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Sioux Falls Affordable Housing- Design and Engineering Collaboration

Sioux Falls Affordable Housing Solutions philosophy is that every family deserves a place to call home. To facilitate this philosophy, the organization purchases dilapidated properties in Sioux Falls and either rehabs them or tears them down and replaces them with new...

School Engineering – HVAC Retrofit Cedar Rapids

When the Camanche Community School District conducted a complete review of their facilities, one of the critical issues identified was the need to upgrade the Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems at their middle and elementary school buildings....

Energy Modeling – A Design and Economic Decision Making Tool

In the past, a typical design would not have included an energy model as a part of the design process. However, with energy costs constantly increasing and more jurisdictions requiring some form of energy efficiency rating system, this design tool is essential in the...

West Plains Holds Upper Midwest Engineering Design Competition

The "infamous" WP Upper Midwest Engineering Design Competition was held this Fall and the event once again lived up to its expectations. There was drama, excitement, and some ruthless competition surrounding the event.  The objective of the competition was to...

Mechanical Electrical Power Engineering Design Conference

West Plains Engineering recently held its 2013 Fall Design Conference. The event features guest speakers, in-house presentations, round tables for best practices, and a Design Competition. Staff members get a chance to share some comradery and some great ideas. We are...

South Dakota Set To Build New Veteran’s Home

Today was the ground breaking ceremony for the new SD Veteran's Home. Hundreds of people and a handful of dignitaries, including Governor Dennis Daugaard, were on hand to see this special event. The new $30+ mil facility will upgrade the SD Veteran's Home ability to...

New Mechanical & Electrical Engineers

West Plains is pleased to announce the addition of four new employees in our Sioux Falls office in August. When Ulteig Engineering (a regional consulting firm) decided to close their Building Services Division, several experienced engineers became available. We are...

University Housing Mechanical and Electrical Engineering

The University of Northern Iowa Department of Residence is home to 4,953 students living in residence halls, apartments and suites covering 1,500,000 square feet on campus. The addition ofPantherVillagefulfills a plan to make living on campus the first choice for...

Arc Flash Analysis

WHAT is Arc Flash? Simply put, an arc flash is a phenomenon where a flashover of electric current leaves its intended path and travels through the air from one conductor to another, or to ground. The results are often violent and when a human is in close proximity to...

Community Health Center Online

The Community Health Center of Central Wyoming (CHCCW) is enjoying it's new state of the art facility.  CHCCW is a non-profit health care organization whose purpose is to put in place an affordable patient care program addressing community needs....

Weber Earns CLEP Certification

WPE wishes to announce that Darlene Weber, of the Sioux Falls office, has completed the Certified Lighting Efficiency Professional (CLEP) certification. She is just the second person in South Dakota to achieve this certification and one of 363 recipients in the...

University Music Building Design Complete

West Plains Engineering just completed electrical design services for the new Casper College Music Building in Casper, Wyoming. Construction will begin very soon, and the entire design team - including MOA Architecture from Denver and HMS Architects from New Orleans,...

WPE Completes High-Tech Animal Clinic

Work was recently completed on the small animal clinic at Iowa State University. The project was a lot of fun, and turned out great. West Plains Engineering specilizes in the design of Animal Health and Housing Facilities. The small animal clinic project was...

Plains Talk Newsletter

The Plains Talk Newsletter is a publication of West Plains Engineering highlighting our projects, challenges and, most importantly, solutions.

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2024

  • September/October – MEP Impact on the IIJA
    • Transportation Take Off: Sioux Falls Regional Airport Expansion
    • The MEP Factor: Bringing IIJA Infrastructure to Life
    • Exploring New Waters: Lewis & Clark Regional Water System
    • Infrastructure Integration: Alliance Solar Farm Transmission Line
  • July/August – Designing for the Next Generation
    • Review Before Renovations: White River School District
    • Student-Centered MEP Design Approach
    • Combatting Crowded Classrooms: Tri-Valley Elementary & High School
    • Making Good Bones Great: Lisbon High School
  • May/June – Factories of the Future
    • Backyard Building – Maven Outdoor Equipment Company
    • Post-Pandemic Manufacturing Growth
    • Manufacturing Modern Tech: BAE Systems
    • Small Business Boom: Scherer, Inc.
  • March/April – Hats Off to Higher Education
    • Beyond Books: SD Mines Devereaux Library Modernization
    • Putting Design on the Docket: USD Knudson School of Law Upgrades
    • Upping Their Game: SDSU Stanley J. Marshall Center Improvements
  • January/February –  40th Anniversary
    • WPE 40th Anniversary Announcement
    • A Message from WPE President, Marty Christensen
    • Daren Beckloff, P.E. Promoted to Engineering & Operations Director

2023

  • November/December
    • 2023 in Review
  • September/October
    • Preserving the Past: MEP Design for Historic Renovations
    • Doubling Down on Deadwood: Historic Franklin Hotel Renovations
    • Repurpose with a Purpose: Colonial Building Affordable Housing Conversion
    • Governing Through the Ages: Weston County Courthouse Repairs & Renovations
  • July/August
    • MEP Underground: Campus Steam Tunnel Design
    • Campus Growth 101: SD Mines Utility Infrastructure Study & Upgrades
    • Chilling with the Jacks: SDSU SW Quadrant Utility Repairs & Extensions
    • Powering Progress: Northwest College Medium Voltage Upgrades
  • May/June
    • Specialty Medical Design: How MEP Impacts Procedures
    • Environments For Imaging: Black Hills & Sioux Falls VA Health Care Systems MRI Site Preparation
    • Filling the Gap: Casper Medical Imaging Expansion
    • Understanding the Nuances of Care: Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital
  • March/April
    • Building Management Made Better: The Benefits of BAS
    • Intelligent Automation: Thinking Outside the BAS Box
    • Control & Monitoring Standards: USP Requirements of Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
  • January/February
    • Beyond Bars & Fences: Design For Secure Prison Spaces
    • Keeping Up With the Times: Mike Durfee State Prison Barracks HVAC Upgrades
    • Cross-Functional Corrections: South Dakota State Women’s Prison
    • Safety First: 6th Judicial District Facility Improvements

2022

  • November/December
    • A Letter from Doug Feterl, P.E. – WPE President
    • Looking Back at 2022 By the Numbers
  • September/October
    • Strategic Direction Report: Electric Vehicle Charger Design Considerations
    • The Federal Response: EV & the Existing Transportation Infrastructure
    • The Adoption Trend: EV Stations & Existing Fueling Sites
  • July/August
    • Strategic Direction Report: The Serious Work of Student Safety
    • Stronger Together: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton School & Fieldhouse
    • Getting Ahead of the Curve: Chamberlaid CSD Elementary & HS Gym
    • Finding Space: Cotter Elementary Addition & Renovation
  • May/June
    • Strategic Direction Report: Finding Non-Linear Approaches to Design Delivery
    • Working Backward Underground: SDSTA 3650 Pump Room Rehab
    • Parallel Procurement: Bringing On Sub-Constractors Prior to Design Completion
  • March/April
    • Strategic Direction Report: Geothermal/Water Source Heat Pump Systems
    • Military Mechanical Sustainability: South Dakota Army National Guard
    • What’s Remotely Possible: Sutton Bay Golf Course & Resort
    • Thinking Long Term: Geothermal Systems for Schools
  • January/February
    • Strategic Direction Report: Putting the IQ in IDIQ
    • Prime Opportunity with a World-Renowned Client: SDSTA
    • As-Needed for Any Need: UIHC
    • On-Call MEP for M&R: South Dakota State University

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