Awards

Awarded to our Director of Engineering, Don Adams, for his outstanding leadership and contributions to the engineering community. Don brings over 20 years of engineering and leadership experience in both the public and private sectors. As Director of Engineering at Grit Force, he helps set statewide standards, advances innovative inspection technologies, and champions sustainable infrastructure solutions.  

Career Highlights: 

• Former METS Representative at Caltrans, one of only 16 statewide, ensuring compliance, quality, and safety on major projects 
• Nearly 13 years as Project Manager/Engineer at Kleinfelder, recognized nationally for pavement design and asset management 
• Leader in ASCE, serving as President of Region 9 (California) and Nevada Section President 
• Passionate mentor and advocate for growing the next generation of civil engineers 

 Recognized for the EPD Specification Rollout and Database Development, a project launched in collaboration with Caltrans METS. Grit Force team was instrumental in helping with this key specification that was jointly developed between Caltrans and industry in a record timeframe. 

Key project milestones included: 

• Rolling out new statewide EPD specifications requiring contractors to submit verified environmental data for asphalt and concrete (effective February 1, 2025) 
• Building and launching a public, web-based Caltrans EPD Database to streamline compliance and track environmental data 
• Securing federal funding and direct reimbursements to lower supplier costs, making sustainable compliance feasible for both small and large businesses 
• Conducting training and outreach with contractors, suppliers, and Caltrans staff to ease adoption and ensure smooth implementation 
• Establishing a foundation for data-driven sustainability benchmarks that will guide future climate-focused decisions in California’s transportation system 

This project reflects Grit Force’s commitment to advancing sustainability through practical, scalable solutions that empower both agencies and industry partners. 

Awarded for our work on the T-1 Steel Bridge IQA Inspection Contract (59A1278). Grit Force supported Caltrans with Independent Quality Assurance (IQA) inspections of T-1 steel bridges statewide. 

Key project milestones included: 

• Performing emergency NDT inspections (UT, PAUT, Eddy Current) across six major bridges while keeping them open to the public 
• Helping Caltrans and FHWA verify bridge safety, reducing the risk of unanticipated closures 
• Reducing inaccessible welds from 100+ to fewer than six, streamlining inspections and saving Caltrans over $2 million 
• Demonstrating that the Don Pedro Bridge was safe, allowing its removal from the inspection list 
• Implementing innovative inspection technologies and automated data/reporting tools to improve efficiency and create scalable solutions for future projects 

This project showcased Grit Force’s ability to deliver technical excellence under pressure while implementing new approaches to bridge safety.