March 8, 2012

CAMP HILL, Penn. - CC Johnson & Malhotra, PC (CCJM) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Charles “Chick” Babcock, PE by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) as one of two engineers to represent the USA on the World Road Association-PIARC Technical Committee TC 4.3 Road Bridges. He is one of only four consulting engineers appointed to the 16-member USA delegation.

The World Road Association-PIARC, established in 1909, brings together the road administrations of 118 governments and has members in over 140 countries. Its broad aim is to promote international cooperation on issues related to roads and road transport. The Road Bridges Technical Committee is charged with developing new rehabilitation materials, strategies for repair, risk-based management of the bridge stock and the estimation of load carrying capacity, as well as the adaptation of road bridge construction, maintenance and operation to climate change. (piarc.org)

Mr. Babcock has 30 years experience in all aspects of bridge and highway design. He has been assigned as an expert by both the World Bank and USAID in bridge safety inspection, rehabilitation and replacement. He has been responsible for concrete and steel bridge rehabilitation and design projects in Zambia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Haiti. Mr. Babcock was lead bridge engineer for the 150 mile Gonder-Humera Road in northern Ethiopia and was instrumental in the development of a bridge inventory and safety inspection program for Oyo State, Nigeria.

Domestically, he has been engineer‐of‐record for hundreds of transportation projects in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Projects have included movable and fixed bridges, culverts and retaining walls. Mr. Babcock has also been in charge of more than 8,000 bridge inspections and 1,250 load carrying capacity ratings in the Mid‐Atlantic region.

Mr. Babcock has been serving as Senior Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer for CCJM since 2002. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech’s Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and is a registered Professional Engineer in 10 states.

CCJM is a diverse, multi-disciplined, minority owned engineering firm providing a broad range of professional engineering services to the public and private sectors. Their expertise includes Facilities MEP, Energy Services, Commissioning, Transportation, Water/Wastewater, and Environmental engineering services. (ccjm.com)

AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It represents all five transportation modes: air, highways, public transportation, rail, and water. Its primary goal is to foster the development, operation, and maintenance of an integrated national transportation system. (transportation.org)

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February 22, 2012

BUCKS COUNTY, Penn. - The Delaware Canal is the only remaining continuously intact canal of the great towpath canal building era of the early and mid-19th century. This linear state park provides public access to its 60-mile towpath and waterway which parallels the Delaware River between Easton and Bristol, Pennsylvania.

Completed in 1832, the Delaware Canal was used into the early twentieth century until the railroad systems came into popularity. Although the Delaware River was used as a form of transportation in the 1800′s, it was not user friendly. The state decided to construct a canal that would make the shipping of goods up and down the east coast easier and much more reliable. Coal from up state Pennsylvania was the major commodity and it came across the Lehigh Canal to Easton where it joined the Delaware Canal. From here, coal could be shipped down the canal to the tidal waters of the Delaware River at Bristol. For ease of construction, the canal parallels the course of the river, in some spots it even appears they share the same bank.

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) recently requested the professional services of CCJM to replace the superstructure for Five Lane Bridge over Delaware Canal in Tinicum Township, Bucks County and the bridge carrying Upper Limeport Road over Delaware Canal in Solebury Township, Bucks County.

These two bridges are typical for the unique style of wooden red truss bridge used throughout the length of the canal, most of which were built in the 1930s when the canal ceased operation.

The recognizable red canal bridge style will be carefully re-created in the replacement structures in a context-sensitive design.

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February 15, 2012

CAMP HILL, Penn. - CCJM’s Camp Hill Office was audited in January 2012 for compliance of its Quality Management System (QMS) to the internationally recognized ISO 9001-2008 Standard. The auditor, Smithers Quality Assessments, Inc. of Akron, Ohio found CCJM’s QMS to be both suitable and effective with zero non-conformities.

The auditor commented: “All personnel interviewed conveyed a high level of professionalism and belief in the principles of ISO.” And that the firm had a “very good (enviable) record of customer satisfaction.”

CCJM’s Quality Management System is stewarded by Amar Bhajandas, PE, who retired from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation after serving as a District Executive and Director of Construction & Materials. In the latter position, he led PennDOT’s efforts to be among the first state transportation agencies in the nation to obtain the internationally recognized ISO 9001 certification.

Read more about CCJM’s Quality Control»

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For the Chicago Public Schools’ $300 million capital improvement program, CCJM works with the team led by OWP&P/Cannon Design. As the MEP Design Manager, CCJM provides comprehensive assessment and scope transfer documents for the schools undergoing renovation and repair.

Our Scope of Work includes:

• On Site Representation at CPS for Program Delivery
• Assessment Team to plan, manage and implement comprehensive facility assessment program.  Scope includes:
  • All Building Systems including Life Safety Systems
  • Boiler, Boiler Auxiliaries
  • Air Handling Units (AHU), AHU Auxiliaries
  • Temperature Control Systems
  • Plumbing Systems and Mechanical System Piping
  • Electrical Service and Distribution, Uninterruptible Power Source, Automatic Transfer Switch System, Emergency Power and Lighting, Exit Signage
  • Public Address and Security Systems
  • Accessibility
  • Existing Condition and Remaining Useful Service Life
• Scope Development / Transfer Document Development for new construction, ADA upgrades, complex renovations, etc. to Design Development level.
• Assist CPS in selecting, reviewing and coordinating professional services of Architects and Engineers of Record.
• Coordination with local utilities
• Design Reviews / Peer Reviews of construction documents prepared by AOR/EOR for conformity to budget, schedule and CPS standards.
• Pre-Construction and Post-Construction coordination and participation, including on-site construction observation.

Collins High School, built in 1974, consists of three buildings bridged by interior corridors: The Academic Building, Fine Arts & Technology Building, and the Physical Education Building. The PBC of Chicago awarded Brook Architecture/CCJM team a task order to design and manage an estimated $6 million renovation of the three buildings.

CCJM’s scope of work includes a complete mechanical/electrical/plumbing analysis of the renovation spaces, including potential code violations, demolition as required to renovate the spaces, and alternates to be incorporated into a detailed design narrative.

The renovation includes electrical, fire alarm upgrade, life safety and mechanical improvements. The lighting, sound and acoustics in the Auditorium/Theater of the Fine Arts Building will be updated and an area once used for auto shop classes will be converted into a Media Center. The swimming pool in the Phys. Ed. Building will undergo an overhaul to alleviate leaking and water damage. The security system throughout the school will be updated.

February 6, 2012

CHICAGO, Ill. - CCJM’s Michael Johnson, Systems Engineer, has earned LEED’s Existing Building Operation & Maintenance accreditation. This credential provides a standard for professionals participating in the operation and maintenance of existing buildings that implement sustainable practices and reduce the environmental impact of a building over its functional life cycle.

Mike has extensive experience with advanced Building Automation Systems and Commissioning. His broad experience includes installation, maintenance, data collection, sequence of operation programming and statistical analysis of HVAC systems for commercial buildings. Mike is also specially trained in the Carrier HAP Load Calculation Program.

Mike’s new accreditation will allow CCJM to continue serving this market with foresight and efficiency.

February 6, 2012

CAMP HILL, Penn. - CCJM Camp Hill is pleased to announce that Micah Fickett recently received his Fundamentals of Engineering / EIT in the state of Pennsylvania. The EIT is an important step toward a professional path in the engineering field. In addition, Micah also recently successfully completed safety training required by AMTRAK for access to AMTRAK electrified corridors.

Micah has become a key member of the CCJM bridge inspection team and an engineering technician in the structures team since joining CCJM in September 2010. Micah, who received his B.S. in Engineering with highest honors from Messiah College in May 2006, previously worked as a designer and drafter in his hometown for two years and volunteered for two years as a math teacher in Thailand.

Join us in recognizing Micah for his achievements in these areas.

February 6, 2012

CHICAGO, Ill. - With close to 30 years of experience in the building industry, “Liz”, as we affectionately call her, was quite an asset to our team. She performed plumbing and fire protection design for the last 10 years with diligence and supreme attention to detail. There are not enough words to say how much Liz’ commitment and dedication have meant to the success of our team.

Our sincere best wishes for many happy, carefree memories to come! May Liz’ retirement be as fulfilling for her as here dedication was for us. Congratulations on your well deserved retirement!

FULTON COUNTY, Penn. - For nearly a century, the SR 928 bridge has conveyed traffic over the pristine Big Cove Creek. Located near the Fulton County Cooperative Trout Nursery, operated under the auspices of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), Big Cove Creek hosts brown and rainbow trout with some stream-born trout. Close coordination with PFBC, who is commissioned to protect, conserve, and enhance the Commonwealth’s aquatic resources, will ensure a successful bridge replacement project with no impact to aquatic resources.

Current plans are to replace the two span bridge using staged construction to ensure uninterrupted flow of traffic during construction. CCJM’s proposal to study safety improvements through realignment of the nearby intersection was affirmed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s selection committee.

“CCJM has demonstrated an extremely thorough understanding of the project issues and has listed a proposed approach for each of the particular engineering and environmental issues associated with the project.”

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August 26, 2011

CHICAGO, Ill. - CCJM President, Anil Ahuja, presented at the 2011 Chicago Hamburg Business Forum – the first international business delegation to be welcomed by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

The Chicago Hamburg Business Forum “Green Technology: Cooperation Perspectives for the Midwest and Northern Germany” brought over 120 business and policy experts from both sides of the Atlantic to downtown Chicago. Mayor Rahm Emanuel personally welcomed the delegation of high-ranking political and business leaders from Hamburg by saying: “With its thriving and environmentally sustainable economy Hamburg is a global leader and I look forward to working with you to spur economic development and foster innovation in both cities.”

The Forum once again gave testimony to the lively sister city partnership between Hamburg and Chicago, which thrives on both city’s common values and goals when it comes to green technology. Mayor Emanuel emphasized the similarities between Chicago and Hamburg, both being transportation hubs in the north of their respective countries and both being among the front runners in green thinking. He praised the sister city partnership which has helped to promote strong ties of trade and investment.

Anil Ahuja was a panelist on “Environmental Technology and Green Infrastructure in Chicago and Hamburg”. This panel focused on the central role major cities play with regard to the climate changing process. The key challenge is to keep urban infrastructures working while adjusting them to climate and environmental needs. Thus, innovative products and business solutions referring to the energy networks (“smart grids”) and to energy efficiency, but also to waste and water management perfectly combine economy and ecology and are essential for the cities of tomorrow.

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