EHRA completed preliminary engineering, phase one environmental site assessment and schematic development for the widening of Northpark Dr. between US 59 and Woodland Hills Dr. EHRA also provided program management, drainage analysis and design, traffic engineering, environmental documentation and schematic design for the roadway, as well as grade separation at the Loop 494/UPRR railroad crossing.
EHRA conducted traffic operations and access management studies for the Northpark Dr. corridor. This corridor is approximately 2.2 miles long and has major signalized and unsignalized intersections and driveways that access various subdivisions and industrial developments. These studies laid the groundwork for the widening of Northpark Dr. from a four-lane boulevard cross-section to a six-lane boulevard complete street. The new street design includes low impact development drainage, conventional drainage, a grade separation at the UPRR crossing with mechanically stabilized earth retaining walls, two at-grade crossings for bi-directional frontage access, reconstruction of two concrete bridges over a diversion channel, intersection improvements, a roadway-adjacent multiuse path and traffic signal improvements.
Drainage analysis and design included hydrologic and hydraulic studies of both existing and proposed conditions to demonstrate that proposed project components would not adversely affect the 100-year floodplain in the area. The roadway and traffic designs contained horizontal and vertical alignments, cross-sections, plan and profile, sidewalk and bicycle accommodations, intersection layouts, traffic control plans and signing and pavement markings.
As the program management firm, EHRA coordinated with TxDOT, UPRR, the City of Houston Council District E, COH Planning and Development Department, COH Public Works and Engineering Department, Montgomery County, Harris County, HCFCD and area residents throughout the project.
EHRA conducted a traffic engineering study to identify the impacts of a proposed master development located near the intersection of FM 1488 and Peoples Road in the City of Conroe.
A 720-acre gated master planned community located off Telge Road, just north of Willow Creek. See how EHRA was involved in this project.
Identified as a top priority during the development of the District’s Parks Master Plan, this portion of trail was the first phase of over two miles of planned trails to provide connectivity and recreation for District residents.
EHRA performed preliminary drainage area delineations for nine creek crossings and calculated approximate 100-year flows for each culvert crossing. Culvert structures were sized for each of the six crossings, ranging from 48” round pipe culverts up to dual 5’x5’ box culverts.
Throughout the past few years, 3D printing has become extremely popular within the civil engineering industry. Nonetheless, the ways items are being printed are changing daily with new discoveries.
Typically, a custom part is designed and then simply printed. However, only one material can be put into a printer at once. If multiple materials can be inserted at a time, manufacturers can better control heat properties, and environmental adaptation, etc. New research will help manufactures reduce the steps and decrease to only one machine that prints all of the designs. By having all materials inserted at once, there will be no need for adhesives. This will allow for designs to be ever stronger than they already are.
"Multimaterial additive manufacturing has opened the doors to so many different possible creations,” according to Science Daily. “It has allowed us to be bolder and be more creative. This allows us to vary the composition and add functionality to a product during 3D printing that is traditionally very difficult to achieve, and we can do this in a single process with a single machine.” said Bandyopadhyay, Endowed Chair Professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.
Source: Science Daily