SunSentinel Mention

Peter Moore, P.E., F.ASCE, FACEC
President, Chen Moore and Associates

Last week: This past week, President Biden signed into law the appropriations behind the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), providing significant funding for the next five years for various infrastructure initiatives. This includes a 43% increase in funding for highway programs, a 61% increase for public transportation projects and a 137% increase for airport construction. Each of these is a significant “down payment” towards the nearly $2.2 Trillion in funding gap between what is authorized and what is needed according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ recent 2021 Failure to Act study. Let’s keep the momentum going!

Looking ahead: Next week I’ll spend my 21st consecutive year judging a civil engineering competition called the Concrete Canoe. The concept is to gain a hands on knowledge of the design, construction and racing of a canoe that is made of concrete products that floats. Since the early 1970’s, experiments in light weight concrete led to the development of concrete canoes, but the first National competition was held in 1988. The competition includes a technical paper, presentation and aesthetics, going well beyond the typical purposeful designs that engineers are typically synonymous with. These are our next generation of infrastructure leaders.

Karen RachlesSunSentinel Mention
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CMA Miami Office has a New Address

CMA Miami Office has a New Address

Our CMA Miami office has moved! We outgrew our former space and hope you will come visit us in our new place!  Please note our new address. The office and fax numbers remain the same:  Miami Regional Office: 3150 SW 38th Avenue, Suite 950, Miami, FL 33146; telephone: (786) 497-1500; fax: (786) 497-2300. Our office locations can also be viewed here on our website: https://www.chenmoore.com/contact/

Karen RachlesCMA Miami Office has a New Address
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CMA Staff Volunteer at Waterway Cleanup Event

CMA Staff Volunteer at Waterway Cleanup Event

Jennifer Smith, P.E., Derrick Smith, CFM, LEED AP and Craig Wallander, P.E. along with family and friends participated in the The Broward County Waterway Cleanup on March 5. Organized by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, it is the county’s largest and longest-running environmental event. The group cleaned Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek. For more information, please visit: https://waterwaycleanup.org/

Karen RachlesCMA Staff Volunteer at Waterway Cleanup Event
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CMA President Peter Moore Attends ASCE Legislative Fly-in

CMA President Peter Moore Attends ASCE Legislative Fly-in

From March 2-4, CMA President Peter Moore, P.E., F.ASCE, FACEC attended the ASCE Legislative Fly-in. Every spring, ASCE holds its Legislative Fly-In in Washington, DC, an exclusive and intensive two-day event providing participants with professional development in honing their skills in the public policy process and advocacy, as well as valuable peer-to-peer networking with fellow ASCE influencers. ASCE members had an opportunity to meet with their Members of Congress or their senior legislative staff and advance the Society’s collective policy priorities while learning beneficial leadership skills they can bring back to the workplace.

Karen RachlesCMA President Peter Moore Attends ASCE Legislative Fly-in
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CMA Engineers Building Beds for Disadvantaged Youth

CMA Engineers Building Beds for Disadvantaged Youth

CMA Principal Engineer Michael Albert, P.E., and Senior Engineers David Cowan, Jr., P.E., ENV SP and Laura Vogel, Ph.D., P.E., ENV SP are participating in the 2022 Florida Engineering Leadership Institute (FELI). Part of their class projects is to raise money and construct beds for those who are not fortunate enough to have a bed to sleep on.  On February 19, several members of the class built beds for Vita Nova Village, a housing development for disadvantaged youth in the City of West Palm Beach. The teamed with NUCA and Xcel worx on the build. The team not only built 20 beds but worked with youth to learn how to use tools in construction – helping them to develop skills to join the trades, get jobs and better their situation.  The program runs from November 2021 to August 2022.  For more information, or if you are interested in supporting the project check out:  https://www.fleng.org/general/custom.asp?page=FELI

Karen RachlesCMA Engineers Building Beds for Disadvantaged Youth
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SunSentinel Mention

Peter Moore, P.E., F.ASCE, FACEC
President, Chen Moore and Associates

Last weekThe past week, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) unveiled the first of five digital worlds within the Future World Vision (www.futureworldvision.org) project. To build the future, first we must visualize it. Mega City 2070 is not science fiction. It’s not a video game. Guided by extensive scenario planning and grounded in deep research, Future World Vision introduces a plausible city and its evolution from 2020 to 2070. The immersive, 3D digital model puts users at the heart of Mega City, inviting contributions to the platform. Thinking about the future guides the decisions we make today.

Looking ahead: In light of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict, a new European Union energy strategy is expected to be unveiled March 2. It calls for a 40% reduction in fossil fuel use by 2030, coincidentally the approximate amount that the EU receives from Russia, and requires European energy companies to fill their storage tanks with natural gas this summer so that the continent is less dependent on Russian gas next winter. A focus on renewable energy is a large part of that strategy and reminds us here, far from the conflict, of the importance of energy independence.

Karen RachlesSunSentinel Mention
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National Engineers Week (EWeek) Spotlight ~ Sathvika Ramaji, E.I.

National Engineers Week (EWeek) Spotlight ~ Sathvika Ramaji, E.I.

In recognition of National Engineers Week (EWeek) February 20-28, CMA will be highlighting some of our women engineers throughout the week!

Sathvika Ramaji, E.I. is an associate engineer in our Miami office with five years of experience. Sathvika graduated from University of Miami with a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering and a master’s degree in civil engineering. We asked Sathvika to share some information about why she became an engineer.

Why I chose civil engineering: I chose to become an engineer because I have always wanted to be a problem solver. I enjoy coming up with unique solutions for each project. To me, civil engineering is an essential part of civilization, and I am glad to be able to contribute to society through engineering. Initially, I studied environmental engineering because I liked chemistry in high school, but became very involved with the student chapter of ASCE starting in my sophomore year at the U. Through ASCE, I learned about CMA and met some local CMAers. I pursued an internship at CMA and started on my path to becoming a civil engineer.

Fun fact: I studied abroad in Italy and earned a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Bologna, one of the oldest universities in the world. I have also visited 27 countries. https://www.nspe.org/

Karen RachlesNational Engineers Week (EWeek) Spotlight ~ Sathvika Ramaji, E.I.
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CMA’s City of Fort Lauderdale Emergency Project Wins Grand Award

CMA’s City of Fort Lauderdale Emergency Project Wins Grand Award

On February 18, CMA Director of Water and Sewer Daniel Davila, P.E. accepted one of the Grand Awards for the City of Fort Lauderdale Emergency Bypass 48” Forcemain project at the 2022 ACEC-FL Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet! CMA President Peter Moore, P.E., F.ASCE, FACEC was also in attendance and thanked the City and ACEC-FL for the opportunity. The fast-tracked emergency, design-build project was led by Murphy Pipeline Contractors and David Mancini and Sons with CMA and A&P Engineers as lead consultants. CMA was responsible for the design, permitting, and construction observation of the replacement of the City’s north transmission line. Eight Grand and seven Honor awards were presented to engineering firms for their innovative applications and elaborate projects.  The Grand Award was the highest award given that evening for the overall best engineering project in the state of Florida for the Water & Stormwater category. The event was held at the JW Marriott Orlando Grand Lakes and several CMA staff were in attendance: Jose L. Acosta, P.E., F.ASCE, Robert Best, P.E., David Castro, P.E., Shahin Hekmat, P.E. and Jason Sutton, PLA.  Congratulations!

Karen RachlesCMA’s City of Fort Lauderdale Emergency Project Wins Grand Award
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National Engineers Week (EWeek) Spotlight ~ Daniela Martinat, P.E.

National Engineers Week (EWeek) Spotlight ~ Daniela Martinat, P.E.

In recognition of National Engineers Week (EWeek) February 20-28, CMA will be highlighting some of our women engineers throughout the week!

Daniela Martinat, P.E. is an associate engineer in our West Palm Beach office. With five years of experience, Daniela graduated from FAU with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. We asked Daniela to share some information about why she became an engineer.

Why I chose civil engineering: I chose engineering because I have always loved math. I loved the idea of pursuing a career that required constant learning and wasn’t a typical female job. I was inspired by my uncle and father who are also engineers and admire their very practical and analytical way of problem solving.

Fun fact: My husband is also an engineer who proposed on Pi Day (3/14). https://www.nspe.org/

Karen RachlesNational Engineers Week (EWeek) Spotlight ~ Daniela Martinat, P.E.
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