Project Sponsor: SETDD, Etowah
Team Members: Matthew Lyons (lead), Cory Newman, Aaron Bott, Garrett Webb
The City of Etowah, which was originally built on wetlands, had its current stormwater infrastructure designed in 1906 by the L&N Railroad Company. Over the next 100 years the town’s population has grown to 3,500 and has had very few improvements to the current infrastructure.
As it currently stands the town has two streams that captures nearly all of the runoff and these eventually flow into four underground box culverts that merge together into one box before emptying into the main branch of Cane Creek. The combination of aging infrastructure combined with population growth and development of the region has increased the occurrence and continued risk of flooding to downtown Etowah.
The challenges of this projects are immense and solutions will require a long-term plan. The design team has performed hydrological analyses for various options for improvement of the stormwater infrastructure for the city of Etowah. The alternative solutions are supported with cost estimates with the intention that the city can evaluate the funding options possible for the various improvement recommendations and select projects with the greatest impact on the system, mindful of greatest opportunities for funded support.
Project Sponsor: UT Alumnus
Team Members: Drew Templeton (lead), Davis Culpepper, Aston Hutchison, Luke Carman
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), 36.5% of United States households own a dog, which indicates that there is a need for dog leashes in order to protect the public welfare and provide a means of restraint for dog owners. There are many different dog leash designs with different styles of restraint that can be used for a wide variety of applications.
The slip-style dog leash, designed by Kevin Human, is composed of a BioThane cord, 10-pound test fishing line, and 3:1 heat shrink wrap. There are no metal components to this leash, and all three of the materials that make up the leash are waterproof. Human believes his prototype is the only slip-style leash that is fully waterproof and does not have metal components. His slip-style dog leash serves as a means of restraint for dog owners that participate in Dock Dogs competitions and service dog ownership, while also being available to all dog owners. He believes that his dog leash is perfect for various applications due to its simple design and waterproof characteristics.
The client requested testing and analysis of the leash to better understand the strength qualities of the leash designed. The team performed a series of tesnile tests, with specific effort necessary to design the testing approach as standard ASTM-style test protocols do not currently exist. The team performed regression analysis to better quantify the relationship between strength and various design parameters. Ultimately, the team shares recommendations for an improved leash design coupled with a testing plan and regression model Human can use to further improve his product.
Project Sponsor: SETDD, TDEC
Team Members: Trey Barrett (lead), Jackson Bogach, Sam Craig and David Young
Marion County, Tennessee is interested in improving the safety of the low-head dam on the Sequatchie River near Ketner’s Mill. This dam creates dangerous currents, which have been responsible for the deaths of four people since 2015, with one death as recent as July of 2018. With safety as the primary concern, the dam must be modified or removed to prevent future injury or death.
Engineering design includes a plan to increase recreation in the area following the dam’s removal. An environmental engineering analysis includes addressing sediment contamination concern and ensures all required information for proper permitting is met. Water resources engineering analysis includes flood-plain mapping to determine if there will be no-rise in floodplain elevation and designing a pumping system for continued mill operation. The construction management analysis includes cost estimation, material quantities, and equipment staging.
Project Sponsor: C2RL
Team Members: Ryan Marine (lead), Nicole Gonzalez, Zach Hubbard, Ryan Johnson, and Jeremiah Roberts
This project requires evaluation of potential land uses for the property in order to develop a reasonable site plan given the location of the property. An economic assessment is necessary to determine whether the proposed site plan is viable based on market research for the surrounding area. Furthermore, engineering services in the areas of transportation, geotechnical, stormwater management, utilities, and construction are required.
Alternative analysis of site plans was performed to determine which plan would best suit the property based on study and client input. For the proposed site plan, LeConte Engineering was responsible for various engineering services. Transportation engineering services include traffic control at site entrances during construction as well as the design of intersections entering the new development and throughout the project site. Geotechnical services include general soil description, design of retaining walls, and an estimate for bearing capacity. Based on rainfall data and land use, stormwater systems were designed to comply with local guidelines. LeConte Engineering also developed a network for utilities that would meet requirements based on the capacity and type of buildings on site. Construction engineering services for the site include cost estimation, earthwork calculations, and a phasing plan.
Documentation of permitting needs and compliance with City of Alcoa parking regulations and other pertinent regulations are included as a part of the general site/civil services for the project. The proposed site plan includes building pad areas, parking, roadways, stormwater systems, and utilities.