By Greg Holbrook & Linda Kaplan, P.E.

In February 2016, several Pittsburgh ASCE Section members attended the first ever Geotechnical and Structural Engineering Congress, held in Phoenix, AZ.  This conference was unique in that it was a joint conference between ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute and Geotechnical Institutes, marking the 20^th anniversary of the founding of each.  This combination provided the opportunity for topics and discussions on how the two civil engineering disciplines interact and what can be done professionally to increase collaboration between the fields.

The conference opened with a lively panel discussion about the interaction between the two disciplines, titled: “Soil is Not a Spring, Buildings are Not a Load.”  Three representatives from each Institute discussed issues with collaboration in design.  Discussions included degrees of uncertainty in geotechnical capacities vs. structural loads and how to ensure we’re not unknowingly over-designing, and questions of responsibility for the final product including a debate about whose professional seal should stamp foundation drawings or that they should be jointly sealed.  The differences in work flow between private (primarily buildings) projects where the structural and geotechnical engineer are often hired separately by the client, and public (primarily transportation) projects where the geotechnical and structural engineer are likely to be working for the same firm, or one as a sub of the other, was also a major point of discussion.

The conference included 15 technical tracks with presentations on a variety of technical and professional issues in the structural and geotechnical fields.  One discussion stood out, related to professional licensure and the attempt by some states to remove the requirement for Professional Engineering licensure for structural design. This debate lead to comments as to how the profession could protect itself from lawsuits due to incompetent individuals designing projects, and the public image of losing the expectation of structures to not fail.  Additionally, another discussion spurred from the occurrence in some states that require an S.E. license for certain structures and how that doesn’t allow a geotechnical engineer with a P.E. to design foundations and retaining wall systems in that state, yet they have the ability to design those same structures in other states.

Nine members of the Pittsburgh Section attended.  Two members, Greg Holbrook, P.E. of CDM Smith, and Don Cunningham, P.E., of HDR, were able to attend the conference courtesy of SEI Young Professionals Scholarships.  This competitive scholarship program is offered annually by the SEI Young Professionals Committee to allow 10 younger members who would otherwise not have the opportunity, to attend.  Additionally, Don Splitstone, P.E. and Bruce Roth, P.E., both of GAI, attended to present their paper “Micropiles Ease Historic Bridge Replacement”; Linda Kaplan, P.E., of TRC, and Greg Braun, P.E. of Gannett Fleming, attended and presented “Geotechnical and Structural Engineering Collaboration on a Large Scale Bridge Project: A Case Study of the Hulton Bridge”; Jonathan McHugh, P.E., of Gannett Fleming presented “PHX Sky Train Phase 1 – The Interaction of Structural and Geotechnical Design Considerations”; Dick Gray, P.E., and Robert Hanna, P.E., of DiGioia Gray and Associates, attended as well. 

Highlighting the conference was a series of special events and receptions. 

• The exhibit hall reception on the first night included a Champagne toast by ASCE National President Mark Woodson, PE to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of the institutes and this landmark joint Congress. 
• On the second evening, at a reception at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, colleagues from around the country networked. 
• The final night of the conference featured the SEI Futures Fund Reception, hosted by Ashraf Habibullah, President of Computers and Structures, Inc.  The event was held in the Phoenix Art Museum and included live music, dancing, and door prizes. 

Following the conclusion of the conference, some of the Pittsburgh Section members got a chance to take advantage of the warm Phoenix weather prior to heading back to Pittsburgh.  Greg H., Greg B., Jon, and Linda decided to hike Piestewa Peak (formerly Squaw Peak) to take in the view.

From ASCE National, edited by Gregory Scott

On March 16^th more than 200 ASCE members from 49 states descended on Capitol Hill to advocate for infrastructure and the civil engineering community. Armed with their everyday civil engineering experiences, issues briefings from the ASCE Government Relations team, and insight from two keynote speakers. Joining them were three members from the Pittsburgh Section, Nat Hayes, Gabby Briffa and Greg Scott. Fly-In attendees spent Wednesday afternoon advocating for a new Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), water infrastructure funding, and the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization (FAA).  In her presentation on Tuesday night, Marion McFadden, deputy assistant secretary for grants programs in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Community Planning and Development highlighted Rebuild by Design and HUD’s $1 billion nationwide design competition for infrastructure projects and community programs open to areas affected by natural disaster from 2011-2014. ASCE assisted HUD in the competition this past summer by providing cutting edge engineering expertise in designing resilient infrastructure.  

 On Wednesday morning, Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) a member the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a former congressional staffer provided not only insight on the current political climate of infrastructure policy in the House but he also offered tips on how to improve the outcomes of Congressional meetings. ASCE members meet with roughly 230 congressional offices this week, including a visit to every congressional in PA. Don’t forget to add your voice to theirs by sending an email to Congress in support of infrastructure investment. 

 

By the ASCE-Pittsburgh Awards Committee and the ASCE Blog Editor

Tom Batroney, PE, ENV SP, is the ASCE-PGH 2015 Young Engineer of the Year.  “The Pittsburgh region has so many impressive civil engineering professionals,” says Tom. “To be recognized amongst a great group of professionals feels good.”  Tom is currently a Project Engineer with Hatch Mott MacDonald in Pittsburgh where he works on a variety of environmental and water resources related projects. He received his B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Wilkes University in 2001 and his M.S. in Water Resources Engineering from the University of Villanova in 2007. He obtained his P.E. license in 2012. Tom has demonstrated technical, organizational, and managerial skills that have been recognized by his employer and his clients as outstanding.

“Tom has been an exemplar of a civil engineer ever since he came to Pittsburgh,” says colleague, Gregory Scott.  “Besides his professional competency, he has demonstrated his leadership with the EWRI Pittsburgh Chapter and then on a National level with EWRI.” 

As a member of ASCE, Tom currently serves as a Director for the Pittsburgh Section’s Board and is the Past Chair of the Pittsburgh Section’s Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI). Tom was a key person in expanding the EWRI’s reach through organizing numerous technical and industry-relevant seminars and conferences. He was instrumental in creating the first EWRI graduate student chapter at Carnegie Mellon University. “Fresh and new ideas are needed in all organizations and businesses,” he explains. “Contributions from EWRI student chapters at Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh are perfect examples. Motivated and active new members often will stimulate the entire group and spur new ideas that eventually improve ASCE as a whole.”

He continues to provide unselfish contributions to ASCE and EWRI activities, collaborate with other technical groups and institutes, mentor new members, and provide valuable guidance to the Pittsburgh EWRI Student Chapter. More recently, Tom has risen to the challenge of forming and leading the Pittsburgh Section’s Sustainability Committee, addressing one of the Society’s strategic initiatives. “There are tools out there that civil engineers can use to evaluate the sustainability of their projects,” Tom says.  “My goal is turn the somewhat nebulous word 'sustainability' into something more clear for engineers to understand how it relates to their projects.”  

In addition to these professional achievements, Tom has shown a very strong commitment to various community activities, most notable of which are the Regent Square Gateway Project Team, and the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association.“It was no surprise to me to volunteer for a stream clean up last fall and run into Tom there volunteering along with many local community members,” says Mr. Scott. “He is a terrific person who deeply cares about the environment.”

By Linda Kaplan.P.E., Gregory Holbrook, P.E., and Karen Mueser, P.E.

On February 12 & 13, 2016 the Pittsburgh Younger Member Forum hosted the 2016 Eastern Regional Younger Member Council (ERYMC) at the Multi-Region Leadership Conference (MRLC) for Regions 1, 2, 4, & 5.

The MRLC also included the Workshop for Section and Branch Leaders (WSBL) and Workshop for Student Chapter Leaders (WSCL).

The entire conference brought over 450 leaders from across the nation to the Omni William Penn Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh to attend business meetings, leadership training, and networking events.  We also had the pleasure of hosting ASCE Executive Director Tom Smith, 2016 ASCE President Mark Woodson, P.E., 2016 ASCE President-Elect Norma Jean Mattei, P.E., and two ASCE 2017 President-Elect nominees, Kristina Swallow, P.E., and Robin Kemper, P.E.

Highlights of the conference included a Presentation on Professional Ethics by ASCE Legal Counsel Tara Hoke, who used case studies to illustrate multiple ways in which conflicts of interest can come up and best practices to address them.  Following Tara’s presentation an Order of the Engineer Induction Ceremony was held.  Seven Pittsburgh Section members, including 3 students, participated in the ceremony, vowing to maintain the highest of ethical standards in all engineering pursuits.  Other presentations included “Digital Etiquette,” discussing proper e-mail and cell phone usage in the workplace, and “What Makes a Leader?” which discussed how ability and motivation must be used together to successfully lead.  Roundtable sessions and Best Practice breakouts rounded out the technical program. 

The Conference also included the Annual ERYMC Business Meeting,  a time when the Council  comes together to make proposals to ASCE National, discuss industry issues, and make recommendations for future conferences, including location.  This year’s meeting included a lively discussion on ASCE’s “Raise the Bar” initiative to require 30 credit hours past the Bachelor’s Degree before obtaining a Professional License.  Younger Members were split on their support of the initiative, with some feeling strongly that more education is required and would bring us in line with other respected professions, while others felt that the cost was prohibitive and working experience applying the sciences was more important towards licensure.  The meeting also included a vote to add a new award next year to recognize a younger member who has done outstanding work in government relations and advocacy.  Finally, the council was charged with deciding the location of the 2018 conference - in a vote between Orlando, FL and Buffalo, NY -  Buffalo was selected.

Two off-site networking events were included with the conference.  The largest event, the joint social, was held at the Jerome Bettis’ Grille 36, www.jeromebettisgrille36.com, on the North Shore and was attended by over half of the conference attendees – nearly 250 people!  Food and drinks were included, and attendees as they were able to mix and mingle in a less formal setting that also included a photobooth by which to remember the conference!  The more formal ERYMC Awards dinner took place on Saturday night at the LeMont Restaurant on Mt. Washington.  The evening began with a cocktail hour, followed by dinner and the presentations of six awards.  The award winners were:

• Outstanding Practitioner Advisor: Mr. Alex Hinkle, E.I., Florida Section, East Central Branch
  
• Outstanding Young Civil Engineer in the Private Sector: Mr. Brett Manzie, P.E., Florida Section, Jacksonville Branch
  
• Outstanding Young Civil Engineer in the Public Sector: Ms. Sarah Missenda, P.E., Pittsburgh Section
  
• Outstanding Younger Member in Community Activities: Mr. Jesse Gormley, P.E., Philadelphia Section
  
• Outstanding Younger Member Group Project: Nashville Younger Member Group, The Salvation Army Angel Tree Activity
  
• Younger Member Peers Group Award: Pittsburgh Younger Member Forum
  

Section member Lauren Dziagwa, EIT attended the conference and said, “Overall, the ERYMC conference was a great networking and leadership event.  I had the opportunity to meet and reconnect with younger engineers from across the eastern U.S., learn more about ASCE and its operations, and develop professional and leadership skills that will help me throughout my career.”

Conference feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and the YMF is proud to say it was a resounding success!  It was possible with the hard work of the planning committee and the generous support of our sponsors including:

ARCADIS HDR, Inc.  Civil and Environmental Consultants, Inc. The University of Pittsburgh - Swanson School of Engineering AECOM Modjeski and Masters The Pittsburgh ASCE Section Gannett Fleming ASCE Region 2

Advantage Engineers Lennon, Smith, Souleret Engineering Carnegie Mellon University Civil and Environmental Engineering Department GAI Consultants L.R. Kimball, A CDI Company DiGioia Gray & Associates Jacobs Benesch HRV

Thanks to the support of the Pittsburgh engineering community we had a fantastic and memorable conference!

Press Release from Gannett Fleming

March 22, 2016 (Pittsburgh, Pa.) The Pittsburgh Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers has awarded the Hulton Bridge Replacement Project the 2015 Civil Engineering Achievement Award. Gannett Fleming served as the prime consultant on the replacement bridge.

The Hulton Bridge is a vital connection between the communities of Oakmont Borough and Harmar Township across the Allegheny River. It provides efficient access to the regional transportation connections, as well as the PA Turnpike. However, the condition and functionality of the existing Hulton Bridge, built in 1908, did not meet the traffic demands of the growing communities, was structurally deficient and continued to deteriorate at a costly rate.

Located in PennDOT District 11-0, the new Hulton Bridge, a 1,633-foot-long multi-span, steel, haunched girder structure, represents a close collaboration between the owner and community resulting in a structure which is both elegant and efficient. The new structure improves safety, traffic level-of-service, and functionality. The bridge aesthetics are unique, resulting in a structure which will become both a gathering point and an icon to the community.

The design and construction timing for this high-profile project was critical, as Oakmont Country Club will host the United States Golf Association U.S. Open tournament in June 2016. When Oakmont hosted the tournament in 2007, more than 250,000 spectators, as well as golfers, staff, and media members, flocked to the community for six days. The original two-lane Hulton Bridge contributed to heavy congestion and traffic problems throughout the week. In anticipation of the 2016 tournament, the final design was accelerated for a 2013 completion, allowing two-and-a-half years for construction to finish before the U.S. Open.

“The Hulton Bridge Replacement Project demonstrated sensitivity to the community needs, safety, and aesthetics and will provide a vital link as it replaces the over 100-year-old Jonathan Hulton Bridge,” said N. Catherine Bazán-Arias, Ph.D., PE, F.ASCE, president of the Pittsburgh Section of ASCE.

The Civil Engineering Achievement Award is presented to a civil engineering project that contributes to the well-being of people and community, utilizes resourcefulness in planning and solutions of design problems, pioneers the use of materials and methods, uses innovations in construction, take impact on the environment into consideration and has unusual aspects and aesthetic values.

Gannett Fleming has served as an engineering consulting partner in global infrastructure for 100 years. We improve communities through transportation, environmental, water, power, and facility-related projects in more than 65 countries. Our 2,000 employees deliver innovation and excellence in planning, design, technology, and construction management services for a diverse range of markets and disciplines. From more than 60 offices around the world, we embrace sustainability and innovation, finding the best solutions and the most efficient processes to meet our clients’ complex challenges. Founded in 1915, Gannett Fleming had $352 million in revenues in 2015. We are proud to be ISO 9001:2008 Certified. For more information, visit www.gannettfleming.com.

By Louis Gualtieri, P.E.

The Pittsburgh Section American Society of Civil Engineers Younger Member Forum (YMF) hosted their 10^th Annual Dodgeball Tournament on Saturday February 20^th, 2016 held on CMU’s campus.  

This year 6 teams partook in the tournament.  The tournament began with a round robin to seed the teams going into the playoffs, similar to what you would see in FIFA’s World Cup.  The eventual winner was Slumdodgeball Millionaires (seen left with their championship trophy) defeating Off Constantly, and yes those were the team names.

In the Mass Dodgeball tournament in between the round robin round and the playoff bracket, it was every man (and woman) for themselves.  The last man standing was Sam North, a student from the University of Pittsburgh team (The Dodgefathers).  

The prize, in addition to the medal and bragging rights, was tickets to the Mattress Factory contemporary art museum and experimental lab.

The YMF’s annual Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Ticket Raffle (tickets donated by HDR, Inc.) was pulled at the dodgeball tournament with two winners selected, each winning a pair of tickets.  The winners were Shirley Clapperton (ticket sold by YMF President Elect, Lou Gualtieri) and Mark Burkhart (ticket sold by YMF Treasurer & Dodgeball Committee Chair, Jeff Argyros.)  

The YMF also thanks Papa John’s Pizza who donated pizzas for the event; the pizzas were sold as a fundraiser.

All participants had inspired fun exercising mind and body, and making new friends and colleagues among the next generation of Pittsburgh Civil Engineers.  

Follow YMF to see what they will do next year!

From CE News, by Cathy Bazxn-Arias

After dusk, we were limited to sparkling conversation and viewing what flashlight illumination allowed. It was probably for the best: Every day, as soon as daylight broke, the roosters and oxen would greet one another from one end of the village to the other, and thus, most mornings began early.

Welcome to Makili, Mali. Located a few hundred kilometers southwest from the fabled city of Timbuktu, Makili is an agricultural village with approximately 1,400 people. The seasons fluctuate between dry and rainy and cool and hot. Because of its relatively flat topography, there is limited storage of water in the form of lakes or ponds for fishing, one of the main sources of protein for the community. Thus, in 2007, through a contact from the Peace Corps, the University of Pittsburgh Student Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB-Pitt) endeavored to aid Makilians in addressing their nutritional needs by providing technical, educational, and financial assistance.

During my stay as mentor, the EWB-Pitt team conducted a detailed survey for a future permanent fish pond site; held meetings with community leaders and members; interviewed health officials; and integrated into village life, which included getting used to well water and ground latrines. These conditions quickly become part of the daily routine alongside sleeping under the stars and working around the hottest hours of the day, which easily reached well above 110° F. But what I’ll remember most is the warmth and courtesy that everyone from the village chief to the Peace Corps volunteers to the smallest toddler extended to us—the spirit of hospitality is alive and active in Makili.

All aspiring and experienced engineers should work at least once during their careers in a project that challenges their comfort zone. Whether it is on a greater-than-life project or addressing the fundamental infrastructure needs of a village community, it is not until you are charged with effectively understanding and communicating with contractors, regulators, community members, scientists, and engineers in another part of the country or the world that one appreciates what civil engineers do and the impact our work makes. How often do you think that your work is not significant or just "routine," or that people don’t understand what you do? It is because of this lack of understanding and low sense of appreciation that I think we contend with several issues in our profession ranging from bidding procedures and commodity-versus-professional services to outsourcing and professional licensing.

The main challenge for engineers to gain this experience is the willingness to step outside our comfort zone. "Why do I need to work elsewhere (even temporarily)?" "What can I do/learn in another state/country?" "My language/writing skills will limit my experience/contribution in the project." These are expressions of apprehension rather than lack of ability. The saying, "Where there’s a will there’s a way," is applicable now more than ever for engineers willing to experience unique projects—from EWB to the Peace Corps to Habitat for Humanity and disaster-relief volunteer opportunities. It really is a matter of mind over matter.

If you can step outside your comfort zone, then perhaps, as you watch the brightly lit stars lying on your yoga mat (memo to self: invest in an air mattress) through mosquito netting and ponder, "What am I doing here?", you will likely recall something throughout the day that will provide the answer. Remember the neighbors’ questions as they watch you take survey readings, or the children’s laughter as they curiously eye your calculator and notes. You will remember being extra careful with tools and machinery so that no one is hurt (OSHA would be proud) and the sense of responsibility on your shoulders because the best hope for the community’s needs is your work. And you will more than likely enjoy a good night’s rest. Until the oxen and roosters rouse you.

By: Greg Holbrook, P.E.

Approximately 80 members and guests attended the Annual Joint Dinner between The Pittsburgh Association for Bridge Construction & Design (ABCD) and the ASCE Pittsburgh Section SEI Chapter at Cefalo’s Banquet and Event Center in Carnegie on January 21, 2016.

The technical presentation of the evening was the “Design and Construction of the Tanana River Bridge” located near Salcha, Alaska. 

Robert Stachel, P.E., Executive Vice President of HRV Inc., discussed the challenging characteristics of the design and construction of this bridge.

The Tanana River Bridge is Alaska’s longest bridge at 3,300 ft in length, and cost $188 Million for design and construction.  The bridge, owned by the Alaska Railroad, consists of over 20 structural steel 165 ft. long spans.  The structure provides the military with year-round ground access to training ranges and to supply fuel to bases in the future.

Mr. Stachel focused on the unusual fabrication of the structure.  With a winning bid from an Asian fabricator, the design and construction team traveled across the Pacific to witness the magnitude of fabrication opportunities that the Asian market has to offer; economies of scale, high-tech equipment, new facilities, etc.  Attendees became acutely aware of the necessity for equipment and facilities of this nature in the United States to compete with global steel fabricators and manufacturers.  In this case, the fabricator for the Tanana River Bridge constructed a new facility specifically for this project with state-of-the-art equipment and QA/QC measures.

Mr. Stachel also discussed the challenge of transporting the components and construction on a remote site.  After shipping the components of the superstructure to Alaska without issue, the team then had the task of transporting the components from the coast to the project site.  This meant moving large members on trucks, traveling down highways and roadways with little traction, or in some cases completely ice covered roads (think Ice Road Truckers!).  In one instance a steel girder fell off the bed of the truck and sat off to the side of the road, contorted in many directions, for a lengthy amount of time before being able to be hoisted back onto a truck and continuing to the site.  After much professional discussion and testing, this specific girder was determined to be straight and usable in the final structure.  

Additional project challenges stemmed from the sub-zero temperatures, including difficulties driving sheet piles into frozen ground, causing them to bend at shallow depths.  Additional factors not normally seen on construction projects here in the Pittsburgh Area included weather related welding issues and issues for construction workers on site.

The social hour for colleagues and professionals to interact continued to the dinner hour.

Attendees earned 1.0 Professional Development Hour (PDH).

We extend appreciation to Robert Stachel, P.E. and HRV Inc. for sharing their knowledge and experience, and the joint efforts of all ABCD & Pittsburgh SEI Chapter committee members and leadership for their work on another successful Joint Dinner opportunity for Civil Engineer members to build and maintain technical and professional skills.

Article by ASCE Awards Committee and ASCE Blog Editor

Bill Gross, P.E. is the recipient of the 2015 ASCE-Pittsburgh Engineer of the Year Award.  “Any successes of which I’ve been a part are the result of working for a company that tries to do the right thing – and of working within a western Pennsylvania Engineering community rich with talented and dedicated engineers who continue to accomplish great things!” says Bill.  “I’m truly humbled that ASCE considered my contributions worthy of such an honor.”

Bill Gross is a Vice President and Transportation Section Manager at the Pittsburgh office of HDR. After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University in 1984, he began his career in the New York/New Jersey area before returning to his western Pennsylvania roots in 1988 to take on many challenging opportunities with HDR where he’s remained for the last 28 years.  “Managing HDR’s transportation section allows me to work closely within an exceptional team to meet our clients’ needs – while providing staff members with opportunities to achieve their personal goals and expand horizons,” Bill explains.

Bill’s other professional endeavors include having dedicated many years of service to ASCE and other professional societies toward the advancement of the Pennsylvania transportation industry.  Bill recently completed 8 years in leadership roles of the Pittsburgh Section of ASCE, including President of the Section, 2012-13, during which time he prioritized the expansion of the Section’s Program of Educational Outreach to school students.  He received the Section’s Service to People Award in 2008.

“Bill has always been the consummate professional in all of his endeavors, whether in his role as a Section Manager, or in leadership roles with ASCE or other professional organizations,” says Ralph Gilbert, friend and colleague for over 25 years.  “The best thing about working with Bill is that you know he is going to do the right thing in every situation and that he can be depended upon to get the job done right, no matter what it takes.”

Bill has been active in leadership roles in a number of other professional societies including Director and President of the Pittsburgh and Southwest Penn Sections of ASHE and Director of ACEC.  He has also been very involved in the Western Pennsylvania Coordinator for the Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition, a group which greatly contributed to the successful passage of the Act 89 Transportation Funding Bill in 2013.

Bill is a native Pittsburgher, having grown up in the Hazelwood section of the city.  “My favorite part of growing up in Pittsburgh is the warm and friendly – yet strong-willed and determined people who inhabit this little corner of Pennsylvania!” he says. 

He is an active member of St. Teresa of Avila Parish, where he coached the grade school junior varsity program.  As the father of three daughters, Bill found his love for coaching youth sports far more rewarding as a family activity when he had to opportunity to manage his daughters’ fast-pitch softball teams for a decade.

Bill is also an avid runner who logs twenty to twenty-five miles per week (or as many as PennDOT’s Rapid Bridge Replacement Project will allow!), and enjoys trying to eclipse his personal bests in the Pittsburgh Half-Marathon and other annual events. Bill has resided in an early 19th century Ross Township farmhouse for the past 25 years and is the very proud father of Ally (25), Katie (22), and Kimmie (20).

Tom Batroney, PE, ENV SP, M.ASCE – ASCE Pittsburgh Sustainability Committee Chair

Jason J. Borne, PE, CPSWQ, ENV SP, M.ASCE – ASCE Pittsburgh Sustainability Committee Vice Chair

This is the third part in a series of ASCE-Pittsburgh articles related to the Envision Rating System.  The first part of the series introduced the Envision Rating System and how it can be a valuable tool for engineers to evaluate the sustainability of projects.  

Sustainable Development includes the four interconnected domains: Ecology, Economics, Politics, and Culture.  Sustainability is the capacity to endure and can also be defined as a socio-ecological process characterized by the pursuit of a common ideal.

Part One introduced the vision and goals of the Envision rating system.  Part one can be read here.  

Part Two, provided a high level overview of the specific sustainability categories and subcategories within the Envision Rating System.  Part two can be read here.

Envision, developed partly by the American Society of Civil Engineers, is a rating system that provides engineers a standardized tool for evaluating the level of sustainability for the diverse sectors of civil engineering infrastructure projects including:

• Transportation
• Parks
• Dams
• Energy
• Stormwater
• Water
• Wastewater

Envision includes a series of companion tools to help engineers evaluate the sustainability metrics of their projects.  These companion tools are independent tools developed to assist and compliment the Envision Rating System itself.  The following companion tools are discussed within this third installment of the Envision Rating System article series:

• The Envision Self-Assessment Check List
• The Envision Business Case Evaluator Tool for Stormwater and Transit Projects

The Envision Self-Assessment Check List is a companion tool that provides project engineers and designers with a quick and easy way to evaluate the potential sustainability of project in a series of “Yes-No” questions pertaining to the categories and subcategories with the Envision Rating System.  The checklist is not meant as a replacement for the category scoring criteria within the Envision Rating System; however the checklist is a valuable tool for providing the project team with a high-level assessment of potential sustainability elements that can be addressed during the planning and design phase.  The value of the checklist tool is that it provides “sustainability self-awareness” at the beginning stages of a project.  By using the checklist tool potential overlooked sustainability elements can be identified at the early stages of the project to potentially be incorporated into the design.

The Self-Assessment Checklist is a spreadsheet based tool in Excel format.  As the user progresses with each individual “Yes-No” question in the checklist, the percentage potential sustainability credit categories addressed in the Envision Rating System are graphically displayed as percentage of potential Envision categories addressed.  As previously stated, the checklist is not a replacement for the Rating System itself because many of the categories within Envision are scored differently and have varying points depending on the credit addressed.  The checklist is available at the ISI website upon registration (https://sustainableinfrastructure.org/).    

The Business Case Evaluator (BCE) is an Envision Rating System companion tool developed to provide economic value-based and risk-adjusted analyses of infrastructure projects.  The BCE was developed in conjunction with the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s (ISI) Economics Committee and ISI Charter Member and Envision Qualified Company, Impact Infrastructure.  

Two modules of the BCE for two civil engineering sectors currently exist: Stormwater and Transit. The Stormwater BCE is currently on Version 3, while the Transit BCE released its first version in December 2015. These BCE tools are directly linked to related Envision Rating System credits, providing the ability to understand the potential economic impact in conjunction with specific sustainability elements within Envision.

The Stormwater BCE module is designed to evaluate the economic value of stormwater management projects particularly with respect to green infrastructure to produce triple bottom line (Social, Environmental, Economic) benefits.  The results of the Stormwater BCE provide an estimated monetary value for triple bottom line green infrastructure benefits including, but not limited to:

• Potential increased property value in the project location,
• Economic value of the reduction in water quality pollutant loads,
• Economic value of added green space, and
• Economic value of air pollution particulates reduced.

The tool also calculates “negative” economic values such as capital construction and operation and maintenance costs.  All costs are performed on a user-entered project life-span basis.

The Transit BCE module is very similar to the Stormwater BCE but instead of green infrastructure, the Transit BCE evaluates the benefits of transit improvements on a neighborhood or region.  The Transit BCE evaluates potential new transit infrastructures of different types, as well as operational improvements in existing transit, and calculates the potential economic benefits of the transit improvements relative to a base transportation case.

The Stomwater and Transit BCE modules contain explanations of assumptions and calculation methods, as well as provides direct references to the economic studies used to develop the assumptions made in the calculations.

Both the Stormwater and Transit BCE modules provide a Monte Carlo simulation to determine the uncertainty in the range of input assumptions and will calculate confidence levels for the calculated economic return value.  If desired, the input economic variables in each module may be modified by the user to further refine the calculations.  The property value estimates are pulled from online housing data for nearly all major cities within the United States and Canada based on the zip code of the project location.

The primary benefit of the BCE Envision companion tools is that they provide a way to estimate the possible economic return value of a project based upon the project’s location.  Knowledge of this value in the planning and design phase can be extremely useful for engineers for obtaining project buy-in from public officials and neighboring residents.  Additionally, the results of the BCE analysis are directly linked to the Envision Rating System to determine the sustainability credits which can be obtained by the project and relative “worth” of an Envision credit.

The BCE tool is a spreadsheet based tool in Excel format. The BCE is hosted and maintained by Impact Infrastructure on the Impact Infrastructure website.  Impact Infrastructure has also developed software called AutoCASE that streamlines the BCE analysis outside of Excel in an easy to use web-based platform, as well as provides the ability to directly link to AutoCAD designs and quickly perform BCE analysis based on various design alternatives. AutoCASE also provides detailed reporting summary analysis and customizable graphing ability for displaying results for presentation purposes.

This Part Three of the article series has provided a short summary of some of the companion tools that are available within the Envision Rating System for evaluating the sustainability of civil infrastructure projects.  In the upcoming (and final) (?) Part Four of the article series we will take a look at how the Envision Rating System is being used locally by civil engineers within the Pittsburgh Region.

For more information on becoming involved within ASCE Pittsburgh’s Sustainability Committee visit our webpage at: http://www.asce-pgh.org/SustainabilityCommittee