Senior Design Projects from Previous Years

Containment dike water treatment
At present all precipitation collected in the Nepera tank farm containment dikes is burnt in an on site hazardous waste incinerator fired by natural gas. Approximately 10 million gallons per year are burned. The water is contaminated with low levels (PPB) of organics such as benzene, pyridine, alpha picoline, beta picoline, 2-Cyanopyridine and 3-Cyanopyridine, ammonia, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, and formalin. The incineration of this water is costly financially and environmentally.

The objective of the study is to evaluate what environmentally sound options are available for treatment of this wastestream minimizing overall environmental impact and to complete a preliminary design and sizing of the selected option.

Groundwater/soil contamination at a former industrial site located in New Jersey.

Site bounded by a river to the east, residential neighborhood to the west, school to the north and former gas station to the south. Remedial investigations completed to date include:

1. Preliminary soil/groundwater delineation for VOCs, SVOCs, Metals, PCBs, total organic carbon completed over a portion of the site;
2. Soil boring logs;
3. Groundwater well logs and elevation readings.

It is likely that the appropriate remedial solution will require installation of a pump and treat system with an air stripper or other pretreatment system prior to discharge to a POTW. The first stages of the project will require development of an additional investigation to support the design of appropriate engineering controls. The investigation must be performed in accordance with NJAC 7:26 Technical Regulations, which will include development of a Remedial Investigation Work Plan, Remedial Action Selection Report and Remedial Action Work Plan. The investigation, as well as development of the remedial scheme, will require oversight and approval from the NJDEP. The sampling program must include sufficient information to identify source areas and delineate the soil/groundwater contamination, as well as develop appropriate parameters to design the pump and treat system and pretreatment system. The program will also include development of a hydrogeologic study to support the design of the system, as well as a water allocation permit, in accordance with NJAC 7:19.

The ultimate goal of the project is to develop a set of bid documents that will be issued to a group of design/build contractors. The list of drawings will support the appropriate removal of source areas, appropriate site capping, installation of the groundwater well system, installation of an air stripper or other appropriate pretreatment system, and sewer connection to the POTW sewer line. An engineer's estimate will be required for the owner at this stage of design.

EXAMPLES OF PREVIOUS SENIOR DESIGN PROJECTS

VOC Remediation Design Problem
Your mission is to design a remediation for a drinking water well that produces 0.50 MGD. The well is contaminated with 1.2 mg TCE/L and 3.0 mg PCE/L. Tasks include: (1) Determine the NJ standards for TCE and PCE. (2) Select two or three candidate technologies. Compare the applicability of each. (3) Select one of the technologies for implementation. (4) Develop a pilot plant experiment. (5) Design the process.

Truck Stop Runoff Treatment
A highway truck stop and maintenance facility produces runoff during rain events containing high levels of oils. The water is treated by a skimming device, but this is not sufficient to meet standards for discharge to surface waters. The goal of this project is to design a membrane treatment unit to remove emulsified oils from the runoff.

Slow sand filter remediation
The slow sand filters used for drinking water treatment at a small Pennsylvania utility are not producing water of sufficient quality to meet turbidity requirements. The project is to determine the water quality parameters that control the filter performance, and to propose operating changes and/or design changes that will enable the facility to meet standards.

Senior Design Groups and Sponsors

Students with Alumn John Tan '87 sponsored by Louis Berger & Associates, Inc.

Students sponsored by Medina Consultants, P.C.

Students with alumn John Civardi '86 and sponsored by Hatch Mott MacDonald

Students with sponsored by Lynch, Guiliano & Associates, Inc.

Students with alumn Paul Scagnelli sponsored by Schiavone Construction Company

Students with alumn Jeff Derosier '02

Rehabilitation of Macombs Dam Bridge over Harlem River
Manhattan and Bronx, New York City

The Macombs Bridge spans the Harlem River in New York City and was built in 1895. It is a major crossing between Manhattan and the Bronx and also is a popular route to Yankee Stadium between April and October.

The entire Macombs Dam Bridge structure consists of 52 spans including a THROUGH-TRUSS SWING SPAN, which physically crosses the Harlem River. This Swing Span consists of steel stringers, floor beams, pin-connected trusses, trolley stringers, curb stringers as well as a concrete-filled steel grid floor. The pin-connected trusses include many two-EYEBAR TRUSS ELEMENTS, which are considered structurally non-redundant in that the failure of a single eyebar could precipitate the collapse of the bridge.

This project entails the design and procedure for retrofitting the entire Swing Span, including all the two-eyebar truss elements based upon an available rating of the structural condition of the existing bridge elements. The design should include the development of the computer model with a detailed design of the “added” strengthening material.

Critical to this project is a procedure to perform the retrofit work, which must consider how and in what configuration existing vehicular and pedestrian bridge traffic is maintained during the construction period to install the retrofit material.

The spring semester project should entail an alternate design approach, which addresses the issues outlined above. This approach should include the development of the computer model with a detailed design of the support structure.

The following project is sponsored by:
Louis Berger & Associates, Inc.,
East Orange, NJ 07019

Description of Structure:

• Secaucus Interchange Project, Section No. 3 – Ramp TW-WT Viaduct in Jersey City
• The viaduct consists of two independent superstructures separated by a longitudinal open joint with separate pier structures supported with a common footing.
• The exception to the common footing is the footing splits for Piers 9 and 10 in Unit 3 to reduce the spans as they traverse the railroad.
• High profile is provided to accommodate for future extension toward the Bergen Arches Project.
• The overall structure constructed of a total of 5 continuous superstructure units.
• Girders to be fabricated of steel plated girders are continuous over each structure unit.
• The girders will be connected to the substructures using elastomeric bearing pads.

Project Description Part I:

• Develop a step-by-step procedure on how to develop a site-specific response spectra. How do you apply the spectra for a spread footing versus a pile foundation? Identify any differences.
• Site specific seismic evaluation; use web references that were distributed.
• How do you develop a site specific response spectra?
• Determine if there is a NJ Turnpike standard response spectra (design earthquake).
• Lamont Dougherty, Columbia Lab may be a good reference.
• NYCDOT – Seismic Study, uses NY State Design Manual.
• Investigate Wai.com for reference regarding a Seismic Hazard Study performed for the NYCDOT that may be applicable to this project.

Project Description Part II:

• Evaluate various bridge models to ascertain the most practical model to be used in the design of such a complex structure. This model should address the need for design the substructure elements including the pier cap, pier columns, footing and pile foundation for both non-seismic (AASHTO Groups I-VI) as well as seismic loads.
• Bridge modeling, the following list was provided by John.
  
  Each unit individually:
• Single line superstructure, single line substructure.
• Single line superstructure, pier column and cap lines.
• Girder and diaphragm line superstructure, pier column and cap lines.
• How do you model the common pier footings?
• Fixity at column base. Fixed versus spring to represent the flexibility of the foundation?
• How to model bearings and abutments?
  
  Entire structure.
• Single line superstructure, single line substructure.
• Single line superstructure, pier column and cap lines.
• Girder and diaphragm line superstructure, pier column and cap line substructure.
• Is there a better alternative to the models described above?
• Given the plan geometry, profile, and footing elevation.
• Discuss and research which is the most practical and reasonable for this design in terms of accuracy and time.
• What is the best model for the best numbers, 5-10% of actual numbers?
• With the model, apply all design loads, seismic and non-seismic. Estimate section properties. Model the foundations as springs or spring matrices?
• Observe the movement with the loads, is it rational or irrational?
• For the design loads use Group I-VI Loads in AASHTO with all combinations.
• Discussion report, which can be qualitative, create model and test. Include the recommended model and discuss its benefits and reasons for the selection.
• How do you model pier cap, footing, column, and piles? What loads do you use?

The following project is sponsored by:
Medina Consultants, P.C.
Hackettstown, NJ 07840

City of Paterson Redevelopment:

This project deals with the redevelopment of the City of Paterson. The city has a new mayor who is anxious to revitalize and rebuild. There will be several upcoming tasks, which we will be required to perform and deliver on. The tasks will vary from a feasibility assessment to concept planning for future site development. The students will assist in obtaining backup information, data and plans and preparing alongside us concept plans.

The four main tasks are:

1. The creation of a soccer showcase at an existing park. .
2. The redevelopment of an existing residential area into a residential community consisting of two-family homes.
3. The design of a transit friendly village near the Paterson train station. This village will include retail space and parking at and near the existing train stations.
4. The design of a transfer station for construction debris to bring trucks in loaded with debris; place it on rail cars in order to move it out of the area.

The following project is sponsored by:
Lynch, Giuliano & Associates, Inc.
Brick Town, NJ 08723

Site Development Project:

The site is a 960-acre, mixed use development located in Jackson Township, New Jersey. We are in the process of getting zoning approvals for up to 4800 residential units, and 2.5 million square feet of retail/commercial space. Within this area is a 14-acre sub-area with a utility easement passing through it and a substantial amount of wetlands. The students are to examine this sub-area for maximum residential use within the local and state regulations. Once the proposed residential layout it developed, a complete site plan is to be prepared. This will include the following tasks:

• Roadway and lot layout
• Earth work and grading.
• Storm drainage design including detention basin and infiltration systems if necessary.
• Sanitary sewer and potable water layout.
• Preliminary Engineering Plans and specifications

The following project is sponsored by:
Reeves-Reed Arboretum
Summit, NJ 07901

Planning a “Woodland Walkway” on the grounds of the arboretum. The Walkway will be located in the lower woodland area, which is reached by trails and is located in a glacial bowl. This area is a wetland swamp and the walkway would be a raised path going out to a platform on which visitors could stand and view the wetlands, classes could inspect the area, etc. The area has been surveyed and a “plan” has been envisioned.

The students are responsible to design this Walkway using the appropriate codes and design standards in order to meet the needs of the Arboretum.

The following project is sponsored by:
Hatch Mott MacDonald, Millburn, NJ:

Title: Membrane Treatment Evaluation for the City of New Brunswick Water Treatment Facility

Hatch Mott MacDonald is evaluating the feasibility of micro/ultra-filtration membranes for treatment of up to 24 MGD of settled water at the City of New Brunswick’s Water Treatment Facility. The senior design effort will encompass the following activities:

• Review of the existing facilities
• Review of membrane treatment processes
• Review and evaluation of existing water quality data
• Assistance in the development of a pilot plant protocol and procedures
• Weekly on-site data gathering and sampling of the membrane pilot plants for a period of between 8 and 12 weeks depending on scheduling of pilot plants. Laboratory analysis at the Stevens lab for parameters such as alkalinity, TOC, THM and HAAs, UV254 would be helpful but is not mandatory.
• Analysis and evaluation of the membrane pilot plant data
• Assistance in the preparation of a summary report