Dredge Baby, Dredge!

I was cleaning out my old laptop and found some of my dredging photos/videos from back in grad school. I've been working on a lot of dredging projects as of late so I thought I'd share!

What is dredging? It is basically excavation underwater (e.g., in rivers, bays, etc.).

 Source: http://huron.lre.usace.army.mil/

There are several types of projects involving dredging work. Some examples are:

• Remedial dredging for removal of contaminated sediments in the waterways; 
• Capital dredging to increase depth of navigation channels/harbor access channels to accommodate for deep-draft ships (more cargo = more $$);
• Maintenance dredging to remove accumulated sediments in navigation channels in order to maintain channel depths. 

Here are some photos/videos I "dredged" out of my laptop. I believe this was in Port Newark area. This monster is a mechanical dredge. I have yet to meet a hydraulic dredge in person. =)

Photo of the clam shell bucket in action:

Photo of the bucket in open position:

View from the Operator's Seat:

 

Video of the port cranes in action (Tom Cruise is operating it):

Photo of your goodies! Wonder how much that is worth?:

Remember, Safety First!

ENJOY!

What does Linkin Park and Wetlands have in common?

Answer: Nothing. My creative attempt at getting more viewers. =)

I stopped by the Lincoln Park Wetland Restoration site today in Lincoln Park, Jersey City, NJ. This is one of the projects I worked on in the past, but I never really had the time to stop by after it was constructed. Today was the day (photos can be found at the end of this post).

Brief Background on the Lincoln Park (LP) Wetland Restoration Project: 

The LP site (approximately 40+ acres) is a restored tidal wetland complex off the Hackensack River in Jersey City, NJ.

Here's a very brief history of land use:

• Existing salt marsh.
• Illegal dumping activities convert site to a landfill/dredged material disposal site.
• Restored back to a salt marsh (LP Wetland Restoration Project).

This innovative project consisted of proper landfill closure, wetland/habitat restoration, pond restoration, beneficial reuse of dredged material suitable as a planting medium, etc. Additionally, a 9-hole golf course is currently in the process of being constructed adjacent to our LP wetland site. I can't wait to play on that course when it is constructed!

Overall, the LP Wetland Restoration project is a great example of urban sustainability and is one of the projects I am proud to have been a part of. An "ecological oasis right outside of NYC".

Photos I took of the site prior to LP Wetland Restoration:

Photos I took today (6/24/2012):

Here is an aerial photo of the site:

 Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.

 Here are some links if you would like to read more into the project:

• Recovery.gov
• Video during Earth Day 2010
• Commerce.gov
• Marshland Restored in Model New Jersey Project

Enjoy!

Porous Pavement Trail in Albany, NY

I stopped by the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center today since it wasn't too far from my hotel. The site has some porous pavement trails that I wanted to check out after looking into some green infrastructure sites in the Hudson Valley. Based on information available from the NYSDEC website, this type of porous pavement mixture includes recycled tires. The function is the same concept as I discussed in my previous post, except the mixture may differ especially for proprietary products such as this one. There are many others as well that involve the use of recycled glass, etc.

For more information on this site, see this link: NYSDEC Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center Porous Pavement.

I am now off to my vampire oversight shift!

 Here are some photos I took:

Enjoy!

Civil Engineers

I am currently at a Starbucks in Upstate NY (my only day off). As I briefly mentioned in my previous blog, I am up here conducting oversight for a major project. There isn't much to do near my hotel (this place is filled with generic chain restaurants, shopping centers, etc.) so I will post.

For this post, I will re-circulate what our 31st president, Herbert Hoover, had to say about civil engineering:

"It is a great profession. There is the satisfaction of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of science to a plan on paper. Then it moves to realization in stone or metal or energy. Then it brings jobs and homes to men. Then it elevates the standards of living and adds to the comforts of life. That is the engineer's high privilege. The great liability of the engineer compared to men of other professions is that his works are out in the open where all can see them. His acts, step by step, are in hard substance. He cannot bury his mistakes in the grave like the doctors. He cannot argue them into thin air or blame the judge like the lawyers. He cannot, like the architects, cover his failures with trees and vines. He cannot, like the politicians, screen his shortcomings by blaming his opponents and hope that the people will forget. The engineer simply cannot deny that he did it. If his works do not work, he is damned. That is the phantasmagoria that haunts his nights and dogs his days. He comes from the job at the end of the day resolved to calculate it again. He wakes in the night in a cold sweat and puts something on paper that looks silly in the morning. All day he shivers at the thought of the bugs which will inevitably appear to jolt his smooth consummation. On the other hand, unlike the doctor his is not a life among the weak. Unlike the soldier, destruction is not his purpose. Unlike the lawyer, quarrels are not his daily bread. To the engineer falls the job of clothing the bare bones of science with life, comfort and hope.

No doubt as years go by people forget which engineer did it, even if they ever knew. Or some politician puts his name on it. Or they credit it to some promoter who used other people's money with which to finance it. But the engineer himself looks back at the unending stream of goodness that flows from his successes with satisfactions that few professions may know. And the verdict of his fellow professionals is all the accolade he wants."

So far in my young career, I have been fortunate to see some of the projects I worked on become a reality. I must admit, when you see your calculations, designs and all your late nights and hard work pay off, whether the project is big or small, the feeling is priceless.

 Image Source: http://civilengineerlink.com

How come I never get to wear a business suit to a project site? =)

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"Build a Rain Barrel" Workshops in New Jersey

There are workshops being held in NJ this week and next week on building rain barrels. Check it out on this link - Build a Rain Barrel.

Rain barrels at your home (if you have one) can be an inexpensive, simple way to harvest rainwater for various non-potable uses such as watering your garden, etc. It could save you some money on the bills and provide you with an opportunity to contribute in combating local flooding.

Image source: lastormwater.org

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Green Infrastructure for Passaic County?

I read some great news the other day on Passaic County! The article is available on North Jersey.

"Passaic County will be holding a workshop called "Green Streets 101" on June 11 to discuss how to better include green infrastructure into the county's capital planning."

 
I always had a strong interest in topics associated with the Passaic River Basin, which led me to focus my research project on it during my Master's. It's probably because one of my first WAH-TAH resources assignments as an engineer was to develop a hydraulic model for a portion of the river.

The Passaic River Basin
Image Source: PassaicRiver.org

As many from North Jersey may know, Passaic County is part of the Passaic River Basin, which is considered one of the most flood prone watersheds in the U.S. We see the flood damages every year on the news... billions of dollars worth of damages having occurred already since the early 1900's. It is a constant concern, especially for the residents, local businesses, etc.

Many studies have been prepared and proposed approaches (e.g., buyouts and elevated homes, levees, etc.) have been published. For example, the Passaic River Flood Advisory Commission published their 15-recommendations last year. Also, many may know of the USACE "Main-Stem" Plan proposed a long time ago, which consisted of an underground flood tunnel. The tunnel, however, has been very controversial due to the uncertainties in environmental impacts and costs.

I remember one of my professors telling us, "Engineers can solve any problem, just hand us a blank check". It's very true. A massive project such as the underground flood tunnel may be one of the large-scale, long-term solutions, especially with increasing development and urbanization and the growing costs associated with recovery. It's been done before. For example, Japan has massive underground flood tunnels. But, how can we fund this type of project (not considering environmental impacts)?

Green infrastructure to the rescue?! Well, no. Is it a strong player as part of a comprehensive solution? Yes! It's not going to be the answer to all problems, but, I am a firm believer that the widespread use of green infrastructure practices can help manage smaller and more frequent storms and provide a sustainable environment. AND, it's cost-effective.

So, great news!

"The workshop will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Passaic County Public Safety Academy, 300 Oldham Road, Wayne. To RSVP for the workshop contact Jennifer Gonzalez in the Passaic County Planning Department at 973-569-4040 or jenniferg@passaiccountynj.org."

Wish I could attend, but I will be on an oversight job for the next two weeks in Upstate NY.

Enjoy!