SAN DIEGO – Working on century-old buildings is often akin to looking for buried treasure.
So says Tim Thiele, who runs the San Diego and Carlsbad offices of Michael Baker International, a national company specializing in civil engineering.
In the early 2000s, the company was asked to help with the redevelopment of Liberty Station, formerly known as the Naval Training Center, in San Diego’s Point Loma neighborhood. The U.S. Navy had determined the base was surplus and transferred it to the City of San Diego for redevelopment. It has since become a mixed-use hot spot and a hub for the arts.
However, there were some difficulties in bringing the property up to modern standards.
Early development was from the period between World War I and World War II.
Infrastructure such as water piping wasn’t always where the builders thought it was. The Navy’s facilities specialists were happy to help with the issue, but there was only so much they could do.
“Old infrastructure is not always well-documented,” said Thiele.
Thiele, who is now vice president and office executive, was a project engineer with the company in the early 2000s. His work involved frequent trips to the Point Loma site.
“During construction, I was out there every other day to make sure the prime contractor got what he needed,” he recalled.
“I was making constant changes in the field” to reflect the situation on the ground, or rather, underground.
The civil engineering profession is moving forward. “We are getting a lot more seasoned in connecting old infrastructure to new infrastructure,” Thiele said in an interview last week (Jan. 14).
His advice is to be proactive on old sites. “Infrastructure needs to be replaced on a schedule or eventually something will break and cost twice as much,” he said.
Award-Winning Work
Next month, Thiele’s firm will receive a prize for its work on another historic structure: the 111-year-old Balboa Park Botanical Building, originally built for the 1915 Panama California Exposition. Michael Baker International served as civil engineer of record on the $28 million restoration project. Scott Davis, department manager for land development, oversaw the work.
The civil scope of work included Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance upgrades, stormwater management, best management practices and the installation of new utilities including water, sewer and fire service.
Other vendors refreshed other parts of the building. “I think the architect and contractors did an amazing job,” Thiele said.
The renovation enhanced visitor safety and made the botanical gardens more inclusive by resolving longstanding drainage issues and improving accessibility, particularly on the non-compliant north side of the building.
The work caught the attention of ACEC California (American Council of Engineering Companies, California), which recently announced plans to present the company with a Commendation Award for the Balboa Park project.
During a ceremony set for February, staff from Michael Baker International will receive Engineering Excellence Awards from ACEC California for two other San Diego County projects plus an Imperial County project.
ACEC California plans to present:
- An Honor Award for the New River Improvement Project in Calexico, led by Brian Stup. Sewage from the New River flows north from Mexico into the United States. Michael Baker International served as lead engineer for the first phase of the project, which includes an automated trash screen, bypass encasement infrastructure and tertiary pump-back system and wastewater integration. The project lays the groundwork for long-term remediation.
- A Merit Award for work on the waterfront park at the San Diego County Administration Building, near Little Italy and the Embarcadero downtown. Jeremy Franzini oversaw landscape architecture and Josh Stone oversaw civil engineering work.
- A Merit Award for the UC San Diego Pepper Canyon West Living & Learning Neighborhood. The project, with two high-rise residence halls, was also led by Brian Stup. Michael Baker International’s work on the project emphasized grading, which was kept to a minimum. A nearby regional water quality basin is also part of the landscape. The finished product “reflects a thoughtful approach to grading and environmental responsiveness,” according to the company.
Historic preservation, new construction and the handling of raw sewage at the international border reflects “the diversity of projects we tackle,” Thiele said.
Michael Baker International
FOUNDED: 1940
CEO: Brian A. Lutes
HEADQUARTERS: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
BUSINESS: Engineering firm, with local offices emphasizing civil engineering, sewer, water, traffic engi-neering, planning and surveying
EMPLOYEES: 115 in San Diego, 36 in Carlsbad, more than 5,100 companywide
WEBSITE: mbakerintl.com
CONTACT: 858-614-5000
NOTABLE: The business takes a “Wolf Pack” philosophy that employees are stronger together
