Civil engineering technicians reviewing design layouts. Photo credit myfuture.com

Along with being distributors of trench shoring products such as trench shields and slide rail shoring systems, we like to provide useful information for students. Civil engineering is a common profession in our field, and we realized that there weren’t a tremendous amount of practical resources where students could learn more about what a career in this field would look like. With that in mind, we asked some successful professionals and educators their thoughts on career paths, advice on classes, starting positions and much more.

Question 1:

If a student were looking to get into civil engineering, what courses should they take and what skills would will be most valuable in the industry and most important in helping them succeed?

They will need to take math and physics courses in high school and some chemistry. Computer skills, communication skills business and leadership skills is also a plus

Husam Najm, Ph.D., S.E.

I am assuming you mean students in high school or prospective students preparing to enter an ABET-accredited program for a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE).  Students interested in a career in civil engineering should take courses, such as:

A)  Mathematics: precalculus, calculus, statistics.

B) General chemistry and/or biology/microbiology.

C) Calculus-based physics.

D) Written communication: College Composition and/or Technical and Business Writing.

E) Oral Communication:  Public Speaking.

F) Economics.

G) Graphical Communications/Computer Aided Design (CAD)/Computer Programming/Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Upon entry into the BSCE degree program, students will typically receive more detailed course instruction in at least four core areas of civil engineering, which may include but not be limited to the following, depending on the individual accredited program:  Geotechnical (soils), structural (bridges, buildings, etc.), water resources (hydraulics and hydrology), environmental (water, wastewater, and solid/hazardous waste), transportation (highways, railroads, airports, marinas, etc.), and other possible core areas.

Many consulting firms also are looking for Master’s Degree prepared graduates.  The primary reason is the demonstration of the skill set of: organization of effort and documentation, communication of a significant work and its results, and greater focus and expertise in a particular field of study.

Harvey A. Gullicks, Ph.D., P.E.

The must have a BS in civil engineering.  The courses are defined by the ABET/EAC accredited program.  A high school student should have good math and science skills.  They need to be ready to take Calculus, Chemistry, and English at the college level.  Experience in physics in high school could be helpful.

Dennis D. Truax, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, F.ASCE

Question 2:

Is there such a thing as a “typical career path” in civil engineering? If so, what would it look like? Are there industries that demand civil engineers more than others?

I am not sure if there is  a clear path for civil engineering. Typically civil engineers and pretty much other engineers start as junior engineers (entry level), then become senior engineers– after that they get into project engineering and project management. Some take the technical track and become technical managers. Ultimately, some go on to become Principals Office Managers, Partners, and Vice Presidents. Some decide to start their own business along the way. That could be looked at as a career path.

Husam Najm, Ph.D., S.E.

Everyone’s career path is different.  Most BSCE degree programs tend to have curricula that emphasize courses leading to relatively high capabilities in structural engineering and can imply to the students that civil engineering is structural engineering.  In reality, about 60 to 65 percent of employment opportunities in civil engineering are in the water resources and environmental fields and there are also lots of opportunities in transportation and significant opportunities in geotechnical and other fields, too.  Often, graduates of BSCE programs really don’t know what area of practice will most appeal to them or present the best opportunities for their futures.  For example, upon graduation, I was convinced that structural engineering was for me and I had landed a great job in the bridge department of a national railroad company.  On the first day of work, my physical exam revealed blindness in my left eye and my employer concluded that I could not safely work in the bridge department, resulting in my transfer to the mechanical engineering department, where my career in environmental engineering was launched and has proven to be my passion.   What I have discovered during my career, however, is just how useful that broad general civil engineering education and training can be in your chosen area of practice.  I have had the opportunity to do lots of geotechnical work and structural design in the completion of many water and wastewater treatment plant construction projects and have even been afforded the opportunity to provide expert testimony that won a significant legal case settlement for a municipal client following a structural pipe failure.  In the long run, if it is your passion, you will persevere and succeed.

Harvey A. Gullicks, Ph.D., P.E.

No.  Civil engineers do everything.  The one most common issue is they are designing those engineered systems which define the quality of life in society and support economic development in a state or region.  They work on water and transportation infrastructure.  They have expertise in environmental, structural, geotechnical, construction, materials, transportation, surveying, and water resources management and engineering.

Civil engineers have many careers to follow.  They are more likely to become Professional Engineers which qualify them to design public projects and a host of other design projects.  They are working for heavy and light industry.  They work for local, state and federal agencies and their military counterparts.  They work for consulting firms.  They work in construction, design, planning, and management. They also rise to manage, even own, these corporations.

Civil engineers also pursue corporate management, medicine, law, and political office in some instances.

Dennis D. Truax, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, F.ASCE

Question 3:

In an entry level position, what types of tasks and responsibilities should a student expect to take on?

Entry level work is basic – mainly focuses on reading plans, doing quantities, site visits to collect data and information, learning codes and manuals, doing some design work – all under the supervision of s senior engineer

Husam Najm, Ph.D., S.E.

Many times entry level civil engineering tasks are performed by students or by recent BSCE graduates.  Entry level tasks might include field observation and documentation during construction, testing of materials, surveying, pay estimate quantity takeoffs, CAD and/or GIS work, and assisting with portions of reports, etc.

Harvey A. Gullicks, Ph.D., P.E.

They design, project review, and construction management of civil engineering projects.  Depending on the employer, it is not impossible to find a recent graduate managing the construction management of multi-million dollar projects, or working in a team of engineers to design complex engineering projects.

Dennis D. Truax, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, F.ASCE

Question 4:

What kinds of varying positions / jobs / experiences should a new hire seek out to become well-rounded as a civil engineer and make them marketable in the industry?

It is important that any entry level joins a company where he/she can learn and get experience quickly. Some companies allow entry levels to be exposed to many things to make them well rounded; other companies do not. They need to check out the company and see how new hires work there and can they get a lot of experience and be exposed to many things early on. If not, they need to change or wait for other opportunities at other companies.

Husam Najm, Ph.D., S.E.

In my opinion, every job or experience is an opportunity to become well-rounded and marketable.  I would consider development in the following areas critical to a well-rounded, marketable civil engineer: client contact/marketing, construction observation and later management, safety training, CAD/GIS work,  project need assessment,  project planning and alternative identification, information research (processes, equipment, costs, etc.), cost estimating and economic analysis of alternatives, project report writing, alternative selection, familiarity with funding sources, development of project funding, detailed project (or project component) design, design drawing supervision, specification writing, contract document preparation, bidding protocols, client and contractor interface activities,  construction closeout and preparation of “as-built” documents.

Harvey A. Gullicks, Ph.D., P.E.

The best option is to pursue professional licensure which requires working under someone with a PE and taking the required tests.  They need to be reasonably diverse in that work for the first few years.

Otherwise, pursuit of a graduate degree in one of the areas of civil engineering is appropriate and opens the doors for greater advancement and reward.

Dennis D. Truax, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, F.ASCE

Question 5:

What differences are there between working for a large (national or international) civil engineering firm compared to a smaller, regional one?

The difference is there are more large scale projects with larger companies and more possibilities to work in other offices and get to know more people. In smaller firms, engineers tend to be involved in many more details of the project than in larger firms which gives them more experience but if the work slows down, they may be laid off. But sometimes you really do not know. My advice is that when looking for job, the student should try to ask what exactly they will be doing once they are hired, which project how long before they move to another project. Sometimes is not easy to get these answers.

Husam Najm, Ph.D., S.E.

In my experience, working for a smaller, regional civil engineering consulting firm often involves working on a wide variety of different types of projects and becoming sort of a “jack of all trades.”  You may not be an expert in all facets of the project involvement.  So, it is not uncommon for smaller firms to work jointly or collaboratively with larger national/international firms on challenging local/regional projects.  Employees of larger national/international firms are often more “pigeon-holed” into working on specific types of projects and through that narrower focus often, though not always, become experts in their narrower field or focus area.  I have often experienced great working relationships between smaller firms and larger firms, where the client benefited dramatically from the collaborative effort.

Harvey A. Gullicks, Ph.D., P.E.

The types of projects and the diversity of skills.  In smaller first, a person does more of everything at a more basic level.  In bigger firms, an engineer will be expected to have stronger skills in a specific area.

Dennis D. Truax, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, F.ASCE

Question 6:

If you had one piece of advice for a student looking to get into a career in civil engineering, what would it be?

Get good communications, business and managerial skills, and now computer/technology skills, learn how react quickly to handle an emergency. Either by taking courses, or attending seminars while at school and early after graduation.

Husam Najm, Ph.D., S.E.

Learn as much from the experiences of your peers, contractors, operators and clients and from their project experiences as possible, both from their successes and from their failures.  Do not be destined to repeat the failures and be quick to credit the source of your successes.  Above all, know your limitations and seek experts when expectations exceed your limitations and ability to deliver.

Harvey A. Gullicks, Ph.D., P.E.

Be committed to getting the education first and foremost.  There is plenty of time to have fun in college, but if getting the education is not taken as a job..which is given priority…the diverse educational experience can adversely impact the education they get and this will limit their career options.

Dennis D. Truax, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, F.ASCE

Question 7:

Based on your experience, what are the most surprising or unexpected elements about civil engineering?

Projects are unpredictable- once you have them and the next day you are told to stop! It’s very difficult for managers and you need to have alternatives if that happens. Personal and communications skills can surprise you how important they can be. Third, natural disasters can really test civil engineers and they should be prepared for that either through education or trough real life experience.

Husam Najm, Ph.D., S.E.

It always surprises me that so many people in the general public, as they daily go about using the infrastructure created by civil engineers and contractors, either take for granted or are unaware of what civil engineers and contractors do until a catastrophic failure and the media capture their attention.   As an industry, we need to do a better job of advertising our societal contributions and successes.

Harvey A. Gullicks, Ph.D., P.E.

How much one can really achieve, just how big a difference one’s designs can have on society.  I have deigned projects that have generated millions of dollars of revenue for public agencies, or reduced operating costs in ways that paid for changes in a matter of months with those saving going on for years to come.  Civil engineers impact the lives of thousands of people every day, for the good or the bad depending on how they do their job.

Dennis D. Truax, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, F.ASCE

Question 8:

What do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of working in a civil engineering profession?

A lot of satisfaction when you work on major project and see it built and used by people.

To be help to help people when a natural disaster strikes and is called upon civil engineers to help repair and restore roads, bridges, water, levies, and shelters.

Husam Najm, Ph.D., S.E.

For me, the most rewarding aspect of civil engineering is the satisfaction of knowing that my efforts have led to the construction of critically-needed infrastructure that benefits the public and private sectors.  There is tremendous pride in being able to visit or drive past a facility and know that you designed it (or at least a significant part of it), that it was constructed under budget, and is functioning as it was intended to function.  It is truly gratifying to be told by your clients that your work has contributed to successfully completed and highly appreciated projects.

Harvey A. Gullicks, Ph.D., P.E.

See the answer to Question 7.  This job allows you to make a difference in the live of people.  We have the opportunity to make a difference, to leave things better than we find them.

Dennis D. Truax, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, F.ASCE

Biographies:

Husam Najm, Ph.D., S.E.

Associate Professor of Civil Engineering

Rutgers University

Short Biography for Harvey A. Gullicks, Ph.D., P.E.

Harvey Gullicks graduated Summa cum Laude from the University of North Dakota (UND) with a BSCE in 1976.  He was employed in the railroad industry for slightly over one year, before returning to complete a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering (environmental emphasis) at the UND in 1979.  Gullicks then entered consulting with STS, Ltd, a national materials, geotechnical and environmental firm.  In 1983, he began working on a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at Iowa State University, specializing in water and wastewater engineering and graduating in 1987.  Gullicks was employed with consulting firms ( Veenstra and Kimm, Inc. in West Des Moines, IA as a Project Manager and UniField Engineering in Billings, MT as the Manager of Environmental Services) before accepting an offer to join the faculty at the UND in the August 1993.   In 2010, Gullicks, an Associate Professor, was appointed Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering at UND.  Since 1993, Gullicks has also held the position of Senior Environmental Engineer with AE2S, Inc., a regional consulting firm headquartered in Grand Forks, ND.   Dr. Gullicks is a professional engineer, currently registered in the states of MN, ND, and MT.

Dennis D. Truax, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, F.ASCE

Dr. Dennis D. Truax, P.E., BCEE, F.ASCE, is Head and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Mississippi State University.  A noted authority in the fields of environmental and water resources engineering; he is in his sixth year as the James T. White Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering. A member of the faculty for 32 years, he is a licensed professional engineer and nationally certified as an environmental engineer by the American Academy of Environmental Engineering.  He has been inducted into Tau Beta Pi, Chi Epsilon, Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi, Golden Key, and the Order of the Engineer.  In 1999, he was elected a Fellow by the American Society of Civil Engineers.  A Herrin-Hess Professor of Engineering at Mississippi State, he is a member of the Bagley College of Engineering Academy of Fellows at Mississippi State.

He is responsible for both administrative and education tasks for an academic department with over 450 students, a operating budget of over $4 million, and programs that extend around the world.  During his academic career, he has published 100 refereed and reference papers and report and has made over 160 paper and poster presentations.  His externally-funded research has focused of environmental and water resources engineering with projects related to modeling of surface waters and pollutant transport, evaluating watersheds and management practices, managing hazardous wastes, and optimizing water and wastewater treatment facilities.  He has investigated issues related to improving aeration, coagulation, microbial, separation, and disinfection treatment processes.

Professionally, Dr. Truax has worked on environmental management systems throughout the United States as well as Argentina, Canada, China, Mexico, Romania, Tanzania, Turkey and Venezuela.  He has consulted for local and international engineering firms, small municipalities and regional authorities, law firms, industry, and federal agencies.  Technically, he has helped design over 500 wastewater treatment plants world-wide.  He was project engineer for the design, permitting, contract management, and construction of a regional solids waste management system and has worked on almost a dozen county or regional solid waste management plans.  He has performed numerous Environmental Assessments, supervised remediation of several Underground Storage Tank (UST) sites, and inspected drip pads and other hazardous materials management systems.

In 1976, he earned a bachelor of science in civil engineering with a concentration in environmental and hydraulic engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He later went on to earn a master of science in civil engineering and a doctor of philosophy in civil engineering from Mississippi State University. An active member of his professional community he maintains active affiliation with the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Water Environment Federation, and the American Water Works Association, among others. He has served on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Advisory Council for the Center for Professional Engineering Education Services.  He also serves as a member of the Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors.

Firefighters Train for Trench Rescue

Rudimentary Trench Support Failed to Protect

Worker Crushed in trench propped with plywood

As we all know contractors now each other very well and everyone was aware of what had happened.  Needless to say we had their attention and it was a very somber but attentive group for training that week.

Pro-Tec Equipment Utility Panel Guide

Imagine houses, trees, sidewalks, fractured clay, sticky clay, and glacial till. Add to that the challenge of minimizing the disturbance to the local area while boring a 48” pipe beneath the road. These and many other challenges are what Kandey Company, Inc. out of West Seneca New York is facing while completing the first of the multi-phase Parker-Fries Project.

The Parker-Fries Project is a major construction project in Tonawanda, New York. Theproject started in the summer of 2010 and will continue over the next 18 to 24 months.  It will replace more than 11,000 feet of aging and deteriorating sanitary sewer system line. The old sewer line has been a source of contention between the Town of Tonawanda and the state Department of Environmental Conservation, due in part, to the unfortunate instances in which the overflow has entered the storm water system, eventually ending up in nearby waterways.

Kandey Company was awarded the $26.4 million dollar Parker-Fries Project in June 2010. Originally, the project was going to be done with an H-pile system, but the concern over the width due to existing utilities, traffic control and the of time required for the installation and removal of the H-pile  had Kandey Company considering alternatives for the bore pits in areas where space was limited.

“I was on another slide rail job for Kandey and I was talking about the Utility Panel Guide (UPG) system,” said Leo Shaw, Western New York\Northern Pennsylvania representative for Mabey Bridge and Shore a trench shoring and shielding distributor for Pro-Tec Equipment, the leading producer of trench shoring and shielding equipment. “That foreman mentioned that Bill Duncan (Superintendent for the Parker-Fries Project) was looking for a system through which to run utilities. I drove straight to the job trailer and explained the Pro-Tec Equipment Slide Rail System and the UPG’s to him.” The Pro-Tec Equipment Utility Panel Guide System (UPG) is part of the Slide Rail Shoring system which is a modular, dig and push shoring system. The Pro-Tec Slide Rail Shoring System is installed from the top down and removed from the bottom up, minimizing the size of excavations, soil disturbances, and restoration time and cost. The installation is done with low vibration, providing soil support for excavations, adjacent structures and existing utilities. The UPG allows those existing utilities to enter and exit the excavation site, and also provide a means for boring operations to take place in a safe and shored excavation.

At Pro-Tec Equipment, Joshua Thorne Slide Rail Manager, and the C.A.D.D. department quickly created a design that met the needs of Kandey and Mabey Bridge. “My initial thoughts were to try and pursue a High Clearance Arch system, “ recalled Joshua, “but after talking with Leo, and flying out to the site, I knew that the UPG system was the system that could get the project done.”

“The biggest concern that I had,” remarked Bill Duncan, “was with the active lines being where they were. Doing this job with H-pile would have been difficult, with the extra width that would have been needed.”

“Installing the [slide rail] system took some time to get used to,” mentioned Bobby Walter, laborer for Kandey Company, “but after talking with the site consultant that Pro-Tec Equipment sent out, things went together nicely.”

The Slide Rail System that Mabey Bridge and Shore is providing Kandey Company consists of a bore pit that measures 12.5’ wide x 46’ long x 24’ – 28’ in depth, which is to be installed and removed six separate times, and a receiving pit that measures 16’ wide x 16’ long x 24’ – 28’ in depth, which is to be installed and removed two separate times.

Leo Shaw added, “Without the great partnership between Mabey Bridge and Pro-Tec Equipment, a large job like this doesn’t happen. It is a pleasure knowing that Pro-Tec Equipment is there when we need them.”

For more information about Pro-Tec Equipment, visit www.pro-tecequipment.com
For more information about Mabey Bridge, visit www.mabey.com
For more information about Kandey Company, visit www.kandeycompany.com

I was looking for a new dealer in the Cincinnati area several years ago.  Not knowing anyone in the area I called on several of the larger underground construction contractors in the area.  One contractor, who will remain nameless, when asked who he used for his trench shoring needs replied “well this is really rocky ground around here and we don’t really need trench shoring.”  I thought about it for a minute and asked if he was concerned about OSHA catching them doing something illegal.  His reply was that OSHA didn’t have much of a presence in that particular region of the country.  I then said “so you never have any cave-ins in this area”?  He replied with…”Oh no, we have several deaths a year due to cave-ins”.  I just looked at him and he turned red and said “well, maybe we do need to start using trench boxes”.

Just because a tragedy has never happened to you or your company doesn’t mean that it can’t or won’t.

So, why do you want to use Rumble Grids?  There are a few reasons, but the first is probably the most compelling, they will save you money.  That’s right, they will save you money.  Rumble Grids can be used in place of crushed stone, they also remove the need for a street cleaner, or broom attachment that cleans up the track-out left by trucks as they leave the job-site.

Additional reasons you want to use Rumble Grids, they are AASHTO-HS20-44 Rated.  The Rumble Grids are portable (unlike crushed stone), reusable and virtually maintenance free.  Do you need another reason?  Ok, how about, they are spec’d in by Wal-Mart new store construction and existing store rehabs.

Now the question is, how do you get your hands on them?  Either contact your local Pro-Tec Equipment dealer (click here) or contact Pro-Tec Equipment directly and we will get you the information that you need.

I’d like to sit here and tell everyone how great it’s going to be and make everyone feel warm and fuzzy; but that just doesn’t settle with me.  See, with the way the economy is working, there’s no telling what is to come.  But, as I try to stay positive I can tell you that this upcoming year should be better than the past. 

With Michigan’s economy headed on an upward slope and the talk of a new bridge to Canada that is supposed to kick start the jobs in Michigan; I’m anticipating a prosperous year.  I believe it’s important to stay positive and keep on knocking on doors, making cold calls and keeping a relative relationship with your customers.  Finding new customers can be tough, but they are out there. 

I have a gut feeling that the rental side of the industry will stay strong and only grow, especially with steel prices on the rise.  I also believe staying consistent with the day to day operations will prove to the end users that you’re here for the long haul. 

 The important thing in a slow time is to stay positive and be prepared for when construction in your area takes off.  Being unprepared and having a negative attitude is detrimental to a company.  So it’s good to anticipate a change in the winds, just be ready when it happens.

What do you call a job that requires four different pipe jacking pits to install a new 72” sanitary sewer pipe?  Typically, this would be a standard job.  But what if that job required excavations that ranged from 20’ deep to 32’ deep, had an active 21” sanitary sewer line running through one of the pits, had a pond directly next to another of the pits, had a creek less than 12’ away, had a mix of sticky clay soil and running sand, had an apartment building nearby, and had a highly traveled road 15’ away? 

If you are Lowe Construction, with the help of Pro-Tec Equipments Slide Rail Shoring System, you would call it a successful job!   

Lowe Construction contacted Pro-Tec Equipment early-on in the process to design a plan to safely and efficiently protect their workers.   According to Joshua Thorne, Pro-Tec Equipment’s Slide Rail Manger “When Lowe contacted us about this project, my first thoughts were, ‘this is an ideal project for our Slide Rail System.’  With the mix of bad soil conditions, the proximity to a building and a road, and the overall scope of the project, I was confident that the Pro-Tec Slide Rail System would be able to get the job done for Lowe.”

The Pro-Tec Equipment Slide Rail System is a dig and push style system.  With its modular, flexible design the system can comply with a wide variety of shapes and sizes.  The Pro-Tec Slide Rail Shoring System is installed from the top down and removed from the bottom up, minimizing size of excavations, soil disturbances and restoration time and cost.  The installation is done with low vibration, providing soil support for excavations, adjacent structures and existing utilities.

“The original plans called for a beam and lag system,” said Scott Bazinet, President for Lowe Construction.  “We asked the engineers if we could use the Pro-Tec Slide Rail System instead of the beam and lag.  They were happy to allow it.”  The project, Saddleback Sanitary, located in Grand Rapids, MI, called for a low-vibration system, since all the work would be taking place in close proximity to multiple apartment buildings.  “In past projects when we used the Pro-Tec Slide Rail System, we were able to push the post in place with our excavator bucket,” said Scott. “Since we were so close to the apartment buildings, we had to take it a step further and pre-drill the post holes.” 

“On all four of the boring and jacking pits, we had limited access,” says Kim Sprague, Field Superintendent for Lowe Construction.  “We had a creek nearby on the first pit, a pond next to the second pit and apartment buildings and a road for the other two pits.”  With Pro-Tec Equipment’s exclusive, patented Panel Installation Tool (P.I.T. Boss), having limited access is merely a minor inconvenience.  “We used the P.I.T. Boss on three out of the four pits we installed,” said Josh Brown, one of the Pro-Tec Equipment Slide Rail consultants on the Saddleback Sanitary project.  “Without the P.I.T. Boss, at the depths that Lowe Construction was working, there would have been no easy way to install those panels to the proper depth.”

The Pro-Tec Slide Rail Shoring System is made up of five main components: corner post, spreader post (also known as linear rails), spreader beams, roller beams, and panels. The panels used in the Slide Rail System are similar to trench shields, however they are designed and reinforced in a way that allows them to stand up to the rigorous environment in which Slide Rail Systems are commonly used.

On the site, Lowe Construction was using two 100,000+ pound excavators, a PC 400 Komatsu and an 1880 Kato.  At one point, they even enlisted the services of a 700 Hitachi.  “In my 25+ years of dirt work,” said Kim, “these were the worst job conditions I’ve come across.  We had sticky and firm clay, mixed in with running sand.  They weren’t on top of each other.  In some cases, they ran vertically or even diagonally!”

 “But the [Pro-Tec Slide Rail] system did exactly what we expected and wanted it to.” remarked Scott.

For the Saddleback Sanitary Project, Lowe Construction was the primary sub-contractor for the boring and jacking.  The general contractor on the site was Jackson-Merkey Contractors, out of Muskegon, Michigan, owners of the 700 Hitachi also used on the site. 

Lowe Construction is based out of Horton, Michigan.  Founded in 1974, their primary focus is in auger boring and jacking, pipe jacking, and tunneling.  Lowe Construction primarily services the Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana areas, but has been known to venture out even further.

Pro-Tec Equipment is the leading producer of trench shoring and shielding equipment since 1995.  Based out of Charlotte, Michigan, Pro-Tec Equipment services contractors through an international network of dealers and distributors.  In Michigan, Pro-Tec Equipment operates retail locations in Grand Rapids, Detroit, and Charlotte.  All of Pro-Tec Equipment’s products are P.E. certified to meet and\or exceed O.S.H.A. standards.