New Testing and Monitoring Solutions Take Infrastructure Asset Management to the Next Level

Dennis Abel, PE, chief engineer, and Rakesh Khan, PE, director of technology solutions, discuss an exciting evolution in FDH’s innovative nondestructive testing (NDT) methods. FDH has developed a new portable data acquisition device for clients to use in the field with their own crews to perform NDT on demand. While NDT is critical for assessing current structural condition, it becomes even more valuable when paired with structural health monitoring, or SHM, which involves the installation of sensors to continuously monitor variables that contribute to degradation or failure of individual components and/or the entire structure over time.

Creative Solutions for Tower Infrastructure in the 5G Era

FDH’s Krystyn Perez, PE, vice president of engineering (left), Chad Barham, director of client services (right), and Dana Clauson, AE services manager (center), discuss how FDH is helping tower owners overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges in the ramp up for the next generation of mobile connectivity. The transition to 5G requires not only technology improvements but also an understanding of the concerns and needs of local communities during the rollout process.

From University Research to Worldwide Solutions: FDH Marks 25 Years of Innovation for Critical Infrastructure

How a PhD project at NC State University launched a global infrastructure services company amazes even the company’s co-founder. Dr. J. Darrin Holt, PE, one of FDH’s three founders, joins Amir Rakha, vice president of foundations infrastructure and nondestructive testing, to reflect on the company’s university roots and its expansion into new markets in the U.S. and internationally. Happy 25th Anniversary, FDH!

Women in STEM: Climbing High at FDH

You can’t be an industry leader without amazing people. As it celebrates 25 years of service to critical infrastructure markets, FDH credits its longevity to the rich diversity and talented employees who power the company’s success. That includes FDH’s remarkable women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). In this podcast, three of FDH’s women engineers discuss the challenges and rewards of pursuing a STEM career. From coding to tower climbing to preventing catastrophic bridge failures, their work at FDH is anything but ordinary.

Broadcast Careers: Scaling New Heights as Tower Technicians & Crew Leaders

“Being up in the air… it’s exhilarating….there’s nothing better.”

This special edition “jobcast” features current jobs with FDH’s broadcast division, Stainless. Tower technicians and crew leaders are essential positions that maintain and construct broadcast towers, operate and interpret various technical instruments and documents, and most importantly, demonstrate a penchant for safety and instinct as they climb heights up to 2,000 feet. Don Doty, director of broadcast services, and Jerry Folk, director of broadcast operations, discuss the exciting career paths for those who pursue these sky-high positions.

FCC Broadcast Repack Puts Emphasis on Quality Tower Inspections

“If you catch things in advance, the fix is a lot cheaper now than it will be 10 years from now.” Gregg Fehrman

Regular tower inspections save owners money by identifying issues before they become significant. Gregg Fehrman, VP of Field Operations, and Don Doty, Director of Broadcast Services, discuss the essentials of the inspection process:  what makes a quality inspector and inspection, types and components of tower inspections, how regular inspections save money, and why safety must remain paramount.

A Look Inside the Strengthening of America’s Aging Infrastructure

“We have a customer-driven enterprise. People come to us with all sorts of problems to solve. That’s very exciting, and it’s what I love about my job.”

Every four years the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) publishes a report card on the state of the nation’s infrastructure. In 2017 ASCE issued a grade of D+ and called for engineering innovations that would be “game changers” for restoring U.S. infrastructure. FDH research engineer Armita Mohammadian, PhD, PE, discusses how FDH’s proprietary nondestructive test (NDT) methods could be such a game changer. FDH’s research and development team collaborates with public and private entities to develop innovative NDT methods that accurately assess the condition of critical structures. Where problems exist, FDH engineers design custom solutions that are safe, reliable, and cost effective. Dr. Mohammadian discusses recent projects, including FDH’s work with a major utility to solve wind turbine maintenance and monitoring issues.

How Proactive Infrastructure Testing is Saving Companies and Cities Millions of Dollars

How Proactive Infrastructure Testing Saves Millions

Rakesh Khan, PE, CWI, Director of Nondestructive Testing (NDT) services at FDH, discusses how infrastructure testing of old and new construction saves owners millions. Because our nation must address its aging critical infrastructure and replacing it all is prohibitively expensive, Khan explains that the primary value of NDT is that it is possible to inexpensively assess infrastructure, so that owners can decide appropriate actions and where to funnel their funds toward repair or replacement.

An Expert’s Take on The Best Method for Nondestructive Testing

Laura Guy, Director of NDT, breaks down FDH’s proprietary form of dispersive wave propogation for nondestructive testing and how the technology improves on the the general industry standard. For more information on FDH’s NDT visit here.

How 5G Is Pushing Out Television, and Why Towers Will Save the Day

Broadcast Repack One Year Later

Gregg Fehrman, VP of Field Operations and Don Doty, Business Development Manager, discuss how the broadcast industry has adapted to the FCC’s Incentive Auction, announced by Congress in 2010, shifting spectrum from television and radio for increased mobile broadband usage. These two life-long industry experts explain how a lull in activity from 2010-2017, devastated the broadcast tower industry, how Stainless survived, the structural and field challenges for the final Repack stage, and how Stainless is coming up with creative solutions to help.