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Andrew Timmis Awarded for Safety Excellence

Posted by Kimberly Walters on September 13, 2022

Originally announced by the Western Dredging Association (WEDA).

In recognition of his extensive and outstanding contributions to the dredging community and to the Western Dredging Association, Andrew A. Timmis has been named the 2022 Dredger of the Year at the WEDA Summit & Expo held in Houston, Texas. 

Working for many years on the frontlines of environmental dredging, when Mr. Timmis joined WEDA in 2004, he became a member of its Environmental Commission. He helped develop policy for the group and pointed out the need to provide a program for regulators to learn about environmental issues.

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3+ Years of Remediation on the Grasse River Conclude With Success

Posted by Sam Crawford, Project Manager on April 19, 2022

Last fall, J.F. Brennan Company, Inc. (Brennan) crews successfully concluded environmental remediation efforts after 3.5 years on the Grasse River in Massena, NY. This project had a challenging scope involving dredging, material processing, water treatment, mussel relocation, capping, and habitat restoration. Through a combination of strong teamwork and outstanding production efficiencies, our team completed every phase of work and executed a safe demobilization. Here’s how we did it.

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J.F. Brennan Company Makes Safety A Priority

Posted by Shelley Byrne on December 14, 2021

Safety starts with putting people first.

It’s not just about checklists, inspections, and meetings, said Steve Skau, vice president of safety and compliance for J.F. Brennan Company. It’s also about everyone on a job having the ability to give feedback and know it will be valued.

“Everything we do at Brennan starts with safety, no matter what scope of work we’re doing,” Skau said. 

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Why Getting a Contractor’s Constructability Review Matters

Posted by Derek Armstrong and William Simons on November 16, 2021

Constructability reviews are imperative to project success. They can save you money, reduce the risk of cost escalation, and are often provided pro-bono by a good contractor. When it comes to requesting a contractor's constructability review, timing is important. If the review is performed too late, problems could result, including confusion surrounding the project, loss of significant time and money, and hefty change orders later in the project. The question then is: when is the optimal time to have a contractor perform a constructability review?

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Brennan Opens a New Mid-South Location in Paducah, KY

Posted by Kimberly Walters on May 04, 2021

J.F. Brennan Company (Brennan) recently established a permanent presence in the Mid-South Region. Our company’s new Mid-South location is in Paducah, Kentucky, and will provide all Brennan services, including above and below-water construction and environmental remediation services.

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Appreciate Your Dredge Operators

Posted by Paul Olander, Senior Project Manager on February 18, 2021

The work of a dredge operator is often underappreciated so it's important to take a step back and appreciate the complexity and uniqueness of his or her role in the success of a dredging project. Here, we take a closer look at the essential role of a dredge operator.

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Brennan Proudly Establishes Joint Venture with Ahtna

Posted by Kimberly Walters on February 15, 2021

J.F. Brennan Company (Brennan) formally announces their Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) certified joint venture with Ahtna Marine & Construction Company, LLC (AMCC). Publicly titled the Ahtna – J.F. Brennan JV, the partnership establishes a mentor protégé relationship between Brennan and Alaska Native Corporation subsidiary AMCC.

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Successful Hydraulic Dredging Relies on Critical Velocity

Posted by Sam Crawford, Project Manager on August 13, 2020

As a leader in inland waterway dredging, J.F. Brennan Company (Brennan) serves as a success story for hydraulically dredging and pumping sediments over long distances and changing elevations. The goal of most dredging projects is to maximize efficiency, which means maximizing the average percent solids in the pipeline. However, there is a fine balance between maximizing percent solids and surpassing critical velocity to transport dredge slurry. Therefore, a dredge operator must understand the importance of critical velocity and how it varies as the material in the dredge cut changes.

Critical velocity, in this case, is the minimum speed at which sediment and water (slurry) must be pumped to prevent the sediment from settling and subsequently plugging the dredge pipeline. Plugging the pipeline is the bane of any dredging operation and one of the few things that will set a dredge operator trembling in their boots. After all, if a pipeline gets plugged, the dredge must shut down, which means the entire project stops.

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River Restoration: Small Dredges Prove Useful in Waterways

Posted by Paul Olander, Senior Project Manager on March 25, 2020

As the sun on the dredging season in the Midwest inland areas began to set, operations were starting to heat up on the east coast for J.F. Brennan Company (Brennan). For a third straight year, Brennan has had the opportunity to procure work in the milder maritime climate throughout New England during the winter months. These months are key for in-water work on the east coast as they provide opportunities to revitalize salt marshes, re-nourish beaches and restore navigation outside of the fish migration and spawning windows. Generally, this work has been undertaken in and near the coastal salt marshes adjacent to the smaller resort communities.

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Brennan Takes Three Hitachi zx470lc-6 Excavators on the Water

Posted by Kimberly Walters on February 25, 2020

When you think “excavator,” images of digging dirt and rock on land may come to mind. However, that’s not the case for J.F. Brennan Company, Inc. (Brennan), a 100-year-old marine construction contractor out of La Crosse, Wisconsin. 

*adapted with consent from its original format in BREAKOUT Winter 2019: a Hitachi Construction & Mining Productions Publication. 

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