News, information, and perspective, published on the blog page of Alpha & Omega Group's website.
The opening of a much-anticipated new bridge in the Pisgah National Forest is just another example of how Alpha & Omega Group’s core values of teamwork and excellence help bring people and nature together — just in time for another summer season in the North Carolina mountains.
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Our nation’s dams are aging and deteriorating, while upstream and downstream populations are increasing. This not only affects our infrastructure, but the valuable benefits that dams provide, including flood protection, water supply, hydropower, irrigation and recreation. Storm events and dam breaches not only cause concern, but sometimes raise false alarms about dam failures and cause widespread panic.
According to data submitted to the National Inventory of Dams and obtained by The Associated Press in 2019, North Carolina has 1,445 dams rated high-hazard, out of about 5,700 dams total. That hazard classification indicates any failure that would likely cause the loss of one or more human lives. Recently, devastating flooding in North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence again raised issues about whether dams across the state are able to hold up under the strain.
In response, the state increased its dam safety program budget by two-thirds and reached out to area engineering firms like Alpha & Omega Group (A&O) to help predict the potential impact on high hazard dams before storms occur. As part of North Carolina’s recovery and resiliency efforts, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources (DEMLR) issued a call for firms to participate in the Neuse River Basin Flood Study.
A&O staffers Rhonda Brewington, PE, and Chris Stone gathered critical dam measurements for Springfield Estates Lower DaM in Raleigh, NC to determine what storm events can cause over topping.
A&O was selected to deliver hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) computer modeling reports and results for 40 dams in the study. Our task was to gather data and develop the hydraulic capacity from these high hazard dam impoundments for use by Emergency Operations Center, Division of Energy Mineral and Land Resources, US Army Corps of Engineers, and local emergency management services.
“Our goal was to look at these dams to determine what storm events can cause overtopping,“ said Rhonda Brewington, PE, A&O’s hydrologic and hydraulic designer. “This allows state agencies to be proactive leading up to a storm event, so dam owners can draw down impoundments to prepare for it and the public can be notified in extreme events. If we know that a certain amount of rain will overtop a dam during, say, every 100-year storm event, we can not only improve the impoundment, but also prepare nearby residents for potential flooding.”
As part of the project, A&O’s team collected data, created models, and sent the information back to the state’s department of Dam Safety using specific software reporting tools. The process started with gathering watershed data from Streamstats. We used Geographic Information System Mapping (GIS) to determine the stage-storage volume of each impoundment. The team used Excel worksheets provided by Dam Safety to calculate curve numbers and lag times, taking into account how soil and land use affect runoff infiltration.
Finally, we determined the stage-discharge volume between the primary spillway and the emergency spillways with regard to the top of the dam for each impoundment. The team then used the data to model scenarios for 25-year, 50-year, 100-year, 200-year, 500-year, and 1,000-year storm events to predict whether overtopping will occur. To ensure the accuracy of data, the team performed multiple quality checks in-house before submitting information to Dam Safety.
The models used rainfall data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that is based on past storm experience and long-term data researched by federal authorities. By being part of this study, A&O hopes to provide valuable forecasting data to mitigate losses from future storms and save lives.
“We are proud to work alongside North Carolina agencies who are not only concerned about property losses and reservoir storage, but the impact that future storms may have on residents’ welfare and quality of their day-to-day lives,” concluded Brewington.
Lincoln Heights Elementary, a 1960s-era school in southern Wake County, struggled with a declining population and low test scores, even as the surrounding area grew. A face lift and a new curriculum increased enrollment and raised science EOG scores to above the Wake County average.
Alpha & Omega Group has been named a winner of the American Council of Engineering Companies - NC Grand Award for 2020. Below is the text of the nomination, written by staff member Nancy Cummings.
“The result of this major renovation and new construction project on a very tight site is beautiful, functional and is providing a wonderful place for our students to learn and grow.”
Marcella Rorie
Director of Facility Planning and Design
Wake County Public School System
Lincoln Heights Elementary, a 50-year-old neighborhood school in southern Wake County, had struggled in recent years. After eliminating a previous magnet program, the school’s enrollment and test scores dropped, even as population in the town of Fuquay-Varina grew. The school was in a low-income area and had one of the highest rates of free and reduced lunches in the county. “The majority of Lincoln Heights Elementary’s building structures had existed since the 1960s,” said John Ramsay, AIA, principal at GMK Associates, the architectural firm and prime consultant on the project. “The last major renovation was completed in the 1990s. Fuquay-Varina needed a 21st Century School where there was a 1960s school.“
The team designed and constructed a modern two-story instructional building, a new administrative wing, multipurpose room, cafeteria and kitchen, four interactive, outdoor learning spaces designed to better engage students, a more efficient carpool drop-off area, new playground and a new bus loop.
To turn things around, the school adopted a new magnet program theme, Environmental Connections, to teach students to collaborate, think critically, make hypotheses and solve problems while experiencing the outdoors. To create more opportunities for learning outside on the crowded campus, the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) embarked upon a multi-year renovation project.
Alpha & Omega Group (A&O), a civil, structural and water resources engineering services firm in Raleigh, provided civil-site engineering services for the project, as part of GMK Associates’ team. The outcome increased enrollment and enhanced the school’s overall perception in the community.
The multi-stage project spanned two school years, during which selected existing buildings were demolished, while others were renovated and incorporated into the new 90,000 square-foot layout. A&O provided a master site plan, site demolition, erosion and sediment control, grading, drainage, stormwater management, and water and sanitary sewer layout design. In addition, A&O worked with the Town of Fuquay-Varina to widen a section of an adjacent public street, add new curb and gutter, sidewalk and piped storm drainage and add turn lanes at two offsite intersections to manage traffic arriving and departing from the school. All three phases of the construction project were completed while students attended classes onsite.
In addition to providing engineering know-how for improvements, A&O’s engineers incorporated creative concepts into their designs to illustrate valuable lessons about our environment. A&O’s “Mountains to Sea” courtyard design adapted stormwater management techniques to simulate a “riverbed” that captures stormwater from its source of bigger rocks, or “mountains,” directs it downstream under a pedestrian bridge, through graduated sizes of smaller rocks, and finally exits it to the “sea,” a nearby bio-retention pond.
Another outdoor learning space features strategically-placed rain barrels, raised garden beds, and composting bins for scrap and yard waste, to illustrate the continuous growing cycle and the importance of conserving and re-using our renewable resources.
An aerial view of the “Mountains to the Sea” learning space shows the route of water flow from bigger rocks at the bottom (mountains) to gradually smaller rocks, under a bridge (center) and to a storm drain (top center), exiting to a nearby bio-retention pond (the sea).
Tree stumps at the “Mountains to the Sea” learning space provide flexible seating for students to gather, observe and interact. A rain gauge charts the amount of rainfall and helps students learn how weather affects our day-to-day environment.
A&O engineers used a rain barrel, raised gardening beds and composting bins to illustrate the continuous growing cycle, and the importance of conserving water resources.
Incorporating lessons into our engineering designs advances the engineering profession by passing the mantle to the next generation of engineers. A 2019 New York Times article, “Can Climbing Trees Replace Preparing for Tests?” notes a nationwide downward trend in outdoor learning time for elementary school children. The rise of nature-based curricula like Lincoln Heights Elementary’s reflects documented benefits that cross educational disciplines to encompass not only the natural sciences, but also reading, writing, physics and social studies skills and increase overall learning.
The Lincoln Heights Elementary project challenges engineers to design solutions that go beyond pre-defined physical structures and answer questions such as “How can we make this solution more meaningful to our client audience and the community as a whole?” and “What can stormwater management teach us about a living, moving, changing and self-sustaining environment?”
“Taking learning outside in different spaces gives [the students] the opportunity to think better . . . I can see the increase in engagement by 100 percent."
Carl Gillispie, Teacher
Lincoln Heights Elementary School
Elevating Lincoln Heights Elementary to an Environmental Connections magnet not only brought environmental learning to life, it also advanced the four Cs – communication, critical thinking, collaboration and creativity – a key focus area of the Wake County Public School System’s strategic plan. “I can see the increase in creativity among students and teachers,” said Cari Gillispie, a second-grade teacher whose children attended Lincoln Heights Elementary before and after the renovation. “Taking learning outside in different spaces gives them the opportunity to think better. I can see the increase in engagement by 100 percent. I can see that the spaces are welcoming to parents, and I can see that citizens in the community are prouder now of their neighborhood school.”
This covered, interior playground provides a safe, self-contained learning space for special needs students.
The challenge for GMK Associates and A&O was to double the capacity for the student population on an already tight campus and ensure that students, teachers and construction personnel could co-exist during the entire process. To accomplish this, the project was conducted in multiple phases over two school years:
The initial phase of construction included adding a two-story building adjacent and connected to an existing building. Students, teachers, and administrative tasks like cafeteria service were combined in an existing building during this stage of the project.
During phase 2, classes were moved to the newly constructed building, while demolition occurred on older parts of the campus and a new administrative wing, multipurpose room, cafeteria and kitchen were built.
Phase 3 included final demolition of older buildings, a new carpool drop-off area, outdoor learning spaces, a new playground and a new bus loop.
Throughout the project, fencing and plexiglass windows were placed at strategic locations to maintain safety while offering an opportunity for students to observe and make a connection between the design and construction phases. Engineers also visited other elementary schools to observe how site elements helped students learn outdoors. They used this experience to evolve the outdoor learning spaces as construction progressed.
“Being outdoors has made a huge difference in academic outcomes for all grade levels. It’s all been positive. When I came here in April 2017, we barely had three kindergarten classes. Now there are five, and if enrollment keeps increasing at this level, we may have to add a sixth.”
Kim Grant, Principal
Lincoln Heights Elementary
Environmental Connections Magnet
After learning about the growing cycle, students are encouraged to give back to the community. A field trip can include choosing their best produce and taking it to the nearby Fuquay-Varina Farmer’s Market.
A&O’s six core values – relationships, trust, teamwork, servant attitudes, stewardship, and excellence – are exemplified in our approach to the Lincoln Heights Elementary school renovation.
A&O worked closely with the architect and the Wake County Public School System staff to successfully navigate and obtain approvals from the multiple review agencies involved in this complex project. The final contract price of $22,538,420 was only a 1.99% increase over the guaranteed maximum price and was due to owner-requested changes and project scope creep. “A&O’s efficient delivery of a design solution contributed to the project being on time and helped fulfill the owner’s requirement of completion during the regular educational calendar,” added Ramsay.
The Lincoln Heights Elementary project has become a new benchmark for excellence when evaluating the performance of other Wake County Public School System projects. According to Marcella Rorie, WCPSS Director of Facility Planning and Design, “The result of this major renovation and new construction project on a very tight site is beautiful, functional and is providing a wonderful place for our students to learn and grow.”
“With flexible work spaces and the availability to move around, collaborate with one another, and incorporate new technology, our students are able to move into the next generation,” says Kim Grant, Lincoln Heights Elementary’s current principal. “After one full year since the renovation and change in curriculum, enrollment has shot up tremendously and so has our perception in the community. Before the renovation, we had some of the lowest test scores in the county. Now our school is outperforming Wake County in science EOG scores. We are truly blessed.” Ω
In the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, transportation throughout North Carolina has become an issue. As the storm made landfall last weekend and slowly moved west, it dumped trillions of gallons of water onto North Carolina and South Carolina, creating a 1,000-year flood event. Highways throughout the state have become rivers. Wilmington and some other areas of the state are simply inaccessible. State officials and highway engineers are closely monitoring the safety of our state’s transportation infrastructure, including bridges.
Last month, as the death toll from last month’s Morandi Bridge collapse in Genoa, Italy, rose to 43, we also wondered about the safety of the structures that we cross every day on our commutes to work or school. “Can it happen here?” we asked.
Earlier this year, a pedestrian crossing at Florida International University in Miami fell onto a busy road, killing six. Even closer to home, a pedestrian bridge collapse on Wake Tech Community College’s northern campus killed one construction worker and injured four other people in 2014.
Flood damage caused by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, near Raeford, North Carolina, in 2016.
A bridge failure can have one of several causes, including natural disasters like an earthquake or flood, excessive loads, and wear and tear. Design flaws, construction flaws, or impacts from a heavy object such as a barge or truck may also be to blame. Alpha & Omega Group, as a bridge design and inspection firm, is dedicated to identifying potential issues and developing solutions that keep our bridges safe for the traveling public.
“There is inherent impact design built into a bridge, depending on the natural forces of a given region,” said A&O Vice President Glenn Zeblo, PE. For example, bridges at the coast are engineered with extra loading for heavy winds, to withstand hurricanes, he explained. Structures in the mountains of western North Carolina are designed to withstand loads of snow and ice. Similarly, bridge engineers in the western United States design for seismic activity to make bridges more resilient to an earthquake.
A&O inspected the 1963 Bonner Bridge in 2006 and designed repairs to stabilize it until a new bridge could be constructed.
Another natural force that can destabilize a bridge is scour, or water erosion, of the supports. One high-profile example is the 1963 Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, connecting Bodie and Pea Islands in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. A&O performed a National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) inspection on the Bonner Bridge in 2006. “The piles weren’t deep enough,” said Glenn. “The tide is strong there, and the current shifts the sand. As we were going out in the boat to inspect, the boat captain observed that in just one day, the navigational channel in the water shifted from one bridge span to the next. That’s 20 feet of sand moving overnight,” he added. To stabilize the bridge, A&O designed repairs to the structure, while NCDOT installed concrete “jacks” – giant star-shaped objects resembling the children’s toy – around affected bents and piles to hold sand in place. A replacement is currently under construction, expected to be complete by September 2019.
A&O has worked with the North Carolina Department of Transportation since 2000 to conduct NBIS element inspections on the state’s 18,000 bridges and culverts throughout North Carolina. Each bridge is inspected every two years by a certified company. To ensure the safety of all bridges for public use, we perform non-destructive “hands on,” visual inspections of each structure’s railings, decks, expansion joints, superstructure, and substructure. We cover the entire bridge from top to bottom, documenting and photographing cracks, impacts, and deteriorated concrete. We check for “spalls” and “delaminations,” or areas of concrete erosion caused by sodium chloride or pollutants in the air, by tapping with a small mallet or using an electro-sonic device, to detect hollow spots in the concrete where moisture has seeped in and corroded the steel reinforcement. The rust expands 12 times the original size to create the spalls and delaminations.
Other methods of inspecting may include destructive testing, taking core samples of concrete, to analyze the strength and quality of the concrete. Inspectors may also use ground-penetrating radar or LiDar (light detection and ranging), a method that uses light pulses to measure variable distances and generate three-dimensional images of the structure.
Each bridge inspector documents findings in NCDOT’s Wigins reporting software, where they are reviewed by inspection team leaders and project managers before sending to NCDOT. Once NCDOT engineers get the report, several sets of eyes will also review it and decide on what actions to take for anything needing attention, explained Glenn.
What if bridge inspectors see a problem on a bridge that needs immediate attention? According to Glenn, there are three levels of alerting NCDOT to urgent bridge maintenance issues: priority maintenance, in which NCDOT has a 30-day window to resolve an issue; critical find, which is an issue requiring remediation in just a few days; and imminent failure, reserved for issues that are so severe that the bridge should be closed immediately. Because of the two-year inspection cycle, said Glenn, bridges are rarely closed because of imminent failure – however, it occurs occasionally when a bridge is deemed unsafe.
This bridge in Iredell County, along State Road 1863 over Rocky Creek, was closed earlier this year because of structural problems that made it unsafe.
A bridge in Iredell County, along State Road 1863 over Rocky Creek, was closed earlier this year, upon a recommendation by A&O inspector Michael Meyer, PE. Used by about 70 vehicles per day, the steel beams under the bridge were rusting through and beginning to “deflect,” or to bend and buckle – a visual indicator that there is a serious structural problem, explained Michael.
“NCDOT is already replacing two or three structures within a five-mile radius of this bridge,” said Michael, “so obviously there isn’t enough funding to go around and undertake another complete replacement. I believe they want to add a few more years or so to this bridge’s life by removing the timber deck and taking off all of the steel beams and use salvaged beams from another bridge that has already been torn down.”
A&O project manager Matthew Moyer, PE, talked about the importance of regular inspection and maintenance to extend the life of a bridge. “It’s like if you own a house or a car, and you do regular maintenance, that house or car lasts longer,” he said. “By understanding the inspection and what it tells you, you can find the appropriate fix,” he continued. So, for example, inspectors need to understand which crack or area of deterioration is important to the structure before recommending a repair. “Having a dent in the body of your car that doesn’t affect the way it runs is very different from having a hole in the radiator,” said Matt.
Glenn agreed. “The bridge inspection process is to determine the quality and condition of the material. Degradation is documented and noted. We take into consideration where it is today, where it will be in two years, or in 25 years, so we can prolong the life and prevent failure.”
No system is foolproof, Glenn points out. “The fact is, we are human. We all follow the checklist and guidelines, trying not to miss anything,” he said, but NCDOT’s system of having different companies and different people inspect each bridge on a two-year cycle greatly reduces the chance that a bridge will collapse simply from neglect. Applying knowledge and experience can help extend the life of our state’s bridges so that maintenance dollars help offset the escalating cost needed to replace our aging infrastructure.
By Ava Barlow
“Begin with the End in mind.” Alpha & Omega Group’s tagline appears on our letterhead, business cards, website – all our branding materials. A&O President Ted Bartelt wrote a blog post on what he had in mind with “Begin with the End in mind.” Our tagline has many different levels of meaning, depending on one’s perspective. Clients see it as a promise that we will fulfill their goals of a given project – a nice greenway bridge for residents to walk or cross on a bicycle; a safe highway bridge to drive across; or efficient stormwater control that will prevent contaminants from getting into our lakes, streams, and drinking water. Ted spoke of how he sees it as having an eternal, spiritual meaning that transcends the here and now. To him the tagline gives him greater responsibility, because in serving clients for the sake of public safety, he is also serving God.
How do A&O employees understand this motto? None of the current employees have been around since the very beginning of A&O, although we have learned the story of how our company began. We certainly want A&O to continue for many years. When considering beginning – end, we are living the dash in-between.
The dash in-between is much more than an insignificant punctuation mark – it is where the rubber meets the road. Sometimes the dash in-between feels like a dash, or a sprint – when we work hard to meet deadlines and to complete a job with excellence. But rather than a competition, we see the dash as a cooperative, team effort. We support and help each other achieve our goals. The dash in-between is where we, as members of this team, live out all six core values of A&O: relationships, teamwork, trust, servant attitudes, stewardship, and excellence.
At the beginning of every week, we have a meeting we call “Monday Momentum,” or “Monday Mo,” for short. At this meeting, we discuss values and character traits that are important in the workplace and consider how to apply them to our current workload. Monday Mo inspires us and sets the tone for the coming week. We strive to fulfill these values, not only because our company leaders expect us to, not just because clients expect us to, but we expect it of ourselves.
This is a small company, and we feel like a family. Ted and Glenn Zeblo, our vice president and co-owner, care about us, and we all care about each other. Whether any of us is facing a health problem, an issue with a family member, or a challenge with our work, they listen and help if they can. They also pray for us. They trust us to do a job well, to use our creative abilities to solve problems. Because of these trusting relationships, we strive to do our best work. While they might not like to be reminded, both Ted and Glenn set an example for the rest of us in their lives and in their work – and we try to live up to the example. In short, Ted and Glenn’s management style makes us better, both as employees and as people.
We are somewhere in the middle of the timeline of A&O – the dash. While we don’t really want to think about the end of A&O, we do want the company to be known for all of those core values mentioned above – they are not just some marketing blather, but have real meaning and importance to us. We want the company to be known as a great place to work, where we all become better at what we do and how we live and interact. We want all those we serve to think of us as a reliable, trustworthy company that can solve a problem with integrity, creativity, efficiency, and excellence.
In our dynamic world, one thing that remains constant is change. All industries have been affected by changes in technology and how we produce our work in the 21st century. Engineering is no exception. A&O’s leaders, Ted Bartelt, PE, and Glenn Zeblo, PE, have witnessed a transition of reliance on documents, drawings, and bluelines produced and delivered on paper, to digital files that can be delivered electronically, through cloud and file transfer systems.
In the 20 years of A&O history, a lot of clutter has accumulated in our office. Sure, we’ve organized clean-up days, but in general, our office has been filled with an ever-growing collection of file cabinets, drawers, closets, and boxes filled with paper. In the earliest days of transition to digital information, it is easy to understand why it would be necessary to keep paper as a back-up in case electronic systems fail or are accidently erased. But over time, electronic storage capacities have improved and expanded, so now there no need to keep much paper.
However, our files on the computer are not as well-organized as they should be. Company President Ted Bartelt said, “I don’t have any problem getting rid of the paper if I know we have scanned and saved it to the computer. For me, I let things pile up because I wanted to know what direction we are going with our electronic filing system.” He added that often, when he searches for a file on the computer, he is unable to find it, so he ends up recreating it.
Projects, reference documents, marketing material, accounting, human resources, and other digital files are referred to by different names by different people in the company, said Jeff Goodin, IT director. “This leads to a Tower of Babel effect when we go to search for information about the projects,” he pointed out.
To solve the problem of clutter, A&O hired professional organizer Barbara Hemphill, founder of Barbara Hemphill, LLC, based in Raleigh. Barbara’s message on her company’s website is that unnecessary office clutter slows down productivity and creates stress, frustration, and low morale among staff. “Many organizations don’t realize the cost of their unproductive environment,” she said. Because of a lack of organization, clutter can cause staff to spend too much time searching for the things they need, wasting companies time and money.
The first step in the process of decluttering A&O’s office was to meet with Barbara to discuss the plan. She introduced her SYSTEM (Saving You Space, Time, Energy, and Money) strategy to A&O’s staff. To prepare staff for the workday, she asked us to consider the following questions:
Her challenge was to get everyone involved. The following week, Barbara returned for our workday. The main emphasis that day was to dispose of paper. Barbara arrived in the office at 7:30 am and the team worked until 12:30, when we broke for lunch. Our strategy consisted of tossing everything on paper that had been digitalized, then determining whether each piece of paper was necessary to keep, said office administrator Emily Daugherty. “We all started with our own workspaces, and then went through file cabinets, desks, and closets,” she said. “If we needed the paper, we kept it – but ultimately, the goal was to make those items digital and to get rid of all the paper.”
Barbara had us set up three categories of items for the clean-up. The shredding pile was for sensitive documents in which privacy or security is a concern. We decided that because we were limited to a half day, rather than try to decide whether a document fit the sensitive category, we would simply shred all the paper that needed to be disposed of. The next pile was “trash to treasure” for items that people no longer wanted, but thought someone else might like to have, and the third pile was a staging area for items that we were unsure what to do with.
At the beginning of the morning, some staff had work to complete and were not involved in the clean-up, but by the end of the morning, everyone was participating. “It’s a team-building experience,” said Barbara. “Many hands make light work, and by the time we finished, the team was working quite well together.”
Emily agreed. “We had a lot of fun. We found a lot of interesting old documents. I learned what a blueline is,” she said, referring to the old technology of reproducing engineering drawings with ammonia vapor.
Emily said decluttering the office of paper improved the atmosphere of the office. “Even just walking in the next day, it felt lighter.”
“It’s a big relief for me,” said Jeff. It uncluttered a lot. Now there is less distraction of the white noise of all that paper.”
The next step in the process will be to better organize computer files. Someone will be assigned to each area of the network drives to reorganize files according to a naming convention that will be standardized among each area, making files more searchable. In naming computer documents and files, said Barbara, it is important to consider all the ways a person might look a project up. Project numbers, dates, key words, or clients may all be important in this consideration, she said.
Throughout the process of becoming better organized, we will improve our efficiency and productivity, enabling us to serve our clients better. Our work environment will be cleaner and more relaxed, which will mean less stress for each of us. “Learning to create and sustain a productive environment means you control the things you can control,” said Barbara, “so you can better cope with the things you can’t.”
After opening the doors of Alpha & Omega Group in 1998, I found a meaningful Bible verse in a Christian book store, nicely framed so I could place it on my desk. The framed verse was Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I needed a reminder on my desk of God’s promise that He had my best interest in mind as I stepped out in faith to honor Him through this new company.
As I reflected on the verse, I also re-read the book of Jeremiah and reminded myself of the significance of what God was saying through the prophet Jeremiah. The nation of Judah had been overtaken by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar and exiled to Babylon. Their situation appeared hopeless as they were being taken to live and die in a foreign, unfamiliar land. God’s message was that no matter how dire their situation appeared, God still loved them and would even make them prosper in a land they knew nothing about, let alone how to do business there.
Throughout our 20 years, there have been significant times when I have needed that reminder on my desk. Initially, I needed it when I began to hire employees and had the responsibility of taking care of those employees (with families) by finding work and paying bills. Often, I wondered if I would have enough money to make payroll!
Another time the verse helped me was after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Many businesses struggled to keep their doors open, and some were not able to do so. A few years later came the 2008 stock market crash and Great Recession. I had lived through the recessions of 1973-1975, 1980-1983, 1990-1991, and 2001, but this was of a magnitude I had never seen. The engineering, architecture, and landscape architecture industries saw reductions of work of 50 percent or more and firms shrank to a third of their original size, if they were able to remain in business.
It can be a challenge to navigate a Christian company in a world that is fraught with economic, social, and political conflict, as ours is today. Isaiah 29:11 reminds me that even though I am in a foreign land, I can rely on the promises of God as I conduct business every day. It also reminds me to thank God every day for all the blessings He has provided to A&O through the years! Thank you, God, for your unconditional love that accepts me as I am with all my scars created by sin, and for blessing me in ways that I cannot comprehend.
If you know Alpha & Omega Group, you have most likely heard our motto – “Begin with the End in Mind.”
If this phrase sounds familiar, it is because the phrase was first coined by Stephen Covey as the second habit of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” published in 1988. I was first introduced to Covey’s 7 habits in the late 1980s in my profession. As an engineer and a problem solver, “begin with the end in mind” fits my nature and the ability to see the end solution to the problem at hand.
This principal sounds simple; however, it takes good communication to determine what the end result should be. To be able to solve a problem for a client, you must first understand your client’s needs. As discussions develop with a client for a particular project, a picture begins to form. Questions help paint the picture - Why is this project being built? What problem is it solving? How will it be used by the public or customer? How will it impact the community? What materials will be used to build it? What will be the expected service life of the project? What is the budget for the project? How long will it take to build the project? How will construction impact the community? These questions and other inquiries shape the picture so that the End is clear and well-defined for you and the client.
The motto also fits well with the name of this company and its reference to God. God reveals himself in Revelation 22:13 - “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End”. As the creator of all things, God showed us this principle through God’s word. The Bible was written over a 1500-year period, showing God’s plan of love and redemption through his son Jesus Christ. All the prophesies of the Old Testament point to the Lamb of God who would come, live, and die to save us from our sin. The End that God has revealed to us is a new heaven and a new earth and the opportunity to spend eternity with Jesus. Our ultimate goal, in everything we do, begins with the End - eternity - in mind!
A&O President Ted Bartelt, PE, at the end of a long week of Bridge Inspection in 2000
Last month, as Christmas approached, it was hard to believe that Alpha & Omega Group would be celebrating its 20 year anniversary in 2018. It seemed so recent that I started the company with the help of my friend and former co-worker Glenn Zeblo and my wife, Beth, to begin a new journey. Since then, many people have come through our doors over the years to begin their engineering careers, transition from other companies, or move into different careers that they felt called to.
Throughout our 20 years, many have asked “why did you start the company in the first place?” If you look for the origin of the company name “Alpha & Omega Group” you may have some clue as to why I started it. Alpha & Omega comes from the book of Revelation in the New Testament. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Glenn and I wanted to honor the Lord with the business. But it really started before 1998 and with the struggles that impacted my life.
The “Why” question has its origins in my marriage with Beth, leading up to 1994. After struggling with infertility for several years, we reached a point where we both felt uncomfortable continuing with fertility treatments. Beth and I took the step to stop relying on doctors and start relying on God and praying for a child.
That initial step of faith immediately led us to meetings and situations that were more than coincidental. Friends led us to Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). I was amazed when I saw that more than 500 men signed up for the study, with dozens of men that I knew. The real sign that I knew I was in the right place was when I sat down, a gentleman sat down beside me and introduced himself as Johnny Evans. I immediately knew who he was – the star NCSU quarterback who led the Wolfpack while I was enrolled at NC State. So many things fell in place in the summer of 1994 that Beth and I knew our lives were changing.
In September, Beth and I began the study of Moses, and our eyes opened to the true meaning of the word of God. Before this, all the stories I knew as a kid – the burning bush, the plagues, the parting of the red sea, the Passover – were just that to me, stories. I had no idea how those stories were related to Jesus, but I quickly began to understand how the Passover pointed to Christ shedding his blood for us as atonement for my sin. I knew I was a sinner and fell short of the glory of God.
I also knew I had accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior when I went to buy a Bible for BSF. The gentleman in the Christian book store asked if I needed help in finding something and I told him that I was looking for a New International Version translation of the Bible. He pointed me to a men’s devotional bible and said to let him know if I had any questions.
I looked through the Bible and one thing jumped out at me. I innocently asked the gentleman what the words in red are in the Bible.
“The red words are the words that Jesus spoke,”he said, smiling.
“Oh,” I said, and foolishly smiled back at him. At that point he asked me if I had accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I knew that deep in my soul I had accepted Jesus and told him so. I had an inner peace that is indescribable. I no longer questioned what happens after death. I knew I would be spending eternity in heaven with Jesus and fellow believers. In September 1994, my life changed forever.
A&O Vice President, Glenn Zeblo, PE, at a job site in 2002
As I studied, I met with fellow believers and conversed with Beth, thinking about my calling in life. God gifted me with many talents, including engineering, the ability to connect with people, and the ability to think creatively. These talents had led me to leadership positions for the companies that I had worked for. God also placed me with a co-worker, Glenn Zeblo, who worked with me, side by side, since we were fresh out of college. I knew Glenn was a believer and observed his ability to talk to people about Jesus and the truths that originated from the Gospel. He was a strong witness to me in his faith and his work ethic. We both felt called to the engineering profession and our strengths complemented each other’s.
I observed many people begin businesses and run them as strictly business. There appeared to be no thought of integrating one’s faith and profession. As a new Christian, I questioned how can one separate faith from work? How is it possible to run a company, dealing with people every day in the workplace, while keeping faith strictly personal and separate? This is still a prevalent philosophy today!
As God’s providence would have it, the opportunity presented itself in 1997 to start a company that honored God. The company I had worked for and was part owner of was acquired by a national firm, which allowed me to step out and begin A&O. The acquisition was completed in December 1997, and January 1, 1998 began a new journey in my life. From Revelation 21:6, "He said to me: 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.'"
Next week – How our motto, "Begin with the End in mind," came about.
Project Manager Matthew J. Moyer, PE, will manage bridge inspections for A&O.
Alpha & Omega Group is pleased to announce the addition of a new project manager, Matthew J. Moyer, PE, to manage bridge inspections. Matthew is focused on NBIS bridge inspections, condition assessments, bridge repairs, rehabilitation, and bridge preservation.
With 17 years of experience as a professional engineer, Matthew has been certified as an NBIS (National Bridge Inspection Standards) team leader since 2009. He has inspected more than 1,000 highway bridges, 1,000 railroad bridges, and 400 signal poles. He has conducted 49 bridge rehabilitation projects, three tunnel rehabilitation projects and 50 in-depth condition assessments for bridges. In addition to bridge preservation Matthew has also designed steel, prestressed concrete and cored slab bridges.
“To save our clients' money over a long period of time”, says Matthew, “the goal is to begin with preservation in mind. By providing inspections, condition assessments, maintenance and rehabilitation solutions, the life of bridges can be substantially extended.”
We are very excited to have Matthew on our team as we continue to serve state, municipal, and county clients throughout North Carolina.
Welcome to the team, Matthew!
A civil, structural, and water resources engineering firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina. We offer services in bridge design and inspection, site development, government, and healthcare projects. We are registered with the NCDOT as a Small Professional Services Firm.
Civil-site: Glenn Zeblo, PE
Structural: Ted Bartelt, PE
Water resources: Glenn Zeblo, PE
Bridge Inspections:
Matthew Moyer, PE
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