Awards of excellence National Engineers Week February 16-22
Specialization from the Plains, Page 5 Nebraska engineers around the world, Pages 6-7 ACEC/N honors, Pages 8-10 Special Section
February 16, 2014
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Gudeman to receive ACEC/N Young Professional Award Engineers A special advertising section of the Omaha World-Herald, produced in conjunction with the American Council of Engineering Companies/Nebraska. Special sections editor: Shelley Larsen Content editor: Howard K. Marcus Designer: Jan DeKnock Copy editor: Melinda Keenan Contributors: Jeff Barnes and Mike Whye Advertising coordinator: Deb McGauley On the cover: Four winners of the 2014 ACEC Nebraska Engineering Excellence Awards; for details, see Pages 8-10. For special section advertising information, contact Dan Matuella, 402-444-1485.
Sarah E. Gudeman, a mechanical engineer and energy analyst with Morrissey Engineering in Omaha, has been named the 2014 Young Professional of the Year Award recipient by the American Council of Engineering Companies/Nebraska (ACEC/N). The award recognizes accomplishments of Nebraska engineers under age 30 who have contributed to the state’s engineering profession and positively impacted their communities. Gudeman combines her expertise in mechanical design with a lifelong interest in sustainability and the natural environment. Her engineering role includes energy modeling, sustainable design, energy auditing, measurement and verification, and HVAC design for a variety of commercial building types. Gudeman earned a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University and joined Morrissey in 2008. She is committed to designing buildings that maintain a healthier environment, provide occupant comfort, and lower utility and operating costs. While at Morrissey, she has been integral in expanding the firm’s green building design efforts, resulting in higher-performing buildings. Outside of work, Gudeman is involved in Nebraska Flatwater, the local U.S. Green Building Council Chapter, and is chapter chairman.
Sarah E. Gudeman has been an engineer and analyst for Morrissey Engineering since 2008. She also is a mentor for the Mpower program at her alma mater, Marian High School. The program gives Marian juniors an opportunity to explore their career interests. Gudeman will be honored Tuesday
during the ACEC/N 2014 Engineering Excellence Awards banquet at Happy Hollow Country Club. Her name will be forwarded to the national competition for ACEC Young Professional of the Year. — ACEC/Nebraska
PRIDE Award goes to HDR
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ACEC/Nebraska has presented HDR with its 2013 Public Relations, Image Development and Enhancement Award (PRIDE) in the Public Relations/Media Relations/Crisis Management category. HDR is a global employee-owned firm providing architecture, engineering, consulting, construction and related services through its various operating companies. The company’s submittal on the Integrated Management Plan (IMP) of the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District goal was to “achieve and maintain a sustainable balance between water uses and water supplies by developing a comprehensive inventory of all available ground and surface water supplies and all current water uses.” The IMP included a thorough investigation of challenges and efforts associated with this topic. — ACEC/Nebraska
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Planning in detail
Building Information Modeling software lets engineers see all the angles. BY MIKE WHYE WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT
In the first “Star Wars” movie, the robot R2-D2 taps into the computer system of the Galactic Empire’s Death Star and generates a see-through, three-dimensional hologram that floats in the air and reveals all the components of the Death Star — air shafts, passageways, compartments, structural elements and more. The fiction depicted in that movie has almost become reality to those involved in designing buildings, such as electrical engineer George Morrissey. But instead of viewing floating holograms, Morrissey sees three-dimensional images on a computer monitor that allow him to look completely through the buildings he is helping to design, and from any angle he chooses. With a few keyboard taps, he can route electrical conduits through a building without interfering with elements such as columns and girders. Morrissey Tapping a few more keys rotates a building design to show how sunlight can affect the heat load of the building in the winter, allowing lighting and heating systems to be used more economically than when the building was sited as originally planned. The overall process of viewing building designs this way is called Building Information Modeling, or BIM. Morrissey, who owns Morrissey Engineering Inc., a 45-person mechanical-electrical design firm in west Omaha, uses a type of BIM software called Revit, one of about half a dozen such programs available to designers.
For years, all building design work was done using two-dimensional drawings such as plans and elevations, but those could lead to mistakes when a building was being constructed. For example, one contractor might realize that a column would block the path of an air duct — something that wasn’t evident by looking at the drawings as they were then. “Revit allows us to accurately predict where everything will be and how much energy will be used,” said Morrissey, who first used Revit in 2011. “It also helps us predict the operating costs for the life of a building.” Robert Beckerbauer Jr., Revit coach and a technician at RDG Planning & Design in downtown Omaha, said BIM also helps designers and contractors plan how and when to construct components of a building. BIM also helps owners see how using materials differently will affect the operating costs of a building. As an example of what Revit can help a designer see, Beckerbauer brought up images on his computer monitor of a multi-story building in its design phase. At first, the exterior view of the building appeared, but then Beckerbauer began doing things that had been impossible to envision except in one’s brain until a few years ago. An exterior wall disappeared, revealing a staircase. Then air ducts between rooms became visible. A section of an interior wall opened up, showing the metal studs and gypsum board that made up the wall. It was like looking at a CT scan of a building. If a designer at RDG wanted to change something in the design of that building, Revit would compensate for the change. For example, if someone wanted a particular window made 2 inches taller, Revit would update other building components so the taller window could be installed, or warn
MIKE WHYE FOR THE WORLD-HERALD
Brian Barrett, an electrical engineer with Morrissey Engineering Inc., uses Revit software to demonstrate how building information modeling can reveal at one time the many mechanical and electrical systems in a building — a public school, in this case. the designer that problems would arise, such as a structural beam getting in the way. “It’s 3-D modeling with intelligence,” said Ralph Bond, a spokesman with Autodesk, which in 2002 purchased the company that developed Revit. Anthony Hauck, senior production line manager for the building authoring group at Autodesk, said Revit has been used to create many large structures, including the AT&T Stadium used by the Dallas Cowboys professional football team. “Revit is the largest advance in designing buildings in the last 600 years,” Hauck said. The program was also used in the design of Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. That 3,281-foot structure will be the world’s tallest building when it is completed in 2016.
Omaha, NE • 402.333.5792 Lincoln, NE • 402.479.2200 www.benesch.com
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Specialization from the Plains
Nebraska firms and engineers are proving that you don’t have to be on the coasts to have an impact.
ISLAND-BASED AIRFIELD Airfields are needed everywhere, and Virgil Oligmueller, a senior project manager with Lamp Rynearson & Associates, has certainly seen his share around Nebraska after 18 years as a civil engineer for those projects. But increasing work in international locations has him going somewhere not likely to be imagined — the middle of the Indian Ocean. “People ask ‘Where is the British Indian Ocean Territory?’” Oligmueller said. “I tell them to grab a globe and spin it to
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DID YOU KNOW NEBRASKA ENGINEERS DID THIS?
STRONG, HIGH WALLS Dan Thiele, the president of Thiele Geotech, began his firm in 1996 as a civil engineering graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, focusing on geotechnical engineering and design work in earth-retaining systems. Thiele has always worked with the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha and its seemingly constant string of projects. You can see Thiele Geotech’s retaining walls at the zoo, on exhibits including apes and zebras. The firm’s years of zoo experience — and experience with a specialty precast-modular wall product for which his firm wrote the engineering manual — brought Thiele Geotech to the Thiele Houston Zoo. There, zoo officials want to bring back gorillas, which haven’t been displayed for 20 years. “There’s an urban site on the backside of the enclosure, with a hospital and all kinds of grade changes, a service area, and the need of a moat to keep the gorillas enclosed,” Thiele said. “It’s a very unique, very difficult project.” His firm used the precast modular walls to build up the height between the gorillas and the outside world, with panels of 6,000 pounds each. That weight is essential, as gorillas can pick up anything weighing less than 3,000 pounds. “There are very strict controls on the height as well,” Thiele said. “They have to be at least 14 feet, 6 inches from edge to the ground to prevent them from reaching the top.” This new retaining wall is strong enough for the zoo to transplant fully grown oak trees with root balls of up to 30 feet at the top, establishing a green sound barrier around the enclosure.
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THIELE GEOTECH
For its “Gorillas of the African Forest” exhibit, the Houston Zoo called upon Thiele Geotech to design a large gravity retaining wall to accommodate earth berms needed to enhance sightlines from public spaces. The wall was constructed using large precast concrete modular units along the back of the exhibit. the opposite side from Nebraska.” Oligmueller has been working on the update of a 12,000-foot runway for a U.S. Navy facility at Diego Garcia — the largest in a chain of islands. This includes updating the airfield lighting system and improving navigational equipment for the not widely known but essential base. “It’s a very strategic location, and has to be big enough to land a B-2 bomber,” he said. “Some of the approach lighting is actually on the edge of the ocean.” Oligmueller said he had to do a Google search when he first found out that he would be there, but geography wasn’t necOligmueller essary while getting his undergraduate and graduate degrees from UNL. His work in aviation engineering has primarily been in this area, but recognized expertise has landed his firm in international work during the past five years. He has made just one trip to the island, for the site-approach survey. The project is currently in the design phase, with construction in the spring. He will return in July for final commissioning. It’s not the exotic vacation some would imagine — accommodations are a barracks with a bunk bed and a sink. “But the water and white-sand beach are beautiful,” he said.
MODERN MODELING Who hasn’t experienced a building that was too hot, too cold or just not positioned right for its surroundings? As a building owner, wouldn’t it be worth it to know that in advance of construction
and make adjustments? Nearly 14 years ago, M.E. Group began offering building information modeling to its architect partners. “If an architect wants to use natural light, we can simulate what it would be like 365 days of the year,” said Nate Maniktala, vice president of the firm. “If you’re a university, you don’t want direct sunlight hitting students right in the face in the classroom.” With its software, his firm can let clients know how to position the building, and the right materials to use to envelop the building to get the greatest efficiency. The same technology can be used to determine where Maniktala sensors should be located to automatically turn lights off and on. “We can actually predict the energy consumption of a building and focus on very low energy consumption,” Maniktala said. “By modeling HVAC systems as well, we can determine the best options for the project. This is leading-edge — seven of our buildings are at net-zero energy consumption.” The company has worked with clients from coast to coast and internationally, with consulting and design work in the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, Bahrain and Canada. It has worked on dozens of medical facilities at military bases, including the recently completed 60,000-square-foot Air Force Post-Graduate Dental School and Clinic at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. — World-Herald correspondent Jeff Barnes
Aquatics engineering — Provides comprehensive life support engineering services to the zoo and aquarium industry, and design of municipal, institutional and commercial swimming pools and water features. Commissioning — A quality-control process that ensures the owner receives the fully functional building it has paid for; helps prevent wasted energy and capital by allowing more coordination from design intent through construction and occupancy. Airfield lighting, airfield facility design and navigation expertise — These specialties bring together aspects of civil engineering (runway design, which requires expertise in structural design of pavements); geotechnical engineering (study of the strength of the underlying soils); surveying and navigation (safety analysis surrounding landscape and obstructions to permit safe landings); and electrical engineering (design of specialized lighting systems.) Value engineering — A structured approach that improves projects, products and processes; used to analyze manufacturing products and processes, and design and construction projects. Helps achieve balance between required functions, performance, quality, safety and scope. Considers alternative design solutions. Underwater bridge inspection — Engineer-divers (certified commercial divers who hold inspection and testing certifications) identify items of importance during inspections, make recommendations and provide design services for repairs and maintenance. Bathymetric surveying — Measures depth of lakes, rivers, oceans and other bodies of water using sonar. Information collected can be used to produce detailed maps showing water depth. The maps can be used for engineering, construction and navigation applications. Geotechnical engineering — Testing, evaluation and design with earth materials (soil and aggregates). Geotechnical engineers support other engineers in the design of foundations, pavements, embankments, levees and dams. Fire protection engineering — The study of fire prevention from a scientific perspective. Such engineers use their knowledge to understand how fires spread and to evaluate building use and safety. They design systems to detect, prevent and control fire. Structural engineers — Responsible for analysis, design and document preparation for a building’s structure. Must understand construction materials and the interaction of different material types. They design projects for all types of climatic conditions. Telecom engineering — This specialty brings together electrical engineering with computer science to enhance telecommunication systems. Telecommunications engineers are responsible for designing and overseeing installation of telecom equipment and facilities. Acoustical engineering — This field includes architectural acoustics (evaluation of spaces to determine optimal shape, size and materials needed to provide an acoustically acceptable environment), acoustical consulting (mechanical room design for sound isolation, vibration isolation of mechanical equipment and noise control of HVAC systems), industrial acoustics (noise control of manufacturing plants and mechanical shops) and environmental acoustics (control of environmental noise/vibration issues that are often subject to compliance with municipal noise ordinances). Source: ACEC/Nebraska
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AROUND THE WORLD
Nebraska engineers reach across the nation and around the globe, taking part in all kinds of projects. BRIDGE INSPECTION Locations: U.S. Navy bases in the U.S. and Guam, Japan and Cuba Firm: Benesch Services provided: Bridge inventory and rating services, and underwater inspections for the U.S. Navy.
OMAHA-MIDLANDS DATA CENTER Location: Omaha Firm: Morrissey Engineering Services provided: Mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) design, commissioning and LEED consulting services
SOUTH STREET SEAPORT PIER 17 MULTI-USE DEVELOPMENT Location: New York City Firm: Schnackel Engineers Services provided: MEP consultation services related to a 250,000-squarefoot glass and steel building that will feature retail, dining and entertainment.
TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT Location: New York City Firm: HDR Services provided: Lead design for a new, $3 billion bridge that will replace the 58-year-old Tappan Zee Bridge.
DAM PROJECT ON THE KIZILIRMAK RIVER Location: Sinop Province, Turkey Firm: TD2 Services provided: Structural engineering of two types of steel towers.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA UYTENGSU AQUATICS CENTER Location: Los Angeles Firm: Schnackel Engineers Services provided: MEP engineering design and consultation
ALA MOANA CENTER EWA MALL EXPANSION Location: Honolulu Firm: Schnackel Engineers Services provided: MEP engineering
EVIE GARRET DENNIS K-12 SCHOOL Location: Denver Firm: M.E. Group Services provided: MEP design and energy modeling for seven projects tracking net-zero annual energy consumption. Net-zero buildings rely on renewable sources to produce as much energy as they use.
GREEN LOGISTICS FACILITIES Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil Firm: M.E. Group Services provided: Hired to provide green-building consultation to reduce construction costs of logistics facilities while still achieving LEED certification.
MILITARY MEDICAL FACILITIES Location: Texas, Florida and Bahrain Firm: M.E. Group Services provided: MEP design, energy modeling, building commissioning and LEED consulting for more than a dozen Air Force medical facilities. SOURCE: ACEC/Nebraska
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2014 Engineering Excellence Awards
What is the American Council of Engineering Companies?
The American Council of Engineering Companies, or ACEC, is the only national organization devoted exclusively to the business and advocacy interests of engineering companies. Its members, including 48 firms in Nebraska and 5,700 throughout the United States, are engaged in a wide range of engineering and construction projects. Engineers solve problems. They investigate the challenge, then develop innovative solutions for their clients. Engineers are involved in designing many construction and renovation projects — from bridges and prisons to water-purification plants and energy efficient generation and distribution systems. They design ventilation and electrical systems, and figure out how to suspend bridges, cleanse rainwater, build earthquake-resistant buildings and renovate wastewater treatment systems. They design and construct the components of the “built environment” — roads, bridges, tunnels, buildings, sewers and more — to make life safer, cleaner and more comfortable. The awards featured on Pages 8-10 will be presented Tuesday at the ACEC/N Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet at Happy Hollow Country Club.
GRAND AWARD
Omaha CSO Program, Nicholas Street Sewer Phase 1 Lamp Rynearson & Associates for the City of Omaha Category winner: Water and Wastewater The Nicholas Street Sewer Extension Phase 1 project was designed and constructed to provide combined sewer overflow relief to the north downtown area of Omaha in accordance with Omaha’s long-term control plan approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. The City of Omaha contracted with Lamp Rynearson & Associates to provide design and construction administration services. The complexities of the project required design expertise, communication and coordination with multiple parties, and construction administration experience — all provided by Lamp Rynearson. The project team, including Thiele Geotech for geotechnical consultation, CH2M Hill for environmental services, Midwest Right-of-Way for acquisitions and Trekk Design Group for video inspections, worked closely with the City of Omaha on the first of several phases of sewer separation in
L A M P R Y N E A R S O N & A S S O C I AT E S
a drainage area of about 3,650 acres. Lamp Rynearson worked with the project team to maximize the combination of existing technologies to address the large, complex project. This included hydrodynamic hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, coupled with video inspection services, to determine the overall scope and specific details of the sewer separation requirements. Development of the Materials Handling Plan and guidance for environmental compliance were instrumental in addressing contaminated soils. Use of a
single software database allowed project team members to provide up-to-date information throughout the project on the status of the design and construction. The Nicholas Street project was unique due to the size and number of sewers built in one trench. The three 108-inch pipes and 24-inch sanitary sewer pipe were generally constructed using an open cut trench method. All pipes were constructed in a single trench approximately 50 feet wide. The trench walls were supported using sheet pile that was driven prior to trench excavation. Due to the
shallow level of groundwater and poor soils, dewatering and soil stabilization using large rip-rap was required to provide a solid foundation to construct the sewers. The project progressed along two corridors simultaneously to minimize the impact on surrounding businesses. Originally scheduled for completion by Dec. 1, 2013, construction was completed ahead of schedule and under budget. Final construction was completed Aug. 8, with a final construction cost of $15.5 million. This project is one of the first major projects in the city’s combined sewer overflow program and was distinctive for its many challenges. Valuable information was discovered relating to sewer constructability, how to deal with dewatering and soil stabilization issues, how best to address contaminated groundwater and soil, and how to coordinate successfully with permitting officials. This information will be used on future projects to benefit not only the engineering profession, but also the City of Omaha’s long-term ability to address water quality in the basin.
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HONOR AWARDS
F E L S B U R G H O LT & U L L E V I G
14th and Old Cheney Elevated Roundabout Felsburg Holt & Ullevig for the City of Lincoln Category winner: Studies, Research and Consulting Engineering Services The travel challenges faced in southwest Lincoln have been acknowledged for many years. However, solutions receiving public and policymaker support have so far escaped the transportation planning process. To identify creative solutions to accommodate existing and future traffic at the convergence of 14th Street with Old Cheney Road and Warlick Boulevard, the City of Lincoln employed a bold strategy by creating a design competition among engineering and planning firms. The project team of Felsburg Holt & Ullevig, RDG Planning and Design, and JEO Consulting Group developed and evaluated many alternative concepts during the five-month competition. The project team chose an elevated roundabout design concept as the option that best satisfied the city’s goals and objectives for the competition. The elevated roundabout concept provides a grade-separated movement for the heavy north/south traffic volumes on 14th Street, with the heavy east/west traffic volumes on Old Cheney Road. This concept includes important safety features, such as reducing the number of conflict points from 86 to 44, a reduction of nearly 50 percent. The concept also provides enough capacity to efficiently accommodate traffic well beyond the year 2040 design life.
MORRISSEY ENGINEERING
TD Ameritrade Corporate Headquarters Morrissey Engineering for TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation Category winner: Building/Technology Systems In early 2009, the TD Ameritrade Corporation determined that its Old Mill campus needed new facilities to accommodate its headquarters departments, brokerage operations, and other support groups and spaces in a new building. In November 2009, William Tao & Associates and Morrissey Engineering were engaged as part of the design team for the new TD Ameritrade Corporate Headquarters and Operations Center. Throughout the planning process, TD Ameritrade expressed a desire for a state-of-the-art facility that would meet the highest levels of energy efficiency and reliability. The owner and the design team were committed to achieving Platinum LEED certification, the highest level of LEED certification achievable. The facility is in the final stages of the application process, tracking toward a total of 86 out of a possible 100 points. Once finalized, the facility will be the largest in the state to achieve LEED Platinum certification. The facility also houses TD Ameritrade’s brokerage operations and associated data center space. Because elimination of downtime was important for these spaces, special consideration was given to system designs that promote a high level of dependability while remaining maintainable by the owner’s building maintenance staff. Morrissey Engineering, as part of the building design team, implemented an innovative approach to the system design to provide TD Ameritrade with a facility that meets their current and future needs regarding sustainability, reliability and maintainability.
O L S S O N A S S O C I AT E S
West Haymarket Redevelopment Infrastructure Design Olsson Associates for the City of Lincoln Category winner: Special Projects The City of Lincoln passed a $25 million bond issue in May 2010 to support redevelopment of 400 acres of blighted and underutilized ground west of the Haymarket business district — the largest redevelopment project in the city’s history. Anchored by a 16,000-seat arena, the bond issue passed in the middle of an economic downturn and during a time when delivering on project promises such as meeting schedules and staying within budget were main priorities for members of the community. Olsson Associates, along with its Lincoln Haymarket Infrastructure Team partners, was selected by the West Haymarket Joint Public Agency to provide comprehensive engineering design services for the project. This included design for site development, grading, stormwater, environmental, transportation, utilities, a pedestrian grade separation and historic canopy restoration. Olsson also provided overall program management for the engineering design services. Despite an aggressive project schedule, a multitude of firms involved and the technical complexity of the project itself, the West Haymarket infrastructure project was completed early and on budget. The final as-constructed project demonstrates that innovation, creativity and wide-ranging collaboration can and does result in robust solutions and impressive results.
Reimagine Redevelop
Redefine
The largest LEED Registered facility in the state of Nebraska seeking Platinum certification
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Omaha engineer receives national honors
2014 Engineering excellence awards MERIT AWARDS
STUDIES, RESEARCH AND CONSULTING ENGINEERING SERVICES NDOR ECODatabase Felsburg Holt & Ullevig for the Nebraska Department of Roads University Village HDR Engineering for the University of Nebraska at Kearney
TRANSPORTATION Colton Crossing Flyover HDR Engineering for Union Pacific Railroad Category winner
Joseph Flaxbeard, a professional engineer for Omaha-based Lamp Rynearson & Associates, has been selected as a recipient of the 2014 American Council of Engineering Companies Young Professional of the Year national award. Flaxbeard also will be ACEC’s featured representative for the “New Faces of Engineering 2014” national program. In 2013, ACEC/Nebraska named Flaxbeard as its Young Professional of the Year. He has also received the American Society of Civil Engineers Central Region 2014 Younger Member in Community Activities award and the ASCE Nebraska Section’s 2010-2011 Outstanding Service award. He is currently vice president of the ASCE Nebraska Section. A senior project engineer with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Nebraska, Flaxbeard’s primary focus Flaxbeard at Lamp Rynearson is public infrastructure and site design. He has worked on Omaha’s Combined Sewer Overflow Program and the Aksarben Village redevelopment project. Flaxbeard is also a community volunteer. He leads Lamp Rynearson’s Community Involvement Committee and has organized the firm’s participation in events including the Missouri River Flood Relief Cleanup, Keep Omaha Beautiful Parks Cleanup, Strike Out Hunger with Food Bank for the Heartland, and Habitat for Humanity build events. His past community involvement has included assisting in construction of an exhibit for the Omaha Children’s Museum’s Itty Bitty City, participating in the Nebraska Children’s Home Society’s Sand in the City event and serving as a mentor in the Nebraska “Future City” Competition, which helps raise awareness about engineering among sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students. — ACEC/Nebraska
South Lincoln Quiet Zone Felsburg Holt & Ullevig for the Lincoln Lancaster County RTSD Kearney East Interchange and Bypass Kirkham Michael for the Nebraska Department of Roads
BUILDING/TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS Scott Data Center Expansion Alvine Engineering for the Scott Data Center East Campus Readiness Center HDR Engineering for the Nebraska Army National Guard
ENERGY Landfill Gas to Energy HDR Engineering for the Lincoln Electric System Category winner West Haymarket TEF Farris Engineering for the District Energy Corporation
WATER RESOURCES Ameritrade Stormwater Management Thompson Dreessen & Dorner for TD Ameritrade Corporate Real Estate & Facilities Category winner
IPERS Modernization KPE Consulting Engineers for the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System
Rock Creek Augmentation Project Miller & Associates for the Upper Republican NRD
SMALL PROJECTS Tyrrell Park Water Quality Improvement EA Engineering Science & Technology for the City of Lincoln Parks & Recreation Category winner
Sediment Augmentation Pilot Study HDR Engineering for the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program
Warner Filling Station Parsons Brinkerhoff for the City of Geneva, Neb.
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2014
What’s old is new
Electrical meters for the Highline apartments are grouped on every third floor. Shown in one of the meter rooms is Bob Heffernan, job superintendent.
Engineers work to turn historic office buildings into downtown residential options.
BY JEFF BARNES WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT
This is a boom time for downtown Omaha apartment construction, with new projects coming online and being filled nearly as soon as they are completed. Instead of new construction, these projects are historic office buildings, renovated and repurposed for domestic living. “There’s a certain character to historic buildings that you don’t get with a new building,” said Chris Reed, project manager and mechanical engineer for Morrissey Engineering, who worked on the Highline. “We’re all interested in sustainable design and conserving resources instead of putting up new steel and new drywall — and it gives a different feel.” “Depending upon the condition of the building, you already have the outlay,” said Trevor Larsen, structural engineer with TD2, in listing another benefit of the projects. “You’ve already got the structure — the bones of the building. You can be aggressive as you want to be, like putting a swimming pool on the top floor of the Wire.” The Highline and the Wire, for example, were essentially gutted of their mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, since the codes under which they were built are long out of date. The buildings now include new safety engineering, with fire pumps and sprinklers, emergency generators and stair-
well pressure systems. Scores of individual bathrooms were added, along with HVAC and power for individual apartments — all while keeping the structures looking as they always looked. Under their tax credits, certain aspects of the buildings (such as the lobbies and corridors) cannot be altered. The goal is to preserve historical integrity. The rules apply to the exterior as well. For example, a high-rise apartment building requires electrical meters for each unit, and it wouldn’t do to have a bank of 200 meters on the back of the Highline. Since the meters had to be in the building, where should they be located? The engineering solution was to create a meter room on every third floor, to hold meters for that floor, the floor above and the floor below. “That required working with OPPD to develop a way to put the meters on the floor that isn’t seen,” Reed said. “The benefit of that is that it shortened the runs of feeders and eliminated much of the wiring previously needed, saving the client a quarter of a million dollars.” Dryer and bathroom vents, as well as air intakes for each apartment, could not be run and exposed through the walls of the Highline. The solution was to engineer a system of shafts going up to the roof. As a dryer starts up, a fan kicks on to push the air out of the shaft. The brushed-metal
JEFF BARNES FOR THE WORLD-HERALD
venting blends in among the brushed-metal furnishings on the roof patio. Even when safety is the key issue, engineers work to maintain the aesthetics mandated for historic projects. “At the Wire — where the roof will be occupied, with patios and a roof garden — we have to have handrails,” Larsen said. “We had to have someone standing on another building and on the ground yelling ‘Needs to go back one more foot’ for the placement of the rails.” Engineering makes the habitation of historic commercial properties possible while keeping landmark historic sites functioning and open to the public. Steve Alvine, CEO of Alvine Engineering in Omaha, works on projects for the Na-
tional Park Service throughout its 13-state Midwest region. This includes the St. Louis Arch, the log fur-trading structures of Grand Portage on Lake Superior, the Truman Home in Independence, Mo., and many other structures. “The challenge is always in balancing the modern mechanical, electrical and plumbing needs vs. the historical appearance and integrity,” he said. For example, the Truman Home, longtime residence of former President Harry S. Truman, was turned over to the National Park Service with everything intact, right down to the former president’s socks in their drawers. “It’s essential that nothing gives the appearance of having changed since Truman’s time,” Alvine said. For example, the original wallpaper couldn’t be removed to install a vapor barrier, so Alvine’s solution was to not humidify the home for winter, and to install better HVAC and a high-efficiency furnace while hiding return grilles and diffusers from lines of sight. In other instances, the appearance doesn’t matter — just getting to the project is the hard part. “I’ve crawled through the legs of the St. Louis Arch trying to replace a pneumatic-controlled system with an electronic one,” Alvine said. “At the foot of each leg are 10 air-conditioning boxes, each the size of a small refrigerator, which we needed to retire.”
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11W
YEARS
1959 ! 2014
12W
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2014
OMAHA WORLD-HERALD
A R C H I T E C T U R E | E N G I N E E R I N G | CO N S U LT I N G hdrinc.com
Citizens by Design Inspired design. Hard working infrastructure. At HDR, we salute the engineers that serve our communities, because their work matters. Celebrating Engineers Week February 16-22, 2014
Flood Protection Basin, Papillion | Pioneer Courage Sculpture Park, Omaha