As Auburn University continues to grow their phenomenal football program, a need developed to upgrade their football operations facility. This involved transforming campus tennis courts and track facilities into a new, state-of-the-art football operations building and practice facility. As part of the new development, an underground stormwater detention system was required.
THE CHALLENGE
Shortly after being awarded the project, the contractor reached out to partner with Oldcastle Infrastructure to bring the project to life. After previously working with Oldcastle Infrastructure in the Atlanta market, our team and the contractor had developed a mutually-respected working relationship.
Specific challenges the team faced during this project included:
| Introducing a new precast product to Auburn University engineered specifically for stormwater management.
| Reducing the lead times and installation window with a more efficient product.
| Ensuring the design engineer was in agreement that this product would be a better fit for this project than the box culvert.
THE SOLUTION
The Oldcastle Infrastructure team identified a unique opportunity to install two StormCapture systems in lieu of the specified box culvert, which would have required more pieces in addition to a longer delivery and set time.
This was the first time StormCapture units were delivered to the state of Alabama. The two StormCapture systems were successfully installed by ensuring all components were accounted for in advance, resulting in an expedited installation of one day per system.
The StormCapture footprint allowed the contractor to utilize a smaller number of modules.
BENEFITS
TIME-SAVINGS
With precision and nimbleness, Oldcastle Infrastructure was able to shave an entire week off of the installation timeline. Combining a perfectly-scheduled and executed delivery, with a system that required far less comparative laydown area, the project was delivered according to exact project specifications and a full week ahead of schedule.
DEDICATED SUPPORT
Oldcastle Infrastructure acted beyond the call of duty and scope as a complete supportive partner throughout the entire project. Oldcastle team members assisted with everything from crane setup, to rigging, to fitting, safety and more, impressing the general contractor and project owner.
“The support provided by the Oldcastle team during installation was unbelievable. I expect to see this system included as a solution for underground stormwater detention on many future Auburn University projects.”
VP of EVERGREN SITEWORKS
Owner: Auburn University
Contractor: Evergreen Siteworks
Consulting Engineer: LBYD
Solution: 44 6-foot StormCapture® units | Three Link Slabs
Stormwater Volume: 310,651 cubic feet of storage
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Oldcastle Infrastructure’s OneLift™ Pump Station offered a streamlined solution for the Sedona, Arizona, wastewater collection system by providing pump stations at two locations as part of the City’s infrastructure.
THE CHALLENGE
Because the City is situated at the bottom of a valley, most of its waste water goes through a series of pump stations to reach the treatment facility situated at higher elevation. The installation of the Mystic Station and Chapel Station units required excavation into rock to get the required depth in a short period of time.
This project raised a number of challenges along the way:
| The Mystic Station required a smaller footprint to build the masonry wall.
| The Chapel Station needed to be replaced in full.
| The contractor required rapid installation to avoid excessive bypass pumping costs.
THE SOLUTION
Oldcastle Infrastructure delivered and installed two OneLift Pump Stations at Mystic and Chapel stations as part of the City’s existing infrastructure.
| Installing OneLift at the Mystic Station allowed for a smaller excavation to avoid the long and costly process of a larger excavation required of a conventional station.
| OneLift served as a complete replacement at the Chapel station, allowing for extra capacity in the same footprint while staying out of an adjacent wash.
BENEFITS
The OneLift Pump Station was the perfect solution for this project. It met the customer’s needs for a quality solution with more capacity and a smaller footprint that could be installed quickly and efficiently.
TURKNEY SOLUTION
The OneLift Pump Stations from Oldcastle Infrastructure enhanced this project in a number of ways, including:
| A smaller footprint requiring less excavation on a challenging site
| Pre-assembly for the product allowed for rapid installation
| Seamless integration into pre-existing infrastructure
| Quick installation to save on excessive costs and time
“OneLift’s pre-packaged and pre-plumbed features made my job as project manager much easier. We were able to install the product in one day and it required only a minimal pipe and electrical work on-site, making it easily compatible with
project specifications.”
Kinney Construction Services, Inc.
During construction of the Intermodal Transportation Facility–West (ITF-West) at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Oldcastle Infrastructure delivered superior stormwater management by installing multiple products including StormCapture. ITF-West will stand as a new parking structure as well as the face of LAX, housing approximately 4,300 stalls, drop-off and pick-up locations, and short- and long-term parking options for travelers. The StormCapture detention system and accompanying products provided an efficient on-site solution to facilitate stormwater drainage and treatment.
THE CHALLENGE
Swinerton contractors are playing a key role in transforming LAX through the Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) to provide more transportation options for travelers and allow for adjustments in the future. The ITF-West facility is the first component of future-proofing LAX, where Oldcastle joined forces with KPFF to install StormCapture for its large storage capacity under the new parking structure.
This installation provided a number of challenges along the way:
| Several site constraints and structural design parameters limited product options
| With moving parts to this overall project, StormCapture needed to be installed on a tight timeline
| The cistern’s location created size constraints for StormCapture
| The solution had to meet the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation and Department of Building and Safety approvals
THE SOLUTION
Oldcastle Infrastructure and KPFF worked together to design a custom stormwater management system and long-term storage solution that fit all parameters of the project with StormCapture, Dual-Vortex Separator and MaxWell drywells to be installed under the ITFWest’s building footprint. Where size constraints played a role, Oldcastle was able to showcase its ability to think outside the box by installing RCP pipe in place of vaults. From manufacturing to its fast installation process and minimal handling, the StormCapture installation added a valued solution that met the project’s tight scheduling deadlines. The design solution met the stringent permitting requirements of the City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS).
Because of site constraints and structural design parameters, StormCapture was the ideal storage solution for this project.”
Associate with KPFF
BENEFITS
STRUCTURALLY SUPERIOR
| The ITF-West at LAX installation is a great example of StormCapture’s efficiency. With a large storage capacity that requires no concrete footing, StormCapture, integrated with other Oldcastle products, provides a reliable stormwater management system.
MODULAR DESIGN
| Focusing on the needs of the customer, the precast nature of StormCapture made it a customizable option for the ITF-West installation that could be used as part of a treatment train. It also came with the options to include Cisterns, space-efficient and sustainable modules, for harvesting rain and stormwater.
FUTURE-PROOF SOLUTIONS
| StormCapture is site-friendly with its easy-to-install design. Installed at a lifetime cost, this stormwater management product is made to maintain for a long-term quality solution.
Project: LAX ITF-WEST
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Distribution Plant: Fontana, CA
Product: STORMCAPTURE®
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In Rochester, Minnesota, changes were being made to a street section that included the installation of a new roundabout. Incidentally, a single manhole was positioned in the center of this new roundabout section and the existing infrastructure was failing.
THE CHALLENGE
As the roundabout was being built, it was discovered that the vault needed to be replaced as it was undersized and additional capacity was needed.
THE SOLUTION
The contractor, TD&I Cable Maintenance, decided to use Oldcastle Infrastructure’s precast, 3-piece, 612-7 vault. To solve the issue of the existing vault not having the needed capacity, it was decided that two new structures would get the job done. Each vault was positioned on opposite ends of the roundabout, eliminating the need for the single vault in the middle of the street.
This was the first install of this type of vault done by the contractor. In this case, the knockouts were removed, and this easily allowed for each section to be lowered directly into position. The pieces only needed to be moved horizontally a few inches to encase the existing duct bank. This allowed the contractor to position the bottom of the vault without having to over excavate the hole and without the risk of damaging live fiber cables.
THE PROCESS TOOK LESS THAN TWO HOURS FROM THE TIME THE CRANE SHOWED UP, UNTIL IT WAS BACK ON THE ROAD.
“We really liked the product manufactured by Oldcastle Infrastructure and fully endorse the use of their vaults.”
Spencer Pannhoff, Director of Business Development for TD&I Cable Maintenance
BENEFITS
Installing with Precast is Quick and Easy
The completion of this project is a great example of how easy precast is to use in comparison to pour in place. Because precast vaults are delivered in pieces that can slide into place, installation typically takes as little as one to two hours to be completed. This means there is no waiting for cure time and roads can be opened the same day, saving time, money, and energy. Additionally, minimizing disruptions in the community and increasing safety for all workers involved.
“Using precast vaults allows for a quicker install that saves both time and money”
Ben Gehrts, Sales Manager
Over-excavating Isn’t Necessary
Without having to over-excavate the existing hole, less work must be done. There is no need to spend time opening additional space on all sides and then closing a larger work space. This makes Oldcastle Infrastructure’s precast vaults very convenient to work with. Especially in tight locations where there are other utilities in the way.
NO Interruption of Service
Because assembly of the vaults is completed on site, the entire installation process can be performed without interruption to the surrounding area’s service. This lessens interference with local communities and reduces installation time as there is no need to have to turn electricity on or off.
Project: Rochester Vault Replacement
Location: Rochester, MN
Distribution Plant: Auburn, WA
Product: Precast, 3-piece, 612-7 Vault
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When faced with the significant design and construction challenge of building an electrified light rail line across Lake Washington, on an existing Interstate Highway floating bridge, the team at Oldcastle Infrastructure in Auburn, WA, showcased their ability to innovate a process to manufacture precast elements that were critical to the project.
THE CHALLENGE
The light rail line had to be constructed while keeping the bridge open to traffic. Sound Transit had a specific need to construct an electrified light rail line across Lake Washington on an existing Interstate Highway floating bridge. Significant challenges included minimizing the weight that would be added to the bridge and addressing the additional loads and stresses applied to the bridge during construction while the highway stayed open to traffic.
Oldcastle Infrastructure was instrumental in manufacturing 9,000 custom precast blocks to serve as rail ties. Careful control over the consistency of the concrete was needed, and that meant that the automation cycle times would limit the number of blocks that could be poured from each batch to 8-10 blocks. This would limit batch sizes to approximately 1/3 yard with batch-to-placement time limited to 30 minutes to achieve the required finish.
THE SOLUTION
Oldcastle Infrastructure developed a new mass production process for the manufacture of a highly specialized lightweight precast rail block. This, “Dual Block” railroad tie system provided the right solution for this unique situation. Kiewit/Hoffman partnered with Oldcastle Infrastructure for the production of the test blocks for full-scale proof of concept tests and production of the final blocks for permanent installation on the bridge.
The uniqueness of this task required development of a new construction method for installation.
A team of consultants and engineers, in collaboration with the University of Washington, developed and lab tested the product concept over several years in advance of the project.
Field testing for proof of concept was conducted using an initial production run of blocks produced by Oldcastle Infrastructure using the materials, methods and procedures that would be utilized for full-scale production.
To address the transition of the rail alignments on and off the bridge, pontoon freeboard elevations and cambers and the safety and maintenance of the rail lines, over 8,800 Dual Blocks of five types and 57 total variations were required.
The lightweight concrete minimized the weight of the installation and all conductive components for each block were grounded back to shore to prevent stray current penetration of the electrified rail system into the bridge.
THE MILE LONG FLOATING TRACK CONNECTS SEATTLE TO BELLEVUE WASHINGTON
BENEFITS
Superior Quality Control
A lightweight concrete mix with a hardened unit weight of 105 lb. PCF was required. The consistency of the lightweight concrete was carefully controlled in a “micro” batching environment.
An ACT WoCoMix WM750 batch plant, with fully automated computer control, provided the consistency required. Each of the final blocks was treated as a unique unit with registration, data acquisition and tracking of every block from the testing of the component materials prior to fabrication through delivery of each block, with all data provided at the time of delivery.
“Rail service from Seattle to Bellevue, Washington is slated to begin in 2023.”
Meeting Tight Tolerances
The tolerances required for block placement, to meet railcar rideability, requires the blocks to be hand positioned, suspended from the rails and leveled before attachment to the bridge
deck. The Dual Block system meets the very tight dimensional tolerance requirements of rail fasteners for fastening of the rails directly to the blocks.
Project: Sound Transit East Link (E130)
Location: Seattle, WA
Distribution Plant: Auburn, WA
Product: Precast Dual Blocks
Start Date: September 2017
Completion Date: Fall 2020
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The Oldcastle Infrastructure three-sided bridge offered a solution for the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) to create a large, open underpass crossing in a remote part of the state to allow elk to continue migrating safely past US-191.
THE CHALLENGE
Elk migration patterns created a need for a structure that was large enough to not disrupt their routine, and strong enough to withstand traditional highway traffic. Roads and other urban developments can often bisect wildlife habitats for a number of species, so providing connectivity between habitats can ensure greater survival for an entire ecosystem. This project raised a number of challenges along the way, including:
| The UDOT was looking for an economical, ecological solution to provide both road travellers and wildlife a way to coexist.
| Load rating the three-sided-bridge proved challenging as the required rating software and methods had not been used on a three- sided “clamshell” bridge.
| Drive-time restrictions due to the project’s remote location restricted the number of bridge sections that were able to be delivered each day.
THE SOLUTION
Oldcastle Infrastructure delivered 14, 26’x8’ three-sided- bridge units to be set in a “clamshell” configuration, creating a 26’ x16’ measuring 54 feet in length.
The installation process:
| First, a diversion around the highway was constructed to allow traffic to continue to travel and the contractor began excavation.
| Despite logistical limitations due to drive-time restrictions and travel distance, installation of the three-sided-bridges took just two days. The bottom seven units were set in one day, with the top units completed the next day.
| Lastly, the highway was reconstructed after the bridge was installed.
The Oldcastle Infrastructure engineering team was integral
in modeling the bridge in finite analysis software to calculate and incorporate the load rating into UDOT’s system. This project laid the foundation for the load-rating of three- sided-bridges and developed processes to streamline future projects utilizing this product.
Even with the remote location, we were able to supply enough bridges that our product was set in two days.”
Marketing Engineer
BENEFITS
The three-sided-bridge was the perfect product to design a system for such a project. It met the customer’s need for a highly constructible, precast solution and satisfied the Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) requirements. ABC is a bridge-construction that uses innovative planning, design, materials and construction methods in both a safe and cost- effective manner to reduce onsite construction time.
A HIGHLY CONSTRUCTIBLE PRECAST SOLUTION
Precast concrete advantages from the Oldcastle Infrastructure products enhanced this project in a number of ways, including:
| Improved site constructability
| Expedited total product delivery time
| Enhanced work-zone safety for the traveling public
| Reduced traffic impact
| Shorter onsite construction time
| Less weather-related time delays
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As part of a critical effort to deliver high-speed internet services and upgrade telecommunications infrastructure in remote areas of Wisconsin, Northwest Communications selected Oldcastle Infrastructure’s Duralite® 2436 handhole. The superior construction, lighter weight, and ease of installation provided Northwest Communications with an innovative, durable, and cost-effective solution.
THE CHALLENGE
Northwest Communications provides phone services, high speed internet and high-definition cable TV throughout its eight-community service area in Western Wisconsin. The second largest independent telecommunications firm in the state, Northwest Communications owns, manages, and maintains its own private cable and fiber infrastructure, including manholes, handholes, underground conduit, telephone poles, and antenna towers. Strategic positioning of this infrastructure ensures that the necessary facilities are ready and available to service customer needs.
The company is currently extending high-speed internet service to more remote areas of its coverage area under the FCC’s Alternative Connect America Cost Model. Northwest Communications is burying fiber optic cable to deliver these services to outlying areas and ultimately replace phone lines.
Selecting the right underground enclosure, cable vaults, and other infrastructure is crucial to sustain long service life, minimize maintenance, and reduce liability issues.
THE SOLUTION
Northwest Communications recently installed 80 Oldcastle Infrastructure Duralite 2436 composite handholes equipped with Tier 15 plastic lids for enclosure integrity as part of an expansion program around St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. Able to withstand heavy loads, the lightweight 24” x 36” enclosure has been engineered and tested for maximum body, lip, and sidewall strength and durability.
Northwest Communications’ utility services contractor, Tjader & Highstrom, installed one box approximately every 1,500 feet. The resulting network of handholes now provides durable, accessible security to Northwest Communications’ growing service infrastructure.
Superior material selection was a big factor in selecting the Duralite units, according to Greg Cardinal, Northwest Communications’ Plant Manager. Cardinal oversees contractors for installs and day-to-day service, and is the purchasing decision-maker for underground enclosures. Duralite’s strategically engineered enclosure design and innovative material composite blend made it the right choice to deliver the reliable, high-quality performance that Northwest Communications and its clients depend on.
We really like the fact that you don’t have to use a backhoe to set the box, as you do for installing polymer units. At a box set every 1,500 feet, our contractor can install one-and-a-half to two miles per day.”
Greg Cardinal
Plant Manager, Northwest Communications
BENEFITS
The Duralite 2436 provides the strength of polymer concrete at half the weight, which translates into safer, easier, and significantly less costly installation.
THE LIGHTWEIGHT ADVANTAGE
Duralite’s significantly lower weight translates into convenience and flexibility because there is no need to coordinate transport by a flatbed truck. “We can use our pickup truck to deliver boxes to the site and work on our own schedule,” Cardinal said. “Also, the box’s lid is awesome. I can move it by myself, and it seems really sturdy.”
Only two crew members and a backhoe were necessary on site for the install of the Duralite enclosures. The backhoe was used only to dig the hole, drop pea gravel, backfill, and compact the soil; it wasn’t necessary for actually setting the box in place. Also, the crew did not require bracing when backfilling.
In addition, the box holds a substantial amount of additional fiber line. The contractor was able to store 60 feet of extra fiber in each box for each of three lines – 180 feet in all.
EASIER INSTALL EQUALS SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS
Beyond their reliable, high-quality performance, the Duralite 2436 boxes also delivered significant cost savings for Northwest Communications. Due to their lighter weight and the resulting streamlined set-up process, the company saved approximately 35 percent installing the Duralite 2436 boxes compared to standard polymer enclosures.
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The STAKKABOX Ultima Connect Chamber proved to be a natural fit for a telecommunications infrastructure replacement, owing to its ease of installation, flexibility to site conditions, and the ability to install the chamber without outages to in-place fiber cable.
THE CHALLENGE
Telecommunications providers use pull boxes to splice fiber optic cables and store additional cable slack. Over time, plastic pull boxes deteriorate and need replacing both to protect components and to allow more room for cable
storage and additional fiber lines to meet ever-increasing demand.
In this replacement project for a telecommunications provider in Ottawa, Canada, existing fiber optic lines and conduit were running through three sides of a pull/splice box. Typically, to replace such a box without a break in service, a large “mouse-hole” must be cut into the new box on any side where it is being placed over existing cable. Adding these large holes usually compromises the integrity of the box and causes it to fail prematurely.
In addition, such projects frequently come with a degree of uncertainty, since it often is not known exactly how deep the replacement box will need to be – creating the need for guesswork.
THE SOLUTION
For this effort, Oldcastle Infrastructure provided one 36″ x 60″ x 54″ STAKKABOX Ultima Connect Chamber unit with composite covers. The unit was delivered flat-packed (unassembled) and then constructed in the field.
Installation was extremely straightforward:
| An excavator was used to dig the hole and remove the existing box.
| The ground was leveled for placement of the new chamber assembly.
| The chamber was built from the ground up, using components and connecting pegs, one layer at a time.
| As the rising walls of the chamber approached conduit or fiber optic lines, the chamber components were easily cut with a saw to allow for building around the obstructions.
| The layers were built to the required final grade.
| The frame was placed and screws were used to secure the composite covers to it.
The total time for installation was approximately four hours (one half-day).
“We foresee substantial time and cost savings when replacing or upgrading pull/splice boxes— quickly and with minimal impact.”
Chris Schultz | Product Manager
BENEFITS
CUSTOMIZED DEPTH
The STAKKABOX Ultima Connect Chamber system gave the provider the flexibility to dig the hole and place the box as deep as necessary without concern for the box’s ultimate height. During the building process, the number of layers could be easily adjusted to bring the box’s final height to grade level- a huge advantage over the typical installation.
NO INTERRUPTION IN SERVICE
Because the STAKKABOX is constructed around the existing infrastructure, it minimizes outages when upgrading/replacing a current pull box. Workers simply drill or cut holes in the Ultimate Connect layers where necessary as the box is built. This process allows existing fiber optic cable and conduit to pass through the sides without affecting any lines currently in service.
This feature is especially important in confined urban environments that often have both deteriorating equipment/ infrastructure and high demand due to the population density.
NO IMPACT ON BOX INTEGRITY
The layered system for integrating existing cable does not impact the integrity of the box, unlike the large holes that must be cut in typical replacement boxes. The Stakkabox can be customized to meet the unique site requirements while ensuring a load resistance well above the ANSI/SCTE Tier 22 standard.
SPEEDY & COST-EFFECTIVE INSTALLATION
The STAKKABOX Ultima Connect Chamber provides huge advantages in installation time, ease, and labor effort. In as little as four hours, the chamber can be built and installed in the field with lightweight components following a straightforward assembly process.
The telecommunications provider was extremely impressed with the innovation of the Stakkabox. They foresee substantial time and cost savings when replacing or upgrading pull/splice boxes—quickly and with minimal impact.
www.OldcastleInfrastructure.com
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A national railroad passenger authority put the STAKKABOX Ultima Connect Chamber to the test, and found it to be an extremely durable, customizable and easy-to-install solution for protecting railway wiring components.
THE CHALLENGE
Transit signal and communications functions are key to the effectiveness and safety of mass transportation systems, particularly commuter rail. The reliability of the infrastructure that protects these critical components is therefore of utmost importance.
The national railroad passenger authority conducted a test of an innovative STAKKABOX Ultima Connect Chamber wiring box for application to a commuter rail line. Typically, heavy polymer concrete boxes are used along with cable trench and conduit to provide a protective system to coordinate transit signal and communication wiring. These polymer concrete boxes have traditionally been difficult to modify without compromising their strength. In addition, the covers are heavy to remove, and the concrete is susceptible to cracking.
THE SOLUTION
For the test, Oldcastle Infrastructure provided a 4′ x 4′ x 4’ Stakkabox Ultima unit with composite covers. The opening was designed to allow easy interface with the Plastibeton Cable Trench System.
Installation was simple and straightforward:
| An excavator was used to dig a hole in the ground for installation.
| The excavator then lifted and set the completely assembled chamber into the hole. (Note: Due to the layered design of the Stakkabox Ultima, the chamber could also be assembled directly in the hole, if necessary.)
| The area around the chamber was backfilled.
| The frame was placed and screws were used to secure composite covers to the frame.
The total time for the installation was approximately three hours.
“The national railroad passenger authority was extremely impressed with the strength and durability of the chamber, along with how simple it is to install.”
Chris Schultz | Product Manager
BENEFITS
THE STAKKABOX PROVED TO BE A DURABLE AND EASY-TO-CONFIGURE SOLUTION DUE TO THE FOLLOWING OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS:
| The components and covers are lightweight, which assists with installation and provides easy access to cables in the future.
| Openings for cable trench or conduit can be provided in advance or even cut onsite, without compromising strength and performance.
| The layered design of STAKKABOX means that rings can be added or removed to reach a customized final depth as required.
| The Glass Reinforced Polyester Resin (GRP) components will not crack when placed close to vibrating rails.
GOLD STANDARD DURABILITY: THE “TRACK TEST”
To assess its reliability, the STAKKABOX Ultima Connect Chamber was subjected to the “track test.” The maintenance crew made their best attempt to destroy the box, to ensure that it would perform under extreme encounters during normal use.
The evaluation included the following rigorous measures:
| Driving a fully loaded excavator over the chamber.
| Placing the excavator stabilizer directly on the chamber and moving the arm up and down so the entire excavator was “bouncing” on the chamber.
| Igniting CADWeld directly on the cover and chamber sides, producing temperatures that exceeded 2500º F.
| Lifting and dropping an 850 lb concrete rail tie directly on the chamber from approximately 10 feet high.
After testing was complete, the chamber still met all form and function requirements and was left in a main maintenance way next to the rail.
The national railroad passenger authority was extremely impressed with the strength and durability of the chamber, which was even more notable given the simplicity of its installation.
www.OldcastleInfrastructure.com
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THE CHALLENGE
The Water and Sewer Department in Arlington, Virginia had a specific problem area behind
a commercial plaza. The difficult location of a loading dock was causing trucks to damage the area’s 3-meter pits. Drivers had to make tight turns when coming and going, harming the curb where the meters were located and affecting the local commercial plaza and businesses.
Arlington identified an opportunity to combine the 3-meter pits into 1 larger enclosure as part of the solution to this problem. The enclosure would need to be housed completely in between the sidewalk and the curb, and it would need to have the ability to protect the meters. Choosing to partner with Oldcastle Infrastructure, the city was able to pilot the STAKKAbox Ultima Connect chamber system.
THE SOLUTION
A variety of features were noted by Arlington when choosing the STAKKAbox Ultima Connect chamber system. The high strength of the product was key considering the location of the installation. However, the most important factor was the ability to build around existing services without interruption. The modularity of the design gave them the opportunity to put in place a strong system capable
of withstanding truck loading, while having the ability to fit within the physical constraints given the job site. This system’s strength would have the ability keep the sidewalk, curb and road intact, and installation would cause little disruption to the surrounding businesses and residences. Because the system is comprised of sidewall and corner pieces that are easy to handle and easy to modify, it was a good fit for the construction site.
During the initial stages of the construction process, challenges began to arise. As excavation and the removal of the old system began, it was discovered that there were in fact, 5-meter services as opposed to 3 and a conduit that had some electrical service was also present. Additionally, a pad was originally poured for a foundation, but it was poured at a different height than was desired. The team was able to overcome these issues with some field modifications that could easily be made thanks to the flexibility of this system.
“The STAKKAbox chamber’s flexibility allowed us to fit a heavy truck rated chamber in a small footprint, install it with a small crew and no heavy equipment, and overcome challenges when unmarked existing infrastructure was discovered during excavation.”
Micah Denton
PE of Arlington County DES
BENEFITS
The overall installation took approximately 1.5 hours. Senior Product Manager, Ian Marten, and Regional Sales Manager, Rick Miller, performed the bulk of the installation with assistance from two Arlington employees. The easy-to-handle lightweight components made it possible to install the chamber with a minimal crew. No additional machinery was needed to lift the system into place. The project finished in June
of 2019.
The STAKKAbox Ultima Connect chamber system was the right choice for this project. The product’s flexibility in design allowed a solution to be developed that fit within the limitations of the jobsite, with the strength required to protect the water meters from future damage. Micah Denton, PE of Arlington County DES, said, “The flexibility of the STAKKAbox chamber is unmatched. With tens of thousands of water meters throughout a dense county, there are bound to be some unusual and challenging installations. The STAKKAbox chamber’s flexibility allowed us to fit a heavy truck rated chamber in a small footprint, install it with a small crew and no heavy equipment, and overcome challenges when unmarked existing infrastructure was discovered during excavation that would have delayed any conventional chamber installation. That flexibility adds a new tool to the toolbox that simply wasn’t available to us before.”
www.OldcastleInfrastructure.com
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As part of a system-wide water meter update for the City of North Las Vegas, Oldcastle was awarded the contract to develop and manufacture new meter box lids for the municipality. This retrofit project showcases Oldcastle’s ability to develop an advanced and efficient customized solution that saves the client effort, time and money. Oldcastle’s FL03 lid allowed the City to adapt and improve select elements of their existing meter infrastructure and reap the benefits of the latest meter technologies.
CHALLENGE
The residential water meter system in North Las Vegas, Nevada, was approaching the end of its useful life. As a result of this outdated system,
the City of Nevada was spending money on labor and battery replacement every year. Updating and replacing the 88,000 residential meter units was
necessary to reduce maintenance costs, improve the accuracy of revenue collections and identify waste and leaks in the system.
Oldcastle was part of a team selected for the contract to complete the update. The project required not only changing out the meters inside the existing boxes with more current technology, but also replacing the meter box cover with one that could accommodate a new antenna configuration to permit remote readings.
Complicating the project was the fact that the municipality uses a wide range of meter boxes, of different sizes and materials (concrete, polymer, plastic) from a number of manufacturers. To meet project deadlines, it was necessary to design a new cover, source the tooling and tool build and produce the initial product in a greatly compressed time frame.
SOLUTION
The City selected Oldcastle’s Fibrelyte line of covers to be installed system-wide, citing a number of important factors:
- High strength/weight ratio
- Ability to accommodate the proposed new antenna configuration
- High coefficient of friction, to prevent slippage in pedestrian footpath areas
- Availability in a variety of sizes to fit the assorted meter boxes used in the system
Oldcastle’s rapid prototyping capabilities helped ensure the custom-designed FL03 samples were delivered to the customer quickly, while the unique Product Stage Gate process allowed for quick completion of the mold. Through the collaboration and disciplined workflow of the Oldcastle
teams, production design and tool build was completed in
under five months.
Within a week of the first purchase order, Oldcastle delivered every product needed for the first phase, totaling thousands of lids.
For the installation phase, the project team is deploying three crews of three members each, to install 250–300 meter update kits per day, including the new covers. Installation should be complete by October 2020.
BENEFITS
RETROFIT: A SMART MONEY-SAVING STRATEGY
The North Las Vegas update is an excellent example of the best practice of retrofitting. While meter boxes stand up well over the years, lids tend to wear down over time through exposure to the elements and human error (such as cars running over them).
Through retrofitting, the City can keep the original enclosure and replace only the lids, saving both time and money. And the new Fibrelyte lids can leverage the latest technologies. In this case, the new antenna probe hole saves considerable labor time and expense over the life of the product, because it will no be longer necessary to lift the lid to scan the meter. Instead, a utility
representative can simply wave the wand/scanner over the probe hole to get the meter reading.
A TAILORED SOLUTION ON A TIGHT TIMELINE
This effort demonstrates Oldcastle’s ability to customize products by first focusing on the needs of the customer, rather than forcing them into a cookie-cutter solution. This is a key differentiator in this industry. Through the efficient and unified efforts of Oldcastle’s sales, project management,
engineering and manufacturing teams, the City of Nevada received a custom solution that addressed every critical requirement related to the project.
Just as important, the project was accomplished on a very tight timeline. The design, build and approval process were completed in less than five months (from July to November), so that installation could begin the following March and the City could immediately begin receiving the benefits of the improved design.
SUPERIOR QUALITY AND ENDURANCE
The FL03 is not only a replacement of but an improvement over the original equipment. For example, because of its load-rating strength and durability, the lid can survive a car driving over it, unlike traditional concrete. In making the selection, the City noted that the Fibrelyte cover:
- Was much lighter than others being considered
- Was non-floating
- Did not chip
- Did not swell in extreme heat, which typically causes seizing in meter boxes
- Had a superior slip rating (based on the City’s own internal testing)
- Had an aesthetically pleasing appearance
The FL03 is another example of Oldcastle’s ideal combination of industry-leading innovation, responsiveness to customer requirements, speed of implementation and superior quality.
“Completing a product design/ tool built/ process buyoff in approximately
19 weeks is a monumental accomplishment, said” Ian Marten, Senior Product Manager.
Designed approximately 8 x 14 inches to accept antenna and fit into “03” size
meter box widely used throughout the municipality. Additional FL covers
(FL9X, FL12, FL30, FL1527 and FL36) are being used as well.
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Project Overview
Surf’s up and clean in Southern California thanks to Oldcastle and the Santa Monica “Clean Beaches” stormwater cistern. Located at the base of the world-famous Santa Monica Pier, the Deauville basin will be used to harvest up to 1.6 million gallons of stormwater runoff from the pier’s downtown drainage basin.
The harvested runoff will then be diverted for treatment at the Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility and distributed for non-potable uses. Overflows from the tank will be discharged into the sanitary sewer system.
The project was scoped in May 2017 and originally designed as a standard modular StormCapture® system. After evaluation of the project’s unique design and specification requirements, Oldcastle proposed the use of a StormCapture PV precast panel vault system in lieu of the conventional modular StormCapture system as a value-engineered solution.
The challenge was to design a system 262-feet long by 78-feet wide by 12-feet tall (inside depth), or “very close to the size of a football field,” said Selim Eren, project engineer with the city of Santa Monica. Plus, the system was going to be erected on sandy soil, with a water-table at grade, and able to withstand 15-feet of compacted backfilled soil while supporting a surface parking lot over the entire basin. The system also needed to be water-tight when filled with 1.6 million gallons of stormwater while passing a mandatory 24-hour leak-test.
To complete the test, groundwater was pumped into the tank, then measurements were taken two days later to document any water loss. “With this type of structure some water loss is expected,” Eren said. However, the tank met the acceptable limit of losing no more than 0.01% of water. “That would amount to half an inch from the whole 1.6 million-gallon tank,” he explained. After the structure passed the leak test, the water was later used during the construction phase, such as preparing the backfill for compaction.
To reduce the project’s energy footprint, rather than installing pumps that require both ongoing maintenance and power, the project relies on gravity to transfer water from the pier outfall to the 1.6 million-gallon cistern. However, that meant placing the cistern well below grade.
“In our case, we were going extremely deep; there would not only be traffic loading from the top but heavy soil pressure, as well as water table pressure and buoyancy from the shallow water table that is kind of acting against it. We really needed to have a specially designed system,” Eren said. “During design, we were deciding whether the structure should be precast or cast in place. The ground level is at the beach level, and the water table is very shallow. It varies seasonally, changing between 5 and 10 feet and depending on the tides as well. Also, the footprint of the site is very small, so there is no way to cut and slope the edges of the excavation that would be needed to get approximately 30 feet below the surface.”
Complicating matters, Eren said the Santa Monica Pier “is actually busy all year, with some of the busiest days right around Christmas time. We needed to stay outside of the summer season as much as possible.” Therefore, building a form and then casting the structure in place would have added an unacceptable duration to the construction schedule. “We decided to use the StormCapture PV panel vault system from Oldcastle,” Eren said.
To fully comply with leak-test requirements, the basin was designed to withstand hydrostatic (water pressure) loads and the hydrodynamic (seismic) loads during the test, without any external support or backfill. Oldcastle’s ability to recognize the need for pursuing an alternative solution that was both practical and economical was key in securing the project.
The successful design-build project was the result of an early and ongoing collaborative effort between Kube Engineering, Corrpro Companies, ACME Construction, and Oldcastle’s sales and engineering teams in Southern California and Auburn, Washington. Relying on the Auburn team’s vast experience with the design and manufacturing of panel vault systems was invaluable in developing the solution.
Eren said the goal of the “Clean Beaches” initiative was simple and direct, “to prevent any of the polluted stormwater from the city from contributing to degrading the quality of the water on Santa Monica beaches.” And the only way to achieve that goal for the Santa Monica Pier watershed was “to eliminate most of the runoff and stormwater from reaching the ocean.”
Overall, the project consisted of 191 precast wall panels and roof slabs. Production at the Oldcastle plant in Fontana, California began on January 30th, 2018 and was completed on March 26th, 2018. On-site installation of the system started on March 13th, 2018 with the last roof panel installed on April 3rd, 2018. In addition to the precast basin supplied by the Oldcastle plant in Fontana, the general contractor also chose to use a proprietary OneLift® pump station supplied by the Oldcastle plant in Chandler, Arizona.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Project Location: Richmond, Virginia
Owner: Richmond Raceway
General Contractor: Barton Malow
Site Contractor: Alpine Construction Corporation
Civil Engineer: Richmond-based HG Design Studio
Precast Manufacturer: Oldcastle Infrastructure – Fredricksburg, VA
Oldcastle Infrastructure provided an innovative pedestrian tunnel solution for International Speedway Corporation’s Richmond Raceway Reimagined project. The $30 million infield redevelopment will consist of modern attractions and amenities that complement the racing experience for which Richmond Raceway is known.
The new and improved design of the pedestrian tunnel is wider, providing fans with a more comfortable way to access the updated infield. The new tunnel also includes an elevator for added convenience and ADA accessibility.
Recognizing the benefits of precast, the project team selected precast concrete box culvert segments as the best solution to construct the pedestrian tunnel.
THE DESIGN
The General Contractor Barton Malow contracted Oldcastle Infrastructure’s Fredericksburg, VA, location to design, engineer and manufacture the 49 precast concrete box culverts used to create the 415-foot tunnel. Of the box culvert segments produced, three were designed to elevate the walkway upward to get the tunnel back to the concourse level.
“Precast concrete culverts can be used in countless applications. They install fast, provide the highest level of strength and durability, are less dependent on backfill, require little to no maintenance, can withstand more aggressive compacting and are manufactured locally,” said Doug Bruhns Regional Manager at Oldcastle Infrastructure. “The use of precast tunnel segments provided Richmond Raceway an efficiently constructed tunnel that saved both time and money and was constructed in just five days. In addition, the structure will last and perform well for years to come.”
THE SOLUTION
To construct the pedestrian tunnel, a portion of the racetrack was removed, the area was excavated, and the foundation was prepared for the installation of the precast concrete box culvert segments.
President of Alpine Construction Corporation Scot Hawthorne remarked, “All went very smoothly. We could have set all the box culverts in three days if we had to, it went that well. The Oldcastle Infrastructure dispatcher was fantastic and stayed on top of everything, calling every day to check progress.”
The final assembly of the 10×10 precast box culvert segments is comprised of 6,506 cubic yards of concrete, 220,326 square feet of slab, and 256,000 pounds of rebar. It measures 415 linear feet and weighs 1,100 tons.
Construction continues at the Richmond Raceway, which is expected to be completed by September 2018, in time for playoff races for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup and XFINITY Series.
Oldcastle Product(s)
49 Precast Concrete Box Culverts
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Help Reclaim a Lost Neighborhood
College Park, Georgia
Plant a tree, grow a business park. Two of the significant environmental challenges facing new construction projects are water conservation, and the handling of stormwater runoff to remove pollutants. In a recent project in College Park, Georgia, the two are solved together in an elegantly linked plan. It is the first use in the southeastern U.S. of the BioPod™ box biofilter, a new product for stormwater collection and primary treatment.
College Park, a small city on the southern border of the metropolis of Atlanta, wanted to redevelop an abandoned residential neighborhood into a viable commercial district. The neighborhood comprises a 16-block corridor west of HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest airport in the world. When the airport was expanded in the 1980’s, the neighborhood came directly under the new flight path. The homes were bought up by the airport through a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noise abatement program, and all but a few were leveled. The largely uninhabited area became blighted, attracting an undesirable element of people and activities.
However, the location has great potential. It is adjacent to both airport and interstate highways on the east. On the south, it borders the Georgia International Convention Center, two hotels and an office park. On the west is a golf course. Moreover, it is 15 minutes by rail to downtown Atlanta. Wanting to turn the area around, College Park gradually bought the parcels back from the City of Atlanta, hoping to redevelop it as a commercial district.
MISSING INFRASTRUCTURE
One of the first steps towards making the area attractive to businesses was to provide missing infrastructure. The neighborhood was very old. It had gas, water and sanitary sewer services, but no stormwater drainage system. “Every time it rained,” explains Jackson Myers, City Engineer for the City of College Park, “the streets flooded. It was unsafe to drive because of hydroplaning.” Moreover, the road surfaces were, not surprisingly, in terrible condition. In early 2009, when the incoming Obama administration was seeking public projects to stimulate the economy, College Park proposed a Low-Impact Development (LID) green solution to improve the area with a sustainable stormwater and irrigation system.
The proposal was actually two closely related projects, both of which enabled the city to make better use of stormwater runoff. The concept for the first phase, the neighborhood redevelopment, was to collect runoff from the streets of the 16-block corridor and pipe it to two large new sedimentation ponds comprising the Camp Creek Drainage Basin. Simultaneously, they would install a new irrigation water supply system to the corridor, which would draw water from the sedimentation ponds. This would reduce the city’s current expenses for bringing water in from another county. Building regional stormwater infrastructure creates an incentive for businesses to build in College Park. An incoming company can save the $250,000 – $350,000 expense of building an individual detention system. Instead, they could tie into the regional system for approximately $10,000 per acre, minimizing their upfront building costs and saving precious property for more profitable uses. In addition, they can tie into a low-cost source for irrigation water.
The stormwater system had to be designed to handle the entire future build-out of the neighborhood, not just the existing streets. The city assumed that the area – approximately 100 acres – would eventually be 10% green space, with the rest either hardscape or rooftop surfaces. The second phase involved the adjacent Gordon Morris Memorial Golf Course, a nine-hole course built in the 1930’s where stormwater runoff drains to the golf course pond. The city proposed piping from the pond to irrigate not only the golf course but also the grounds of the adjacent 26- acre Georgia \ International Convention Center, again saving money and natural resources. Engineering for both phases was done by Prime Engineering in Atlanta, Georgia.
The project was approved at a budget of $5 million, making it the largest stormwater management project of its type in the southeast. Of this, $2.6 million was for installation of the neighborhood stormwater system, $1.5 million for the golf course system, and $880,000 for engineering services. With funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 and the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA), $3 million of that total does not have to be repaid, giving the city a big boost to reclaim this area as useful, revenue-producing land.
BIOFILTRATION
For the heart of the stormwater management system, the city selected BioPod biofilters manufactured by Oldcastle Infrastructure. BioPod biofilters are open-bottomed box filters that remove suspended solids, petrochemicals and other pollutants using natural filtration methods. This treatment method enables the project to meet the 80% TSS (Total Suspended Solids) removal requirement in the Georgia Infrastructure Management Manual in a low-impact manner. Over 100 BioPod units were installed, making this one of the largest projects of its kind.
Water is collected at the curb cut or inlet. The biofilter portion of the system includes a 4-inch top filter layer of shredded mulch and an 18-inch layer of nonproprietary filter media, (a high-capacity planting mix), yielding a maximum design treatment loading rate of 1.0 gpm/sf. This provides a treated flow capacity of 32 gpm (0.071 cfs) for a 4-foot x 8-foot unit. Beneath the filtration media is a separation layer and a 6-inch perforated pipe to collect treated runoff, carry it out of the BioPod unit, and then into the regional drainage system. The pipe is bedded in angular drain rock that fills the bottom of the box and forms the transition to the soil beneath the unit.
Pollutant removal efficiencies for such biofilter cells (high rate vegetated media filters) or tree box filters with these characteristics exceed most of EPA’s other structural best management practices (BMPs). Some pollutants are broken down and become nutrients for the trees.
During a storm, the “first flush” of pollutant-heavy runoff – including oil and grease, bacteria, heavy metals, other suspended solids and large debris – enters the unit. As water moves through the system, suspended solids and pollutants are removed by settling and filtration. Large debris is collected on top of the mulch layer, under the grate, and can be easily removed by maintenance crews. In fact, maintenance consists largely of debris removal, and periodic replacement of the top mulch layer.
The green nature of this solution was an important element in obtaining funding. “Without the BioPods,” explains City Engineer Jackson Myers, “the project never would have been approved.”
The College Park project used a simplified BioPod model. Typical units include a prefilter chamber and a bypass feature. The pre-filter collects large debris and keeps it out of sight until maintenance crews can remove it. The bypass is designed to handle high flows, eliminating the need for installing a separate high-flow bypass structure. Filtered water is collected by a geotextile-wrapped 6-inch perforated pipe, and then carried out of the unit to the sedimentation ponds.
“BioPods are supplied as a ‘turn-key’ solution,” explains Skip Short, Oldcastle vice president. “We provide the BioPod unit, soil media, grates and tree. We also plant the tree, and maintain it at no cost for the first year.” The company helped College Park choose regionally appropriate trees – Crape Myrtles, Apple Serviceberries and Flowering Dogwoods – which are warranted for one year.”
The city is now advertising the area’s availability for development, and they have received interested responses including some from overseas. Myers is enthusiastic about the use of biofilters for stormwater quality. “We’re the first project with this type of system here in the southeast. But I’m excited, and hoping we’re starting a trend.”
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Delivers for UPS During Hub Expansion
Lexington, Kentucky
United Parcel Service (UPS) needed a stormwater detention system capable of handling over 400,000 cubic feet of rainwater runoff from their recent hub expansion in Lexington, Kentucky. After engaging general contractor Louisville Paving and engineering firm Luckett & Farley, the company ultimately selected the revolutionary StormCapture® system from Oldcastle Infrastructure.
The immense size of the site, sheer volume of stormwater runoff, deep backfill requirements and tight timeframe necessitated the system cover three separate sites. The first site measured approximately 200’x88’ with a storage capacity of 99,899 cubic feet using one-piece, 6’ StormCapture modules connected by link slabs. The second and largest site covered about 200’x160’ with a storage capacity of 244,574 cubic feet using larger two-piece, 8’ StormCapture modules also joined by link slabs. The third and smallest site measured around 80’x160’ with a storage capacity of 70,943 cubic feet also using larger two-piece, 8’ StormCapture modules attached by link slabs.
In total, the project included 390 precast concrete StormCapture modules and 247 link slabs, plus risers and castings for each system, all supplied by the local Oldcastle plants in Lexington, Kentucky and Lebanon, Tennessee. Incorporating link slabs into the design allowed for a significant reduction in the overall number of StormCapture modules and associated costs, while still meeting the project’s massive stormwater management requirements.
StormCapture is the featured solution offered by Oldcastle Infrastructure for capturing and managing stormwater runoff. It maximizes developable land by allowing the full complement of stormwater management solutions to be placed efficiently and easily under parking lots and roadways with very little cover, in both traffic-rated and nontraffic applications.
The StormCapture precast concrete system is designed and engineered for superior performance. Its modular nature provides countless configurations for site-specific layouts while simplifying the design process and accelerating construction. Whether your site needs a simple detention system to prevent storm drain overloading, a groundwater recharge system for Low-Impact Development (LID), a stormwater treatment system to improve water quality, or a complete stormwater harvesting system, StormCapture will provide your ideal solution.
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A Homerun for Atlanta Braves’ New Stadium
Atlanta, Georgia
SunTrust Park Project Partners
Lead Engineer: Kimley-Horn
Infrastructure: Plateau Excavation, Inc.
Construction Management: American Builders
Engineering Georgia magazine recently highlighted Oldcastle Infrastructure’s underground rainwater detention system at the Atlanta Braves’ new SunTrust Park stadium, scheduled to open this spring 2017.
The detention system includes two distinct sites – East Deck Lower, representing 88,056 cubic feet, and East Deck Upper, representing 96,992 cubic feet. While those sites may seem expansive, the height of cover, compactness of space and need for a 40% smaller footprint made other conventional detention systems impractical, and a cast-in-place system would have added more than six weeks to the project timeline.
The Oldcastle Infrastructure team – led by Julie Bertils, Southeast Territory Manager – believed that Oldcastle’s proprietary StormCapture® system would be the ideal solution. Offering up to 1,260 cubic feet of storage per module, the system will retain rainwater runoff from the site for 24 hours, before slowly releasing it into the downstream stormwater system. The StormCapture system will temporarily store runoff from all perimeter drives and parking areas.
Requiring only two inches of leveling sand under each module helped make StormCapture the perfect solution. It also made the most sense given the tight timeframe, budget and scope of the project.
A proven time-saver, the placement of a StormCapture module typically only takes about 15 minutes. The East Deck Upper site required placement of 78 modules, and East Deck Lower site required 65 modules. Installation of both sites took five days each – the first in February 2016, with the latter following in March 2016.
Bertils says the StormCapture system goes “hand-in-hand with water quality, and given their lifecycle cost, are extremely cost-effective. Made of concrete, they are built to last with a service life of 100 years. They are great for maintenance, with access points at the top – offering the ability to walk around inside.”
Of course, the project was not without its challenges, the largest of which was getting Georgia Power to move one line that powered everything in the stadium. Electricity had to be turned off for 30 minutes to get one of the modules set, meaning all other construction activities were temporarily put on hold – another excellent testament.
Although Oldcastle Infrastructure has been actively designing and constructing below-grade detention systems for more than 20 years, Bertils credits the relationships the company has built with the landing of this project. Project partner Plateau Excavation initially installed StormCapture modules onsite for a cistern under the dugout in 2015. The company then recommended the StormCapture system for the East parking area detention system in 2016.
“To have an edge for higher profile projects, it’s important to already be a resource to other firms,” said Bertils. “It all begins with seeking ways to save owners time and money, and they’ll become advocates for you too. We offer modular bioretention, tree box filters, and the PermeCapture™ system – which is a unique product blending permeable pavers with our StormCapture modules. At Oldcastle, we are constantly developing innovative new solutions.”
John Osterland, Senior Project Manager at Plateau Excavation, agrees. “It was a seamless process to install the StormCapture modules at the site. Given the placement of modules in 15-minute increments, this was an extremely efficient project. In addition to the chance to partner with the team at Oldcastle Infrastructure, we’ve been granted the opportunity to work with some of the best engineering firms in Georgia and the United States. Because of the scope, complexity and high-profile nature of this project, SunTrust Park is the job of a lifetime for us.”
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Provides Relief to Overburdened Infrastructure in Grays Ferry Neighborhood
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM
Owner: City of Philadelphia
Contractor: C. Abbonizio Contractor’s, Inc.
Consulting Engineer: Hatch Mott McDonald
Manufacturing Plant: Oldcastle Infrastructure, Telford, PA
The Gray’s Ferry area is an old neighborhood, rich in history. Loosely defined by Gray’s Ferry Avenue on the north, Vare Avenue on the south, as far east as 25th Street, and running west to the Schuylkill River, the area is close to an important crossing of the Schuylkill River near downtown Philadelphia.
In the 18th century, Gray’s Ferry was the southern most of three ferries that crossed the Schuylkill River to Philadelphia. While the ferry originally belonged to Benjamin Chambers, by 1747, George Gray had taken over ferry operations. The Gray’s Ferry Bridge and several other rail lines now span the Schuylkill River.
The neighborhood was once the site of the Schuylkill Arsenal which was built in 1800 to function as a quartermaster, providing the U.S. military with much-needed supplies. The arsenal made clothing and flags for the military for the next 150 years as the third federal facility in the young nation. Its most famous task was outfitting the Lewis & Clark Expedition.
Now, because of aging infrastructure unequipped to handle excessive amounts of stormwater, during heavy rain events the drainage system becomes overloaded, flooding neighborhood streets. As part of the Philadelphia Water Department’s (PWD) ongoing efforts to alleviate pressure on the existing system, they enlisted the firm of Hatch Mott McDonald to find a solution to the recurring problem.
The final plan involved building an infiltration system that would collect stormwater runoff from nearby streets, then allow for controlled release into the ground to replenish local aquifers. The infiltration system was placed inside a city park, directly underneath a baseball field, so it had to meet the treatable flow rates as well as local regulatory requirements.
C. Abbonizio Contractor’s Inc. was hired to complete the job. But prior to installation, Peter Abbonizio and Joe Winzinger, both with C. Abbonizio, and Michael Creeden with Oldcastle Infrastructure, had a pre-construction meeting with PWD to discuss using the StormCapture system as an alternate solution over the one specified on the plans. PWD had never used the StormCapture system and was unfamiliar with it, but because of the cost savings and Oldcastle’s Telford plant’s working relationship with C. Abbonizio, the city ultimately selected the StormCapture system. The final approved system is capable of detaining 217,978 cu. ft. (1,630,589 gallons) of stormwater runoff.
Production of the StormCapture modules started in March 2016, and total installation took two weeks. The project consisted of 141 8-foot tall StormCapture modules and 81 link slabs, which reduced the number of modules needed as well as the overall cost for the project. There were two additional modules included on the project to allow the placement of access manholes outside of the baseball playing field, which were located directly above the infiltration system.
The modules were offloaded from the trucks and installed by crane. Due to the size of the project, the crane had to be moved frequently. Since the project was inside the city of Philadelphia, crews were limited to roughly 20 trucks per day. There was a very tight timeline to adhere to as the PWD would only allow the contractor to apply grass seed to the completed project within certain dates and they needed to make sure they met those dates, which they did.
Michael Creeden, Territory Manager for Oldcastle’s Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions remarked, “This project is a perfect example of the direction of Infrastructure Management, especially in more urban areas. The City of Philadelphia saw an opportunity to eliminate a flooding problem while maintaining the city’s green space. In the end, no one would ever know that we can store over a million gallons of water just inside of the park, right below the baseball field.”
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Gets On-Board with Storm Water Harvesting Solution
Santa Monica, CA
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM
Lead Designer: Maintenance Design Group, Pasadena, CA
Civil Designer: W2 Design, Inc., Pasadena, CA
General Contractors: Kiewit Building Group, Inc., Santa Monica, CA
Installing Contractor: Murray Company, Newbury Park, CA
System Manufacturer: Oldcastle Infrastructure, Fontana, CA
California’s struggle with drought has emphasized the need for sustainable water use; an issue that transcends its borders. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that at some point over the past decade, nearly half of the U.S. has been in some form of severe drought.
Rainwater or storm water harvesting is one approach to meet the challenge. Case in point is the construction of the Expo Rail Operations & Maintenance Facility in Santa Monica, California for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (METRO). While it meets operational demands for the region’s increased transportation needs, it also creates impermeable surfaces that require innovative storm water management approaches.
Located on 8.3 acres, the new Operations & Maintenance Facility complex includes a 75,000-square foot main building, a 9,500-square foot secondary structure, a 6,000-square foot maintenance building with an automated vehicle washer that includes a reverse osmosis rinsing machine with a 100% water reclamation system, a 4,500-square foot servicing platform, a paved roadway and two adjacent parking lots.
THE CHALLENGE
Landscape irrigation, vehicle washing and other water needs required an estimated 5,500 gallons per day at the new facility. Focusing on “green” building and energy efficiency, METRO officials sought a Low Impact Development (LID) design with zero storm water runoff. Poor soil conditions precluded soil infiltration to replenish aquifers. As a result, the best option was a storm water harvesting system for non-potable uses to reduce reliance on city water.
THE SOLUTION
Oldcastle Infrastructure assembled a team to provide the total storm water management system including a 400,000 gallon StormCapture cistern, an upstream pretreatment unit, and a downstream storm water harvesting system from Water Harvesting Solutions (WAHASO). The Murray Company installed the pretreatment and StormCapture systems during the spring of 2014. The harvesting equipment was later installed in August 2014. The facility finally became operational in May 2015.
The solution leverages across-the-board efficiencies in water use by reducing the impact on the municipal water supply, land footprint, system maintenance time and budgetary concerns. “Oldcastle has a diverse portfolio of products that afforded the project economies of scale and met the required 50-year design life,” notes Patrick Wong, W2 Design president and senior project manager.
The 400,000-gallon StormCapture system – occupying a small footprint under the parking lot due to large storage capacity per square foot of area – utilizes 29 StormCapture precast concrete modules measuring 12-feet high x 7-feet wide x 15-feet long. One unique aspect of the project: one module in the layout is deeper than the others and houses an integrated pump station to supply water for the harvesting system.
“Our standard modules for the project are 12-feet deep. We supplied one 7-foot x 15-foot module which is 13-feet deep. It is used to completely drain down the system and allow full utilization of the entire 400,000 gallons of storage capacity,” notes Jason Herrman, engineering manager for Oldcastle Infrastructure.
Other components included nine precast concrete link slabs measuring 9-feet wide x 17-feet long that were used at interior locations instead of full modules, and five standard rings up-to-grade with cast-iron lids (manholes) located at ground level for maintenance access. The system also has a 40- mil HDPE liner, with geotextile fabric.
Storm water runs from the rooftop downspout leaders and impermeable ground surfaces into the onsite storm drain system. The baffle box screening and hydrodynamic separation is designed to effectively remove sediments, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and hydrocarbons. Trash and debris, organics and gross solids collect in a raised screening basket, where pollutants dry out between storm events.
Pretreated storm water flows into the StormCapture system’s concrete cistern modules, temporarily storing it for harvesting purposes. Water from the cistern exits into the concrete pump station module which also serves as an internal storm system overflow bypass should the cistern be filled to capacity during an extreme rain event.
In response to increased non-potable water demand, a drop in the system pressure signals the pump station’s main pressurization submersible pumps – duplex variable frequency drive pumps providing 70 GPM at 67 PSI – to begin operating to meet the demand. The pumps cycle back and forth to equalize wear. Should one pump fail, the second pump can meet demand.
The pumps direct storm water up through the WAHASO harvesting equipment package located in an above-ground enclosure. In the first step, a mechanical filter removes particulates down to 50 microns. In the second phase, a bag filter removes remaining particulates down to 5 microns. Water is then sanitized with ultraviolet light rated to handle 70 GPM to kill harmful bacteria or pathogens, ensuring safe water for public exposure during irrigation and vehicle washing.
“We are able to capture all of their runoff in this one underground system, allowing them to keep their parking lot intact and provide the space they need, as well as the desired sustainable benefits of harvesting water. In addition, the 400,000 gallon cistern was leak tested to confirm water tightness after installation,” Hermann points out. “It passed the test.“
The harvested water will be used for irrigation of facility landscaping and for train washing. The extensive train wash system features both manual and automated wash stations with reverse osmosis and water reclamation, and has a capacity of six rail cars at once. “Out of 10 gallons of water, only two are ‘wasted’ through evaporation or splashing onsite. The water harvesting system is designed to capture close to 50% of the annual rainfall typical to the area, which historically is dry in mid-summer,” notes Wong.
“California gets seasonal rains but the cistern is large enough for us to harvest retained water over a period of months to maximize the system’s value,” says John Bauer, WAHASO president. A municipal water bypass valve automatically opens when water in the pump station and StormCapture cistern drops below a pre-set level. WAHASO’s WCS100 control system logs and reports the amount of water available in the cistern, how much is captured for harvesting purposes, and the amount of municipal water demanded by the system.
WAHASO also integrates OptiRTC technology from GeoSyntec into its storm water harvesting systems, which uses predictive modeling to actively determine storm water detention requirements and release only as much stored water as necessary to meet capacity requirements for each forthcoming storm event. OptiRTC monitors local weather forecasts and onsite device inputs to anticipate storm flows to detention within 24 hours of occurrence. It lowers cistern storage levels ahead of the precipitation event in proportion to the expected storm volume, and closes the outlet valve during storm events to capture and retain water for harvesting.
“Without the OptiRTC capability of actively managing the cistern level, we would have been required to meter out all detained water over a short period of time, minimizing any real value of the harvesting system,” explained Bauer. All systems designed by WAHASO achieve NSF/ANSI 350 standards for water reuse treatment systems, which defines acceptable water quality for surface irrigation, toilet flushing, cooling tower make-up and other nonpotable uses.
GOING FORWARD
The system was designed to minimize maintenance by onsite personnel. Sediment and other debris captured by the pre-filter must be periodically evacuated to keep the cistern free of sediment and organic matter, especially first-flush debris after major rain events. In the filtration skid, bag filters are typically changed every four to eight weeks and the UV bulbs are replaced ,every 10,000 hours, which equates to a year of continuous use.
“The storm water management techniques are set to contribute from one to four points toward a LEED gold rating,” says Renee Azerbegi, president and project manager for Ambient Energy, a consultant engaged by Maintenance Design Group for LEED project facilitation.
“Because of the drought, water conservation issues are being significantly heightened,” notes Wong. “Technology for pre-treatment, post-treatment and storage is available today. Storm water treatment and management is certainly here to stay.”
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Takes Root in Tampa Thanks to StormCapture® System
Tampa, Florida
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM
Owner: Tampa Bay Housing Authority
Engineer: Cardno TBE
General Contractor: Malphus and Sons, Inc.
Project Manager: ZMG Construction
Precastor: Oldcastle Infrastructure
Manufacturing Facility: Oldcastle Infrastructure, Orlando
To help create a sustainable, environmentally friendly community, Tampa Bay Housing Authority turned to a unique, solar powered stormwater harvesting system for their new Ultra-Green Inner-City Development known as “Encore Tampa” in Florida. The elite stormwater management system, located under the new community park, controls and harvests stormwater runoff to irrigate the new open space park. The $450 million development includes 28-acres of sustainable, mixed-use properties that are all designed to create an environmentally sensitive ecosystem that meets current residents’ needs while preserving resources for future generations.
“One of the coolest features that we have done from a sustainability perspective. I just don’t think anything can top the stormwater vault. This is one of the most unique stormwater management systems in the state because of its size – 18,000 square feet of vault which accommodates 33,000 cubic feet of stormwater”, said Marc Marlano, Assistant Director of Site Development, Cardno TBE, in a YouTube video featured on the ENCORE site. “If they had used a conventional stormwater system, they would have lost three developable sites. It is by far one of the slickest stormwater harvesting features in the state. There is no question about it. It’s just not done at this scale.”
CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGE
Oldcastle Infrastructure designed and provided the modular underground retention system for the new stormwater management system, engineered by Clearwater-based Cardno TBE to store, treat and harvest stormwater runoff on the 28-acre site. The precast concrete StormCapture retention system controls the volume and discharge rate of stormwater runoff. The engineered design maximizes storage volume while minimizing the project’s footprint and cost. Furthermore, the innovative design allowed for a quick and efficient installation.
PRECAST SOLUTION
The 18,000-square foot stormwater harvesting system includes 146 StormCapture modules that can hold up to 33,000 cubic feet of water before recycling it for irrigation use, two nutrient-separating baffle boxes with adjacent sediment chambers for pre-treatment, and irrigation equipment. All surface stormwater runoff is collected from the site, piped into the nutrient-separating baffle boxes and sediment chambers, and stored in the StormCapture modules for irrigating the open space.control system – with a long term design focused on accessibility for inspection and maintenance. System owners will be required to certify proper operation, as well as annual inspection and maintenance of the system as per local building permits.
SCOPE OF WORK
Complete manufacture and installation of a new stormwater management system, including:
- 146 10-foot tall StormCapture modules
- Perimeter walls for the sand filter assembly
- Precast ramp assembly into the sand filter
- Two nutrient-separating vaults
- Two sedimentation vaults
Oldcastle Infrastructure also supplied precast perimeter walls for the sand filter assembly, precast ramp assembly for equipment access into the sand filter, as well as sanitary manholes and inlets. Oldcastle also supplied 120,000-square feet of Belgard pavers for intricate hardscape and permeable walkways for the main thoroughfare to reduce the heat-island effect and aid in stormwater management.
KEY POINTS
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Disses Pollutants in Disston Avenue Drainage Basin
Orlando, Florida
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM
Owner: City of Clermont, Florida
Engineer: BESH Engineering Consultants
General Contractor: Allstate Paving, Inc.
Precastor: Oldcastle Infrastructure
Manufacturing Facility: Oldcastle Infrastructure, Orlando
Start Date: Mid-January 2012
Completion Date: April 2012
The City of Clermont and Lake County Water Authority collaborated on a stormwater management project to capture and treat stormwater from the Disston Avenue drainage basin before it enters Lake Minnehaha. The project reduces pollutant loadings and improves water quality in Lake Minnehaha, while also providing an element of flood control.
The project is a treatment-train system that includes precast concrete baffle boxes for pre-treatment and StormCapture underground concrete retention modules. The baffle boxes remove sediments as well as floatables such as trash, leaves and grass to prevent them from entering the storage system and plugging the exfiltration surface. The StormCapture units capture and retain the stormwater, before slowly allowing it to percolate through the sandy soil under the open-bottom modules to remove unwanted nutrients before providing groundwater recharge.
PRECAST SOLUTION
Oldcastle Infrastructure’s scope of work entailed designing three separate drainage systems for the project. Each system included an upstream baffle box for initial treatment of the stormwater runoff before entering a series of StormCapture modules for detention and exfiltration into the ground. For the Disston Avenue project, the StormCapture modules were 5-feet tall open-bottom modules with internal conveyance passageways to allow stormwater to freely flow amongst all units.
INSTALLATION
The three systems were installed underground, down the middle of Disston Avenue, a heavily traveled residential street in Orlando, Florida. Trench boxes were used to support the sides of the excavation while the precast concrete baffle boxes and StormCapture modules were installed using an excavator. Each of the three systems had to be installed individually with the roadway re-opened to local traffic between installation of each system.
SCOPE OF WORK
Oldcastle Infrastructure provided structural design and engineering drawings for the entire treatment-train system. Precast concrete and other products provided included:
- Six each modified curb inlets
- One each 5-foot diameter manhole
- Three each 4-foot x 14-foot x 7-foot
baffle boxes
- Sixty-two each StormCapture modules
- Six each maintenance modules
- Cast-iron frames and covers for
all structures
COMPLETED SYSTEM
Oldcastle Infrastructure provided all associated structures for the Disston Avenue drainage improvement project. Infrastructure runoff now flows into the storm drainage system through precast concrete curb inlets, before being piped through storm manholes and eventually to the treatment train system consisting of the inline baffle boxes and StormCapture modules. During rain events, stormwater exfiltrates from the modules into the ground to replenish local aquifers.
The baffle boxes are a non-proprietary design which allows for gross solids in the water to be removed through sedimentation and screening in the baffle boxes. Sediment and floatables can then be removed from the baffle boxes through any of the three access openings per box using a standard vacuum truck. By keeping sediments and debris out of the StormCapture modules, system maintenance is confined primarily to the baffle boxes for greater efficiency. This prevents the exfiltration surface under the modules from plugging up, while providing for maximum groundwater recharge as intended with the StormCapture modules. Access manways are also provided into the maintenance StormCapture modules in the event future servicing is required.
The Oldcastle StormCapture system and pre-treatment chambers provide a valuable dual function for Disston Avenue – a groundwater recharge and flood control system – with a long-term design focused on accessibility for inspection and maintenance. System owners will be required to certify proper operation, as well as annual inspection and maintenance of the system as per local building permits.
oldcastleinfrastructure.com
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