Two Chesterfield projects, both with environmental impacts, have received awards from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Virginia (ACEC Virginia). The green design and building of the Austin Brockenbrough & Associates offices at the Boulders Center received an Honor Award from ACEC Virginia; a project making the Chesterfield Power Station more environmentally sound has received a Merit Award. The awards will be received by Austin Brockenbrough & Associates, L.L.P. of Chesterfield and by Schnabel Engineering of Richmond, the engineering firm which designed and built the environmental enhancements to the Chesterfield Power Station, at ACEC Virginia's annual Engineering Excellence Awards Gala at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond on February 3.

The Power Station Retrofit
The Dominion Chesterfield Power Station is the largest fossil-fueled power station in Virginia and it supplies about 12% of the electricity used by four million people the utility serves. The Power Station's units 3, 4, and 5 were retrofitted with a new flue gas desulfurization facility to lower sulfur dioxide and mercury emissions. Schnabel retrofitted the units with a Flue Gas Desulfurization facility (scrubber) capable of reducing sulfur dioxide emissions by 95% and mercury emissions by 90%. The work was completed without disrupting service to customers and without encroaching into the James River.

The Green Office Building
When Austin Brockenbrough & Associates relocated its offices to the Boulders Center, the decision was made to design multiple green building strategies including energy efficient lighting, re-use of material including the reconfiguration of the HVAC system, use of high recycled content material, low volatile organic compound adhesives and paints and use of construction waste from landfills. As an example, Brockenbrough used glass sidelights which were recycled for the new space configuration and refurbished modular system furniture. It also diverted 80% of the construction debris a recycling center. As a result, Austin Brockenbrough & Associates, L.L.P. has received Chesterfield's first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) designation for a Commercial Interior and the first LEED for a private Commercial Interior in the Greater Richmond Area.

"This year's competition was dominated by environmental and transportation projects that improve our quality of life, help localities meet environmental standards and protect our natural resources," noted ACEC Virginia's Executive Director Nancy Israel. "People often don't realize that engineering touches every aspect of their lives. This competition clearly demonstrates the role engineering plays in improving our environment and the quality of everyday life, whether it's going to a game at a modern football stadium or reducing emissions into our rivers."

The Leesburg Park and Ride includes 700 parking spaces and three saw tooth bus bays. The design separates bus bays from commuter vehicles, eliminating conflicts between the two, improving bus and patron access to the facility and providing a safer facility by eliminating conflicts between pedestrian and bus traffic. The project was designed to serve as a model for the safe and efficient management of bus, vehicle and pedestrian traffic in confined spaces such as a parking lot. The bus shelters, benches, trash receptacles, bike lockers were designed with the commuter in mind, exceeding the minimum standard requirements.

One of the main challenges facing Johnson Mirmiran & Thompson was building the Park and Ride in one phase instead of two, as originally planned. To accomplish this, site grading was developed to minimize the amount of earthwork that needed to be moved and the number of times the material needed to be moved. The approach avoided stockpiling large quantities of material that would have to be again moved in a two-phase construction.

"This year's competition was unique in that it was dominated by environmental and transportation projects that improve our quality of life, help localities meet environmental standards and protect our natural resources. People often don't realize that engineering touches every aspect of our lives. This year's competition clearly demonstrates the role engineering plays in improving our environment and the quality of everyday life," noted ACEC Virginia Executive Director Nancy Israel. "This project is one that definitely improves our environment and protects our resources."

The antiquated bridge at Jeremy's Run had structural deficiencies and legal load limits. Because of the historic and scenic nature of the area, the project attracted the interest and concern of state and federal agencies as well as citizen groups. To meet concerns expressed by various groups, the new bridge features jointless technology, weathering steel and high performance concrete as well as railing featuring architectural treatments and color coatings to simulate a rock wall appearance.

Not only did the new bridge meet the concerns of state and federal agencies and constituent groups but construction of the bridge was completed two and a half months ahead of schedule and was $550,000 under budget. With the new bridge load restrictions on the route have been removed, safety improved, maintenance costs reduced, inspection frequency reduced and aesthetics improved.

The new bridge is a 446-foot long, three-span structure. The girders use High Performance Steel in the flanges to extend spans and minimize the number of piers and superstructure depth. Buried approach slabs are used in conjunction with structural backfill to mitigate any potential settlement but soften any displacements felt by the traveling public. The bridge has won additional local, state and regional awards from VDOT, SASHTO and VTCA.

One of the most interesting aspects of the $8.1 million project was the human element. The project fell within the Page Valley Historic District. There was so much interest from the public that unusual steps were taken to involve concerned citizens and interest groups. Citizens wanted a modern bridge, but they also wanted to retain and protect the scenic, rural and historic aspects of the bridge. The community along with the grass roots, non-profit citizens group Scenic 340 Project urged that this bridge not be developed in the same fashion as traditional projects. A series of citizen information meetings presenting multiple design options were held and solutions developed that won citizen support.

The process used to develop Jeremy's Run Bridge will have a long term impact on future development in the area. As a result of the citizen interest in Jeremy's Run, the Commonwealth Transportation Board created the Citizens' Advisory Committee to address and resolve concerns about projects proposed for the Route 340 corridor between Luray and Front Royal. Thirteen residents of Page and Warren counties served on the Citizens' Advisory Committee for Jeremy's Run Bridge. They represented a diverse group of multiple interests including homeowners, landowners, long-time natives and newcomers, commuters and retired residents, small businesses and professionals, Skyline Caverns, Scenic 340 Project, the Shenandoah National Park, the Shenandoah River Use Committee, industry, farmers, and the Page and Warren County Board of Supervisors.

"This year's competition was unique in that it was dominated by environmental and transportation projects that improve our quality of life, help localities meet environmental standards and protect our natural resources. People often don't realize that engineering touches every aspect of our lives. This year's competition clearly demonstrates the role engineering plays in improving our environment and the quality of everyday life," noted ACEC Virginia Executive Director Nancy Israel. "This project is one that definitely improves our environment and protects our resources. And it shows that we can meet the human need for protecting aesthetics and historic value, as well as meeting the practical needs of safety and efficiency."

The expansion increased the facility's capacity from 0.8-MGD rated capacity to 2.0-MGD. In addition, the Woodstock wastewater treatment facility had to be upgraded to meet the requirements of new Virginia nutrient removal regulations. This was accomplished within a tight hilly existing plant site with state-of-the-art hollow fiber membrane technology. The various technologies achieved effluent quality above and beyond regulatory requirements.

The project publicly highlights how advanced engineering techniques can be used to improve the environment; in this case, the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the North Fork of the Shenandoah River.

"This year's competition was unique in that it was dominated by environmental and transportation projects that improve our quality of life, help localities meet environmental standards and protect our natural resources. People often don't realize that engineering touches every aspect of our lives. This year's competition clearly demonstrates the role engineering plays in improving our environment and the quality of everyday life," noted ACEC Virginia Executive Director Nancy Israel. "This project is one that definitely improves our environment and protects our resources."

Greeley and Hansen's detailed study involved inspection of more than 2,630 manholes and 485,000 lineal feet of sewer across three city sewer sheds covering approximately 3,000 acres. Closed circuit TV was used to explore the old sewers to record visual details of potential problems, revealing several buried or improperly located manholes, abandoned sewers and misalignments. The resulting point repairs to more than 500 sewer mains and lateral connections, manholes and installation of cured-in-place pipe lining have dramatically reduced wet-weather sewer overloads. This is protecting homeowners from sewer backups and reducing sewer overflows onto streets. In addition to immediate relief to homeowners, the repairs will extend the sewer system's life and support city growth.

"This year's competition was unique in that it was dominated by environmental and transportation projects that improve our quality of life, help localities meet environmental standards and protect our natural resources. People often don't realize that engineering touches every aspect of our lives. This year's competition clearly demonstrates the role engineering plays in improving our environment and the quality of everyday life," noted ACEC Virginia Executive Director Nancy Israel. "This project is one that definitely improves quality of life for residents."

Draper Aden Associates of Richmond and Greeley and Hansen of Richmond received Grand Awards and will compete for the coveted Pinnacle Award which will be presented at ACEC Virginia's Engineering Excellence Awards Gala in Richmond at the Jefferson Hotel on February 3. An Arlington firm, Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., is also in the running for the Pinnacle Award for its upgrade of Arlington County's Water Pollution Control Plant to reduce phosphorus and nitrogen nutrient levels discharged into the Chesapeake Bay.

Draper Aden Associates designed the 8,700-seat Robins Stadium at the University of Richmond, bringing Spider football back to campus. The modern and expanded stadium was built on the footprint of an antiquated 1,500-seat stadium, surrounding a newly refurbished track and synthetic turf playing field that serves as the centerpiece of the new stadium.

Greeley and Hansen updated Richmond's combined sewage and stormwater system to improve system drainage and storage capacity, improve James River water quality by reducing combined sewer discharges and mitigate downtown ‘nuisance' flooding. To do this, Greeley and Hansen separated the existing Crossover Chamber and connected the Box Sewer directly to the existing East Gravity Outlet, basically separating the systems, enabling sewage and stormwater to flow independently and simultaneously.

In addition, Austin Brockenbrough & Associates, L.L.P. received an Honor Award, for creating its own energy efficient office space at the Boulders Center, showcasing Brockenbrough's corporate green building ethos. Brockenbrough is the first LEED for Commercial Interiors space in Chesterfield County and the first private Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) space in the Greater Richmond Area. The office incorporates multiple green building strategies including energy efficient lighting, re-use of materials including the reconfiguration of the HVAC system, recycled content material, low volatile organic compound adhesives and reuse of construction waste from landfills.

Four Richmond area engineering firms received Merit Awards. They include: A. Morton Thomas and Associates, Inc., Johnson Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc., O'Brien & Gere Engineers and Schnabel Engineering, Inc.

A. Morton Thomas and Associates received the Merit Award for replacement of the Route 340 Bridge over Jeremy's Run in Page County between the towns of Front Royal and Luray. The antiquated bridge had structural deficiencies and legal load limits. Because of the historic and scenic nature of the area, the project attracted the interest and concern of state and federal agencies as well as citizen groups. The new bridge features jointless technology, weathering steel and high performance concrete as well as railing featuring architectural treatments and color coatings to simulate a rock wall appearance.

Johnson Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc. received the Merit Award for the Leesburg Park and Ride Lot which includes 700 parking spaces and three saw tooth bus bays. Johnson Mirmiran & Thompson proposed a concept that constructed the entire project in one phase instead of two phases as originally planned. In addition, the design separated bus bays from commuter vehicles, eliminating conflicts between the two, improving bus and patron access to the facility and providing a safer facility for pedestrian traffic.

O'Brien & Gere Engineers received the Merit Award for the expansion of the Town of Woodstock's wastewater treatment facility. This included expanding the capacity of the facility from 0.8-million gallons/day (MGD) rated capacity to 2.0-MGD. In addition the Woodstock wastewater treatment facility had to meet the requirements of new Virginia nutrient removal regulations. Membrane biological reactor treatment technology was used to allow re-use of existing oxidation ditch tanks. Membrane thickener tanks were also used to thicken sludge prior to processing, centrifugal dewatering to reduce disposal volume and alkaline Class A/B sludge stabilization to meet EPA regulations for sludge disposal.

Schnabel Engineering, Inc. received a Merit Award for its environmental enhancements to Dominion Chesterfield Power Station's units 3, 4 and 5. The Chesterfield Power Station, which is the largest fossil-fueled power station in Virginia, supplies about 12% of the electricity used by four million people the utility serves. Schnabel retrofitted the units with a Flue Gas Desulfurization facility (scrubber) capable of reducing sulfur dioxide emissions by 95% and mercury emissions by 90%.

"This year's competition was dominated by environmental and transportation projects that improve our quality of life, help localities meet environmental standards and protect our natural resources," noted ACEC Virginia's Executive Director Nancy Israel. "People often don't realize that engineering touches every aspect of their lives. This competition clearly demonstrates the role engineering plays in improving our environment and the quality of everyday life, whether it's going to a game at a football stadium or reducing emissions into our rivers."