Chris Caton on How Federal Work Reveals a World Most Civilians Never See

Growing up with a passion for rocks and a dad in construction, Chris Caton seemed destined for a geotechnical career. Federal work became dear to him as a young engineer, when a Navy contract kept the small engineering firm he worked for afloat during a recession.

Q: What led you to become a geotechnical engineer?

As a kid, I liked collecting rocks and going to nature camp every summer. I got a bachelor’s degree in geology and took some geotechnical classes dealing with foundations and structures, which I already had some experience with since my dad owned a construction company. How the earth and buildings interact became the most interesting to me.

Q. When did you start working on federal projects?

About 2001. I’m in Virginia Beach, and the federal work with the Navy is very prevalent here. I worked on airfields, airfield hangars, office buildings, bulkheads … pretty much anything in and around the shipyard or airfield.

Q. What are some of your most interesting projects?

I had the opportunity to help with the design of a new bulkhead to moor the USNS Comfort. It’s a huge floating hospital that goes to any crisis in the world … wars or hurricane relief, for example. A handful of us were given the opportunity to tour the ship, which was very impressive.

Also, recently, I have had the opportunities to work in Italy and Greece on several U.S. and Italian Naval Activity Stations. Terracon’s responsibilities included safety management, geotechnical engineering for foundation design, and hosting an airfield construction workshop for Navy construction managers.

I really enjoy working on international bases and learning the local customs. For example, prior to beginning a meeting at the Italian base in southern Italy everybody would meet at the coffee bar to have ‘caffé’. This was an opportunity to have casual conversations about the day and how everyone was doing personally. It was a comforting way to bring everyone closer together, which in turn cultivated a more productive team working toward a common goal.

Q. How are federal projects different from commercial ones?

Federal projects have very specific design specifications. I like the structure. It takes a long time to learn all the requirements so I will often help other offices find that information. Making and maintaining strong relationships within the Navy over the years continues to be very beneficial as I’m able to call or text friends to get clarification or a better understanding of project expectations.

Q. Besides the structure, is there anything else you like about it?

Federal work opens a door that otherwise wouldn’t be open to civilians. It’s an opportunity to travel and experience the service world first-hand. As a civilian, I take pride in the fact that we provide the engineering necessary to maintain and upgrade our critical national security infrastructure.

Q. You joined Terracon through an acquisition. How has that affected you?

The career development opportunities really stand out. I have recently obtained the Type 2 project manager and APR certifications. Terracon University is an outstanding resource and a valuable means to advance employee-owner’s careers.