Affinis Corp

10/14/2026

To celebrate our 25th Anniversary, we’re highlighting clients who’ve been with us since the beginning. In this article, we’re sharing the ins and outs of our relationship with the City of Prairie Village Government.

Hear from Kristen Leathers-Gratton, PE about why this partnership is successful and how it has changed over the years: https://loom.ly/hTclj-E

The City of Prairie Village, KS has been an Affinis client since the beginning. Together, we’ve tackled projects of all scopes and scales, working to improve safety, boost connectivity, and enhance resident quality of life. In celebration of our long-term relationship, we asked Kristen Leathers-Gr...

10/13/2026

Congratulations, Blake, on earning your PE!

When asked why he worked to get it, he said, "Getting my PE was important to me as it signifies that I can be trusted with the responsibility to serve the public through my work as an engineer."

10/12/2026

Last week, we invited clients and colleagues to hear the latest trends impacting the AEC workforce at our annual Industry Summit. Dr. Brian Lines, from The University of Kansas , offered insights on demographics, challenges, and the impact of AI, while Chad Willey, of Seiler Geospatial, showed us how their SiteVision solution is changing the way companies are working in the field.

10/09/2026

Today, we're excited to celebrate our marketing coordinator, Morgan Reidmiller. Last week, she was named "Member of the Year" by SMPS Kansas City. Over the years, she has tirelessly supported SMPS in a variety of roles, making her a perfect choice for the award. Congratulations, Morgan!

10/08/2026

Last weekend, we built more with Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City. Working alongside volunteers from across the metro, we raised our hammers and our hearts, as we moved our community forward.

"We had a great Saturday out at our site, really great weather, and had a great team to work with. We worked on a home in KCK and helped with the exterior. We put up the fascia and soffit. The home will have four bedrooms and two bathrooms. It was a lot of fun. We got to learn how to use new tools and how to build a house. We all really enjoyed it!," said Kendall Rees, PE, Engineer I.

When asked why we selected Habitat, Kendall said, "Our community service committee picks volunteer projects for our coworkers to attend together. We always plan a few off-site opportunities every year, in addition to clothing, toy, and food drives that we organize at the office. This year, we decided to volunteer with Habitat because our coworkers were interested in this activity. They've seen the impact the organization has on our community and wanted to be a part of something that was so hands-on."

10/06/2026

For the Terrapin Creek project with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), our team was tasked with replacing the existing simple steel beam (SBMS) bridge. To meet KDOT's goals, we designed a double-cell Reinforced Concrete Rigid Frame Box (RFB) as the replacement. The new structure will extend to the clear zone, eliminating the need for a guardrail. With our design, we maintained the existing horizontal alignment and vertical profiles of the roadway.

To keep traffic moving during construction, we had to make a few strategic updates to the site. Our team designed a shoofly. New right-of-way was also required, and a field entrance will be moved. Additionally, we developed temporary traffic control to accommodate the phased approach.

10/05/2026

Last week, Mike McKenna joined other traffic experts at the 2026 MOVITE Annual Conference. The theme this year was “Honoring the Past, Navigating the Future," which provided the perfect opportunity to learn, connect, and think about what’s next for the transportation industry.

Thank you to ITE Nebraska Section for a great conference. We’re excited to bring new ideas and insights back to our work and the communities we serve.

10/02/2026

Did you know that nine out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital don't survive? Most of the time, it's because no one nearby performed CPR.

In addiiton to offering CPR training, our team participates in the American Heart Association' s annual Heart & Stroke Walk every year. It's a cause near and dear to our hearts, and something we're proud to support.

10/01/2026

The Missouri Department of Transportation's Bridge Engineering Assistance Program supports local public agencies with limited engineering assistance. It can be used to deal with emergency issues related to bridges by local public agencies (LPA) that don't have their own engineering staff. These servces are inteded for bridges on local roads that are not part of the MoDOT road system but are under the jurisdiction of LPA's.

Did you know we are a BEAP partner? Our firm was selected, because we have a strong team of excellent structural and hydraulic engineers in-house. Their wide ranging experience covers a variety of critical, related services. To take advantage of this program, you can contact Affinis directly or reach out to the district office for information and assistance.

09/30/2026

The Kansas Department of Transportation asked our team to provide land surveying and design services for the replacement of the drainage structure on K-236 Highway over Harris Creek. The existing two cell Reinforced Concrete Box (RCB) structure carries K-236 over a confluence point of Harris Creek.

Due to the unique features of the area, a 2D HEC-RAS model was used to better capture the complex hydraulics of the confluence point. Three issues had to be addressed. These included the condition of the existing bridge, the hydraulic capacity required a profile increase to eliminate overtopping, and finally, traffic had to be maintained during construction. The replacement structure addressing these issues will be a phased 36-42-36-foot Reinforced Concrete Haunched Slab (RCSH). Currently, our team has completed the bridge and alignment survey, road profile, bridge hydraulic sizing and the Discovery report for this project.