Thanksgiving arrives a bit early at Sain Associates! Our Pulaski and Huntsville Branch offices celebrated on November 10th at Mildred’s Restaurant in Ardmore. Last week, our Birmingham office gathered for a potluck style lunch. The food was delicious, but the company was even better. We have so much to be thankful for with such excellent…
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Civil engineers are not typically wired to make intuitive decisions. We’re taught to make decisions based on empirical data. While the day-to-day brain functions associated with engineering may tend to crowd out our intuitive side, intuition becomes much more important in leadership roles. We all know what intuition is, but it’s challenging to define it….
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The Standards of Practice for Surveying in the State of Alabama defines a hydrographic survey as the determination of data relating to bodies of water, including depth of water and configuration of the bottom, directions and force of current, and location of fixed objects for survey and navigation purposes. Most hydrographic work is used to…
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If I had to give a single piece of advice on mentorship to young engineers it would be this – one mentor is not enough. We all have our weaknesses (or “areas of improvement” as Becky White taught me to frame it), and it would be rare to find one person that could be a fix-all…
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It’s October, so our team is busy counting their steps as part of Walktober, our annual wellness competition. Each participant sets personal goals, enjoys friendly competition, and participates in weekly challenges in the hopes of increasing step count and physical activity. This year’s overall theme is “Monopoly Madness.” In addition to shaking up the weekly…
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On October 11th, our Sain family gathered for the 6th annual Spirit of Lauren Award, an award given in memory of Lauren Nickles, our beloved friend and coworker. Lauren worked with Sain for thirteen years before she passed away in 2017 after a courageous battle with cancer. We celebrated her memory with a company-wide, old-fashioned breakfast, which…
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At some point in the day, everyone is a pedestrian. Unfortunately, pedestrian injuries and fatalities remain high. In 2020, a pedestrian was killed every 81 minutes in traffic crashes. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) designates October as Pedestrian Safety Month. Pedestrian safety is a two-way street that involves equal…
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Doing nothing often leads to the very best of something. -Winnie the Pooh The great scholar, Winnie the Pooh, knew a thing or two about what we need to be fulfilled each day. At Sain, we improve road safety, are a part of bringing a new industry to a city, and positively impact our communities….
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Most historians agree that the first unit of measurement was the cubit. Developed by the ancient Egyptians, the cubit was the arm length between the elbow and the tip of the middle finger. In fact, most earlier units of measure were based on the human body. An inch was based on the width of a…
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Railway safety is a topic that cannot be emphasized enough for both the public and those working on the railway. According to Federal Railroad Administration statistics, 236 highway-rail grade crossing fatalities occurred in 2021, with nine in Alabama. There are two types of protection at an at-grade rail crossing: passive and active. Passive protection consists of pavement…
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