More Than Meets the Eye

After graduating in 1987, Lt. Col. Dave Eaton set his sights on becoming a commissioned Air Force officer. He gave little thought about how his CM degree would serve him.

All that changed five years later when the Gulf War, and Eaton’s job on the missile crew, ended. He soon landed work with Air Force’s civil engineering.

Over the years, Eaton’s found himself succeeding time and again in a number of different jobs, working with different people in challenging situations. In a recent letter to the University, Eaton wrote: “From humanitarian work at mudslide and earthquake areas in Italy, to managing all the base infrastructure at locations in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, to my current project of permanently repairing a major runway in Iraq, my basic understanding of all the construction disciplines has paid huge dividends for me.”

Lt. Col. Dave Eaton in Iraq

Now an Air Force civil engineer in Iraq, Eaton says his work requires an understanding of engineering principles and effective communication and management skills, all of which he says his CM degree provided. “The biggest advantage I’ve had with my CM background is to be able to put engineer-speak into plain English,” he adds.

Eaton advises students and other graduates not to underestimate the value of their broad-based CM education. “It wasn’t until I’d been in civil engineering for a few years that I realized what a gem I had in my hand.”

Virtual Construction

Five years ago, while Daniel Libeskind was designing a new wing for the Denver Art Museum, the building process had already begun, says Dave Sandlin, ‘03, a construction executive for M.A. Mortenson Co. and manager of the $90-million Frederic C. Hamilton Building.

Using 3-D tools before any actual construction commences, the building process continues to this day.

It’s hard to imagine how the 146,000-square-foot addition could be effectively built otherwise. Described as “a geometric explosion of glass and titanium” and containing no 90-degree angles, the building will hold itself together only when it’s fully erected.

“It’s very difficult to analyze and view this incredible 3-D design in two dimensions,” says Sandlin. With 3-D software, however, M.A. Mortenson Company can utilize, develop, and refine color models that show every single detail inside the wing. The process enables team members, including Studio Daniel Libeskind, Davis Partnership, the City and County of Denver, and the Denver Art Museum, to trade the models back and forth and identify and resolve potential problems even before materials are ordered.

By adding the fourth dimension of time, planners are creating movies that show how each phase of construction should proceed according to target dates.

“These 3-D and 4-D tools have made this complicated and challenging design possible to construct on time and within budget,” says Sandlin. “I believe these tools are revolutionizing the construction industry, and I’m excited to play a small part in furthering this initiative.”

Sandlin says the greatest reward of this experience has been watching the entire team he’s working with perform and succeed at such a high level. “It’s been a privilege and a career highlight for me to be a part of the delivery of this unique and challenging project.”

Rendering of the new wing on the Denver Art Museum

Hensel Phelps Hosts Reception

More than 50 construction management alumni and Ram supporters were treated to Joseph Phelps’ wine and gourmet cuisine prior to the CSU-USC game last September. The event was hosted by the Hensel Phelps Construction Company, whose Southern California office is led by CSU alumnus Wayne Lindholm, ’75. The reception was held at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa, built by Hensel Phelps Construction Company.