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Spuyten Duyvil Bridge Inspection Project

Superstorm Sandy damaged Spuyten Duyvil Bridge’s mechanical and electrical systems with high levels of loads and debris. As a subconsultant to Hardesty & Hanover, KC was part of the structural and mechanical team performing an in-depth inspection of the existing structure, platforms, and fender protection of this mechanical bridge. KC also provided the structural steel details for the repair of the damaged steel members and access platforms.

In addition, KC provided surveying services, including the precise location of 64 tapered rollers with the bridge closed, open, and in several partially opened positions; precise location of the bridge center of pivot with the bridge open, closed, and in several partially opened positions, which required establishing fixed points on the bridge to survey and then measuring and calculating the actual bridge pivot center, or measuring and precisely marking the center pivot of the bridge at the deck level and then surveying that as the bridge rotates; track alignment from abutment to abutment; and general bridge survey information, including key elevations.

This project repaired the bridge into good working condition, allowing trains to run over and boats to successfully navigate around this crucial bridge.

By Evan Thomas KC'S BLOG • • 0 Comments

Woodland Acres Water Main Extension Project

The Woodland Acres community comprises of single-family homes and serves approximately 150 residents through 38 residential connections. The Woodland Acres Treatment Facility had been experiencing reduced output from its wells and needed solutions to improve water service to the Woodland Acres community. The development had been serviced by a small water treatment plant and two wells. The wells were no longer able to produce adequate water supply for the area, and attempts to develop new wells in the area had been unsuccessful.

To remedy the issue, KC proposed an expansion of the existing water service from the Town of Wallkill’s Consolidated Water District #1 to serve the Woodland Acres community.

The project extended water via a new 8” PVC C900 water main from a dead end in the Town of Wallkill’s consolidated water district at the end of Orchard Terrace to the Woodland Acres development off Sands Road. The development is now provided with adequate water by the extension, and the project eliminated the need to build a replacement water treatment plant at the site. The project also allowed the Town of Wallkill Water Department to discontinue operation of the Woodland Acres Water Treatment Plant. The project also eliminated the dead-end water line stub in Orchard Hill.

The construction phase involved construction through easements across private property, a NYSDOT road crossing, installation of a meter pit, and tapped connections at each end of the installation.

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African-American Pioneers in Engineering You Should Know About

February is African-American History Month. As such, it is the perfect opportunity to highlight the engineering achievements of African-Americans who, although they may have contended with racism, societal inequality, and discrimination, worked hard to overcome obstacles and accomplished great things in the field of engineering.

Walter Brathwaite, an American engineer who was born in Jamaica, was hired by Boeing in 1966. As Senior Engineer, he led the team that invented CAD systems for designing commercial Boeing aircraft. Over the years, Brathwaite rose through the ranks, eventually becoming President of Boing Africa. When he retired in 2003, he was the highest ranking African-American executive of the company.

 

Howard P. Grant graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1948, making him the first African-American to graduate from the Berkeley College of Engineering. That same year, Grant also became the first known black member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He subsequently became the first African-American civil engineer for the City and County of San Francisco and the second African-American civil engineer to be licensed by California. He worked in the San Francisco water department until 1984, and also held the position of president and treasurer of the California Society of Professional Engineers.

George Biddle Kelley graduated from Cornell University's College of Civil Engineering in 1908. He went on to become the first African-American engineer registered in the state of New York. He was hired by the New York Engineering Department, where he worked on the Barge Canal, a collection of state waterways, during the 1920s.

Elijah McCoy was born in Canada in 1844 to runaway slaves who had escaped Kentucky thought the Underground Railroad. At the age of 15, he moved to Edinburgh, Scotland for an apprenticeship. There he became certified in mechanical engineering. Upon leaving Scotland, he moved to Michigan, where his family was now living. After being unable to find engineering work in Michigan because of his race, he found work as a fireman with the Michigan Central Railroad. Part of his duties included oiling the steam engine parts. Soon McCoy had invented an automatic engine lubricator, which meant that trains were no longer required to stop for lubrication. The lubrication could now occur while the train was moving. As news of the invention spread, many inventors attempted to create their own version of the automatic lubricator. However, it was soon discovered that McCoy’s invention was superior. It is said that railway engineers began requested “the real McCoy” lubricator. McCoy filed a total of almost 60 patents, including designs for an ironing board, a lawn sprinkler, and other machines.

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Stormwater Compliance Services for Montreign Casino Project

This project consisted of the regular qualified inspector compliance inspection required by the owner under the NYSDEC General Permit for Construction Activities. The project included the construction of a 65-acre site proposed to be the home of the Montreign Luxury Casino Resort Hotel, which is the core component of a larger resort overlay district that encompasses more than 1,500 acres of land.

KC was responsible for NYSDEC-required periodic site inspections to ensure compliance with the approved stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP). Responsibilities included application of the approved SWPPP and associated plans, details, specifications, and application of Best Management Practices to the constantly evolving conditions on the casino site, as well as the adjacent concurrent construction projects.

The special nature of this stormwater pollution prevention plan required waiver of the five-acre disturbance limit and the use of a chemical treatment system utilizing a specialized flocculation protocol to allow suspended colloidal clays to settle out prior to discharge. Semi-weekly reports were created to document the construction and identify areas requiring attention as well as best management practice recommendations for the owner’s contractor to implement in order to correct deficient site conditions to ultimately prevent permit violations.

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What, Why, How — Water Treatment Plants

Did you know that 99.7% of Earth’s water supply is not usable by humans? This unusable supply includes not only saltwater but fresh water supplies from lakes and streams that often contain waterborne germs such as Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Hepatitis A, and Giardia intestinalis. The water we drink, from taps and bottles and fountains, goes through an extensive treatment process to rid itself of these harmful pathogens.

A water treatment plant serves its local community by sourcing its water from the surface, from lakes, streams, reservoirs, or from the ground, where water pools after seeping in from rain or snowfall. The plant is then tasked with disinfecting and purifying this “raw,” or untreated, water. Below is a step-by-step look into how your water is treated:

  1. The first step of the purification process is coagulation and flocculation: in this step, a coagulant, such as aluminum sulphate or iron salt, is added to the water to neutralize the negative charge of any dirt, parasite, or bacteria that might be present. This neutralization enlarges the harmful particles in preparation for the following step.
  2. The second step is referred to as sedimentation, where the now enlarged dirt particles can more easily sink to the bottom of the water.
  3. The third step is filtration, where the water is run through sand, gravel, or charcoal to weed out the enlarged dirt particles.
  4. The fourth step is disinfection where a chemical such as chlorine or chloramine is added to the water to both kill any remaining parasites or bacteria and prevent the growth of new ones.
  5. Finally, the purified water is stored in a water tower and, with plenty of gravity and pumps, is delivered into your home.

Want to find out more about the quality of your drinking water? Visit this site to access an annual drinking water quality report from your local water supplier.