This year’s Engineering Fair Competition welcomed Meridian’s Tyler Baron, PLS, Vice President & Right of Way Department Manager, and Nick Baron, Civil EIT, as judges for the event. Held at the gym of West Valley Elementary on January 18th, 2023, our judges were able to review student participants from the 4th Grade as they showcased their accomplishments.
Meridian’s team was happy to be involved and admire great design ideas for the industry.
Meridian was also part of the original design team providing survey and civil design services for the new build of West Valley Elementary while working with TPH and Granite District back in 2000.
Why is being a civil engineer in Utah a great career? One of the most important reasons may well be that Utah’s growth isn’t slowing down. In fact, projected growth in Utah shows the population increasing from 3,284,823 in 2020 to 5,450,598 in 2060 — a 66% increase.
This strong, steady growth means more development across the state for highways, businesses, schools, and more. The engineers at Meridian Engineering are a talented and dedicated group that’s not just meeting Utah’s needs for expansion but delivering projects that are advancing engineering standards in the state.
To learn more about Meridian, the day-to-day of our engineering department, and why it’s a great place to work, keep reading for an inside look at our operation.
About Meridian Engineering
Meridian Engineering, Inc. was founded in 1997 as a civil, transportation, and land surveying firm. Located in South Jordan, Utah, our company is in the heart of the Salt Lake City metro area, the area that’s experiencing the most growth in Utah.
As a top full-service civil engineering and land surveying firm, our projects and people have gained the notice of industry leaders in Utah. Recently, for example, we’re proud to have worked on a few of Utah Construction & Design’s most outstanding projects for 2021: the Salt Lake County Kearns Library, ARUP Building 4, Architectural Nexus Office Renovation, and Jacobsen Construction Corporate Headquarters . In addition, one of Meridian’s own, Brad Mortenson, PE, PLS, won Utah Council of Land Surveyors’ 2021 Surveyor of the Year award, and held the nomination for 2022 Engineering Educator of the Year. Meridian is an exciting place to work for those looking to advance their career and learn from the best.
Jacobsen Construction HeadquartersSalt Lake County Kearns Library
Meridian provides a select number of services, which allows us to carefully control quality for exceptional results including:
Civil Engineering
Right-of-Way Design
Land Surveying
LiDAR Scanning
GIS/Mapping
Transportation Engineering
Let’s take a closer look at the Civil Engineering department.
Daily Life for Engineers at Meridian
As a streamlined team, every facet of a project — from utility planning to bioswell design — requires close collaboration. A typical day in our office sees project managers and principals working together with the rest of the team to push projects past the finish line.
At their desk, the civil planning and infrastructure design our engineers accomplish is done with Civil 3D software. This industry-wide software can support and improve the large-scale projects Meridian brings to life. Our engineers are often using Building Information Modeling to improve preliminary designs, adjusting designs in the model-based digital environment to problem solve for real-world issues, or documenting project goals, and site design tasks.
For project managers, site meetings often fill the calendar; regularly meeting with the architect, contractor, or other engineering teams guarantees smooth transitions and clear communication across complex projects.
At any given time, our Engineering Department also has interns and EITs (Engineers in Training) working toward their state licenses. Job training at Meridian comes with plenty of applied experience. Our all-hands-on-deck mentality means these team members get to meaningfully contribute to current projects to grow their engineering knowledge.
Why Meridian is a Great Place to Work
Our engineers love the challenge that civil engineering presents each day, but there are other reasons they love their jobs, too! Meridian makes sure our company is a rewarding place to work.
Perks & Benefits
Events – Meridian hosts bimonthly lunch and learn events for continuing education, and periodic company recreational events for our team members, including summer gatherings for both you and your family at fun locations like Hogle Zoo or Lagoon.
Spacious office space – Our new office features high ceilings, plenty of natural light, and fresh, modern finishes. It’s an inspiring and inviting place to work during the week …we even have a ping pong table.
Health Insurance & 401(k) – Our great benefits package offers health, vision, and dental insurance coverage as well as retirement savings plans with an employer match.
Career development – Our involvement with some of the top engineering associations benefits employees, too. Engineers are encouraged to attend trainings, events, and courses from the American Council of Engineering Companies, American Public Works Association or Utah Facilities Operation & Maintenance Association and Meridian covers the cost.
Flexible work week – Schedules are built for individual staff that are working to both fulfill clients’ needs and our employee’s needs.
Great Clients & Unique Projects
Meridian is not a cookie cutter firm; unlike some firms that specialize in one area, we do various types of projects for a range of clients. From private residences to 80-million-dollar commercial developments, we provide challenging and interesting work that’s packed with variety. Some of our most notable recent clients include Blue Sky, DFCM, State and Private Universities, Local K-12 School Districts, and some of the best architectural firms in the state.
Lodge at Blue Sky
A Generous Company Policy Handbook
When projects have tight deadlines, we know longer hours may be needed to produce the highest quality of work in a shorter amount of time. While most salaried engineers never see “overtime” pay, we instituted a policy where you receive a paid at an hourly rate for every hour you work over 40 hours a week. It’s our way of recognizing our team’s hard work and preventing burnout.
Are You Ready to See Yourself at Meridian? Contact Our Team
While projects change, our opportunities for civil engineers are always here. We’d love to show you why it’s a great place to work as an engineer at Meridian! To learn more about our current openings and submit your resume, visit our Careers page.
Above: Meridian’s Exhibitor Booth #2001 From Left-Randall Vickers, PE, Steve Johnson, PE, Tyler Baron, PLS, and Michael Nadeau, PLS, CFeds
This year’s annual UDOT Conference was held from October 25 – 27, 2022, at the Mountain America Exposition Center in Sandy, Utah with over 2200 attendees including several professionals from Meridian Engineering. The conference is organized for UDOT employees, students, and partner agencies to connect and participate together in various activities.
Shown above break area in the central hall.
Meridian’s right of way and survey teams were happy to be involved throughout the conference as exhibitors and various break-out sessions of key industry topics such as right of way, stormwater, safety, leadership, and drones revolutionizing UDOT. Did you know there are now flying cars that resemble a large drone? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcdPyzCgkZk
Shown above Matt Hirst, CRS Engineers and Darryl Fenn, Meridian Engineers
Overall, our team looks forward to this event for receiving professional development credits, gaining extra knowledge regarding the profession, and networking with like-minded teaming partners.
This year’s annual International Right of Way (IRWA) Competition announced the winners at the Education Conference, June 5-8, 2022 at the Marriot River Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
The IRWA is an international organization including countries from the U.S. to Canada, England, and some in Africa. It organizes the conference for professionals to stay current with best practices, the latest laws, reviews, and the newest technology for the Right of Way industry.
Meridian’s Civil Engineering and Survey CADD team was happy to be involved in showcasing some great design ideas for the Industry General and Engineering categories. Out of the 4 categories entered, we won 2 of them! Check out these designs from our winners: Survey Division for East High School and Civil Division for Rock Cliff Campground.
Shown above is the topographic survey of East High – winner of the Industry General Category.
East High School has had years of flooding issues due to the steep grades coming off 800 South Street. The purpose of this survey plat was to provide a design topographic survey for a drainage study to determine the cause of the flooding issue so our civil design team could correct the flooding problems.
Some fun facts on this project, this is the principal photographic location of the well-known High School Musical show and when our field crew was on site LiDAR scanning the high school the famous gymnast Simone Biles was on location at the same time.
Shown above is the topographic survey and civil design overlay of Rock Cliff Campground – winner of the Engineering Category.
Rock Cliff Campground is a primitive campground east of the Jordanelle reservoir off SR-32 that is enlarging its current capacity offering vehicle access to a total of 51 sites, 9 tent sites, 16 van sites, and 26 RV sites dispersed into three loops—Riverbed, Aspen Grove, and Upland Meadow. Nearby are the Rock Cliff Nature Center, the boardwalk system, and the Provo River. This expanded area is anticipated to enhance recreational activities at the reservoir for years to come while meeting local public demand for camping and day-use activities. Construction is slated for completion fall of 2023.
