Tag: structural engineering

Civil Asset Management Course Comes to Michigan Tech

Published July 26, 2023

Michigan Tech Global Campus

Aerial view of the Grand Rapids river as it crested during the flood event.

Five years before the 2018 Houghton Father’s Day Flood presented civil engineers with infrastructure challenges, there was the Grand Rapids Flood Event. This flood, which lasted from April 12 to April 25 2013, affected multiple areas in the city. At that time, the Midwest had been receiving a deluge of rain, with Grand Rapids getting 3.5 inches (89mm) of the wet stuff between April 8 and 15. And upriver, the Comstock Park community received 5.04 inches (128mm). With the latter rainfall, the Comstock Park floodwaters moved from minor to moderate, resulting in the river rising to 13.3 feet (4.1m) by April 13.

Rain continued to fall throughout the city, but on April 19, the tipping point was the 9.1 inches that fell in Grand Rapids, breaking the 109-year record from the flood of 1904-1905. Then, things rapidly grew from bad to worse. On April 21, the Grand River crested at 17.8 feet (5.8 feet above flood level) in Comstock whereas it rose to 21.85 feet (3.85 feet above flood level) in Grand Rapids.

1700 residents were evacuated (1000 from the Plaza Towers alone). Roads were closed. Railroads were impassable. The water in the city core was so high, in fact, that people reported fish swimming by their office floor windows. 429 million gallons of wastewater ended up seeping into the Grand River.

After the flood, the investigations began, not only to determine what went wrong, but also to prepare for future disastrous events.

Experts analyzed the events and identified the city’s risk of flood-prone areas using Geographical Information System modeling. They collected the physical data about the flood protection system assets for contingency planning and resiliency analysis against intense storm events.

Flood waters as seen through an office building window. — Floodwaters as seen through a window in the downtown core of Grand Rapids.

Introducing Mark Declercq

Civil Asset Management expert Declercq. — Civil Asset Management expert, Mark Declercq

One of the leading engineers on the front lines was Grand Rapids City Engineer and Civil Asset Management expert, Mark Declercq, PE and MTU Alum (Bachelor’s and Master’s of Structural Engineering, ’88, ’90).

As City Engineer for Grand Rapids, Declercq was responsible for the enterprise asset management program, capital project delivery, and capital maintenance program for the care of public assets.

These assets included the public transportation systems; water distribution and sanitary collection systems; storm water conveyance systems, pumping stations, retention structures and clean water plants; energy audits on public buildings; and solar array systems design and installation. In other words, he played a major role in Grand Rapids infrastructure.

After the flood, Declercq stepped in to co-lead the Grand River Corridor Strategic and Conceptual Planning for the potential river restoration project and riverbank development. The project, indeed, was a success: the Grand River watershed, low-head dam restoration, and flood protection system were all re-certified by FEMA. This recertification was a crucial part of the update and digitalization of nationwide flood insurance maps.

And this restoration project smartly kept the heart of the city in mind, too. For instance, the impressive amphitheater project in downtown Grand Rapids is a result of that strategic plan. In the 2013 Grand Rapids Flood Event, then, Asset Management was crucial for building resiliency, sustainability, and business continuity. (Fun fact, former MTU professor Dr. Henry Sanford acted watershed hydrology expert for the City of Grand Rapids.)

Sharing His Civil Asset Management Expertise With MTU

Declercq will bring his experience as a City Engineer, his expertise in Asset Management Planning, and his over 33 years in the private and public sectors to Michigan Technological University. In Fall 2023, he is teaching a 3-credit, online Civil Asset Management professional development course for the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering.

Currently, he serves as president of Applied Asset Management Consultants, an entrepreneurial start-up that was launched in 2018.

And his skills and credentials don’t stop there.

Declercq not only holds certifications in Professional Asset Management, LEAN Management, and Emergency Management, but also has memberships in the Institute of Asset Management, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers. Indeed, his resume is loaded with his accomplishments.

The Grand Rapids flood was one of Michigan’s worst natural disasters. It altered how we worked and lived in the downtown area. It served as a catalyst for a shift in the way we conceived land use and the deployment of resources in order to save our city and construct it in the future.
David Lawrence, Vice President for Global Campus and Continuing Education, who was working in the downtown core during the flood event.

A railroad bridge, an example of a civil asset, inundated with water during the Grand Rapids Flood event.

Building Connections to Tech

Declercq is no stranger to Michigan Tech either. Previously, he collaborated with Dr. Audra Morse to invite CEGE students and faculty to participate in the IAM Great Lakes Branch quarterly meetings. One goal: exposing students to best practices involved with real-world CEGE challenges. Another goal: introducing students to future employers, such as public municipalities, federal and state regulatory agencies, private sector companies, and engineering consultants.

In addition, at the November 2023 IAM Great Lakes meeting, the CEGE will present the Enbridge Line 5 Risk Assessment under the Straits of Mackinac. This presentation will showcase the work and ingenuity of the CEGE Dept and its students.

So it was only natural that Dr. Morse proposed an Adjunct Professor of Practice opportunity so that Declercq could share his expertise on asset management as it applies to civil infrastructure.

Learn More About Mark Declerq

Managing Civil Assets

According to Declercq, all infrastructure has value to its organization, customers, and stakeholders. Thus, in civil engineering, Asset Management is the science and practice (coordinated activity) of managing infrastructure systems and civil assets to realize their value and to achieve the highest levels of services for communities. Asset Management, which is cross-functional, involves several disciplines, such as business management, finance, and risk.

The goal is optimizing the life cycle of the civil assets that shape our lives. Below is just a short list of civil assets.

Transportation systems (roads, bridges, tunnels, and all assets within the public right-of-way)
Long-span bridge systems (Mackinac Bridge)
Potable Water distribution systems (watermain pipelines, groundwater pumping systems, buried and elevated tanks, and water treatment facilities)
Wastewater collection systems (underground piping, clean water treatment facilities)
Storm water conveyance systems
River watersheds and dam structures
Flood protection systems
Landfill operations
Natural assets like trail network system, national and state parks, museums
Electrical/Natural Gas generation, transmission, and distribution systems
Public-use facilities

Historic Fayette State Park on the Garden Peninsula, an example of a civil asset. — Fayette Historic State Park on the Garden Peninsula, Michigan: An example of a civil asset

Interviewing Mark Declercq

To let him speak, I asked Declercq a few questions about his course and the future of civil engineering.

Q. When is the course running? How is it delivered? What content does it cover?

A. The 14-week, for-credit course “Civil Asset Management” (CEE 5390) will first be available in Fall, 2023. It is delivered in a synchronous online format. That is, classes will run Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-5:20 pm. Each class will consist of brief instructor-led lectures, followed by student engagement activities. There is also a weekly online laboratory session for applying concepts and working with real-life scenarios.

This course is suitable for all civil engineering students who want to broaden their skills. Civil Asset Management spans a diversity of disciplines including business, finance, risk, supply chain managers, construction managers, facility managers, resource managers, and operational and maintenance managers. CAM, in short, is necessary for the long-term design, maintenance, and sustainability of civil engineering infrastructure and facility asset types in the United States.

The course covers several topics fundamental to Civil Asset Management. Topics include asset data and risk assessment; environmental, social, and governance principles; six working capitals; overview of computerized maintenance systems; sustainability strategies; and funding mechanisms. Central to this course is a rich case study on the 2013 Grand Rapids flood event.

Students will acquire many valuable skills, such as evaluating asset value against cost, risk, and performance in managing the long-term care of civil engineering infrastructure. They will also apply the 10-steps to building an Asset Management Plan. Finally, they will use the A3 Lean Management tool for scenario and business case evaluation.

Q. Why is Civil Asset Management important to civil engineers? What organizations use it?

A. Civil Asset Management is an important and necessary technical and business skill set for today’s civil engineers. That is, civil engineers must learn to be strategic about developing recommendations and formulating decisions. They must be able to optimize the value of asset infrastructure.

This skill set has several societal benefits, too, such as enabling the affordability of and accessibility to basic infrastructure, such as water, wastewater, and multi-modal transportation options. It also equips engineers with the skills to develop strategic plans that incorporate resiliency and sustainability against climate change. And in these plans, engineers learn how to account for disruptors to business continuity.

Most importantly, Asset Management values Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles embraced by many international governments, as well as the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals. Also, traditional US civil engineering firms need those with Civil Asset Management expertise to develop plans and frameworks for organizations.

Although early in its journey in the United States, Civil Asset Management has been adopted by several Michigan organizations. These include the Michigan Department of Transportation; the Michigan office of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (E.G.L.E.); and the Michigan Chapters of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and Water Environmental Association (MWEA). Asset Management has also been incorporated at the federal level. It is employed by the Department of Defense, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Interior for US Parks, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Q. How does Civil Asset Management help civil engineers prepare for some of the challenges in their fields?

A. Critical thinking is a significant challenge in our civil engineering industry. Or to put it another way, strategy, planning, and the art of “big picture” thinking comprise an undervalued skill set in our industry. This skill set, though, is crucial to both Asset Management and Project Management.

Another challenge for civil engineers is understanding the concept of “value” from the viewpoint of the customer or end user. For example, consider watermain breaks caused by freezing winter temperatures and an unreliable, aged distribution system. The risks are high if the geographical impacts are widespread and felt for a prolonged period of time. Hence, the “value” of the water system in this state is considered less than desirable, especially from users facing affordability challenges with their monthly water rates. Electric outages from recent storm damages throughout Michigan are another example.

Asset Management Planning, then, enables both the strategic thinking and long-term planning to develop scenarios based on data, science, and known risks that improve customer/user outcomes, such as affordable water rates and electrical reliability. Implementing Asset Management’s best practices and tools helps civil engineers do better for their communities and beyond.

Q. Where are those with Civil Asset Management expertise employed?

A. Those with Civil Asset Management experience often begin their careers in a variety of roles: young project engineers, data analysts, engineering technicians, product designers, and project managers. This expertise also opens up opportunities for moving up to positions, such as a CEO, COO, Vice President, or Director of assets and capital project delivery programs.

Additionally, those who have knowledge in managing civil assets might take on the roles of City Managers, City Engineers, Finance Officers, Risk Managers, County Administrative Managers, Water/Sewer/Storm Asset Managers, Public Works/Services Directors, Facility Managers, and other top management and C-, VP-level leadership positions. Furthermore, Civil Asset Management expertise signals an understanding of key business outcomes, a valuable attribute that private and public sectors seek in recruiting leadership talent.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

A. My life, both on and off the job has provided me with considerable real-life stories and examples that serve as valuable teaching and mentoring for students. For instance, I love the environment and protecting its value.

I have hiked all the Isle Royale trails, made over a dozen visits to the island. And I have thru-hiked the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail in 2018 over a six-month period, thru-hiked the John Muir Trail in the California High Sierra Mountains in 2022, and hiked the Patagonia W-trek in spring 2023. Next, I plan to thru-hike the 2,600-mile Pacific Crest Trail in 2024.

Civil Asset Management expert Declercq at Baxter Peak. — Declercq finishing another challenging hike on a high note:
at Baxter Peak.

Civil Asset Management expert Declercq at the top of Mount Whitney. — A victorious Declercq at the top of Mount Whitney.

These hiking experiences tell me that we must do more to advocate for and protect our environment, perhaps our most valuable civil asset.

Mass Timber Buildings: The Next Structural Engineering Challenge

Published December 8, 2022

By Shelly Galliah

Michigan Tech Global Campus

Interior of an open-office setting in a mass timber building. — Interior of the T3 building in Minneapolis: https://structurecraft.com/projects/t3-minneapolis

Structural engineers play a major role in the visual quality of our built environment, yet they seldom get public recognition for it. . . . Engineers create framing systems that give such buildings their shape and permit the manipulation of spaces and functions. Architects sometimes do nothing more creative than gussy up the exterior with a particular kind of curtain wall.
Paul Gapp, architect, 1980

These words above were spoken by Paul Gapp, an architect himself, in fact. He was critiquing how several articles on skyscrapers, from the early 20th century onwards, often celebrated the ingenuity of architects. In doing so, their authors forgot about those structural engineers behind the scenes, those whose designs made those monumental structures both possible and safe. In other words, he wanted to remind readers that skyscrapers began FIRST as structural engineering challenges and then, finally, achievements.

A little closer to the ground than skyscrapers is another challenge faced by structural engineers: designing, planning, and building for sustainability.

Facing the Next Challenge: Sustainable Construction

To put it simply, sustainable construction involves using materials, resources, and construction methods that minimize the negative environmental impact of a building throughout its entire life cycle. This practice includes using renewable materials, energy-efficient design, and greener construction methods. It also involves the recycling or reuse of materials at the end of the building’s life.

But sustainable construction is no trendy, flash-in-the-pan idea. According to Deloitte and Touche’s report on the 2023 Engineering and Construction outlook, customers/clients are increasingly becoming more sustainability conscious. Therefore, they are demanding that developers lower their carbon footprints in new construction projects. The 2021 World Green Building Trends report had similar findings. In the survey, 1/3 of the US companies said that they were focused on green building whereas 46% admitted that they would soon make it a priority.

In short, the Deloitte and Touche report summarized these objectives of the construction industry:

Encouraging the sustainable use of resources and new materials
Promoting sustainable design, development, and construction practices
Decreasing energy consumption
Reducing waste generation and encouraging responsible disposal of waste
Sourcing low-carbon energy

Moving From Concrete and Steel to More Modest Engineered Wood

Why does the construction industry need to step up to the plate when it comes to implementing sustainability practices?

Because nearly 50% of all carbon emissions come from our built environment. And, often, in densely populated areas, these buildings are steel and concrete. These materials, because of their high carbon density, account for 13% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. So transitioning to other more sustainable building materials and methods makes environmental sense.

As awareness of the benefits of sustainable construction grows, more architects and engineers are searching for environmentally-friendly alternatives to traditional construction materials. And one of the alternatives to concrete and steel is mass timber.

Mass timber, otherwise known as engineered wood, is made by creating large sections of wood, of various sizes and functions, from smaller timber panels. These timber panels are glued, nailed, or dowelled together, creating large durable slabs. These slabs can then bear significant weights and loads.

But building with mass timber is hardly new. That is, this type of construction goes back as far as the 19^th century with the use of Gluman. Glulam, short for glue-laminated timber, is a structurally engineered wood product. It consists of pieces of wood bonded together in a layer-cake style. You can find highly customizable Glulam in the beams and columns of some commercial and residential buildings.

Choosing the Best Type of Mass Timber Product

Structural engineers, architects, and designers must collaborate to analyze and choose the right engineered wood material for the job. Here are the major choices:

Laminated veneer lumber (LVL), similar to Glulam, consists of vertical layers glued together with composites. LVL, generally made from softwoods, is more aesthetically pleasing but also less durable. You can find it in beams, trusses, and rafters.
Nail-laminated timber (NLT) consists of individual laminations mechanically fastened with nails or screws. The strength of this product lies in the numerous screws and nails holding the laminations together. You might recognize NLT in the flooring, decking, roofing, and walls of modern buildings. NLT’s exposed aesthetic appeal also makes it suitable for open-concept office and mixed-use buildings.
Dowel-laminated timber (DLT), is similar to NLT, except wooden dowels hold the laminations together. This all-wood mass timber product (no nails or metal fasteners) can be be easily constructed and modified on site. This source contains a much richer description of DLT.
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is one the strongest of all mass-timber products. It has been popular in Austria and Germany for over three decades. CLT consists of panels of solid lumber boards (usually spruce, pine, or fir) stacked and glued together at alternating right angles (90°). Machines then cut these to the desired shape and size. You can find strong CLT in tall mass timber buildings.
Structural composite timber (SCL) consists of wood strands, veneers, or flakes bonded together with adhesives. While offering great strength and stability, SCL requires specialized installation. This mass timber product appears in rafters, beams, joists, studs, and columns.

Making a Difference, One Wood Module at a Time

Along with their durability, buildings created from mass timber materials are more sustainable and climate-friendly in several ways. They have the following advantages:

Reduced climate impact: According to the Journal of Building Engineering, mass-timber construction may reduce the global warming impact of buildings up to 26.5%
Less waste due to prefabrication: If building plans are very specific, factories can produce only those slabs required for projects.
Reduced transportation costs: Builders can also make some mass timber products on site from available materials, reducing shipping costs.
Increased efficiency: Because of the reduced waste, contractors and engineers can erect mass timber buildings up to 25% faster than similar concrete buildings.

In fact, mass timber is often worked into biophilic design. This type of architecture and urban design incorporates elements of nature, such as atriums, green roofs, natural light, into the built environment. The main goal of biophilic design is creating a more sustainable, healthier, and enjoyable living space. Mass timber structures, then, naturally fit this design approach.

By some estimates, the near-term use of CLT and other emerging wood technologies in buildings 7-15 stories could have the same emissions control effect as taking more than 2 million cars off the road for one year.

Ensuring the Safety of Mass Timber Buildings

Just as they did with those skyscrapers, structural engineers must ensure that these mass timber buildings are safe, durable, sustainable, and structurally sound. They must help to design these buildings so they withstand the forces of wind and gravity, as well as any seismic events.

In short, structural engineers work with architects throughout the entire process of creating a mass timber building. That is, they advise contractors, designers, and architects on all aspects of mass timber construction. Structural engineers design the components of a mass timber building, such as the columns, beams, and walls. They also evaluate the various materials used in construction, such as CLT panels, glulam beams, and LVL, to ascertain their suitability for the project’s components. Overall, they ensure that the design is structurally sound and meets all building codes.

And based on the building’s size, weight, use, and load-bearing abilities, they might also advise on whether the construction should be hybrid (made of wood and another component), a free-standing tall wood structure, or an infill or overbuild. (Infills are mass timber buildings that fill in a space whereas overbuilds, as they sound, are created on top of existing structures.)

Getting Past Negative Perceptions of Timber Construction

Despite the arguments for its durability, sustainability, and aesthetics; as well as its reduced climate impact, mass timber still has a way to go to meet wider public acceptance.

Why? Fire. Thanks to some historic fires in this country and others, many perceive wood buildings as less durable and more unsafe than those made from other materials. As a result, building codes and regulations still lag behind. For instance, the International Building Code just approved 18-story timber buildings in 2021.

The good news: Mass timber buildings are highly fire-resistant, due to the fire-retardant properties of the wood used in their construction. Fire-rated gypsum wallboard and other materials enhance mass timber’s fire resistance.

In fact, in one fire-resistance test, a piece of 5-ply laminated timber lasted for 3 hours and 6 minutes at 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. To put this test in perspective, here is a fact. Type 1 Buildings, often considered the “cadillac of construction” must consist of non-combustible materials with 2-3 hours of fire resistance. However, fire-resistant does not mean fire-resistive, so there are obviously still improvements to be made to engineered wood.

Building Beauty with Engineered Wood

The acceptance of mass timber construction is growing, even in a place that has traditionally resisted timber construction: New York. The city that never sleeps welcomed its first engineered wood condo at 670 Union Street.

Other recent examples demonstrate how mass timber construction is becoming more common. For instance, take the T3 office building in Minneapolis, the Framework mixed-use building in Portland, and the John W. Olver Design Building at University Massachusetts Amherst.

T3, is a 7-story, 220,000 square foot office building completed by company Structurecraft in 2016. It took less than 3 months (only 9.5 weeks) to install. The construction team used prefabricated (NLT) solid wood panels, which reduced construction time significantly. The building also boasts an LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating of GOLD (60-79 points or the second-highest rating). Since then, Structurecraft has erected additional T3 buildings.

Outside of the original T3 mass-timber building in Minneapolis. — The original T3 in Minneapolis, constructed of NLT (nail-laminated timber) https://structurecraft.com/projects/t3-minneapolis

Studying Timber Building Design at MTU

Michigan Tech has long had a commitment to sustainability in both research and practice. The university also has several programs that tackle upcoming sustainability challenges, such as the online certificate in engineering sustainability and resilience. Also, the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering offers five graduate structural engineering certificates. One of them is a 9-credit Timber Building Design certificate, which has long been a “historical strength” of the department.

All students earning their structural engineering certificate in timber building design will take the same core courses: Structural Timber Design and Advanced Structural Timber Design. These courses provide a strong foundation as they progress through the program.

They will then choose one of the following courses to tailor their educational journey to their career goals: Finite Element Analysis, Structural Dynamics, and Probabilistic Analysis and Reliability.

Overall, students will learn several valuable skills in this certificate, which will prepare them for a future in mass timber design and construction:

Investigating how timber buildings are different from buildings constructed from other common civil structural materials
Analyzing dimension lumber and mass timber; and axially and flexurally loaded members, shear, bearing, and combined loading on members
Studying connection design, shear walls and diaphragms, arches and tapered beams, modeling, and loading
Designing timber structures, with an emphasis on timber buildings
Examining the potential of wood as an alternative to steel and concrete for environmental sustainability

Explore the Online Graduate Certificate in Timber Building Design

It is clear that mass timber buildings are here to stay as they help to set a more sustainable standard for construction. We look forward to seeing the innovative, environmental, and safe buildings that this (and the next) generation of brilliant structural engineers plan, design, and create.