ETC would like to welcome our newest Staff Engineer, Adam Shamieh. Adam graduated from Georgia Tech with a BS in civil engineering with a focus on structures. He moved to Maryland in 2013 to work on the repair and restoration of existing structures. We are pleased he chose ETC as his new work home.
When Adam is not evaluating some interesting building problem, he enjoys bicycling, longboarding (downhill skateboarding), rock climbing and photography. I even hear he is quite the grill master. Can’t wait to try one of his famous chicken kebabs!
ETC and the Washington Metropolitan Chapter Community Associations Institute (WMCCAI) invites you to attend the largest community association industry event in the Washington metropolitan area on March 22, 2014, at the Washington Convention Center. ETC is in booth #108, so please stop by and say hello! Professional engineers on site to answer all your building questions.
Buck Mann with Mann Properties in Ocean City, Maryland enjoyed a little St. Patrick's Day fun this past weekend by participating in the local parade. It's always a good time in Ocean City. Glad we could be part of the festivities.
We wish all our industry friends a fun and safe St. Patrick's Day!
This past weekend, our senior staff took a couple of days to meet and discuss the needs of our clients and how we can better serve them. This is nothing we take lightly, so it was two full days of discussions on new ideas, technology, training and much more. Putting our great minds together, in one room, resulted in some appealing new concepts we look forward to rolling out in the near future.
1. I am an Eagle Scout. The people and experiences it took to achieve this had a big influence on my life.
2. Jeeps are my passion and I've owned several over the past few years.
3. I enjoy driving (Jeeps) and will often head out on back roads to see where they take me.
4. The Ravens, Terps and Orioles will always be my favorite teams, no matter their records.
5. I have a younger brother who is a lot like me, just unfiltered and louder. Maybe this is why we fought so much growing up.
6. Thanks to the perfect dog finding his way to our house last Christmas, my wife has joined me as a devoted "dog person".
7. I'll take talk radio over music any day.
8. A perfect way to relax is to sit and do nothing (preferably on a beach).
9. Sixteen days on a bus to Yellowstone National Park with the Boy Scouts is one of my favorite adventures. Mount Rushmore, Badlands, Jackson Hole, white water rafting on the Snake River, Devils Tower, Wall Drug and swimming in hot springs are experiences I'll never forget.
10. I always finish my drink, mainly because I can remember my Grandfather saying that "If we ever want anything else to drink, we have to finish what we had." He was not a fan of waste.
1. I worked as a residential carpenter, building additions, basements, bathrooms, and kitchens from start to finish for 11 years before joining the ETC team.
2. Music is a big part of my life. I’m currently the rhythm guitarist and backup singer in a bar band that gigs several times a month.
3. I went skydiving this spring for the first time, and it may be one of the most amazing things I have ever done.
4. I recently started riding motorcycles, thanks to a long line of riders in my family.
5. I considered going to college to be a chef, then realized the long hours and hot kitchens weren’t for me. I now cook for enjoyment.
6. People may think that internet dating is a little strange, but that is how I met my wife. We’ve been married almost four years, and together almost eight.
7. When I was younger, I had several piercings that I wore on a regular basis. I had two earrings in each ear and a labret which was a stud between my lower lip and my chin.
8. One of my long term goals in life is to be a contestant on Jeopardy. Don’t know if I will ever make it, but I will keep taking the online test and hoping.
9. In high school, I was on the track and field team for three years, pole vaulting for two and throwing javelin for one. Turns out I was too short to be competitive in hurdles.
10. I currently have two cats, Keenan and Kira, and also hope to get a dog. I’ve had pets (cats, dogs, birds, hamsters, gerbils) my entire life and can’t imagine how quiet it would be without them.
Community Association Institute (CAI) hosted their annual golf outing on September 25th and we were pleased to participate. Joe Shuffleton, Jay O'Neil, George Pace and Kirk Parsons joined Ron Saul, from the Redskins organization, for a photo moment.
Thanks to CAI for a great networking afternoon. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!
For many years the gold standard in pavement seal coats was coal-tar emulsion. It’s far more resistant to water than asphaltic products and virtually invulnerable to attack by petroleum-base automotive fluids. Superior performance notwithstanding, coal tar is now banned in many jurisdictions and will probably go the way of asbestos and lead paint. It’s been identified as a health risk and potential carcinogen in its uncured (volatile) state.
The most common alternatives to coal tar are polymer-modified asphaltic products, purported to be comparable to coal tar with respect to cost and performance. New formulations reach the market with regularity, but as with any new product, long-term performance is uncertain.
Another possible alternative to seal coating could be application of a pavement “rejuvenator”. Rejuvenators will not, as the term implies, counteract aging or restore pavement to new condition. These product typically penetrate to depths measured in fractions of an inch, but that’s enough to help reverse surface oxidation and the affected layer does present a barrier to water.
Similar to seal coats, their effectiveness is affected by pavement condition, but they are more forgiving with respect to weathering and surface wear. They also form a chemical bond with the asphalt constituents, whereas seal coats rely on surface adhesion.
Application costs tend to be higher for rejuvenators than for asphaltic seal coats, but not dramatically so. Rejuvenators will not repair distressed pavement, but they could be a viable alternative to conventional seal coating.