4 Mar 2022

Commitment to high-quality USACE bridge inspections

Structural cracks, buckled or bent steel, visual fretting corrosion – these are the kinds of things at the forefront of a bridge inspector’s mind. Oh, and don’t forget to quantify the severity and extent of all deficiencies. "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has the highest of standards when it comes to safety inspections and bridge inspections are a big part of that,” according to Andy Wadysz. “Safety is paramount,” he stressed. Wadysz serves as the Detroit District’s Bridge Safety Program Manager, BSPM, for the past 22 years and respects the program’s commitment to high-quality. The primary purpose of the USACE Bridge Safety Program is to ensure all bridges within each district’s inventory are safe for their intended use. Bridge types vary from access bridges, railroad bridges, public pedestrian bridges to complex bridges. When conducting inspections and evaluations of a bridge site for user safety, there are specific requirements, detailed procedures and best practices that are closely adhered to for all bridge types.

16 Sep 2021

Logistics team removes area offices’ excess equipment

In the early morning hours of their five-day trip to Duluth, Minnesota, the Detroit District Logistics team were quietly loading excess equipment onto a flat-bed truck headed south. The equipment’s destination was the UNICOR facility in Kansas, an electronics recycling center that converts electronics into recyclable materials for resale to registered vendors. “By using UNICOR, we estimate $8,000 in savings to the district based on acquisition cost,” said Detroit District Logistics Manager Jena Graham. “Due to the area offices being spread out, it was not cost effective to consolidate their excess at one location for a typical pick-up.” A one-way trip from the District Headquarters in Detroit, Michigan to the Duluth Area Office in Minnesota is nearly a 12-hour drive.

7 Jul 2021

Developmental assignment offers growth, connection for USACE employee

DETROIT - He cannot get enough of the Great Lakes; some might say he’s hooked. By day, John Allis is the Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office Chief and by night, he enjoys being in, on or around the Great Lakes with his family. Allis’ office in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District handles a wide range of activities supporting the International Joint Commission, including water level forecasting, flow regulation and monitoring hydroclimate conditions across the Great Lakes. The Corps of Engineers has a reputation of success through skill development and knowledge gain. By design, district employees often have opportunities to do just that through developmental assignments. John recently completed a three-month developmental assignment as Chief of Water Management Division with the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division where he had much broader responsibilities.

6 Jun 2018

Biologist plans to fish fulltime

As a young boy growing up in the small town of Midland, Michigan, he spent his summers fishing,