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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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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.

Westside Subway Extension (Purple Line), Section 1

20-August-2019

Rendering of the Wilshire/La Brea Station currently under construction [rendering courtesy of Skanska]

LA Metro’sWestside Subway Extension (Purple Line), Section 1 in Los Angeles received the Envision Platinum award for sustainable infrastructure. To reach Platinum status, a project must demonstrate that it delivers a heightened range of environmental, social, and economic benefits to the host and affected communities.

Section 1 of the Westside Subway Extension, also known as the Purple Line Extension, is one of the most significant infrastructure programs in the region. The 3.92-mile segment, comprised of twin bore tunnels, will add three new stations to LA Metro’s rail system. The three additional stations will be located at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cinega. The project will extend the current Purple Line from Koreatown through Miracle Mile and is expected to be operational in 2023.

Located beneath some of Los Angeles’ most heavily traveled boulevards, this $1.6 billion subway line extension will provide a high-capacity, high-speed, and dependable transportation alternative for commuters to alleviate congested roadways. This project will also deliver significant economic and environmental benefits to the area.

Learn more about the project.

Hope Mills Dam in North Carolina Earns Envision Bronze for Sustainability

7-August-2019

The Hope Mills Dam in North Carolina is the recent recipient of the Envision® Bronze award for sustainable infrastructure. This is the first dam project to earn an Envision award, and the second project in the state to earn recognition from ISI for sustainability.

The Town of Hope Mills is located in western Cumberland County south of Fayetteville in North Carolina.  Hope Mills Lake is the centerpiece of the town, one of the main reasons for the town’s existence and a crucial element included in the planned revitalization of the town’s historic downtown district.

The Schnabel/ASI design-build team worked in close partnership with the Town of Hope Mills to deliver this award-winning sustainable project.  Construction of this new dam began April 2016 and was completed in 2018.

Key factors contributing to the Hope Mills Dam project earning an Envision Bronze award include:

  • Collaboration and stakeholder engagement
  • Cost-effectiveness
  • Reducing noise and vibrations

Learn more by visiting the PROJECT PAGE.

ENV SP Spotlight: Michael Bloom

29-May-2019

 

Michael Bloom, PE, ENV SP, BCEE, CFM is the Sustainability Practice Manager at R. G. Miller Engineers, Inc., in Houston, Texas.  He is responsible for wetlands, natural resources work, nature-based stormwater management, and surface water quality management projects. He has 28 years of experience in environmental consulting.

ISI staff had the chance to connect with Michael, and he provided the following insights from his career:

Professional Experience

What drew you to your field of work?

I have always had a keen interest in “making a difference” while applying science and engineering knowledge and skills.  I’d read articles in the late 1980s about Superfund clean-ups and a company called Roy F. Weston, Inc. doing projects like that. This piqued my interest, and I got to work for Roy F. Weston, Inc. back in the early 1990s.

What has been your biggest career challenge?

One one project I needed to deliver a complex information technology (IT) solution to a state agency on time, on budget, and while meeting client expectations about how the system would function.  A working IT solution was ultimately delivered, but the client was dissatisfied, the budget was overrun, and the technology team was exhausted. I learned that information technology projects are extremely challenging to deliver and that every consultant sometimes has a project that fails to make a profit.

What has been your proudest career moment?

I organized and conducted a pre-conference workshop at a national conference on watershed management.  It was particularly rewarding to have the workshop sell out and generate lots of positive feedback from attendees.

Envision Experience

Why did you decide to pursue an Envision credential?

I saw that it was backed by ACEC, APWA, and ASCE – all large, well established organizations. I thought that adoption would take off and I felt that I needed to get credentialed or I would be left behind.

How are you using Envision?

I have been advocating for its use in the Houston region since 2010.  I helped secure resolutions of support for its use by Houston Wilderness, the North Houston Association, and the West Houston Association.  As an ISI trainer, I’m now among those training private sector practitioners as well as people who work for the Harris County Engineering Department, after the department announced they would be moving forward with its use on projects.  As an ISI trained Verifier, I’ve reviewed two large projects that have completed the entire process.

Could you share some highlights from an Envision project?

I helped teach a class in Advanced Sustainable Design at Rice University. We had the class use Envision to evaluate the sustainability of three different storm surge protection options for the Houston metropolitan area. The total Envision credit score was determined for all three options.  Through this evaluation, the students discovered that the net embodied carbon of all three barrier systems were not insignificant. Student groups used the entire Envision credit system to evaluate the three barrier options and present their findings in a report and in a presentation.

Fun Facts

What are some of your favorite hobbies and interests?

I enjoy science fiction, helping my wife in the garden, the ancient eastern board game of “GO.”

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I am a sucker for almost any type of cat or dog. We currently have 3 cats and 1 dog at home. I drive my wife to a particular garden-supply place in town — that usually has rescue kittens and puppies for adoption – just so I can pet them.

OC Streetcar

21-May-2019

The OC Streetcar project, managed by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), recently earned an Envision Silver rating for sustainable infrastructure. This is the 15th Envision-verified project in the state, and the first modern streetcar project in California to receive Envision recognition.

The project helps OCTA and the cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove reach their goals to increase transportation options and improve transit connectivity. The $407.7 million project, which is expected to begin operation in 2022, will operate along a 4.15-mile route that connects the bustling Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center (SARTC) — providing regional rail, OCTA bus, and intercity and international bus services — to a new multimodal hub at Harbor Boulevard/Westminster Avenue in Garden Grove.

Learn more about the project by visiting the PROJECT PAGE.

Eagle Creek Airpark Taxiway B

2-May-2019

The Eagle Creek Airpark Taxiway B project in Indianapolis, Indiana is the recent recipient of the Envision Bronze award for sustainable infrastructure. This project involves the rehabilitation, widening and relocation of Taxiway B at Eagle Creek Airpark, a General Aviation airport owned by the Indianapolis Airport Authority. The main objectives of the project are to meet the Federal Aviation Administration’s design standards, improve the condition of the pavement, and achieve required separation standards. The project also involves the replacement of existing lighting with LEDs.

The project design was led by Woolpert with C&S Engineers, Inc., serving as Envision Administrator.  The team worked in close collaboration with the IAA to deliver this award-winning, sustainable project.

To learn more about this project, visit the PROJECT PAGE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

British Columbia Institute of Technology’s North Campus Infrastructure Project Earns Envision Gold

30-April-2019

The North Campus Infrastructure Project at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in Burnaby, British Columbia is the recent recipient of the Envision®Gold award for sustainable infrastructure.

“The continuous community engagement throughout the North Campus Infrastructure Project has allowed BCIT to fully understand the needs of its community and to guide development and renewal opportunities that provide long-term benefits. This award further recognizes BCIT for its strong commitment and leadership in sustainability,” said Kathy Kinloch, President of BCIT.

Funded by the Province of British Columbia, the Government of Canada Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, and BCIT, the North Campus Infrastructure project provides a critical upgrade to the campus’ electrical infrastructure. Electrical power at the Burnaby Campus is currently provided through two on-campus high-voltage (HV) receiving stations called Goard Way and Canada Way, which are connected to the 12.5 kV HV service provided by BC Hydro.

BCIT worked in close collaboration with Stantec, PCL Constructors Westcoast, R.F. Binnie & Associates, and PFS Studio to deliver this award-winning sustainable project.

CLICK HERE to learn more about this project.

 

 

 

Terminal 2 Parking Plaza at the San Diego International Airport earns Envision Gold

29-April-2019

The Terminal 2 Parking at the San Diego International Airport (SAN) has received the Envision Gold award for sustainable infrastructure. This is the second project at SAN to receive an Envision award. To reach Gold status, a project must demonstrate that it delivers a wide range of heightened environmental, social, and economic benefits to the host and affected communities.

“The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority is committed to ensuring that all of our capital projects meet the highest standards of environmental and financial sustainability,” said Kim Becker, the Airport Authority’s President/CEO. “We could not be more proud that the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure has recognized our efforts with the Envision Gold award for the Terminal 2 Parking Plaza.”

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Envision v3 Pre-Assessment Checklist Is Now Available

29-April-2019

April 29, 2019

ISI is pleased to announce the launch of the highly-anticipated Envision v3 Pre-Assessment Checklist. The launch of the checklist coincides with an important milestone for Envision v3: its one-year anniversary.

Screen capture of a portion of the “results” section in the Envision v3 Pre-Assessment Checklist

The checklist is an Excel-based tool to support the incorporation of Envision early in project planning and conceptual design phases. The checklist presents the Envision criteria as yes/no questions, helping project teams to quickly identify whether they are addressing the full range of sustainability criteria. While the results from a project assessment using the checklist do not directly correspond to Envision rating system scores, the results are presented as an estimate of the potential score a project may achieve should it proceed through third-party verification. Projects that address many of the assessment criteria demonstrate that their approach to sustainability is sufficiently broad and these projects may be good candidates for setting more detailed performance goals and objectives using the Envision guidance manual, and for verification and award.

The Envision v3 Pre-Assessment Checklist is free to use and is available for download from Envision account holders’ dashboards on the ISI website. Log in to the ISI website or create a free account to access this resource.