By day, Charles Humphriss is a quiet and unassuming environmental engineer, but by night...(well, actually, this is by day, too, 'cause whatever Charles does at night is his own business) he's a Certified Arborist!
That's right,a Certified Arborist. With a seal and everything. Charles took his lifelong love of nature and trees and parlayed it into a valued service that he can perform.
How do you get to be a Certified Arborist? It's a combination of experience and subject matter knowledge. Becoming a CA requires at least three years full-time experience working in the professional tree care industry. You also have to pass a 200-question examination on tree biology, identification and selection, tree-soil-water relations, tree nutrition and fertilization, tree planting, pruning concepts and techniques, tree preservation on construction sites, problem diagnosis and management, tree risk assessment, and more.
In our line of business, clients often use a Certified Arborist to conduct a Tree Survey or a Tree Inventory before starting a construction project. Having a complete picture of the trees on a site helps the developer (whether a public or private entity) determine the best course of action.
The survey will reveal information such as:
- Species of the tree based on scientific name.
- Physical measurements of the tree such as height and diameter.
- Age of the tree.
- Overall health of the tree.
- Life expectancy.
- Management recommendations.
Based on information from the tree inventory, the project can be designed to maintain certain trees and remove others. A landscape architect may build interesting site features around existing trees. Depending on the type of existing trees on the site, they may be replaced with other, hardier varieties.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Reinventing Suburbia: Best Practices in New Urbanism
From America's very first development, the cozy Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston, to today's vehicle-required sprawling exurbs, we've lost our way.
Now changing demographics and economics have brought the old methods of development to a (tire) screeching halt.
So what's this New Suburbia all about? Here's our take:
Now changing demographics and economics have brought the old methods of development to a (tire) screeching halt.
So what's this New Suburbia all about? Here's our take:
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Conservation Development in Jerome Village: A Case Study of Responsible Development on the Suburban Fringe
Conservation development is a hot topic in community planning circles. It represents a new way of thinking about planning for development. Rather than choosing one of two extremes - rapid growth and anti-growth - community stakeholders and planners can pursue a third path.
The presentation below, Conservation Development in Jerome Village: A Case Study of Responsible Development on the Suburban Fringe, was created by Bird Houk, a division of OHM, based on one of its landmark projects. Jerome Village is a 1600-acre mixed-use development outside metropolitan Columbus, Ohio.
The case study discusses the principles of conservation design, the issues facing the citizens of Jerome and ways that communities can encourage developers to "do the right thing." Jerome Village is a great example of using the ‘best’ of Smart Growth and Conservation Development principles to create sustainable rural communities.
The presentation below, Conservation Development in Jerome Village: A Case Study of Responsible Development on the Suburban Fringe, was created by Bird Houk, a division of OHM, based on one of its landmark projects. Jerome Village is a 1600-acre mixed-use development outside metropolitan Columbus, Ohio.
The case study discusses the principles of conservation design, the issues facing the citizens of Jerome and ways that communities can encourage developers to "do the right thing." Jerome Village is a great example of using the ‘best’ of Smart Growth and Conservation Development principles to create sustainable rural communities.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Better, Stronger, Faster: Comparing UV Spot Repairs for Sewer Pipes to Cured in Place Pipe (CIPP) Methods
Repairing sewer pipes is a less-than-glamorous, but necessary form of ongoing maintenance for most communities. Luckily, science is developing new materials and technologies to make these repairs like Steve Austin's bionic alter ego: better, stronger and faster.
Trenchless technologies (subsurface construction works that don't require digging long trenches) have gained popularity for infrastructure repair work because of the minimal disturbance to the environment. One of the newest methods for repairing sewers is the quick seal UV spot repair system.
This brief article below from MWEA Matters gives an overview of the quick seal UV spot repair and compares it to traditional cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining methods. Reviewing the practical considerations of the quick seal UV system, the article also includes case studies in two municipalities.
Here's a quick rundown of the pros and cons of the quick seal UV spot repair method:
Pros
+ Cure time is reduced from 6-8 hours for CIPP to 10 minutes for UV spot repair, which means that final inspection can happen within minutes, rather than the following day.
+ It's temperature independent, making it possible to install any time of the year.
+ The UV cured liner is strong and a fraction of the thickness of traditional felt liners, allowing for future full lining repairs.
Cons
- The quick seal UV method is more costly.
- The UV spot system can only be applied to 6" to 27" diameter pipes.
Trenchless technologies (subsurface construction works that don't require digging long trenches) have gained popularity for infrastructure repair work because of the minimal disturbance to the environment. One of the newest methods for repairing sewers is the quick seal UV spot repair system.
This brief article below from MWEA Matters gives an overview of the quick seal UV spot repair and compares it to traditional cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining methods. Reviewing the practical considerations of the quick seal UV system, the article also includes case studies in two municipalities.
Here's a quick rundown of the pros and cons of the quick seal UV spot repair method:
Pros
+ Cure time is reduced from 6-8 hours for CIPP to 10 minutes for UV spot repair, which means that final inspection can happen within minutes, rather than the following day.
+ It's temperature independent, making it possible to install any time of the year.
+ The UV cured liner is strong and a fraction of the thickness of traditional felt liners, allowing for future full lining repairs.
Cons
- The quick seal UV method is more costly.
- The UV spot system can only be applied to 6" to 27" diameter pipes.
Six Tips to Motivate Employees with Your Mission
In the March 2009 issue of CORP! magazine: Mission Makes Community Initiatives a Priority: Six Tips to Motivate Employees with Your Mission, we shared some the secrets that have landed us on the top of several best places to work lists over the last five years.
The 101 Best & Brightest Corporate Survey’s Community Initiatives section includes a list of 10 aspects that demonstrate a company’s support for community initiatives. When Kelly Jackson, human resources director for Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. (OHM), completes the survey, she checks every item on the list.
“We didn’t build a program around the goal of checking every item from a list,” Jackson comments. “In fact, we don’t even have a formal community initiatives program. Community involvement is just part of who we are. It’s woven into the fabric of our company.”
Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. is a Livonia-headquartered firm of engineers and architects committed to advising government and other public organizations on infrastructure issues. Since 1962, when former city engineers joined to found the company now known as OHM, clients have included government organizations.
During the first 20 years of operation, the firm pursued both public and private clients, but in the 1980s, the focus changed. “We asked ourselves what really made us excited to go to work every day and what we thought we could be best in the world doing,” John J. Hiltz, OHM president reflects. “And for us, it’s all about working with communities: large and small, developing and redeveloping.”
The commitment to community is reflected in OHM’s mission, Advancing Communities. Having a uniting focus has helped OHM inadvertently create a few best practices around community initiatives.
Consider Organizational Values in Selecting Talent
“We’ve never made it an explicit criterion, but when we stopped to ask ourselves what made someone an ‘OHMer,’ we discovered a common link. Many of our most successful employees, the ones who’ve really fit well culturally are individuals who’ve had a family member or role model involved in public service,” Jackson shares. While some engineers and architects may be motivated by working on high profile and prestigious projects, many of OHM’s staffers are spurred by a sense of involvement. Staff members value the opportunity to become integrated into a local community or public project over a long-term and serve as a trusted advisor.
Lead by Example
OHM encourages and supports staff involvement in the communities the company serves and those in which employees live. The management team doesn’t just preach a commitment to philanthropy, it leads by example. OHM’s past president is the chair of Michigan Technological University’s governing body. Managing partner and board chairman Dan Fredendall is active in education and dozens of charitable and community organizations. John Hiltz is chairman of the development authority for Livonia’s business corridor and recently served a stint on the school board. About 5 percent of staff members serve as elected or appointed officials in their resident communities.
Freedom to Make a Difference
OHM allows employees to determine where they contribute their efforts, rather than mandating a ‘corporate cause.’ From traveling to Haiti to build rain water collection systems for drinking water, to golf outings supporting Alzheimer’s research, OHM employees participated in more than 55 different organizations last year.
“People are more motivated to put their time and energy into something when it’s meaningful to them personally,” Jackson says. “We encourage employees to pursue causes closest to them, whether it’s education, charity or community related.”
Make it Easy to Do Good
OHM ties company celebrations and events to causes. The annual Employee Appreciation Week includes fundraising events, charitable donation drives and raffles. Football tailgates, summer barbecues and other events include the opportunity to wear jeans at the office for a $5 donation to a featured cause. One employee commented that making a donation to wear jeans made it feel like a special treat, rather than something taken for granted.
OHM allows employees to use the company’s resources to promote their causes and events. Company-wide e-mails, fliers in common areas and administrative support make it easier for employees and the company to create an impact.
Celebrate Efforts
Recognize and applaud when employees live the company’s mission. Company leaders publicly and frequently commend staffers for their contributions and achievements. A matching gift program that doubles an employee’s personal contribution, recognition at company-wide events, email messages, and personal conversations all make it clear that OHM values community initiatives.
Let Loose
Have fun with it! When OHM was named one of the top 50 civil engineering firms to work for in the nation, the not-so-stuffy engineering firm let down its collective hair with a Rock Star After Party. Employees got their groove on with a Nintendo Wii Battle of the Bands, Rock Star brand beverages and iTunes gift cards.
And keeping with OHM tradition, staffers let their inner rock star shine by wearing concert tees for a $5 donation to Rock for Kids, a Chicago-based nonprofit bringing music education to underprivileged children.
“We didn’t build a program around the goal of checking every item from a list,” Jackson comments. “In fact, we don’t even have a formal community initiatives program. Community involvement is just part of who we are. It’s woven into the fabric of our company.”
Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. is a Livonia-headquartered firm of engineers and architects committed to advising government and other public organizations on infrastructure issues. Since 1962, when former city engineers joined to found the company now known as OHM, clients have included government organizations.
During the first 20 years of operation, the firm pursued both public and private clients, but in the 1980s, the focus changed. “We asked ourselves what really made us excited to go to work every day and what we thought we could be best in the world doing,” John J. Hiltz, OHM president reflects. “And for us, it’s all about working with communities: large and small, developing and redeveloping.”
The commitment to community is reflected in OHM’s mission, Advancing Communities. Having a uniting focus has helped OHM inadvertently create a few best practices around community initiatives.
Consider Organizational Values in Selecting Talent
“We’ve never made it an explicit criterion, but when we stopped to ask ourselves what made someone an ‘OHMer,’ we discovered a common link. Many of our most successful employees, the ones who’ve really fit well culturally are individuals who’ve had a family member or role model involved in public service,” Jackson shares. While some engineers and architects may be motivated by working on high profile and prestigious projects, many of OHM’s staffers are spurred by a sense of involvement. Staff members value the opportunity to become integrated into a local community or public project over a long-term and serve as a trusted advisor.
Lead by Example
OHM encourages and supports staff involvement in the communities the company serves and those in which employees live. The management team doesn’t just preach a commitment to philanthropy, it leads by example. OHM’s past president is the chair of Michigan Technological University’s governing body. Managing partner and board chairman Dan Fredendall is active in education and dozens of charitable and community organizations. John Hiltz is chairman of the development authority for Livonia’s business corridor and recently served a stint on the school board. About 5 percent of staff members serve as elected or appointed officials in their resident communities.
Freedom to Make a Difference
OHM allows employees to determine where they contribute their efforts, rather than mandating a ‘corporate cause.’ From traveling to Haiti to build rain water collection systems for drinking water, to golf outings supporting Alzheimer’s research, OHM employees participated in more than 55 different organizations last year.
“People are more motivated to put their time and energy into something when it’s meaningful to them personally,” Jackson says. “We encourage employees to pursue causes closest to them, whether it’s education, charity or community related.”
Make it Easy to Do Good
OHM ties company celebrations and events to causes. The annual Employee Appreciation Week includes fundraising events, charitable donation drives and raffles. Football tailgates, summer barbecues and other events include the opportunity to wear jeans at the office for a $5 donation to a featured cause. One employee commented that making a donation to wear jeans made it feel like a special treat, rather than something taken for granted.
OHM allows employees to use the company’s resources to promote their causes and events. Company-wide e-mails, fliers in common areas and administrative support make it easier for employees and the company to create an impact.
Celebrate Efforts
Recognize and applaud when employees live the company’s mission. Company leaders publicly and frequently commend staffers for their contributions and achievements. A matching gift program that doubles an employee’s personal contribution, recognition at company-wide events, email messages, and personal conversations all make it clear that OHM values community initiatives.
Let Loose
Have fun with it! When OHM was named one of the top 50 civil engineering firms to work for in the nation, the not-so-stuffy engineering firm let down its collective hair with a Rock Star After Party. Employees got their groove on with a Nintendo Wii Battle of the Bands, Rock Star brand beverages and iTunes gift cards.
And keeping with OHM tradition, staffers let their inner rock star shine by wearing concert tees for a $5 donation to Rock for Kids, a Chicago-based nonprofit bringing music education to underprivileged children.
Retroreflectivity
New Rules for Retroreflectivity
Listen to the PODCAST!
How do you maintain the traffic signs in your community? Below is a simple self test. Choose the answer that reflects your standard practices:
Retroreflectivity is the scientific term that describes the ability of a surface to return light back to its source. Retroreflective signs and pavement markings bounce light from vehicle headlights back toward the vehicle and the driver’s eyes, making signs and pavement markings visible to the driver.*
The key to compliance is to have a system in place. Essential elements of a compliant system include regularly inspecting signs and replacing those that no longer function adequately. If you checked answers 3, 4 or 5, in our self test, you have the makings of a management system. Your next step is to make sure that you know the new requirements, and then perform a quick review of your system to make sure that you are fully compliant. If you checked answer 1 or 2 in our self test, run (don’t walk) to your friendly engineering advisor and get help creating a system to manage this important asset. Deadlines for compliance will be here before you know it.
For help or advice interpreting the new requirements, or creating a plan to comply contact: Stephen Dearing, Manager of Traffic Engineering Services - 888.522.6711
Listen to the PODCAST!How do you maintain the traffic signs in your community? Below is a simple self test. Choose the answer that reflects your standard practices:
- We replace traffic signs only if they have been knocked down or if a resident complains about how poor they look.
- On an irregular basis, during regular business hours, we sweep through parts of town and replace the traffic signs that seem the most faded or damaged.
- At least once a year, we perform nighttime inspections to discover which traffic signs are no longer visible.
- We track the age of traffic signs and replace all those that have reached a specific age.
- We have a fancy instrument that measures the traffic sign face for minimum performance. We also have a schedule to routinely measure signs and replace those that are substandard.
Retroreflectivity is the scientific term that describes the ability of a surface to return light back to its source. Retroreflective signs and pavement markings bounce light from vehicle headlights back toward the vehicle and the driver’s eyes, making signs and pavement markings visible to the driver.*
The key to compliance is to have a system in place. Essential elements of a compliant system include regularly inspecting signs and replacing those that no longer function adequately. If you checked answers 3, 4 or 5, in our self test, you have the makings of a management system. Your next step is to make sure that you know the new requirements, and then perform a quick review of your system to make sure that you are fully compliant. If you checked answer 1 or 2 in our self test, run (don’t walk) to your friendly engineering advisor and get help creating a system to manage this important asset. Deadlines for compliance will be here before you know it.
For help or advice interpreting the new requirements, or creating a plan to comply contact: Stephen Dearing, Manager of Traffic Engineering Services - 888.522.6711
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Radar Reflectivity Analysis - A New Tool in the Sewer Collection System Arsenal
With a D- grade from the American Society for Civil Engineers, there's no question that America's sewer systems are in rough shape. The EPA estimates that there are 40,000 Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) each year. (That's when systems overflow spewing raw sewage into streets, rivers and basements.)
The most common cause of Sanitary Sewer Overflow stems from heavy rainfall events which cause massive infiltration of stormwater into sewerage lines. Blockage or rupture of sewerage lines also contribute to SSOs.
Municipal system owners look to civil engineers to determine the causes of SSOs and to design the most cost effective approach to eliminate them. The engineer's first step is often to perform a study to determine the causes and sources of the inflow and infiltration. An I/I study models the sanitary system, including determining how wet weather (especially those heavy rainfalls) will affect the system.
When it comes to wet weather responses, the antecendent moisture level can have a huge and vaying impact on the system's performance. From Wikipedia, antecedent moisture is a term that describes the relative wetness or dryness of a sewershed, which changes continuously and can have a very significant effect on the flow responses in these systems during wet weather. Antecedent moisture conditions are high when there has been a lot of recent rainfall and the ground is moist. Antecedent moisture conditions are low when there has been little rainfall and the ground becomes dry. So when you get down to it, a model that does not take antecedent moisture into account in determining a sewer system's capacity to respond to wet weather isn't really very accurate (or useful!) at all.
For more reading about hydrologic models that accurately account for antecedent moisture impacts, check out this overview of i3D, an antecedent moisture model:
But wait, there's more! OHMers Tim Kuhns and Robert Czachorski recently presented a paper at the Water Environment Federation's national Collections Systems Conference. The case study outlined an inflow and infiltration modeling study in Scio Township, Michigan. The project demonstrated the value of a comprehensive approach that includes a highly accurate hydrologic model and radar reflectivity data to identify and correct a rainfall measurement error.
In the paper and presentation, Tim shares several interesting findings for a comprehensive approach to modeling:
-A continuous model that accurately predicts flows can be used to identify anomalies with rainfall and flow measurements. An event based model may not as easily identify these types of errors.
-A thorough evaluation of all error components (model prediction, rainfall, flow) should be completed for major calibration events to ensure model accuracy and confidence in the model results.
-Free and readily available radar reflectivity data can be used without pre-processing to assess the accuracy of rainfall measurements.
The most common cause of Sanitary Sewer Overflow stems from heavy rainfall events which cause massive infiltration of stormwater into sewerage lines. Blockage or rupture of sewerage lines also contribute to SSOs.
Municipal system owners look to civil engineers to determine the causes of SSOs and to design the most cost effective approach to eliminate them. The engineer's first step is often to perform a study to determine the causes and sources of the inflow and infiltration. An I/I study models the sanitary system, including determining how wet weather (especially those heavy rainfalls) will affect the system.
When it comes to wet weather responses, the antecendent moisture level can have a huge and vaying impact on the system's performance. From Wikipedia, antecedent moisture is a term that describes the relative wetness or dryness of a sewershed, which changes continuously and can have a very significant effect on the flow responses in these systems during wet weather. Antecedent moisture conditions are high when there has been a lot of recent rainfall and the ground is moist. Antecedent moisture conditions are low when there has been little rainfall and the ground becomes dry. So when you get down to it, a model that does not take antecedent moisture into account in determining a sewer system's capacity to respond to wet weather isn't really very accurate (or useful!) at all.
For more reading about hydrologic models that accurately account for antecedent moisture impacts, check out this overview of i3D, an antecedent moisture model:
Hydrologic model i3d white paper
View more documents from OHM Advancing Communities.
But wait, there's more! OHMers Tim Kuhns and Robert Czachorski recently presented a paper at the Water Environment Federation's national Collections Systems Conference. The case study outlined an inflow and infiltration modeling study in Scio Township, Michigan. The project demonstrated the value of a comprehensive approach that includes a highly accurate hydrologic model and radar reflectivity data to identify and correct a rainfall measurement error.
In the paper and presentation, Tim shares several interesting findings for a comprehensive approach to modeling:
-A continuous model that accurately predicts flows can be used to identify anomalies with rainfall and flow measurements. An event based model may not as easily identify these types of errors.
-A thorough evaluation of all error components (model prediction, rainfall, flow) should be completed for major calibration events to ensure model accuracy and confidence in the model results.
-Free and readily available radar reflectivity data can be used without pre-processing to assess the accuracy of rainfall measurements.
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