Client Market Sectors
Relying on our expertise in the environment and its supporting infrastructure
Client Market Sectors

Energy
From large established generators and suppliers, to integrated utilities and up-and-coming technology developers that are transforming the way energy is produced.

Real Estate
Focused on land development needs, improvements, maintenance, and property transaction oversight and support.

Industrial
Support for clients who are in the business of engineering, producing, manufacturing, and distributing goods and services.

Water
Addressing water supply, wastewater, stormwater management, irrigation, water quality, flood control, or coastal and riverine resiliency for public and private entities.

Government
Federal, state, and local governmental agencies who are collaborating for the betterment of their community and the environment.

Transportation
Engineering and design for the private companies and government agencies moving people and goods in the air, on water, and across land.

Technology
Using innovation to drive strategic business decisions for clients who provide critical information, technology, communication, or other technologically based goods and services.
Recent Projects
Energy
Verdantas was engaged by EverPower Renewables to perform a series of environmental due diligence investigations for a large wind turbine electrical generation facility in Champaign County, Ohio.
The area is characterized by a ridge of resistant bedrock which rises 300-500 feet above the surrounding plain. The area possesses generally acceptable wind speed and power for the purpose of electrical generation.
Verdantas developed a scope of work for moving the proposed wind turbine project through the environmental review and permitting process, including producing expert reports on surface waters, ecological communities, endangered species, and cultural resources, and preliminary studies of the geotechnical, hydrogeological and transportation aspects of the project. Verdantas also assisted EverPower in presenting the results of the work to the public, and federal, state, county, and local agencies in a series of meetings designed to familiarize officials with the project, provide early input to project development and set up lines of communication regarding the project.
}', 25='{type=number, value=1}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=2304,height=1728,url='https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/20952198/IMAGES/PROJECTS/Buckeye-Wind-Eco.jpg',altText=''}}'}
Buckeye Wind Power Facility
Environmental due diligence for wind turbine facility
Verdantas developed and installed a 93 kW ground-mounted, solar photovoltaic energy facility on the site of its Cleveland-area office, located at 4 Hemisphere Way in Bedford, Ohio.
This development is unique in that it is one of the first projects in Ohio to combine new commercial facilities and solar energy on a former brownfields property. It also is one of the largest projects in Ohio that is both constructed and owned by a solar development company at its own facility. Verdantas' Bedford solar energy facility will supply approximately 100,000 kilowatt hours of energy directly to the building that houses its employees, offsetting about 80 percent of the office’s annual electric consumption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Designed in-house, the system can simultaneously track and provide data on both building energy use and solar production, a distinctive feature in the industry. Development of the solar project was partially supported by a $266,254 grant from the Ohio Energy Office through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s State Energy Program.
Prior to redevelopment, the 50-acre site was home to the former S.K. Wellman facility, which manufactured friction parts for trucks from 1952 to 1986. The site had been vacant until construction on the new office development started in 2008. Today, the property is home to a 19,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art office development fully leased to Verdantas and Hemisphere Development LLC. Taylor Chair, Ohio’s oldest family-owned manufacturing company, also built and currently operates a 90,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility at the commerce park.
}', 25='{type=number, value=1}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=207,height=208,url='https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/20952198/IMAGES/PROJECTS/bedford-solar-1.jpg',altText=''}}'}
Bedford Solar Energy
Brownfield redevelopment, site assessment, remediation, solar energy development
Dam Remediation Using High and Low Mobility Pressure Grouting
Logan Martin Dam, owned and operated by Alabama Power Company, is a hydroelectric generation site located on the Coosa River in Vincent, Alabama. Since construction in the late 1960’s, ongoing remedial pressure grouting projects have targeted significant seepage flow reduction beneath the embankment dam which is founded on karst, a limestone geology characterized by underground aquifers, caverns, and the potential for sinkholes, particularly as seepage flow erodes the underlying limestone and continually changes its distribution. Alden and Alabama Power have partnered to design and construct a large scale enclosed pressure grouting test chamber (3’ wide by 3’ tall by 30’ long) and an associated test protocol to evaluate and optimize grout mix design performance in geo-materials that simulate the fractured, cavernous geology at Logan Martin Dam.
This first-of-a-kind test approach uses a small production scale grout plant to prepare and inject the high mobility grout mixtures into the test chamber. The test chamber is designed with discharge ports along its length to allow water initially occupying the test chamber—and subsequently grout—to be displaced as newly batched grout is injected. Throughout the grout injection process, pressure and temperature measurements within the test chamber, as well as discharge flow rate and discharge flow specific gravity measurements out of the test chamber, are used to monitor and evaluate grout dispersion characteristics within the chamber.
Grout injection criteria used to govern test advancement and later termination includes displaced grout quality (i.e., displaced grout specific gravity relative to that of the freshly batched grout) and the internal test chamber pressure. After grout injection, various performance metrics are evaluated to quantify mix effectiveness. The normalized grout take, for example, evaluates the overall mix efficiency by relating the injected grout volume to the volume available within the geo-material for grout to occupy.
Since conception, updates to the test facility and protocol have been made to facilitate low mobility grout testing, as well as grout performance testing in the presence of water cross flow. Results from this ongoing research program are being used to reduce grouting cost through grout mix design and bore hole spacing optimization, while also improving dam safety by increasing knowledge on how grout penetrates rock fractures without in-situ excavation.
Contact us if you would like to learn more.
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1500,height=575,url='https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/Grout-testing/Grout-Performance-Testing-Chamber.jpeg',altText=''}}', 14='{type=string, value=Alden and Alabama Power have partnered to design and construct a first-of-its-kind grout performance testing chamber }', 15='{type=image, value=Image{width=1600,height=575,url='https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/Grout-testing/Grout-Performance-Testing-Rock-Side-View.jpeg',altText=''}}', 16='{type=string, value=A side view of grouted rock after the grout injection process aids in evaluation of grout dispersion characteristics within the chamber}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 27='{type=number, value=1}', 28='{type=number, value=1627657814000}', 29='{type=number, value=10}'}
Civil Infrastructure
Grout Performance Testing – Logan Martin Dam
An innovative large scale enclosed pressure grouting test chamber is being used to evaluate and optimize grout mix design performance at Logan Martin Dam
Through funding made available by the U.S. Department of Energy, Alden conducted a series of studies to evaluate and optimize the design and operation of two modular and scalable fish bypass systems developed specifically to provide safe downstream passage of silver American Eels at hydropower projects. The goal of the studies was to address the need for biologically effective and less expensive downstream fish passage technologies for silver eels. The studies were developed specifically for this fish species and life stage due to population declines in many areas of its range and the potential for mortality to occur if eels migrating to the marine environment to spawn are entrained through hydro turbines during their journey to the sea. The large size and unique behaviors of silver eels have made it difficult for dam owners to implement downstream passage measures that are both biologically and cost effective, resulting in a need for new innovative technologies.
The studies conducted by Alden included a laboratory evaluation of the biological performance of the two bypass systems, a field evaluation of biological performance conducted with full-scale bypass systems installed at the intake of a small hydro project in New Hampshire, CFD modeling of the laboratory flume and field evaluation site, and a desktop assessment of the potential for application of each technology at hydro projects within the known range of American Eel and the expected benefits (i.e., biological and economic). Few organizations have the capabilities to conduct this array of technical studies, but Alden’s scientists and engineers have been using various combinations of these approaches and methods to develop and evaluate state-of-the-art fish passage and protection systems for nearly 50 years.
Assistance with the performance and completion of these studies was provided by Lakeside Engineering (bypass design and installation) and Blue Leaf Environmental (DIDSON acoustic camera and 3D acoustic telemetry services).
}', 9='{type=string, value=https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/DOE-Eel-Passage/Eel_Fish_Passage_2020.mp4?t=1641423507528}', 10='{type=string, value=https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/DOE-Eel-Passage/Eel_Fish_Passage_Field_Study.mp4?t=1641423504203}', 11='{type=string, value=Evaluation of bypass performance with silver eels happened in both controlled laboratory settings and at a small hydro project to determine the bypass efficiency and behavioral responses, so as to optimize design and operation of the bypass systems.}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=600,url='https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/DOE-Eel-Passage/Laboratory-Test-Facility-DOE-Eel-Fish-Passage-Study.jpg',altText=''}}', 14='{type=string, value=The laboratory evaluation was conducted in a large re-circulating flume using the Klawa horizontal zig-zag eel bypass system and a vertical eel bypass system developed by Lakeside Engineering}', 15='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=600,url='https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/DOE-Eel-Passage/DOE-Eel-Passage-Study-biologist-with-eel.jpg',altText=''}}', 16='{type=string, value=Silver American eels were PIT tagged and measured for length, weight, and eye diameters prior to testing}', 17='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=580,url='https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/DOE-Eel-Passage/Pathlines-colored-by-velocity-DOE-Eel-Fish-Passage-Study.jpg',altText=''}}', 18='{type=string, value=CFD modeling was performed to model the hydraulic conditions of the lab and field studies}', 19='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=600,url='https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/DOE-Eel-Passage/Mine-Falls-Field-Installation-DOE-Eel-Passage-Study-1.jpg',altText=''}}', 20='{type=string, value=Field evaluation of biological performance conducted with full-scale bypass systems installed at the intake of a small hydro project}', 21='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=600,url='https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/DOE-Eel-Passage/Mine-Falls-Hydro-Project-Nashua-NH-DOE-Eel-Passage-Study-Field-Location.jpg',altText=''}}', 22='{type=string, value=Mine Falls Hydroelectric Project, located on the Nashua River in Nashua, New Hamsphire, was chosen as the site for the field evaluation}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 27='{type=number, value=1}', 28='{type=number, value=0}', 29='{type=number, value=12}', 33='{type=number, value=0}', 34='{type=list, value=[{id=11, name='Natural Resources & Environmental Planning', order=5, label='Natural Resources & Environmental Planning'}]}', 37='{type=list, value=[{id=111, name='Fish Passage Design, Modeling and Testing', order=62, label='Fish Passage Design, Modeling and Testing'}, {id=112, name='Fish Protection Design, Modeling and Testing', order=63, label='Fish Protection Design, Modeling and Testing'}]}', 39='{type=string, value=doe-downstream-fish-passage-american-eel}'}

Natural Resources & Environmental Planning
Modular and Scalable Downstream Passage for Silver American Eel
Read how Alden tested the effects of innovative downstream fish passage technologies with lab, CFD, and field analysis. Funded by the Department of Energy
Real Estate
Verdantas partnered with Duke Realty Corporation to redevelop the Former GM Baltimore Assembly Plant.
The site housed GM automobile assembly operations from 1936 to 2005. Duke Baltimore LLC, an affiliate of Duke Realty Corporation, purchased the site from GM in January 2006. Prior to the property purchase, Verdantas provided risk evaluation and cost estimating services to Duke to aid an evaluation of potential environmental-related costs that may ultimately be incurred during remediation and redevelopment of the site.
Verdantas coordinated Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) corrective action activities at the site as part of a Facility Lead Agreement administered by U.S. EPA Region 3 and parallel assessment activities as part of the State of Maryland’s Voluntary Cleanup Program administered by the Maryland Department of the Environment. This project represents the first time a brownfield was assessed and redeveloped through both programs concurrently.
Additionally, Verdantas designed the assessment activities and ultimate remedial approach to incorporate redevelopment tools such as engineering controls to cost-effectively remediate the site, while maintaining protection of human health and the environment. Verdantas also assisted the client with the development of bid specifications for demolition of on-site buildings and structures, and served as the client’s onsite representative providing oversight of demolition activities.
}', 25='{type=number, value=1}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=512,height=321,url='https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/20952198/IMAGES/PROJECTS/Baltimore-GM.png',altText=''}}'}
GM Baltimore Assembly Plant
Site assessment and redevelopment of former GM Baltimore Assembly Plant
Verdantas was engaged by EverPower Renewables to perform a series of environmental due diligence investigations for a large wind turbine electrical generation facility in Champaign County, Ohio.
The area is characterized by a ridge of resistant bedrock which rises 300-500 feet above the surrounding plain. The area possesses generally acceptable wind speed and power for the purpose of electrical generation.
Verdantas developed a scope of work for moving the proposed wind turbine project through the environmental review and permitting process, including producing expert reports on surface waters, ecological communities, endangered species, and cultural resources, and preliminary studies of the geotechnical, hydrogeological and transportation aspects of the project. Verdantas also assisted EverPower in presenting the results of the work to the public, and federal, state, county, and local agencies in a series of meetings designed to familiarize officials with the project, provide early input to project development and set up lines of communication regarding the project.
}', 25='{type=number, value=1}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=2304,height=1728,url='https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/20952198/IMAGES/PROJECTS/Buckeye-Wind-Eco.jpg',altText=''}}'}
Buckeye Wind Power Facility
Environmental due diligence for wind turbine facility
Verdantas developed and installed a 93 kW ground-mounted, solar photovoltaic energy facility on the site of its Cleveland-area office, located at 4 Hemisphere Way in Bedford, Ohio.
This development is unique in that it is one of the first projects in Ohio to combine new commercial facilities and solar energy on a former brownfields property. It also is one of the largest projects in Ohio that is both constructed and owned by a solar development company at its own facility. Verdantas' Bedford solar energy facility will supply approximately 100,000 kilowatt hours of energy directly to the building that houses its employees, offsetting about 80 percent of the office’s annual electric consumption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Designed in-house, the system can simultaneously track and provide data on both building energy use and solar production, a distinctive feature in the industry. Development of the solar project was partially supported by a $266,254 grant from the Ohio Energy Office through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s State Energy Program.
Prior to redevelopment, the 50-acre site was home to the former S.K. Wellman facility, which manufactured friction parts for trucks from 1952 to 1986. The site had been vacant until construction on the new office development started in 2008. Today, the property is home to a 19,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art office development fully leased to Verdantas and Hemisphere Development LLC. Taylor Chair, Ohio’s oldest family-owned manufacturing company, also built and currently operates a 90,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility at the commerce park.
}', 25='{type=number, value=1}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=207,height=208,url='https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/20952198/IMAGES/PROJECTS/bedford-solar-1.jpg',altText=''}}'}
Bedford Solar Energy
Brownfield redevelopment, site assessment, remediation, solar energy development
Experts from our Somerville, New Jersey office serve as LSRP's on a waterfront historic fill site. The site was operated as a shipyard, naval yard, and ship decommissioning facility from the early 1900s through the 1980s, when it was developed as a multi-tenant industrial park. The property owner voluntarily requested an environmental review and clearance of the property during redevelopment.
A comprehensive investigation was completed including a Preliminary Assessment, Site Investigation, Remedial Investigation, Remedial Action Workplan, and Remedial Action Report. Several areas of concern requiring remediation were identified and excavated. Ground water was investigated, but did not require remediation. Site-wide historic fill evaluation was required to support import of alternative fill material. More than one hundred soil borings were installed and samples were collected to develop a statistically-robust alternative fill acceptance criteria. The fill acceptance criteria was approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), and approximately 250,000 cubic yards of alternative fill were imported to support redevelopment. Our staff were key partners during redevelopment. Our role included quickly and carefully vetting potential fill sources, monitoring fill placement, advising on health and safety concerns, and supporting the construction team.
The property was successfully redeveloped for continued industrial usage, which required the successful navigation of a complex termination of a Declaration of Environmental Restrictions for several properties, and refiled a deed notice for the redevelopment site. The NJDEP issued a Soil Remedial Action Permit for the Site, and the Response Action Outcome was issued.
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1001,height=751,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Kearny-NJ-Industrial-Remediation-Cap-Inspection.jpg',altText=''}}', 14='{type=string, value=A waterfront industrial property was successfully redeveloped for continued industrial usage}', 16='{type=string, value=A waterfront industrial property was successfully redeveloped for continued industrial usage}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 29='{type=number, value=6}'}
Environmental Assessment and Remediation
Waterfront Industrial Site Remediation | Kearny, NJ
Read how a comprehensive remediation plan lead to a successful redevelopment for a waterfront industrial site
Industrial
For over 40 years, our experts have partnered with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Diamond State Port Corporation (DSPC) to enhance the Port of Wilmington— the heart of Delaware’s blue collar jobs. Specifically, when these groups have needed assistance planning improvements and managing the site, they have consistently turned to our team for support.
Over the years, our staff has provided extensive environmental, civil, geotechnical, marine, and materials testing engineering services for projects including environmental maintenance and larger projects such as a $10 million expansion at Wharf 7, the addition of a $30 million automobile berth in the Delaware river, the design of a multiple dry and conditioned warehouses, container crane staging and support and monitoring and reconstruction on over 150 acres of reclaimed land adjacent to the Delaware River. Here, our rich history of institutional knowledge at the site, enabled the Port to continue its successful work as an economic driver.
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=796,url='https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/20952198/Port-of-Wilmington-NEW%20(1).jpg',altText=''}}', 25='{type=number, value=1}', 27='{type=number, value=0}'}.jpg)
Environmental Assessment and Remediation | Civil Infrastructure
Port of Wilmington Multi-Disciplined Projects
Extensive environmental, civil, geotechnical, marine, and materials testing engineering services for projects at the Port of Wilmington.
Due to corrosion of an 11-foot diameter riveted steel penstock that extended through the earthen berm portion of the dam, the integrity of the earthen berm was jeopardized. This was evident from sink holes that had developed within the berm near the penstock. Verdantas' experience in geotechnical engineering and permitting and our ability to look at the “big picture” enabled us to perform simultaneous engineering evaluations, seepage mitigation design and permitting, as well as construction oversight and support during implementation of the work.
Achievements
IDENTIFIED SEEPAGE THROUGH THE EMBANKMENT AS THE CAUSE OF OBSERVED SINK HOLES – Verdantas performed a subsurface investigation through the dam embankment, and our observations of the embankment materials confirmed seepage as the primary cause of sink holes.
DESIGNED SEEPAGE MITIGATION – consisting of improving the dam embankment by installing a low permeability geosynthetic clay liner along with new rip rap armoring to prevent erosion and scour. Prepared design plans identifying the extent of improvements, required materials, construction methods, etc.
SUCCESSFULLY PERMITTED THE PROJECT THROUGH STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES – The project included obtaining the necessary permits (Massachusetts Chapter 253 Dam Safety Permit, Wetlands Protection Act permit and Notice of Intent, and Remediation General Permit for construction dewatering). In addition, Verdantas prepared an Emergency Action Plan for Construction Activities as required by the Chapter 253 permit.
OVERSAW CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES AND ADDRESSED PROJECT CHANGES AS ENCOUNTERED – Verdantas performed regular inspections of the construction activities to verify compliance with the design plans and permits. Construction efforts resulted in the need to modify the design as unexpected conditions were encountered, and Verdantascommunicated these changes to the owner and permitting agencies to maintain compliance and successfully complete the project.
Scope of Services
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Site Investigation
- Dam Embankment Seepage Analysis and Remedial Design
- State and Federal Permitting
- Construction Oversight

Civil Infrastructure
Engineering for Dam Repairs | Design, Permitting and Construction Observation
Our team performed simultaneous engineering evaluations, mitigation design, permitting and construction oversight and support
Verdantas was selected to prepare Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans for Service Energy facilities in Dover, Milford, and Lewes, Delaware. The goal of the effort was to develop SPCC plans that would not only be compliant with 40 CFR 112, but also be easy to use and practical to implement.
Having prepared hundreds of SPCC plans in EPA Region 3, Verdantas had a history collaborating with EPA on similar projects. With confidence that our product would pass regulatory scrutiny, Verdantas proceeded to conduct site visits to obtain the information needed to develop plans for each of the sites. Site visits took approximately 1.5 hours to complete (typically between 1 and 3 hours are needed, depending on the complexity of the site). Following the site visits, information collected was carefully transformed into accurate, workable documents. Our client was given an opportunity to review draft documents before final plans, signed and sealed by a registered Professional Engineer (PE), were available for use.
The Verdantas team brings decades of superior experience with navigating compliance requirements related to oil pollution prevention. From federal Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) requirements to federal Facility Response Plan (FRP) requirements to individual state programs, our team has established career- long relationships with the regulators who implement these programs. This familiarity yields compliance success for our clients.
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1600,height=1200,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Service-Energy/Dover-Tank-Farm-1.jpg',altText=''}}', 14='{type=string, value=Dover location tank farm}', 15='{type=image, value=Image{width=2048,height=1536,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Service-Energy/Milford-Secondary-Containment.jpg',altText=''}}', 16='{type=string, value=Milford location secondary containment structure}', 17='{type=image, value=Image{width=1600,height=1200,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Service-Energy/IMG_4314-1.jpg',altText=''}}', 18='{type=string, value=Milford location tank farm BEFORE}', 19='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=900,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Service-Energy/milford-tank-farm-after.jpg',altText=''}}', 20='{type=string, value=Milford location tank farm AFTER}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 29='{type=number, value=3}'}
Environmental Health and Safety
Service Energy SPCC Plan Development
Read how Verdantas developed easy to use and practical SPCC plans to comply with 40 CFR 112
Verdantas offers on-going support to a semiconductor manufacturing facility located in southern New Hampshire. This facility manufactures gallium arsenide wafers using a Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) process. Due to the laboratory-style operations and hazardous gases and liquids involved, the facility requires on-going safety program management and staff involvement.
Employee Safety Committee
Verdantas leads the facility’s monthly safety committee meetings. Once per month, a selection of employees from upper managers to lab workers meet to discuss on-going safety needs and events. These meetings incorporate the review of near-miss reports, anticipated future events, and scheduling regular tasks such as facility safety walk-throughs and training. Quarterly, the team develops a report of safety events reviewed by the committee, which is distributed to all employees in the facility. Verdantas uses their combined experience to guide and direct the safety committee while allowing the attending members to exercise their agency in directing facility safety programs.
Employee Training
Verdantas provides both live training services to facility employees, as well as assisting facility staff in developing and presenting their own training classes. It is Verdantas’ approach to empower clients to manage and develop programs as much as possible to bolster facility staff engagement and develop positive long-term corporate environmental health and safety (EHS) habits.
Company Program Development
Verdantas offers ongoing support to assist the facility in developing internal safety programs, such as chemical spill response, lockout-tagout, facility safety inspections, and new chemical review forms / change management procedures. As with training, the goal is help prop up the facility’s programs currently in a manner allowing the facility to continue managing them in the future themselves as much as possible.
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=2000,height=1268,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/semiconductor-wafers.jpg',altText=''}}', 14='{type=string, value=A semiconductor manufacturing facility required on-going program management to support their health & safety goals.}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 29='{type=number, value=4}'}

Environmental Health and Safety
Facility Program Management Support–Semiconductor Industry
Read how Verdantas offers on-going health and safety program support for a Semiconductor client
Water
Delaware City faces the threat of flooding from intense rainfall combined with high tidal surge. Verdantas managed the planning, design, funding acquisition, permitting and construction review of interdependent stormwater system improvements for the City’s flood mitigation project. The project included replacing and extending an existing stormwater outfall, underground piping conveyance and storage improvements and an 18,000 gpm stormwater pumping station to mitigate chronic flooding. The City now maintains a robust, automated collection and pumping system to mitigate flooding in its downtown historic area.
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1600,height=1200,url='https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/20952198/Washington-Street-Flood-Mitigation.jpg',altText=''}}', 25='{type=number, value=1}', 27='{type=number, value=0}'}
Civil Infrastructure
Washington Street Flood Mitigation
Planning, design, funding acquisition, permitting and construction review of interdependent stormwater system improvements for the City’s flood mitigation project
The lower Maumee River hosts the largest fish spawning migrations of any Great Lakes tributary. Floodplain wetland habitat is essential for healthy fish communities and for wildlife that depend on wetlands at some point during their life cycle. Floodplain wetland habitat on the lower Maumee River is almost non-existent due to filling, channelization, and shoreline hardening activities completed over the last century, including at the Penn 7 former confined disposal facility (CDF) where dredged materials from the Maumee River shipping channel were placed in the late 1960s – early 1970s.
To explore the opportunity to create wetland and improved fish and wildlife habitat at the Penn 7 CDF located along the Maumee River near its mouth into Lake Erie, the City of Toledo received a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This grant funded site characterization activities and a feasibility study to determine the restoration potential of Penn 7. Working closely with the City and involved agencies, Verdantas helped prepare the successful NOAA grant application and was later contracted with the City to complete the feasibility study. The study resulted in the determination that the historically placed sediment in the CDF were no more impacted than the surrounding Maumee River sediments and that the property was suitable for restoration.
The City subsequently received GLRI funding through the NOAA-Great Lakes Commission Regional Habitat Partnership for final engineering, design, permitting, construction, and public involvement activities. The GLRI program funds were dedicated to this project as part of the Maumee AOC Management Action Project to address the Wildlife Beneficial Use Impairment. The City contracted with Verdantas and Geo. Gradel Co. to complete these activities. The engaged project management team also included Ohio EPA and the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Plans were finalized in summer 2020 and primary construction activities were finished in summer 2021.
Work Completed
To connect the upstream portion of the site with the Maumee River, a water control and fish passage structure was installed within the existing CDF dike. To allow river water to flow to and through the new wetland habitat, sediment was excavated and recontoured in the upstream portion of the site. A channel was excavated to connect the new upstream wetland to the downstream end of the property where an existing embayment is located. To protect/enhance the embayment, a dike with a water control and fish passage structure was installed between it and the Maumee River.
This project created approximately 9.5 acres of submerged and emergent wetlands on the former CDF, 8.5 acres of protected coastal wetlands/open water habitat in the embayment, and 20+ acres of improved upland habitat. This property is expected to be a productive spawning and nursery site for Lake Erie and Maumee River fish and provide quality benthic and wildlife habitat while reducing suspended sediments/nutrient concentrations of river water flowing into the restored habitat. Our work also included significant community and stakeholder outreach activities.
For more information on this project, please view this video: Maumee River Habitat Restoration Project at Penn 7 - YouTube
Or Visit: Maumee River - Great Lakes Commission (glc.org) and Home - Maumee AOC Area of Concern.
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1600,height=819,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Penn7/Photo%206%20-%20Restoration%20Post-Construction-1.jpeg',altText=''}}', 14='{type=string, value=The project improved habitat for fish and wildlife by creating coastal wetlands and forested area along the Maumee River. This urban nature space will improve water quality and ecosystem health while promoting eco-tourism, birding, and fishing.}', 15='{type=image, value=Image{width=922,height=691,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Penn7/Photo%201%20Pre-Construction.jpg',altText=''}}', 16='{type=string, value=The 59-acre Penn 7 property along the Maumee River is a former confined disposal facility that accepted dredged material from the Maumee River shipping channel until the 1970s. This section of the river has miles of hardened shorelines and Penn 7 had low quality wetlands that were isolated from the river.}', 17='{type=image, value=Image{width=4032,height=3024,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Penn7/Photo%204%20-%20Embayment%20Construction.jpg',altText=''}}', 18='{type=string, value=A Great Lakes Restoration Initiative award through NOAA and the Great Lakes Commission Regional Partnership restored seven acres of coastal wetland habitat, created eight acres of embayment area, added 1,000 feet of fish passage channel, and incorporated 15 acres of native plantings.}', 19='{type=image, value=Image{width=836,height=627,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Penn7/Photo%203%20-%20Channel%20Construction.jpg',altText=''}}', 20='{type=string, value=A modified channel connects the new wetland to created habitat features within the enhanced embayment area. A new water control structure within the existing dike connects the site to the Maumee River and provides fish passage. Excavation and recontouring of dredged sediments allow river water to flow through the new wetland habitat.}', 21='{type=image, value=Image{width=836,height=627,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Penn7/Wetland%202.jpg',altText=''}}', 22='{type=string, value=Restoration provides quality spawning and nursery space for over 40 species of Lake Erie fish as well as quality habitat for native birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and river bottom communities.}', 23='{type=image, value=Image{width=1600,height=1200,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Penn7/Photo%205%20-%20Dike%20Construction-1.jpg',altText=''}}', 24='{type=string, value=Managing client and agency input and expectations including NOAA, U.S. EPA Region 5, USGS, Ohio EPA, ODNR Division of Wildlife, and others added to project complexity. A robust community outreach program kept stakeholders engaged.}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 29='{type=number, value=6}', 30='{type=string, value=Related Links
Great Lakes Commission video highlights restoration of Maumee River site | glc.org
}', 33='{type=number, value=0}', 34='{type=list, value=[{id=6, name='Environmental Assessment and Remediation', order=0, label='Environmental Assessment and Remediation'}, {id=11, name='Natural Resources & Environmental Planning', order=5, label='Natural Resources & Environmental Planning'}]}', 35='{type=string, value=City of Toledo, Ohio}', 36='{type=string, value=Toledo, Ohio}', 39='{type=string, value=penn-7-cdf-wetlands-restoration}'}

Environmental Assessment and Remediation | Natural Resources & Environmental Planning
Penn 7 CDF Wetlands Restoration
Learn how the City of Toledo, Ohio used available grants to restore a former confined disposal facility to improve water quality and ecosystem health
Alden was retained by the Northern Water Conservancy District (Northern Water) for the Hansen Supply Canal Poudre River Drop Structure Replacement Project. Alden was the prime consultant for the Project and provided complete structural and hydraulic engineering services, including hydraulic modeling for the design of the replacement drop structure and overall site improvements. The new structure included a stepped spillway, stilling basin, and retaining walls.
Alden performed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling of the existing structure and the proposed structure. The new structure is designed for a peak discharge of 1,500 cfs. Alden also performed 3D finite element modeling for the structural design. Alden collaborated with Northern Water staff to identify maintenance needs and preferences for the new structure. The stilling basin includes an access bridge, jib cranes, and stoplogs to isolate the structure for future maintenance and inspections. The existing site featured extremely steep slopes at 1V:1H with poor surface drainage. The final grading established stable slopes and improved surface drainage to keep water away from the new structure.
Details of the project included:
- Concrete structure demolition, removal, and repair
- New concrete stepped spillway, concrete stilling basin, and concrete retaining walls
- Foot bridge with access stairs
- Subsurface drain system and surface drainage improvements
- Temporary construction cofferdam and dewatering
- Site grading and access road
- Trapezoidal channel restoration and riprap sizing
The project also required coordination regarding the environmental impacts to the Preble's mouse habitat and an adjacent eagle's nest. Design was completed in July 2019. Construction was completed in March 2020 with the first water flowing through the structure on April 1, 2020.
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=675,url='https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/Poudre-River-Drop-Structure/Poudre-New-Construction-Structure-After-2.jpeg',altText=''}}', 14='{type=string, value=The newly constructed Poudre River Drop Structure along the Hansen Supply Canal}', 15='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=675,url='https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/Poudre-River-Drop-Structure/site-improvements-for-new-drop-structure-poudre-river-structure-project.jpg',altText=''}}', 16='{type=string, value=Site improvements for the new Poudre River Drop Structure Project}', 17='{type=image, value=Image{width=3420,height=1869,url='https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/Poudre-River-Drop-Structure/Poudre-Existing-Structure-Before.jpg',altText=''}}', 18='{type=string, value=The original Poudre River Drop Structure}', 19='{type=image, value=Image{width=720,height=487,url='https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/Poudre-River-Drop-Structure/Poudre-Original-Structure-and-Site-Prior-New-Construction.jpg',altText=''}}', 20='{type=string, value=The existing site featured extremely steep slopes with poor surface drainage}', 21='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=675,url='https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/Poudre-River-Drop-Structure/Poudre-River-Drop-Structure-CFD-Modeling.jpg',altText=''}}', 22='{type=string, value=Alden performed CFD modeling of the existing and proposed structures}', 23='{type=image, value=Image{width=840,height=473,url='https://20952198.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20952198/PROJECTS/ALDEN/Poudre-River-Drop-Structure/Concrete-Placement-During-Periodic-Inspection-Visits-Poudre-River-Drop-Structure.jpg',altText=''}}', 24='{type=string, value=In addition to preparing design drawings and technical specifications, Alden also provided engineering services during construction}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 27='{type=number, value=1}', 28='{type=number, value=0}', 29='{type=number, value=9}', 30='{type=string, value=2020 H2O Project Award
The Poudre River Drop Structure Project was the recipient of The Colorado Contractors Association's 4th Annual H2O Awards. The Project won in the category of Open Concrete Flow Structures under $6 million.
The overall Project Team included:
- Design Team – Alden and geotechnical subconsultant, Lithos Engineering
- Client – Northern Water
- Contractor - Zak Dirt
}', 33='{type=number, value=1}', 34='{type=list, value=[{id=10, name='Civil Infrastructure', order=4, label='Civil Infrastructure'}]}', 37='{type=list, value=[{id=85, name='Structural Design', order=36, label='Structural Design'}, {id=96, name='Hydraulic Structure Engineering Design', order=47, label='Hydraulic Structure Engineering Design'}]}', 39='{type=string, value=poudre-river-drop-structure}', 40='{type=list, value=[{id=2, name='Infrastructure', order=0, label='Infrastructure'}]}'}

Civil Infrastructure
Poudre River Drop Structure Replacement
Alden provided structural and hydraulic engineering and CFD modeling to replace the Poudre River drop structure with a stepped spillway and stilling basin.
With the design and construction of a significant pump station such as Walnut Creek, also comes a sizeable electrical distribution system that is needed to support the large pumps selected for the project. The station design included a 3000Amp, 480/277VAC, switchgear lineup that included primary and alternate source main breaker scheme for transferring between power sources. The lineup included (5) soft-starters, multiple feeder breakers and step down transformers and distribution panels.
Rapid growth in the city of West Des Moines, Iowa resulted in substantial increases in stormwater runoff in most of the community’s watersheds. Such growth made it necessary to mitigate flooding on several major roadways to ensure emergency services were not impacted by closed roadways, as well as to take steps to minimize flooding commercial districts and residential neighborhoods.
Our team worked to provide a comprehensive solution for the City via mitigation solutions including construction of a new 12’ by 5’ reinforced concrete box culvert to intercept and convey interior stormwater flows, and a new 200,000 gallons per minute (gpm) stormwater pump station to discharge runoff to Walnut Creek during elevated flood stages. The stormwater pump station is proposed to be situated along Walnut Creek in an existing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control project – the Des Moines, Iowa levee system. As a result, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 408 Permit was required for the modifications to the levee.
Hydrologic and hydraulic modeling was completed using XPSWMM 2014 SP1 to evaluate the required total capacity and optimal configuration for the proposed stormwater pump station, to handle both low and high flow precipitation events, using Grand Avenue as the key control elevation to manage flooding in the drainage area. The complex urban drainage area, with multiple collection and conveyance systems, as well as the evaluation taking into account storage in the proposed concrete box culvert, required the sophisticated software package to accurately model the system. The analysis resulted in approximately 200,000 gallons per minute (gpm) of pumping capacity was required to keep interior water elevations to acceptable levels.
The stormwater pump station structure required a complex structural design. A three dimensional analytical model of the pump station was created using finite element analysis. Each component of the structure (walls, slabs, foundations, etc.) was represented by a mesh of 1 ft. x 1 ft. elements that are interconnected to transfer shear, moment, and axial forces. Wall and floor slab thicknesses were computed, floatation stability of the station was determined, and foundation requirements were provided. In addition to the structural design, mechanical design was required for sluice gate intakes to the station, sluice gate outfalls to the Walnut Creek, influent trash racks, and for the pump configuration set points and discharge configuration.
The stormwater pump station was modeled with Revit® software, allowing for 3-dimensional views of the pump station proper and various components. The use of Revit also allowed for continuous updating of quantities of materials as the design progressed, yielding very accurate construction items and quantities for cost estimating. Additionally, considerable attention was given to the visual appearance of the pump station. The use of the Revit modeling software allowed for various architectural treatments to be applied to the views in a rendering fashion, assisting the client in making decisions with respect to the pump station aesthetics.
}', 40='{type=list, value=[{id=3, name='Facilities', order=1, label='Facilities'}]}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=233,height=233,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Walnut-Creek-Stormwater/Walnut%202.jpg',altText=''}}', 15='{type=image, value=Image{width=312,height=312,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Walnut-Creek-Stormwater/Walnut%201.jpg',altText=''}}', 17='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=623,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Walnut-Creek-Stormwater/2015-1580-001-WALNUT%20CREEK%20OUTFALL-CENTRAL-V2015_Page_1-1.jpg',altText=''}}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 26='{type=string, value=Facilities}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 29='{type=number, value=9}'}
Precise Visual Technologies | Civil Infrastructure | Process Engineering | Mechanical Electrical and Automation Engineering | Hydrology Hydraulics and Fluids
Walnut Creek Stormwater Outfall and Pump Station
A sizeable electrical distrubution system was needed to support the large pumps selected for this significant pump station
Government
For over 40 years, our experts have partnered with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Diamond State Port Corporation (DSPC) to enhance the Port of Wilmington— the heart of Delaware’s blue collar jobs. Specifically, when these groups have needed assistance planning improvements and managing the site, they have consistently turned to our team for support.
Over the years, our staff has provided extensive environmental, civil, geotechnical, marine, and materials testing engineering services for projects including environmental maintenance and larger projects such as a $10 million expansion at Wharf 7, the addition of a $30 million automobile berth in the Delaware river, the design of a multiple dry and conditioned warehouses, container crane staging and support and monitoring and reconstruction on over 150 acres of reclaimed land adjacent to the Delaware River. Here, our rich history of institutional knowledge at the site, enabled the Port to continue its successful work as an economic driver.
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=796,url='https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/20952198/Port-of-Wilmington-NEW%20(1).jpg',altText=''}}', 25='{type=number, value=1}', 27='{type=number, value=0}'}.jpg)
Environmental Assessment and Remediation | Civil Infrastructure
Port of Wilmington Multi-Disciplined Projects
Extensive environmental, civil, geotechnical, marine, and materials testing engineering services for projects at the Port of Wilmington.
Mandated to eliminate wastewater stream discharge for compliance with the Inland Bays Total Maximum Daily Load, The Town of Millsboro embraced an innovative solution based on recycling, rather than disposal, of high quality treated effluent. The recycled water is used to recharge the local aquifer through seven rapid infiltration basins (RIBS). With a capacity of 1.2 MGD, Millsboro’s RIBs are the largest municipal system in Delaware. RIB systems require less land and have lower long term operating costs than wastewater disposal systems using irrigation. Hydrogeological testing has demonstrated that the performance of Millsboro’s RIB system exceeds the original design criteria.
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=409,url='https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/20952198/Rapid-Infiltration-Basin-Millsboro.jpg',altText=''}}', 25='{type=number, value=1}', 27='{type=number, value=0}'}
Sustainability | Civil Infrastructure
Rapid Infiltration Basins
An innovative solution based on recycling, rather than disposal, of high quality treated effluent to eliminate wastewater stream discharge.
Delaware City faces the threat of flooding from intense rainfall combined with high tidal surge. Verdantas managed the planning, design, funding acquisition, permitting and construction review of interdependent stormwater system improvements for the City’s flood mitigation project. The project included replacing and extending an existing stormwater outfall, underground piping conveyance and storage improvements and an 18,000 gpm stormwater pumping station to mitigate chronic flooding. The City now maintains a robust, automated collection and pumping system to mitigate flooding in its downtown historic area.
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1600,height=1200,url='https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/20952198/Washington-Street-Flood-Mitigation.jpg',altText=''}}', 25='{type=number, value=1}', 27='{type=number, value=0}'}
Civil Infrastructure
Washington Street Flood Mitigation
Planning, design, funding acquisition, permitting and construction review of interdependent stormwater system improvements for the City’s flood mitigation project
Verdantas served as lead designer on the Design-Build team for Cleveland Metroparks for the Bonnie Park Ecological Restoration and Site Improvement Project located at Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville. Our team designed, permitted, and performed construction and planting for the Metroparks project. Work was funded by the Ohio EPA Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP).
Project goals were to complete river restoration and floodplain reconnection through the removal of a historic lowhead mill dam located in-line with the East Branch of the Rocky River (EBRR). The objective of this goal was to restore the Warmwater Habitat (WWH) status of the EBRR by improving sediment transport, fish migration and colonization. The lowhead dam was a migration barrier for fish and promoted sedimentation that negatively affected the macroinvertebrate populations within the stream corridor.
To achieve these goals, the restoration design included removal of the dam and establishment of natural stream profile and pattern by incorporating boulder riffle and pools through the previously impounded river area and through the demolished dam area. The stream banks of the EBRR were restored through the establishment of floodplain bankfull benches by removing existing gabion baskets and the grading of eroded banks. An existing undersized culvert under the main entrance’s road running across the floodplain was replaced with a large 3-sided culvert to provide floodplain connectivity to wetlands within the EBRR floodplain. The restoration also includes the creation of floodplain upstream of the dam in an existing mowed field and the restoration of two to three acres of wetland habitat in a former baseball field within the EBRR floodplain. Invasive species were removed within the limits of the project work including removal of invasive shrubs, trees, and herbaceous plants.
Substantial construction was completed in fall 2020 and planting was completed in winter/spring of 2021.
Chronolog Timelapse
The Metroparks set up a ChronoLog for the project—a timelapse of the site, made up of photos from visitors, compiled since 2020. View the Chronolog
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=2000,height=1000,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Bonnie-Park-Restoration/Bonnie-Park-Completed-Restoration.jpeg',altText=''}}', 14='{type=string, value=River restoration and floodplain reconnection was completed following removal of a historic lowhead mill dam.}', 15='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=900,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Bonnie-Park-Restoration/Bonnie-Park-Before-Dam-Removal.jpg',altText=''}}', 16='{type=string, value=The lowhead dam was a migration barrier for fish and promoted sedimentation that negatively affected the macroinvertebrate populations within the stream corridor.}', 17='{type=image, value=Image{width=2000,height=1000,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Bonnie-Park-Restoration/Bonnie-Park-During-Dam-Removal.jpeg',altText=''}}', 18='{type=string, value=The restoration design included design, permitting, construction and planting to establish a natural stream profile.}', 19='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=675,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Bonnie-Park-Restoration/Bonnie-Park-Flood-Plain-During-Restoration.jpg',altText=''}}', 20='{type=string, value=A floodplain was created upstream of the mill dam.}', 21='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=900,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Bonnie-Park-Restoration/Bonnie-Park-Flood-Plain-Post-Renovation.jpg',altText=''}}', 22='{type=string, value=The restoration established several acres of wetland habitat.}', 23='{type=image, value=Image{width=1500,height=1125,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Bonnie-Park-Restoration/Cleveland-Metro-Parks-Bonnie-Park-at-Ribbon-Cutting.jpg',altText=''}}', 24='{type=string, value=Invasive species were also removed as part of the project.}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 29='{type=number, value=2}'}
Natural Resources & Environmental Planning
Bonnie Park Restoration and Site Improvement Project | Mill Stream Run Reservation
Verdantas served as lead designer on the Design-Build team for Cleveland Metroparks for the Bonnie Park Ecological Restoration and Site Improvement Project located at Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville.
Transportation
For over 40 years, our experts have partnered with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Diamond State Port Corporation (DSPC) to enhance the Port of Wilmington— the heart of Delaware’s blue collar jobs. Specifically, when these groups have needed assistance planning improvements and managing the site, they have consistently turned to our team for support.
Over the years, our staff has provided extensive environmental, civil, geotechnical, marine, and materials testing engineering services for projects including environmental maintenance and larger projects such as a $10 million expansion at Wharf 7, the addition of a $30 million automobile berth in the Delaware river, the design of a multiple dry and conditioned warehouses, container crane staging and support and monitoring and reconstruction on over 150 acres of reclaimed land adjacent to the Delaware River. Here, our rich history of institutional knowledge at the site, enabled the Port to continue its successful work as an economic driver.
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=796,url='https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/20952198/Port-of-Wilmington-NEW%20(1).jpg',altText=''}}', 25='{type=number, value=1}', 27='{type=number, value=0}'}.jpg)
Environmental Assessment and Remediation | Civil Infrastructure
Port of Wilmington Multi-Disciplined Projects
Extensive environmental, civil, geotechnical, marine, and materials testing engineering services for projects at the Port of Wilmington.
The South Valley Parkway Project has provided a solution to concerns of residents along Middle Road regarding the compromised vehicular and pedestrian safety along this narrow corridor due to significant increase in traffic over the years.
The overall project is comprised of a new roadway alignment totaling 2.5 miles, one split interchange, five single lane roundabouts and one double lane roundabout to the South Valley Region in lower Luzerne County, PA. The project included the construction of a six-span two-lane bridge, carrying the parkway over Nanticoke Creek, Dundee Road and State Route 29, a single span two-lane bridge, carrying Main Street over State Route 29, and seventeen stormwater management basins which facilitated the separation of onsite stormwater and offsite watercourses to the highest standard. Safety and traffic congestion were the driving forces for PennDOT Engineering District 4-0’s purpose and need to move forward with the project. In addition, the project utilized what was otherwise abandoned coal land and transformed it into a viable traffic calming solution for the surrounding community. The new parkway connects Hanover Township with the City of Nanticoke, alleviating congestion to the residents along State Route 2008 (Middle Road) due to the commuters to Luzerne County Community College Campus and now restricted truck traffic.
Our team was the prime design consultant for this project completing Preliminary Engineering, Final Design, and Consultation during construction on behalf of the project owner PennDOT Engineering District 4-0.
Project Features:
- Selecting alignment of 2.5-mile new roadway while minimizing impacts and cost containment to fall within allotted funding.
- Excavation = 1.4M cubic yards, Rock blasting
- Six (6) Roundabouts - Five (5) Single Lane, and One (1) Double Lane
- Six (6) Span Concrete Bridge, One (1) Single-Span Concrete Bridge
- One (1) Box Culvert
- Four (4) Rock Structure Habitat created for Eastern Small-Footed Myotis Bats
- Seventeen (17) Storm Water Management Basins
- (2) Utility Main Relocations
- Acid Bearing Rock (ABR) – rock containing the sulfide-bearing mineral pyrite represents a potential source of Acid Rock Drainage (ARD). As a result, the construction specification required to minimize exposure to air and water without being covered to 5 days, and required an ABR disposal at the project’s approved waste site.

Civil Infrastructure | Site and Roadway Civil Engineering
South Valley Parkway
Read how a team approach helped to create safer driving conditions and reduced traffic burdens with this PennDOT project
The North County Transit District/Amtrak route is a scenic one as it travels between the surf and coastal bluffs. Beautiful for the rider, unless the train is stopped due to the coastal bluff deterioration, slope failures and landslides that occurred adjacent to the railway, and prevented the trains from passing through.
In April 2001, a 40-foot section of concrete retaining wall collapsed, a wall that had lined the top of the Del Mar Bluffs at 7th Street. The failure, which had been identified in the completed Del Mar Bluffs Geotechnical Study as one of the highest risk areas, consisted of three wall sections approximately 60 feet above the beach.
To keep trains running atop the bluffs, the North County Transit District (NCTD), which owns the tracks, declared an emergency and approved spending $1,050,000 to design both immediate and long-term repairs to the portion that gave way. In addition, funding for mid-term measures, that could cost as much as $8.2 million on other high-risk portions of the bluff, were also approved. These measures are intended to ensure that the Amtrak and Coaster trains that run along the 1.6-mile-long section will be able to do so for the next 20 years.
In response to the emergency, our experts assessed the geological conditions and provided emergency repair alternatives for local agency review. With the selection of a shear-pin stabilization method, a “fast-track” analysis, the design and review period was successfully completed within 30 days. Construction of the stabilization system, twelve 60-foot-deep shear pins with tie-backs, was then successfully completed within 45 days.
Prior to this emergency, our geotechnical report had informed the NCTD that saturation from groundwater is/was the biggest problem facing Del Mar’s bluffs. The report predicts that, without reinforcing measures along at least half of their length, the bluffs will erode another 12 feet within the next 20 years, making them even more fragile. Specifically, our report had identified the area (at 7th Street) that failed as a high-risk zone.
The railroad tracks were first built along the bluffs in 1910. Because of population growth, runoff from irrigation has increased tremendously, saturating Del Mar’s bluffs with groundwater and causing them to erode faster than they otherwise would. (Leighton’s study showed that normal rainfall in the San Diego County would dump about 10 inches on Del Mar Bluffs, but with the increased runoff, water reaching the bluffs each year is equivalent to between 100 and 200 inches of rain.)
Improvements constructed included additional shear pins, soil cement improvements, sea walls at the base of the bluffs, reinforcing the bluffs, and improving surface and sub-surface drainage, all with site aesthetics as a key element.
The selected stabilization method included additional shear pins connected at the top by a reinforced grade beam with tie backs. Where improvements are exposed they have been boulder-scaped to match the adjacent bluffs. Site stabilization also included the installation of a deep cut off subdrain which was outletted by boring through the bluff to the beach below and exiting through a boulder-scaped outlet.
Leighton has continued to provide geotechnical services since that first report, including the Thanksgiving 2019 failure.
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1600,height=1200,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Del-Mar-Bluffs/DelMar2-scaled-1.jpg',altText=''}}', 15='{type=image, value=Image{width=1000,height=750,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Del-Mar-Bluffs/Del-Mar-Bluffs-1000PX.jpg',altText=''}}', 17='{type=image, value=Image{width=1536,height=1152,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Del-Mar-Bluffs/DelMar3-1536x1152.jpg',altText=''}}', 19='{type=image, value=Image{width=1506,height=1193,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Del-Mar-Bluffs/DelMar4.jpg',altText=''}}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 29='{type=number, value=6}'}
Geotechnical and Geological Engineering
Del Mar Bluffs
Read how geotechnical services kept the North County Transit District/Amtrak scenic route safe for riders.
Our team was part of the Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement design/build team, providing geotechnical design services for the Port of Long Beach’s (POLB’s) “iconic” cable-stayed, six-lane bridge, which will span the Back Channel in the Port of Long Beach. This bridge replacement, designed to ease traffic congestion and improve navigational safety, is budgeted at almost $700 million and being jointly procured by the Port of Long Beach and Caltrans. The bridge will replace the existing Terminal Island steel span bridge, which is at the end of its useful design life and faces critical long-term maintenance issues. Also, the old steel span bridge was not designed to manage currently roadway traffic volumes and, at 154 feet air draft, is a navigation obstruction to larger container ships that are now common at the Port.
Being that the project was under the regulatory of Caltrans, design process followed the standard Caltrans process in which a Preliminary Foundation Report (PFR) is prepared in conjunction with a Type Selection Report (TSR) for the review and approval by Caltrans of the foundation type in the case of bridge structures and earth retention systems (ERS) in the case of retaining walls. We were responsible for the design of the of the retaining structures associated with the west approach embankment; preliminary design of the retaining structures associated with the east approach embankment; design of the foundations and alternations of the existing embankment associated with the Terminal Island Freeway bridge (at the western terminus of the project area); and design of the cast-in-drilled-hole (CIDH) bridge foundations of the low level approach regions of the bridge.
What makes design/build project delivery attractive to owners is reduced cost and schedule. To reduce cost, innovations must be “unleashed” and embraced. Our California licensed Geotechnical Engineers (GEs), with our local experience, helped to build a consensus between the innovations of the international design team and the requirements and expectations Caltrans reviewers. As an example of this, the I-710 approach embankment to the north of the bridge (i.e., east approach) was entirely constructed using lightweight cellular concrete backfill to reduce settlement of underlying old fill and estuary deposits. The retaining walls required for this approach embankment were designed as Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) retaining walls but the lightweight cellular concrete was used as the “backfill” material in conjunction with embankment construction.
Considerable time was spent building a consensus for seismic design to mitigate liquefaction and lateral spreading for these embankments and retaining walls over soft soils, using finite element analysis to evaluate the magnitude of wall displacement and distortion. This required both mastering state-of-the-art earthquake engineering concepts required in California, mixed with a bit of tact and diplomacy; which was delivered.
In addition to geotechnical seismic issues, there were significant geoenvironmental issues for this site. Soils and groundwater at the site were impacted with petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals from past local oil production and industrial facilities. Field exploration activities required the preparation of a Health and Safety Plan and a Work Plan were prepared prior to initiating subsurface explorations, which consisted of over 120 borings and 70 Cone Penetrometer Test (CPT) soundings. Soil samples were collected and tested simultaneously for both engineering properties at our Irvine in-house geotechnical laboratory, and for potentially hazardous compounds, including total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) carbon chain, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and Title 22 metals. Soil cuttings and groundwater from borings were stored in 50-gallons drums, tested for hazardous materials, and then properly disposed of offsite. Our cross-trained staff is experienced working in urban environments where geoenvironmental issues need to be addressed simultaneously with geotechnical issues. We provide seamless geotechnical, geoenvironmental and materials testing services, safely and efficiently to reduce cost
}', 40='{type=list, value=[{id=2, name='Infrastructure', order=0, label='Infrastructure'}]}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1000,height=667,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Leighton/Construction-on-Gerald-Desmond-Bridge-in-LA%20(1).jpeg',altText=''}}', 15='{type=image, value=Image{width=1000,height=667,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Leighton/Construction-on-Gerald-Desmond-Bridge-in-LA%20(2).jpeg',altText=''}}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 29='{type=number, value=6}'}.jpeg)
Geotechnical and Geological Engineering
Long Beach International Gateway Bridge (Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement)
Together with innovation and local experience, our team helped to bring the construction of this iconic bridge to a close.
Technology
With the design and construction of a significant pump station such as Walnut Creek, also comes a sizeable electrical distribution system that is needed to support the large pumps selected for the project. The station design included a 3000Amp, 480/277VAC, switchgear lineup that included primary and alternate source main breaker scheme for transferring between power sources. The lineup included (5) soft-starters, multiple feeder breakers and step down transformers and distribution panels.
Rapid growth in the city of West Des Moines, Iowa resulted in substantial increases in stormwater runoff in most of the community’s watersheds. Such growth made it necessary to mitigate flooding on several major roadways to ensure emergency services were not impacted by closed roadways, as well as to take steps to minimize flooding commercial districts and residential neighborhoods.
Our team worked to provide a comprehensive solution for the City via mitigation solutions including construction of a new 12’ by 5’ reinforced concrete box culvert to intercept and convey interior stormwater flows, and a new 200,000 gallons per minute (gpm) stormwater pump station to discharge runoff to Walnut Creek during elevated flood stages. The stormwater pump station is proposed to be situated along Walnut Creek in an existing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control project – the Des Moines, Iowa levee system. As a result, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 408 Permit was required for the modifications to the levee.
Hydrologic and hydraulic modeling was completed using XPSWMM 2014 SP1 to evaluate the required total capacity and optimal configuration for the proposed stormwater pump station, to handle both low and high flow precipitation events, using Grand Avenue as the key control elevation to manage flooding in the drainage area. The complex urban drainage area, with multiple collection and conveyance systems, as well as the evaluation taking into account storage in the proposed concrete box culvert, required the sophisticated software package to accurately model the system. The analysis resulted in approximately 200,000 gallons per minute (gpm) of pumping capacity was required to keep interior water elevations to acceptable levels.
The stormwater pump station structure required a complex structural design. A three dimensional analytical model of the pump station was created using finite element analysis. Each component of the structure (walls, slabs, foundations, etc.) was represented by a mesh of 1 ft. x 1 ft. elements that are interconnected to transfer shear, moment, and axial forces. Wall and floor slab thicknesses were computed, floatation stability of the station was determined, and foundation requirements were provided. In addition to the structural design, mechanical design was required for sluice gate intakes to the station, sluice gate outfalls to the Walnut Creek, influent trash racks, and for the pump configuration set points and discharge configuration.
The stormwater pump station was modeled with Revit® software, allowing for 3-dimensional views of the pump station proper and various components. The use of Revit also allowed for continuous updating of quantities of materials as the design progressed, yielding very accurate construction items and quantities for cost estimating. Additionally, considerable attention was given to the visual appearance of the pump station. The use of the Revit modeling software allowed for various architectural treatments to be applied to the views in a rendering fashion, assisting the client in making decisions with respect to the pump station aesthetics.
}', 40='{type=list, value=[{id=3, name='Facilities', order=1, label='Facilities'}]}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=233,height=233,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Walnut-Creek-Stormwater/Walnut%202.jpg',altText=''}}', 15='{type=image, value=Image{width=312,height=312,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Walnut-Creek-Stormwater/Walnut%201.jpg',altText=''}}', 17='{type=image, value=Image{width=1200,height=623,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Walnut-Creek-Stormwater/2015-1580-001-WALNUT%20CREEK%20OUTFALL-CENTRAL-V2015_Page_1-1.jpg',altText=''}}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 26='{type=string, value=Facilities}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 29='{type=number, value=9}'}
Precise Visual Technologies | Civil Infrastructure | Process Engineering | Mechanical Electrical and Automation Engineering | Hydrology Hydraulics and Fluids
Walnut Creek Stormwater Outfall and Pump Station
A sizeable electrical distrubution system was needed to support the large pumps selected for this significant pump station
Utilizing 3D scanning and analysis technologies a holistic analysis of the exterior state of a building is performed. After the high accuracy laser scan is performed and registered the analysis is conducted. This process colors the distance a facade is pulling away from a building, by a client specific increment. The deliverables for this are a plan sheet detailing all sides. Also a new 3D point cloud colored to match the plan sheets details that allows you to view the entire buildings results at once.
Benefits:
- Find every deviation that might not be seen with the naked eye or level.
- Analyze if one building face is impacting another
- Data collection is done from the ground without lifts of ladders.
- Gives a better perception of the severity of the deviation throughout the building as a whole.
- Free 3D viewer is easy-to-use to view end result.
- Picture is worth 1000 words. It can be used for presentations, collaborative sessions, and reviews.
}', 40='{type=list, value=[{id=3, name='Facilities', order=1, label='Facilities'}]}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=1414,height=806,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Facade-Deviation-Analysis.jpg',altText=''}}', 29='{type=number, value=11}'}

Precise Visual Technologies
Facade Deviation Analysis
Utilizing 3D scanning and analysis technologies a holistic analysis of the exterior state of a building is performed.
The City of Bethlehem currently operates a 20-million gallon per day (gpd) activated sludge wastewater treatment plant, which has the ability to handle peak wet weather flows of 50 million gpd.
This project included upgrades to the West Influent Pump Room, which contained three (3) constant speed Yoemens 100 hp dry pit submersible pumps, each with a capacity of 12 MGD. The scope included the replacement of existing pumps along with all piping, valves, and appurtenances located within the West Influent Pump Room. The new pumps were designed to operate on variable frequency drives (VFDs) and controlled on wet well level as monitored by instrumentation. This upgrade also included replacement of the MCCs, and upgrade of the existing control and alarm panels that were integrated into the plant’s existing SCADA system. The scope also included design of a new ventilation system and replacement of existing stairs and platforms.
Our experts leveraged 3D scanning and 3D modeling technology to efficiently design the project. Because space was limited, and all new equipment had to fit within the existing structure, our team scanned the existing facility to develop an accurate as-built the facility, and utilized the scan to develop an accurate 3D model to design the required improvements. The City was able to maintain operation of the treatment plant throughout the duration of the project.
Our team was responsible for all survey, mechanical, electrical, structural and automation design disciplines, preparation of bidding documents, and assisting the City with construction administration services}', 40='{type=list, value=[{id=3, name='Facilities', order=1, label='Facilities'}]}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=745,height=536,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Bethlehem-West-Influent/Bethlehem%201.jpg',altText=''}}', 14='{type=string, value=Leveraging 3D scanning helped develop an accurate 3D model to design the required improvements.}', 15='{type=image, value=Image{width=357,height=243,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Projects/Bethlehem-West-Influent/Bethlehem%202.png',altText=''}}', 16='{type=string, value=our team scanned the existing facility to develop an accurate as-built the facility}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 26='{type=string, value=Facilities}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 29='{type=number, value=16}'}
Precise Visual Technologies | Process Engineering | Mechanical Electrical and Automation Engineering
West Influent Pump Replacement
Read about the full service engineering that helped the City of Bethlehem upgrade its activated sludge wastewater treatment plant
Verdantas provided comprehensive civil, environmental, geotechnical, traffic and construction services for the construction of a 1.6 million square foot, state-of-the-art Amazon Logistics Center on a 125-acre site in central New Castle County, DE. The site was a former borrow pit that required extensive regrading and fill. Soft soils conditions require a ground improvement program consisting of deep dynamic compaction.
All studies, design, and project approvals were accomplished in an expedited manner in less than seven months. The Verdantas team worked closely with the owner, construction manager and building tenant to address design and operational changes requested during the latter stages of design and throughout the construction process. Project construction, including over 800,000 cubic yards of site earthwork, was completed in 10 months.
}', 13='{type=image, value=Image{width=959,height=630,url='https://www.verdantas.com/hubfs/Amazon.png',altText=''}}', 14='{type=string, value=The new Amazon Logistics Center in Bear, DE.}', 25='{type=number, value=0}', 27='{type=number, value=0}', 29='{type=number, value=22}'}
Environmental Assessment and Remediation | Precise Visual Technologies | Civil Infrastructure
Amazon Logistics Center
Multi-disciplined services for the construction of a 1.6 million square foot, state-of-the-art Amazon Logistics Center.