Jacobs’ New York City Underwater Inspection Team Thrilled to Dive into $10M Contract Extension

Did you know that we have a full-service Underwater Inspection Group at Jacobs? It includes a professional engineer dive team with more than 20 commercially-trained diving professionals with experience in marine engineering, commercial diving, underwater inspection and underwater construction. Since many are also professional engineers, they can complete all project aspects — from inspection through to design and/or rehabilitation.

This specialized group was critical to Jacobs being awarded a five-year extension to our on-call maritime engineering consultant services contract with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), which includes inspection and engineering services for city-owned maritime infrastructure. With an increased focus on waterfront infrastructure, resiliency planning, waterfront utilization and engagement with New York City’s sixth borough — the waterfront — this high-profile contract continues to play a critical role in securing the city’s continued economic and cultural vitality.

Understanding the changing nature of ports in the time of climate change

As one of the largest ports consultancy in the world, and with an almost 30-year history of serving New York City’s maritime needs, our presence has never been stronger. Global Director for Ports & Maritime and Transportation and Principal-in-Charge Patrick King participated in that first on-call Maritime Engineering Services contract, and has continued his involvement ever since, bringing in-depth knowledge of NYCEDC facilities and needs to every project.

As Program Manager, Brian Craine brings a deep understanding of contract work from both a client and internal perspective, after joining Jacobs from NYCEDC in 2018. Deputy Contract Manager Mike DeAngelis, PE brings continuity and technical knowledge as a project manager for the current contract but also as an experienced engineer diver.

Preventative maintenance and planning anticipates the future

The estimated $10 million contract covers tasks critical to providing essential maintenance management services such as underwater inspection, rehabilitation and/or repair design, drone and GIS data collection, database and asset management services and resident engineering services.

Under our current contract we have completed 10 inspection tasks across a range of facilities and structure types for NYCEDC, the NYC Department of Transportation, and NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, and are actively working on the design of a large-scale rehabilitation project for both NYCEDC and the NYC Department of Sanitation.  Additionally, we are supporting NYCEDC and other city agency stakeholders with ongoing inspection services as the citywide inspection and rehabilitation program continues.

The range of facilities under the contract is impressive, ranging from the Manhattan and Brooklyn Cruise Terminals, citywide ferry landings and marinas, to fire and police department marine facilities, shorelines and beaches, coastal and resiliency structures, waterfront parks, the Greenway, dredging and reclamation sites and cargo terminals like the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, which is supporting offshore wind farms.

Our engineer-divers and area subconsultants offer value-added service delivery to clients like NYC

Our 600+ person NYC-based global center of excellence has 90 maritime professionals, including in-house dive specialists that allow us to deploy up to six teams simultaneously. Our engineers and engineer-divers know virtually every publicly-owned waterfront structure on NYC’s 520 miles (837 kilometers) of developed waterfront.  They’ve worked on piers, bridges, wharves, seawalls, ferry terminals, marine railways, and docks and mooring structures in construction, routine inspection and emergency situations.

Investment in area partners key to project success

Meaningful Minority/Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) participation is also a keystone of our work with the NYCEDC. This contract will meet or exceed the 30% requirement set by the client, with key longstanding partner firms CR Environmental (WBE), Insight Civil (WBE), Matrix New World (WBE/DBE) and Naik Group (DBE) contributing to our overall success on this contract.

Jacobs Senior Vice President of People & Places Solutions Americas Ron Williams says, "We look forward to helping further improve the city's underwater and waterfront facilities and collaborating with NYCEDC to improve the quality of life for millions of city residents, workers and visitors."