Gannett Fleming, Inc. is an international consulting engineering company that has been active in almost every phase of consulting engineering since its establishment in 1915. Over the years, the company has performed more than 30,000 assignments in all 50 states and in 36 countries around the world. Gannett Fleming is a multidisciplinary engineering firm that provides transportation, environmental management, hazardous material, water resources, industrial, planning, land development, and construction management services. Gannett Fleming also provides specialized services including remedial, architectural, structural, geotechnical, hydrogeology, computer assisted design, management information systems, and geographic information systems. With approximately 2,000 employees corporate-wide, we will provide experienced personnel and a strong company infrastructure. Of the 500 leading United States consulting firms listed in the Engineering News Record, Gannett Fleming is consistently in the top 50.
The Kentucky I-66 project provides a challenge due to the extensive amount of "karst" topography. Karst is a distinctive landscape topography formed by the dissolving of carbonate bedrocks such as limestone, dolomite, or marble by water. This geological process results in unusual surface and subsurface features ranging from sinkholes, vertical shafts, disappearing streams, and springs, to complex underground drainage systems and caves. Karst areas, like the Kentucky I-66 project area, are commonly characterized by numerous sinkholes and a large variation in rock surfaces over a short distance. Gannett Fleming understands that the particular nature of each karst area is different and must be fully understand prior to design and construction. Appropriate measures must be implemented regardless of whether you are building a road, a bridge, a detention basin, or a building foundation. Gannett Fleming’s geotechnical testing is an essential component of correctly characterizing the project area and providing the necessary data for project design.
Gannett Fleming has extensive experience dealing with karst topography and we have employees that are nationally recognized as being experts in the characterization of karst topography. One specific representative karst project is the S.R. 0322, Section B01, Milroy Bypass project that was completed for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Our firm designed a 5.5-mile section of a new four-lane, limited access highway to replace an existing two-lane section, which is similar to what may occur on Kentucky I-66 project. The Milroy Bypass project included foundation design for 17 bridges, one box culvert, and a sound barrier. Roadway geotechnical design issues included sinkhole activity due to the presence of limestone bedrock. As part of the geotechnical investigations, an electromagnetic (EM) terrain conductivity geophysical survey was conducted. The EM survey was used to investigate the locations of sinkholes, solution cavities, and caves. Other representative projects include the State Route 322 highway improvements, the State Route 30 highway improvements, the Interstate 78 improvement project, the Interstate 70 improvement project, the Interstate 76 improvement project, the State Route 0078 improvement project, the Exton Bypass project, the Schuylkill Expressway project, the State College Airport Expansion project, and the Hershey Medical Center Detention Pond project. Gannett Fleming’s professional karst expertise and extensive experience on similar projects will be a vital part of the successful completion of the Kentucky I-66 project. The information below details credentials and experience of the karst team studying the I-66 project.
Michael A. Knight, P.G. Mr. Knight has a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology and completed
Graduate Studies in Geology in 1986. Mike has 17 years of geologic and hydrogeologic experience with Gannett Fleming. He directs and performs studies that assess groundwater flow; groundwater and soils contamination; public water supply development potential; groundwater aquifer testing; groundwater modeling; sourcewater/wellhead protection; and abandoned mine land reclamation. Mr. Knight is registered Professional Geologist in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and has provided consulting services on a variety of project types located across the Commonwealth. Mr. Knight has studied and worked in a variety of carbonate bedrock and karst settings and directs a staff whose experience includes NEPA compliance and karst investigation. Mr. Knight’s I-66 project responsibility includes: geologic interpretation and identifying potential affects the project may have on the karst groundwater system.
Mitchell W. Weber. Mr. Weber holds a Master’s degree in Engineering Geology. He has been employed by Gannett Fleming for 18 years. Mitch has worked on a variety of karst projects in the Great Limestone Valley of PA, VA, and WV. His NEPA experience includes identifying the affects civil engineering projects have on the geologic environment. Mitch has extensive experience in land subsidence, slope instability, and material suitability for construction. Mr. Weber will be identifying the potential affects of the I-66 project may have on the karst terrain and the affects the abandoned coal mining and landslide-prone rock strata may have on the project.
Julian A. Lewis, PhD. Dr. Lewis has a Doctorate Degree in Aquatic Biology. He is president of J. Lewis & Associates, LLC, which does cave, karst and groundwater biological consulting all over the eastern U.S. He has been performing the assessment of civil engineering projects on karst fauna for 31 years. Jerry is on the board of directors of the American Cave Conservation Association and Karst Conservancy of Illinois; as well as editorial board of the Journal of Cave & Karst Studies, as Conservation Editor, the journal of the National Speleological Society. He is also a member of the Cave Research Foundation. In addition to engineering associated projects, Dr. Lewis frequently works doing karst faunal studies for agencies such as the USDA Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, and numerous state natural heritage programs. Additionally, he does endangered species monitoring for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Dr. Lewis will be identifying karst fauna that may be affected by the I-66 project and assessing the project impacts on those species identified.
Cyrille R. Whitson, CWD, PWS. Mr. Whitson is a Professional Wetland Scientist with more than 15 years of experience performing and managing natural resources investigations. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a Masters degree in Watershed Science. His primary areas of expertise are botany, wetland hydrology, and freshwater aquatic systems. Cy routinely prepares NEPA documentation for wetland and terrestrial and aquatic ecological studies. Mr. Whitson will assist Dr. Lewis in field research and will be a principal author of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).