Inside/Out Newsletter | Summer 2012 | Issue 46

INSIDE/OUT ISSUE 46

SUMMER

NEWSLETTER

JULY 2012

A Cleaner, More Sustainable Way to Deal with Wastewater Outflow The Sellwood Pump Station is a wetweather pump station that is part of the overall City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services’ (BES) 20-year Combined Sewer Overflow Abatement Program. On Thursday, 14 June 2012, the station had its grand opening to celebrate a cleaner, more sustainable way to deal with sewage outflow. In attendance at the ceremony were BergerABAM’s Tony Pritchett, Brian Board, and Hod Wells, team members in the design of the new pump station.

The pump station site is located in a residential neighborhood between the Sellwood Gap section of the Springwater Corridor and the Willamette River.

When the City of Portland was built in the mid-1800s, the sewer system constructed at that time was a combination of sanitary sewer and storm sewer—common in many U.S. cities. As a result, the city’s sewage and stormwater flowed directly to the Willamette River and Columbia Slough before the first treatment plant was constructed in 1952.

Water quality improved after 1952, but heavy rainstorms still caused combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharge into the waterways.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) goal of reducing the amount of CSO to almost zero required the City of Portland to control 99 percent of CSO to the Columbia Slough and 94 percent of CSO to the Willamette

River. Because it was impractical to completely separate stormwater from sewage everywhere in the city, BES undertook three “Big Pipe” projects to convey and treat the CSOs. Corollary to these mega-projects were dozens of other forcemain, pump station, and tunnel projects. The Sellwood Pump Station was one of these projects.

BergerABAM’s Portland office had been involved with this pump station design for over five years. Beginning in late 2006 with a small task order from BES to evaluate the Lents Trunk Sewer’s (LTS) capacity to be adapted for use as a storage conduit, BergerABAM later joined the team of West Yost Associates of Davis, California. Together, the team designed the system that intercepted the flow of the LTS (built in 1922) and the Sellwood Interceptor, and diverted

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that flow to a new pump station next to the Willamette River.

The LTS is a concrete tunnel with a bricklined invert that drains 1,090 acres of combined sewer. The portion of the trunk sewer currently used as a storage conduit is the lower 4,400-foot-long reach that previously released untreated combined sewage directly into the Willamette River.

Because the tunnel is over eight-tenths of a mile long between manholes, conventional closed-circuit television inspection of the sewer was not practical, and radio communication with topside personnel was impossible toward the middle of the tunnel.

Instead, at the onset of the pump station final design phase, BergerABAM engineer Acoustic dampening panels were installed in the standby generator room and exhaust James Bohanek conducted, planned, and plenum to aid in keeping the pump station quiet. led a manned team inspection that included a pair of videographers and an industrial hygienist who continuously monitored air quality to ensure the safety of the personnel during this long-duration, confined space entry. The team travelled the length of the tunnel with self-contained breathing apparatuses should the industrial hygienist find the air quality unacceptable. In addition, the team was given air horns that they sounded periodically once radio contact was lost.

The inspection was conducted in mid-July after the spring rains had ceased. The team found large volumes of groundwater infiltration and significant localized deterioration along the length of the tunnel. The design team then thoroughly analyzed tunnel rehabilitation alternatives to alleviate this groundwater infiltration and make structural repairs. Ultimately, BES decided to rehabilitate the lower 1,000 feet of the tunnel using grout injection, localized crack and spall repair techniques, and masonry repair of the brick-lined invert. BergerABAM provided traffic control design for the project and structural engineering design of the new pump station control building (a 2,000-square-foot concrete masonry unit structure with an eco-roof ) and the diversion structure, which is the 35-foot-deep structure that intercepts the LTS and diverts the flows to the pump station. The diversion structure extends 10 feet above ground and contains overflow weirs for the rare occasions in which storm event flows exceed the pump station’s capacity.

Because the pump station and diversion structure are in a residential neighborhood and adjacent to the Portland Rowing Club, every effort was made to create a facility with pleasing aesthetics and a high degree of odor and noise control. In addition to the adaptive resuse of the LTS and the pump station eco-roof, sustainable features of the project include the use of pervious concrete pavement, curb cuts, and infiltration swales. These features were incorporated to assure the community that BES would be a good neighbor.

Other members of the design team included MWA Architects, Jacobs Associates, Elcon Associates, Inc., and Vigil-Agrimis, Inc.

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Surveying: From the Past into the Future Long before he delivered the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln had a brief career in surveying. He set out with a compass, stake ax, marking pins, and a Gunter’s chain to tackle government and private survey projects. Naturally, when he was employed in this centuries-old profession, the world was very different from today. While the lay of the land has changed over time, the basic principles of surveying have essentially remained the same. When Abraham Lincoln worked as a surveyor, he measured the form, boundaries and position between two points of land, just as a surveyor would do today in the twenty-first century.

Surveying tools, however, have changed drastically and the emergence of technology and its rapid progression has transformed the way we survey the land.

Used in modern surveying, a total station is an electronic theodolite integrated with an electronic distance meter to read slope distances from the instrument to a specific point.

BergerABAM added surveying to its long list of services and currently has four full-time surveyors on board. Services offered are topographic surveys, boundary surveys and delineation, tree surveys, wetland surveying, and almost any other type associated with design. Construction staking is provided for design projects as well. Since adding surveying services, BergerABAM’s surveying team has kept busy with back-to-back projects. The team is responsible for collecting existing ground information to use as a base map for design and relaying the information to the computer-aided drafting and design department who, in turn, applies this information to the project design.

Because surveying is often one of the initial steps of the design process, it is critical to gather information with accuracy. An important piece of equipment that makes this goal much more attainable for surveyors today is the modern total station, an electronic instrument that reads distances, angles, and related horizontal and vertical ground information. In contrast to older total stations, modern total stations are equipped with sophisticated features that provide more precise measurements. In the past, reliance on the human eye was paramount in surveying, and measurements were typically gathered at the surveyor’s best

discretion. One surveyor would stay with and operate the total station while another surveyor went into the field with a reflector rod to gather information. Today’s modern total stations send a beam of infrared light that locates points on the ground to calculate distances and are accurate to several decimal places.

Although manual total stations still exist, modern total stations can also be robotic or reflectorless. A reflectorless total station allows the surveyor to obtain survey information without requiring a reflector at the point of the proposed shot. Imagine, for instance, being able to locate a buoy thousands of feet offshore without having to station a surveyor at the buoy. A robotic total station also allows a surveyor to position his total station and go into the field but with a reflector rod. The total station robotically tracks the surveyor’s every move and takes survey locations in response to commands made from hundreds of feet away. Although a total station can be either robotic or reflectorless, both options lessen the manpower needed for surveying projects, which previously required two people with manual total stations.

Global Positioning System or GPS is another fairly new tool used for surveying. It is handheld and extremely fast at gathering information, especially on open sites. A GPS (continued on page 4)

Editors / Writers [ Jana Roy | Dee Young | Renèe Stiehl | Ping Liu | Karen Harbaugh | Nora Bretaña ] Design and Production [ Jana Roy ]

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allows surveyors to map points quickly, doubling the amount of information gathered on a particular site. The data is then downloaded to a computer, and the software analyzes this information to map the exact position of the points within millimeters.

These are just a few examples of the advancements in surveying equipment and processes that have transformed the way Abraham Lincoln would survey the land today. As BergerABAM delves deeper into the surveying field, we plan to stay on top of the technological advancements in all areas of surveying and employ the most reliable equipment to ensure continued accuracy for the client’s projects.

San Diego Office Changing Location BergerABAM is pleased to announce a new location for the Flores Lund San Diego, California, office. On 6 August, doors of the new office at 10525 Vista Sorrento Parkway, Suite 350 in San Diego, California, will be open for business. The phone number has changed to 858/500-4500 and fax number to 858/500-4501.

Flores Lund Consultants (FLC), a wholly owned subsidiary of BergerABAM since 2011, has expanded its resources, which has required a new facility to accommodate growing staff and improved technologies. FLC is a civil and structural engineering firm offering services to a broad range of market sectors, including commercial, industrial, hospitality, health care, educational, entertainment, government, port authorities, and municipal agencies. The firm specializes in water resources, buildings and campuses, waterfront, transportation, and special structure projects.

As a subsidiary of BergerABAM, FLC has access to over 260 staff members and offices in San Diego, Lake Elsinore, and Irvine, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Federal Way, Seattle, and Vancouver, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Houston, Texas.

Locally, the 19-person FLC is focused on civil and structural engineering design, seismic and post-earthquake analysis, construction support, design/build services, public involvement, and sustainable design practices. Notable clients include SeaWorld, Hyatt Hotels, Marriott Corporation, Getty Museum, U.S. Navy, U.S. Postal Service, and California Coastal Conservancy.

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Buildings and Transit Group Welcomes Addition of Architects BergerABAM is excited to announce the addition of three full-time architects to its downtown Seattle office to support BergerABAM’s growing buildings business sector. The strategic location of new architectural staff will enable the firm to improve its outreach and partnering efforts with local architectural firms; existing clients; and other consultant, public agency, education, and private clients. The expansion is in response to an increasing demand for architectural services in the areas of modernization and renovation for BergerABAM’s military, institution, and government clients.

The need for specialized services, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) administration, sustainability analysis, historic preservation, aesthetic details, and facility upgrades, continue to be a focus of its clients’ and owners’ capital initiatives and investments.

The new architectural staff offers an extensive portfolio of upgrades, expansions, historic renovations, and new designs in the government, higher education, and private development markets.

Previously employed with Duarte Bryant Architecture in Pioneer Square, architects Al Bryant, Kevin Wittnam, and Alan Paden join BergerABAM with nearly 60 years of collective experience.

Al Bryant, AIA LEED AP, is a former founder and partner of Duarte Bryant Architecture.

He has over 37 years of professional architectural design and project management experience. Al has special expertise in higher Al Bryant education facilities and historic preservation projects. He has worked on the campuses of the University of Washington on nearly 40 major renovation and expansion projects. Al is currently wrapping up the John L. O’Brien Building upgrade and historical renovation project for the Washington State Department of General Administration. Al is committed to historical preservation and adaptive reuse, as reflected in his past chairmanship of the local Seattle American Institute of Architects (AIA) Historical Preservation/Reuse Professional Interest Areas Committee. He is also an active member of the national AIA Historic Resource Committee.

Kevin Wittnam, AIA LEED AP, specializes in sustainable/LEED design elements and is on the U.S. Green Building Council’s Cascadia Chapter, as well as the “Green Team” of America’s School House Council. Kevin has a strong background in Kevin Wittnam K-12 facilities design, centered on historic rehabilitations. His recent projects include the Lincoln Elementary School in Olympia, Washington, and TOPS at Seward School in Seattle. Kevin also specializes in higher education facilities and has worked on the campuses of Central Washington University, Seattle University, Western Washington University, Washington State University, and other community colleges in the area. He is also working on the John L. O’Brien Building historic renovation project.

Alan Paden, AIA, has over 10 years of professional experience. His background is mostly with higher education facilities, including projects throughout the University of Washington campuses. Alan has focused on the design Alan Paden of research laboratories, from producing grant study documents for the National Institutes of Health review, through the development of construction documents.

BergerABAM also has two other registered architects on staff, Bob Griebenow and Jim Replogle.

Arnie Rusten, president and CEO of BergerABAM, remarks, “We are excited for this opportunity to be able to more fully support our clients with the specialized expertise they have been requesting. For over 60 years, BergerABAM has offered building design and construction support, both as a prime and subconsultant, throughout the West Coast. BergerABAM offers full-service structural and architectural capabilities, specializing in LEED certification, historic rehabilitation, buildings and facilities upgrades to accommodate new legislation and maximize energy efficiency savings, and complete modernization and expansion designs.”

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