G2 Consulting Group and its partners anticipate a strong year for Michigan’s construction industry as a number of funding programs combine to allow the state to address many of its most critical infrastructure needs.
“In Michigan, there’s no shortage of work to be done – the difference is that in the next few years, there’s also the funding available to do it,” said Mark Smolinski, P.E., principal at G2 Consulting Group in Troy… READ MORE.
G2 is experiencing robust activity in its core cellular tower services as a result of the continued deployment of 5G networks nationwide and the recent $65 billion federal investment to bring additional cellular and fiber services to underserved areas.
Despite a cumbersome launch, 5G rollout has greatly accelerated over the past two years with all major carriers now offering some level of 5G service. As new towers are erected, or as 5G capabilities are added to existing towers, G2 works with a host of clients to provide engineering and environmental services to ensure sites meet the local, state, and federal regulations.
“As the 5G rollout continues, we’re living in a world where a single tower may support multiple carriers, multiple technologies and an array of equipment,” said Anthony Poisson, P.E., from G2’s Chicago area office. “Increasing the tower load requires careful engineering due diligence and may trigger additional permitting and permissions, all areas where G2 is uniquely qualified to help as we continue to work with telecom clients nationwide.”
Poisson suggests the following as due diligence best practice:
1) Ground conditions: Understanding the geotechnical conditions on-site is critical for cellular towers. Not only do you have to ensure the tower foundation is stable, owners and carriers also have to understand how adding or subtracting weight will impact the structural capacity of the tower and foundations. G2 has provided geotechnical investigations and foundation mapping services across the county to provide the information required for design of new tower foundations and analysis of existing foundations.
2) Regulatory environment: Although the Federal Communication Commission governs much of cellular tower regulation, the myriad of other local, state, federal and tribal authorities laws are equally important. This includes the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which created strict rules to govern call tower ecological impact. G2 has nearly 30 years of experience on cellular projects and can help clients untangle the complex web of regulations.
3) Macro towers: Many tower companies and/or carriers are upgrading existing towers with 5G capabilities, effectively integrating new infrastructure into the current network. It’s important to note that these existing cell towers may also continue transmitting 4G signals and contain other hardware for respective service areas. Integrating the new tech requires careful coordination.
4) Small cell: In addition to towers, 5G coverage requires carriers to add at least 250,000 new small cell sites nationwide. Though these small cell technologies perform similar functions, they’re not your typical cell tower. While most current cell towers are large, freestanding structures, the small cell “towers” required by 5G are much smaller devices that can be mounted on existing infrastructure like traffic lights, lampposts, rooftops or other appropriate spot in urban spaces where licensing and construction issues can be particularly difficult.
5) Securing older equipment: With all the talk of new technologies, it’s easy to forget that many towers have been around for 25 years or more and subject to all sorts of weather and environmental conditions. Further, most of the tower equipment is located at or near the tower’s highest point. This “pressure at the top” cause structural stress over time. Tower companies need to shore up these older sites both to bring them into current code and to ensure they can safely accommodate the new equipment.
“5G is an exciting technology often delivering 20x speeds to help America keep up with its data demands. G2 works with telecom companies as they navigate the challenges to ensure a smooth, safe and efficient implementation, both to satisfy immediate need while also protecting the environment and safety within and adjacent to the tower areas,” Poisson said.
Specializing in “everything below the ground,” G2 prides itself in finding practical solutions to complex problems and delivering ‘Smart. Results. Fast.’ The company has completed thousands of telecom projects across the county and has the expertise to make your project a success.
The car wash industry continues to see unprecedented investment from both private equity and established operators finding themselves under increased pressure to offer state-of-the-art convenient facilities and services. Of course, for cash washes, the facility itself is only as strong as the pavement on which it is built.
“Cash washes are particularly hard on their pavement,” said Anthony Poisson P.E., project manager at G2 Consulting Group, a nationally recognized geotechnical, environmental and construction services firm. With the increased investment, G2 finds itself working with more car washes around the country. “Water and chemicals are primary drivers of pavement deterioration, especially when the weather gets cold, which, incidentally, is a particularly busy time at car washes.”
A geotechnical inspection or, in layman’s terms, an underground study on the property where the new construction work is being done, can identify problems in the soil and lead to the right pavement strategies before any actual construction begins. It’s especially important for soils which will be exposed to a lot of water.
“As we say, pavement always follows what’s below,” said Poisson. “If you don’t create the right approach from the start, your project will likely suffer from cracking, potholes, inadequate drainage, and other deterioration that may have been avoidable. Conversely, if you have the right study, you may be able to save cost on the actual implementation both immediately and in the long-term.”
Poisson suggests the following best practices before starting your project:
“The cost of a geotechnical study will likely be an incredibly small percentage of the overall project cost but it’s hugely important to ensure the project is done right and to avoid unnecessary problems. It’s amazing how many times car wash owners skip this critical first step and cost themselves tremendous headaches – and dollars – when they have to constantly fill cracks and potholes or even need to deconstruct and rebuild,” Poisson said.
According to industry data, winter is the busiest season for car washes, many of which use in excess of 4,000 gallons a water a day. The constant freeze-thaw cycle can be extraordinarily difficult on the subsoil, which eventually manifests itself as deterioration of the pavement itself.
Specializing in “everything below the ground,” G2 Consulting prides itself in finding practical solutions to complex problems and delivering ‘Smart. Results. Fast.’ The company has completed dozens of car wash projects in the past two years alone working across the Midwest and in select southern states including Florida and Texas.
Mr. Liam Sundling, an environmental engineering consultant, has joined G2 Consulting Group’s (G2) Chicagoland office as a Business Development Representative. In this newly created role, Liam will be working closely with G2’s Illinois-based project managers to develop leads and opportunities, assist with proposals and presentations, and coordinate promotional efforts.
Liam graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering. Upon graduation, he relocated to Chicago, first working in engineering sales and then more recently serving as an environmental consultant. During that time, Liam gained a strong understanding of the A/E/C industry, including client needs and account acquisition. He will be a resource for our G2 team and clients.
“I’m excited to be a part of the G2 family,” Sundling said. “G2 has an excellent reputation and client service track record. I look forward to working with the team and helping the company continue to grow and expand its services.”
Liam is hitting the ground running with plans to attend several events in the A/E/C industry over the next month including the upcoming Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce Networking Extravaganza, BIACG (Building Industry Association of Greater Chicago) Annual Women in Construction Panel, and the SMPS Southeast Michigan Markitect event.
Outside of the office, Liam volunteers with One Tail at a Time, a non-profit animal rescue and shelter in Chicago. He previously competed nationally in speed climbing (timed rock climbing) and has more recently taken up sand volleyball and golfing.
We are thrilled to have Liam join the G2 team!
As Michigan’s winter turns to early spring rains, municipalities need to keep a watchful eye on erosion control and slope destabilization possibilities around rivers, roadways, commercial sites and any site where excess water and loose soil conditions could trigger unwanted soil movements.
G2 Consulting Group, a Troy-based leader in geotechnical, environmental, and construction engineering services, works with communities, state agencies, commercial property owners and homeowners on preventative slope stabilization designs, and, when necessary, remediation efforts to repair failures.
“Snowmelt and spring rains are the two most common causes of soil erosion on Michigan slopes,” said Mark Smolinski, P.E., G2 principal. “Since slopes are common around important natural and made-made environments, it’s important to monitor and plan for a potential destabilization event, where soil can easily spill into waterways, onto roads, or even impact commercial and residential structures.”
G2 Consulting Group works with clients across all stages of slope management, often beginning with a risk assessment and analysis to help property owners identify problem areas. Slope stabilization efforts run the gamut, from easy and low cost to more complex engineering projects:
“It’s impossible to reinforce all slopes in the state, and we know many city managers will wake up to news of a slope failure in their area,” Smolinski said. “In those cases, we’re able to respond quickly, assess the problem and identify remedies that make the most sense at the particular site.”
G2 Consulting Group has more than 30 years working on Michigan slopes, from investigating subsurface conditions, performing visual surveys of slopes, and providing design solutions to prevent and remediate slope erosion or global slope failure. Please contact G2 to learn more.
LANSING, MI – The American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan (ACEC/M) recently honored firms for engineering and surveying excellence during the association’s annual Engineering and Surveying Excellence Awards Gala. On March 19, design professionals and guests gathered at the Inn at St. Johns in Plymouth to recognize outstanding Michigan engineering and surveying projects from the past year, as well as engineering professionals who have significantly contributed to the profession. The ACEC/M Awards Program recognizes outstanding efforts of professional design firms to solve clients’ needs through exceptional projects and offers the opportunity to showcase the year’s best engineering and surveying achievements to an audience of peers, clients and decision makers at all levels.
“The knowledge and expertise that filled the room on Saturday was astounding! The projects engineered by private sector firms have a profound effect on the quality of life for all Michigan residents. Their efforts result in quality roads and bridges, safe drinking water, and a clean environment for people to live, work and play,” said Ronald Brenke, PE, ACEC/M Executive Director.
This year’s most prestigious award – the Engineering Eminent Conceptor Award – went to OHM Advisors (Livonia) for the Brandenburg Park Shoreline Restoration Project in Chesterfield Township, which addressed a failing seawall while increasing the diversity of the shoreline habitat. The result provides community members with increased recreational and educational opportunities and renewed connections to an improved, diverse ecosystem.
Six firms were honored with an Engineering Honorable Conceptor Award for their work on the following:
Engineering Merit Awards were presented to:
This year’s Surveying Eminent Conceptor Award went to Surveying Solutions, Inc. (Standish) and Fishbeck (Grand Rapids) for their Blue Water Bridge: Lighting up the Bridge with LiDAR project for the Michigan Department of Transportation. Surveying Solutions and Fishbeck completed data collection for the resurfacing and electrical improvements of the Eastbound Bluewater Bridge. Multiple LiDAR collection methods were used including a Terrestrial 3D Tripod Scanner and Mobile LiDAR scanners on both an SUV and a boat to capture the entire bridge simultaneously.
A Surveying Honorable Conceptor Award was presented to Spicer Group, Inc. (Saginaw) for the Multi-Sensor Data Fusion Supports Dam Restoration project for the Four Lakes Task Force.
Surveying Merit Awards were presented to:
The Board Design Award went to AECOM (Grand Rapids) for their board designed to tell the story of the Whites Bridge Road over the Flat River project.
This year’s ACEC/M Vernon B. Spalding Leadership Award was presented to Amy L. Trahey, PE, of Great Lakes Engineering Group to honor her outstanding leadership roles in ACEC and several community organizations. The ACEC/M Felix A. Anderson Image Award was presented to Paul C. Ajegba, PE, of the Michigan Department of Transportation for his actions and contributions to enhance the image of the profession.
The Eminent and Honorable Conceptor award winners are eligible to compete at the National ACEC engineering competition in Washington, DC. For more information on the projects and award winners, please contact ACEC/M at 517.332.2066 or visit their web site at www.acecmi.org.
The American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan is the voice of Michigan’s engineering industry. Council members – numbering over 100 firms throughout the state – are engaged in a wide range of engineering/architectural/surveying works that propel the state’s economy and enhance and safeguard Michigan’s quality of life. These works allow people to drink clean water, enjoy a healthy life, take advantage of new technologies, and travel safely and efficiently. The Council’s mission is to contribute to Michigan’s prosperity and welfare by advancing the business interests of member firms.
There’s been a lot of talk – and it’s been a long time coming – but at long last infrastructure seems to be the name of the game for 2022, both here in Michigan and throughout the U.S. With President Biden’s on again/off again “Build Back Better” program and Governor Whitmer’s continuing but unfilled pledge to “fix the damn roads,” infrastructure is now squarely in everybody’s sights.
“One way or another, the President is going to get a major infrastructure program passed and with the Gov. Whitmer’s creation of a Michigan Infrastructure Office, long overdue attention on roads, bridges, ports and water systems is really going to happen in Michigan and throughout the country,” said Mark Smolinski P.E., principal at G2 Consulting Group in Troy. “All this suggests that 2022 should be a record year for the construction industry. Collectively, the industry’s biggest challenge may be finding the people needed to do the work.”
Smolinski joined other construction executives in predicting as much as a 30 percent increase in construction work in 2022. “The focus will be on improving our communities, both what’s seen and unseen – streets, parks, transportation as well as underground water and sewage systems. Ultimately, all this work creates a better quality of life and brings the country back to the standards it needs to achieve to be competitive and successful.”
Jon Kramer P.E., president of OHM Advisors, concurs with the optimistic outlook. “We expect to see improvements in virtually every area,” Kramer says, “from new construction to long overdue deferred maintenance. A lot of work will be started this year but will take years to complete. With the new technologies and construction materials available these projects should all be stronger, better and longer lasting than anything that’s come before. It won’t happen overnight but we expect to see a strong start in 2022 and continuing for the next several years as projects are prioritized and resources deployed.”
Scott LaSalle, senior project engineer at Q Cells, sees sunny days ahead for the solar industry. “Solar continues to win customers in the alternative energy space. Efficiency has plateaued over the past few years, but costs have been reduced – although COVID’s supply chain disruption presented a blimp. Solar’s easy integration, cost / efficiency and environmentally friendliness continues to help it lure customers from traditional and other renewable sources. In the coming years, we might also see more suppliers re-shore to North America to improve the supply chain cadence.”
Smolinski, Kramer and LaSalle mentioned the impact of COVID on the industry. New employees at all levels have been hard to find and many experienced and knowledgeable “baby-boomers” are retiring. Raw material costs have been particularly high and difficult to secure causing some projects to be delayed or canceled altogether. Still, the industry insiders expressed cautious optimism that the worst of COVID is behind us and that with the new federal and state money, and the renewed spotlight on rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure, an increased level of work will get underway aggressively.
“We see 2022 as the start of a long-term program to rebuild, repair and replace the nation’s older infrastructure and create new and vastly superior systems in their place. That’s what “Build Back Better” is all about. The construction industry is poised and ready to meet the challenge. It’s time, and it’s needed. The country simply can’t afford to delay any longer.”
G2 Consulting Group, a Troy-based leader in geotechnical, environmental and construction engineering services, was ranked in Building Design + Construction’s “Giants 400” report as one of the Top 75 engineering firm nationally.
BD+C, the nation’s leading diversified media, marketing and data company serving the design and construction markets, issued its annual survey results identifying the nation’s largest and most prominent architecture, engineering, and construction firms using 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories. G2 Consulting was ranked as “Top” on the following lists:
G2 Consulting has experienced business growth averaging over 10% respectively over the past three years. During that period, the company’s employment grew from 70 to 95 across its three office locations. G2 has completed a variety of major projects in its home state of Michigan as well as 30+ other states. Marquee projects include the Cadillac Stamping industrial site, several portions of the I-75 reconstruction in Michigan, and new construction projects builds for Amazon and a variety of manufacturing organizations and telecommunication companies throughout the country.
“We feel fortunate to have great partners, clients and employees who have all helped us be successful over the past several years despite the challenges brought by the pandemic and disruptions to the supply chain,” said Mark Smolinski, P.E., G2 principal. “It was hardly business as usual, and that makes us especially proud of what we accomplished. Our challenge now is to new staff to handle new business and complete it on time and on budget for our clients so we can accelerate our current trend.”
G2 Consulting provided geotechnical investigations, vibration monitoring, geotechnical instrumentation services, and pile dynamic analysis for the project which will reconstruct and widen a segment of I-75. In fact, the last segment between Flint and Saginaw to be expanded to four lanes in each direction. The project also replaces the aging M-46 interchange and renovates bridge structures in the area.
“Every project has its own unique characteristics,” said Christopher Nicol, P.E., G2’s Project Manager. “One interesting aspect of this project was the need to fill in a ‘dip’ in I-75 that previously allowed the highway to pass underneath a railroad bridge, a bridge that has long since been removed.”
“Highway dips and other low-points are natural gathering spots for storm water therefore require pump stations to keep the roads open to safe travel,” Nicol said. “Since the railroad overpass is no longer there, bringing I-75 back to grade was an important improvement to avoid impediments to travel and the costs associated with pumping.”
Under MDOT’s guidance, G2’s activities were managed by Grand Rapids-based Fishbeck and Commerce-based C.A. Hull in the design-build effort.
“The Michigan road industry has learned a lot of valuable lessons over the recent ‘lean’ years where underfunding was the norm. There has been constant innovation in road evaluation, construction processes and material technologies. Now that infrastructure needs are top of mind and meaningful funding is on the way, Michigan has both the public and private engineering and construction capabilities to get the jobs done efficiently and effectively,” Nicol said.
G2’s geotechnical work focused on analyzing and evaluating below-the-road factors — soil and pavement conditions, drainage, and the level of deterioration a road has experienced over a time period — to determine the best approach to reconstruction within the specific environment. This information is key to prudent decision making and often impacts final design. Considerations include the amount of traffic using the road and predictive models for future deterioration. With the huge amount of work that needs to be done across Michigan communities, construction partners need to work intelligently to get the most out of every dollar spent.
Although G2’s portion of the project is nearly complete, the overall project is expected to last into July 2022. The team has largely held to its schedule, despite the summer’s heavy rains which, at times, hampered progress. G2 lives by its mantra of “Smart. Results. Fast.”
Troy, Michigan-based G2 Consulting Group, a national company specializing in geotechnical, environmental and construction engineering services, has added 20 employees across its footprint.
G2’s new employees include recent full time hires, plus a dozen summer interns who will be divided primarily between the firm’s Troy headquarters and its Ann Arbor, Michigan, office… READ MORE.
In a heated competition for Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine’s annual drone video contest, G2’s video was voted in the top 10 out of 68 submissions taking the 9th place position. G2 provided drone services for longtime client Cunningham-Limp as they constructed the Cooper Standard World Headquarters in Northville, Michigan. Starting in December of 2018 and ending in February 2020, G2 team member Nathan Zaporski flew the drone a total of 22 times on the project site capturing the ground breaking all the way to the building’s completion.
Drone and UAV services play a vital role in today’s construction projects. G2 uses drones to survey large areas of land capturing every detail in high definition ensuring that our client’s project is surveyed quickly and accurately. G2’s fleet of drones also provide mapping services, aerial overviews of completed projects for client presentations and approval, inspection of towers and difficult structures, and more. G2 engineers have accurate, real-time data when decisions or modifications need to be made.
The state of Michigan is setting some of the nation’s toughest standards for measuring and controlling the widely used set of PFAS chemicals that do not break down readily in the environment and bio-accumulate within an ecosystem. G2 Consulting Group has become a leading national PFAS investigator conducting dozens of projects in Michigan and other states.
Michigan’s fight against these pervasive and persistent “forever chemicals” requires PFAS identification and remediation at levels in the parts per trillion. Consider that one part per trillion is equivalent to a single drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools, or one drop of water in 660 rail tank cars (that would be a train six miles long!), which begins to define the complexity of accurate PFAS investigations.
When looking for trace materials, the key, according to G2 Consulting Project Manager Thomas McDonald, is absolute vigilance in testing protocols.
“As experts in environmental consulting and geotechnical engineering services, G2 understands the enormous sensitivity required for accurate PFAS results,” says McDonald. “PFAS chemicals can affect the health of individuals or even entire communities. Therefore, we’ve developed a comprehensive checklist of PFAS investigation do’s and don’ts to ensure our clients understand their potential exposure and liability,” he said.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) is a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many other chemicals that have been manufactured and used in a wide variety of industries since the 1940’s. Because of this, PFAS was omnipresent in household and industrial items prior to 2015, including in chemicals associated with manufacturing facilities, paper mills, landfills, wastewater treatment plants, military bases, electroplating plants, aerospace industry, tanneries, Teflon related facilities, and numerous other innocuous properties.
Therefore, G2’s PFAS protocol checklist includes the following recommendations:
Field staff
Field equipment
Experts have only recently begun to understand the prevalence of PFAS as well as the potential adverse health effects of exposure. G2’s expertise is helping clients understand their potential exposure and offering solutions in instances where PFAS is present. The recognition and proper evaluation of a property for the presence of PFAS is a critical part of any environmental due diligence process.