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GIS can use a variety of sources including GPS data, open source data layers, and CAD-compatible shapefiles to display a variety of data in a visually appealing way. This capability is especially important in providing a meaningful deliverable to a client. Maps and figures typically include aerial photographs of a site as the base map, which is then layered with other data such as wetland locations or other constraints in order to better understand the geographic restrictions of a project. The attributes of the geographically referenced information can be resourcefully stored, analyzed, evaluated, manipulated and displayed.

Pare’s GIS committee manages and uses data to create visualizations of project information so that it can be more easily shared and analyzed.  It gives our engineers the tools needed to complete buildout projections, locus mapping, dam-breach modeling, water system modeling, site constraint analysis, and infrastructure asset management.

As part of our “Mappy Day” celebration, the GIS committee celebrated four recent projects that used GIS to better help the client.

Narragansett Bay Commission CSO Phase III Program

Pare created a GIS database containing shapefiles of select portions of the existing Narragansett Bay Commission Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) system within the cities of Central Falls and Pawtucket. This database was generated using scanned copies of the city’s original printed drawings dating back to the mid-1800s.  The digital format was then imported into a hydraulic model using record plans of the existing CSO system and aerial photograph interpretation.  Georeferencing these plans allowed Pare to view the locations of the CSO system in relation to the current layout of the cities and understand flow directions and connectivity within the sewersheds. In addition, Pare used GIS to create visual representations of the proposed project elements of the Phase III CSO Program. These visuals were incorporated into the Environmental Assessment for the project and proved to be valuable in understanding the geographic implications of project elements.

Cumberland MS4 Inventory

The Town of Cumberland, RI contracted with Pare to help bring its municipal separate storm sewer (MS4) system into compliance with the Rhode Island Pollutant and Discharge Elimination System’s reporting regulations.  For this, the Town is required to provide a GIS map of all outfalls, receiving waters, drainage systems, and the contributing areas to the MS4 outfalls.  Pare used existing as-builts and visual observations to compile a geodatabase of all structures and then located all outfalls in the town using GPS equipment. Each outfall includes relevant information including pipe size, material, condition, and even has a photo attached to it within the map.  The Town will be able to maintain this map and add features to it as stormwater elements are built and connected to the existing drainage system.

Upper and Lower Sandra Pond Dam Inundation Mapping

Pare uses advanced two-dimensional modeling software to develop dam failure inundation maps. To aid in emergency management planning, the inundation shape files from the model are used to generate up-to-date emergency contact lists for downstream residents, roadway impacts, and potential evacuation routes. The use of GIS software has been invaluable in providing more efficient emergency management techniques and can even be used in real time to monitor a variety of different dam failure scenarios developing on the ground.

Rhode Island Veterans Home

Rhode Island Veteran’s Home in Bristol, RI

Permits from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) and/or the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) can have a significant impact on a project’s design and schedule. To determine which permits were required for the construction of the recently built RI Veterans Home, Pare examined existing aerial photography and GPS-located wetlands. The data was incorporated into a figure to depict the closest wetland resources to the project’s limits of disturbance. These constraint analyses are provided early in the design process to prevent the need for costly design revisions resulting from discovering site constraints in later stages of design.

Our GIS Day celebration ended with a “brain mapping” opportunity to explore how GIS could be used in current or future projects at Pare. To see how we are applying this technology to our own work, please visit the GIS page with representative projects. We will be sharing more information about our GIS projects in the months to come at http://www.parecorp.com/Services/GIS

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But, what about infrastructure? Infrastructure changes the way we get around, communicate, and view the world—it is an essential element to our culture. However, it has different challenges than buildings. Often coordination between several organizations that each have their own agendas and budgets is one of the major challenges when implementing sustainable design for infrastructure.

Similar to how LEED is focused on the occupants of the building, the new Envision Rating System focuses on the stakeholders affected by the project.  Envision is an objective framework of criteria and performance achievements that helps users identify ways in which “green” sustainable approaches can be used to plan, design, construct, and operate infrastructure projects. It also looks to enhance the social, environmental and economic aspects of a project by providing a holistic project assessment and guidance tool to tackle these challenges.  Using the design and building of a new industrial plant as an example, Envision encourages cohesive planning so that how the new plant impacts the historical value of the community is as important as how clean the air is being released thru its smokestack.  The goal of the program is to best use taxpayer dollars, reduce our environmental footprint, and enhance the overall quality of life in our community.

Types of Infrastructure Envision Will Rate

Envision is broken down into five categories to evaluate how a project contributes to the overall sustainability of the community.

• Quality of Life – addresses a project’s impact regarding the health and well-being of individuals and the community as a whole.
• Leadership – engages the project stakeholders and team leaders to provide meaningful commitment, collaboration and communication with each other.
• Resource Allocation – dives into the use of recyclable materials and overall waste reduction for the long-term operation and maintenance of the infrastructure and construction.
• Natural World – how the project preserves and renews ecosystem functions.
• Climate and Risk – looks at two main concepts: ensuring resilience and minimizing emissions of a project both in the short-term and long-term future conditions.

Using Envision demonstrates an organized and comprehensive approach to decision making.  It embraces the use of best practices and garners support from stakeholders. Effective sustainable infrastructure development cannot be completed without involving several parties.

Similar to the LEED program, Envision has four award levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Even if an award is not pursued, it is strongly encouraged to use Envision criteria as a guide or a set of standards for creating sustainable infrastructure. Envision is laying the groundwork for making sustainable design the new standard for all infrastructure projects.

Instrumental Parties

And why not!?!   Here are some advantages to doing so:

• Quantifying the qualitative benefits, including preserving local character
• Applying a consistent, transparent approach to sustainability
• Helping communities address long-range needs
• Evaluating environmental and economic benefits
• Extending the useful life of a project
• Improving the efficiency of a project
• Demonstrating good governance of resources

Just as using a sustainable building rating system as a guide for development has proven to be worth the investment for new building construction, Envision will help guide decisions about sustainable infrastructure projects to be made proactively instead of re-actively in our communities. Imagine a world with less congestion, cleaner waters, purposefully-developed communities, and tax dollars being used more efficiently.  Envision provides the framework to improve the way we develop the infrastructure and its impact on our daily lives

Notes:

• Learn more at https://sustainableinfrastructure.org/.
• For more information about the growth of the LEED program: https://www.usgbc.org/articles/leed-numbers-16-years-steady-growth
• To see some Envision awarded projects: http://sustainableinfrastructure.org/envision/project-awards/#2/22.9/-86.1
• Envision was developed by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) in partnership with the Zofnass Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. ISI was founded by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the American Public Works Association (APWA), and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

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The idea for Earth Day was born out of the counterculture environment of the 1970’s, a time of protest and opposition to many established norms in the United States. Growing environmental unease backed by literature like the 1962 book Silent Spring and the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara served as the catalyst for the first Earth Day. Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson spearheaded a bipartisan effort to create events raising awareness across the country.  Over 20 million Americans turned out that day, which began a significant shift in environmental policy. The Environmental Protection Agency was formed before the end of the year and the passage of several major laws–including the Clean Air, Safe Drinking Water, Environmental Quality Improvement, and Endangered Species Acts–soon followed.

Earth Day expanded as a day of global awareness in 1990, with over 200 million people from 141 countries participating in events around the world. The event was followed by the United Nations Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992, which sought to address global environmental issues like increasing water use and climate change.  More recently, Earth Day 2016 marked the signing of the Paris Agreement as a worldwide effort to combat climate change.

Even as Earth Day seeks to promote global awareness through monumental events, the initial 1970’s grass roots mission to care for the environment in one’s local community continues.

It is that spirit that inspired Pare’s Sustainability Committee to hold its 6th Annual Earth Day Photo Contest with a theme of “Be Green Outside!”  The photos can be viewed at  http://blog.parecorp.com/2017/04/25/celebrate-earth-day-with-pare-by-voting-in-the-6th-annual-earth-day-photo-contest/.  Congratulations to Erika Klinkhammer, an Environmental Scientist in the Civil Division of Pare, for winning the contest with her photo of the Latimer Reef Lighthouse on Fisher Island in Long Island Sound.

Latimer Reef Lighthouse on Fisher Island in Long Island Sound taken by Erika Klinkhammer

In addition to the contest, several Pare employees participated in a local cleanup organized by the Rhode Island chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers Young Members Group (RI ASCE YM).  They participated in the 5th Annual Providence Earth Day Spring Cleaning event sponsored by the City of Providence, Providence Parks Department, and the Partnership for Providence Parks.   For the cleanup they were partnered with the West Broadway Neighborhood Association to help with the 33rd Annual Neighborhood Spring Cleanup.  More than 100 people came out to clean and improve this metropolitan neighborhood resulting in the pickup of 400 bags of trash, 300 bags of yard waste to be composted, more than a dozen mattresses, and several large items such as televisions and tires.  Despite the cold and rainy weather, Pare engineers Bobby Sykes, Jessica Damicis, and Marc Weller were cheerfully picking up trash, spreading new mulch in the play area, and helping to construct a brand new bocce court at the Dexter Training Ground Park.

Bobby Sykes who coordinated Pare’s involvement in the day stated, “I’m grateful to have participated in the earth day cleanup and to have had the opportunity to work with friends from engineering firms throughout Rhode Island. Pare has always had tremendous participation at our ASCE events, and I’m thankful I work for a company with so many like-minded individuals willing to donate a Saturday to give back to a local community.”

As April 22, 2018 approaches, there are many ways to participate in Earth Day activities; learn more at http://www.earthday.org/take-action/.  While the day is a fantastic way to stay environmentally conscious, simple efforts like recycling and composting at home and other small activities are great ways to reduce our environmental footprint throughout the year.  Every day is an opportunity to be a better steward of Planet Earth. Thanks to all who participated in this year’s Earth Day events; we’ll look forward to seeing you again next year!

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In that spirit, the Sustainability Committee at Pare is pleased to share our 6th Annual Earth Day Photo Contest.   The theme of the contest this year is “Be Green Outside!”

Please enjoy the photos submitted by Pare’s staff below, and vote using the poll located at the bottom of this post. The winner of the 2017 Earth Day Photo Contest will receive a Gift Card to B-Good and their photo framed in the office. Voting will close at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 7.

 1. Handmade Water Quality

To treat runoff from the driveway, deck, and concrete walkway at our newly acquired home, we installed – by hand – water quality trenches with filter fabric. Our project also alleviated areas of standing water. The pipe system connected to an overflow discharge point after storing and treating a certain volume of runoff. We then capped off the project by raising the elevation about 18” with clean loam and new sod!

2. Franconia Ridge Vegetation Preservation

On the crest of Franconia Ridge in Lincoln New Hampshire, 5,260 feet up above sea level, a low rock path helps hikers protect the groundcover ridgetop vegetation.

3. British Columbia Roadtrip

This was from a road trip with my family up in British Columbia, an outdoor expedition into Alaska that definitely helped me appreciate being green outside.

4. 26.2 Emission Free Miles

You see stuff when you run. Stuff you don’t see when you drive. Little ponds. Nondescript trail heads. Wildlife. Unfortunately, you also see lots of trash, debris, roadkill. Running can give you a unique perspective on the environment and how we impact it.

5. An Early Appreciation of the Great Outdoors

To our family, “being green outside” typically means going for hikes and learning about nature. We came across this tree during a short hike in Scituate, RI. It was a great opportunity to discuss local wildlife and the role that specific animals, in this case beavers, have in the environment.

6. My Home Office

Wake. Skate. Work at Pare. Sleep. Repeat.

7. Mattapoisett Waterfront

Water front view of the Mattapoisett Marina that leads into Buzzards Bay. The sun is shining and the boating season is underway.

8. ‘It’s not easy being green’

A little green in an unexpected place. Almost 10 feet below grade in a dark catch basin this little guy found just enough sunlight to make it happen!

9. Latimer Reef Lighthouse on Fisher Island in Long Island Sound

Taken on the first cruise of the season in the Clam Ram, a mighty Boston Whaler coming out of hibernation. A nice day to test the electronics and run the engine, then sit in a protective harbor with a Sierra Nevada and a beautiful sunset. Beauty in nature at its finest.

10. The Dry Tortugas

The Dry Tortugas National Park is located 70 miles off the coast of Key West, FL and is home to the largest stone-masonry fort in United States. Over 300 species of birds, 5 species of sea turtles, 30 different species of coral, and several hundred species of fish are protected within the waters and islands that make up the national park.

11. Below the Tower

Stissing Fire Tower stretches 7 flights into the air above the Nature Conservancy and hiking trails in Pine Plains, NY. Formerly for use to spot forest fires, the tower is now a viewing spot for appreciation of the area’s natural resources.

12. Winds of Change

Engineers can be the stewards of a healthy planet through the implementation of clean, green, renewable energy. Rhode Island has begun paving the way with the construction of America’s first offshore wind farm.

13. Chasm Lake

Chasm Lake, Rocky National Park, CO

14. Hiking Activist

Enjoying Mass Audubon’s Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary while promoting recycling on Earth Day weekend.

15. Cliffs of Prince Edward Island

Ever since I was a young girl, I have been in awe of the impact that water can have on a shoreline after watching the waves wash away a house following a hurricane on the Outer Banks. This picture was taken in this fall on Prince Edward Island where the magnitude and simple beauty of the erosion took my breath away.

16. Kayaking on the Colorado River

The Colorado River system is a vital source of water for 40 million people in southwestern North America. The river and its tributaries are controlled by an extensive system of dams, reservoirs, and aqueducts, which in most years divert its entire flow for agricultural irrigation and domestic water supply. The Colorado’s large flow and steep gradient are used for generating hydroelectric power, and its major dams regulate peaking power demands in much of the Intermountain West. Intensive water consumption has dried up the lower 100 miles (160 km) of the river, which has rarely reached the sea since the 1960s. The river (pictured outside Austin, TX) is also a great recreational resource. It offers visitors and city-dwellers a picturesque escape from city life and an opportunity to “be green outside”.

17. “Cueva Ventana”

An hour west of San Juan, Cueva Ventana, or “Window Cave,” can be found. The lush valley below maintains its natural beauty as the rural area is situated away from urban Puerto Rico.

18. Sanctuary

Water cascading from the 317-foot Vernal Falls at Yosemite National Park. Except for the thundering water, quiet as a church, not a conversation to be heard. Everyone enveloped in and reflecting on the natural beauty. To Be Green Outside is to be in the moment.

Thank you for voting for your favorite photo that best represents our theme of “Be Green Outside!”

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Coffee has become a large contributor of waste. Every time you go to a coffee shop and grab a cup to go, your cup contributes to the waste footprint. Some companies use paper cups, which is an easy material to recycle. But do you recycle it? Other companies use Styrofoam for its insulating properties. It’s understandably difficult to turn down a cup option which keeps both your hand and the precious liquid a desirable temperature. And these environmentally unfriendly options are of low cost to the coffee shop and consequently to you.

Professor David Tyler, a chemist at the University of Oregon, addressed Styrofoam’s “worst material” stereotype by conducting a life-cycle assessment. The results of his study demonstrated that Styrofoam cups are no worse than paper cups for the environment. The carbon footprint of a Styrofoam cup (i.e., its contribution to greenhouse gases) is less than a paper cup. However, it does take Styrofoam longer to degrade. The choice is up to you; do you care more about carbon footprint or garbage reduction?

Before we’re able to take a sip, we need to address another important coffee waste concern which is infamous in the New England region: the double cup. Found in both icy and sweltering temperatures, Dunkin Donuts and other coffee shops allow you to request your iced coffee in a cup within a cup. In the colder weather, your plastic drink cup is slid into a Styrofoam cup to keep the iced coffee from chilling your already chilled hands. In the warm weather, the Styrofoam second cup catches the condensation from your refreshingly cold drink. In both cases, the Styrofoam cup is being added as an insulator. And in both cases, you are contributing twice the amount of waste to the garbage.

And it’s not just cups that are filling our landfills.

In recent years, the single-serve coffee brewer has been at the forefront of home brewing. Keurig (now owned by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters) developed the K-Cup brewing system in the mid-1990s. As most of you know, it consists of a brewer and a K-Cup – a plastic container with a filter and 11 grams of ground coffee beans, vacuum sealed to prevent oxidation. The plastic container is made from a special plastic mix designed to withstand the heated brewing process. The brewer punctures a hole in the top and bottom of the K-Cup and passes hot water through the cup and into a mug. Once the K-Cup is brewed, it is disposed of, and it becomes a component of our waste footprint. While coffee grounds are compostable, K-Cup plastic containers are not. That isn’t to say they aren’t reusable though! Click the image below for ways to reuse your office’s K-Cups.

John Sylvan was the brains behind Keurig and what he calls the “single-serve delivery mechanism for an addictive substance.” He created Keurig in 1992 and sold off his share of the company in 1997 for a mere $50,000. Keurig is now generating $4.7 billion in revenue. Now that the K-Cup has received backlash from consumers, environmentalists, and more, John Sylvan states, “I feel bad sometimes that I ever did it.”

Coffee grounds are compostable, however the K-Cup plastic container is only recyclable in a few Canadian cities. The good news: Keurig Green Mountain has taken a pledge to create a fully recyclable K-Cup. The bad news: It won’t make its debut until 2020. Until then, we’ll have to be conscious about how we make our coffee!

Now that we’re finally ready to take a sip, cherish that taste of sweet…guilt! But perhaps there are ways we can lessen the guilt and lessen the environmental impact of drinking coffee. Coffee has always served as a treat, an energizer, and it is known for bringing people together. Consider bringing people together for an even greater benefit by encouraging environmentally responsible caffeinated practices in your office, whether it is supplying company-wide reusable coffee cups that all coffee shops are eager to fill, or by using a coffee-koozy to substitute the Styrofoam cup. Hey, there are some great opportunities for company branding here!

For more on the history of K-Cups and the environmental impact of coffee drinkers, check-out this article from The Atlantic.

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It has always been important to Pare’s designers that we share up-to-date photos and videos documenting the progress of our projects. However, due to the size and scope of civil, transportation, environmental and geotechnical projects, it has often been difficult to get an accurate image or video of what was being accomplished without the use of a helicopter. That was until… the video drone.

The Inspire1 is a flying platform designed to capture 360 degrees of aerial video with unrestricted views and much control

Several of Pare’s senior leaders met with Sean McVeigh, Director, Cinematographer and Photographer at Sean McVeigh Media, for an introduction to the Inspire1 drone, and to witness—through Sean’s past projects—the amazing opportunities aerial video footage can provide. The team was duly impressed, and began discussing potential projects worthy of aerial drone photography.

On May 1st, we ventured to Barrington, Rhode Island to film a key construction milestone on the Central Bridge Replacement project using the Inspire1 drone with Sean McVeigh and his partner, Seth Fandetti. Seth piloted the drone, watching out for power lines and birds, while Sean focused on the drone’s camera and capturing the best possible footage. Sean would explain to Seth the desired angles and shots he needed, while Seth communicated flight path options.

Sean McVeigh and Seth Fandetti prepare the Inspire1 drone and flying equipment for takeoff. You can view Central Bridge in the distance.

We initially took off from a flat grassy area downstream of the bridge. However, to avoid electrical power lines and maintain the best view, we soon moved to the foot of the bridge. It was amazing to watch the Inspire1 remain steady and controlled, despite the windy and cloudy conditions.

Once construction filming wrapped, we interviewed Vice President and Managing Bridge Engineer, Kevin Viveiros, to provide project insight and narration for the completed video.

Behind the Scenes with Sean McVeigh Media, Kailyn Corrigan, Marketing Coordinator at Pare, and Kevin Viveiros, VP and Bridge Engineer at Pare.

It was exciting to watch the different parts of filming come together in the final video. We hope this video will give you a unique perspective and insight regarding bridge engineering and construction. To view the completed video, please visit our YouTube channel, here. The full project story and details are located in the video description.

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The 2015 photo contest was incredibly close. There was a tie between photos for most of the week, but in the end, “Back to Nature” won by two votes!

The Bartlet Pond Dam, originally constructed in 1814, was a barrier to the natural ecology of the Wekepeke Brook for nearly 200 years. During that time, the presence of the dam resulted in increased water temperatures, lower Dissolved Oxygen, disconnected environments, and other environmental detriments. In 2014, the dam was removed, restoring the area to a natural stream channel and allowing for the natural healing of the ecosystem to begin, which will benefit both the Wekepeke as well as the Nashua River, located shortly downstream. In recognition of this achievement, state and local officials gathered to celebrate the project and other environmental initiatives being supported financially through programs being offered by EOEEA. Attendance at the event demonstrated the state’s commitment and progress in restoring our natural environment; the new growth embodies the power of nature to overcome man’s interference in the cycle of nature.

Congratulations to our winner, Allen Orsi. Allen will receive a gift card to Briggs Garden & Home.

You can check out the rest of the photo entries here.

A special thanks to all who contributed to this year’s Earth Day Photo Contest. This year’s entrants were:

#1 Andrew Chagnon – Synthetic Turf Field, Marshfield
#2 Allen Orsi – Back to Nature
#3 Dave Easterbrooks – Save the Bay Swim
#4  Marc Weller – Eco-Machine
#5 Lauren Hastings – Tread Lightly
#6  Tim Thies – S-s-s-s-s-s-springtime Buddies
#7  Dave McCombs – Solitude
#8 Nick Romano – Koi Pond
#9  Victoria Howland – Living Machine
#10  Mel Hebert – Aurora Borealis
#11  Brandon Blanchard – Do You Know Where Your Food Comes From?
#12  Cari Orsi – Living Green
#13 Scott Lindgren –  Follow us, together we will lead.

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