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news notesms consultants, inc. engineers, architects, planners

New reservoir projects will satisfy current water demands andin the future serve an additional 200,000 central Ohioans.

See story starting on page 2.

Columbus South Innerbelt wins ACEC Award ... 6Rehabilitated Bridge Dedicated ... 8YSU STEM Study Completed ... 10ms Supports STEM ... 11ms 50th Anniversary Update ... 12

The Future of Water for the City of Columbus

Also in th is issue

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A new water supplyfor central Ohio

This aerial view shows the R-2 reservoir under construction in May 2013. With a footprint of 850 acres, it will impound more than 9.3 billion gallonsof water at the normal pool. The embankment (dam) that forms the reservoir is almost five miles long and will be the longest dam in Ohio.

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The city of Columbus public water system provides

drinking water to Columbus, Ohio, and 22 communities in

the metropolitan region from its three water treatment

plants, which have a combined capacity of 240 million

gallons per day (mgd). The distribution system, which

consists of more than 3,600 miles of waterlines, numerous

booster stations and storage tanks, serves approximately

1.1 million people.

In recent years, severe droughts have occurred in many parts of the United States, resulting in the drastic curtail-

ment of nonessential water uses and, in some instances,

water rationing. Rationing occurred in central Ohio during

a severe drought in the Midwest in 1987-88 when

Columbuss largest reservoir (Hoover) was within 50 days

of depletion. City leaders realized that additional water

supplies were needed, and in 1989 initiated a study called

Water Beyond 2000.

That study evaluated several options to supply the

additional water needed to meet central Ohios growingdemands, including on-stream reservoirs, upground reser-

voirs, quarries and groundwater. Public input was gathered

during evaluation of the options. Completed in 1998, the

study recommended developing additional groundwater

wells for the Parsons Avenue Water Plant, and to construct

three upground reservoirs within the Scioto River water-

shed to augment the existing OShaughnessy and Griggs

reservoirs. They serve as the raw water supply for the

Dublin Road Water Plant located some 30 miles down-

stream. More than 2,500 acres of land in northwest

Delaware County needed for the three reservoirs was

purchased during the next several years.

In 2005, the city of Columbus selected ms consultants

to conduct detailed investigations and prepare a prelimi-

nary design report outlining an implementation plan for all

three reservoirs, as well as the associated pumping and

raw water transmission facilities. ms developed a long-

range, multiple-phase strategy to provide an adequate and

dependable raw water supply to the citys Dublin Road

Water Plant for current and future use, as completion of all

three reservoirs will provide an additional safe yield of at

least 53 mgd during a 50-year drought condition.

More recent studies, including the City of Columbus

Comprehensive Water Master Plan, have reinforced the

need for these improvements.

So what is an upground reservoir? It is an

engineered water basin, separate, or off-stream of its water

source. These reservoirs are typically comprised of

earthen embankment walls and a clay-lined bottom, and

are classified as a dam by regulators.

(Continued on next page.)3

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Unlike on-stream reservoirs which receive runoff from an

upstream watershed, water must be pumped from a nearby river and

directed to an upground reservoir. Water stored in the reservoir is

then released for use during drought or prolonged dry periods.

When sizing the reservoirs for Columbus, the safe yield of the

existing water supplies had to be evaluated. The city has developed

its water supplies using the concept that the 1:50 safe yield, or the

available water from water sources

during a 50 year drought, be adequateto meet or exceed projected potable

water demands.

A major benefit of this project is

that it will assist another major water

utility north of Columbus. During a

prior settlement agreement regarding

the issue of water boundaries, it was

decided that the upground reservoirs

would also support the Del-Co Water

Company, Inc., which supplies water tomuch of Delaware County. Under this

settlement, Del-Co is participating in

the cost of construction and operations.

Construction began on the first

reservoir (known as R-2) in May 2011.

R-2 has a footprint of 850 acres and

will impound more than 9.3 billion gallons of water at the normal

pool. When all three reservoirs are completed they will hold

approximately 18.3 billion gallons.

The embankment that forms R-2 is about five miles in length

and ranges in height from 35-45 feet. When filled with water, its

size and unique design will make it the largest single upground

reservoir Ohio, and the largest synthetically lined reservoir in the

United States.

Due to the presence of shallow sand and gravel deposits

overlying karst limestone geology and high groundwater in the

area, the reservoir bottom was constructed using 37 million square

feet of a polypropylene geomembrane overlying 18 inches of Com-

pacted Clay Liner, and protected with geotextile and 18 inches of

cover soil. This composite bottom liner design will result in negli-

gible seepage of stored water into the underlying karst limestone

beneath the reservoir, which minimizes the potential for formation

of sinkholes or cavities in this type of geology.

It was anticipated that dewatering activities required during the

liner installation would lower groundwater levels for extended

periods well beyond the project work limits, and such conditions

could adversely affect nearby residential and agricultural water

supplies. The project team identified and assisted in the execution

of a multi-step, proactive program to address this issue.

First, a pre-construction assessment program was initiated

during the design phase, with more than 260 residential and agricul-

tural wells surveyed to determine the condition, quantity and

quality of the water in those wells before construction dewatering

began. Local residents were provided with a city representative to

contact should they experience operational problems with their well

during construction. Once contacted by a homeowner, the represen-

tative conducted a site visit to investi

gate current well condition and waterlevels in relation to the pre-construction

assessment information. When dat

indicated that the dewatering activities

caused operational problems or a well to

go dry, the city directed the construction

contractor to remedy the impact by

providing temporary, potable water to

the affected residence, modifying the

existing well or drilling a new well.

A drainage system utilizintwo-stage ditches with underlying storm

sewers was installed around the perim-

eter of the reservoir to intercept numer-

ous agricultural field tiles and direc

surface runoff around the reservoi

embankments. The perimeter ditch

system not only preserved existing surface and subsurface drainage

patterns, but also qualified as a post-construction stormwater best

management practice, since it will act as a vegetated filter reduc-

ing the amount of total suspended solids carried by the stormwater

flow and ultimately discharged to the Scioto River.

The need to relocate Ottawa Creek was eliminated by adjusting

the configuration of the northern embankment. Some wetlands

present on the site could not be avoided and the city was obligated

to mitigate for those wetlands.

Although nearby state routes were designed to accommodate

them, the significant number of vehicles carrying heavy loads

needed for construction had a high probability of damaging most

county or township roads in the project area. So, a limited number

of these roadways were established as dedicated haul routes for use

by construction vehicles not only for the reservoir, but also for the

new pump station on the Scioto River nearly four miles away and a

72inch raw water transmission main linking them. The existing

pavement was strengthened through pavement reclamation or

reconstruction before construction vehicles began using them, and

will receive new asphalt at the conclusion of the project. Contrac-

tors were penalized when drivers delivering products or materials

to/from the project work sites were observed traveling on roadways

not authorized as dedicated haul routes.

A new pump station was built nextto the Scioto River to divert waterto the reservoir as needed.

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The second component of the initial project was

construction of a new intake and pump station adjacent to the

Scioto River to divert water from the river to R-2 and the

other reservoirs when they are constructed. The pump station

is equipped with four vertical turbine style pumps that can

each deliver 40 million gallons of water per day to fill the

reservoirs. To build up a pool of water in the Scioto River,

intake and wet well to provide adequate pump submergence,

a 152-foot inflatable weir was designed and constructed inthe Scioto River. The weir will be inflated during times of

high flow so the pump station can be activated to fill the

upground reservoir, and will remain deflated at other times

and lay flat in the bottom of the river.

Federal and state regulators required that no construc-

tion occur within the Scioto River during spawning season

April 15 to June 30 and that operation of the proposed

inflatable weir be limited to two successive weeks during

this period. Additionally, an upstream low-head dam on the

river near Prospect, Ohio, was removed as a mitigationcondition to facilitate construction of the new inflatable weir.

The design solutions implemented in response to these

regulatory requirements will not only improve in-stream

water quality, but also minimize impacts to aquatic organ-

isms and allow migration upstream to foster redevelopment

of species in the upper reaches of the Scioto River.

Even though public access and recreational activities

such as fishing and boating will not be permitted on R-2

because of the risk of potential damage to the liner system,

recreational opportunities are included as part of the overall

project. This includes construction of an adjacent park in

conjunction with Preservation Parks of Delaware County

that will provide passive recreational activities such as walk-

ing, running, biking, picnicking and a natural playground

area for children. Additionally, a portage was built that can

be used by canoeists when the inflatable weir is raised, and a

new canoe access point was constructed downstream of the weir

near the confluence of Ottawa Creek and the Scioto River.

Currently, local fire departments in the area must withdraw

water from the Scioto River or nearby ponds to fill their tanker

trucks during fire runs. The Thompson Township Trustees asked if

the local fire departments could access stored water in the reser-

voirs to improve response time and refill tanker trucks.

In response, several non-potable hydrants with appropriate

hose connections will be installed along the Phase 1 raw water

pipeline that can be accessed by local fire departments.

The successful implementation of these initial projects has

been a direct result of the collaboration with our partners and

various governmental officials, regulators and affected/interested

5

residents, which began at the inception of the project and have

continued throughout the construction phase.

Key partners in this project include the adjacent counties of

Union, Marion and Delaware, the Ohio Department of Natural

Resources (ODNR) and the state legislature, which allowed this

project to pilot new bonding requirements and inspection costs for

large upground reservoirs. This reduced the cost of the project and

provided inspection funds for ODNR.

At the conclusion of this project, Columbus and central Ohio

will have a new water supply to satisfy the regions thirst for drink-

ing water for many decades to come.

For more information about this project, contact Ken Ricker

at 614.898.7100 or email info@msconsultants.com.

Water cascades through the new inlet during the first fill test, held in July 2013.

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Columbus Innerbelt projectreceives national recognition

Work on the first phases of the I-70/I-71 reconstruction are wellunderway. The massive project is rebuilding the entire corridor wherethe two interstates merge through downtown Columbus, Ohio.

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The massive and complex reconstruction of the I-70/I-71

corridor through downtown Columbus, Ohio, has been underwayfor more than two years.

The engineering study that was completed to come up withalternatives and solutions to the traffic problems occurring within

the merge area of the two interstates started years before that.That effort, the I-70/I-71 Columbus South Innerbelt Study,

earned a National Recognition Award in the American Council of

Engineering Companies 2013 Engineering Excellence Awards(EEA) competition the Academy Awards of the engineering

industry, according to ACEC. The National Recognition Awardis a prestigious distinction honoring projects that demonstrate

exceptional achievement in engineering. ms consultants (project designer) and the Ohio Department of

Transportation, District 6 (project client) were recognized duringthe black-tie EEA gala awards program and dinner, held in April

2013 at the Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C.The I-70/I-71 Columbus South Innerbelt reconstruction is a

more than $1 billion project rebuilding the merging of two of themain interstates through Ohio. They come together on the south

and east sides of downtown Columbus.

When completed, the project will rebuild three freewaysystem interchanges, consolidate ramps to city streets and add

lanes improving the safety and increasing the capacity of theinterstate network through downtown.

The project is designed to reduce crashes by reducing weavingtraffic and increasing traffic capacity to meet future needs.

The first phase in rebuilding the corridor is the I-71/I-670interchange.

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That particular interchange averages approximately137,000 vehicles per day.

Construction of the first phase is estimated to cost $200million. That portion of the project started in 2011.

A little farther to the south, Phase 2 has now started which

will rebuild the I-70/I-71 East Interchange, near NationwideChildrens Hospital.

The second phase will cost an estimated $260 million for

construction.More phases are planned, including reconstruction of the

I-70/I-71/State Route 315 interchange to the west and I-70/I-71

along the southern edge of downtown.Periodic updates will be published in this newsletter and at

www.msconsultants.com as the projects progress.For more information, please contact project manager Tom

Hibbard in the Columbus office at 614.898.7100, or emailinfo@msconsultants.com.

Project manaTom Hibbardnext to the awexhibit at the

ACEC EnginExcellence AwGala, held at Grand HyattWashington Hin Washingto

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Rehabbed bridgededicated to

engineer whohelped save it

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The Standardsburg Road Bridge, originally built in 1926,

spans the West Branch Huron River in Ridgefield Township,

Ohio. The bridge is a steel Warren Through Truss having a single,

124-foot span.

The bridge was in very poor condition when ms consultants

was hired by Huron County officials to inspect it. That inspection-

resulted in a rating of 3 and a maximum load limit of 20 tons. The

existing bridge and approach roadway were approximately 20 feetwide with no sidewalks.

ms long-time structural engineer, Wade Harvey, conducted an

initial structural analysis that showed the bridge could be salvaged

through key rehabilitation strategies. His load rating analysis

identified the limiting capacity bridge members. His design tactics

evaluated ways to strengthen or replace key members and studied

alternate floor systems to lighten the floor loads so that the struc-

ture could once again carry full legal truck loads.

Rehabilitating the bridge involved dismantling the existing

truss by removing key rivets and shipping it to a fabricator, wheredeteriorated truss members including stringers, floor beams,

gusset plates and bottom chords were either rehabbed or

replaced. All steel members were sand-blasted and galvanized.

The rehabilitated truss members were then shipped back to the

site where the bridge was reassembled over the river onto recondi-

tioned abutments.

The project also included replacement of the rocker and

bolster bearings with new elastomeric bearing assemblies fitted to

the truss, a new waterproofed timber floor system with asphalt

wearing surface, new bridge and approach guardrails, along with

minor improvements to the existing wing walls and approach

roadway drainage systems.

The bridge was officially opened to traffic in November 2012,

and now carries full Ohio legal loads.

On July 30, 2013, Huron County officials dedicated the

Standardsburg Road Bridge to Mr. Harvey, who succumbed to the

advanced stages of cancer before the project was completed.

For more information about this project, please contact Brian

Hughes in the Youngstown office at 330.744.5321, or email

info@msconsultants.com.

Project manager Wade Harvey recognized earlyin the analysis of the bridge that it was possible

to save much of the structure. Sadly, hesuccumbed to the advanced stages of cancer

before the project was completed.

f Wades three sons, Kevin (left) andn, unveiled the plaque dedicating theardsburg Road Bridge in his honor.wd of more than 40 attended the ceremony,ding his wife Kathy and other son Mark.

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Youngstown State University (YSU), with an enrollment of

more than 15,000 students, is an urban research university located

adjacent to downtown Youngstown, Ohio.

The university recently restructured its academic divisions to

include the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS),

the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathemat-

ics (STEM), the Williamson College of Business Administration,

the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services, the College of

Creative Arts and Communication, the Beeghly College of Educa-

tion, and the School of Graduate Studies.

The YSU STEM Outreach Initiative is a collaborative effort

between the YSU STEM College, the Youngstown City Schools,

the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce and

area employers of STEM graduates.

The fundamental objective of this multi-faceted initiative is to

enlighten and encourage pre-college students to pursue post-

secondary STEM degrees, as well as mentor and prepare them for

future careers in STEM related fields. The result should be an

increased number of highly skilled and talented engineers entering

the workforce, thereby meeting the employment needs of

Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.

With realignment of the colleges came the necessity to

perform planning for the various STEM facilities. ms consultants,

in collaboration with BHDP Architecture, provided master

planning for the STEM College.

Campus facilities evaluated in the study include Moser Hall,

Ward Beecher Hall, Meshel Hall, the Phelps Building, the Lincoln

Building, the Garfield Building and the AT&T Building.

STEM study completed for YSU

analysis of various existing structures on theU campus addressed their suitability for currents, and the feasibility for additional uses.

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ms supports STEMWorking with the students, staff and administra-tors, and guided by the university's Strategic Plan,

Campus Master Plan and the STEM Strategic Plan andMission Statement, the ms/BHDP team evaluated and

analyzed the university's facility needs and usage ofthe current STEM related facilities. These included

Moser Hall, Ward Beecher Hall, Meshel Hall and the

Lincoln Building. Analysis of these existing structuresaddressed suitability for current uses as well asfeasibility for additional uses.

The Phelps Building, the Garfield Building and theAT&T Building were also considered and evaluated as

potential space for STEM functions.

The project team identified logistical/phasingissues by building and department to allow for continu-

ous academic operations. Special consideration wasalloted to issues related to Hazmat, EPA and OSHA

regulations and requirements relative to specificlaboratory activities and functions.

ms/BHDP proposed various facility configurationsand adjacencies, and developed a matrix of space

configuration options, giving consideration to avail-able facilities and structures. The concept of enclosed

pedestrian connectivity between the various structureswas also addressed.

Any necessary relocation of departments currently

occupying proposed spaces was considered.The team budgeted construction costs for the

referenced options, as well as recommendations(including pros and cons) for the various alternatives.

The total concept envisions restructuring and/orreconfiguration of existing campus facilities, as well as

construction of a new building that will accommodatethe STEM College. The final project budget may range

from $100 million to $125 million.ms/BHDP developed the final master plan, which

includes development of site master plans, designgraphics and design narratives that were presented to

YSU Administration and the STEM Planning Team

(made up of the dean, faculty and Facilities Planningdepartment).

The final step is a recommendation to moveforward with funding options and implementation of

the plan.For more information about this project, please

contact project manager David Kiraly in Youngstownat 330.744.5321, or e-mail info@msconsultants.com.

ms consultants supports STEM programs in a number of ways, fromoffering engineering and architecture internships to students interested inthose technical fields, to hosting Engineer for a Day activities for highschool students and sponsoring a robotics competition.

Jay Thorne, the branch manager of ms Indianapolis office, serves onthe steering committee for the City of Indianapolis and Mayor Greg Ballards

VEX Robotics Championship.This annual event, of which ms consultants is a sponsor, took place inNovember 2013 and was scheduled to be attended by 48 high schools and40 middle schools.

Each team of students worked to design, build and program a robot tocompete against robots from other teams in a sports-like game. Teams wonawards for completing tasks in a timed competition, along with creatingbusiness plans, developing cohesive team brands, cooperating with otherteams, forging suitable initiatives, and enhancing civic awareness andpassion for STEM fields in modern communities.

The top team qualifies for the 2013 VEX Robotics World Championship. Additionally, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology committed to provide full

college scholarships to the members of the winning team.Please contact Jay Thorne at 317.566.0050 for more information about

this program. He has been on the steering committee since the programsinception and also serves on the ACEC Education Committee, which worksto increase awareness in schools. He visits high schools and middleschools throughout the year to discuss careers in engineering.

ms consultants also promotes careers in engineering by sponsoring anannual Engineer for a Day event at its Columbus and Youngstown offices.High school students from various school districts that offer the ProjectLead the Way program are given tours of the facilities and shadowengineers and architects in each technical group - transportation, waterresources, structural, mechanical and electrical engineering, etc.

Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is a nationwide, non-profit organizationdedicated to increasing the quality and quantity of science and technologygraduates in the United States.

A high school program championed by PLTW offers a four year series ofcourses which, when combined with traditional mathematics and sciencecourses in high school, introduces students to the scope, rigor anddiscipline of engineering prior to entering college.

Contact Michelle Murphy in Columbus at 614.898.7100 for moreinformation about the Engineer for a Day and PLTW programs.

Students and ms staff from Engineer for a Day 2013.

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2013 marks ms consultants 50 th year in business, havingbeen founded in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1963.

Thats the same year that Martin Luther King, Jr., gave hisfamous I have a dream speech, the same year the very firstJames Bond movie (Dr. No) arrived in theaters and the sameyear the first album by some rock group named The Beatles hitrecord store shelves in America.

The company has come a long way since the early dayswhen Thomas F. Mosure and Thomas Fok worked out of thebasement of a small building on Market Street in Youngstown.

ms consultants now has four offices in Ohio and hasexpanded into Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and North

Carolina.To celebrate our 50 th year, weve been having parties and

social events at all office locations. Weve also added a page toour website with a timeline of our history and other majorevents and fun facts that have occurred since 1963.

To visit the website, go to: www.msconsultants.com/timeline/Were proud of the service weve been able to provide during the past 50 years, but couldnt have done it without the support of our many

clients, business associates, friends and employees.So a very special thank you to everyone involved, and were already looking forward to the next 50 years!

ms is celebrating our 50th anniversary!

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 225

YOUNGSTOWN, OH

Guests and ms staff crowd the lobby during the Columbus anniversary party.