Directory Lists Engineers Who Assist in Disaster Recovery

When disasters occur, members of the civil engineering community often respond by offering their time and talents to assist in response and recovery efforts.

As a result, the Disaster Assistance Volunteer Directory was developed by the Reston, Va.-based American Society of Civil Engineers.

The directory includes a listing of ASCE members who are interested in volunteering for disaster planning, response and recovery initiatives.

Members included in the directory can maintain an up-to-date profile that includes their skill set, experience and availability. This directory is available to qualified parties including local, state and federal agencies, as well as private consulting firms to draw from for engineering expertise in not only their post-disaster response and recovery efforts, but also in their pre- disaster planning and preparedness initiatives.

Video Shows Benefits of Pervious Pavement

A new Chicago stormwater ordinance went into effect Jan. 1 that requires on-site capture of the first half-inch of rain.

The city turned to pervious concrete for its Green Alley pilot program. It is an open void material designed to allow rainwater to filter through the paved surface into the ground rather than settling on the surface.

By reconstructing the alleys with permeable surfaces, the city reduced flooding and saved money that otherwise would have been used to treat stormwater or construct cisterns to hold the water.

Recognized by the U.S. EPA and the city of Chicago as a best practice for stormwater management, interest in permeable pavements is growing. See a video on how pervious concrete makes puddles disappear by visiting www.perviouspavement.org/pervious-pavement-demo-video.html on the Internet.

Traffic Limit Raised for Culvert, Sewer Pipe

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has increased the allowable average daily traffic limit to 7,000 vehicles per day from 4,500 VPD for the use of polyethylene pipe in diameters up to 36 in. for culverts and storm sewers.

In 1991 HDPE pipe was initially approved by the WisDOT for use under low volume roads fewer than 1,500 ADT, with several trial installations that were monitored and studied to certify the pipe.