By Evan Thomas COMPANY NEWSLETTERS • • • • • 0 Comments

July 2021 Company Newsletter

KC's July Newsletter features include KC staff perspectives on one of KC's largest projects as it draws to a close, a deep dive into the state of American infrastructure, and a look at an oft-overlooked civil engineering marvel that helped make the Apollo 11 mission a success.

Download KC’s Company Newsletter – July 2021 edition to keep up with KC’s latest news!

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • • • • 0 Comments

The Difference Between Septic and Sewer Systems

Did you know that plumbing processes have been in use for between five to seven thousand years?

Ancient engineers developed irrigation caverns to supply water to agricultural societies. As towns and cities grew, they began to use those caverns to redirect liquid waste away from settlements. The Romans are largely credited with having pioneered this technology ahead of The Dark Ages, when all progress towards the development of wastewater management systems ceased almost entirely.

Today, septic and sewer systems are our two primary wastewater management methods. Although both collect, process, and dispose of the harmful pathogens in human waste, there is one major difference between them: sewer systems are provided and maintained by municipalities, while septic systems treat wastewater on-site and are the responsibility of a private homeowner.

In a septic system, wastewater is directed from a home or facility into a septic tank, where solid and liquid waste is broken down and released into a drainfield, a network of perforated pipes laid in gravel-filled trenches. Drainfields typically measure between 18 and 36 inches wide and are located up to 100 feet underground, and without them, septic tanks would overflow and create unsanitary runoff. Wastewater flows into the soil through holes in a distribution pipe inside of the drainfield, destroying residual bacteria and sewage solids in the process. Septic systems are more common in rural areas, which typically lack centralized sewer systems.

Conversely, public sewage systems are connected to many homes and businesses. In a sewage layout, a network of pipes carry waste from lots to a municipal treatment facility, where it is purified before being released back into the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “the majority of Americans – or four in five households – rely on sewer over septic.”

Civil engineers are closely involved in the wastewater management process from beginning to end, providing designs for domestic or industrial treatment plants, pumping stations, and sewage systems and overseeing their construction; restructuring outdated layouts; and conducting feasibility studies for various wastewater-related projects. Civil engineers also prepare environmental documentation, help wastewater companies obtain the licenses and permits they need to operate, and collaborate with state agencies to ensure that treatment plants adhere to federal regulations.

For more information about the difference between septic and sewer systems, visit https://www.epa.gov/npdes/municipal-wastewater.

Picture: Cloaca Maxima, one of Rome’s ancient sewer systems. Courtesy of Science Magazine.

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • 0 Comments

Celebrating the Women Behind International Women in Engineering Day

Wednesday, June 23rd marks the 5th International Women in Engineering Day (IWED), and this year’s theme, “Engineering Heroes,” provides the perfect opportunity to recognize and honor some of the trailblazing women who paved the way for the women engineers of today.

IWED was initially created by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) of the United Kingdom, which had in turn been established on June 23rd, 1919. Since the majority of male engineers had been called to military service during World War I, it became necessary for women to fill vacant positions in the field. It was the first time in modern history that women were actively encouraged to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, but it was, unfortunately, short-lived.

After the war ended, government officials, employers, and trade unions pushed for women to relinquish their titles in favor of the returning servicemen, and the Restoration of Pre-War Practices Act 1919 forced many of them to do so unwillingly. A stubborn few, refusing to go down without a fight, established the WES in defiance, and it has been continually inspiring, supporting, and serving women engineers for over 100 years – but who exactly were these women?

Rachel Parsons / electrifyingwomen.org
The Hon. Lady Katharine Parsons / en.wikipedia.org

 

Rachel Parsons, first president of the WES: Daughter of Sir Charles Parsons and Lady Katherine Parsons, Rachel Parsons was a descendant of the Anglo-Irish earls of Rosse, who had long been known for their brilliance and ingenuity. Much like her ancestors, her iconoclastic nature preceded her. In 1910, she became the first woman to read Mechanical Sciences at Cambridge University, and she sailed the Atlantic aboard the Mauretania, a record-breaking ship designed by her inventive father.

As one of the founding members of the WES, Parsons designated herself the group’s maiden leader. She was later elected to the London County Council, and as a pioneer of feminism, stood for Parliament in the election of 1923, at a time when there were only two female Members of Parliament (MPs).

The Hon. Lady Katharine Parsons: Lady Parsons, née Bethell, met her husband, the noted inventor Charles Parsons, while he was working as an engineer in Leeds. She took a keen interest in his work, eventually becoming an engineer in her own right. She was a suffragette of northeast England, and aside from co-founding the WES in 1919 (and later becoming its second president), she became the first female member of the North East Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders (NECIES) that same year.

Lady Margaret Moir, Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE): Lady Moir, like her associate Lady Parsons, called herself “an engineer by marriage.” She worked in tandem with her husband, the renowned engineer Ernest Moir, whom she met during one of her frequent trips to see the Forth Bridge’s caisson foundations.

During the war effort, she organized a band of Women Relief Munition Workers and worked tirelessly as a founding member of the WES to set up training courses for women engineers. She was the president of the Electrical Association for Women, and also served the WES both as a vice president and a president, notably saying in her 1928 inaugural speech: “It is now relatively simple for the girl to go through the technical school or college education, and with her wits as bright as any man, obtain a degree in Engineering.”

Laura Annie Willson, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE): Willson, who worked from the age of 10 in a textile factory, climbed the ladder to become a founding member of the WES and its president from 1926 to 1928; in addition to these roles, she was also the first female member of the Federation of House Builders and the branch secretary of the Women’s Labour League.

An unyielding suffragette, she was twice imprisoned for her political engagements: once in 1907 for “inciting persons to commit a breach of the peace” during a weaver’s strike at Hebden Bridge, and then again just a few weeks later, when she took part in a suffragette rally at Caxton Hall.

Banner courtesy of the Women's Engineering Society.

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG 0 Comments

Modern Marvels: the Danyang-Kunshan Bridge

June 30th marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge in Jiangsu, China. Spanning a whopping 102.4 miles (or 164.8 kilometers for our friends outside of the U.S.), the bridge holds the Guinness World Record for the longest bridge in the world in any category and is largely considered a paragon of modern-day bridge engineering.

In the early 2000s, China began focusing on adapting its transportation system to better accommodate the needs of the Chinese people. Prior to the construction of the Danyang-Kunshan, driving back and forth between the cities of Ningbo and Jiaxing took 4.5 hours due to the heavy volume of traffic. To remedy the situation, a proposal was put forth for an expansive bridge that would facilitate faster travel between provinces, and in April of 2006, construction began.

The China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) designed and built the bridge. Facing significant terrain challenges due to the Yangtze River’s soft soil, designers had to ensure that the bridge would be frequently reinforced in order to prevent the structure from collapsing; one 5.6-mile segment, which covers the open Yangcheng Lake, required 2,000 support pillars alone. Designers also fashioned the bridge as a viaduct, which are composed of many smaller, connecting sections that make the structure more versatile and easier to construct.

Ultimately, the CRBC succeeded in making it as safe as it could be; the Danyang-Kunshan Grand is reportedly sturdy enough to withstand impact from vessels weighing up to 300K tons, and it was fortified to weather a magnitude 8 earthquake.

Overall, the project took just over 4 years, required 450K tons of steel and a labor force of nearly 10K, and cost the equivalent of $8B. Once it was finished, the Danyang-Kunshan Grand cut the previously mentioned 4.5-hour travel time to just 2 hours!

A decade since its opening, the Danyang-Kunshan Grand remains a quintessential model for bridge designers to use as a reference and is a major contributor to industry and tourism in China. Moreover, it is an excellent example of how engineering can be used to overcome some of the modern civil challenges that society faces.

Image courtesy of MNXANL, Wikimedia.
By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • 0 Comments

KC and Sustainable Infrastructure

You may know what the concept of infrastructure refers to, but do you know what it means for infrastructure to be sustainable? The concept refers to the design and subsequent implementation of elements in a manner that does not negatively impact the processes necessary to maintain a healthy balance of equity and functionality within a community. To put it simply, society would be unable to go on without transportation systems, power-generation facilities, or sanitation networks that balance functionality and use with preservation of the ecosystem. As a whole, sustainable infrastructure protects the environment, facilitates the healthy development of a nation’s economy, and improves the quality of life of its citizens.

Because engineering firms design and develop critical infrastructure systems, it is important that they meet certain sustainability specifications or certifications. KC strives to abide by a number of such regulations to guarantee minimal environmental impact when designing a project. In addition to regulations followed during design, KC’s inspectors are experienced in observing required environmental protections in the field. Amendments put forth in 1972 to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act mandate that firms identify a project’s potential pollutants before engaging in any stormwater work (since harmful chemicals can accumulate when stormwater is drained from an area) and devise ways to prevent those pollutants from being released. These methods are called Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs), and must also include an emergency spill response proposition with a list of procedures to follow in the event of a release. After preparing the SWPPP, KC ensures that it is in place and that environmental permitting is adhered to. Additionally, KC applies for and ensures compliance with environmental permits from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP), and other agencies to protect the streams, wetlands, and environments surrounding various projects.

Making sure infrastructure is sustainable equates to a better world and one in which everyone works together to help the planet thrive. KC is proud to play an active role in that effort.

Visit these links to learn about some of the “green” services that KC has performed in the past: