation, inspire entries in other LID competitions and position our staff as leaders of LID concepts.

Our team is now sharing this valuable knowledge with clients across Texas and beyond. With discussion that centers around successful LID strategies, our seminars focus on concepts that work with the natural environment to save money over the project’s life cycle and increase water quality. Linda Huff, Account Director in our San Marcos, Texas, office, participated in our San Marcos LID seminar. She shares insight on the importance of this nationwide effort: “Creating a sustainable environment is becoming increasingly important in the field of public works. These seminars are a good forum to help clients understand how to achieve the desired effects of a sustainable project that has less adverse impacts on the environment while still being less expensive to construct and maintain.”

Livable Roadway Design Solutionsby Tricia Hatley, P.E., ENV SP, LEED® AP

TRICIA HATLEY, P.E., ENV SP, LEED® AP, is a Freese and Nichols Vice President, Principal and Urban Planning + Design Group Manager. She has extensive experience in transportation and stormwater projects with proven success in developing sustainable project alternatives.

INSPIRING INNOVATION

Bioswales under construction for Elm Fork Athletic Complex, City of Dallas

Freese and Nichols’ award-winning low-impact design of a one-mile stretch of South Lamar Street in Dallas

Read more about this project design

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THE VALUE OF A TRUSTED ADVISOROne thing that sets Freese and Nichols apart is that we don’t just pursue projects — we pursue clients. By pursuing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships, we become part of the community and a part of the organization.

We know the cities where we work — we live there, we work there, we play there, and we develop relationships there, at all levels of the city. We see how they’re doing in the good times and the bad times. When a problem arises, we answer the call. That’s the kind of company we are.

Over 119 years, we have grown our services and developed our expertise so we can provide the range of services a municipality needs with regard to engineering, planning, regulatory compliance and architecture. This enables us to provide full-service, integrated project delivery.

On every project, our professionals in various areas are all communicating, they’re all sharing knowledge and they’re all working toward the same goal: providing a great project, and doing it in the way that best serves the client’s interests.

Our work in the City of Aledo, Texas, exemplifies this approach. The small city west of Fort Worth has grown significantly over the past decade, and its population is projected to increase fourfold by 2050. As Aledo has experienced growing pains, Freese and Nichols has been providing complete, multi-discipline solutions.

Freese and Nichols’ planners and engineers initially provided services for establishing a surface water supply. From there, services expanded into comprehensive planning, roadway, transportation, wastewater and stormwater solutions. “We have worked with the City to understand their situation and plan for future growth,” said Robert McGee, P.E., Client Representative for Aledo. “Over time, our role has evolved to planning future projects and providing the needed infrastructure to allow the City to grow.”

One critical issue triggered by growth was the need to expand Aledo’s wastewater treatment plant. The expansion presented serious design challenges, most notably the constraints of a site bordered by a floodplain on one side and a steep bluff leading to luxury homes on the other. The expanded plant also had to meet more stringent treatment requirements and accommodate an additional expansion capacity.

by Mike Wayts, P.E., CFM

MIkE WAyTS, P.E., CFM, is Freese and Nichols’ Southeast Division Manager, based in Raleigh, N.C. In his 17 years with our company, he has helped develop our Stormwater Practice and Technical Excellence Program, and two of his projects won Engineering Excellence Gold Awards from the Texas Council of Engineering Companies: University Channel, City of Garland, and Highlands Creek Erosion Control Project, City of Carrollton.

Freese and Nichols helped Aledo obtain funding for the new plant, assisted with permitting, performed preliminary and final designs, and provided construction phase services. Through careful planning and innovative design, our team met the challenging criteria. By designing a 50-foot-tall retaining wall anchored by 800 soil nails, our team reclaimed previously undevelopable land for construction and future expansion. We designed a microwave-powered ultraviolet disinfection system — the first in Texas — that saves on operating and maintenance costs in a batch treatment plant. And, so the plant would be a good neighbor to the nearby homes, all odor-producing facilities are enclosed and the foul air is collected for treatment; all equipment is designed with noise abatement measures; and landscaping provides a natural visual screen. The plant came online on time and $600,000 (nearly 10 percent) below budget. In June 2013, it received the Project of the year Award in the Environmental Category from the Texas Public Works Association.

“The whole team on the project was excellent to work with,” said Gordon Smith, Aledo’s Director of Public Works. “It was great to see the interest of the City kept in mind at all times through design and daily inspections.”

Integrated Project DeliveryWe take the time to understand your needs, and we have the capabilities to assist and clarify every step of the way. We can:

� Help formulate a conceptual vision of what you want to accomplish

� Help you find funding, including helping you develop a bond program or pursue a grant

� Develop the actual planning study

� Perform the design

� Manage the construction

� Give recommendations on operation and maintenance

� Even help decommission or upgrade the facility once it has reached the end of its design life

Map from the award-winning Aledo Strategic

Plan (2011 Project Planning Award from the

American Planning Association, Texas Chapter-

Midwest Section)

Microwave UV technology in Aledo’s expanded wastewater treatment plant

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EXCLUSIVE

UNRIVALED

The �rst engineering/archi-tecture �rm to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

Central Texas College/Fort Hood Classroom Building – The �rst-ever LEED-certi�ed building (LEED Silver) commissioned by Central Texas College and located at Fort Hood

Elevated Storage Tank, Town of Addison, Texas - First in Texas and one of the �rst in the United States, featuring wind turbines atop the tank to power the tank and tank site, and a learning center in the pedestal

Clearfork Main Street Bridge, City of Fort Worth, Texas – Only the second spliced concrete girder bridge in Texas

Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge, City of Fort Worth, Texas – First arch-supported stress ribbon bridge in the United States

Knight Flume, Gulf Coast Water Authority – First dual-chambered water bridge

Wastewater Treatment Plant, City of Aledo, Texas – First microwave-powered ultraviolet disinfection system in Texas

Wastewater Treatment Plant, City of The Colony, Texas – First municipal plant in Texas to use Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge (IFAS)

Houston Area Groundwater Model – First land subsidence prediction model based on U.S. Geological Survey SUBS package

Skylink Automated People Mover, DFW International Airport - World’s largest airport people mover system (at time of opening in 2005)

“Cowboy” DVORTAC, DFW International Airport – Largest Doppler VHG omnidirectional navigation facility in the United States (at time of opening in 1993)

Hotel Texas and Burk Burnett Building, Fort Worth – First installation of air conditioning in North Texas buildings (1937)

Major John B. Hawley, Founder of Freese and Nichols – First independent consulting engineer for water and sewer work in Texas (1894)

Engineering service on the �rst water supply reservoirs for the cities of Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington and Corpus Christi, Texas

Design of the �rst modern water �ltration plants in Austin, Houston, Beaumont, Arlington, Waco and Amarillo, Texas

Design of the �rst waste-water treatment plants in Fort Worth, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Arlington and Abilene, Texas, to name a few

Lake Bridgeport and Eagle Mountain Lake – First large dual-purpose reser-voirs in the United States to provide separate reservoir capacities for �ood control and water supply (1931-1932)

CLIENT-CENTERED SOLUTIONSIn New Mexico, our project team’s innovative geomorphology techniques provided the Natural Resource Conservation Service a cost-effective solution for decommissioning of the Upper Gila Site 6 dam, which had outlived its original design life. By designing a stable channel that mimics a natural arroyo system, our team decreased the amount of excavation required to construct the channel. Moreover, their solution saved the client some $2 million compared to the cost of rehabilitating the dam to current safety standards.

Client-centered solutions like the example above are at the heart of Freese and Nichols’ work. We go to great lengths to make sure our projects meet our clients’ needs now and for years to come.

In the preliminary design phase, we take time to interview the client’s staff; they will be operating and maintaining systems on a day-to-day basis, so their input is invaluable. Our teams also draw from lessons learned on past projects.

As we investigate multiple alternatives for a project, we work with the client to determine the selection criteria. We weigh alternatives based on the client’s priorities: cost, schedule, low maintenance, environmental considerations, whatever will make the project a success. But we never expect the client to pick one on their own. We know that the client trusts us to provide our expertise, so we make our recommendation, and we provide enough information so the client can make an informed decision.

By hashing out issues early on, our teams reduce the need for changes in final design, which in turn helps the project stay on schedule and on budget. It is an investment that pays the client dividends in the long run.

In many cases, the input our teams consider includes local stakeholders as well. On the reconstruction of East Rosedale Street (shown above) for the City of Fort Worth, Texas, Freese and Nichols helped make it a guiding example of improved project delivery. The project team held three advisory committee meetings with representatives from Rosedale area stakeholders (schools, businesses, churches and neighborhood associations) and three public meetings.

“The advisory committee meetings gave us valuable input before design was well underway, which streamlined our process and helped expedite the project schedule,” says Chris Bosco, P.E., Project Manager. “The public meetings provided an opportunity for citizen input and showed commitment of the project partners. These efforts helped our team throughout the design process and helped the public take ownership of their community.”

by Alan Hutson, P.E., ENV SP

AlAN HUTSON, P.E., ENV SP, is a Freese and Nichols Principal and Group Manager of our Southeast Texas Treatment, Transmission and Utilities Group. He has designed and managed more than 22 projects totaling more than $400 million in construction costs, and in 2012, he was named to ENR Texas & Louisiana’s Top 20 Under 40.

When the Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD) brought Freese and Nichols on board in June 2011, scheduling was critical — its three reservoirs were projected to run dry by the spring of 2013. Client priorities played a big role in planning the Ward County Water Supply Project, a system of 21 groundwater wells, 65 miles of pipeline and four pump stations built during West Texas’ severe drought.

Our team took innovative measures to meet scheduling requirements:

� The project was split into components to manage design and construction phases more efficiently. Plans and specifications were developed by three pump station design teams, three pipeline design teams, and a well design team. Each team had its own specialists —surveyors, design engineers, environmental scientists, land agents and owner personnel — to minimize the need for coordination across the teams.

� The pipeline was bid early so easement acquisition could occur at the same time as bidding, steel delivery, processing of pipe shop drawings and mobilization. This saved two to three months.

� Pump stations were split into two contracts so the underground construction could take place as the above-grade facilities were being designed.

� The Construction Manager at Risk method was used for the pump stations and tanks. This allowed the design and construction phases to overlap, and it also resulted in fewer change orders, both of which reduced project delivery time.

� Native materials were used for bedding and backfill. This expedited construction and saved about $3 million.

Thanks to great effort and collaboration among our team, CRMWD and the construction contractors, the system was pumping water in December 2012 — two weeks ahead of schedule, and under budget as well.

Warding Off the Texas Drought by Nick Lester, P.E.

NICk lESTER, P.E., is a Freese and Nichols Associate and Project Manager for the Ward County Water Supply Project. He specializes in major pump/lift station and pipeline projects in urban, suburban and rural environments.

Pump Station Facility for Ward County Transmission System, Colorado River Municipal Water District

Rendering of East Rosedale Street Roundabout, City of Fort Worth

THE POWER OF SERVICEThe Power of Service defines our integrated service teams in our Energy Group: easy to work with, an extension of your staff, and delivering a solution molded to your needs. This concept extends from oil and gas midstream services to electrical transmission design and compressed natural gas solutions. We work to conserve client resources on projects.

For Chesapeake Midstream (now Access Midstream), our team helped three departments within the larger operation of Chesapeake Energy to coordinate their work more efficiently. Brian Beach, CCM, Construction Manager in our San Antonio office, commented on the importance of the team’s role: “Through automating the process of updating Chesapeake’s project schedules and creating a tool to manage up to 300 projects across three departments, project changes are now made in less than an hour versus eight hours manually. The result is increased efficiency and coordination with significant cost savings.”

The story continues with more global solutions by providing one-stop-shop services for Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc. on the Brushy Creek Gathering System Project, which spans three counties in the Barnett Shale region in North Texas. On this $180 million project, our environmental team provided solutions across the entire program by streamlining the environmental permitting process and addressing water reuse. Pioneer projects that these approaches will result in millions of dollars of savings over the life of the project.

Rick Zarate, Environmental Scientist in our Dallas office, explained how the team embodied the power of service: “Our project team served as a trusted advisor who placed the client’s needs above company revenues by avoiding unnecessary permitting activities and proactively searching for ethical and expeditious permitting alternatives that met the project’s objectives.”

Freese and Nichols’ flexible project solutions also extend to the $350 million program for TexStar Midstream Services, lP. A customized approach to dozens of oil and gas pipeline projects sets our team apart from the rest. Flexibility to meet client needs has been key in building a strong client relationship.

These project case studies, and many more, show how we are connecting, innovating and providing powerful solutions in the energy market.

by Kendall King, P.E.

kENDAll kING, P.E., is a Freese and Nichols Vice President and Principal. He leads our expanding Energy Division.

In an era that values every opportunity to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, natural gas is a viable option for transportation fuels. To provide this option to our clients, Freese and Nichols and ZeitEnergy partner to deliver exceptional services and solutions on compressed natural gas (CNG) projects. By combining our strengths, we are able to offer a fully integrated project delivery team with specialized CNG expertise and full service engineering and construction management capabilities. The partnership is an ideal alliance to map out the optimal CNG project.

Our combined team can research the economics of a project and provide education and technical analysis to support selection of the optimal design solution and funding method. Since each client is different, each project is tailored to meet your initial and long-term needs. By taking the time up front, we contribute to your long-term success, optimal for creating a CNG solution that is profitable for you and the regions you serve.

The benefits of CNG as a fuel source are many, and Clint Beauchamp, Founder and Principal of ZeitEnergy, highlights why it is a good choice for our economy. “CNG is a smart alternative fuel that is cleaner burning and available across North America,” Clint said. “The price of CNG is also lower and more stable than oil, providing a good option for fleets and environmentally friendly cars. The many successful projects we have worked on with Freese and Nichols have allowed our customers to fully experience these benefits.”

CNG is already used by municipalities and companies providing public transportation, waste management and parcel delivery services. It is an innovative solution that will fuel transportation projects for years to come.

Solutions in Compressed Natural Gasby Winston Silvia

WINSTON SIlVIA is a Freese and Nichols Associate and Group Manager for our Oil & Gas Construction Services Group. He has served in key roles for compressed natural gas projects throughout the United States.

Choke Canyon Pipeline Project, TexStar Midstream Services, lP

CNG Fueling Station, Pensacola Energy

WATER STEWARDSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURYResource sustainability and stewardship are key tenets of our water management philosophy and considered in any planning endeavor. This approach, coupled with a commitment to quality service, has allowed us to play a key role in the development, conservation and reclamation of water supplies since our founding in 1894. To support stewardship of water assets and public resources, Freese and Nichols has established Water21TM as a framework to explore alternatives for sustainable water resources in the 21st century.

Freese and Nichols has been instrumental in addressing water issues from water supply planning to dam development, innovations in transmission and comprehensive approaches to asset management. Starting in the 1950s, when Freese and Nichols was one of the first to use computers for reservoir analysis; continuing through the 1970s, in our participation in comprehensive watershed planning; to regional planning today, these efforts helped shape the development and operation of water supplies for Texas.

Today, Freese and Nichols works with water providers to utilize existing water sources efficiently and identify nontraditional water sources in a supply-limited environment. That’s where Water21TM comes into play. Water21TM focuses on human needs, the natural environment and life-cycle costs. It is a holistic, environmentally responsible approach to support stewardship of water assets and public resources. The focus

is to implement best practices through every step of a water supply project, from planning to operations, to maximize the quantity and quality of water, protect ecosystem functions, minimize energy use and minimize costs.

To help the North Texas Municipal Water District keep up with tremendous growth, Freese and Nichols has provided comprehensive water services: water conservation and drought management plans, development of new supplies by connecting existing sources, reuse strategies, permitting of a new reservoir, system operations analyses for multiple sources, and asset management, energy efficiency and carbon footprint analysis services.

Similarly, Freese and Nichols developed a never-before-used approach in regional water planning for the Houston region. Freese and Nichols Project Manager Bill Thaman, P.E., working with the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, Fort Bend Subsidence District, and lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, provided leadership and direction to a diverse team of engineers and scientists to achieve development of a land surface subsidence prediction

by Tom Gooch, P.E.

TOM GOOCH, P.E., is one of Texas’ most experienced water resource planners, especially in the development of S.B. 1 Regional Water Plans. He is a Freese and Nichols Vice President, Principal and Water Resources Planning Group Manager.

RACHEl ICkERT, P.E., a Freese and Nichols Associate, serves as editor of the DroughtSense Blog. She is a Water Resources Engineer with diverse experience in water supply planning, cost estimating, and design and construction management of large-scale water supply facilities.

model that is the first of its kind in the world. “Using a ‘bottom-up’ approach, our team fostered cooperation from the Texas Water Development Board and State Demographer’s office allowing development and adoption of the study’s population projection methodology and new Houston Area Groundwater Model without controversy, six months ahead of schedule and under budget,” Bill said.

Regulatory decisions resulting from the study will lead to $3 billion of water projects over the next 10 years to enable the region to achieve significant groundwater reduction requirements in a sustainable manner and control land surface subsidence.

Connecting Clients with Drought Resourcesby Rachel Ickert, P.E.

Freese and Nichols’ DroughtSense Blog provides clients with easy-to-navigate resources and key information on drought history, information and recommendations. In its second year, DroughtSense serves as a key tool for accessing information on webpages for organizations such as the Texas Water Development Board, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Bi-weekly updates are emailed to subscribers with links to explore new information. To sign up for notifications or learn more, visit www.freese.com/resources/blog.

Water 21TM Process

Portion of 2050 Population Projections for the Houston Groundwater Update Project

TECHNOLOGY BRINGS IDEAS TO LIFEAt Freese and Nichols, we believe innovative technology improves the value of what we deliver to our clients. Our biggest change is increasing the types of projects we model.

Modeling enables our teams to produce highly visual deliverables and helps our clients educate others internally. One innovative application of this is Dynamic 3D Surface Modeling, which we have applied to a wide range of disciplines, including facilities, energy, transportation and stormwater. Our site civil engineers developed this new approach with AutoCAD Civil 3D to provide real-time design iterations to our clients, allowing teams to provide critical project data quickly, evaluate design alternatives and optimize design components.

“In addition to saving time and effort, providing fast and accurate surface data allows our client to be more involved in the design process,” said Jordan Rey, E.I.T., of our Tyler, Texas, office. “This Dynamic 3D approach allows us to quickly create multiple design options for clients in order to determine the design that best suits their project budget. When sites evolve, changes can be applied to the model much more easily and quickly than traditional methods.”

Another innovative use of technology went beyond saving time and money — it also helped a client respond more effectively in an emergency. At City of Garland Water Utilities in Texas, system operators needed to maintain adequate pressure for a distribution system with two

pressure planes and 150 feet of elevation changes. Our team worked with them to link the SCADA system and GIS Web map to estimate system pressure without installing remote pressure transmitters.

“Now, utility staff can quickly evaluate estimated pressure and make changes to provide consistent water pressure to customers,” said Melissa Brunger, P.E., of our Dallas, Texas, office. The system also proved useful for utility operators and firefighters responding to a chemical plant explosion in Garland last year.

In Fort Worth, Texas, our fluvial geomorphologists and engineers used modeling and other innovative methods to evaluate whether a natural channel design would solve Royal Creek’s erosion problems. They used HEC-RAS software to analyze the sediment transport and assessed culverts’ impacts on the natural sediment regime. They also studied streambank erodibility using the submerged jet test, a new Freese and Nichols service that gives immediate results. These results, coupled with the model data, predicted erosion during storms. The analysis led to the recommendation of a more effective — and more affordable — solution.

by Gary Soward

GARy SOWARD is a Freese and Nichols Principal and Chief Information Officer, a position he has held since 2008. He has 20 years of professional technology experience with global, national, and regional professional services consulting firms.

Our relationship with lockheed Martin Aeronautics, one of Fort Worth’s largest employers, has spanned more than 16 years and 250 projects. Architect Parris Jones, AIA, renovated the main lobby of lockheed Martin’s Air Force Plant No. 4 with interactive touch-screen glass and a sophisticated globe sculpture. Electrical engineer Teresa Castillón, P.E., developed power and lighting systems for the Modeling and Simulation Facility so that its 28-by-14-foot screen can show presentations, host videoconferences and run aircraft simulations at the same time.

Most recently, lockheed Martin trusted us to replace large sections of roof without disrupting the sensitive aircraft assembly taking place below. Our Structural Group Manager, Brad Watson, P.E., came up with an innovative solution: using the existing underhung crane system to support a work platform with an integrated scissor lift that could extend to the bottom of the roof deck.

“This saved lockheed Martin and the contractor money because they didn’t have to build extensive scaffolding,” Brad said, “and lockheed Martin will benefit from faster and safer maintenance operations and more economical construction projects in the future.”

At the Height of Serviceby Don Lampe, P.E.

DON lAMPE, P.E., is a Freese and Nichols Principal and Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Group Manager. He serves as our Client Representative for lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

Compressor Station, Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc.

High-Bay Moveable Work Platform, lockheed Martin Aeronautics

Freese and Nichols is a full service professional consulting firm and the first engineering/architecture firm to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. With offices in Texas and North Carolina, Freese and Nichols provides services in engineering, architecture, environmental science, planning, construction services, energy and program management. For more information about Freese and Nichols, visit www.freese.com.

Front and Back Cover: Freese and Nichols completed design and construction of the $130 million Ward County Transmission Water System under budget and two weeks ahead of schedule. We applied many innovative techniques in order to meet the Colorado River Municipal Water District’s operational demands in looming drought conditions. Time-saving strategies included multiple teams to manage pump station and pipeline design and construction, route selection to avoid permits and decrease easements, early bidding to facilitate pipe delivery, and using Construction Manager at Risk contracting for pump stations and tanks. The project team also saved approximately $3 million by using native materials for bedding and backfill.

MissionInnovative approaches … Practical results … Outstanding service

VisionBe the firm of choice for clients and employees

Guiding PrinciplesWe are ethicalWe deliver qualityWe are responsiveWe add valueWe improve continuouslyWe are innovativeWe develop professionallyWe respect othersWe appreciate our employees and clientsWe give back to our communities