DVUSGBC Sustainability Awards presented at ArtsQuest

Honoring people & organizations transforming the Lehigh Valley

Seven local projects were honored by the Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) Lehigh Valley Branch during a gala Sustainability Awards reception at ArtsQuest in Bethlehem, PA on Wednesday, November 16 and Barry Isett & Associates (BIA) is proud to have assisted in organizing the event.  The honored projects included five in which BIA played an engineering role.

BIA president Kevin Campbell, PE, LEED AP and Christine Mildner, Landscape Designer are members of the Lehigh Valley Supervisory Committee of the Lehigh Valley Branch and coordinated a variety of services, ranging from, preparing the program, to arranging for sponsors, to creating the nomination posters whose creative design was supplied by Debra Dalrymple Kleinfeldt, in BIA’s business development office.  Francee Fuller, BIA’s marketing manager, was responsible for media relations and photography..  All nominated projects have either received or are registered for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, a third-party green building certification system designed by the United States Green Building Council.

BIA projects that achieved top honors were:

Lehigh University’s Science Technology Environment & Policy (STEPS) Building— honored as the Private Project that best exemplified the implementation of sustainable facility design, construction and management practices within the private sector. BIA was the site/civil engineer.  The project received Gold Certification

Clifford Bartholomew Ninth Grade Center, William Allen High School, Allentown School District—named the best example of implementing sustainable facility design, construction and management practices within the Public Sector.  Luis Ramos Elementary School and the Roosevelt Elementary School, both within the Allentown School District, were also nominated in this category.  BIA was the site/civil engineer for all three schools and provided structural engineering design in the Clifford Bartholomew Ninth Grade Center.  Other BIA services for all projects included surveys and landscape design.  The ninth grade center achieved LEED Gold

DeSales University, Center Valley —Green Campus award, recognizing a multi-facility campus following sustainable policies and practices.  BIA has played an on-going role in the development of the campus since the founding of our company in 1977 when we conducted a campus-wide survey for the University’s first Master Plan.  Since that time BIA has been involved in scores of projects, both directly for the University and as a consultant to Breslin Ridyard Fadero Architects, of Allentown.

BIA was also the structural engineer of ArtsQuest, the host site, which is registered for LEED certification.

DVGBC was formed in 2001 as a mission-based nonprofit organization and as a chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.  The Lehigh Valley Branch represents scores of regional  member companies in the design and construction industries.

New Amenities at Coca-Cola Park, home of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs

Coca Cola Park, the home of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs and a favorite venue for a wide range of events, will feature a brand new hospitality area, thanks – in part – to the efforts of the BIA design team.

Iron Pigs General Manager Kurt Landes announced a brand-new hospitality area, Red Robin Oasis, that will be highlighted by a unique seating overhang in the left field of the Allentown, PA ballpark.  It will feature covered four-seat "islands" directly above the bullpens, encompassing the largest reinvestment project in Coca-Cola Park history according to media reports.  Each "island" will include a circular half-table, cocktail-style seating for parties of four and wait service.  Starting with the 2012 season, the Red Robin Oasis will have a large pavilion with a 300-square-foot bar that can be enjoyed by all ticket holders on a nightly basis.  In addition to a wide array of draft and bottled beers, specialty frozen drinks will also be available.  The 5,000-square-foot Red Robin Oasis area also includes numerous cocktail tables in a covered setting for use by all fans. 

BIA provided structural and mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering for the project.  John Carson was the overall project manager, coordinating architectural details with our consultant, Spillman Farmer Architects, Bethlehem, PA.

New Project Avenues - GSA & PASSHE

New opportunies are opening up for Barry Isett & Associates with the company’s recent achievement in winning both federal and statewide contracts.

Under a stringent certification process the Government Services Administration (GSA) approves vendors and consultants who provide goods and services to federal agencies.  BIA was recently awarded GSA Federal Supply Schedule   GS-10F-0410X for professional engineering services.  The GSA's Mid-Atlantic region is responsible for 120 government-owned buildings and facilities and over 650 leased facilities.

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) has entered into an open ended contract with BIA to provide various engineering and consulting services to the member institutions in the central and eastern regions:  Kutztown, Millersville, East Stroudsburg, West Chester, Cheyney, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Bloomsburg and Shippensburg Universities.  One hundred fifty design firms registered with PASSHE and submitted proposals.  BIA was one of ten engineering companies selected.

Bob Korp, AICP, LEED AP, worked with BIA’s marketing department in the preparation of these winning submissions.   Bob will be the manager for multi-disciplinary projects resulting from these contracts.

Is it Safe Up There?

Buildings are susceptible to risks from excessive rain and snow on the roof.  Knowing how much your roof can handle can help avoid collapse.

The excessive rain has not only caused the ground to give way, roofing systems may have been affected as well.  Slow drainage of roof water, and rooftop flooding, could lead to major roof leaks through very small roof membrane and flashing defects not usually noticeable during an average rainfall.  In addition, the excess water accumulation may have affected your roof’s ability to bear the weight of the coming winter’s snowfall.  The key to a snow's weight is how much water is locked up within the snow.  When there is limited natural melting and only a relatively small amount of that water has been able to drain off, blow off or evaporate, you can literally have tons of extra weight on a roof because of snow and the water it contains.  An analysis completed by BIA’s structural engineers can determine the maximum loads your roof can withstand as well as provide practical solutions to improve the strength of your roof.  

The structural analysis could also include available retrofit reinforcement methods such as:  increasing roof framing, wall bracing, columns, etc.  BIA’s nondestructive testing of your roofing systems can prepare you for the coming winter.  Knowing your roof’s load bearing capacity is half the battle. Once the snow hits, BIA can provide snow coring assessments to determine the actual weight that is bearing on the roof system, giving you piece of mind and protecting your property.

Some signs of roof distress may include:

• Sagging steel
• Splitting wood frame/supports
• Sprinkler heads forced down below ceiling tiles
• Doors/Windows popping open or difficult to open
• Curving or bowing utility pipes or electrical conduit near the ceiling
• Creaking or popping noises

Did You Feel That? From earthquakes to sinkholes, BIA responds.

NATURE STRIKES: Earthquakes, Hurricanes and Floods

Our Forensic engineers are available 24/7 to provide physical damage assessment, structural condition assessment, and inspection of structural damage after earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods.  We also design appropriate remedial actions to restore structural integrity when necessary for buildings which may have sustained major structural defects. 

This summer, our Forensic team responded to several calls after the Virginia earthquake including the inspection of an office building and a school building.  Fortunately, both of structures sustained only minor damage.  Another structure – a high-rise apartment - was not as lucky.  During our investigation of the building, which was already undergoing renovations, our forensic team also uncovered shortcomings in the contractor's work.

UNDERGROUND MOVEMENT:  Sinkholes

Our region has received substantial amounts of rainfall this summer.  This excess precipitation, on top of already saturated ground from the wettest August on record, has led to significant stream and river flooding.  In our region, there are vast areas of karst geology - limestone and dolomite - which along with the overwhelmed stormwater basins and conveyance systems, have contributed to the formation of numerous new sinkholes.  The BIA Environmental group have been responding to several emergencies, where growing sinkholes are threatening to undermine pavements, utility lines, and structures. 

As a full service, multidiscipline engineering firm, BIA engineers work closely – and quickly.  The surface view of a sinkhole often does not tell the entire story---it may look small at the surface, but upon excavation, a cavern is revealed.  Sinkholes can cause utility interruption to underground electrical wires, gas lines, or water lines and depending upon proximity of buildings, undermine the foundation of a structure.  BIA’s Environmental and Forensics teams work in close association to identify the sinkhole and then create a remediation plan, which could include excavation, backfill and pressure grouting.  Whether the sinkhole is on a residential property, roadway, or commercial location, we can prepare plans for more long-term stabilization measures. 

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