Fay, Spofford & Thorndike

Fay, Spofford & Thorndike (FST) was a privately held company that provided civil and transportation, structural, water/wastewater and building systems engineering services to a variety of public- and private-sector clients for more than 100 years. The firm ceased operating as an independent entity when Stantec, one of North America's largest engineering firms, acquired FST, on October 30, 2015.[1]

History

Fay, Spofford & Thorndike was founded in June 1914 by three engineers with ties to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Frederic H. Fay served on many boards and in numerous industry leadership roles, including as the national chairman of the American Institute of Consulting Engineers (AICE).[2] This is the organization that spawned the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). Charles M. Spofford was an MIT professor and the author of the work on modern structural engineering, The Theory of Structures.[3] Sturgis M. Thorndike, who graduated with a BA from Harvard and a BS from MIT, left his position as Boston City Engineer to join Fay and Spofford in their new venture.[4]

One of the firm's first projects was for the City of Fall River, Massachusetts.[5] The resulting report issued in 1915, "Report of the Watuppa Ponds and Quequechan River Commission", advised the city how to rectify a serious pollution issue in its major waterways. This report has been recognized as an important document in the advancement of water pollution treatment and control.[6] The National Center for Biotechnology Information features an article based on the report that appeared in the American Journal of Public Health.

Notable projects

The bulk of FST's notable projects are in the Northeastern United States. These include the original Champlain Bridge (completed in 1929), the Memorial Bridge in Springfield, the Bourne Bridge and Sagamore Bridge over the Cape Cod Canal (completed in 1937),[7] multiple projects for The Big Dig in Boston, and the Runway 33L End Safety Project at Logan Airport.[8] At the time of the acquisition, FST was working on a study for a potential third road bridge over the Cape Cod Canal.[9]

References
  1. "Cape & Plymouth Business Magazine". www.capeplymouthbusiness.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  2. "ACEC – Past Chairmen". www.acec.org. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  3. Technology, Massachusetts Institute of (1911-01-01). Catalogue Issue. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
  4. Hager, Willi H. (2015-12-23). Hydraulicians in the USA 1800–2000: A biographical dictionary of leaders in hydraulic engineering and fluid mechanics. CRC Press. ISBN 9781315680125.
  5. Fall River (Mass. ). Watuppa Ponds and Quequechan River Commission (1915-01-01). Report of the Watuppa Ponds and Quequechan River Commission to the city council, city of Fall River. : Together with the report of Fay, Spofford and Thorndike, consulting engineers. Fall River.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. Commission, Fall River (Mass ) Watuppa Ponds and Quequechan River; Commission, Watuppa Ponds and Quequechan River (1915). Report of the Watuppa Ponds and Quequechan River Commission to the City Council, City of Fall River: Together with the Report of Fay, Spofford and Thorndike, Consulting Engineers. Fort Hill Press.
  7. "New England District > Missions > Recreation > Cape Cod Canal > History". www.nae.usace.army.mil. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  8. "Logan Int'l Builds Concrete Pier Over Boston Harbor to Support Runway Safety Area Extension | Airport Improvement Magazine". www.airportimprovement.com. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  9. "Investors sought for a third bridge over Cape Cod Canal – The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
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