2017 2017
News News Updates Updates on on the the Akron Akron Waterways Waterways Renewed! Renewed! Program Program
Special Edition Special Edition
Welcome Rosie!
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he he City City of of Akron Akron and and Akron Akron Waterways Waterways Renewed! Renewed! have sent Rosie on her 6,200 have sent Rosie on her 6,200 foot foot journey journey under under downtown downtown Akron. Akron. Mayor Mayor Dan Dan Horrigan Horrigan christened christened Rosie Rosie on on August August 14 14 in in an an official official ceremony, ceremony, and and the the City City hosted a community open house on August 19, where hosted a community open house on August 19, where people people of of all all ages ages had had the the opportunity opportunity to to see see and and learn learn about about Rosie, Rosie, up-close up-close and and personal. personal. Rosie Rosie is is aa highly-specialized highly-specialized Tunnel Tunnel Boring Boring Machine Machine (TBM) that will be able to tunnel through soft (TBM) that will be able to tunnel through soft ground, ground, hard hard bedrock, bedrock, and and through through ground ground water water with with minimal minimal changes. changes. She She is is called called aa “crossover” “crossover” TBM TBM and and is is the the first first one one in in the the U.S.! U.S.! Rosie Rosie is is 30 30 feet, feet, 66 inches inches in in diameter, diameter, which which is is about about the height of stacking three school buses on top of each the height of stacking three school buses on top of each other, other, and and she she weighs weighs roughly roughly 2.2 2.2 million million pounds. pounds. Rosie’s Rosie’s cutterhead cutterhead is is aa flat, flat, plate-shaped plate-shaped part part that that does does all of the spinning and cutting. The cutterhead alone weighs all of the spinning and cutting. The cutterhead alone weighs 300,000 300,000 pounds, pounds, which which is is the the equivalent equivalent weight weight of of 87 87
mid-sized mid-sized cars! cars! A A key key component component to to fracturing fracturing the the hard hard bedrock bedrock is is pushing the cutterhead very hard into the face of pushing the cutterhead very hard into the face of the the tunnel. tunnel. Rosie Rosie does does this this with with 22 22 hydraulic hydraulic cylinders cylinders that that operate operate under under extreme pressure. Rosie can push the cutterhead forward extreme pressure. Rosie can push the cutterhead forward with with 14.8 14.8 million million pounds pounds of of force! force! (Yes, (Yes, MILLION!) MILLION!) That That push push force force is is equal equal to to the the thrust thrust of of 16 16 space space shuttles. shuttles. When Rosie fractures or When Rosie fractures or essentially essentially “eats” “eats” the the rock rock with her cutterhead, the rock and other material that with her cutterhead, the rock and other material that is is broken broken away away is is called called “muck.” “muck.” The The muck muck is is pulled pulled away away from from the the face face and into the TBM, where it will be placed onto a conveyer and into the TBM, where it will be placed onto a conveyer belt belt and and sent sent to to the the “muck “muck yard.” yard.” Rosie Rosie can can bore bore about about 6-inches 6-inches per per minute. minute. That That is is like like pushing pushing aa 3-story 3-story building building through through solid solid rock rock 1/2 1/2 foot foot every every minute! minute! Boring Boring is is anticipated anticipated to to take take 99 to to 12 12 months months to to complete. complete.
Get an up-close close view of current and
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he Akron Waterways Renewed! program provides trolley tours several times a month for anyone interested in learning more about Akron’s efforts to improve our water and sewer infrastructure. The tour starts inside Akron’s historic Mustill Store with a brief video of the Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel (OCIT), followed by a few minutes of Q & A. Participants then board a City trolley and are able to go to many of the sites associated with the program. Participants are able to exit the bus
and see up close exactly how Akron’s sewer system works, what combined sewer overflows actually are, and what green infrastructure looks like. City of Akron representatives and engineers lead the tours and answer any questions participants may have. The City encourages anyone and everyone to join a tour. It gives residents an opportunity to tangibly see their money at work and how Akron's antiquated sewer infrastructure is being improved for the 21st century.
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d completed Akron Waterways Renewed! projects!
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Special Edition
AllAkron Student
Engineering Program Students learned how sewage is cleaned and returned back to waterways at Akron’s Water Reclamation Facility.
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he All-Akron Student Engineering Program (AASEP) is designed to provide valuable experiential learning for high school students interested in pursuing a career in various engineering fields. The program, sponsored by the City of Akron Engineering Bureau and Akron Waterways Renewed! program, provides an up-close look at careers from chemical, hydrological and biological engineering, to mechanical, electrical and civil engineering. Students are exposed to Akron’s water system from intake—what it takes to provide municipalities with clean and safe drinking water—to treatment—what it takes to treat and return water back to the environment. AASEP has three goals: Exposure, Experience, and Employment. Students are exposed to the “E” fields of the STEM curriculum, and are given valuable experience during their internships with local engineering firms. Allowing student
For more information about the
For more information about the Akron Waterways Waterways Renewed! Akron Renewed! program, visitus usatat program, visit www.akronwaterwaysrenewed.com www.akronwaterwaysrenewned.com.
learners to be in the room with the firms that are designing, developing, and managing various projects under the AWR! banner, helps lay the foundation for what they can expect in their future and expands their network within the Akron engineering community. That exposure could be key in helping a student engineer land a job in Akron once they finish their degree. 2016-2017 is year two of AASEP; 41 students from eight local high schools are represented within the 18 participating professional services firms in the Akron area— including the City of Akron. This year, the program consisted of 29 male students and 12 female students. Students who are currently juniors in the program are eligible to apply for their senior year. The goal is to continue to expand the program and help shape the future engineers of Akron and to shape the City itself by retaining professionals.