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  Drive on nearly any interstate in Michigan, touch down on a runway at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, or cut across the M-63 Bridge along the St. Joseph River — you're riding on SME work. Roads, highways, bridges, and runways are a big part of our business. In fact, we've been paving the way for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for nearly 42 years. A few of our pavement engineers have spent a good portion of their 20-plus-year careers with MDOT or the Corps of Engineers so they know state and federal regulations inside and out. We are leaders in pavement management. Condition evaluation procedures range from standard methods — coring and drilling — to state-of-the-art procedures such as nondestructive pavement evaluation. SME is one of only a handful of companies in the country to own and operate a Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD). The benefit to clients? Time and money saved. FWD tests convinced the City of Fowlerville that their main street was in good condition — only patching was needed — saving the town over $250,000 in restoration costs. The M-63 reconstruction project — winner of an Honorable Conceptor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies/Michigan Society of Professional Engineers — is another example of SME innovation at work. We provided the geotechnical muscle to build a 1300-foot-long embankment up to 40 feet high and a 400-foot-long bridge in St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, Michigan. The upshot? Reduced maintenance costs for MDOT and a revitalized area for redevelopment. Our work also takes us to airports around the country — and around the globe — serving as principal investigator on pavement and evaluation projects. SME has logged over one million miles for the Strategic Highway Research Program, evaluating highway conditions across 13 Midwestern states and Canada. Hands-on research on pavement performance for the FHWA has resulted in new guidelines for constructing smooth concrete pavements with good long-term performance. It's our way of pounding the pavement to improve the industry. On the road again. Willie Nelson may sing the song, but SME walks the talk every day. For more information contact Starr Kohn, PhD, PE in our Plymouth office or an SME office near you. |
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© Copyright 2004 Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc.
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