"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Engineering
Construction Dewatering
07/25/25
“Why might we need to move water out of a construction site?”
Construction sites have to withstand all sorts of elements. If a construction site becomes inundated with too much water, then it can develop mold, develop structural issues, and face metal corrosion. Operators will need to remove water from the construction site, a process often called Construction Dewatering. Construction dewatering plans are essential to producing a feasible development project.
Landscape Grading
07/24/25
“How can we re-level the landscape to improve drainage and aesthetics?”
Landscapes vary in shape and size. Sometimes, their topography might make them more susceptible to creating flooding issues. One way to solve this is to re-level them through Landscape Grading. Landscape grading involves contouring the area to improve drainage and aesthetics. Landscape grading is another tool in the toolshed for landscape professionals all over the world.
Soil Compaction
07/22/25
“What happens to soil when its particles are pressed together?”
Soil is one of the foundations of terrestrial life on Earth. Soil’s porosity allows for water infiltration and drainage. But when soil particles are crushed together, they lose much of their porosity, leading to worse drainage, which can stifle plant growth and increase stormwater runoff/soil erosion. This Soil Compaction is a major problem for agricultural and stormwater management and requires amelioration to minimize damage.
Water Quality Volume
07/21/25
“How do we classify the amount of stormfall runoff that we want to capture and clean?”
Stormwater runoff is infamous for carrying pollution to water bodies. Infrastructure operators will need to size the volume of stormwater they plan to hold and treat before releasing to the environment. But how can they do this? Well, we know that we will need to treat most storm events (let’s say 90 percent), but not all storm events, otherwise it would be too expensive. And we also know that we will need to treat a certain area that we’re designing for, and that a certain amount of runoff may get absorbed. Well, what if we were to combine these factors into a single variable? Well, this is the idea behind Water Quality Volume. Water quality volume is given by the equation WQV = R_V*P*A, where R_V is the volumetric runoff coefficient (the percentage of runoff that is generated by a single rain drop), P the 90th percentile rainfall depth, and A the area that’s drained.
Construction Stormwater Pollution Sources
07/19/25
“What are the sources of construction stormwater pollution?”
Construction projects uproot and compact soil, alter drainage patterns, and produce waste/hazardous materials. Construction managers need to watch out for these Construction Stormwater Pollution Sources in their stormwater pollution prevention plans.
Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans
07/17/25
“How can we make plans to prevent new construction from polluting stormwater runoff?”
Construction activities such as soil tillage, hazardous material storage, and waste disposal can create pollutants that are carried into water bodies by stormwater. This can turn into a major environmental and public health problem if no regulations exist. Thankfully, in the U.S, new construction projects are required to submit a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program established under the Clean Water Act. Stormwater pollution prevention plans must include a site map, construction sequencing of the expected activities, potential pollution sources, best management practices undertaken to prevent pollution discharge, and supporting hydrological calculations.
Standpipes (Firefighting)
07/14/25
“How can we have water ready for firefighting on higher floor levels?”
Buildings catching fire are dangerous. Water needs to be readily available to put out the inferno. But if a fire breaks out on higher floors, it can be difficult to pump water to the necessary height to extinguish it. One way to solve this is to create piping that water hoses can attach to, with water ready to extinguish anything. These connections are called Standpipes and are used for firefighting around the world.
Standpipes (Streets)
07/13/25
“How can we use pipes to provide water on the street?”
Water is one of the foundations of human civilization. People cannot survive without it. Sometimes, we might need to provide water on the street for people. We can use freestanding pipes outfitted with taps, called Standpipes, to provide instantaneous access to water when necessary.
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Basement Waterproofing
07/12/25
“Why do we need to waterproof our basements?”
You can find basements in buildings all over the world. These subterranean floors allow for larger storage, cooking, and even living facilities. However, flooding can occur in basements and create structural damage, mold, and property destruction. People can apply Basement Waterproofing techniques such as sump pits and sump pumps to ensure the safety of the building.
