The Innovative Pavement Research Foundation (IPRF) and the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) successfully launched the “Interns for the Future” program this summer. For the inaugural year 2018, two Chapters of the ACPA each hired a summer intern—the Missouri/Kansas (MO/KS) and the Carolinas Concrete Paving Association (CCPA/Southeast ACPA Chapter).
The ACPA Chapter executive directors and the 2 interns were asked a few questions:
Todd LaTorella, Executive Director-MO/KS and
intern William Robinson, Senior in Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University (AU):
Todd and William visited numerous active paving projects in Kansas—Topeka, Leavenworth, Kansas City, and in Missouri—St. Louis and Salina. They also traveled to Chicago, Illinois for “Intern Week” in July.
William was able to accompany Todd to quarterly meetings with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), planning meetings for conferences and workshops; and multiple conferences in and around Kansas. They also participated in a few charity outings (golf tournaments, community barbecue luncheons). William met with many ACPA members and staff throughout the summer, as well as field engineers and project managers to assess any shortcomings or problem areas pertaining to specific jobs. Concrete plant tours were also a part of the internship.
William stated, “I am a senior in Aerospace Engineering, so this was my first venture into civil engineering. This summer, Todd helped me open many new doors to situations I’d never experienced. It was exciting and fun to be able to actually join contractors in the field to and experience paving first hand. Obviously growing up, I saw these huge machines on roadways and no comprehension of what they do or how they work, and for someone mechanically inclined, like myself, it was a brilliant experience. I was most impressed by the sheer volume of finished concrete these machines and their operators can produce in such a short time frame! I felt like every time we met with someone whether it be a contractor, a member of a city staff, or even an ACPA staffer, the relationship that exists was as good as it can be, and a great starting point to get concrete back on the road (so to speak). It was a perfect balance of people and material and really put into perspective how things get done in business. I learned so much more than I thought possible and had a blast doing it! I know that going into my senior year, my materials class will be a little easier now that I have an excellent background. But more so, this internship opened my eyes to the intriguing work in the concrete paving arena that I, to be quite honest, was unaware of and completely took for granted. I love the crossover between the civil and aerospace industries and I’m thankful that I had a great guide in Todd to not only introduce a very green intern in myself to the industry, but extend his passion for concrete and that same industry through everything we did.”
Todd stated, “Making the decision to hire an intern is always a little unnerving, especially when it was my first time and I am a very small operation (in many cases one person staff) like most of ACPA Chapter/State Associations are. At first glance, I thought that keeping an intern busy, interested, and engaged on a daily basis would seem challenging and take a lot of time and effort. However, once I stepped back and began planning, I remembered how diverse our industry is, and how many opportunities and experiences were available for me to introduce to William. I then remembered that this is what attracted many of us to the industry and why exposing young professionals to the manufacturing, design, construction, educational, promotional, and networking aspects of our professions is so important. I believe our ACPA network has laid the groundwork to build a successful and sustainable internship program for the future. I also believe most of us in the industry would say our jobs are interesting, rewarding, and fun. Showcasing this to future interns should be the cornerstone of the program moving forward.”
Greg Dean, Executive Director-CCPA (ACPA Southeast Chapter) and
intern Scott Perry, Senior in Civil Engineering (CE)-North Carolina State University (NCSU):
Greg and Scott attended 3 ongoing project site tours hosted by members along the I-85 corridor in North Carolina and South Carolina, and viewed completed projects ranging in age from 2 weeks old to 40 years! Greg was pleased that Scott learned how much concrete pavement design and construction have evolved during the past 40 years. They also attended a portion of the NC American Public Works Association (NC-APWA) Annual Meeting, where Scott was able to meet two Southeast Cement Promotion Association (SCPA) associates, Andy Johnson and Stan Bland. A few weeks later, Scott and Greg participated in a meeting with them and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to discuss early planning for the 2019 Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR) Symposium. They toured the “Roanoke Cement” manufacturing facility in Virginia. Greg said a crucial advantage was that the NCDOT Materials and Test (M&T) engineers accompanied them, and Scott had great exposure to the cement-making process as well as the quality control components that remain important to their customers. There have been many technological advancements made at the 1950’s facility over the years to enhance production and improve environmental stewardship. They also traveled to Chicago, Illinois for “Intern Week” in July.
Scott accompanied Greg to many meetings with the NCDOT engineers at headquarters, M&T, and Division offices, as well as the NC Turnpike Authority. Scott saw first-hand how the association communicates with CCPA’s/ACPA’s agency partners and the assistance that CCPA is able to provide. In-office, Scott uploaded local projects into the “ACPA National Concrete-Overlay Explorer” Database —familiarizing himself with the various types of concrete overlays in airport construction, highway, and local/private streets, and details of their design and construction. Scott authored a “Promotion Spotlight”—one of SCPA’s bi-annual publications. This Spotlight is about a multi-year highway project utilizing an unbonded concrete overlay.
Scott stated: “To be honest, going into this internship, I knew very little about concrete roads/paving, and I paid little-to-no attention to the different types of roadway materials. My ignorance just a few short weeks ago is comical to me now! Overall, the weeks throughout my internship were packed full of exciting experiences, and amazing opportunities where I learned so much about concrete pavement. Now, when I drive, I am more aware of the material and the roads, their distresses, and what goes into repair/replacement. It’s one thing to read and study the paving process in a classroom, but actually witnessing on-the-grade site visits first hand was much more exciting! Specific questions pertaining to exact pieces were easily answered by the project managers, and I could get a true sense of ‘how’ (i.e.,“How fast does a paver actually move?”). I learned that although the overall process of each project is similar, many things differ like pavement thicknesses and widths, dowel bar placements, drainage-layer materials, etc. I found the meetings with NCDOT, division engineers, the Turnpike Authority, etc., very eye opening! It was very interesting to me to learn why concrete should be implemented more, and to hear the various other perspectives. I am thankful for everyone I was able to meet, and expanding my contact list was extremely valuable. There are many people I have met throughout this internship who I know I can reach out to in the future. I have learned so much over the summer, and have enjoyed every minute of it!”
Greg stated, “Indeed, it was our inaugural year. What drove me to incorporate an intern into my promotion program was the belief that our industry needs more knowledgeable students upon graduation. We need students entering their career paths with better knowledge of the kind of tools and assistance that ACPA / CCPA / SCPA offer. Originally, I had some apprehension on how it would all come together—the delicate balance of spending the necessary time with my intern with my normal day-to-day CCPA responsibilities. I tried to give Scott a real look at what the association does on behalf of our membership, and we accomplished a lot! During our travels, we spent a lot of time looking at both asphalt and concrete pavements, and I really think he now understands some differences in the two materials. Meeting with the two SCPA engineers, Scott was able to see the roles of our two associations (SCPA and ACPA) and how we often work together to accomplish our common goals. While meeting with the pavement design group, Scott witnessed the results of a life cycle cost analysis for an upcoming project—emphasizing the importance of incorporating the initial project costs AND the planned future treatment costs into the pavement type selection process. During his weeks of interning, he was exposed to so many different career opportunities/paths within our industry. I believe this internship will help him with his NCSU pavement-design class this fall. He will definitely know a lot more about concrete pavements than most college graduates, and now he understands the role of concrete pavements in our vital transportation system! We need students to be more aware of job opportunities within our association and industry as a whole. I think the internship accomplished these objectives!!
In July, the 2 interns and new employees of 4 ACPA Member companies traveled to the ACPA Headquarters near Chicago, IL for the first “Intern Week”—an event that grew from ACPA’s “Interns for the Future Program”, first announced in January, 2017:
- Ryan Pendeville, Golden Triangle Construction Co.
- Thomas Jacob, RexCon Inc.* (a Division of Astec Industries, Inc.)
- Kyle Myers, Koss Construction Company
- Dean Thomas, Milestone Construction L.P.
- William Robinson, Missouri/Kansas-ACPA
- Scott Perry, CCPA/Southeast Chapter-ACPA
The 2-1/2 day program included overview presentations about the concrete pavement industry, as well as pavement design, construction, and rehab & preservation, along with materials used in concrete paving. Presenting the program were:
Jerry Voigt, President and CEO-ACPA
Leif Wathne, Executive Vice President-ACPA
Eric Ferrebee, Technical Services-ACPA
Greg Dean, Executive Director-CCPA Chapter ACPA
Todd LaTorella, Executive Director-MO/KS Chapter ACPA
William said, “The Intern Week’ in Chicago was absolutely invaluable. I couldn’t have asked for more engaging and entertaining opportunities to learn from professionals what makes concrete the premier paving material in most situations. A lot was accomplished in my short time there. The most exciting part for me was the O’Hare International Airport visit because it blends two of my passions—aircraft (an old one) and concrete (a new one)! I was giddy like a school kid going and observing how something is constructed is something that most people never even think about! Being able to talk to the supervisor and ask questions during a tour was incredible.”
Scott said, “Much of my newly acquired knowledge of concrete paving came from the few days during the ‘Intern Week’ up in Chicago—I am quite pleased with how Greg paced the internship, having me out on a few paving sites prior to this ‘training’. Had it been the other way around, so many things would have been unfamiliar to me. I was able to better relate during the discussion because I had already experienced so much of it. Finally, I’d like to congratulate Greg and the IPRF for hosting this inaugural internship that went as smoothly and successfully as it could have (at least from my end)! Once again, I am grateful for the opportunity, and appreciate everything that was done to make the experience as exciting as it was. I look forward to keeping in touch!”
Todd said, “The intern week program in Chicago was a great opportunity to expose our industry interns to national ACPA staff and their role in promoting and advancing our industry at both the national and local levels. It also allowed the interns to meet other Chapter/State association personnel, interns, and ACPA-member new hires from around the country. We had a very good mix from different sectors of the industry and from different areas of the country. The 2-day classroom training, construction site visit, and networking provided a good overall experience of the different facets of our industry. To sum it up, the Chicago trip really showcased the ACPA and industry network that we all rely upon to be successful!”
Greg said, “Attending the intern training in Chicago gave Scott and everyone a lot of exposure to not only “why” concrete, but also “how” concrete—HOW concrete is designed, constructed, and repaired. ACPA did a wonderful job not only with the course material, but also lining up a project site visit to O’Hare International Airport to view an airport apron, fun things to do in the evenings, and a Chicago White Sox game. The interns and ACPA-member new hires were given a chance to network with ACPA staff and each other.”
For the PDF of the photos above, please click on the image or go to: https://www.concretepavements.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/INTERNSHIPPhotoPagePDF.pdf
ACPA thanks its members, companies, and Chapters who sponsored interns and/or participated in this important professional development program! For the IPRF / ACPA “Interns for the Future Program” Jan, 2017 announcement, please go to: http://www.acpa.org/tag/interns-for-the-future/
For the ISCP February 2017 article on the event, please go to: https://www.concretepavements.org/2017/02/13/interns-for-the-future-program-launched-to-attract-students-to-the-concrete-pavement-industry/
Home Page Photo by IPRF/ACPA
at O’Hare International Airport
(2 logo placements by Amy M.Dean)