Underground Construction - June 2019 - 34

REHABTECHNOLOGY

Tad Powell
however, and was determined to put my
sister and me through college. Besides, I
inherently knew from an early age that I
wanted to be an engineer. I found math and
science so interesting and was anxious to
learn how to apply engineering principles
to what I had learned about construction.

Early career

I am the son of a carpenter. Growing up in
rural Alabama, my father had me working
at the age of 10 years old. Every summer I
would shadow my dad, learning the value
of working with my hands and-most
importantly-how to treat people with
respect. During those early years I learned
that whether we were building one of the
most extravagant homes in town or adding
on a small room for a growing family, the
most important part of the job was to treat
everyone-rich or poor-with the same
level of dignity, and to always keep my word.
Dad often reminded me that anyone can
do the work, but how people remember you
is what counts. Even when his employees
wanted to branch out and start their own
competitive businesses, he was right by
their side supporting them every step of
the way, even visiting their job sites to help
them work through a problem. I learned so
much from that and it provided me with a
great foundation.
As I grew older, I was introduced to the
operational side of running a business, and
most folks assumed I'd take over Dad's
company one day. He had other ideas,
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JUNE 2019 | UConOnline.com

I received my Bachelor's in civil engineering
from the University of Alabama at
Birmingham. When I graduated in 1997,
one of my professors, who worked
for an engineering company called US
Infrastructure, asked me to join his team.
They were one year into a giant, 10-plusyear consent decree program in Jefferson
County, Ala. They were on the forefront of
trenchless rehabilitation and I immediately
fell in love with it.
I was exposed to highly specialized
companies, products and technologies
for cured-in-place pipe (CIPP), manhole
rehabilitation and others, and I had the
privilege of watching them evolve. There
were no specifications back then, so we
had bits and pieces we'd pull together
from ASTM, manufacturer specifications
and other resources. Modifications to the
specs were constantly being made and we
were on the cutting edge of how to inspect,
document and deliver the work.
The work was paused while the county
cleaned up some of its business practices,
so after 10 years with US Infrastructure
I switched gears and went to work for
another engineering firm that focused on
site development. I was there for about
four years and learned a lot about helping
municipalities evaluate plans; it was true
civil engineering work.
I knew, however, that I wanted to go
back to the trenchless rehabilitation side.
Specifically, I wanted to learn more about
construction. Insituform had an opening
and it was a perfect match. For five years I

EDITOR'S NOTE:
NASSCO, now in its 45th year, continues
to set standards for the assessment
and rehabilitation of underground
infrastructure. A vast array of individuals
have contributed to the success of
the association, both in the past and
present, that has driven NASSCO's
industry mission. This series of articles
recognizes those who have not only
been critical to the success of NASSCO,
but the industry as well.
worked as a project manager, covering the
states of Alabama, Mississippi, and parts of
Florida and Tennessee. It was eye opening
to learn what the true cost of rehabilitation
means. We all see the revenue side of CIPP
work, but to understand how material,
labor and transportation costs can impact
a project, and then actually build the job at
or below budget, was very rewarding.
Hazen & Sawyer helped bring the
Jefferson County Program back to
life when it was selected to manage
the next phase of the program. They
needed a construction manager to piece
everything together, and it seemed like
a great fit for me. Using my experience
in constructability assessments, product
selection and evaluation of rehabilitation
needs to prioritize and direct work,
specification and plan creation, cost
estimation, and being the action arm
for the implementation of rehabilitation
solutions, I joined the firm to take on that
role in 2015.
The earlier project didn't have
technology available to do true flow
modeling, so we now had the opportunity
to develop an all-encompassing plan to
look at the entire system, from collection
to pumping stations, to treatment plants.
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Underground Construction - June 2019

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