By Evan Thomas KC'S BLOG • • • 0 Comments

What type of equipment do surveyors use?

Land surveying is one of the oldest professions in the world, dating back to ancient times. Surveying illuminates the features of a property, outlines property boundaries, locates underground utility lines, and so much more. So what type of equipment do surveyors usually take out into the field? We decided to ask our survey crew and here is what they had to say:

“What an interesting question because it can be interpreted in different ways. Does it mean the survey equipment we utilize or is it the clothes and features we wear on a daily basis? I guess we can account for both ends of the spectrum because surveying equipment and our own personal equipment go hand in hand.

We’ll start with our basic personal equipment. Unfortunately, as surveyors, we are constantly in the field so our attire isn’t always office appropriate. Whether it’s a ragged shirt with torn jeans or a t-shirt with holes, our field attire is not really ideal to wear in a professional office environment. The same could be said for wearing nice, respectable clothing while performing fieldwork. No one wants to survey in khakis and a button down shirt. That’s why we always keep a spare change of work clothes, just in case we do need to perform fieldwork in an emergency. This means we can dress respectably in the office and still have the option to change into field clothes.

As far as personal gear, safety is always a priority. We constantly keep our orange vests in our packs as well as our hard hats and boots. Using proper footwear while surveying in the field is essential. There’s a lot of standing and walking, so a good pair of boots goes far. Additionally, we may have our own tool belts as well as safety glasses. Again, safety is always a top priority so you’ll always find these either in our backpacks or survey truck.

Shorts are not a recommended item of clothing because half the time we’re walking through tall brush and need to be cognizant of ticks. You’ll also find bug spray, sunblock, and sanitary hand wipes. Some other items you may find are a magnetic compass, a small mini reflector prism, and a 25-foot steel tape.

As far as the typical surveying equipment, there are our surveying instruments:

  • The Nikon Nivo 2C; and
  • The Leica TCRA 1103 Plus robotic instrument.

These are the two instruments used by the field crews on a daily basis for collecting data. However, the instruments are always brought inside at day’s end and are never left in the survey truck. Tripods, prism poles, and various other tools can be found in the bed of the survey truck.

All of these items get used in different ways but are essential to performing the duties of a surveyor."

By Evan Thomas KC'S BLOG • • • 0 Comments

Getting to Know KC’s Engineers

While we don’t often think about it, engineers are at the heart of our everyday lives. They’re the ones responsible for designing our worlds, from the water we drink and the roads we travel to the faucets we run and the cars we drive. It takes a special kind of person to be an engineer, someone dedicated to using their skills and knowledge to develop solutions to everyday problems. We chatted with some of our engineers to learn why they entered the field:

“I studied engineering because I wanted an academic challenge that would ultimately prepare me for employment and a career. I selected civil engineering because I like practical three-dimensional solutions. I chose consulting as I wanted to find varied projects and I have. At 30 years into my career, I still enjoy finding practical solutions. I also enjoy being an advisor to clients and a mentor to staff.” – Nancy Clark, Civil Engineer

“My fascination with miniature/model structures and Legos is what inspired me to want to build or design structures as a young kid. I was also fortunate enough to have great guidance and encouragement to pursue becoming an engineer at a young age.” – Julian Llorente, Structural Engineer

“My interest in engineering began with seventh grade woodshop, where newly acquired skills allowed me to begin experimenting with designing and building, with functionality being the goal. The hands-on aspects of technology class, combined with a preference for math and science, led me to pursue a Bachelor of Science in engineering.” – Mike Tamigi, Electrical Engineer

“I grew up in a large and poor family, I had to build my own toys. I guess that made me believe there is always a solution, I just have to look for it.” – Jamil Yousef, Structural Engineer

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Wappingers Falls Conditions and Asbestos Field Survey Project

In October 2015, KC and its subcontractor performed condition and asbestos field survey work and a report in preparation for building demolition at 2694 West Main Street. Asbestos-containing materials were found. The multi-family residential structure with attached garage was demolished, which included necessary asbestos abatement prior to demolition. The vacant parcel was transferred to the Village by the owner upon completion of the demolition.

In January 2017, KC and its subcontractor performed condition and asbestos survey field work and a report in preparation for building demolition at 2696 West Main Street. Asbestos-containing materials were found. The Village owns this parcel and is now pursuing building demolition of the main building, which is a multi-family residential structure and an accessory building that includes additional residential units and a garage. Demolition will involve necessary asbestos abatement.

The demolition work at both 2694 and 2696 West Main Street is in preparation for the future Franny Reese Park site adjacent to Wappinger Lake and the Village of Wappingers Falls Dam, and detailed design for the park is currently underway.

At 2696 West Main Street, there is also a brick building, which will not be demolished as it will be retained as a design feature at the entrance to the new park.

For both sites, KC performed inspections, prepared reports, developed cost estimates, and obtained quotes for the demolition. KC also performed inspection services during the demolition of 2694 West Main Street.

By Evan Thomas KC'S BLOG • • • 0 Comments

Infrastructure: An Investment Too Important to Ignore

America’s infrastructure is in desperate need of repair. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave this nation’s current infrastructure a score of D+ on its recently released Infrastructure Report Card. While New York scored a slightly more respectable C-, our state – and the Hudson Valley region – must continue to move forward on improving our infrastructure.

We’ve all seen photos and news reports about the struggles of the people in Flint, MI, many of whom have suffered from adverse health conditions due to the poor quality of their local water source. But even closer to home is the water crisis in Newburgh, where the water has been found to be contaminated with PFOS, a toxic substance that has been traced back to a retention pond at Stewart Air Force Base.

In light of recent hurricanes and superstorms, our water and sewer infrastructure must not only be repaired, it must be modified or redesigned to be resilient in the event of future weather disasters.

Positive train control must be installed on trains across the state. Too many recent accidents could have been prevented by this simple tool. It’s crucial to passenger safety and is a no-brainer.

In Dutchess County, there has been a recent controversy over whether to consolidate the City of Poughkeepsie’s bus system with the county’s public bus system. What should not get lost in the debate is concern for how this potential move will affect passengers who rely on public transportation to go to doctor appointments, buy groceries, and more. Whatever decision is made regarding this important piece of infrastructure, it must best serve the residents of the City of Poughkeepsie.

Deteriorating roads and bridges don’t just affect the safety of drivers, they are ultimately an economic problem. Poor road and bridge conditions can have a negative impact on tourism and travel. In addition, it can cause a delay in or increase the cost of the delivery of goods and services, and stunt growth or development. Poor road and bridge conditions are liabilities to the governments that maintain them and a danger to the people who drive them.

This is just a basic overview of some of our infrastructure needs. So what can be done to address these needs?

For starters, our politicians must understand that infrastructure is a bipartisan issue. No matter what side of the aisle we find ourselves seated on, everyone can agree that our bridges, roads, water, and transportation systems are important components to our ability to grow and thrive, and more importantly to our basic quality of life.

Local and state officials must seek out federal funding, as well as state and federal grants.

Infrastructure is not something that can be addressed once and then ignored. Like a car, which needs to be constantly maintained, it must be regularly updated and repaired. If our local and federal infrastructure is not maintained, our economy will continue to stagnate and decline.

In commemoration of Infrastructure Week, let’s reach out to our local, state, and federal lawmakers. Tell them that we support investment in infrastructure.

Yes, it will take money to improve our aging infrastructure. And yes, spending the necessary dollars may be a tough pill to swallow, but putting off critical projects will only compound the issues and will wind up costing us so much more in the long run.

By Evan Thomas KC'S BLOG • • • 0 Comments

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.