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Coastal Engineering Company of Orleans Cape Cod
February 19, 2019

Engineers Week Interview: Jay Norton

In line with year's Engineering Week theme "Invent Amazing", Senior Project Manager Jay Norton discusses which one of the projects he is currently working on inspires him the most and why.

Jay Norton Pmpm

February 17 - 23, 2019 is Engineering Week. Founded by National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, Engineering Week is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. It's a time to:

  • Celebrate how engineers make a difference in our world
  • Increase public dialogue about the need for engineers
  • Bring engineering to life for kids, educators, and parents

In line with year's theme "Invent Amazing", we asked our engineers which one of the projects they are currently working on inspires them the most and why. We begin our series today with Senior Project Manager Jay Norton.

Which one of the projects you are working on is the most inspiring to you?

JRN: The Bradford Access project at the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum (PMPM) is one of the most inspiring "legacy" projects I've had an opportunity to be part of. It will provide a solution to a century-old problem – the disconnection between the historic Pilgrim Monument and the bustling life of downtown. As Provincetown is predominately a "walking" community, this disconnection is caused by a steep slope which makes it difficult for pedestrians to access the High Pole Hill where the monument is located. This project will create a new "front door" to the museum. An inclined elevator on rails will bring visitors from the historic Bas Relief park right to the lawn of the Pilgrim Monument. Although this method of transportation is popular in Europe, there are not a lot of these installed in the U.S.

Why did you call it a “legacy” project? What makes it especially important to the community?

JRN: The Bradford Access Project will serve the local economy by supporting the tourism industry and enhancing visitors’ experience not only of the Pilgrim Monument, but also of the entire town. Connecting the monument with the shops, restaurants, wharf areas, Town Hall, and other town landmarks is especially meaningful with the approaching 400th anniversary of the first pilgrim landing and signing of the Mayflower Compact because the monument was originally built to commemorate those historic events. In the future, the site improvements will hopefully allow PMPM, which is a non-profit organization, to expand its programming by hosting more private and public events.

What interesting design solutions were proposed by Coastal Engineering design team?

JRN: Not only is this project a historic inspiration, but it is also an engineering inspiration due to the unique and complex nature of the design. An inclined elevator is a mode of transportation that uses a multi-component cable system and a cab that operates by means of a three-phase tension gear motor. The proposed 18-person cab has polyurethane caster wheels that glide along a double-rail hot-dipped galvanized steel track. The track system is designed to be supported on helical anchors that are embedded into the slope, and that's where our engineering team comes in.