Marion Hester

Nowak & Fraus Engineers is proud to congratulate Mark Sandberg on earning his Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) Certification through the National Recreation and Park Association. This nationally recognized credential is the most comprehensive training program available for identifying playground hazards and ensuring public safety in play environments.

As a CPSI, Mark is now certified to evaluate playgrounds for compliance with national safety standards, assess risk factors, and recommend improvements that help protect children and families. His expertise will be a valuable asset to our municipal and parks-related projects, reinforcing NFE’s commitment to designing and supporting safe, accessible community spaces.

Mark’s dedication to professional development and public safety aligns with the values we hold as a firm, and we’re excited to see how his certification will enhance the work we do across Southeast Michigan and beyond.

Please join us in congratulating Mark on this significant accomplishment!

April 1^st – After over three decades of dedicated service, Tim Germain, Managing Partner / Owner, announced his retirement from Nowak & Fraus Engineers, marking the end of an era for the firm. Germain’s leadership and expertise have been instrumental in shaping the company’s success, and his contributions will leave a lasting impact on both the organization and the industry.

Throughout his tenure, Tim Germain played a crucial role in shaping Nowak & Fraus Engineers into the reputable firm it is today. His expertise and leadership have had a profound impact on numerous projects, colleagues, and the broader engineering community.

Nowak & Fraus Engineers expresses its deepest gratitude to Tim Germain for his years of service and leadership. His legacy will continue to inspire the next generation of engineers and professionals within the company.

Nowak & Fraus Engineers (NFE) is excited to announce the addition of a new service: Surveying and Mapping using LiDAR. LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a method used to determine distances from objects or surfaces by emitting light and then calculating the time it takes for the reflected light to return to the receiver. LiDAR technology has various applications in surveying, archaeology, forestry, and space exploration.

LiDAR sensors in the surveying and mapping field can be aerial-based, UAV-based, terrestrial, or vehicle-mounted. Each setup has its advantages and disadvantages. Many products in the market cater to the user’s specific needs for accuracy, precision, and efficiency in terms of cost and time. NFE has recently acquired the state-of-the-art Trimble MX50 vehicle-mounted sensor with AP60 IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). Trimble MX50 has the capability of collecting 1.5 million points per second in 3D with vehicular speeds up to 68 miles an hour. The AP60 IMU ensures we can take advantage of the total, high-powered GNSS-inertial processing needed for precise and accurate survey grade point cloud. We have successfully performed large site topographical surveys under heavy tree cover and multiple corridor surveys while achieving horizontal accuracy of up to 0.02’ and vertical accuracy of up to 0.02’.

Since the Geospatial Department received the Mobile LiDAR from Seiler Geospatial, we have successfully scanned 26.5 miles of Right-of-Way corridors.

With the introduction of our new LiDAR service, the Geospatial Department has significantly reduced its turnover time, freeing up traditional survey crews. This enhanced efficiency to meet our clients’ deadlines while maintaining the NFE field standards for accuracy and quality, a win-win situation for all.