Vancouver, Washington/Portland, Oregon – PBS Engineering and Environmental Inc. (PBS) has announced the addition of structural engineering to the firm’s professional service offerings in the Pacific Northwest.
Pictured: Hod Wells, PE
PBS, a 250-person professional services firm with locations across Oregon and Washington, has added structural engineering to the firm’s growing transportation division. PBS doubled in size following the 2016 acquisition of Vancouver-based HDJ Design Group, creating opportunities to serve on some of the region’s most high-profile projects—most notably, the Vancouver Waterfront Redevelopment.
“The Waterfront project transformed the community, but it also evolved PBS as a company. Collaboration on the project brought PBS and HDJ together as one firm. It also provided us with another opportunity to work with Hod Wells, who will be leading our structural engineering team,” says Mark Leece, Engineering Division lead at PBS.
Pictured: Grant Street Pier at Vancouver Waterfront Park
Hod Wells joins PBS with more than 28 years of experience in structural and civil engineering. As the structural engineering lead for the Vancouver Waterfront Park project, he designed the foundation system for the Grant Street Pier. The structure is the iconic, award-winning centerpiece of the waterfront park, extending 100 feet over the Columbia River. He was also the structural engineering manager for the West Vancouver Freight Access Rail Trench Project, which facilitated uninterrupted rail access for the Port of Vancouver.
“I was ready for a new chapter,” says Wells. “PBS provided the challenge of bringing a new service line to the company, and it’s a perfect match with the firm’s existing engineering and environmental capabilities.”
Wells hopes to foster new opportunities for PBS to provide economical and sustainable solutions for the region’s aging infrastructure.
“Northwest clients face unique challenges—population growth, seismic risks, and infrastructure reaching the end of its lifespan. More than ever, we need creative approaches that thoughtfully consider all sides: financial, environmental, and practical. PBS’ unique blend of services allows us to achieve that balance—using people who live and work in the community,” says Wells.
The firm will be actively supporting the growth of this new service by hiring additional structural engineering staff in the upcoming months.
ABOUT PBS ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL INC.
PBS, named a “Top 500 Engineering Firm” by Engineering News Record, mobilizes from Northwest locations throughout Oregon and Washington. Since 1982, PBS’ flexible, multi-discipline teams have provided engineered solutions that balance compliance, sustainability, and practical design. PBS’ core service areas include civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, transportation and traffic, environmental, industrial hygiene, planning, surveying, and natural resource consulting for public and private clients.