KC’S BLOG – Page 44 – KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C.

Village of Wappingers Falls Watershed Revitalization Project

This project involved a comprehensive study of point and nonpoint source pollution into the Wappinger Creek Watershed. The plan analyzed the 38-mile Wappinger Creek from its headwaters to Wappinger Lake in an effort to identify key contributors to pollutant-loading, which was deteriorating water quality and reducing the lake’s capacity for flood storage.

A sampling plan that covered the entire watershed was developed. A quality assurance program was developed to standardize testing protocols. Sampling was coordinated with annual DEC sampling efforts to maximize coverage and minimize costs.

The project term covered three years, including sampling in different seasons, development of new policies, and implementation of remediation programs.

After identifying where the pollutants, phosphorous, and silt/sediment were entering the creek, KC assisted the Village with identifying pilot green infrastructure implementation projects for design and construction.

November 27, 2017 By Evan Thomas KC'S BLOG 2017 • public spending • public works 0 Comments

The Importance of Public Works

What are public works?

Public works include a broad range of services that our municipalities provide to us every day. From water and sewer services, to sanitation, to salting and plowing the roads in the winter, and making sure potholes are filled in the spring and summer. Public works keep our cities and towns running smoothly and efficiently.

Who performs public works?

Some public works roles are filled by municipal employees, like water plant operators, while others are filled by public utility employees, like Orange & Rockland workers, and still others are filled by employees of companies such as engineering firms and construction contractors.

What do public works employees do?

In many instances, they are on call and must be ready to respond to a water main break, plow the streets during a blizzard, repair a sewer line, or repair power outages after a thunderstorm. Those who are involved in public works perform work behind the scenes to make sure that residents are able to enjoy the basic necessities and the quality of life that is expected within a municipality.

Without public works, potholes would incapacitate vehicles. Without public works, garbage would not be collected but would be, instead, allowed to pile up, leading to a rampant increase in the rodent and wild animal population in residential areas, ultimately leading to a rise in illness and disease.

Public works employees may not always enjoy the limelight, but their jobs are of the utmost importance.

As you enjoy your running water, paved roads, and electricity, take a moment to appreciate the people who work behind the scenes, sometimes tirelessly, to provide us with these necessities.

November 6, 2017 By Evan Thomas KC'S BLOG 2017 • City of Middletown • Electrical Supply • Survey 0 Comments

Michaelson Studios Electrical Supply Project

Michaelson Studios plans to revitalize the old City of Middletown train depot on Midland Avenue Extension by creating a new film and production studio. Due to the extremely high-power demands of the required lighting systems needed for the facility, KC was contracted to design the electrical supply connections to the utility provider.

KC prepared calculations and designs for connection of the 6,500 AMP 208 VAC 3-phase connection from the utility’s transformer to the power control center in the facility.

The service utilized multiple stages in transforming all of the available 2 Megawaits in power and distributing it to the entire facility. KC also prepared the utility application for the client and coordinated with Orange and Rockland Utilities, and performed the site utility survey.

October 16, 2017 By Evan Thomas KC'S BLOG 2017 • Civil Engineering • Famous Engineers • History 0 Comments

5 Famous Civil Engineers You Should Know

Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923): A renowned French civil engineer and architect, Gustave Eiffel is remembered as “the Magician of Iron.” Can you guess which famous iron structure this magician cast? Indeed, his masterpiece is the Eiffel Tower. During and after its construction, thinkers of the time criticized the tower’s ambitious design. Some even protested the tower, claiming Eiffel was blatantly disregarding the principles of physics to create an artistic form. However, his design for what was then to be the tallest tower in the world accounted for the real-world conditions that it would need to withstand:

Is it not true that the very conditions which give strength also conform to the hidden rules of harmony? … Now to what phenomenon did I have to give primary concern in designing the Tower? It was wind resistance. Well then! I hold that the curvature of the monument's four outer edges, which is as mathematical calculation dictated it should be … will give a great impression of strength and beauty, for it will reveal to the eyes of the observer the boldness of the design as a whole. – Gustave Eiffel

Thanks to both Eiffel’s genius and his boldness, the Eiffel Tower today enjoys a coveted spot on the list of the Seven Wonders of the World, and it remains a veritable global icon.

Thomas Andrews (1873-1912): Thomas Andrews was the principal architect for the infamous RMS Titanic. He was aboard the ship during its maiden—and only—voyage in 1912, and when the ship hit an iceberg, he calculated that it would sink within a few short hours. Survivors’ accounts tell of Andrews bravely alerting passengers of the imminent danger, urging women and children to board the severely limited number of lifeboats. Andrews was also said to have suggested more than twice the number of lifeboats the Titanic was given and a double hull and watertight bulkheads during planning and construction, suggestions that were rejected. He perished in the ship’s sinking, a harsh lesson in the consequences of industrial hubris, prioritizing profit over safety.

Bonus! – Emily Warren Roebling (1843-1903) and Washington Roebling (1837-1926): Emily Warren Roebling broke down gender barriers while building the Brooklyn Bridge. Hailing from the Hudson Valley, she studied engineering in Europe alongside her husband Washington Roebling, the son of John Augustus Roebling. Washington took over as Chief Engineer following his father’s death, but he soon developed caisson disease and became too ill to work. Emily then stepped in as “the first woman field engineer.” She carried out many of Washington’s duties, overseeing construction until the bridge’s completion in 1883.