Examples of Projects

Road Design

                We often started with very preliminary project guidelines by which we could analyze the timing, benefits and approximate costs to determine if the given project was feasible and fundable by the client.

                Starting with the projected vehicle use and ratio of cars to trucks we began by determining the number of and proper width of lanes as defined by type of road way to be designed. Then we determined the appropriate design speeds based on those roadway classifications as defined by the agency having jurisdiction. These were most commonly based on Colorado Department of Transportation requirements but occasionally used specifications or definitions of the appropriate city or county. For private on site roadways the client might set these criteria. Once the number of lanes, required lane widths and design speeds were set we could determine the horizontal and vertical curve radius allowed for each section of the road. Then the additional project specific additions such as acceleration and deceleration lanes, corner radiuses, passing lanes requirements and off roadway site distance requirements were added to the plans. This then determines the amount of cut or fill necessary to achieve the appropriate alignment for the topography in any given project. When the cut and fills are balanced the final alignment and gradients were specified. 

                                After the proposed alignment was specified the roadway center line could be surveyed and the appropriate soils testing done. Using this sub-grade soils data we could specify the necessary sub-base material and the required pavement design based on the previously specified truck percentages and axel loads.

                                 Drainage is considered both from the impervious roadway surfaces themselves and from indigenous drainage ways crossed by the roadways. (see drainage design below)

             Site specific architectural amenities such as walkways, bike paths, bus stops street lights and traffic control devices such as, traffic signage, traffic lights and lane painting were then specified to meet the requirements of the agency having jurisdiction. 

                The two most recent roads I designed were Majestic Eagle Drive and Shiloh Point Road in the Lone Eagle Estates subdivision in Jefferson County Colorado Previously I had worked on or been responsible for this type of engineering with the Cities of Denver and Sheridan, Colorado.

Storm Drainage

                                Control of storm drainage and the timing and quality of storm water leaving the site is required for sub-division, larger building sites, and bridge and roadway design.

                                We started by obtaining the design requirements from the appropriate agency having jurisdiction. In the Denver area his was usually Urban Drainage but occasionally other government agencies or contractual obligations to adjacent or down stream land owners would have to be taken into account. We then examined what drainage basins were occupied by the project .At this stage we would obtain storm intensity and duration figures from the appropriate source(s). By applying this input to the program calculating the amount of water and time of concentration we could use computer programs to define the required drainage conduits and surface treatments of drainage ways. The allowances for variability of conduit construction may be set either the jurisdiction having control of the drainage or the jurisdiction having control of the roadway specifications. The design of the pipe options and some pre-cast concrete box culverts is generally done by the manufacturer and their use in the field is based on specifying the maximum axel load used in the roadway design and the depth of cover provided over them. Some box culverts and all bridges are designed by the engineers doing the roadway or drainage plans.

                        An important part of these design projects was specifying the sediment controls required both during the construction and permanently. These requirements can sometimes be quite specific and detailed.

Sanitary Sewers

  Sanitary sewers are simple to design for most projects. Their size is dependent upon the occupant loads and uses of the buildings being served and the flow line gradients allowed by the site topography. Because they are preferably and almost always gravity fed devices they have priority over other utilities in the streets. For this reason they must be designed in before other buried utilities. There are many sewer districts in the Denver metro area and each individual entity must be checked for specifications and requirements as well as the Metropolitan Sewer District to which most feed. The distance between man holes is specified by the district and because the pipe must be in a straight line between manholes very short radius curves in the roadway will mandate a high number of manholes raising the cost considerably.

Bridge Engineer

                At the City of Denver I was responsible for inspection of all bridges, viaducts, and box culverts in the city. I was responsible for contributing to the structural and life analysis of the 13th. 14th. 15th. 16th. 20th. 23rd. Street and Broadway viaducts during the time when all of these viaducts were demolished. Some were replaced with modern structures and some viaducts were converted to grade level streets. Because most of this work was financed in part with federal and state funds the record keeping and cost analysis were extensive. It was my job to design the ongoing maintenance and repair projects to maintain their functionality until funding for replacement could be obtained. I have designed or worked on the design of steel, cast in place concrete, pre-tensioned and post tensioned bridges, culverts and viaducts.

Buildings

                I have either designed, engineered, checked plans, inspected, and condemned, thousands of buildings including single family, multi family and high rise residences, low, mid, and high rise office buildings, civic buildings, parking garages, factories, restaurants, warehouses and virtually every type of construction and occupancy group in the building code. I did this with the Building Inspection Division, Department of Public Works, City & County of Denver, and Building Department of The City of Sheridan, Colorado and the Jefferson County Building Inspection Department. I have checked the proper design of the reinforced concrete elevator-stair shaft which provided the lateral stability for wind and seismic loads of a high rise building. This required calculating, section by varying section, foot by vertical foot the section modulus and moment of inertia at each and every opening as the applied loads varied floor by floor. I have checked the strength of the concrete for the load bearing members of concrete parking structures. I have inspected and calculated the structural integrity of buildings damaged by both forest and building fires. I was the Denver representative to the International Conference of Building Officials Annual Convention to create and modify sections of the Uniform Building Code.

Zoning

       I have worked on the comprehensive plan (required by state law to be completed every-ten years) for the city of Sheridan. As the City Zoning Administrator it was my job to determine if projects were in compliance with city zoning requirements and to supervise the zoning inspector in the enforcement of city codes. I was the Department representative to the Development Review Committee of the City and County of Denver for the Building Inspection Division. In this position the committee was responsible to co-ordinate the application for subdivision developers to facilitate and speed the process through city, county, state, district and utility agencies and companies. As a developer I have taken sub division plans through the Jefferson County Government requirements