Multi-Discipline Engineering for New Fitness Center

GATEWAY MOTION AND FITNESS

Gateway Motion and Fitness

Lewes, Delaware

Spotts, Stevens and McCoy has been engaged with the Owners of Midway Fitness since 2012, performing a building energy audit, expansion feasibility projects for their existing facility located in Rehoboth DE. After their decision to relocate, SSM was engaged to provide due diligence and concept planning for alternate sites with existing structures and ultimately, the greenfield site selected for development of a new facility, Gateway Motion and Fitness. Due diligence and concept planning included site and civil engineering, and multi-disciplinary building systems.

SSM is partnered with Ambit Architecture to provide professional services to develop new building design from Programming through Construction Documentation and has been further engaged as the Owner’s representative and Project Manager. The project is currently in Design Development Phase. Basis of Design calls for a 48,000 square foot multi-level facility with diverse programmatic needs for fitness, aquatics, physical therapy and administration.

SSM technical services include: structural design, mechanical, plumbing, fire protection and electrical design and Project Management services to coordinate the efforts of the architectural design work of Ambit Architecture, the engineering design teams and the pre-construction services of Wohlsen Construction.

Asbestos Management Services

Frens and Frens Restoration Architects

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

Strasburg, Pennsylvania

Asbestos abatement oversight operations at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania located in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. This project involved the removal and disposal of asbestos from eight historic steam engines and one passenger train car and the subsequent re-painting of the steam engines with a protective coating. The project included meetings with Museum employees and contractors updating progress and budgetary concerns. Added to this project were oversight operations for the removal of asbestos from two Steam Traction Engines at the Landis Valley Museum located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Master Plan, Phase I Restoration and Phase II Construction Documentation

WHITE HAVEN COMMUNITY LIBRARY

FRENS & FRENS, LLC RESTORATION ARCHITECTS

White Haven Community Library

White Haven PA

The West Chester-based architectural firm of Frens and Frens, LLC was initially engaged to prepare a Master Plan to identify the feasibility of the adaptive re-use of the 1864 Lehigh Railroad Engine House for the White Haven Area Community Library. As SSM has done with several projects with the firm, we were responsible for land surveying; the assessment of the building systems including mechanical, electrical, plumbing and structural; site design issues related to zoning, stormwater management and; evaluation potential site environmental concerns.  At this stage, schematic plans were prepared to identify budget and gain community support for the conversion.

SSM continued to support the team on subsequent phases. Phase 1 has been completed and was undertaken to stabilize and improve the building’s masonry envelope and steel structure. 

Phase 2 is currently underway and includes the design for site improvements and documentation for the new building mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. A significant effort was undertaken to identify the feasibility of utilizing alternative energy opportunities, including geothermal systems.  After identifying potential geothermal systems appropriate for the specific site geology, site design constraints and permitting our mechanical design staff worked in concert with SSM’s environmental staff to conduct a well boring and thermal conductivity testing.  SSM prepared probably cost estimates and payback.  The outcome of these efforts has led to funding of the system installation, and the project is currently out for bidding.

Concept Design for Probable Maximum Flood

Reading Area Water Authority

Reading, Pennsylvania

LAKE ONTELAUNE DAM | READING AREA WATER AUTHORITY

Lake Ontelaunee Dam, built mid-1920, has stood for over 90 years supplying drinking water to the City of Reading and surrounding areas. Pennsylvania Code (Chapter 105) now requires most dam owners to upgrade to new flood standards or breach their dams. 

SSM’s team of professional engineers (hydrologist, geotechnical and civil), geologists (geophysicist, structural and hydrogeological), surveyors, GIS technicians and construction specialists completed a Concept Design to fortify Lake Ontelaunee Dam to safely comply with design criteria for a Probable Maximum Flood (PMF).  The Concept Design was prepared for the Reading Area Water Authority in response to the PADEP – Division of Dam Safety’s requirements to bring Lake Ontelaunee Dam into compliance. 

The dam consists of a 544 foot uncontrolled ogee crest concrete spillway and a 2,890 foot earthen embankment section.  Under the PMF criteria, the earthen embankment will perform as an emergency spillway.  To fortify the embankment and prevent it from eroding away during a PMF event, its upstream face needs to be thickened and its downstream slope requires hardening with Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC).  However, prior to RCC installation, subsurface soils need to be stabilized to support the proposed overtopping engineering controls and subjected PMF forces.  In addition, the team addressed complications created by State Highway 73 which traverses the top of the dam with its guiderail system that raised the PMF.

In developing the most cost effective solution for the Authority, SSM evaluated several technologies and their subsequent costs or risks in addition to RCC including:  articulated concrete block, 1,000 linear feet of culvert beneath Route 73, dam height reduction, a parapet wall option and a hardened artificial turf like system. Stability analysis, geotechnical investigations, environmental assessments, underwater dam inspections, and geophysical and hydrogeological studies were included with the Design Concept.

LAKE ONTELAUNEE | READING AREA WATER AUTHORITY

Multi-Disciplined, Indefinite Delivery Contract

WASHINGTON CROSSING | PA HISTORICAL MUSEUM COMMISSION

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum CommissionWashington Crossing Historic Park

Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Pidcock Creek Stone Bridge | prepared design plans and technical specifications for the construction requirements, including site excavation and backfill, grading, gabion installation, bridge deck repairs and paving, stormwater conveyance, and significant amount of masonry repairs.  

Repairs to Dam #1 | Prepared drawings and specifications. Repairs included the rebuilding of sections of the stone and concrete dam crest, the replacement of the valve on the outlet pipe, the removal of sediment deposited in the vicinity of the inlet gate; and stream bank stabilization.

Repairs to Canal Bridge | Prepared and submitted a Pa DEP General Permit #11, including the permit application and meetings with Pa DEP. Prepared design plans for the re-construction of the roadway and bridge including plan and profile designs and grading.

Heritage Trail | Coordinated with the Delaware and Lehigh Heritage Corridor and the Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve to replace a stone trail to connect the Delaware Canal to the Thomson Neely Grist Mill. Conducted a topographical survey of the area and designed a conceptual alignment of the redesigned trail to meet ADA/ABA accessibility standards. The alignment of the revised design, situation behind the mill, also provided a lower impact on the historic significance on the site.

Wastewater Treatment, Collection and Management | Obtained the PA DEP NPDES permit renewal and provided recommendations for equipment/process rehabilitation and/or replacement required to resume operations and discharge at the Lower Park Wastewater Treatment Plant. Provided recommendations and cost estimates for repairs, replacement, and improvements.

Lumber Museum, Galeton PA | Sewage System Evaluation and Design | Evaluated alternative methods of wastewater disposal. The methods were (1) to collect the wastewater and treat on-site by equalization storage, septic tanks with effluent filter, followed by a drip irrigation method of soil absorption, including further filtration and distribution to woodland soils, and (2) collect the wastewater, and pump it to the Denton Hill facility located across U.S. Route 6, and Nine-Mile Run stream. SSM subsequently designed a drip irrigation wastewater system as an alternative to the inadequate system. The process involved land surveying, preparing drawings and specifications for the preliminary and final designs, securing permits, providing bidding assistance, and overseeing construction services.

Valley of Concentration | Well Replacement | SSM located well site located, coordinated well drilling activities with Upper Makefield Township Department of Code Enforcement and the well driller, collected hydrogeologic data during drilling, and collection and reporting of water level data collection for PA DEP permit application.