Weather Stations to Track Stormwater Runoff from Stimulus-Funded Green Roof

The managers of an 87-year-old government building in Pittsburgh have a challenge: reduce the amount of rainwater that runs off the roof. Allegheny County officials are facing an expensive wastewater system upgrade, and they hope reducing stormwater will help reduce the severity of Combined Sewage Overflows (CSO). A few months ago, they settled on a green roof solution, a plan to cover one half of the building’s roof with boxes of plants settled in a growing medium. The area is as wide as a basketball court and twice as long.

 

In April, 2010, they began to build the green roof, and chose to equip the new roof with web-based weather stations from Massachusetts-based Onset to monitor its performance. Monitoring the green roof’s success in reducing runoff is critical to the project, according to Darla Cravotta, the special projects coordinator with Allegheny County. “We can’t talk about the benefits of a green roof without monitoring it,” says Cravotta. “But when we have data, we can encourage other people to build green roofs,” she said.

 

Allegheny County has a team of four companies working on the project, which is being funded through the Department of Energy’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The project team includes Cuddy Roofing, Eisler Landscapes, IVC Architects, and Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. (CEC). The first three companies are working on designing and building the green roof, while it will be up to Pittsburgh-based CEC to monitor a multitude of data points over the next six years.

 

John Buck of CEC will use the eight Onset HOBO U3O weather stations with approximately 90 sensors to track soil temperature, soil moisture, runoff duration, wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation.

 

It’s not the first time Buck has used Onset devices in a project. In a 2005 job, for example, he used Onset data loggers to track data for an alternative soil cap study at a solid waste disposal site. “We had a pretty hot setup for the time,” Buck said. “We created a 900 MHz network that relayed data and emailed me three times a day.” But that system had weaknesses that the U30 devices have overcome, he said.

 

Originally, Buck wanted to use Wi-Fi communications for all eight weather stations. “But it turns out that Wi-Fi did not transmit through the roof,” he says. Instead, he put two Ethernet-enabled U30s inside the government building and placed an access point on the roof so the other six Wi-Fi devices up there could communicate. Buck is using Onset’s HOBOlink web server as a data repository and a way to monitor the system remotely, sensor-by-sensor.

 

The stations will also be used to detect humidity spikes in several roof areas. The county administrators acknowledged that the 1923 building already had a history of roof leaks, a problem that could be made worse by putting structures up there. “There are people who are understandably nervous about more roof leaks,” Buck said.

 

If pre-set humidity limits are reached – which could suggest a possible roof leak – the station will automatically send Buck a text message alert. “We’ll get a message before the water starts dripping,” he says. “That wasn’t a primary objective of the project, but it is a benefit.”

 

Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. (CEC) is involved in sustainable design and alternative and renewable energy. Established in Pittsburgh and celebrating its 21st year in business in 2010, CEC is a national, multidisciplined consulting firm providing a diverse scope of consulting services from 11 regional offices.

Patti Engineering Opens Texas Office

Patti Engineering, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, has opened

a new Austin, Texas office.  This is a third location for the company.  

"After a few visits to the state, we could see that Texas companies needed

our control system integration services," says Sam Hoff, Patti Engineering's

owner and president.  "We decided to dedicate our resources wholeheartedly

by committing a full-time staff person to the region."

Steve Palmgren has been appointed the senior electrical engineer for the

region.  He has been the lead engineer on many of Patti Engineering's major

projects for the past eight years.  He holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical

Engineering from Kettering University in Flint, Michigan.

Patti Engineering offers technical expertise in electrical control and

information systems for asset/energy management, distribution of various

products, production information, and complex control applications. Founded

in 1991, its solutions are used for retail distribution, manufacturing plants,

water/theme parks, libraries, law enforcement, military, municipalities,

food industry, ice arenas and college/universities.

Staff Receive PA DEP-Sponsored Training on Regulatory Issues Related to Marcellus Shale Gas Play

Skelly and Loy staff members recently attended the Pennsylvania Department for Environmental Protection's (PA DEP) regulatory training for the oil and gas industry. Terry Schmidt, P.E., Matthew Lock, C.P.G., P.G., Deborah MacAllister, P.E., and Bryan McConnell, P.G., were among the more than 600 attendees at this training. The training focused on permitting efforts within the Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Play in Pennsylvania, with presentations from PA DEP staff, industry representatives (Range Resources and EQT), and even the Pennsylvania State Police. Attendees listened to a variety of topics ranging from Erosion and Sediment Control General Permit (ESCGP-1) practices, Dam Safety for a Centralized Impoundment for Marcellus Gas Wells Provisions, Form 26 R - Chemical Analysis of Residual Waste Annual Report by Generatorcompletion and processing, OG71 - Request for Approval of Alternative Waste Management Practices, Protecting Streams and Wetlands, Spill Reporting Requirements, and Water Management Plan.

Based in Harrisburg, PA, Skelly and Loy offers services in mining and environmental research, planning, and design. The privately owned corporation with five Mid-Atlantic offices provides professional engineering and environmental services to various industries and businesses, government, and the private sector throughout the United States and abroad.

New Barracks at Fort Hood to Provide Soldiers with Upgraded Accommodations

Fort Hood calls itself the largest active duty armored post in the United States with nearly 45,000 service members. The Texas installation is proud to provide high quality housing for soldiers and their families and has committed to a five-year (2008-2013) Whole Barracks Renewal Project that will provide new, modern, and comfortable accommodations.

PBS&J Constructors, doing business as Peter R. Brown Construction, recently won a $32.3-million design-build contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, for a 3-story, 240-unit modular building, which will be occupied by 480 enlisted soldiers when completed in April 2011. Each unit will contain a shared common space with a full-service kitchen, dining room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. Each floor of the building will have a shared laundry area. In addition, the building will have a common office and lobby area with an entertainment room.

The new barracks will comply with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) requirements. A silver rating under LEED’s Green Building Rating System is planned. Of note are efficiency practices including: reduction of stormwater runoff from the site that would increase storm load on nearby streams and rivers; utilization of recycled metal, glass, and plastic during construction; and reduction of energy consumption by at least 30 percent below the Standard 90.1-2007 set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers.

Peter Brown Construction will serve as the general contractor for the project. The design is a collaboration among the various disciplines within The PBSJ Corporation, including architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and interior design.

PBS&J Constructors Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The PBSJ Corporation, was established in 1997 to deliver at-risk construction management services to public and private clients with horizontal and vertical construction needs. The company brings together the engineering, design, construction, and technology resources of The PBSJ Corporation to deliver customized services. Peter R. Brown Construction, Inc. provides comprehensive construction management and design-build services to public and private clients primarily throughout the southeastern United States. With more than 150 employees located in 11 offices throughout Florida and Georgia, Peter Brown Construction is ranked as one of the top 400 contractors in the nation by Engineering News-Record.

IBE Consulting Engineers Promotes Bungane Mehlomakulu to Principal

IBE Consulting Engineers (IBE), an MEP engineering firm, announces the promotion of three staff members to senior positions. The appointments include one new principal to the IBE leadership ranks, Bungane Mehlomakulu, PE, LEED AP, who was promoted from senior associate. The internal promotions also include two new senior associates, Sandra Corazzelli, RA, LEED AP, and Jane O’Neill, both rising from associate positions.

            Newly minted principal Mehlomakulu joined IBE in 2002, straight out of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mechanical Engineering degree. A senior mechanical engineer, Mehlomakulu is an expert in leading-edge, advanced technologies, specializing in the design of radiant systems.

IBE Consulting Engineers, whose name stands for Ideas for the Built Environment, designs mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems that achieve energy efficiency, ease of maintenance, system integration, and maximum sustainability. IBE has completed a wide array of project types, including large office buildings, museums, entertainment facilities, libraries, laboratories, film archives, educational facilities, retail buildings, and housing projects.

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Staff Head to Uganda for Engineers Without Borders

Tim McGrath, a senior principal at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) traveled to Uganda recently as part of the Engineers Without Borders-Northeastern University chapter (EWB-NEU).

McGrath is the professional mentor to a team of Northeastern students traveling to help the village of Bbanda to establish the Water Board that will lead to water system construction and then oversee the system’s operations and maintenance. “Sustainability is the key with these types of projects,” McGrath says, noting that the Water Board’s oversight is a critical element in the project’s long-term viability. Bbanda is about four hours west of Kampala, Uganda’s capital. The team was gone for 10 days.

This is Northeastern’s second trip to the village. During the first trip, they assessed the current water supply situation, interviewed residents, and discussed the villager’s current state of health. The village is located “in a rural area and the people living there often spend an hour traveling to get water from a limited number of inadequate sources,” according to the EWB-NEU web site. “Twenty-liter jerry cans are the most popular method of transporting water, and the villagers must make multiple trips just to have enough for their daily activities of washing, cooking, and drinking.”

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. (SGH) is a national engineering firm that designs, investigates, and rehabilitates structures and building enclosures. Its work encompasses building, transportation, water/wastewater, and nuclear/science/defense projects throughout the United States and in more than 30 other countries. SGH has offices in Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

Dagher Engineering Wins Diamond Award for Net Zero Museum Design

Dagher Engineering of New York City was recognized with an Engineering Excellence Diamond Award, for  a revolutionary net-zero carbon and net-zero energy design for the Housatonic River Museum in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.  The award was presented at the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York reception held at the Waldorf Astoria. 

 

With a mission to educate the public about the role rivers play in people’s lives and how their actions impact rivers and watersheds, the Housatonic River Museum sought to locate its building on a site adjacent to the river.  “Our goal was to take maximum advantage of educational opportunities afforded by the location, while simultaneously minimizing impact on the river and its environment,” says Jenny Hersch, the museum’s founder.  To support and surpass that goal, Dagher Engineering provided the museum with a design that resulted in both a net-zero energy and net-zero carbon building. 

 

One of the major challenges facing the engineering firm was the small size of the site.   While many net-zero buildings today have ample land area to install large numbers of solar panels to provide their energy needs, the Housatonic River Museum was limited to a 12,000 square-foot building with a small lot. Additionally, the museum, which is to be located on the banks of the river, did not want to install solar panels in the floodplains. 

 

Instead, Dagher Engineering incorporated highly efficient MEP systems into the envelope and structure of the building, collaborating closely with architect, NYC-based FX Fowle.  Dagher Engineering worked closely with the entire design team on all aspects of the building, including:  the building envelope; the orientation of the building to the site; placement of the windows on the façade; the green roof; photovoltaics; and solar thermal water heating. 

 

Compared with a conventional system, the proposed MEP systems are economical and cost-effective, having an estimated payback period of 8 years.  The museum’s expectations were exceeded in terms of the final proposed cost of $2.3 million, including the installation of the photovoltaics and the lighting schemes. This cost was only slightly more than the $2 million originally budgeted for the MEP systems.

 

“Through careful planning and the integration of architectural and engineering systems, this project demonstrates that a net-zero building can be achieved using common technologies at a reasonable price,” says Elias Dagher, firm  founder.  “Because the capital costs are comparable to conventional systems, and the payback period is relatively short, this study could have wide ranging implications for net-zero buildings throughout the United States, making net-zero more attainable than previously thought.”

 

Founded in 2000, Dagher Engineering, PLLC provides mechanical, electrical, and plumbing-fire-protection design and consulting services to developers, building owners and managers, architects, and contractors in the United States and internationally.