Director s Notes: Who We Are: Sustainability Professionals FACILITY DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

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1 Ap ril BOFDAC news Bureau of Facility Design & Construction, Harrisburg, PA Phone: Fax: Director s Notes: Who We Are: Sustainability Professionals Alfred Uzokwe, P.E. Sometimes, when I introduce myself as an engineer with DCNR to people outside the agency, the question that is invariably posed to me is: so what do you do for DCNR? In the same vein, when some read our newsletter for the first time, after seeing the pictures of our construction work in progress, one of the comments I get is: I did not realize that DCNR had in-house technical staff that handles infrastructure design and construction. Frankly, it is understandable that some are familiar with only the two major program areas in the agency, the bureaus of State Parks and Forestry. However, other bureaus provide support services to the agency. The bureau of Facility Design and Construction is one of them. DCNR currently has in its infrastructure repertoire, more than 4,000 buildings of various sizes and functions; 800 bridges and box culverts; and about 120 dams of various sizes and hazard designations. The agency also has more than 3,000 miles of roadway; 68 waste water collection, conveyance and treatment facilities and about 174 public water supply systems with varying degrees of treatment and distribution. All were built at various times over the years and have varying degrees of maintenance needs. The Bureau of Facility Design and Construction is responsible for developing designs/drawings for rehabilitation of the existing infrastructure enumerated above. Our staff also designs and oversees the construction of new infrastructure within the state park and forest system. We are a 60-person strong staff including civil engineers, bridge engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineer, landscape architects, architectural designers, licensed professional geologist, construction inspectors, drafters, surveyors, ecological and administrative staff. Continued on page Inside This Issue FACILITY DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION Director s Notes: 1 Who We Are: Sustainability Professionals Shooting Range 3 Little Pine State Park Camping Cottages Added 4 To Ricketts Glen Accommodations Flood Damage Repair Work At 5 Delaware Canal State Park Complete New Vault Toilet Restroom Completed 6 At Salt Spring State Park Lackawanna State Forest Adds Storage 7 Building To Thornhurst Complex Works In Progress 8, 9 Trough Creek State Park Upgrades 10 Campground Restrooms ding Summaries 11 Employee Profile 12 Bureau Activities and News 12 Employee Profile 14 Bureau Activities and News 14 The bureau is comprised of a diverse staff of engineers, architects, designers, draftspersons, surveyors, environmental and geologic specialists, construction inspectors and administrative and clerical staff, providing professional design and construction management services for DCNR

2 Who We Are Continued Some of the building types we design and oversee their construction include visitor center buildings for state parks as well as resource management center buildings for the bureau of Forestry. Other building structure types include maintenance buildings, storage buildings, camping cottages, shower houses and comfort stations. These buildings are designed and constructed to assure sustainability. The United States Green Building Council states on its website that 73 percent of total electricity consumption in the U.S. is by buildings. Also, buildings generate 38 percent of carbon dioxide emissions and account for 13.6 percent of all potable water consumption. Annually, buildings generate 170 million tons of construction waste in the U.S. alone. It therefore makes sense for us to continue to design sustainable buildings that are energy efficient, water efficient and environmentally friendly. We also strive to reduce construction waste that go to landfills through the recycling and reuse process whenever practicable. Occupant comfort, health, safety and cost savings are also of paramount consideration in our designs. As I write, DCNR has ten buildings which have achieved LEED Certification and five LEED registered buildings. We have three LEED-AP design professionals in our staff. Bureau s LEED Accredited Professionals: Mike Twigg, RA, LEED AP, Architectural Section Chief Jarrod West, RA, LEED AP, Architectural Consultant Jim Kalp, LEED AP, Architectural Designer II Natural daylighting is a sustainable strategy that conserves energy and aids in a healthy work environment The Tiadaghton Forest District Resource Management Center is just one of DCNR s 10 LEED - Certified buildings Some of the sustainable design features include but are not limited to the following: In the area of water conservation, our buildings are equipped with low-flow toilet fixtures and faucets. Rain water is harvested where possible and stored in cisterns to be used for irrigation and other applicable purposes. With respect to storm water management, bio-retention areas, rain gardens, stabilized turf and other related storm water BMP s that help with effective infiltration of storm water are often utilized. The use of thermally efficient wall assemblies, roof systems, windows, glazing and doors ensure energy conservation. The buildings are designed to admit ample natural lighting to minimize the need for artificial lighting. Lighting control sensors also ensure that electricity is expended only as and when needed. We recently installed a bio-mass (wood pellet) heating system that provides infloor radiant heat in one of our buildings. Another building in design is planned to utilize this renewable energy source. Geothermal systems for heating have become a staple in many of our buildings. Building occupant comfort is a vital part of our program hence a lot of attention is paid to indoor air quality. Building interiors are finished with materials and paint with low volatile organic compounds to minimize discomfort that arise from poor indoor air quality. At the end of construction of our buildings, before formal occupancy, building interiors are flushed free of airborne particulates that tend to compromise indoor air quality. These are just but a few of the sustainable features we try to incorporate in the design of our buildings and corresponding sites. And this treatise is just but a part of what the Bureau of Facility Design and Construction does in the area of architectural design. In subsequent publications of this newsletter, more areas will be highlighted.

3 Shooting Range Little Pine State Park Gene Strick, PE and Denise Kelly, PG Little Pine State Park, which encompasses 2,158 acres, lies in a valley surrounded by the mountains of Tiadaghton State Forest. Early settlers to the valley built sawmills along Little Pine Creek to take advantage of the abundant timber in the area. As both logging and sawmills increased, splash dams were constructed which created artificial floods that were used to carry logs downstream to Williamsport, the Lumber Capitol of the World. Eventually, descendants of the early settlers turned their land over to state parks in 1937 and in 1950 a duelpurpose flood control/recreation dam was constructed. The dam formed a 94-acre lake that became popular with both fisherman and swimmers. Through the years, the park has expanded and updated their facilities, including a shooting range that was popular with both park patrons and local residents. The roofed rifle range shields the benches (as well as users) from the elements, prolonging their longevity The original shooting range consisted of a backstop with elevated dirt piles at the end of an open field; users shot down-range into these dirt piles. Occasionally, logs were used to provide target holders. Through the years, lead from the bullets accumulated in these piles, so in December 2008 state parks, made the decision to clean up the lead and to redo the shooting range. Phase 1 of the project consisted of demolishing the existing range. Some of the lead that had accumulated in the backstop was sifted out and disposed in an appropriate facility. The remaining lead particles were treated with a phosphate-based material that bonded to the lead. This bonding process rendered the lead inert and also prevented any leaching of the lead into the soil. Phase 2 of the project began in October This part of the project consisted of the construction of a rifle/pistol shooting range, an open-air pavilion, a restroom, and ADA accessible parking and concrete walkways. The rifle range has five shooting stations with target holders at 50 and 100 yards; one of these stations is ADA accessible. The rifle range shooting stations are located under a pavilion to allow use during inclement weather. The pistol range has five shooting stations, one being ADA accessible with target holders at 10, 15 and 20 yards. The new range was constructed with eight feet high backstops covered with two feet of fine stone to facilitate future removal of the lead projectiles. Additionally, earthen berms were built along the sides of the shooting range to prevent bullets from straying into the open field. The new range was opened in August 2014 and has been quite popular with shooting enthusiasts. Project Capsule Project Number: FDC Project Coordinator: Barry Eppley, P.E. Project Designer: Barry Eppley, P.E. Construction Manager: Barry Eppley, P.E. Construction Inspection: Larry O Shell General Contractor: Lycoming Supply, Inc. Construction Cost: $304, Fund: 2012 Key (EPW Project) A new vault style comfort station is located near the handgun range. The entire site is fully ADA accessible

4 Camping Cottages Added To Ricketts Glen Accommodations James Kalp, LEED AP, Architectural Designer II Renovations Complete Ricketts Glen State Park harbors Glens Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark. The 22 named waterfalls and 13,050 scenic acres makes it a highly popular destination for day users and campers alike. To enhance and expand on the park s overnight accommodations beyond the campground and modern cabins, five deluxe camping cottages were constructed. Designed by FDC staff the two room camping cottages were sited to offer full ADA accessibility and a view of Lake Jean. The two room cottages include a combination living/kitchen area with a small counter top with cabinet storage, an electric cooktop stove, refrigerator and microwave. A separate bunked sleeping area will accommodate five people. It also has a large covered porch. The cottages are not equipped with water or sanitary services. Water is available at a newly installed hydrant. Full services are available at a nearby shower house. The cottages are of conventional frame construction with an exterior log siding finish and composite shingles. Maintaining the rustic character, the interiors are finished with hardwood flooring and tongue and grove pine finishes. They are well insulated and have electric heat, lighting and ceiling fans. The cottages are fully ADA accessible. Project work included full site development, water and electrical utility installation, building construction and accessible site work. The cottages will be available for rent in the 2015 operating season. For information and rates visit the Ricketts Glenn State Park website. The Camping Cottages offer an exterior log finish and an at grade concrete covered porch for accessibility The living area includes a counter and storage space, electric cooktop, refrigerator and microwave Project Capsule Project Number: FDC Project Coordinator: Jim Kalp, LEED AP Site Designer: Andy Evans, RLA Architectural Designer: Jim Kalp, LEED AP Electrical Designer: Kathleen Rhoten, PE Construction Manager: Tony Giacobbe, P.E. Construction Inspection: Tim Bucci General Contractor: RCH Services, LLC Electrical Contractor: Pioneer Construction Company, Inc. Construction Cost: $407, Fund: Oil and Gas, Key 93 (EPW Project) Each cottage is sited to for full ADA accessibility and offers a view of Lake Jean - 4 -

5 Flood Damage Repair Work At Delaware Canal State Park Complete Anthony Giacobbe, PE, Eastern Regional Engineer In September 2011, heavy rains from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee ravaged the state, substantially damaging the Delaware Canal. After the flood waters receded, work began to determine where and how much damage had occurred. Flood damage assessment was a joint effort between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), Delaware Canal State Park, and engineers from the Bureau of Facility Design and Construction (FDC). Once the field views of the damages were complete, a Project Worksheet (PW) was developed by FEMA and PEMA. This PW became the basis for FDC s contract development process. Upon receipt of the approved PWs, the design process was completed and the contracts were advertised for competitive bid. It was determined that because of the extensive damage, two contracts would be awarded; one contract for restoration of the canal prism and one contract for repairs to the damaged structures. The first contract (FDC ) included restoration of the canal prism. This contract covered repairs to the towpath surface which included both the towpath trail surface and the sub base; the towpath canal and berm slopes; the canal bed; and the berm and river walls. The illustration on the right is of a typical canal cross section which depicts these areas. After the removal of nearly 28,000 tons of debris that had been deposited in and around the canal as a result of the flooding, work began to rebuild the numerous damaged canal prism sections. Stone filled gabion basket cores were installed in areas where the canal had been totally breached; it is anticipated that these gabion baskets will provide long-term stability by withstanding the effects of future flooding events. Other areas were restored with suitable fill material, which was placed and compacted in lifts (or layers) prior to being seeded with long term erosion-resistant vegetation. The damaged towpath trail surface was reconstructed with a stabilized turf product consisting of an aggregate/topsoil mix which was then seeded for vegetative stabilization and subsequent erosion resistance (should overtopping occur in the future). In certain areas of the canal, cut-stone walls (both dry laid This photo shows Groundhog Lock shortly after flooding (Photo courtesy of: Carole Mebus) This photo shows Groundhog Lock after flood repair work (Photo courtesy of: Carole Mebus) Continued on page

6 Flood Damage Repair Work Continued.. and mortared) that lined the canal both along the river and the berm slope had been damaged; these walls were also repaired under this contract. Although the most significant damages that occurred to the canal prism took place in the northern most portion of the canal, repairs were made at various locations from Easton to Center Bridge (north of New Hope), a stretch of almost 36 miles. This work was completed by Tri-State Dredging, Inc. from Philadelphia. The second project, FDC , encompassed repairs to structures that were damaged throughout the canal. Many of these structures are considered historic and any repairs must be made to comply with historic guidelines. Repaired structures included stop gates, miter gates, locks, and aqueducts as well as the Easton Fish Ladder. In total, there were 14 different structure sites where repair work was completed. These sites included: the Easton Fish Ladder, the stop gate across from the Easton sewage treatment plant, the miter gate at the Wy- Hit-Tuk County park, Lock 22/23 in Raubsville, the Sunday Road culvert, Mulligans Bridge, Lock 17, Smithtown Lane 4 Bridge, the Tohickon Aqueduct, the Lumberville Aqueduct, Lock 12, Lock 9, Lock 7, and the Milkhouse Bridge. Examples of these repairs included stone masonry and concrete repair, repairing timber gates and their associated hardware, replacing gate timber, replacing bumper bollards, setting the gates back to plumb, and recapping stone walls, etc. This work was completed by Bi- State Construction Company, Inc. from Easton. Project Capsule Project Number: FDC FDC Project Coordinator: Gene Gelfand Designer: Lisa Dorman, PE Gene Gelfand Construction Manager: Gene Gelfand Construction Inspection: Jason Horst Tim Bucci Colin Thorne (TW Consultants) General Contractor: Tri State Dredging Bi State Construction Construction Cost: Approx. $7,0000, Fund: FEMA, Capital Budget, Key New Vault Toilet Restroom Completed At Salt Spring State Park Benjamin Cassidy, RLA Landscape Designer A new vault toilet was constructed at Salt Springs State Park to better serve park visitors For many years, the Friends of Salt Spring State Park have been requesting a new toilet facility for this small, secluded northeastern Pennsylvania park in the upper reaches of Susquehanna County. As there were many limiting environmental and budgetary factors to overcome, the department created a scope to simply demolish the existing vault toilet and replace it with a new vault toilet. The toilet facility was relocated to a better location to more effectively serve park visitors. A pre-engineered, pre-manufactured component package, in this case Romtec, supplemented with conventional construction materials that are site assembled/constructed was used for this project. The new facility consists of four individual toilet rooms and a pipe chase. Should the future park upgrades warrant a full plumbed, flush facility, the chase will accommodate the installation of piping systems. The core construction is concrete masonry units and engineered wood trusses. The exterior is finished in cast stone veneer wainscot and fiber cement siding. In addition to the new vault toilet, a new well pump and distribution lines from a new well to a point of connection into the Museum and a hydrant to provide nonpotable water for maintenance staff were installed. The new vault toilet is fully ADA compliant and is equipped with solar powered exhaust fans. Also, included in this were site improvements such as improved aggregate Continued on page

7 Lackawanna State Forest Adds Storage Building To Thornhurst Complex James Kalp, LEED AP, Architectural Designer II For years, much of forestry s heavy and specialty construction equipment has been stored in dilapidated, aging structures, under tarps or exposed outdoors to the weather. Protected and secure storage of this and other equipment has been an ever increasing issue over the years. Working with the Bureau of Forestry, FDC s architectural staff has developed two standard storage building designs to resolve this problem. These standard designs aid in minimizing design time and costs and provides a level of standardization throughout the bureau of forestry s 20 state forest districts. The standard designs are a 3-bay (2,230 square feet), and a 5-bay (3,372 square feet) structure. The standard designs incorporate a small list of options to accommodate slightly varying needs to suit its specific application and use. The building is a typical post frame design with pier footings. Options include concrete floor slab, electric, mechanical ventilation; and metal or fiber cement siding, as well as metal or shingle roofing, translucent daylighting panel and motorized garage doors. The storage buildings are not insulated or heated. The first of these standard buildings was recently completed at the Thornhurst maintenance headquarters in the Lackawanna State Forest. The building provides forestry seasonal flexibility in storing their varied equipment from ATVs, heavy construction equipment and trail groomer. The project included site preparation, storm water management and extension and modifications to the existing electric utility service. FD&C currently has eight more standard storage buildings in the bidding or design stage to be constructed at various forest districts across the state. A new 3-bay, standard storage building was constructed at the Lackawanna State Forest s Thornhurst Complex The metal sided and roofed storage building include a concrete floor and electric package Project Capsule Project Number: FDC Project Coordinator: Jim Kalp, LEED AP Site Designer: Andy Evans, RLA Architectural Designer: Jim Kalp, LEED AP Electrical Designer: Kathleen Rhoten, PE Construction Manager: Victor Li, P.E. Construction Inspection: Jason Horst General Contractor: Black Bear Construction LLC Electrical Contractor: Franks Electrical Construction, Inc. Construction Cost: $143, Fund: Key 93 (EPW Project) The translucent daylighting panels provide ample, general lighting during normal daytime operations - 7 -

8 Works in Progress (The following photographs represent some of BOFDAC s active construction efforts throughout DCNR) (**EPW) denotes an Enhance Penn s Woods Program project FDC Kinzua Bridge State Park (**EPW) (DGS Phase 2) New Office/Visitors Center Workers place forms for a foundation wall FDC Kinzua Bridge State Park (**EPW) (DGS Phase 2) New Office/Visitors Center Workers use a pumper to place concrete FDC Ryerson Station State Park (**EPW) (DGS 142-3) De-Silt Lake Removal of silt continues at Duke Lake FDC Ryerson Station State Park (**EPW) (DGS 142-3) De-Silt Lake Heavy flooding halts de-silting efforts at Duke Lake FDC Greenwood Furnace State Park (**EPW) Replace Water Line Workers prepare to set precast concrete structures FDC Clear Creek State Forest (**EPW) Structure Replacement - Corbett Road Over Clear Creek Workers set a precast culvert section

9 Works in Progress (The following photographs represent some of BOFDAC s active construction efforts throughout DCNR) (**EPW) denotes an Enhance Penn s Woods Program project FDC Lackawanna State Park (**EPW) Rehabilitation of Swimming Pool Complex Workers install shingles on the complex buildings FDC Lackawanna State Park (**EPW) Rehabilitation of Swimming Pool Complex Installation of new pool system pumping and filtration equipment FDC Lackawanna State Park (**EPW) Rehabilitation of Swimming Pool Complex A worker installs sanitary and waste vent piping FDC Weiser State Forest (**EPW) Roof Replacement Haldeman Headquarters Workers install standing seam metal roofing FDC Region 3 Office - Shawnee State Park(**EPW) Renovations to Region #3 Office Workers use a small boom lift to set hvac equipment FDC Presque Isle State Park (**EPW) UST Removal and AST Installation at Marina Workers place concrete in a wall form

10 Salt Spring Vault Toilet Continued.. parking areas, native plant landscaping, installation of ADA accessible parking spaces with new signage, new recycled rubber wheel stops and a connecting aggregate walk. Construction began in July 2014 and was completed in approximately 3 months. The upgrade to this hidden gem of the state park system was long overdue and will be able to provide for a better visitor experience for years to come. Project Capsule Project Number: FDC Project Coordinator: Kevin Kevorkov Site Designer: Benjamin Cassidy, RLA Architectural Designer: Kevin Kevorkov Sanitary/Civil Designer: Shawn Beeler, PE Construction Manager: Tony Giacobbe, P.E. Construction Inspection: Tim Bucci General Contractor: Chilewski Enterprises Construction Cost: $200, Fund: Growing Greener (EPW Project) The fabrication and delivery schedule was coordinated with the park such that the precast units could be directly offloaded from the tractor trailer with a crane and set in place the same day. In these precast units, the entire unit including floor, walls and roof structure are made from precast concrete. The unit is delivered to the job site fully assembled including doors, windows, interior fixtures and exterior finishes. Molds are used in the concrete fabrication process providing many texture and color options for exterior finishes. To facilitate delivery, this project installed two separate, two toilet units. As spring weather permits, the park will perform the final backfilling, grading and site work to get the units fully operational for this year s camping season. This project provided a much-needed facility upgrade for users at the campground. It will provide the park a low operational cost and low maintenance facility for many years to come. Continued on page -11- Trough Creek State Park Upgrades Campground Restrooms James Kalp, LEED AP Architectural Designer II Trough Creek State Park is a small, 541-acre park located near Raystown Lake in Bedford County. The park features a small campground with 29 campsites. The campground is a rustic campground in that it is served by traditional vault type toilets in lieu of flush facilities. Recently, project construction was completed that installed new vault toilets. Although vault toilets still maintain the rustic character of the camping experience at Trough Creek, the new toilets are a considerable upgrade to the old vault toilets they replace. Pre-engineered and manufactured, precast concrete units were purchased under the state procurement contract. Carr Concrete Corporation was the manufacturing vendor for this project. Site work which included grading and excavation was performed by the park under direction of FDC s Southcentral Region office staff. Upon purchase approval, FD&C staff coordinated and secured the necessary UCC building permits. Once the permits were in hand, fabrication of the units followed The vault exterior was cast and fabricated to represent vertical panel siding The precast toilets are delivered to the site fully fabricated including the interior components

11 Trough Creek Vault Toilet Continued.. ding Summary February 2015 FDC Forest District #1 Michaux State Forest Install New Septic System Project Capsule Project Number: FDC Project Coordinator: James Sowerbrower Designer: James Sowerbrower Construction Manager: James Sowerbrower, PE Construction Inspection: Tim Bucci General Contractor: Chilewski Enterprises Construction Cost: $200, Fund: Growing Greener $30, FDC Canoe Creek State Park Remove Three Underground Tanks $7, Superior Septic Services, Inc. Environmental Restoration Inc. FDC Cook Forest State Park, Laurel Hill State Park, Yellow Creek State Park Scour Repair on Three Bridges $132, Gregori Construction Inc. FDC Ricketts Glen State Park Replace Dam Control Tower $426, K C Construction Company FDC Buchanan State Forest Structure Replacement: Abey Road Over Town Creek: Georgetown Branch The precast toilets are delivered to the site fully fabricated and ready for installation on the vault structure ding Summary January 2015 FDC Keystone State Park Rehabilitate Campground Roads $95, FDC Delaware Canal State Park Cuttalossa Culvert Repair $673, Scott Grannas Construction, LLC. Clearwater Construction Inc. INTERESTED IN DOING WORK FOR DCNR? For a list of current projects out for bid, visit the Bureau's current bid proposal page at: /index.htm Be sure to check back frequently for updates $297, Wen-Brooke Contracting Inc. FDC Michaux State Forest Bridge Rehabilitation: Strohms Hollow Road Over Strohms Hollow Run $69, FDC Moshannon State Forest Structure Replacement $343, ding Summary January - February: January Total s: 2 January Total Value: $768, February Total s: 7 Rylind Construction LTT Trucking LLC. February Total Value: $1,307,

12 Employee Profile: Victor Li Bureau Activities & News The bureau s Annual Spring meeting will be held June 3 at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center. New Employee: On March 9, 2015, FDC welcomed Melissa Wallace as the new administrative assistant. Her responsibilities include providing administrative support to both the bureau director and the bureau in areas of budgeting, procurement, training, personnel, and office management. Victor Guancheng Li is a registered professional engineer in FDC Eastern Engineering Office (Region 4) since Prior to 2011, he worked as a traffic engineer for nine years in an engineering consulting firm in New Jersey. Victor holds a master s degree in transportation from New Jersey Institute of Technology and a bachelor s degree from Xi an Jiaotong University, China. He resides in Lansdale, Montgomery County with his wife, Yan and two lovely kids, Derry and Sophia. His interests include hiking, gardening, basketball, camping and a newly added outdoor activity-skiing. After migrating around the world for many years, he finally settled down and found the peace of mind after he landed the job in FDC. Being an engineer to work with great people for great parks and forestry, he enjoys what he does. With the years to come, he can be assured of a worthwhile career filled with great memories. Correction: February 2015 issue: Phil Kozak, Senior Civil Engineer was incorrectly noted as a licensed Professional Engineer. Birthdays: Teresa Allen April 29 John Van Riper April 30 Gene Gelfand May 16 Jim Sowerbrower June 10 Tony Giacobbe June 15 Jason Horst June 28 We re on the Web! Visit us at: Questions Comments? We value our reader s feedback. Send your questions or comments to: Chief Editor: Jim Kalp, jakalp@state.pa.us Contributing Editor: Denise Kelly, dekelly@pa.gov Bureau Mission: To provide multi-disciplined technical support to the other bureaus in DCNR in the areas of project design, project inspections, construction management, contract administration, surveying and other technical advice and consultation