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ISEC Pedestrian Bridge Earns Envision Bronze Award

16-April-2020

Photo provided by Payette / Tanguy Marquis

Washington D.C. – April 16, 2020 – The Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC) Pedestrian Bridge (PedX) at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, is the recent recipient of the Envision® Bronze award for sustainable infrastructure, designated by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). To reach Bronze status, a project must demonstrate that it delivers environmental, social, and economic benefits above standard or conventional practice.

Project Context and Scope

The ISEC PedX project is the construction of an elevated pedestrian crossing that connects the new ISEC at Northeastern University’s Huntington Avenue Campus in Boston with the Fenway and Roxbury communities. Spanning 132 feet, the bridge improves public connections between the University’s facilities on the south side of five Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Amtrak rail lines that separate it from the main campus. The $17 million project mimics the architecture of the new ISEC building, allowing students, visitors, and community members to pass easily and safety between the campuses intersected by the rail corridor, all while offering views of the Boston skyline and the bold architecture of the ISEC building. This project fulfills part of the Northeastern University Campus Master Plan.

“The pedestrian bridge is an aesthetic treasure in the heart of Northeastern’s campus, providing a much-needed connection from the main campus to the newly developed Columbus Avenue corridor,” said John Park, Hill International project manager. On behalf of Northeastern University, the Hill team managed the design and construction of the pedestrian bridge from the conceptual “Arc” structure in 2014 to occupancy of the bridge in 2019.

Northeastern University worked in close collaboration with Skanska, Payette, Arup, Hill International, and Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB) to deliver this visually stunning, award-winning, sustainable project.

The Envision system examines the impact of sustainable infrastructure projects as a whole through five distinct categories: Quality of Life, Leadership, Resource Allocation, Natural World, and Climate and Resilience. These key areas contribute to the positive social, economic, and environmental impacts on a community.

 

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Albion Riverside Park Project Earns Envision Gold Award

12-March-2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 12, 2020 – The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) announced today that the Albion Riverside Park, located in Los Angeles, California, is the recent recipient of the Envision® Gold award for sustainable infrastructure. To earn Envision Gold, a project must demonstrate that it delivers a heightened range of environmental, social, and economic benefits to the host and affected communities.  

The Albion Riverside Park is a 10.6-acre site located adjacent to the Los Angeles River in the neighborhood of Lincoln Heights. For this project, 6 acres of land adjacent to the original park were acquired, having been previously used for industrial purposes such as ice cream manufacturing, dairy storage and distribution, metal pipe manufacturing, brewery operations, and automotive repair. After decades of industrial use, the soil on the expansion site was significantly contaminated. The contaminated soil was removed and remediated to make the site safe for public use.  

The overall goal of the Albion Riverside Park project was to increase and enhance open space and recreational opportunities along the Los Angeles River, and implement stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) that improve the water quality of stormwater runoff. The above-ground improvements result in an expanded park facility that better serves the local community, and adds to the LA River experience in Lincoln Heights.  

The Albion Riverside Park project is one of several “Proposition O” projects in the city of Los Angeles. Proposition O, which was passed in 2004 with overwhelming public support, authorized the City to fund projects up to $500 million, which are designed to prevent and remove pollutants from regional waterways and the ocean, consequently protecting public safety and meeting Federal Clean Water Act regulations. This project’s park elements are also funded through Proposition 84 (the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006) and Proposition K, the LA for Kids Program, a program designed to combat the inadequacies and decay of youth infrastructure throughout the City, as well as other funding from the City’s Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP).  

“Every community deserves places that people can go for healthy recreation and to connect with the natural world,” said Mayor Garcetti. “The Albion Riverside Park is another milestone in our revitalization of the L.A. River — and I’m proud to have authored Proposition O so we can purchase properties like this and deliver projects that protect our river and improve our water supply.”  

The Albion Riverside Park project is part of the LA River Revitalization Master Plan, River Improvement Overlay and the Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Site Plan. It accomplishes several goals and meets the needs of the community by: 

  • Improving water quality by significantly decreasing pollutant loads 
  • Creating and improving local park resources and visual linkages to the Los Angeles River 
  • Improving climate change adaptability 
  • Protecting and replenishing natural resources 
  • Reducing the risk of flooding during periods of high precipitation 

“Turning a vacant, previously contaminated parcel of land into a public resource—all while protecting local water resources and reducing pollution—is a significant boon for the Lincoln Heights community and the city of Los Angeles more broadly,” said Melissa Peneycad, ISI’s Managing Director. “ISI is pleased to present the Envision Gold award for sustainable infrastructure to the city of Los Angeles and its project partners for the Albion Riverside Park project.”  

“The Albion Riverside Park is part of the LA River Revitalization Master Plan, and part of our larger vision to expand recreational and green space in the First Council District,” stated Councilmember Cedillo. “The communities in CD1 have been cut off from the LA River for too long. Albion Park, and eventually G2, will provide our neighborhoods direct access to the river while improving water quality.”  

“The Bureau of Engineering is committed to delivering sustainable and multi-benefit projects,” said City Engineer and ISI Boardmember Gary Lee Moore, PE, ENV SP. “Albion Riverside Park is an excellent example of the work we are doing to bring recreation and open space to neighborhoods that desperately need park space, increasing stormwater capture, and improving water quality.” 

The Envision sustainable infrastructure framework assesses project sustainability across five categories: Quality of Life, Leadership, Resource Allocation, Natural World, and Climate and Resilience. These key areas contribute to positive social, economic, and environmental impacts on a community during the planning, design, and construction of infrastructure projects.    

As project and construction manager, the city of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering partnered with the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Bureau of Sanitation. They also worked closely with their design consultant TetraTech and their contractor Sully-Miller. 

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Southport Levee Improvement Project Earns Envision Platinum for Sustainable Infrastructure

5-February-2020

The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) announced today that the West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency received the Envision® Platinum Award for the City of West Sacramento’s Southport Levee Improvement Project (SLIP). This is West Sacramento’s first Envision award and the nineteenth Envision-verified project in California.

West Sacramento is seasonally surrounded by water and protected from flooding by the city’s levee system. This $180 million project, financed and constructed by the West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (WSAFCA), is the Agency’s largest capital improvement to date. Levee improvements along this 5.6-mile section include a combination of renovating the existing levee structure and the construction of a new setback levee.

Flood risk-reduction measures address deficiencies of through-seepage, under-seepage, slope stability and geometry, erosion, and encroachments and noncompliant vegetation. WSAFCA’s goal is to achieve a minimum 200-year level of levee performance for the entire West Sacramento levee system. The project brings the levee into compliance with Federal and State levee design criteria, as well as providing opportunities for ecosystem restoration and public recreation. The project is relatively unique for an urban area in that it returns several hundred acres of land to riparian and oak savanna habitat.

This multi-benefit flood risk reduction and ecosystem restoration project was constructed as part of the federal West Sacramento Project, a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), WSAFCA, and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board acting through the Department of Water Resources (DWR) Division of Flood Management. The City and WSAFCA worked in close collaboration with HDR, GEI Consultants, WSP, MBK Engineers, ICF International, SCS Engineers, AECOM, cbec and Blackburn Consulting to deliver this award-winning sustainable project.

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Apice-Hirpinia Section of the Naples-Bari Railway Line Earns Envision Platinum Award

28-January-2020

The Naples-Bari line is an integral part of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean railway corridor of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The expansion project, currently being carried out in phases, consists of doubling and speeding up some sections of the current line to 200 km per hour in order to increase the capacity, frequency and regularity of transport services; improve accessibility; and facilitate more efficient travel from Bari to Naples and Rome. In 2026, the year in which this project is expected to be completed, it will be possible to go from Bari to Rome in about three hours and from Bari to Naples in about two.

Envision verification has been obtained for the Apice-Hirpinia railway section, designed by Italferr for its client RFI. This constitutes the 1st Functional Lot of the project for doubling and upgrading the Apice – Orsara section of the Naples – Bari line, between the Apice Station and the new Hirpinia stop for a total extension of approximately 18.7 km of line.

Read more about this project.

Taxiway and Runway 9L Pavement Replacement Project at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Earns Envision Silver Award

5-December-2019

The Taxiway and Runway 9L Pavement Replacement Project at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) located in Atlanta, Georgia is the recent recipient of the Envision Silver award for sustainable infrastructure.

ATL serves as a primary transfer point in the national air transportation system, with more than 107 million passengers and over 898,000 aircraft operations, making it the world’s busiest passenger airport. Each day ATL handles approximately 6.6% of the nation’s travelers, leading many aviation experts to consider it the most important node in the United States and one of the most important globally.

The $55 million project at ATL consists of multiple elements, including replacing pavement in the Center Airfield Complex and portions of runway 9L-27R and adjacent taxiways, adjusting airfield lighting and signage, relocating drainage structures and drainage lines, constructing an embankment, adjusting airfield striping and navigational aid (NAVAID) structures. Deficient runway safety areas on runway 9L-27R will be regraded to conform with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.

The performance of the project post-completion will be monitored by several existing ATL programs, systems, and initiatives such as the airport’s Pavement Management Program, Safety Management System, ISO 50001 certified Energy Management System and Noise Compatibility/Mitigation program.

“Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the City of Atlanta are focused on instituting sustainability in all construction projects and we met the Envision goals using several methods used on past projects by using recycled materials, LED lighting and protecting the groundwater”, said Department of Aviation Director Norma Click.  

Atlanta’s Department of Aviation (DOA) worked in close collaboration with the Aviation Infrastructure Solutions joint venture team (Michael Baker International, Pond & Company (Pond) and Corporate Environmental Risk Management (CERM)) to deliver this award-winning sustainable project.

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Reconstruction of Runway 3L/21R and Associated Taxiways at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Earns Envision Gold

15-November-2019

The ongoing reconstruction of Runway 3L/21R and associated taxiways at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) received the Envision Gold award for sustainable infrastructure. Previously, the Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) achieved Envision Silver for another major airfield project—the reconstruction of DTW’s Runway 4L/22R and associated taxiways—in 2016. The project team built on past successes and lessons learned to expand the sustainability objectives and initiatives throughout the recent Runway 3L design and construction.

This $180 million project is reconstructing Runway 3L/21R and parallel Taxiway M and partial parallel Taxiway P. These facilities were originally constructed in the 1950’s and had deteriorated to a point where full reconstruction was necessary. As part of this project, decommissioned pavement is being removed, geometry is being updated to current design standards, bypass taxiways are being added, and Taxiway P is being extended. These measures are expected to improve safety by reducing acute angle intersections, adding shoulder pavement, and improving the operational flow throughout the completed area.

“Incorporating sustainable measures into two large runway projects, including the reconstruction of our primary runways, has been a fulfilling experience for the Airport Authority,” said Deputy Director Theresa Samosiuk, the WCAA project manager for both the 4L and 3L runway projects. “While reconstructing Runway 3L/21R and its associated taxiways, we will maintain nearly all materials on site. We are also reducing future maintenance through LED lighting and other measures, contributing to the Airport Authority’s overall sustainability goals – which includes a target for 100% LED airfield lighting at DTW. It’s exciting to have a direct and positive impact on how we deliver infrastructure projects across the airports.”

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Fairfax County’s Disinfection Improvements Project at the Noman M. Cole, Jr. Pollution Control Plant Earns Envision Gold

7-October-2019

The Disinfection Improvements Project at the Noman M. Cole, Jr. Pollution Control Plant (NMCPCP) owned and operated by Fairfax County’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) has earned an Envision Gold award for sustainability.

The NMCPCP is a 67 million gallon per day (mgd) wastewater treatment plant in Fairfax County, Virginia. The Plant had an aging sodium hypochlorite disinfection system that was in need of rehabilitation or replacement. Through a detailed evaluation of alternatives, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection was selected as the chosen solution.

The project includes a UV facility, an auxiliary chemical storage and feed facility, separate disinfection for water reuse/plant water purposes, reuse water pump station, plant water pump station, filter backwash storage and pumping, a new outfall pipe and associated electrical improvements. Under the innovative leadership of Fairfax County’s DPWES, the Disinfection Improvements Project is the first public works project in the county to use virtual reality to enhance design and construction processes. It is also the first in the county to use the Construction-Management-At-Risk (CMAR) alternative project delivery method; a method in which a commitment is made by the Construction Manager to deliver a project within a Guaranteed Maximum Price, allows for a more qualification-based approach for selecting contractors and equipment manufacturers and helps streamline the construction process. The collaborative approach to project delivery has enabled the project team to be proactive in finding innovative solutions to the various project issues and concerns as they have emerged.

Fairfax County DPWES continues to work in close collaboration with their design engineer, Hazen and Sawyer, and their CMAR, Ulliman Schutte Construction, for the delivery of this award-winning sustainable project which is currently 49% complete.

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ISI Launches Live Webinar Series

13-September-2019

New Educational Opportunities that Qualify for ENV SP Credential Maintenance

ISI is pleased to announce the launch of a new live webinar series as a way to engage with the Envision user community and to help Envision Sustainability Professionals (ENV SPs) maintain their credentials. (Each webinar qualifies as one elective education hour towards the annual ENV SP credential maintenance requirements.)

All webinars will be hosted live. Registration is free and those wishing to participate must register in advance.

After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing important information about joining the meeting.

Webinar Schedule

Strengthening New York City DEP’s Sustainability Through Programmatic Application of Envision

Presented by Erika Jozwiak, New York City Department of Environmental Protection
Wednesday December 18, 2019 at 1:00 PM Eastern
As the largest combined water and wastewater system in the nation, New York City is in a unique position to advance sustainable infrastructure. Envision has been adopted to assist designers in placing a quantifiable value to the “intangibles”. Several case studies will be presented using both versions 2 and 3 of the Envision framework.

REGISTER

 

Application of Envision to the Ship Canal Water Quality Project

Presented by Richard Fernandez, Seattle Public Utilities and Jennifer Ninete, HDR
Tuesday January 14, 2020 at 1:00 PM Eastern
This webinar describes the process for implementing the Ship Canal Water Quality Project, a large-scale CSO tunnel solution. It focuses on sustainable components and will show how Envision was used to influence design, implementation and policy.

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Reaching Platinum: Examples of Two Large Scale Wastewater Infrastructure Projects

Presented by Lorraine Moreno, City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Engineering, Environmental Engineering Division
Wednesday January 29, 2020 at 1:00 PM Eastern
The City of Los Angeles’ Bureau of Engineering Clean Water Infrastructure Program has completed construction on two large-scale multi-million-dollar projects: the Advanced Water Treatment Facility (AWPF) at Terminal Island Water Reclamation Plant (TIWRP) and the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant (HWRP) Digester Gas Utilization Project (DGUP). This webinar will discuss the process for achieving Platinum and share some of the lessons learned and the City’s approach to using Envision at a program level.

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Applying Envision Retroactively – PANYNJ’s experience with the Bayonne Bridge Navigational Clearance Project

Presented by: Melissa Targett, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
Wednesday February 12, 2020 at 1:00 PM Eastern
The Envision Rating system provides public agencies with a distinguished method to gather and document efforts to develop Sustainable Projects.  This webinar will discuss the types of policies and processes conducted within public agencies that contribute to the documentation needed for Envision credits and present the Bayonne Bridge Navigational Clearance Project Envision verification with a category by category review. 

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Envision the Westminster Way

Presented by Julie Koehler, City of Westminster
Wednesday December 4, 2019 at 1:00 PM Eastern
This webinar will focus on how the City of Westminster, Colorado has taken active steps to increase knowledge of and practice using the Envision framework as we define what it means to Westminster to be sustainable.

REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED; EVENT HAS ENDED.

 

Advocating for the Use of Envision by Local Public Infrastructure Agencies

Presented by Michael Bloom, R.G. Miller Engineers, Inc. and Liz Parent, 5engineering, Inc.
Wednesday November 13, 2019 at 1:00 PM Eastern
Have you ever wondered how you or your firm can help advocate for expanded use of Envision? This webinar will provide a summary of the advocacy work conducted in the Houston and Harris County area of Texas since 2013. 

REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED; EVENT HAS ENDED.

 

11 Tips for Preparing Envision Documentation

Presented by Jennifer Ninete, HDR
Tuesday October 29, 2019 at 1:00 PM Eastern
Preparing to submit for Envision verification is as much of an art as a science.  The presentation is intended to provide high-level lessons learned that can be applied to developing documentation packages for any Envision project.

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San Antonio River Authority’s Martinez IV Wastewater Treatment Plant Earns Envision Silver Award

9-September-2019

The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) announced today that the Martinez IV Wastewater Treatment Plant in Saint Hedwig, Texas is the recent recipient of the Envision Silver award for sustainable infrastructure.

The Martinez IV Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is a new facility built to accommodate the significant projected population growth of the surrounding communities. Without this facility, the increased raw sewage would need to be pumped and hauled by truck on a daily basis to other facilities for treatment, causing significant impacts to soil, watershed quality, air pollution, and carbon dioxide emissions.

Operated by the San Antonio River Authority (River Authority), the plant has a treatment capacity of 250,000 gallons per day (GPD) with potential to expand to two million gallons per day (MGD). The project consists of headworks, biological treatment, clarifiers, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection, and dewatering with final solids being composted. In addition, a new sanitary sewer collection line and associated lift station will connect new residential developments to the wastewater treatment plant. The collection line will consist of approximately 17,000 linear feet of gravity and force main and one lift station.

The River Authority worked in close collaboration with Freese and Nichols and MGC Contractors to deliver this award-winning sustainable project.

<a href=”http://sustainableinfrastructure.org/project-awards/martinez-iv-wastewater-treatment-plant/”>Learn more about this project.</a>

LaGuardia Airport Central Terminal Building Replacement Project Earns Envision Platinum

22-August-2019

The LaGuardia Airport CTB Replacement Project is the first project to earn Envision recognition under Envision v3 – the latest iteration of the Envision sustainable infrastructure framework developed and managed by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. Owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), the LaGuardia Airport CTB Replacement Project earned Envision Platinum, indicating the project delivered a heightened range of social, environmental, and economic benefits to the host and affected communities.

The LaGuardia Airport is vital to the regional economy. It employs approximately 10,000 people on-airport and contributes more than $13 billion in economic activity to the region, generating an additional 100,000 jobs and nearly $5 billion in annual wages and salaries. The airport is located on 680 acres in the New York City Borough of Queens. It is a large commercial airport hub that primarily serves domestic markets. Located only a few minutes from Manhattan, LaGuardia Airport serves more than 19 million people.

PANYNJ embarked on an innovative Public-Private Partnership (P3) to replace the aging and outdated Central Terminal Building (CTB) at the LaGuardia Airport which has been operational since its dedication in 1964. It was most recently modernized and expanded in the 1990s. This is the most ambitious P3 ever undertaken in the region and is the largest P3 ever in the United States. Under the P3, LaGuardia Gateway Partners will design, build, operate, and maintain a new Central Terminal Building (New CTB) facility. The P3 contract includes taking over the operations of the existing CTB and designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining the New CTB through 2050. The project will be financed using equity, debt, passenger facility charges, retail, and airline revenues.

Learn more about this project and why it earned Envision Platinum.