burns & mcdonnell 2003 no. 2 mark burns & mcdonnell 2003 no. 2 public involvement making the...

Bench MarkBurns & McDonnell 2003 No. 2

Public InvolvementMaking the difference between success and failure

Fueling a Strong DefenseHelping upgrade aviationfacilities in allied nations

Going UndergroundPower that’s out-of-sight

B e y o n d T h e S c o p e

Public involvement helps projects succeed.

Often, it is driven by regulation. Our clients are discovering,

however, that it can positively impact their projects even when

there is no requirement for a public involvement program.

Regardless of the impetus, all public involvement carries the

same goals: to clearly explain the need and benefit, and to

make sure the public understands the project and provides an

amount of input that satisfies their need to have a say in the

process.

The extra effort has the potential to pay dividends. For most of

our clients, it can mean less time, less money and fewer

headaches. For the public, it can mean peace of mind, participa-

tion in the process, and, ultimately, an improvement in the

quality of life.

There is also the long-term benefit: a positive relationship

between clients and the public they serve. Building and sustain-

ing this relationship forms the basis for mutual understanding

and a healthy climate for future projects.

Please turn to our cover story on page 10 to discover how

we are working to build bridges between our clients and

their communities.

Dale Trott

Associate Vice President

Environmental Studies & Permitting Group

Making a Difference

Burns & McDonnell

Dave Ruf, Chairman and CEO Greg Graves, President and COOMark Taylor, Vice President, Treasurer and CFOGerry Bukowski, Vice President and General CounselJim Foil, Vice President, Corporate Marketing

SPECIALTIESAviation and ArchitectureDavid Yeamans, Vice President

Construction Don Greenwood, President

Energy Greg Graves, President

Environmental Paul Hustad, President

InfrastructureJoel Cerwick, President

Process and IndustrialJohn E. Nobles, President

OFFICE LOCATIONSKansas City(816) 333-9400 Fax: (816) 333-36909400 Ward ParkwayKansas City, Missouri 64114

Atlanta, Georgia (770) 671-0409Arnold Olender, Associate Vice President

Chicago, Illinois (312) 454-0674Oak Brook, Illinois (Chicago) (630) 990-0300Steve Linnemann, Vice President

Dallas, Texas (972) 248-9570Rick Norton, Manager

Denver, Colorado (303) 721-9292Paul Fischer, Associate Vice President

Fenton, Missouri (636) 305-0077Tom Zychinski, Manager

Houston, Texas (713) 622-0227John Lionberger, Manager

Los Angeles, California (714) 632-5183Paul Miller, Manager

Miami, Florida (305) 476-5820James Kanter, Manager

Summit, New Jersey (908) 598-0110Martin Durney, Manager

O’Fallon, Illinois (618) 632-0354Mark Everett, Manager

Phoenix, Arizona (602) 385-4500Bob Schulz, Manager

San Diego, California (858) 547-9869Paul Miller, Manager

San Francisco, California (650) 871-2926Gary Messerotes, Manager

St. Louis, Missouri (314) 821-9016Bob Berry, Vice President

Washington, D.C. (703) 242-5792Katherine Goudreau, Associate Vice President

Wichita, Kansas (316) 941-3921Brian Meier, Manager

Burns & McDonnell InternationalTaipei, Taiwan

© 2003 Burns & McDonnell Marketing, Communications & Research

Corporate Marketing Manager Kevin FoxContributing Editors Joe Bathke and Margaret PuscheckPrinting Production Manager, Photography Bill CrippenArt Direction & Design Billie Iserman

For the latest listing of our worldwide offices and more information about the Burns & McDonnell Companies, visit us on the Internet athttp://www.burnsmcd.com

Printed on Recycled Paper

Fueling a Strong DefenseHelping upgrade aviation facilities in allied nations

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Off LineTsunami warning center

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Public Involvement10

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Bench Mark 2003 No. 2 3

C o n t e n t s

D e p a r t m e n t s4

Start UpPurchasing gas turbines. News in brief.Update on branch office additions.Using GIS for master planning.

18Need to KnowClean Water Act alert.

20Works in ProgressIncreased reliability.

Making the difference betweensuccess and failure

Going Underground . . .Power that’s out-of-sight

Guard 106th Air Rescue Wing inWesthampton Beach, New York.

Commander’s CommendationBurns & McDonnell received aNaval Facilities EngineeringCommand Certificate ofCommendation for exceptionaldesign and construction of theCorrosion Control Facility at MarineCorps Air Station, Beaufort, SouthCarolina. A letter announcing theaward, signed by U.S. Navy RearAdmiral M.R. Johnson, CEC, read inpart: “Burns & McDonnell managed thefacility design…in superlative fashion.Your firm’s cooperation with theMarine Corps Air Station throughoutthe construction effort was exemplary,resulting in an exceptional achievementin value, functionality, and architectur-al appearance.”

Q:Technical Q&A

bought gas turbines in anticipation offuture projects. When the power mar-ket softened last year, many of thesedevelopers were left with the turbines,which they already had a financialinvestment in, but no projects in whichto use them.

This has created a secondary marketfor the turbines. They can be purchasedfrom independent power producers atsubstantial discounts from their origi-nal price. Burns & McDonnell canassist in the transaction, to see thatwarranties and guarantees are trans-ferred to the buyer. For utilities thathave been considering the addition of aturbine as a peaking unit on their sys-

Q:

A: Jeff Greig is managerof project developmentin Burns & McDonnell’senergy group.

News In Brief

Into AfricaBurns & McDonnell is exporting elec-trical transmission and distributionexpertise to the heart of the Africancontinent. The Houston, Texas, officeis designing a 66- and 33-kV trans-mission backbone and 33-kV distri-bution system for new oilfield facili-ties being developed by Exxon-Mobilin Chad, Africa. The system is beingdesigned for extreme reliabilitydespite frequent lightning strikes andextremely high soil resistivity.

Safer InterstateTravel in the heart of America isbecoming safer and more conven-ient, thanks in part to Burns &McDonnell. The O’Fallon, Illinois,office has completed alternativeanalysis and preliminary design fora $40 million project adding lanes,

The collapse of the inde-pendent power producer market provides those with

a need or future need for power agreat opportunity. During the surg-ing power market of the late 1990s,independent power producers

A:

Why would now be a good time for me to add electric generation?

widening bridges and improving over-passes on Interstate 64 in Illinois. Phasetwo design is expected to be completeby summer 2003.

Engineering Excellence AwardBurns & McDonnell’s St. Louis officereceived a Consulting Engineers Councilof Missouri Engineering ExcellenceAward for design of a new NuclearMedicine Research Laboratory at the USVeterans Administration's Harry S.Truman Memorial Hospital for Veteransin Columbia, Missouri.

Air National Guard: By DesignA full-time, on-site project manager fromBurns & McDonnell’s Summit, NewJersey, office will coordinate constructionof new headquarters, dining, and vehi-cle maintenance facilities designed byBurns & McDonnell for the Air National

4 Burns & McDonnell

tem, the cost of this capacity is nowlower than anytime in recent history.

For more information on this opportu-nity, call us at (816) 822-3392.

How it Works

A new information managementapproach called Data Conservation™uses Geographic Information Systems(GIS) to make master planning moreefficient. In this approach, every project-related task uses, maintains, or createsdata in a virtual-world data model. Themodel is built of information stored inan electronic “filing cabinet”— a rela-tional database management system.The “drawers” are grouped by category,(roads, utilities) with “folders” in thedrawers containing details.

GIS specialists “populate” the virtual-world model by digitizing hard-copydesigns of streets and utilities; import-ing electronic data such as topographyor parcel ownership, and by enteringinformation relevant to the master plan:for example, water use per household. They fine-tune the model by loading


data pulled from it into an engineeringmodel for analysis, comparing theresults to observed real-world perform-ance, and adjusting the model until theresults match. When data on projectedpopulation growth and changes in landuse are added, the model can be used to“see” the impacts of future utility infra-structure deterioration, increaseddemand, and proposed capital improve-ments.

Using GIS for Data Conservation™ letscities explore multiple options and planmore accurately and efficiently. And,instead of ending up in the information“box canyon” of a printed report, datain the virtual-world model can be addedto, modified and reused for other masterplanning applications — and better day-to-day management.

Branch Office Update

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0111001101001010011100110100011 100100010111010111111111100

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011100110100101 10111

0010011010011101001100 10111011

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1001000101110101100100010111010101001101111010100 0111 11101

01001011001 11010011110001

Anyone who knows Katherine Goudreau, Burns & McDonnell’snew associate vice president for the Washington, D.C. area,knows she gets the job done — and done right.

A retired lieutenant in the U.S. Navy EngineerCorps, Goudreau managed contracts, environ-mental programs and construction projects. Onememorable assignment was the completerestoration of the Commandant of the MarineCorps’ quarters at the Marine Barracks, 8th & I,built in the 1780s. Under her direction, a crew

stripped more than 40 layers of paint, cleaning details of carvedwoodwork so finely that dental tools were used to do the job.

“Burns & McDonnell already has a good presence inWashington,” she says. “I’m working with long-term aviationclients such as US Airways and Dulles International Airport —

and looking forward to spreading the word about Burns &McDonnell’s other services.”

Arnold Olender admits to being a Northerner by birth, but as aSoutherner of long residence, he feels at home in his newrole of Burns & McDonnell associate vice president andmanager of the Atlanta regional office.

“I'm excited to be part of the Burns &McDonnell team, and to develop and pro-mote its mission to our client-partners in theAtlanta Metro area and the Southeast,” hesays.

Most recently, Olender was a divisional president of aMarietta, Georgia-based environmental engineering firm.He has more than 28 years of technical and managerialexperience.

More Efficient Master Planning With GIS

6 Burns & McDonnell

F u e l i n g


We take it for granted that U.S. and NATO forces canfly to any corner of the world, accomplish their mis-sions, and return. Burns & McDonnell is working at airand naval bases vital to U.S. security interests aroundthe world, adding aircraft apron and fueling capacity tokeep freedom forces flying.

Projects to increase air base capabilities are under wayin Europe and Asia: at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Sicily,(NASSIG), Italy; Naval Station Rota (NAVSTA ROTA),Spain; the Moron Air Force Base, Spain, and at YokotaAir Base, Japan. The projects are providing increasedfuel storage, more efficient fueling, and additionalapron and runway capacity to maximize the effective-ness of each base.

Modernizing a Hub Nicknamed “The Hub” of the Mediterranean, NASSIGis located on the island of Sicily at Sigonella Air ForceBase, an Italian base that operates jointly with the U.S.Navy. NASSIG has been a center for cargo, supplies andtroops since 1957, and is home to both a NATO mar-itime airfield and U.S. naval air station with more than7,000 personnel.

Burns & McDonnell is providing engineering and construction-phase support for a project to install amodern, underground hydrant fueling system that willallow the station to better serve midair refuelers andcargo aircraft such as the C-17, C-141, KC-10 and KC-135.

“Military refueling aircraft can carry up to approximately50,000 gallons of fuel,” says Burns & McDonnell projectmanager Alan McClanahan. “The new undergroundhydrant fueling system will refuel these planes efficient-ly — at 1,200 gallons per minute.”

Capacity UpgradesWith pristine beaches and warm breezes, the port city ofRota on Spain’s southwestern Atlantic coast could be anenviable vacation spot. But it’s better known for aninstallation strategic to U.S. and NATO military opera-tions: the Naval Station Rota (NAVSTA ROTA).

A joint-use base shared by the U.S. andSpanish Air Force and Navy, NAVSTAROTA has more than 6,000 enlisted per-sonnel and 1,200-plus American andSpanish employees. The station is posi-tioned for important logistics support: itserves U.S. ships, provides a pathwayand fueling for U.S. Navy and U.S. AirForce flights, and relays troops, ammuni-tion and supplies.

Burns & McDonnell upgraded ROTA’S aircraftfueling capability between 1994 and 1998; in1998, the station was first runner-up for theAmerican Petroleum Institute’s award formost improved facility in the Navy bulkfuel category. Now, Burns &McDonnell’s pavement and aircraftfueling specialists are in the midst of atwo-year program to provide designfor major airfield apron and fuelingfacility expansion.

“We’re adding enough room for 16 moreC-5 cargo aircraft,” says Renita Mollman,Burns & McDonnell airfield design manager.“That will increase the station’s capacity forlarge aircraft from five to 21.”

The additional apron capacity will allowthe joint forces to make full use ofROTA’s concurrent upgrades to allaspects of the base.

Fueling UpgradesAt Moron Air Force Base in Moron,Spain, approximately 100 kilometersnortheast of Rota, capacity upgradeneeds are different: Burns & McDonnell ishelping the U.S. Air Force make the mostof a large existing apron by increasing thebase’s previously limited fueling capability.

F e a t u r e

Helping Upgrade Aviation Facilities in Allied Nations

A S t ro n g D e f e n s e

8 Burns & McDonnell

The engineering design fora comprehensive fueling

expansion project hasbeen completed.Construction isbeing done in threestand-alone phaseswith overlappingschedules. Phaseone, begun in 1995,

provided fueling for20 additional aircraft

positions. Phase two,designed in 1996, will

soon provide fueling for anadditional 16 positions.

Phase three, currentlyunder construction, will

add bulk fuel storagecapability.

Defense FirstBurns & McDonnellhas helped improvefueling and apron

facilities amid thebustle of high-traffic

commercial airportsaround the world, includ-

ing Los AngelesInternational and

Washington DullesInternational airports.

At military bases, thesame complexities ofmanaging installa-tion without dis-rupting day-to-dayoperations apply —and then some.

“We’re working toimprove facilities at

active bases — construc-tion operations are secondary

to base operations,” McClanahansays. “During military engagements,some activities may need to be placedon temporary hold. We’re familiarwith those situations, and can help bypreparing the construction documentsin a way that protects our govern-ment’s financial interests.”

Culturally Adept Burns & McDonnell’s experience inoverseas projects helps clients controlcosts — and ensure project quality.

“Our early experience in overseasprojects provided some ‘lessonslearned,’ McClanahan says. “Themost important of those had to dowith cultural differences. We havelearned to understand specialrequirements and accommodate. It’s amatter of communication and com-promise — not just doing things theway you always do.”

McClanahan says an important ele-ment in cultural adaptation is part-nering with a local consultant, espe-cially since overseas projects usuallyinvolve differences in technicalrequirements.

“Overseas projects can differ in any-thing from construction schedules tospecifications where reference stan-dards are different,” he says. “A localconsultant helps us accommodatelocal codes, specific design proce-dures, industry standards, and theuse of local materials and equip-ment.”

For work at Sigonella, Burns &McDonnell partnered with a designgroup in Rome. For the program ofimprovements at Rota, Spain, thecompany worked through the specifi-cations with a Madrid-based consult-ant to ensure that design was com-patible with the host nation’s indus-try standards. For a fuel storage proj-ect on the Yokota air base in Japan,Burns & McDonnell partnered with afirm in Tokyo.

Site-Sensitive DesignBurns & McDonnell recently provid-ed design services for two “cut andcover” 100,000-barrel bulk fuel stor-


age tanks for the Yokota Air Base inJapan. The tanks are constructed ofsteel-lined concrete, mounded overwith earth and planted with grass tohold the soil in place. The tankdesign is considered “splinter-proof,” meaning that it can with-stand some bomb blast loads withinthe surrounding area. The designalso incorporated seismic considera-tions that were especially stringent— even for structures located in theearthquake-prone region.

“In addition to being located in seis-mic zone four, the area of highestrisk, the tanks were classified as anessential facility, which requiredseismic loading to be increasedbeyond that of a normal design,”says Burns & McDonnell projectmanager Mike Roberts. “Base per-sonnel were concerned about howthe tanks would handle an earth-quake event. Not only did the tankshave to be strong enough to with-stand the stress associated with aquake, they were required to includeprovisions for fuel sloshing. Duringan earthquake, the fuel will moveback and forth. The tanks aredesigned with excess volume abovethe maximum fuel level to allow thefuel to move without spilling outthe top vents.”

Creating Cost SavingsBurns & McDonnell’s tank designalso solved a disposal problem —and saved the government money.

“We had to be creative in usingwhat’s on the site,” says Roberts.“The goal was to not take anythingoff base due to high costs associatedwith disposal of materials in Japan.We carefully designed the tanks sothat no excess materials were createdand all the excavated materials couldbe reused at the project site.”

Public InM a k i n g t h e d i f f e r e n

I t ’ s a w a r m d a y i n l a t e S e p t e m b e r.

The sights, sounds and smells of a block party are under way. Hot dogs are grilling on thebarbecue. Children play in the streets as their parents chat about families, neighborhoodsand careers.

Then someone gets up to speak: "This is the biggest project we’ll see in our lifetimes, andin the lifetimes of our children and grandchildren."

When the mayor gets up to speak, you know this is no ordinary block party. It’s one ofseveral similar gatherings that will be held in the community of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., asit gears up for what is, indeed, the biggest project it will see in its lifetime: a $463 millionsewer expansion.

"The sewer expansion will literally be coming into people’s front yards to replace their old septic tanks with new sewers," explainsColeen Burns, Burns & McDonnell public information manager. "Theblock parties are a way to let the neighborhoods know – in a fun andcreative way – that the work crews are on their way. They help com-plement the more traditional meetings that have been held for thisproject."

Whether fun and creative or straightforward, public involvement isbecoming an essential part of many projects. There’s a reason forthat. Public involvement, whether required for issuance of a permit orperformed voluntarily, can make the difference between a project’ssuccess and failure.

"If you want to see the concept of ‘the power of the people’ at work, drop in on a projectthat has attracted a significant level of public interest," says Bob Sholl, Burns & McDonnellprincipal.

volvementc e b e t w e e n s u c c e s s a n d f a i l u r e

Continued on Page 12

12 Burns & McDonnell

RegulationsIf your project requires an environmen-tal permit, you may not have a choicewhen it comes to public involvement.The Environmental ProtectionAgency’s Reference Guide for PublicInvolvement in Environmental Permitsdescribes an approach for attainingpublic involvement and notes whatspecific public involvement actionsmay be required prior to obtaining aspecific permit. Required activities mayinclude public notices or hearings.

Other effective public involvementactivities include newsletters, newsreleases and focus groups. While notrequired, they have often been a com-mon component of Burns & McDonnellprojects. Besides adding another levelof public involvement to the process,they go a long way toward establishingtrust with the public-at-large.

"In the United States, there is a historyof skepticism of the activities of busi-ness and government," Sholl says. "Itserves as a reminder that you would bewise to keep the public informed ofwhat’s going on in their communities,because they can have a large impacton a project."

Burns & McDonnell’s Lake Fort Smithproject is a solid example of how aneffective public involvement plan cansave a project time and headaches.Burns & McDonnell is helping the cityof Fort Smith, AR, meet its water sup-ply needs by taking two smaller lakes,Lake Fort Smith and Lake ShepherdSprings, and forming a 27.5 billion-gal-lon reservoir – enough water to meetneeds of the fast-growing regionthrough 2050.

To accomplish the task, Burns &McDonnell and Fort Smith addressedwhat could have been significant per-mitting and public relations issues –relocating two cemeteries and anentire state park, and building thelargest non-federal dam in the state.

Any one of those issues could havebeen difficult to overcome, butthrough the effective use of publicinvolvement techniques, they wereresolved without having to conductan environmental impact statement(EIS), which adds a minimum of 18months to a project.

"Most people I’ve talked to about theproject would expect it to haverequired an EIS," Sholl says. "By keep-ing everyone informed every step ofthe way – including the regulatoryagencies – we were able to defusepotential controversies and satisfyregulators with an environmentalassessment."

Sholl says two public involvementtechniques contributed mightily to theproject’s success. First, a quarterlynewsletter, Fort Smith Regional WaterSupply Project Update, was instrumen-tal for informing citizens about the sta-tus of the project.

"This project has gone on for the betterpart of the last 10 years," Sholl says. "Ifyou don’t keep the citizenry informedon a regular basis, they might think theproject has been cancelled. That’s thevalue of a newsletter."

Update uses photographs and maps toillustrate ongoing work on the project.

The second technique, numerous meet-ings, open houses and public forums,also contributed to keeping the projecton track. In addition to providing thepublic with an update of the project,the forums have been a way to presentproject alternatives and solicit publicinput.

Signs like this one at Kansas City International Airport tellusers where they can go to receive construction updates.

Public dedications have become acommon sight for many projects.


"If you go to the public with only onealternative, they’re going to say, ‘Whyare you even talking to me? You havealready made your decision,’" Shollsays. "It is important to get public com-ment before you select a location."

StakeholdersThere are a number of methods forencouraging public involvement. Theyrange from public meetings and advi-sory groups to newsletters and web-sites. Whatever method is used, it isimportant at the outset to identifystakeholders – the persons or groupswho have an interest in the project’soutcome, Coleen Burns says.

For a recent road project in Columbia,Mo., the stakeholders included severalmembers of the city’s bicycling andpedestrian community, who wanted tomake sure their concerns wereaddressed.

"It was an important part of theprocess in determining what directionwe were going to go and presenting tothe client things they may not haveconsidered," she says.

For the renovation of Kansas CityInternational Airport, which Burns &McDonnell manages, public informa-tion specialists talked to rental caragencies, airlines, maintenance work-ers and others to get feedback on howconstruction was affecting them andmake adjustments if necessary.

Community InputMany projects do not require publicinvolvement to proceed, but compa-nies are finding it’s definitely in theirinterest.

Project Update

A newsletter kept residents

of Fort Smith, AR, informed

about the status of a

nearby project.

After several rounds of

investigations and design

revisions, almost all of the

design decisions for the

auxiliary spillway have

been made. The design

process was facilitated by

the development of a com-

puter-aided drawing and

design model of the spill-

way and underlying geolo-

gy.

Designs for dam safety

monitoring are also nearly

complete. The state-of-the-

art monitoring system will

include piezometers (water

level observation wells),

inclinometer (to detect

changes in slope), and

movement sensors. Data

from these monitors may be

transmitted directly to the

water plant so the status of

the dam can be continuous-

ly monitored and rapidly

evaluated. This type of

monitoring system is stan-

dard equipment for any

large, modern dam.

The final bid documents

for Contract 2 are expect-

ed to be released by the

end of March.

Cultural Resources

Moves to the Next

PhaseAt the beginning of the

project, 98 cultural

resources sites were

recorded. Of these, Phase

1 testing indicated 23

sites were potentially eli-

gible for listing on the

National Register of Historic

Places. During the fall of 2002,

the field work for Phase II testing

was completed for all of these 23

archaeological sites. The purpose

of Phase II testing is to provide a

definitive evaluation of a site’s

eligibility for listing.

The Phase II work used a grid

system and a combination of

shovel testing and hand excava-

tions of one-meter square units.

The last site to be tested was a

prehistoric cultural material scat-

ter. This site contains components

from at least two time periods.

The earlier of these occupations

dates to the Middle Archaic peri-

od (6000 to 3000 B.C.) and the

later to the Fourche Maline

phase, which dates from around

300 B.C. to A.D. 800. Results of

the Phase II testing indicated con-

struction of the new lake will

impact seven sites eligible for

National Register protection.

A new phase of excavation, Phase

III mitigation, began in the later

part of 2002 with the excavation

of three eligible sites (Fort Smith

Update, fall 2002). “The next

round of excavations is set to

begin in the early spring and con-

tinue well into the summer. The

remaining four sites are all pre-

historic, and the crew is enthusi-

astic about the work,” said Jason

Roberts, crew chief of the archae-

ological investigation.

For more information,

please contact:

Utility Department

3900 Kelley Highway

Fort Smith, AR 72904

(479) 784-2231

Fort Smith Regional Water Supply Project Update-2

Contract 2

The work to be completed under

Contract 2 will include the build-

ing of the dam and spillways.

Design decisions for the dam

have been made and the prepara-

tion of final drawings is in

progress.

A major design challenge has

been the auxiliary spillway. The

structure is designed to carry

water safely around the dam in

the event of 100-year or greater

floods. The geologic investiga-

tions revealed additional inac-

tive, ancient faults and other fea-

tures, some of which appear

unique to the Boston Mountains.

Specialists have been brought in

from across the country to help

analyze the rock formations.

Printed on recycled paper

Location of current construction efforts

Test pit at a bluff shelter site

Preparation of the foundation forthe dam continued as clearingand grubbing were completedalong the base of the existingdam and abutments. Grouting toseal joints in the bedrock beneaththe foundation is approximately60 percent complete. Rock bolt-ing and concrete spraying areproceeding to stabilize the exca-vated rock faces.

Excavation of overburden for theoutlet works tunnel portal isroughly 50 percent complete, andwork on the 66-inch casing exca-vation across Lake Fort SmithRoad at the south end of theWarloop Creek Bridge is nearingcompletion.

Road WorkExpansion of the dam requiresthe relocation or improvement ofseveral roads. The portion ofGod’s Ranch Road that runsalong the east side of the existingdam is being relocated farthereast to accommodate the largerdam. At this time, the removal ofdirt and loose rock from the newalignment is approximately 25percent complete. (See the mapon page 2 for the locations ofactive construction sites.)

Lake Fort Smith Road is beingimproved, in part to handle thedemands of construction traffic.The installation of reinforcedconcrete pipe storm drains,curbs, and guttering with inletsand widening of the asphalt sur-

Highlights:Construction progress con-tinues along roadways

Erosion controls put in place

Preparation of borrowareas nearing completionAcquisition of imperviousfill is ongoing

Preparation of Contract 2plans and specificationscontinues

Almost all engineering deci-sions have been made forthe design of the dam andspillways

Cultural resources datingback to 6000 B.C. havebeen found in the projectarea

Archaeological excavationswill start again in earlyspring

Winter 2003

Regional Water Supply Project

Fort Smith

Updateface has been completed on LakeFort Smith Road. Improvementsto the Warloop Creek Bridge havebeen completed, and the detouraround Warloop Creek Bridgehas been removed.

Clearing for the realignment ofPrivate Road No. 1 is complete.The intersection of Private RoadNo. 1 and Lake Fort Smith Roadwas covered with asphalt and iscomplete. Excavation for a boxculvert across Private Road No. 1is 50 percent complete. This roadwill be the main contractor accessroad during construction of thenew dam. When the project iscomplete, the road will provideservice access to the dam.Impervious Fill AcquisitionThe central feature of the new

Lake Fort Smith dam is a coremade of impervious fill. Thismaterial is being mined fromareas above Lake Fort Smith andtransported to a stockpile justbelow the dam site. To containrunoff from the stored fill materi-al, erosion control has beenplaced around the stockpile area

and construction of the sedimenttrap has been completed.

Clearing and grubbing for thehaul road was completed andconstruction of a haul road toBorrow Area 5 has been complet-ed. Erosion control was put inplace along the west side of LakeFort Smith reservoir to containstormwater runoff from the haulroad and borrow areas.

Preparations for Dam Construction Continue


"A lot of utilities have access to eminentdomain and can use the process of con-demnation to gain rights to an owner’sproperties, but they’re understandablyreluctant to use it," says Gary Pence,Burns & McDonnell associate vice pres-ident. "They find in most cases that ifthey use this process, not only is therethe potential to delay the project, theycan also damage their relationship withthe very customers they are trying toserve."

Just how much influence the public canhave over a project is demonstrated byBurns & McDonnell’s involvement in a161-kV transmission line for theNashville Electric Service (NES). In1990, NES announced plans to installthe line in Nashville to serve the city’sgrowing electrical load. But residents inthe affected neighborhoods bandedtogether and successfully postponedthe project. Their main concern at thetime was that they did not have a voicein the project.

"NES planned and routed lines the waymost utilities did at the time," says WesAllen, manager of NES’s civil and envi-ronmental engineering department."They got out a map and selected theshortest and cheapest route."

In the years after the project wasderailed, Nashville’s electrical load con-tinued to grow, and by 1997 NES hadinformed the public that a hot summer

could cause significant outages on thesystem unless the utility added moretransmission.

Burns & McDonnell joined the projectto assist with routing, permitting,design and construction management.One of the firm’s first recommenda-tions was to form a Citizen AdvisoryCommittee (CAC).

"When we realized we needed somehelp, that’s when we looked for a con-sultant who could provide routing,design and publicinformation capability,"Allen says. "What weliked about Burns &McDonnell was thatit had all those capa-bilities under oneroof. Having onepoint of accounta-bility was a realstrength."

Elected represen-tatives and neigh-borhood groupsnominated about20 people toparticipate inthe CACprocess foreach phase ofthe project.The firstmeetings

Workers Helped Woman Get AroundThe letter below appeared in Lake Havasu City’s News-Herald Sun., Jan. 19, 2003

I would publicly like to thank Burns & McDonnell, their sewerinstallation crew and especially Bill the foreman for being so kindand considerate of me during the time the sewers were being installedon our street.

I’m blind and have a guide dog. These kind gentlemen guided mesafely and cheerfully down the street every time I left home and whenI returned since the street has been torn up for the sewer installation.To each one of them a huge thank you.

Mary Alice SmithLake Havasu City

held with the CAC were designed tofamiliarize the representatives with theproject, and for NES to explain theneed for the transmission line.

Subsequent meetings focused on issuessuch as transmission line design, whattypes of structures would be used inthe project, potential routes, and elec-tromagnetic field questions. The CACwas tasked with prioritizing a list ofissues that were important in selectinga route. The CAC also helped developa network of preliminary routes. Burns& McDonnell quantified the data for

each route and assigned scores basedon the public feed-

back. Withthis informa-tion, thecommitteethen selecteda preferredand alternateroute that waspresented to thepublic-at-largeat an openhouse.

"The first meet-ings were prettycontentious," saysPence. "But as peo-ple began to under-stand the need forthe project, theopposition graduallywent away."


A valuable component of public involve-ment nowadays is the project website. Byway of the Internet, you can find out thelatest information about a project in yourneighborhood.

“Project websites typically arise from arecognized need for public relations,”says Kevin Whittaker of Burns &McDonnell’s TechSolutions Group. “Whoneeds to know something and what dothey need to know?”

The TechSolutions Group designs projectwebsites for Burns & McDonnell’sclients. Whittaker says the sites typically

serve two distinct purposes: informingthe public-at-large or informing a closer-knit group of those involved in the pro-ject’s execution.

The public-at-large websites contain proj-ect overviews, construction schedules,meeting schedules, lists of participants,and in some cases, project documents.The sites can be designed so viewers cansign up for email updates on construc-tion.

“All the information that’s in the publicinterest of the project will be found onthose sites,” Whittaker says.

Websites for project participants onlyhave a more specific function: helpingkeep projects on track through technolo-gy. They are usually accessed by way of apassword and have a variety of tools toassist with project coordination. Withthese websites, a viewer can make nota-tions on a computer screen in Kansas Citythat another viewer can see in real time inSan Diego. Other tools include calendarsthat show project milestones and dead-lines, contact lists, and a virtual postoffice box that will alert project partici-pants when crucial pieces of email arrive.

Some project websites serve both func-tions: They have a public component, and a gateway through which a projectparticipant can interact with other consultants.

WANT TO KNOW WHEN CONSTRUCTION CREWS WILL BE ARRIVING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON AT YOUR CITY’S WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT?

T H E N I T ’ S T I M E T O B O O T U P Y O U R H O M E C O M P U T E R .

The big commercial developer. The local

farmer. The avid duck hunter. They’ve all

ganged up to grill you with questions

about your latest project. How do you

answer them?

This sounds like a scenario from Anytown,

USA. But, truth be told, it’s a fake.

The mock public meeting is a featured

event of Burns & McDonnell’s Transmission

Line Routing Seminar, which has been

held at Burns & McDonnell’s world head-

quarters and at sites around the country

for the last 14 years. The seminar draws

engineers, planners, environmental man-

agers and regulatory officials.

"The mock open house is designed to grill

people with questions like you would get at

a real meeting," says Burns & McDonnell

associate Cyril Welter, who has been one

of the leaders at the seminar since its

inception.

In addition to the learning opportunity

that arises from the mock meeting, partic-

ipants discuss methods of receiving feed-

back, what to do with the feedback once

you get it, and how to relate route selec-

tion to the feedback.

"It’s important to get across to the public

that we look at all the information we get

from them and use it to select the pre-

ferred route," Welter says.

The three-day seminar has been held in

Dallas, Houston, San Diego, Atlanta and

Chicago. This year’s seminar will be July

9-11 in Kansas City. For more informa-

tion, call Welter at (816) 822-3445.

OpenHouse

OpenHouse

w w w. i f l y k a n s a s c i t y. c o mw w w. l h c w w e x p . c o mw w w. f a y e t t e v i l l e u p d a t e . c o m

SAMPLEWEBSITES


oing Underground . . .G

O n S i t e


Power That’s Out-of-SightWhat sells a golf course community?

Beyond the opportunity to squeeze in

an extra round or two, it’s the ambience

— a lifestyle complete with a view of trees,

beautiful fairways, and . . . power lines??

BackgroundPower lines were not what Intell Staley, LLC pictured forStaley Farms, a golf community in suburban Kansas City,Missouri. But a 69-kV overhead line owned by Aquila stoodsmack in the middle of the proposed golf course, within thetrajectory of a well-hit drive — and potentially, in the pathof the development’s success.

Rerouting the overhead lines wouldn’t eliminate the eye-sore — only relocate it. Staley made the decision to invest inunderground cable. The underground line could be routedalongside an existing roadway to provide future access forutility maintenance vehicles.

Problems What looked like ordinary vacant ground turned out to be aminefield of permitting and construction difficulties. Theright-of-way ran through the Multnomah Plantation Site,listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Earlyexcavation revealed the presence of cultural resources —trails, a limestone dam and three pre-Civil War gravesites.

There were two stream crossings along the route. And, thelandscape design called for a stand of mature trees near theproposed trenching area to remain intact. Burns &McDonnell/New River Electrical, LLC and Intell Staley,LLC put their combined resources to work to make theproblems — and the overhead lines — disappear.

SolutionFirst, Burns & McDonnell permitting specialists helpednegotiate a memorandum of agreement between StaleyFarms, the Missouri Department of Historical Preservation,

and the Corps of Engineers detailing procedures to be fol-lowed concerning natural and cultural resources at thesite. The agreement helped defuse a potential public rela-tions crisis, and with permits in hand, the project teammoved on to installation challenges.

To accommodate future electrical demands, Aquilarequired the line to be designed for 161-kV upgrade. Theunderground circuit is approximately 5700 feet long, witha single splice. Planned open-trench installation of theentire cable could have damaged cultural resources andthe line of trees edging the green. For this segment, Burns& McDonnell designed a 340-foot-long, three-foot-wide,steel casing to be jacked-and-bored through solid lime-stone for the conduit. Instead of simply being placed in anopen trench, the cable would have to be pulled the lengthof the casing and grout-filled.

“Improvements in underground transmission line technol-ogy make it more feasible to put high-voltage lines under-ground than in the past,” says Burns & McDonnell ProjectManager Ron Jenssen. “Experience with the appropriatematerials, tools, and techniques is critical.”

The team took advantage of cross-linked polyethylene-insulated shielded power cable (XLPE) for the installation.XLPE is lighter and smaller than standard EPR cable, withimproved tensile strength. XLPE cable greatly reduces thepossibility of shorts developing along the line, increasingreliability.

Computerized cable-pulling techniques also helpedinstallers avoid damaging the cable as it was pulled. Adynamometer continually monitored stress on the line toensure that the cable’s pulling strength was not exceeded.

Outcome“For our underground transmission line, we sought a com-pany that could provide the right combination of engineer-ing and construction expertise,” says Douglas A. Lukenbill,engineering supervisor for Aquila. “Burns & McDonnelland new River Corporation represented that ideal combi-nation.” The new line was energized in October 2002.Staley Farms has all the power it needs, now and for thefuture — and the lines that deliver it are out of sight.

N e e d T o K n o w


More EPA rules affecting cooling water intakes are in the regu-latory pipeline. Regulations governing new, greenfield orstand-alone facilities with new or expanded intake structureswere finalized in December 2001. The first set of rules for exist-ing structures are scheduled to become final by August 2004.

Documentation of compliance must be included in applicationsfor NPDES discharge permits. While the new rules mostlyaffect power plants, they can apply to other facilities when atleast 25% of water withdrawn is used for cooling.

The new regulations were prompted by environmental groups’successful lawsuits against the EPA. The proposed rules applyto intakes withdrawing more than 50 million gallons per day(MGD). According to a consent decree, rules for intakes draw-ing less than 50 MGD must be proposed by November 2004.

Why the Fuss?The new section 316(b) rules are designed to minimizeimpingement and entrainment of fish and shellfish.Entrainment refers to the possibility of eggs, larvae, and otherlife stages passing through intake screens, where they areexposed to high temperatures. Impingement occurs when larg-er fish are pulled toward and trapped against the screens.Environmentalists charge that fish kills resulting from entrain-ment and impingement are reducing stocks, including mem-bers of rare and endangered species such as the pallid stur-geon.

New Facilities: Towers EncouragedThe new rules are complex. In general, compliance can beachieved by meeting specific criteria, or through studies show-ing that an alternate system has comparable effect. For exam-ple, criteria for new and expanded facilities include clearlydefined limits on intake amount and velocity.

“The regulations for new facilities clearly favor the use of cool-ing towers for power plants,” says Greg Howick, Burns &McDonnell senior aquatic specialist. “Once-through cooling isallowed if a comprehensive demonstration study shows thatthe system will reduce adverse impacts at least 90% as effec-tively as a closed-loop (cooling tower) system with intakevelocity of less than 0.5 foot per second.”

So that subsequent impacts can be assessed, applicants for newNPDES discharge permits must submit a biological characteri-zation baseline study of local fish and shellfish communities.

Existing Facilities: Rules ProposedExisting facilities using closed-loop, recirculating systemsalready comply with proposed rules. But owners of facilitiesusing once-through cooling will have to jump through a seriesof regulatory hoops to continue to do so, culminating with thesubmission of extensive data to the permitting authority 180days prior to expiration of the discharge permit.

Submission requirements include a calculation baseline — ahypothetical estimate of fish mortality in the absence of any con-trols. Calculation variables include the plant’s capacity factor,the source of cooling water, and the percentage withdrawn forcooling. A two-to-three-year comprehensive demonstrationstudy showing that the intake design restricts impingementmortality and entrainment to specified ranges of the baselinewill also be required.

Path of Least ResistanceThe good news: compliance doesn’t necessarily mean buildingan entirely new system. “Facilities that have intakes with travel-ing fish screens may already meet the impact reduction criteria,”says Howick. “Other methods to reduce mortality impacts caninclude relocating the intake in an area of relatively low biologi-cal impact. The use of barriers such as porous dikes, and habitatrestoration to increase production of fish and shellfish impactedby the intake can also help meet mortality reduction targets.”

As rules are finalized, Burns & McDonnell biological specialistsand engineers can help clients determine which performancestandards will apply to their facilities, identify appropriate com-pliance strategies, perform studies, and design necessary modifi-cations.

Clean Water Act AlertNew 316(b) Rules for Cooling-Water Intakes

O f f L i n e


The Gulf of Alaska Tsunami arrivedunexpectedly in March 1964, killing 122people, causing millions of dollars indamage from Valdez, Alaska, to SanDiego, and bringing vicious waves up to220 feet high that leveled entire towns.

When it was over, state and federal offi-cials vowed to create a facility that couldwarn coastal populations of futuretsunamis. In 1967, they created the WestCoast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center(WC/ATWC) in Palmer, Alaska.

Fast-forward 36 years. Burns &McDonnell is building a new center toreplace the original 3,030-square-footfacility. When complete, the center willbe a 5,500-square-foot building with ade-quate room to perform the research andeducation needed to carry out the cen-ter’s function.

“The tsunami center is truly the onlyfacility of its kind in the continentalUnited States,” says Bill Singleton, Burns& McDonnell project manager. “To con-tinue to provide its unique and vitalfunction, we want to make sure it is areliable, sturdy, practical facility.”

New LookTsunamis are tidal waves formed bylarge earthquakes that occur under theocean floor. The WC/ATWC uses seis-mometers to record and process seismicactivity. From that data, the center issuestsunami warnings that originate bothwithin and outside the center’s area ofresponsibility. Since 1981, the center hasissued 10 regional tsunami warnings.The response time from the time of theearthquake until the warning averagesabout 10.5 minutes.

Among the reasons for expanding theWC/ATWC is to accommodate itsexpanded role. A few years ago, the cen-ter’s responsibilities grew to include

issuing tsunami warnings to residentsalong the coasts of British Columbia,Washington, Oregon and California.

According to a need and justificationdocument for the WC/ATWC, the 1967facility was ill-equipped to deal withthis new role: “It is overcrowded, notaccessible, has inadequate electricalservice, numerous mechanical deficien-cies, and environmental concerns.”

“The critical nature of the facility dic-tated that we either expand it or builda new facility to accommodate ourexpanded mission,” says LauraFurgione, National Weather Serviceprogram manager for the AlaskaRegion Facilities Program.

The new facility includes an expandedvestibule and multi-purpose room fortour groups, as well as 500 square feetof work space for a graduate assistant,visiting scientist and three geophysi-cists. It also adds a 240-square-foot ref-erence room that includes Internetworkstations and storage for referencebooks, maps and compact discs.

More than 100 channels of seismic dataare processed at the WC/ATWC. Oncean earthquake’s parameters are deter-mined, the WC/ATWC’s geographicinformation system (GIS) software dis-plays its location on global and local

T S U N A M IWarning CenterWarning Center

maps. The global map includes overlaysof historical seismic activity, plateboundaries, major cities and tide gages.The local map overlays include roads,topography, pipelines, power lines andairports. Tsunami travel time software isalso included in the GIS program.

Warning messages are computer-gener-ated. The message includes an estimatedtime of arrival for 24 coastal locations inthe area of responsibility. Messages aredisseminated to emergency personnelfrom the federal to county level.

LEED-CertifiedBurns & McDonnell dealt with environ-mental concerns, including that thebuilding was not energy efficient, bydesigning a LEED-certified structure.LEED refers to “Leadership in Energyand Environmental Design.” Developedby the non-profit U.S. Green BuildingsCouncil, LEED-certified buildingsachieve the designation by scoringpoints in five areas: sustainable siteplanning, water efficiency and safe-guards, energy efficiency and renewableenergy use, conservation of materialsand resources, and indoor environmen-tal quality.

“We are excited about our new facility,”Furgione says. “We feel the facility willserve our needs for many years tocome.”

W o r k s I n P r o g r e s s

Increased ReliabilityBurns & McDonnell went under a river toreplace a combined sanitary sewer/stormwaterline, helping prevent gallons of raw sewagefrom spilling into the river.

Stormwater runoff had partially clogged a 350-foot section of the original 30-inch diameterline, which travels below the bed of the KansasRiver in Kansas City, Kan. The line is the onlyone that serves several hundred homes of anearby neighborhood.

A series of heavy rainfalls could eventually com-pletely clog the line, causing raw sewage tospill into the river from an outfall upstream.

Burns & McDonnell engineers designed a fixthat included installing one 20-inch and one 30-inch high-density polyethylene line. The 30-inchline bypasses the existing clogged line. The 20-inch line will eventually be capped and later con-nected to gatewells on both sides of the river.

A track hoe on a floating platform dug a trenchacross the riverbed, and the pipes were pulledacross the river, lowered into the trench, andburied.

The new 30-inch line was attached to the exist-ing line on the levee embankments on both sidesof the river. Once the 20-inch line is operational,it will allow crews to perform maintenance onone line while the other line operates, increasingreliability and flexibility. The $680,000 projectwas scheduled to be completed in March.

burns & mcdonnell 2003 no. 2 mark burns & mcdonnell 2003 no. 2 public involvement making the...

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