Articles 04-20-2021
Spring has sprung, but the winter storm that brought snow, ice and piercing-cold temperatures to Texas and neighboring states in February had a lasting impression—for all the wrong reasons. ...
Articles 11-04-2020
The pandemic and resulting circumstances have forced companies and agencies in all industries to examine the way they operate, consider change management and rethink best practices. That includes the bid solicitation process. ...
Articles 10-07-2020
One of the clear pictures painted for industrial and manufacturing companies throughout the COVID-19 pandemic is the importance of adaptation. Supply chains have been broken globally for a multitude of industries, and these disruptions ...
Articles 09-30-2020
Halff published a bulletin in the spring of 2020 about the EPA and Department of the Army issuance of the final rule defining waters of the United States regulated under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Becoming effective on June 22, 2020 ...
Articles 09-23-2020
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published its updated version of Atlas 14 (Volume 11) in 2018 to revise rainfall amounts that define a 100-year storm event—as well as a variety of other frequencies—in Texas. ...
Articles 09-08-2020
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) integrate advanced communications ...
Articles 09-03-2020
Development projects can pull together a variety of dynamics, agendas, capabilities and even egos to fulfill a client’s vision. For instance, a building architect might ...
Articles 07-31-2020
Capital Cascades Park was a vision that became reality. It was a grand vision to transform a low-lying, industrial EPA Superfund site in the heart of Tallahassee ... Articles 06-10-2020
Over the last few months, two actions have the consultant industry monitoring agency websites and press releases to better understand how these actions will affect permitting future projects pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act ...
Articles 05-21-2020
Machine-learning algorithms are woven into our daily lives. For instance, they use data to predict or recommend our Netflix and YouTube viewing choices. They foretell ...
Articles 05-07-2020
Virtual meetings are becoming more of a comfort zone for municipalities, design consultants and other entities needing to engage the public and keep projects moving forward. That line of communication remains vital to facilitate new information ...
Articles 04-27-2020
At Halff, we turn ideas into reality and encourage young thinkers to do the same. With many schools across the country closed for the remainder of the school year, here are some fun and interactive ways for students of all ages to engage in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) […] ...
Articles 04-24-2020
While mastering virtual meeting tools is important to conduct engaging, worthwhile public meetings and gain valuable input from constituents, keeping the original purpose of the meeting and maintaining a human touch are also critical. ...
Articles 04-20-2020
The term business as usual has certainly taken on new life since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. The temporary suspension of open-meeting gatherings has challenged everyone to find virtual platforms and effective methods for ...
Articles 04-07-2020
Halff’s scientists and planners rely on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to develop layers of important geospatial and environmental data for project planning ...
Articles 03-25-2020
COVID-19 has forced many communities to issue shelter-in-place orders to fight its spread. Halff employees are cooperating with these orders and, at the same time, committed to providing the same high level of service and quality for which we are ...
Articles 03-04-2020
The Regional Veloweb, or more commonly Veloweb, may not be a widely recognizable name, but it is serious business when it comes to improving bicycle and pedestrian connectivity in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The result of a federal ...
Articles 02-05-2020
Safety. Efficiency. Accuracy. Productivity. Cost. All are valuable commodities in a project. Halff’s investment in a Trimble MX9 mobile LiDAR unit—one of the most advanced mobile mapping solutions in the world today—will enhance geospatial ...
Articles 01-22-2020
Right of way acquisition is a critical piece of delivering a successful project—particularly transportation and utility endeavors. Some common challenges may include not knowing where to begin, not having adequate staff to ...
Articles 01-16-2020
The City of Austin set out to conduct a comprehensive inventory and analysis of trees within the public right of way. The efforts are intended to help the City ...
Articles 10-09-2019
Construction Services personnel works closely with owners, engineers, architects and contractors to be the “eyes and ears” through all phases and functions of the construction process. They build trusting partnerships and protect a client’s ...
Articles 09-25-2019
Planners occupy a critical place in the advancement of smart cities—inherently, next to the big-data informational technologies that will make these cities thrive. Planners face challenging questions while trying to understand what existing, trending, ...
Articles 08-28-2019
Sports complexes are becoming an important part of the community and an increasingly significant economic driver. These complexes play host to many weekend tournaments throughout the year and provide recreational opportunities for weekly ...
Articles 08-14-2019
An internship goes a long way toward helping a college student comprehend the daily responsibilities and complexities of a professional life within his or her field of study. Students gain experiential learning and even get a taste of the work environment ...
Articles 08-07-2019
Inventor Charles Adler Jr. created a sound-actuated traffic signal in the 1920s designed to make a light change when a driver—who was sitting at a red light—honked the car’s horn. Adler’s intention was to assist drivers ...
Articles 07-24-2019
Resilience is an important word in A/E/C lexicon today. And it isn't found only in our built environment. It’s an important quality for employees in the workplace as well. Employees who thrive in stressful environments filled with unexpected challenges ...
Articles 07-17-2019
America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018 was signed into public law on Oct. 23, 2018, requiring all community and wholesale water systems serving a population of greater than 3,300 to certify to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ...
Articles 06-26-2019
Tax reform in Texas has made having a stormwater utility fee more important as it provides a dedicated revenue stream to address stormwater infrastructure projects and activities that mitigate stormwater impacts. ...
Articles 05-22-2019
A sound structure, from which all successful architectural or civil works projects are dependent, is paramount to protecting the safety and welfare of the public. ...
Articles 05-08-2019
When it rains, it pours. North Texas has received an average yearly rainfall of more than 47 inches since 2015—that's 17 inches more than the yearly average during the previous decade. Nothing has changed in 2019, as 6.75 inches of rainfall ...
Articles 05-01-2019
New construction projects of all shapes and sizes continue to populate our landscape. On occasion, those projects will run into untimely, costly delays because a utility conflict was encountered. Even worse, a utility line was ruptured. ...
Articles 04-17-2019
More than 8 million U.S. health care workers are potentially exposed to hazardous drugs in the workplace each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control ...
Articles 03-20-2019
Urban trail planning generally begins with a line drawn on a map. Sometimes the line evolves into something we can see and touch and experience, such as an active transportation trail. When that happens, it becomes meaningful for citizens ...
Articles 02-27-2019
Halff employees have been dedicated to solving problems and creating sustainable solutions since the firm was founded 69 years ago. Halff’s Software Development practice plays a large role in finding those solutions by providing innovative tools ...
Articles 02-13-2019
One element that distinguishes a good city from a great city is its parks. Parks improve the quality of our lives—whether we use them for recreation, connectivity, socialization or to recharge our spirits. Parks are an investment in our society ...
Articles 01-30-2019
The 2018 APA Texas Conference last fall included a workshop titled, “Flood Safe Texas—Collaborative and Modern Approaches.” The key word in that title is collaborative. Collaboration certainly is not a new concept, but it can be ...
Articles 01-23-2019
Oklahoma is among the top oil and natural gas-producing states in the country. Despite the state’s overall number of working rigs decreasing slightly late last year and early in 2019, the “Sooner State” boasts 14 of the nation’s 100 largest ...
Articles 01-09-2019
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is a diverse organization. One of its many missions is to develop and manage the nation’s water resources. USACE, acting under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, serves as the regulatory agent issuing permits ...
Articles 12-19-2018
America’s deteriorating infrastructure has been widely documented over the last few years. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimates the U.S. needs to spend $4.5 trillion by 2025 to fix the nation’s roads, bridges, dams, water systems ...
Articles 12-05-2018
Trails are a great way to provide recreational opportunities. They are a means of connectivity within a community and can also serve as a tourism destination. While providing transportation, trails can offer conservation and educational benefits. Trails have been proven to boost a community’s image and economic value ...
Articles 11-21-2018
Unmanned aircraft systems, better known as drones, are making a significant impact in the A/E industry—useful for a number of meaningful applications. In subsequent articles, topics such as quality control, data validation and project deliverables ...
Articles 11-07-2018
Autonomous vehicles rely on an integrated system of advanced technological components to travel down the road. Learn more, and how different levels of automation are defined. ...
Articles 10-24-2018
One of the hottest topics this year among water experts and managers has not been about water itself. The topic? Data. It was deemed so important that Texas’ leading water data stakeholders were invited to Austin in April to participate in a workshop. ...
Articles 10-17-2018
Flood risk is top of mind for many municipalities and residents within those communities because of severe storm events in recent years. Texas suffered more flood-related fatalities in 2017 than any other state, by far, according ...
Articles 10-03-2018
There will be a hearing November 14–15, 2018, in which the Sunset Commission will present its decision about the discontinuation of the regulation of Professional Geoscientists in Texas. If the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists is abolished ...
Articles 09-19-2018
Comprehensive plans guide the future of many cities throughout the country. They are a direct outgrowth of the two standard state enabling acts published by the U.S. Department of Commerce in the 1920s. For many states, these Standard Acts ...
Articles 09-05-2018
Residents often don’t have much reaction time to prepare or evacuate when a flood strikes, especially in smaller watersheds. But what if our communities knew with greater confidence what areas would flood during a rainfall event? ...
Articles 08-22-2018
Imagine being dropped right into the middle of traffic on Interstate 635E, which loops around Dallas. It’s a version of the highway you have never seen before. Look around. You experience wide-open expanses, elevation changes and new traffic patterns. Not only are you seeing what this new interstate looks like ...
Articles 07-25-2018
Right of way is defined by Merriam-Webster as an easement or servitude over another's land conferring a right of passage. However, it is more particulary described as a strip of land used as a roadbed—for street, highway or railway—or for ...
Articles 07-11-2018
Who pays for our highways? And how? Those are multibillion-dollar questions today in Texas, where highways are becoming more congested due to skyrocketing population growth, and a funding shortfall exists to address all high-demand projects. The attempt to mitigate congestion is often outweighed by other critical ...
Articles 06-27-2018
Local governments have an important decision to make before committing to widen a roadway, add a turn lane or even construct a new recreational trail for residents. Will they accept federal funding for the project? Federal grant programs assist ...
Articles 06-13-2018
Hurricane Katrina made landfall near New Orleans in 2005 and wreaked havoc on built-up areas of the Gulf Coast. The Caribbean, Eastern United States and Gulf Coast areas were then visited by devastating hurricanes Irma, Maria and Harvey in 2017. ...
Articles 05-23-2018
Planning and designing projects that identify risk and mitigate flooding are top of mind, especially following the devastating 2017 hurricane season and other recent dramatic rainfall events. ...
Articles 05-09-2018
Sustainability is a cornerstone of most buildings designed today. Sustainable design preserves critical resources such as energy and water, and incorporates materials that are environmentally friendly. What can be done about older, existing buildings? ...
Articles 04-25-2018
Common sense tells us it is much easier and more attractive to develop land that hasn’t been touched. A greenfield site, which has not previously been used for any residential, commercial or industrial purpose, offers a clean slate and a multitude ...
Articles 04-11-2018
Take a step back in time for a moment and imagine yourself trekking across Plano, Texas, 150 years ago. If you prefer a South Texas suburb, settle in Katy. Or head north to Oklahoma City. Prairie lands exist as far as you can see. ...
Articles 03-28-2018
Land surveying is often a tale of the classic five W’s. However, the "where" part of the equation is the most important part of surveying. Surveyors provide information about where things are, such as boundary lines or physical features on the ground. They can tell us where future boundary lines or physical features are wanted. ...
Articles 03-14-2018
Merriam-Webster defines destination as "a place worthy of travel or an extended visit." In the landscape architecture world, that destination could be a park, an urban plaza or even a walkway that connects points of interest within a community. Destination parks all have stories ...
Articles 02-28-2018
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria have altered parts of Texas, Florida and the Caribbean forever. As a result, new criteria and standards for flood control/stormwater features are being examined closely. ...
Articles 02-14-2018
It is known to oil and gas firms as Regulation 29 CFR 1910.119. Its purpose: “This section contains requirements for preventing or minimizing the consequences of catastrophic releases of toxic, reactive, flammable or explosive chemicals ...
Articles 01-31-2018
What do bioswales, detention/retention basins, vegetated rooftops, permeable pavers, constructed wetlands and rain barrels have in common? They are low impact development features that assist in managing stormwater runoff. ...
Articles 01-17-2018
Ah, stress. You know it well. It’s that anxiety that overcomes you when all you can see is an ocean of red brake lights in front of you on the interstate. Breathe. The average rush-hour commuter in America spends 42 hours per year sitting in gridlock ...
Articles 01-03-2018
Think about the most exciting places to go in your community. In many cases, they are where the water and the land meet—edges of streams or lakes or even oceans. Those areas create interest, value and opportunity. They are where the energy is at. Throughout the last century, many of the […] ...
Articles 12-06-2017
Knowing where utility lines are located is critical. No owner wants to encounter a surprise during construction, which could ultimately delay a project and increase costs dramatically. Safety is a primary concern as well, especially when encountering natural gas or petroleum pipelines. ...
Articles 11-22-2017
Allison, Katrina, Sandy, and Harvey are names that will forever be synonymous with the United States—for all the wrong reasons. They were each the “perfect storm” that left cities and regions underwater, shattered lives, and caused billions of dollars in property damage. Tropical Storm Allison blew into Texas in June […] ...
Articles 11-08-2017
If you type “Section 404 of the Clean Water Act” or “Waters of the United States” into an internet browser, you will see a list of links rooted in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and even schools of law. ...
Articles 10-25-2017
Even in the South—where the highways are wide, the distances are great, and the summer heat is oppressive—there is a growing demand for facilities that support bicycling and walking. Could it be that we are ready to ride our bikes to the office? Walk to the grocery store? Shun our trucks for pedals or walking shoes? ...
Articles 10-11-2017
LiDAR is a lot like a five-tool baseball player. It is extremely versatile and excels at helping us accomplish greater things. LiDAR is such a dynamic technology that it is used for an array of tasks such as floodplain modeling, urban planning, coastline ...
Articles 10-16-2016
Delivering a clear right of way for pipeline projects presents an environmental and permitting challenge requiring a multi-faceted approach. Pipeline projects should include an environmental regulatory review during the alignment selection phase, assessment during the property acquisition phase, and testing and monitoring ...
Articles 08-16-2016
The classic “Five Ws” are Who, What, Where, When and Why. Land surveying focuses on defining WHERE. Where are the property boundaries? Where are the improvements? Where are the utilities? ...
Articles 07-16-2016
It’s a holiday weekend, a storm is squalling above the public utility process facility and suddenly, as expected, power fails. Effluent water keeps streaming downstream yet it’s doing so untreated. What do you do to re-start water process operation, and ...
Articles 06-01-2016
Water Resources Halff Associates provides full service to our water utility clients, from the assessment and modeling of existing infrastructure to the design of pipelines and facilities. For the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA), Halff developed a hydraulic model of the Highlands Canal System to identify opportunities to improve the […] ...
Articles 05-01-2016
Program Management is typically defined as managing multiple projects for the purpose of meeting a common goal, and, while it may take on many different forms, there is a common process involved. At the programming level, ...
Articles 03-01-2016
Texas Water 2016 Coming in April Texas Water 2016 – the premier conference for water industry experts throughout the state – is set for April 19-22 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Presented by the Texas section of the American Water Works Association (TAWWA) and the Water Environment Association of […] ...
Articles 02-01-2016
Historic buildings contribute significantly to the character of a city, and public officials have recognized that these structures enhance the identity and uniqueness of the community. Preservation is a key strategy for economic development, urban revitalization and sustainable development. Because historic ...
Articles 01-01-2016
How to engage customers on social media continues to be a question for engineers and utilities. As you can see from the graphic below, social media continues to grow, and customers engage on it every day. Social networks have grown from being used primarily by millennials to now professionals interacting on them to develop ...
Articles 11-01-2015
Ben Franklin told us that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and as usual he was right. Corrosion in general is an issue that could end up breaking your bank, so you need experts who have done the research and can give ...
Articles 10-01-2015
How many times have you heard “but that’s the way we’ve always done it?” That phrase is becoming obsolete with the advent of ever-changing technology, and Halff is at the forefront of developing real-time solutions for real-world issues. ...
Articles 09-01-2015
A full-service engineering consulting firm. What does that mean to you? At Halff, we take pride in offering professional services in numerous disciplines, providing a one-stop shop for many types of projects. However, meeting the standard of full service means much more to Halff than preparing plans and specs. When you need ...
Articles 08-01-2015
Tunneling vs. Traditional Installing an underground pipeline is a major undertaking, regardless of the size of the pipeline or the size of the city. Traditional methods of open cut or cut and cover are appropriate and cost-effective for shallow depths less than 25 feet and if there is adequate space […] ...
Articles 07-01-2015
Selecting the right plants to enhance a street or building project can have long-lasting impacts on maintenance efforts and cost. ...
Articles 06-01-2015
Sustainability… Green Infrastructure… Low Impact Development... All of these terms express a common goal: infrastructure that is environmentally-friendly, cost-effective, and integrates with the longterm quality of life goals of the community. Water ...
Articles 05-01-2015
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was signed into law on Jan. 1, 1970, to protect, maintain, and enhance the environment amid concerns that human actions were negatively affecting the environment. NEPA requires federal agencies ...
Articles 04-01-2015
The design and construction of linear projects, right-of-way (ROW) acquisition, environmental assessments, and many other types of engineering projects all have something in common – a tremendous number of moving parts. ...
Articles 03-01-2015
Here’s a recent news report we all want to avoid: “The City of Frisco has shut down all work by contractors installing fiber optic cable in several Frisco neighborhoods after crews cut six natural gas lines in the past month.” ...
Articles 02-01-2015
Infrastructure projects are on the rise as the Texas economy grows. To maximize project dollars, utility coordination is essential on most projects – from local site developments to major transportation projects. ...
Articles 01-01-2015
What is ROW & Why Is It Important? Rights of way (ROW) are generally defined as the right of a person or entity to use the land of another in a particular project alignment. (Most agencies consider a right of way to be an easement.) ...
Articles 12-01-2014
Section 404 – What Is It & Why Is It Important to Your Project? In 1972, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act established a program to regulate the placement of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States. ...
Articles 11-01-2014
Did you know that Texas is home to 52 native freshwater mussel species that are a critical component of a healthy aquatic ecosystem? Mussels serve as water quality indicators and provide an important food source for other organisms. ...
Articles 10-01-2014
Buried Below the Surface... lie miles upon miles of pipe, conveying clean drinking water to our homes and businesses and carrying wastewater away. ...
Articles 09-01-2014
What Is Public Participation? Public participation means involving those affected by a decision in the decision-making process. It includes the understanding that the public’s contribution will ultimately influence decisions. Public participation (also called public involvement) can be put into action in various ways: public ...Jodi Hausenfluke
(214) 346-6257
jHausenfluke@halff.com
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