BMP: What is it & Why Do I Care?

Let’s start with what is a BMP?  In Civil Engineering and Construction, it typically refers to Best Management Practices.   The ‘Management’ part can vary, depending on who is using the term BMP’s.  A contractor may refer to Managing a Construction Project, but for Civil Engineering the term is almost always used in reference to stormwater and/or surface water runoff.  In general, Best Management Practices (BMPs) is a term used to describe thecontrol of water pollution; the best way to manage your land and youractivities to reduce or prevent pollution of surface and groundwater near you1.   There are a number of ways that pollution can be introduced to a body of water.  Once pollutants are present, it is more difficult and expensive to restore it to its former glory.  The use of BMPs that prevent damage to receiving waters is the target.

WHERE DOES THE RAINWATER GO?

Think back to the days of grade school and learning about the water cycle.  The very fundamental cycle of water and how it travels is the key to managing this resource in the best possible way.  Since water is a universal solvent, it easily picks up pollutants such as debris, metals, pesticides, sediment, bacteria, and more as it travels.  If left unchecked, the water can then carry these pollutants into lakes, rivers and streams.  For new developments part of their BMP will be a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan or “SWPPP”.  This Plan is developed and maintained throughout the construction phase of a project to ensure that the newly disturbed ground has a minimal impact on the natural water flow until the project is completed.   Another part of the BMPs for a new development will be the Civil Engineer’s Drawings showing how the earth around a building needs to be shaped, what elevations should be used and what the slope of the ground should be.   Along with the potential water quality issues, urban development can displace water and create an increase in flooding and add to the amount of water that is causing erosion or sedimentation.  These changes can also cause a change in vegetation and decrease of native wild life.  This is where Effective Management or ‘Best Management Practices’ (BMPs) become important.  Stormwater BMPs are techniques, measures or structural controls used to manage the flow and improve the quality of stormwater runoff and will be incorporated into the Civil Engineers Plans.

 

CONTROLLING THE FLOW

Typical BMP techniques used to control the flow of water and improve water quality include such measures as detention ponds, grass swales, natural plantings, and natural filters.  The techniques used for each development will differ depending on variables such as water table, typical rainfall, wetlands, overland flood routes, surrounding developments, and available drainage. 

By: Rashida Pflipsen / Rebecca Luginbill

¹ US EPA website:  http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/wswrd/wq/stormwater/bmp.html

Steps for a Happy New Year

As we come to the end of the year, it seems paradox, but instead of finishing projects - this is the time of year when new projects get started. Many companies, schools and businesses are focused on next years’ budgets and the work that will go with them. As you step into the New Year, there is a process needed to successfully get a construction or renovation project off the ground for next spring. If you haven’t already, now is the time to consider the first key step: Funding.

Every project is different, and yet they each have the same basic key elements. No matter how big or small a project is there are important steps to be taken. Funding may seem like an obvious matter, but it is an absolute necessity. Many times Funding will go hand in hand with choosing the right design professional for the project. Is it a new building or renovation? Then an Architect will need to be on your team. Are you doing earthwork or site improvements? A Civil Engineer can help. Hiring a quality professional up front can save time and money with possible solutions before you build. You will also want to have full knowledge of the property you hope to develop. Accurate Surveys, Site Assessments with Historical Data, and Geo-technical Reports, sometimes referred to as “due diligence,” can help determine the property value and the feasibility of using the parcel for the project you have in mind.

Once you have your team in place, the designing can begin. A ‘Schematic Design’ would be the first design steps, some of which can include the above mentioned research. Designs can change based on utilities, drainage, soil conditions, municipalities, or other factors that come up during the continuing research on a piece of land. This first design stage helps to shake out the issues that will need to be handled during the construction process. 

 The ‘Design Development’ Stage continues this design process, refining the plans as decisions are made and issues are resolved. Once the designs are complete, the design professional can issue Construction Documents for bidding. Your design professional can help with the bidding as needed and oversee, answer questions, and provide guidance throughout the construction process including coordination with municipalities and resolution of any issues regarding the design.

At the end of the project, the Close-out will help to tie up loose ends, ensure that any construction issues are resolved and provide the corrections needed for the final occupancy and use of the developed parcel. It sounds like a simple enough process, but having the right team for your project can make the difference between a timely success and a long, expensive road to misery. I’m going to wish you the first – a Happy and Successful New Year with the right people on your team.

ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR ENGINEERS?

It’s November – a traditional time of year for people to stop and think about what they are thankful for in their day to day lives.  Personally, I’m thankful for hot water and for the engineers who figured out how to create a water system that provides me with a constant supply of clean, potable water.   Have you ever thought of all the things that wouldn’t be part of your day today without Engineers?    Things like roads, clean water, bridges, Drainage to prevent flooding and so much more are all because we have Engineers to create, innovate and improve the infrastructure that makes modern society possible.

Water Filter Experiment [Click Here]

These improvements are only part of the reason we can be thankful for Engineers and why so many schools in America are looking at their STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math curriculum as a means to promote interest in these critical fields.  As our society grows in technology, it is becoming increasingly important for schools to foster critical thinking in students, increase their abilities in the STEM fields, and enable this generation to continue to create new and innovative solutions for our needs today, tomorrow and for years to come.    

As part of this effort, MeritCorp Employees spent two hours investing in the future of America at the Crone Middle School STEM night [11-19-14].   Crone Middle School, like many other schools in Illinois, invited working professionals from various businesses to show the students the real life application for STEM curriculum.   

Since Civil Engineering is a broad umbrella, we used a video from the American Society of Civil Engineers [ASCE] called  “What do Civil Engineers Do?” to help the students get a better understanding of the varied options available.   We then did a hands-on project where the students learned the basics of an industrial water filter.   This visual helped the students to see one real-life application of Civil Engineering Knowledge.

We hope that all of the students who came and participated in the STEM night went home with a renewed excitement and interest in the Science and Engineering Fields.  

Spring, Summer, Construction, Winter…..

Fall is here, but are you ready?  Ready for the construction, snow, and really bad pot-holes next Spring?  You drive thru the construction…bounce thru the pot-holes, but have you thought about what those crews on the side of the road are doing?  Ever wonder about the constant work to maintain our roads and what could be the cause of the giant pot-hole you just found?  To answer this, let’s take a look at just three of the factors to asphalt degradation:  How the road was made, who drives on the road, and where the road was built.  

DESIGNING THE ROAD
The first area to look at is the design of the road.  The region where you live and the type of soil that is available is a factor affecting the lifecycle of the roads you use.  Sub-base failure or poor quality soil along with poor compaction can greatly reduce the life of the roads.  Too much clay or silt can affect the ability of the road to drain properly.   An Engineer needs to ask themselves: Is there adequate drainage for spring thaws and heavy water flow?  Will it hold the weight of snow plows and buses?  What utilities are buried in the area?  What is the climate where the road will be built?  All of these are important considerations in designing any road, drive or parking lot.   

WHO DRIVES ON THE ROAD

Alligator Cracking

Have you ever seen a parking lot where the asphalt got too warm and a big truck left a tire mark?  High temperatures soften the asphalt binder and allow the weight of heavy tires to deform the
pavement.
Even in more moderate temperatures over-loading can cause problems.  If the sub-base is not adequately compacted or if too many heavy vehicles are on a roadway early cracking and deterioration may occur.  Prior to designing a roadway, the Civil Engineer needs to know about the amount of use the road will have, the weight of the vehicles and speed they will travel.   If you begin to think about this as you travel, you will notice that many truck stops, shipping facilities, and highways use concrete instead of asphalt so it can withstand the heavy traffic.  It won’t stop the normal process of deterioration over time, however, knowing the intended use of the roadway or parking lot is essential in designing the right solution.

WATER, WEATHER, & ENVIRONMENT
One of the worst enemies of asphalt is water damage including: 

- Water caught under the asphalt causing soft soil    
   conditions or freezing which becomes frost heave. (Silt or Clay is more susceptible)
-  Poor drainage allows water to get into cracks and begins eroding the sub-base.
-  Freezing / Thawing can push asphalt apart at cracks, leave voids in the sub-base and cause 
    potholes.  
-  The ground thaws from the top down which can trap water between the asphalt and frozen ground 
    causing soft soil.

Other weather factors can include hot weather, making asphalt soft and/or causing the asphalt to oxidize making it stiffer and less resilient.  Cold weather can also make the asphalt stiffer and less resilient causing cracks that allow even more water to get in and under it and cause damage.
Other Environmental elements that can affect the life of an asphalt road include tree roots that push up from underneath, changes to the ground under a road such as sinkholes, nearby erosion, or continuous chemical exposure from vehicles in high traffic areas.

MAKE IT LAST
Even the best made Asphalt road won’t last forever and for many municipalities the balance between budget and maintenance is an ongoing issue.   With this information in mind you can watch construction crews with a new perspective and think about these key factors to asphalt paving:
-  Build on a firm foundation and use the best sub-grade material available
-  Compact!  The more dense it is, the stronger it is
-  Design for the region ensuring adequate drainage for spring thaw and heavy water flow
-  Know the traffic load and use
-  Maintain the road by sealing cracks, keeping it clear of water, check ditches and drains

Hopefully this has given you a basic understanding of how and why the potholes form and the basic cause and effect of water, weather and usage on Asphalt.   If you still have questions or need to know more for a project, you can contact us by phone at 630.554.6655 or email.  You can also check out our website www.meritcorp.com for a list of our services.

OLD & NEW

Change can be good, bad and sometimes very hard. Moving to a new office location while expanding and opening a new office is a huge undertaking. One that can have great benefits, but that may come with some temporary setbacks such as schedule delays and perhaps even misplacing that odd piece of paper with information. I have been ever so grateful over the past two months for the generosity and flexibility of those around us including clients, co-workers and even my family. As we have settled into the new locations (yes, we now have TWO offices!! Aurora & Palatine)

I am happy to conclude that we are still the same company – just in a different place.

You are only as good as your employees….
The juxtaposition of old and new, experience and innovation is a never ending tension in the workplace. Every business wants to have experienced employees, but they also NEED a certain amount of innovation and youthfulness to keep up with changing times. At MeritCorp, we strive for that balance between the experience that knows how things are done thru years of learning and innovation that takes a fresh look for new solutions because after all – things aren’t what they used to be. It is important in our industry to keep moving ahead with the cutting edge of technology, ever improving our skills with continuing education and training, while maintaining the connection with that which we know to be tried and true proven methods and experience. Working together, mentoring and continuing education are all important aspects to make each employee even better than they are today, which then continues to make MeritCorp even better for tomorrow and beyond.

Celebrating our People
Labor Day was instituted as a Federal Holiday in 1894 to celebrate the labor that has made this country what it is today. The definition of ‘labor’ and who is being celebrated may be a bit hazy, due to the frenzy of new technology in the recent era, but the Federal Department of Labor puts it this way:

"Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."

‘The American Worker’ has grown far beyond Railroad Crews and Construction Workers. It takes a nation full of dreamers and designers, Architects, Engineers, Builders and Developers to create the ‘strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country’. So take a moment to appreciate your employees, celebrate those you work with and encourage those who are stepping up with new ideas for tomorrow.

We are as good as the Engineers and Surveyors that work here... and proud of it.  We have a new location, we have expanded and added a new office, but the same great people who are worth celebrating are here to make sure that MeritCorp Group LLC continues 'Designing the Future' with our clients.

Rebecca Luginbill

Digging up the Facts on CCDD

If you are in the Construction industry, chances are you have heard about Clean Construction or Demolition Debris, also known as CCDD but you may not know exactly what it is or how it impacts you.   First we need to back up a little and look at what practices have been used in handling soil and construction debris in previous years.  Previously the rules for handling the construction debris were not as clear and during the construction process could go to any number of places.  If the soil and debris were uncontaminated, that may have been okay, however since no one was testing it there was a concern of this material moving harmful contaminates to places where it could affect ground water and public health.  This was part of the reason why regulations regarding the disposal and use of these materials were recently made more specific.

What is Clean Construction and Demolition Debris [CCDD]?

According to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency [IEPA] Website, the definition of CCDD is:

CCDD:  Uncontaminated broken concrete without protruding metal bars, bricks, rock, stone or reclaimed asphalt pavement generated from construction or demotion activities.  When uncontaminated soil is mixed with any of these materials, the uncontaminated soil is also considered CCDD – but only when mixed.  Uncontaminated Soil by itself is not considered CCDD.

Uncontaminated Soil:  Soil generated during construction, remodeling, repair or demolition of utilities, structures and roads that does not contain contaminates in concentrations that pose a threat to human health and safety and the environment.

So what does this mean?  How does this affect the way soil and construction debris are handled today?

The basic question to begin with on a construction project is to find out if there is a potential impact for contaminates from the property or a nearby potentially impacted property [Also known as a PIP].   Land Owners need to know what the property has been used for and if there are nearby industrial properties that could potentially leak harmful substances onto their property.  Is there a gas station or service nearby?  A Dry Cleaners?  A Paint Store?   If a property owner needs assistance in determining if their property is impaired an investigation by a trained Environmental Professional can help.

Uncontaminated Soil – No Potential Threat Nearby

Uncontaminated soil from a site that has not been used for commercial or industrial purposes, such as residential and agricultural soil [except orchards where arsenic and pesticides may have been applied] and that does not have a PIP nearby may be certified by either the site owner or operator or by a licensed professional engineer.   In order to dispose of this Clean Construction and Demolition Debris [CCDD] in a CCDD Fill operation, a pH test is still needed to prove the acidity is within the required range.  If the acidity is not within tolerance the material may need to go to a non-hazardous special waste landfill.

If the CCDD is from a Commercial or Industrial Property or there is a nearby Potential Impacting Property (PIP), certification must be made by a licensed professional in order to send the material to a CCDD Fill Operation.  This includes most roadway, utility and right of way projects as well.  The Environmental Professional will need to analyze samples for contaminates and proper pH levels in order for it to be deemed appropriate for CCDD Fill operations.   If it is impacted, then it will need to go to a landfill or other operation that receives impacted Materials.

Clean Construction and Demolition Debris is not difficult once you understand the rules that are in place to protect our water and environment.   At MeritCorp Group we strive to help our clients with all aspects of their Site Civil Projects from Planning thru completion.  Not sure where to start?  Give us a call!

Civil Engineering - Where Every Day is Earth Day

It’s EarthDay once again! [April 22nd]  In schools across the United States, students are learning about the important natural resources available to us and they are taking time to focus on ways to reduce, reuse, renew and recycle.  It is encouraging seeing this focus in the classroom and exciting to think about how this will translate to a better tomorrow.  That is our focus at MeritCorp every day – ‘Designing the Future’ to our best ability every day.  Perhaps you read the title of this Blog and you are asking yourself, “What does a Civil Engineer do that affects our environment?”

WHAT DO ENGINEERS DO?

There are many facets to Civil Engineering and some of the specializations have more impact than others.  Here are just a few of the ways that a Civil Engineer manages the resources around us:

• Engineers design how and where water flows taking into account contaminates, distance, filtration and final location.  This includes surface water, groundwater, wastewater, soil and air.
• Engineers help manage our natural environment including wetlands, watersheds and floodplains.
• Engineers design systems for wastewater treatment and disposal of solid and hazardous waste.

EARTH DAY – EVERY DAY

With each and every project, whether it be a roadway, building, or subdivision it is important to note that Engineers do not just consider building size and location, vehicle/pedestrian pavement design, traffic flow and safety, but they look at how the stormwater runoff will be collected, stored and discharged.  A Civil Engineer needs to find a way to reduce the volume of water and the level of contaminates in stormwater runoff.  They need to consider how to utilize natural filtration thru clean soil to recharge groundwater tables and to help protect sources of drinking water.

• Where will the water that washes off the sediment, salt and oil from the building or pavement go?
• How are contaminates separated from the stormwater discharge?
• When a building is constructed, will there be enough area to contain rainfall and prevent downstream flooding?
• Does the planned building or parking lot affect a natural area or wetland?

Proper management of stormwater from any land development is essential to ensure the continued quality of our natural water system of streams, rivers, wetlands, watersheds and floodplains.

SITE CIVIL WORK AND BEYOND

When buildings and subdivisions are constructed, the civil engineers are responsible for designing how and where drinking water is provided to serve the site and how wastewater will be leaving the site.

• Where will the water and sewer lines that are necessary for the building go?
• How will they hook up with what is already in place?
• How are these water and sewer lines protected? 

Municipalities and some developments are required to have wastewater filtered and cleaned either by a water treatment facility or thru a natural process before it goes back into our streams and waterways.

Earth Day is an important reminder that we need to minimize our negative impact on the environment.  As we learn and improve, we also strive to ‘clean up’ what is already in place thru testing and remediation.    Every day MeritCorp Group LLC works to design a better tomorrow thru responsible planning and thoughtful Engineering.   We can also help identify potential hazards at existing developments with Phase I and PhaseII investigations, and Asbestos Surveys.  We don’t need to wait for Earth Day to improve the World we live in because here we do it every day.

-  by Clayton Schuler and Rebecca Luginbill