Highlighter-Spring-2015

Phoenix Trai l - Ci ty of Col lege Park Located near Har tsfield-Jackson International Airport and nestled within “Georgia’s Global City,” Phoenix Trail has helped to connect the community by providing an easily accessible and healthy alternative mode of transportation. Pond, along with the City of College Park, CSX Railroad, and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), worked to bring this essential trail to this bustling city. During planning, Pond discovered an abandoned CSX rail spur that provided 40 to 50 feet of right-of-way directly through the heart of the City, including an existing 400+ foot long tunnel under Interstate 85. This finding saved the City money and gave end users a safe a l t e r n a t i v e away from high-speed vehicular traffic. After the Pond Team performed a thorough environmental analysis and worked with the Trust for Public Land, the City of College Park was able to purchase the existing rail corridor. “College Park residents have embraced the Phoenix Trail. Its smart design and efficient use of land is a big hit with local fitness groups and enhances the connectivity for the airport region,” said Gerald Walker, City of College Park’s Director of Communications. “The inherent beauty of the trail is enhanced by the creative genius of Pond, blending the right amount of greenspace, technology and commercial interest to provide the backdrop for this great environmental enhancement to the College Park community.” The partnership that Pond helped to facilitate between CSX Railroad, GDOT, College Park and the Trust for Public Land showed that the result can be cost effective and impactful to the growth and success of a city. n The project to resurface the northernmost runway at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (H-JAIA) was completed in a remarkable 29 days, thanks to the combined efforts of the Aviation Infrastructure Solutions (AIS) Joint Venture. The AIS Joint Venture is comprised of Pond & Company, Michael Baker International, Corporate Environmental Risk Management (C.E.R.M), Key Engineering, and Long Engineering. Runway 8L-26R was originally constructed in 1983, after which over 500 domestic, international, and cargo flights landed on it daily. Needless to say, it had begun to show significant wear. The first step the AIS team took was to evaluate the entire runway. Tests revealed that the center (or “keel”) portion need to be replaced, but the less trafficked outer panels were still in good shape. Only replacing the keel portion greatly reduced the cost and quantity of materials and reduced the amount of construction waste. Additionally, the time required to take the runway out of service lessened, thanks to the significantly shortened schedule. The standard Runway Edge lights were replaced with LED lights, which require between 50% and 60% less energy. This runway is one of the first in the United States to be completely LED. The contractors experienced several unanticipated delays; however, they maintained the project’s rigorous schedule. Such commitment was rewarded when the project finished ahead of schedule, despite a large work crew that included, on average, 350 personnel per shift, working over 210,000 man-hours in 29 days, demolishing and replacing 95,040 square yards of concrete pavement. n More Award - winning Projects Added to Our Portfolio Ashley Horne - Senior Marketing Coordinator Susan Johnson - Marketing Coordinator At the 2015 Georgia Engineering Excellence Awards Gala hosted by the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers this past February, Pond was the proud recipient of not one, but two Honor Awards. Runway 8L/26R - Har tsf ield-Jackson At lanta Internat ional Airpor t