:: OEST Associates, Inc ::

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Jetport Terminal Expansion Awarded to Oest/Gensler Team

The design of the Portland International Jetport’s terminal expansion was recently awarded to the OEST/Gensler team. The $60 million project consists of renovating the existing terminal and a 125,000 SF expansion. Five new passenger gates, a new security screening checkpoint, an inline EDS outbound baggage handling system, revised inbound/outbound passenger circulation, a bridged connection to the parking garage, a food court, various retail spaces and renovation of the existing terminal are all project components. LEED certification will be pursued for this project.

The airport’s principal carriers are Air Tran, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Northwest, Air Wisconsin (dba United) and U.S. Airways. Over the past year, the airport has experienced larger than expected growth with enplanements up nearly 20% and total passenger volume was expected to exceed 1.7 million. The recent introduction of two new low cost air carriers, Air Tran and JetBlue, are considered major contributing factors to the Jetport’s growth. The terminal expansion project is intended to accommodate the increase in passengers and allow for future growth. Substantial completion is expected in November 2010.

Gensler is the largest architecture and design firm in the United States and one of the three largest in the world, with more than 30 offices and 3,000 employees worldwide. Their aviation work has included diverse projects from the world’s busiest airports, including Hartsfield Atlanta (US); Chicago’s O’Hare (US); Los Angeles International (LAX); to some of the busiest and fastest growing airports, such as JFK International (US) and Austin Bergstrom (US); to international portals such as Changi (PRC), Guam International (US), Chennai International (India) and London City (UK).
OEST is the largest employer of architects and engineers in Maine with 101 employees and offices in South Portland, Maine and Orlando, Florida. During its 26 year history, OEST has worked on multiple projects at the Portland International Jetport and on numerous other airport projects throughout the Northeast.

U.S. Corps of Engineers Contract Awarded to Oest/Watermark Team

The OEST/Watermark team was recently awarded an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for Architecture and Engineering Services in the Corp’s North Atlantic Division. Projects under the $2.5 million, five-year contract will primarily take place in the New England District which includes Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont.
OEST’s full in-house resources are expected to be utilized in this contract as the Corps expects their projects to include civil, mechanical, electrical, environmental, and structural engineers; architectural and survey elements.

Prior to this contract award, OEST held two consecutive A/E contracts with the Corps’ North Atlantic Division. Under these contracts OEST performed multiple task orders to include renovation of a laser lab in Natick, MA; a hurricane barrier upgrade in New Bedford, MA; septic system design in Townshend, VT; a conversion of an existing administrative building into a conference center in Natick, MA; and a combat field service equipment facility addition in Natick, MA.

Watermark Environmental, Inc., based in Lowell, MA, provides Environmental & Civil Engineering, Construction Management and Operation & Maintenance services to Government, Municipal and Private Sector Clients throughout the New England Area.

Thad Gabryszewski Earns Master’s of Civil Engineering

Thad Gabryszewski, P.E. was awarded a Master’s of Civil Engineering (MCE) from Norwich University on December 20, 2007. The MCE took approximately two years to earn and Thad’s concentration was in structures. As part of the program, Thad completed a one-week residency at Norwich. The purpose of the residency was to present his project which was a study of worship sites in the Biddeford Parish. His study included answering the question of whether or not it would be economically viable to close and combine several of the existing worship sites into one, central worship site. In order to answer this question, Thad had to pick a new site, design a building and successfully resolve financing issues.

Located in Northfield, Vermont, Norwich University offers the only full, on-line program for structural engineers in the United States. In order address issues currently faced by engineers, topics ranging from how to perform a dynamic frame analysis to how to run a consulting business are studied. Classes are very diverse and Thad’s class included engineers from numerous states in the U.S., India, Nigeria and Jamaica.

Thad now teaches courses for Norwich’s MCE program in addition to his duties at OEST. He was an instructor for one of the course’s pre-requisite classes, Introduction to Structural Engineering 2, and he will begin teaching another course in June. For his upcoming class he is also rewriting the steel portion curriculum. In addition to the normal homework assessment and email responsibilities, instructing classes involves lectures and discussions that are conducted on-line.

Thad is a senior structural engineer and joined OEST’s growing structural engineering group in April of 2005. He has worked on numerous projects including the Regional Training Institute in Bangor, Maine; the Kittery Fire Stations in Kittery, Maine; and a Photovoltaic Array for Timberland Boot Company in Ontario, California.