Aug 7
2009

North Carolina State University (NCSU) offers a certificate in Construction Project Management.  I have not yet decided if or when I plan to complete the series, but I have decided that some of the seminars could be quite useful.  As an example, on Monday August 3rd, I attended the seminar on contracts and negotiations.  It was mainly an explanation of common aspects of contracts, their implications, and why one might include them.  We got to go over some examples, at which point I found out that the contracts that I had reviewed at The John R. McAdams Company had been based on the documents provided by the Engineers Joint Contracts Document Committee (EJCDC).  We also found out where to get sample documents, from which we could draft our own.

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Jul 27
2009

(Yonkers Historical Society) Yonkers, N.Y., diverted the Saw Mill River through a giant underground flume in the 1920s. Now, inspired by other cities’ efforts to “daylight” such waterways, Yonkers is trying to unbury the river and create a greenway along its banks.

(Yonkers Historical Society) Yonkers, N.Y., diverted the Saw Mill River through a giant underground flume in the 1920s. Now, inspired by other cities’ efforts to “daylight” such waterways, Yonkers is trying to unbury the river and create a greenway along its banks.

The New York Times has a story about the popularity of restoring forgotten urban streams.  These streams are forgotten because they have been piped and paved over, making them seem to be just another part of the storm drainage system.  This was often done to hide the pollution that ran through urban streams prior to the various waste treatment measures that have become widespread.  Restoration of these streams has become a worldwide phenomenon involving reaches in such varied locations as Seoul, New York, London, Los Angeles, San Antonio, and Vancouver.  One might even count Rocky Branch, which runs through North Carolina State University and highlights the work of the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department.

There are various reasons for this movement.  The first is to bring a bit of nature to the city much as one might do with a park.  It makes the city a friendlier place that attracts more visitors and provides a place for recreation.  However, the reasons for restoration go deeper than that.  For example, streams provide habitat.  The streams in Vancouver used to provide spawning grounds for salmon.  By providing habitat, we improve and augment the food chain, which will ultimately improve and augment our own food.  Another example is the cleaning and filtering of runoff that is performed by floodplains.  Many of the elements found in stormwater runoff are either themselves health hazards or are nutrients in such over-supply that can cause microbes to run wild; in turn causing their own problems.  By removing these elements, the floodplain protects the stream habitat and downstream water supplies.  Ultimately, we are all connected to and use these streams: to bathe in, drink from, and grow food (in the wild or via agriculture).  It is heartening that so many places have seen the importance of using them wisely.

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Jul 24
2009

The New York TimesAccording to the New York Times, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is drafting new federal floodplain rules to be mandated by Executive Order.  These rules are to be followed by the federal government and likely by anyone using federal money for a project.  It seems that the federal government, like state departments of transportation, has been having trouble following the rules put forth by the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the White House would like have it lead by example.  For this reason, these proposed rules are likely to exceed the minimums mandated by the NFIP.  For example, critical infrastructure is not to be located in the 500-year floodplain unless no alternative is available.  If development does occur in the 100-year floodplain, it is to occur in consultation with state and local officials; thus making it follow their rules should they prove more strict.

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Jul 6
2009

Amanda Lynn CavalierToday’s announcement marks a life-changing event.  My life will never be the same.  One of the consequences to this will likely be that news posts will be fewer and farther between.  The event I am referring to is the birth of my daughter and first child, Amanda Lynn Cavalier.  She was born on the 4th of July at 4:37 pm in Raleigh, North Carolina.  The news, of course, was greeted with fireworks.  Amanda weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. and was 21.5 inches long.  She is now safely at home with her parents, Corey Adam and Julia Elizabeth Cavalier.



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Jul 2
2009

And now for some local news.  The main source of drinking water in Raleigh, Falls Lake, has had some problems with nutrient levels and algal blooms.  The Neuse River, on which Falls Lake is located, already has a set of rules to regulate nutrient levels in stormwater runoff.  However, due to the sensitivity of the problems at Falls Lake, a combination of state and local officials in Wake County are pushing a plan for a speedier cleanup of the lake through the State Legislature.  This has great potential to affect Durham County, however, as much of the pollution appears to originate there.  The likely result would be an accelerated and expanded plan of retrofits to existing development to treat stormwater runoff.  It is also a potential double whammy for Durham too, as Jordan Lake, to its south, is currently undergoing development of a similar plan.  The difference for Durham, however, is that it uses Jordan Lake as a drinking water source.

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Jun 29
2009

This comes as no surprise to many engineers, but those interested in infrastructure are feeling quite a bit underwhelmed about the amount of stimulus money that has been allocated to the cause, according to the Wall Street Journal’s Private Equity Beat.  The article mentions that $30 billion was allocated for infrastructure in the stimulus package, which certainly seems like a significant amount of money, but the need is calculated to be in the trillions of dollars in order to meet standards set by competing developed nations.  In fact, from what I have experienced and heard, the stimulus money is being used in large part to make up for budget shortfalls in state and local governments.  It seems clear that, in order to address our infrastructure issues, some other measure will have to be taken.  Perhaps this is where the National Infrastructure Bank comes in?

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Jun 27
2009

Most people think of dams when they think of hydropower.  Traditionally, the dams have been used in part to build up potential energy by piling up water upstream and convert it to greater kinetic energy by running the water through batteries of turbines.  These structures have fallen out of favor as concern has grown as to their impact on wildlife, most especially as to salmon migration.  As a result, there are many mitigation measures such as fish ladders and some dams have been eliminated altogether.

However, there is another alternative in the use of turbines for hydropower: placement directly into natural currents and tides.  At this time, there are several initiatives to implement this design.  One company, Hydro Green Energy out of Houston, is installing these turbines in the Mississippi River at Hastings, Minnesota and in the East River at New York City. Another company, Free Flow Power Corp out of Massachusetts, is planning to install turbines in the Mississippi River in Louisiana.

This new use of technology does bring its own concerns, especially with river transport.  With dams, it is obvious where the hazard is and a set of locks may be provided in order to travel beyond the man-made obstruction.  These turbines are underwater, however, and the water level changes over time.  As a result, those operating river barges on the Mississippi are concerned that they may at some time run into the structures, thus both causing damage to each and disrupting a main artery of freight traffic.  It is therefore uncertain as to whether or not the Louisiana project will be allowed to proceed.

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Jun 26
2009

Reuters Media The Supreme Court recently upheld a permit issued under the Bush administration by the Army Corps of Engineers to allow a mining company to dump tailings from an Alaskan gold mining operation into Lower Slate Lake, which is located in the Tongass National Forest.  The Clean Water Act is supposed to prevent such discharges into natural waters, which is essentially what the appeals court had said in its previous ruling that the Supreme Court has now overturned.  Instead, the mining company, Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp, argued that the lake was the most practical and environmentally sound method of disposal.  Though this is likely to kill all aquatic life in the lake, it was argued that the lake could always be restocked with fish and restored once mining operations had ceased.  This claim seems suspicious to me, however, as gold mining operations have usually been associated with arsenic and I would suspect that such high levels would persist for some indefinitely long period of time.  Nonetheless, the 6-member court majority had said that deference must be paid to the “reasonable” decision made by the Corps of Engineers.  Unfortunately, what I read into this description is that one can get away with whatever the regulator can be convinced into allowing, however that might be accomplished.

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Jun 25
2009

In a May 8, 1984 file photo, Josephine Thompson, seated center, is joined on her porch by daughter Bernice Thompson, left, Michelle Clemmons and Vernie Akers, right, as floodwaters rise around her house in Martin, Ky., at the confluence of the Left and Right Beaver Creeks in Floyd County. Martin has flooded no fewer than 37 times since 1862 _ four in the past decade alone. Rather than give up on Martin, townspeople have enlisted the federal government in an ambitious project to rebuild it on higher ground. (AP Photo, File)

When do you just give up and leave?  For one town in Kentucky, its when you have been flooded out about once every 4 years since 1862, including four times in the past decade alone.  Martin, a coal mining town in the Appalachians, is being relocated to higher ground with the help of the Army Corps of Engineers.

I am not as familiar with Corps of Engineers programs as I am with FEMA, which has mitigation funding of its own that has been used for similar purposes.  Specifically, the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program provides planning, projects, and technical assistance that is aimed at reducing the risk of loss within the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).  Projects can elevate, acquire, or relocate structures.  The way one may qualify is by suffering one or more flood-related losses greater than $1000 in value within a 10-year period.  The community must participate in the NFIP and, though this is not clear, the property owner may have to have a flood insurance policy.  This is just one more reason to get flood insurance, especially if you are anywhere near a stream and its floodplain.

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Jun 18
2009

The US government is looking at expanding a pioneering scheme in Flint, one of the poorest US cities, which involves razing entire districts and returning the land to nature Photo: GETTY

The US government is looking at expanding a pioneering scheme in Flint, one of the poorest US cities, which involves razing entire districts and returning the land to nature Photo: GETTY

What is a city (or town) and its public utilities / services to do when half the population has left along with the factory(s) that used to employ them?  In one of the most intriguing articles that I have read in a while, I had to learn from the London Telegraph that Flint, Michigan’s unique response was to initiate a program to bulldoze much of the city.  In other words, they want to destroy a large part of the city to save the rest.

You might ask yourself why they would do this.  The answer lies in the fact that expenses were not halved as the number of taxpayers were.  Flint still had the same sprawling utilities and roadways to maintain, though only half as much is necessary.  Policemen and garbage men have to cover the same area, though much of it is now empty.  In fact, the empty buildings are decaying, detracting from any potential investment, and attracting criminal activity.  In short, the remaining population only needs half the city that they currently have and are paying for.  As a result, Flint is razing the empty buildings and returning the lots to nature.  They are even looking to help relocate the few remaining holdouts of the most empty areas so as to build a more compact version of itself.  As they do this, they can reduce the services and maintenance that is required and make the city more efficient and affordable for its remaining taxpayers.

I know that this is not necessarily an article about engineering, although it does apply to the utilities and roadways that engineers design and maintain.  It is also a unique and intriguing solution that becomes more relevant as the economy causes more and more upheaval.  I would not be surprised if a program like this would be of interest to some former textile mill towns here in North Carolina.  Certainly the Obama administration thinks it is relevant as it seems to be looking to promote the idea to numerous localities across the country.

I would also like to note that this story of regression in Michigan follows up another story about 20 counties that have decided to grind up some of its asphalt roads into gravel.  The reason for this is to reduce the costs of maintenance.  Presumably there are also less people using them these days compared to when they were originally paved.  In any case, I have heard people joke that the asphalt roads in Michigan had already naturally deteriorated into gravel due to lack of maintenance, which helped spur the development of so many SUVs from Detroit.  At this, I will note that I, myself, have never been to the state.

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