Former Dennis Corporation Intern, Jared Easterlin, recently received the distinction of presenting a research paper to the Transportation Research Board (TRB) at their 2009 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Mr. Easterlin worked as a Dennis Corporation Intern in the Construction Services Division during his undergraduate studies at the University of South Carolina and is currently serving as a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Florida.
One of over 3,300 papers submitted to the TRB for review, Mr. Easterlin’s paper was titled, “Full Depth Reclamation: A Cost-Effective and Environmentally-Friendly Alternative,” and focused on the benefits of the use of full depth reclamation as a paving alternative through case studies in South Carolina, Georgia and Washington. Full depth reclamation (FDR) is the process of using an existing road’s materials to create a durable, reclaimed road base.
Mr. Easterlin first became familiar with the FDR process while working at Dennis Corporation, as the firm has utilized this process on various South Carolina county roads, saving their clients hundreds of thousands of dollars. After further researching the topic through case studies in a variety of geographic locations and climates, Mr. Easterlin found that, compared to traditional asphalt paving, this technique can significantly reduce emissions, price and construction waste. Specifically, the utilization of the FDR process to pave one mile of roadway can save over $143,000* compared to asphalt paving. In addition to the cost savings they received for this efficient process, the counties he studied were also able to increase their local economies through improving the commercial transport network.
Dennis Corporation’s President, Mr. Dan Dennis, and Construction Services Manager, Mr. Tim Antley, traveled to Washington to attend Mr. Easterlin’s presentation. Mr. Antley, who served as Mr. Easterlin’s advisor while he was employed at Dennis Corporation, stated, “It is very rewarding to see students relate the experience they gain during their internships with Dennis Corporation and apply it to their graduate studies and future careers. Presenting a paper to the TRB is a great honor and Jared’s presentation demonstrated his thorough understanding of this process.”
Dennis Corporation is a South Carolina licensed civil engineering, surveying and construction management firm. Dennis Corporation’s specific fields of expertise include civil infrastructure, construction management, construction services, expert witness services, program management, intelligent transportation systems, special projects, surveying, traffic engineering and transportation engineering.