STORM WATER MANAGEMENT & HYDRAULICS DEPARTMENT

CREATIVE ENGINEERING AT WORK

Below are some examples of Creative Engineering at work. These projects are just a sample of the solutions our engineers in the Storm Water Management & Hydraulics Department have developed for some rather complicated problems. This is how engineers at RKR Hess make things work ... translating human needs into practical realities.

PROBLEM : Development of a proposed townhouse project would increase runoff onto an adjacent manufacturing plant which had already experienced flooding problems. Aesthetic considerations precluded the utilization of an unsightly detention basin.

SOLUTION : A visually pleasing ornamental pond with additional freeboard for flood control provided views for townhouse purchasers not only successfully detained increased storm water flows, but also increased the value of townhouses adjacent to the pond.

PROBLEM : Flat topography and consideration of adjoining property owners prohibited the proper disposal of storm water at a proposed shopping center complex.

SOLUTION : Utilizing the natural permeability of the porous soils at the site, RKR Hess engineers designed infiltration trenches supplemented with recharge rings between the parking aisles to store storm water runoff.

PROBLEM : A eutrophied pond in a planned residential development for senior citizens was unsightly and emitted unpleasant odors which had residents holding their noses when they walked by.

SOLUTION : A combination of dredging, recirculating pumps, a fresh water intake from a nearby stream and aeration fountains brought new life to the pond and added a welcome view for the residents.