Civil & Environmental Engineering – �鶹��Ƶ

Ecosystem-based adaptation of the Tijuana River basin, focusing on recycling construction waste and glass

Ada Inman — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 18:26:14 +0000

Esta propuesta responde a la necesidad de disminuir el impacto ambiental de la industria de la construcción. El proyecto pretende promover una gestión adecuada de los residuos de actividades de la industria de la construcción, mediante el diseño y aplicación de metodologías y estrategias con criterios AbE, que mitiguen la vulnerabilidad de la comunidad de Valle de las Palmas, y promuevan la recuperación de un tramo del arroyo las Palmas, combinando las habilidades técnicas, materiales y de gestión de los miembros involucrados para alcanzar cuatro objetivos:
1.
Elaborar un diagnóstico del contexto actual de la gestión integral de los RCD y vidrio, y de las condiciones del arroyo Las Palmas, para identificar las zonas más vulnerables de la comunidad; mediante la participación de profesores y estudiantes (FCITEC), de la Cámara Mexicana de la Industria de la Construcción (CMIC), delegación Tijuana, FCITEC y Proyecto Fronterizo de Educación Ambiental, A.C (PFEA) y comunidad de estudiantes de secundaria y bachillerato de Valle de las Palmas (COM).
2.
Diseñar metodologías y estrategias AbE para la adaptación, que promuevan la conservación de recursos naturales y el reciclaje de RCD y vidrio, con el fin de mitigar la vulnerabilidad de la comunidad ante el cambio climático. Participación de FCITEC, CMIC, PFEA y COM.
3.
Evaluar el uso y aplicación de materiales elaborados con RCD y vidrio, para fomentar prácticas sostenibles de construcción, con el objetivo de mitigar la vulnerabilidad de la comunidad debido a la contaminación del suelo, acuíferos y aire, así como, el riesgo de inundación inherentes a la extracción de recursos naturales. Participación de FCITEC, CMIC, PFEA y COM.
4.
Gestionar la restauración de un tramo de lecho del arroyo las Palmas que se encuentre en etapa de abandono de las actividades extractivas y se identifique como vulnerable a erosión durante lluvias extraordinarias.
Participación múltiple de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Ingeniería y Tecnología (FCITEC-UABC), Proyecto Fronterizo de Educación Ambiental (PFEA), Cámara Mexicana de la Industria de la Construcción (CMIC) y el Instituto de Planeación del Desarrollo Municipal de Tecate (INPLADEM-Presidencia Municipal de Tecate, Baja California, México).
El proyecto se lleva a cabo en el NO de Baja California, en la cuenca del río Tijuana, donde se ubican las ciudades de Tecate y Tijuana, en las que reside el 54% de la población del estado (de un total de 3,769,020 habitantes. La comunidad que participa en el proyecto es principalmente la población escolar (secundaria y preparatoria) y sus padres de familia que residen en el poblado Valle de las Palmas, que tenía 1,685 habitantes en 2020, según el censo de población y vivienda del INEGI.

Evaluating feasibility and benefits of removing the Light Plant Dam

Ada Inman — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 21:13:43 +0000

A recent survey of residents in the City of Waupaca revealed a strong desire to see improvements to Cary Pond, a reservoir held back by the Felt Mill Dam. Engineering students provided a comprehensive assessment of options for the site to recommend strategies and outline the potential ecological and recreational benefits associated with the removal [...]

Designing Morrisonville Road to support anticipated growth

Ada Inman — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 20:41:39 +0000

The Village of DeForest, Wisconsin, is planning infrastructure improvements for The Ponds at North Crossing – a 160-acre site of undeveloped land within the Northern Interstate Corridor (NIC). This area is designated for mixed-use development, incorporating residential, commercial, and conservation spaces. The project aims to enhance Morrisonville Road to support anticipated growth while maintaining environmental sustainability and traffic efficiency.

Project Objectives
The desired needs of this project include:
● Improving traffic flow and multimodal accessibility.
● Enhancing stormwater management to mitigate flooding risks.
● Supporting sustainable development that aligns with village planning goals.
● Supporting future commercial and residential growth through modern infrastructure.
● Maintaining compliance with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR)
regulations.

Contact: UniverCityAlliance@wisc.edu

Solar Feasiblity Analysis for Hazleton City View Park

Ada Inman — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:30:05 +0000

City View Park in Hazleton has become a popular community gathering place, and Mayor Cusat would like to add amenities to meet popular demand, such as an ice cream stand, mini golf and RV parking. Adding solar at the site may not only provide the electricity needed but can also provide additional shade. The student team [...]

Solar Feasibility Analysis for Tremont Ambulance Association

Ada Inman — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 20:37:14 +0000

The Tremont Ambulance Association in Schuylkill County is interested in solar for their building. The community of Tremont has been proactive in exploring solar for its public infrastructure and the opportunities presented by solar for additional energy storage in case of outages. Battery storage is also of interest as an emergency service operation. Sustainable Communities [...]

Improving Westerly Parkway Wetlands

Ada Inman — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 19:12:48 +0000

The Westerly Parkway wetland/detention basin at the intersection of Atherton and Westerly Parkway, was created to remediate the runoff from adjacent impervious surfaces. It was designed to provide education and as a greenspace for residents to explore unless water levels made the pathways unusable. With the new construction of the high school and associated developments in the area, many of the preexisting conditions have changed. The Borough seeks a better understanding of the conditions affecting and updated solutions for the wetland/detention pond due to recent construction and changing environment, including but not limited to updates to existing mapping to reflect new construction and inflows, calculations to estimate hydrologic characteristics including current and potential future conditions/design, and articulation of a potential future vision for the wetland that considers hydrology, water quality, and other ecosystem functions.

Sustainable Communities Collaborative Contact Info

University Faculty Contact
Lauren McPhillips
Assistant Professor
lxm500@psu.edu
814-865-4564

Reducing Stormwater Basin Runoffs in College Township

Ada Inman — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 18:19:42 +0000

College Township, adjacent to State College and Penn State University Park’s campus, has experienced significant urban growth. Due to its location in the Spring Creek watershed and Chesapeake Bay watershed, sedimentation control due to stormwater runoff is important. This project involves retrofitting a 1.38-acre stormwater management basin in Penn Hills to include a runoff reduction function. The existing basin was originally constructed in the mid 1980’s to provide peak runoff control from 70 acres of the subdivision. Approximately 17% of the drainage area (12 acres) is impervious. The basin is currently vegetated with meadow grasses and wildflowers and consists predominantly of Hagerstown and Opequon Soils. These soils (Hydrologic Soil Group B) are well drained and have good infiltration characteristics. The township is interested in converting the basin from a peak-rate design to an infiltrating design that would provide significant sediment reductions. Preliminary analysis indicates that the basin can be retrofit to provide a minimum of 2.4 ac-ft. of runoff reduction from the 12 acres of tributary impervious area in Penn Hills. The Project would involve stormwater analysis, swale analysis, etc.

Sustainable Communities Collaborative Contact Info

University Faculty Contact
Jeffrey Catchmark
Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, and Bioethics
jmc102@psu.edu
814-863-0414

Stormwater Management in State College

Ada Inman — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 16:42:01 +0000

State College experienced a local street flooding issue at the intersection of Glenn Road and Taylor Street in the Borough. The street flooding did not occur during every rain event, only during heavier rainfall. The borough planned to have the pipe sections televised to verify the condition of the pipes and pipe sizes. Some drainage calculations were needed to be made to see how much water is coming to this area. The calculations along with actual field conditions would help determine if additional pipe capacity and/or inlets will need to be added. Students examined the issues and other observations to fine tune the project description in the fall 2024 semester and addressed mitigation design recommendations during the spring semester 2025.

Sustainable Communities Collaborative Contact Info

University Faculty Contact

Jeffrey Catchmark

Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, and Bioethics

jcatchmark@engr.psu.edu

814-863-0414

Designing the River Falls eco-site engineering plan

Ada Inman — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 18:57:27 +0000

As River Falls looks to relocate its composting facility, engineering students designed plans for a site with added services like electronic waste recycling and residential organic waste collection. UniverCity Contact Info: UniverCityAlliance@wisc.edu [...]

Exploring Wausau Police Station improvements

Ada Inman — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 18:00:07 +0000

The project produced different engineering design plans for an improved police facility to address Wausau Police Department goals of providing increased space, improving space functionality, updating the HVAC system, and improving residents’ experience. UniverCity Contact Info: UniverCityAlliance@wisc.edu [...]