How Can Civil Engineering Consultants Help Crack New Orleans’ Traffic Problem?

As anyone who has lived in a city can attest to, there are many perks to living in an urban area. From greater job opportunities, to richer cultural experiences and an exciting nightlife, city living can be uniquely rewarding.

Yet there is one downside that all city dwellers must contend with every day: traffic jams.

This is a reality that many New Orleans residents know all too well. According to an article from The Times-Picayune, The Big Easy ranks 20th for the worst traffic in the country, with drivers spending up to 50% longer in their cars during the evening peak rush hour. This figure is up 1% compared to 2015, suggesting that this problem isn’t going away anytime soon. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2vhdCOa

CIVIL ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS HELP PREVENT FLOODING IN NEW ORLEANS

As a coastal city, New Orleans has a love-hate relationship with the Mississippi River. On the one hand, it plays a key role in food supply, commerce and transportation. On the other hand, living so close to the water means the ever-present threat of flooding.

Recently, New Orleans has been on high alert for the latter since the waters at the Carrollton gauge has risen to 16 feet in May—just one foot below the official flood stage. As a result, east bank levee authorities have put a temporary ban against digging, pile driving, and underground work within 1,500 feet of the levees. Such construction work may provide a pathway for the water in the river to push past the levees, which might lead to failure of the levees and therefore flooding in the city. If contractors and companies wish to undertake such work, they would need to secure a permit from flood protection authorities first.

Engineering at Work

While this restriction might delay crucial work from being completed, civil engineers agree that taking such precautions are a must if massive flooding is to be avoided. As you might know, the network of levees around the city represent one of the biggest engineering measures against the Mississippi River’s encroaching waters, and ensuring their structural integrity is a must. Read more from this blog: http://bit.ly/2uq0FT6

Civil Engineering Consultants Work Hand in Hand with the USACE to Serve the City

New Orleans was unprepared for the massive flooding that Hurricane Katrina unleashed in 2005. While the city already had an existing Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS), its pump stations and levees were unable to handle the onslaught of heavy flood. More than 80% of the city was submerged, and a huge portion of this were in residential areas.

Emergency relief and aid were immediately dispatched to NOLA, and thousands of families were relocated and brought to safety. However, even days after the disaster, the issue of effectively managing the flood waters loomed over everyone’s heads.

Task Force Guardian

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) launched Task Force Guardian in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Part of their mission is to get the HSDRRS up and running once more, to rid urban areas of damaging flood waters, and to restore NOLA’s infrastructures and make them more resilient against storm damage. Read more from this blog: http://bit.ly/2rHcKSF

CIVIL ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS CAN HELP MUNICIPALITIES ADDRESS SEWER SYSTEM PROBLEMS

One can’t separate the state of Louisiana from water. With all the rivers and bayous found here, bodies of water are part of life in the state, where people derive their livelihood and where they go for leisure.

However, the line between urban life and nature is a delicate one, and can be easily disrupted. Take for example the recently reported case of wastewater leakage in Mandeville. According to a NOLA.com report, a broken sewage pipe has caused a spike in fecal coliform levels in Bayou Castine.

The sewer leak coincides with Mandeville’s opening of a new section of beach off Lakeshore Drive, which naturally generated safety concerns among residents and local officials.

Challenges in Wastewater Management 

In a lot of ways, the development of the sewer system is one of the most important achievements in human history. After all, the system safely conveys wastewater away from the community. Without it, no civilization would have flourished. Read more from this blog: http://bit.ly/2oLobCx

What Changes in Employment Trends Bode for Female Civil Engineering Consultants and the Like

It can be difficult to imagine an urban landscape without structural engineers, civil engineering consultants and similar professionals. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were about 281,000 civil engineers in the U.S. as of 2014, and the employment rate in this industry is expected to grow by as much as 8% each year. This field is certainly in demand, and these figures are likely to grow in the coming years, especially if more women choose to become engineers. 

As early as high school, the youth are now being geared to follow career paths based on their aptitudes and desires. Many are encouraged to seek degrees in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Read more from this blog: http://bit.ly/2n5kOJz

LESSONS FROM THE NAPOLEON AVENUE DRAINAGE PROJECT VERIFY THE NEED FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS

As the Napoleon Avenue Drainage Project nears completion, residents express hope for better planned infrastructures in the future.

Part of the $2 billion Southeast Louisiana (SELA) Drainage Project, intended to decrease flooding and its harmful effects on New Orleans and nearby areas, the Napoleon project instead drew myriad lawsuits from locals who complained of property damage and ill health effects due to its construction. Hiring civil engineering consultants would have helped address these problems at the onset. Such consultants only need to point to the Napoleon project’s travesties to persuade agencies to seek their expertise for future drainage undertakings.

Consider Property Damages

Constructing a drainage system requires equipment that produces strong vibrations, enough to wreak damages to nearby buildings and residences. In Uptown and Carrollton districts, residents filed a class-action suit against the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, SELA’s administrator, for extensive property damages. Read more on this article. http://bit.ly/2mkDOA9

Civil Engineering Consultants Share Recommendations for Effective Stormwater Management Programs

All over the U.S., local governments face difficulties in managing stormwater, especially as population and regulatory requirements continue to increase. Public officials explore different options that can maximize limited planning and construction timeframes and financial resources.

Civil engineering consultants can offer their expertise in evaluating the costs and benefits of stormwater treatment practices and make appropriate recommendations for effective stormwater management programs.

Read more on this article: http://bit.ly/2jlsC9y