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About F&ME Consultants

President's Message History People Clients Awards Locations

The F&ME team has a long-standing commitment to the growth and development of South Carolina. This commitment is evidenced by our work with colleges, schools, industry, local governments, state agencies and public utilities in the areas of facilities planning, design, and construction.

F&ME is a recognized leader in the field of geotechnical engineering in South Carolina as evidenced by our advancements to the profession. F&ME's constant willingness to provide practical, cost effective solutions to complex problems has resulted in broad based repeat clientele.

F&ME will bring a highly qualified, well experienced staff of engineers, geologists and engineering assistants with the required ‘hands-on’ experience to provide the service you and your staff require in all areas of geotechnical, environmental, and materials testing.

Innovative Engineering
We take pride in our consistent ability to pioneer technically innovative engineering:

  • The first use of geotextile fabrics for sub grade stabilization in South Carolina (Bluffton Substation, Santee Cooper).
  • The first high capacity drilled pier foundations for coastal high-rise construction including load tests up to 1,000 tons.
  • The first constructed geogrid reinforced embankment for SCDOT.
  • The first use and standardization of a pile driving analyzer system for evaluation of pile capacity for SCDOT application.
  • The industry leader in South Carolina dilatometer soundings and analysis for determining in-situ settlement and bearing capacity parameters.


President's Message

Hello, I am Zane Abernethy, President of F&ME Consultants, and I personally welcome you to F&ME.com. This web site represents a milestone in our near 30 year old history. We are proud to present this critical connection between our core services and the World Wide Web, which will allow us to function with more efficiency. F&ME CONSULTANTS is the largest and one of the few locally owned and controlled full-service geotechnical, materials and environmental firms. We feel that we have a unique opportunity to offer our clients a level of first hand experience and continuity not available from any other single source. F&ME and its key staff have provided consulting services in seven East Coast states as well as Africa, South and Central America, and the Caribbean Islands. This work has provided a wide range of experience; however, F&ME considers itself a South Carolina firm and our primary focus and work has been and will continue to be within the State of South Carolina. Our focus on South Carolina has given us the opportunity to work in each of the State's 46 counties. The firm has been able to develop an internal base of combined experience of 75 years and information relating to the entire State. This experience and information has proven invaluable on past projects F&M's laboratory operations have been inspected and certified by AASHTO. We also participate in the ARML Reference Laboratory Program. Our field technicians have participated in SCDOT training programs and have received various certifications for field inspection, sampling and testing. Our engineers participate in SCDOT and FHWA information and training programs. F&ME supports the DBE Program, regularly utilize DBE sub-contractors and is committed to DBE utilization. F&ME does not view your project as another "rock-on-the-pile". We take pride in our accomplishments on past projects. As President and Chief Engineer, I am stating to you that your project will be the top priority project for F&ME and our staff will be committed to providing all resources required to meet your technical objectives and schedules. After you have reviewed the information contained on our web site, if you have any questions or need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to the providing your site solution package and again we are proud to be part of the Internet community to help serve you better.


History

1980- F&ME Consultants is founded in Columbia, South Carolina

1981- The corporate headquarters of F&ME is moved to its present location at 3112 Devine Street

1985- F&ME grows to open branch office at Myrtle Beach, SC

1988- F&ME is selected for first SCDOT on-call geotechnical contract

1989- F&ME permits the largest groundwater withdrawal system ever; 1.1 million gallons per day in Acamac Plantation, Virginia

1992- F&ME is the first firm in South Carolina to obtain the Marchetti Dilatometer for determining in-situ soil settlement properties

1997- F&ME pioneers the use of Vibro Compacted Concrete Columns (VCCs), lightweight fill and geogrid at North Rhett Avenue, Charleston, South Carolina

2000- F&ME is selected to perform Statewide Phase IV Asbestos Inspection for the State Budget and Control Board

2002- F&ME moves Myrtle Beach operations to its present location at 1903 Legion Street


People

Engineers are Nothing More than Problem Solving People! F&ME takes pride in our ability to commit our most experienced personnel directly to your project!

ZANE W. ABERNETHY, PE

ZANE W. ABERNETHY, PE
F&ME President & Senior Principal Engineer

Zane has over 31 years of experience in South Carolina in the geotechnical consulting business with his specialty being in-depth knowledge of subsurface conditions and geotechnical requirements throughout the state. He has directed projects in every county in the state. He was instrumental in the selection of F&ME to provide the first ever open-end agreement for geotechnical Services with the S. C. Department of Highways and Public Transportation in 1988, and the renewing of the agreement through 1993. He has had a direct technical involvement and supervision on over 80 SCDOT assignments. He is an expert in the design and evaluations of pavement structures. This expertise has been developed with work on SCDOT research projects as an undergraduate and graduate student and has continued to grow throughout his professional career. His broad experience includes design of drives and parking areas for commercial facilities, subdivisions, secondary and primary roadways as well as pavements for interstate highways. Zane has B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil and geotechnical engineering from the University of South Carolina and is a registered professional engineer.


JAMES R. NEHEZ, III, P.E.

JAMES R. NEHEZ, III, PE
F&ME Vice President

Jim has over 26 years experience in the geotechnical engineering, environmental and materials testing fields. He has managed projects in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Columbia, SC as well as Savannah, GA. He has served as project and design geotechnical engineer on roadway, airport, condominium, and commercial projects. His experience ranges from small projects to large industrial projects such as the Roche Carolina Plant in Florence County, which approached $1,000,000,000 in construction cost. Between 1997 and 2001 he served as an adjunct professor of Civil Engineering Technology at Horry Georgetown Technical College where he taught Highway Design and Engineering, Soil Mechanics and Foundations, and Construction Contracts. He still serves as a member of the Colleges' Industrial Advisory Board. Throughout his career, he has been active in Professional Societies and has served as President of several groups including the South Carolina Society of Engineers, and the Columbia and Myrtle Beach Chapters of the Construction Specifications Institute. In May 1992, he founded the South Carolina Association of Environmental Professionals in order to foster an interaction between environmental professionals practicing in both the private and public sectors. Jim has a BS degree in Civil Engineering from The Citadel and is a registered Professional Engineer.


Adam Shannon

ADAM SHANNON, PE
Division Manager

Mr. Shannon has over 12 years of experience in the design, management, inspection, and construction of bridges and highway projects in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. As Division Manager, Mr. Shannon facilitates all field operations, CE&I and heavy-highway contractor construction services. Mr. Shannon consistently provides hands on management and specialized Quality Control and Quality Assurance services, structural design, construction engineering and project management on projects which he is involved. At F&ME, he has managed seepage analysis studies and instrumentation requested by FERC on South Carolina dams and time sensitive geotechnical investigation on highway projects for SCDOT. Mr. Shannon’s background, having formally worked as a construction engineer for United Contractors followed by 6 years of construction engineering, design and CE&I services, provides him the unique perspective on developing effective solutions to difficult engineering problems. Mr. Shannon received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from The University of South Carolina and is a registered Professional Engineer in North and South Carolina.


Robert Powell, PG

ROBERT POWELL, PG
Cheif Geologist

Mr. Powell is the Chief Geologist and Senior Asbestos Professional for the firm. He has 24 years of experience with F&ME CONSULTANTS and fourteen years of experience outside of the firm in the areas of environmental, materials testing and geotechnical engineering. As Senior Asbestos Professional, Mr. Powell has the direct responsibility for all asbestos projects completed by the firm. He oversees all phases of work both field and office for each project. Robert was the overall senior asbestos professional for the Region II project for the S.C. Department of Public Services. He also served as QA/QC co-ordinator for the entire project which consisted of twenty-nine individual locations throughout the southern part of the state. The project was completed thirty days early and within the DPS budget. Robert received his Bachlor of Science in Geology from The University of South Carolina.


Wade Myers

WADE MYERS
Construction Services Manager

Wade has 28 years commercial construction and resource management experience. His experience includes hands on in the soils/concrete/asphalt laboratories, asphalt plants and field. He has extensive knowledge in soils, concrete, reinforcement steel, structural steel, asphalt, and fire proofing. He is instrumental in F&ME Consultants obtaining and maintaining AASHTO Accreditation for soils, concrete and asphalt laboratories. He is registered with SCDOT as a Concrete Field Technician, PCC Batch Plant Inspector, Earthwork, Base & Drainage Inspector, Erosion/Sediment Certified Inspector, Nuclear Gauge Radiation Safety, ACI Certified, NICET Level II in soils, concrete, and asphalt. A graduate of Troy State University with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Resource Management, he spent ten years with the US Air Force before joining the private sector in construction.


Brian Minges

BRIAN MINGES
Project Engineer

Mr. Minges has 17 years of environmental consulting experience in the areas of compliance auditing, program development and implementation, permitting, training and reporting. He has been responsible for the development and management of comprehensive environmental, health and safety programs for industrial facilities including employee training, compliance auditing, permit management & support, regulatory reporting, waste characterization & disposal and regulatory interface. He was the lead consultant on Environmental Management System development and implementation projects for two (2) South Carolina manufacturing facilities which were both successfully registered to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Standard. As a member of a team of consultants at various US Department of Defense sites, he assisted DoD personnel with environmental management system development and also environmental cost accounting. Mr. Minges has worked as a consultant to the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) on numerous projects over the past two (2) years which have included environmental assessments, environmental awareness training, written program development (SPCC/SWP3), regulatory interface, oil/water separator evaluations, UST closures and waste characterization and disposal. Brian has his Bachlor of Science from The College of Charleston and his Masters from The University of South Carolina in Earth Resources Management.



Clients

In our more than 29 years of service, F&ME has provided geotechnical, environmental, and materials testing services to numerous clients. It has always been our mission to provide the most comprehensive, practical, and cost effective solutions in the industry. Although it is not possible to list all our clients, the following presents a representative client cross-section. Please feel free to contact these individuals for their endorsement of F&ME's capabilities.


Awards & Recognition

Public Works Cover Story

1998 Pinnacle Award
US Hwy 601 Bridge, Camden SC
Heavy Construction Category

I-95 Interchange
F&ME was featured in the “Public Works” magazine cover story which described the fast-track I-95 interchange to accommodate Honda America Plant in Florence County

North Rhett Avenue
F&ME featured in “Geo-Talk” publication of Tensor Earth Technologies


Locations

Columbia, S.C. Office

Horry County, S.C. Office

F&ME is a South Carolina firm headquartered in Columbia. All technical, administrative and accounting functions are handled out of our Columbia office at 3112 Devine Street, 5 minutes from the downtown business district. Managing projects through our centrally located corporate headquarters in Columbia has the added advantage of having questions and decisions answered quickly and directly by personnel located throughout the State, not encumbered by out-of-state personnel, offices, or accounting departments. We offer a level of long-term continuity available only from a South Carolina owned and managed firm.


F&ME has a branch office in Myrtle Beach. The office is located on Legion Street in downtown Myrtle Beach. The Myrtle Beach branch office has been continuously providing environmental, geotechnical and materials testing services in Myrtle Beach for over twelve (12) years.

In April 2009, F&ME celebrated its 29th Anniversary. F&ME was also recently selected for Indefinite Delivery Contracts by The University of South Carolina and the SC Department of Transportation.

hexagon

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