September 15, 2017
Sundt Virtual Construction Application Developer Ryan Haines.
Sundt Virtual Construction Application Developer Ryan Haines is a Phoenix native and has enjoyed traveling across the U.S. and abroad. He grew up around construction, working for his father’s local general contracting company during summers while in school.
Ryan studied mathematics at Arizona State University, where he had his first experience in computer programming. He has enjoyed pairing these unique experiences at Sundt through construction technology.
What does a Virtual Construction Application Developer do?
Application development for virtual design and construction (VDC) is about efficiency and innovation. To build and consume large 3D models for our construction projects requires sound standards. It also means transferring many thousands of data points, from model creation to quality control in the field. This is where custom digital tools produce efficiency gains.
How does what you do help the construction team once it starts work on a project?
My focus is for our VDC teams to deliver potent results from 3D models. In the Building Group, this means having the right tools to effectively coordinate mechanical, electrical and plumbing design. In Industrial, we are able to track piping components in the 3D model for quality control upon field installation. In Transportation, our VDC teams and estimators can extract phased material quantities based on project schedule. Ultimately, we are providing ways to leverage digital information to mitigate risk and minimize rework.
What does it say about the company that we have the flexibility to put people in departments that better suit their work?
Sundt cares about its employee-owners and is willing to align skills and interests with business needs. Sundt is known for being innovative, and that only continues as we leverage great technology on our projects.
What are your hobbies away from work?
I love being outdoors, including hiking, hunting and fishing. I also like to work with my hands doing welding or helping others with small building projects. I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, including my little nieces and nephew.
What the best advice you’ve received from a mentor or coworker?
Trust God. This advice has already paid great dividends in my life.
Sundt Field Superintendent Frank Islas delivers Sundt’s $25,000 check to the Houston Red Cross.
In response to destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey across eastern and southern Texas, Sundt Construction is donating $75,000 to be divided among Red Cross chapters in Corpus Christi, Houston and San Antonio.
The support will go toward shelter, food, water and clothing for those forced out of their homes by this epic storm. Sundt Field Superintendent Frank Islas made the $25,000 check presentation to the Houston Red Cross on Friday. The other two checks will be delivered next week.
Texas is home to hundreds of our employee-owners. We have offices in El Paso, Fort Worth, Irving and San Antonio.
Harvey made landfall on Aug. 25 near Rockport, Texas as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 130 mph. Impacted areas measured rainfall totals that ranged from 20 inches to 50 inches. The resulting floods inundated hundreds of thousands of homes, displaced more than 30,000 people, and prompted more than 17,000 rescues. Seventy people in the U.S. were killed by the storm.
Three of our employee-owners from a transportation project in Corsicana took a fishing boat to the Beaumont area last week and rescued five people from flooded homes.
Concrete arches and beams were build offsite and transported to the bridge.
A documentary about Sundt’s work on an award-winning bridge in Texas is getting national air time.
“Arc of Innovation,” a short film that provides an inside look at construction on the West 7th Street Bridge in Fort Worth, is showing in select PBS markets from Alaska to Michigan to Texas. The documentary showcases the transition between the demolition of the old bridge and opening of the new bridge. Built on the same spot, the transportation project had to be finished in a short timeframe to minimize impact to traffic. We completed the 980-foot-long bridge for the Texas Department of Transportation a month ahead of schedule and it opened to traffic October 2013, in time for the holidays.
The bridge is the first of its kind, built with precast, post-tensioned arches and floor beams. Each arch measures 24 feet tall by approximately 160 feet long and weighs more than 640,000 pounds. The 12 concrete arches were built off site by our crews and installed in pairs along either side of the bridge.
Interested in seeing the documentary on your local station? Please contact your PBS affiliate and ask for it to be added to the program schedule.
The official opening of the bridge was a real cattle call.
Sundt Project Manager/Estimator Thiago Bezerra.
Project Manager/Estimator Thiago Bezerra is the latest addition to Sundt’s Salt Lake City office.
Thiago, who holds a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Utah Valley University, brings a diverse background of experience to projects, having worked with public and private clients as well as federal, state and local agencies. He has been heavily involved in all aspects of project operations, including design, estimating and management. His experience in transportation projects will be beneficial in Utah, which has an active heavy civil market.
What are your main duties?
I work with the preconstruction team estimating projects. I’ll eventually transition into a project management role. This is a wonderful and unique opportunity. In our industry, not many of us are able to be involved with a project from its infancy through completion. It’s a very valuable experience.
How exciting is it to be part of expanding our efforts in Utah?
Utah will greatly benefit from Sundt’s experience and innovative approach to challenging projects. I look forward to partnering with local clients, subcontractors and suppliers to develop and build projects that will better our communities. Utah has one of the most competitive transportation markets in the nation. There is no doubt that once we have the opportunity to share Sundt’s culture and values, we will become a preferred contractor as we have done in so many other states.
How did you get your job at Sundt?
I was contacted by JP Jaramillo from Sundt’s Talent Acquisition team, and I’m thankful he was able to introduce me to Sundt.
Where do you like to travel?
Our family has been privileged to visit many wonderful places. Among our favorites are: Prague, which has amazing grand medieval architecture. The Netherlands, where traditions blend perfectly with a modern and progressive society. The Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico has the best food in the world; when you marry that with its natural beauty and adventures, you get paradise. And Southern Utah is pretty spectacular. But traveling anywhere and being able to experience and learn from other cultures is a blast no matter where you go.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
Over the years I have been very fortunate to be around inspiring people who help me develop personally and professionally. With that being said, I have received a lot of valuable advice. One of my very favorite pieces of advice, which I try to live daily, is “Take control of your life; choose your own present and destiny.”
Sundt Senior Project Manager Chad Yount.
Senior Project Manager Chad Yount has been in the construction industry for 10 years. He started with Sundt in 2008 as a Field Engineer and worked his way to his current position, which he started this year.
Chad specializes in large-scale transportation work. His next assignment is bringing a world class linear park to the San Antonio community through the San Pedro Creek Improvements Project after serving as Project Manager on the $228 million Sellwood Bridge Replacement Project in Portland, Oregon.
How did the Portland community react to the finished product at Sellwood Bridge?
The community was very grateful and excited to have a new bridge connecting the Sellwood community to downtown Portland. The old Sellwood Bridge was failing structurally and was not safe for pedestrians and cyclists due to the narrow sidewalks. The new bridge will withstand a major earthquake and offers 12-foot sidewalks for the large bicycle community.
What did you learn from that work that can be applied to San Pedro Creek?
Bringing an iconic, complex project such as Sellwood Bridge through the heart of any city requires the community to modify its daily activities. We were able to engage the neighborhoods and all interest groups in efforts to minimize those disruptions. That will also be extremely important to the San Pedro project. We want all local businesses to thrive during construction. If they aren’t successful then we aren’t successful.
What are people in San Antonio identifying as the most important aspects of the project?
The project will improve flood control throughout the west side of downtown while bringing life back to the creek. San Antonio was founded on San Pedro Creek almost 300 years ago so remembering the heritage and culture of the area is top priority for the project.
What are some of the innovative approaches the team has planned?
The majority of the risk on the project is in what lies below ground. With any project through downtown the existing infrastructure is always a concern. To mitigate these risks, we have been using virtual design and construction to model all existing and new infrastructure. This helps us identify conflicts in the office during preconstruction instead of in the field when issues cost time and money.
How is the work progressing?
Because this is a CMAR project, we have been working with the design team and owner for the last six months. We’re excited to get started with horizontal directional drilling. After the New Year, the team will begin demolition and excavation on the north end of the project.
