Monthly Archives: January 2009

Stimulus Money Won’t Stimulate?

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I am disappointed to have to write this blog post but wanted to make sure others were aware of what is happening due to the language of the Recovery Bill with respect to road construction. So far, from what I have been told by DOT employees, the only roads that will be eligible to receive funding from this legislation will be Federal Aid routes. And those road projects will only receive funding if they were already programmed for construction and already have an approved project development report, an approved set of plans and specifications, and are on the April letting (if they are in Illinois).

This means that the only local roads eligible to receive this funding are local roads that were going to be built anyway with federal funds and a small portion of local funds. So how is the Recovery legislation funding going to help out immediately in this case? These local roads were going to be built anyway. This is significant because this means that the money from this legislation is not generating new jobs or new work. It is paying for jobs and work that would have been created and paid for anyway. And the small portion of local funds that are saved are not enough to make a major impact on job creation.

As an engineer who has been working in the civil engineering/public works field for 25+ years, I know I can get a significant road project for my community out to bid in a month or two depending on the extent of the reconstruction. However, this is only true if the roadway is not a Federal Aid highway because the process for getting a project out using that funding mechanism is lengthy and time consuming due to policies and regulations.

Now I also realize they are talking about another wave of funding, but that won’t happen immediately either, and again, local governments will not be able to prepare projects fast enough if they have to use the federal aid funding process.

I guess I had thought the desperate economic situation was going to allow our Federal government to actually award local governments the funds they need to rebuild their infrastructure without having to impose all these policies and regulations since the need to put people to work was professed to be the first and foremost concern. Now, I realize that this program, like so many that have been passed before is just throwing money out the door without really thinking about the mechanism and results.

Looking back what really should have been done to make this work would have been first to meet with local government people who understand how projects are designed, bid out, and constructed, and get input on the most efficient and practical method to get jobs out and put people to work. Unfortunately this does not seem to have happened, and now we are faced with not being able to receive significant funds to make much of a difference – at least at the local level.

I don’t have much insight on the other funding programs in the Recovery Bill other than the water and wastewater sections, and in those areas, they are talking about loans and only a portion of grants to local government so again, I am not sure there will be a significant impact. These projects were going forward anyway with local funds, and since the federal money will only be a loan, these local funds will have to go to pay off the loan and will not be freed up to go towards other projects.

With the Senate yet to make a decision, I suppose there is still a chance to fix this, but I have not seen any signs that the Senate will address this aspect of the Recovery Bill. I still believe that spending money on public works projects would significantly stimulate the economy, but first we have to have projects chosen and eligible for funding. And from down here in local government, I am very sorry to say the Recovery Bill does not appear to be focused on granting eligibility to all local projects that are sitting on the shelf ready to go to bid. Hopefully the Federal and State projects will be enough to make a difference.

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Frozen Meters Exposed – Don’t Try This at Home

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A water meter usually sits in a basement or crawlspace off in a corner, forgotten, and often ignored. But when temperatures start to dip below 0° F, and the water in the meter freezes because no one thought to keep their meter nice and toasty warm, this water measuring device starts to get a little recognition. Unfortunately for our city, we have had several water meters freeze and break this season. So the other day, T.J., our Neptune water meter sales guy, showed up to bestow some of his water meter wisdom upon us. I found this information fascinating since up to now no one had ever explained to me how meters respond when frozen. Thinking there might be others interested in frozen water meters (I know it’s a long shot), I decided to share what I learned with all of you.

Cracked Frost Plate on Water MeterHere is a photo of a water meter that has been turned upside down so you can see the black plate attached to the bottom. When water inside this meter freezes it expands exerting pressure on the top and bottom of the meter base. To relieve this pressure, this black plate, or frost plate, cracks because it is manufactured to fail at a lower pressure than the meter base casting. In this photo you can see the crack running across the plate (the black arrow has been added to highlight the location of the crack lying below).

Meter with Cracked Frost PlateIf you take off the frost plate by unscrewing the connectors, you will find a plastic cap as shown in this photo. This plastic cap is designed to bend and transfer the pressure from the frozen water to the frost plate.
Plastic Cap Removed
Removing the plastic disc reveals another plastic component. By looking closely, you can also see the gasket that lies between the meter and the plastic disc. Screen Lifted
In order to remove this black plastic piece, you need to pull up on a white, plastic screen lying inside the meter between this black piece and the inlet of the meter. This photo shows the screen partially removed.

Water Meter PartsIn these next two photos, I have removed all of the internal parts and laid them out. Remember, don’t try this at home! In the one photo, you can see a small portion of the chamber inside the black plastic piece. Water Meter PartsThis is where the water flows causing a disc inside to move, or “nutate.” This movement causes the magnet (the small disc attached to the black, plastic piece on the right side) to register the measurement with the reading device attached to the top of the meter.

And just to be sure I had the whole thing torn apart, I opened up the black plastic piece. Here you can see the little disc still lying inside the piece on the right. Nutating DiscThe piece on the left rotates or nutates along this disc. This movement is actually what is used to measure the amount of water flowing through the meter.

So what is the point of all this, other than I got to tear apart a meter? Well, I learned about the frost plate and its purpose. I also learned that if the frost plate breaks as designed, and all these internal parts appear to be ok, then we can just purchase a frost plate and put the meter back together. We could also just purchase the internal parts and a new frost plate, then put the meter back together. Both options are cheaper than buying a whole new meter. However, if the meter base breaks instead of the frost plate, this is a defect in the manufacturing process, and we can get a new and free meter from the supplier.

But the bottom line is to try to prevent the meter from freezing in the first place. This can be done by making sure the area around the meter is adequately heated. If this is not possible, then heat tape can be installed on the piping and meter or in conjunction with insulation around the meter.

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Reaction Grid: Building Community, Nurturing Business, and Throwing Tomatoes

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3-D Digital Aerator for Sewage LagoonBack in 2006, I decided to join and explore the Second Life community in order to find out how it could help me as an engineer. I was also interested in finding out how it could help promote our community. As I became more involved, I realized there was even more potential to virtual worlds than I had imagined. Over the years, I eventually saw more ideas and uses emerge.

However, the main community of Second Life is not there in order to develop engineering uses for this technology. And while there are some isolated examples of people using Second Life for serious business and there are many education-based communities, there still is not a large, organized community for developing engineering-related tools in-world.

Another challenge for me has been that Linden Lab, the company behind Second Life, does not appear to be focused on the use of their technology for engineering-related work. Many have asked for the capability to import/export CAD drawings and have received little to no support. Linden Lab also seems to waver and change their terms of service a lot making it difficult for people to make commitments for its use as a design or operating platform.

I had hoped that all of this would eventually develop, but instead what seems to have happened is that a group has migrated from Second Life Reaction Grid Welcome Areaover to another “grid” or virtual world called Reaction Grid. I knew the members of this group were more focused on the use of virtual worlds for business and engineering so I visited. Now I am hopeful that I have finally found the grid I had been searching for to help me focus on the engineering and business aspects of virtual worlds.

Not only are most of the residents of this grid very intent on using virtual worlds to enhance business, but the people running the grid are interested and involved in the projects that their residents are developing and working on. They are also involved in helping all of us better understand the technology behind virtual worlds.

I think this involvement in community, which is somewhat opposite of the hands-off approach of the Second Life grid, is important for several reasons. First, if we are to leverage this technology for our work, we need to have a good understanding of how it works and its capabilities. I like that the people running the grid have invested in hosting events and classes to help us in this endeavor because I think the faster everyone learns the technology, the faster the grid will develop.

Second, what this does is encourage more residents to also get involved in helping to move development forward, not only with their own projects, but with the grid as a whole. I think the ThinkBalm Innovation Community site ThinkBalm Site on Reaction Gridon Reaction Grid is indicative of this commitment to community. This group, which is dedicated to advancement of the Immersive Internet, is based on the collaboration and sharing of ideas.

Next, some of us who are interested in using virtual worlds do not have all the skills necessary to completely develop our own projects. Working within a grid that promotes involvement makes it much easier to find others who might be willing to help.

I recently had an experience that illustrates this: In an effort to show others in my field the benefits of virtual worlds, I have been trying to set up a simple 3-D SCADA. I know it can be done, I am convinced that this is where our operating technology will soon be for our water and wastewater plants, and I know it is something to which everyone in my field could immediately relate. But trying to find a programmer in Second Life who understood what I was talking about and who was willing to do this was impossible.

3-D Fuel Facility in Reaction GridHowever, over on Reaction Grid, there were several who immediately knew what I was trying to accomplish. The owner even built a demonstration project on the grid showing how a fuel facility could monitor fuel levels and then notify operations when the tanks needed to be refilled. Now I finally feel there might be a chance I will one day help introduce virtual worlds to engineers and operators using a 3-D SCADA demonstration.

One other attraction for me has been the approach that Reaction Grid has taken to building a grid. Instead of buying land and paying tier (tax) as we do in Second Life, on Reaction Grid, you can pay to host a sim which reminds me much more of how Websites are hosted and set up. That seems like a much more viable and long-term business solution for the creation and hosting of virtual worlds. Particularly now that the hypergrid technology has been implemented. Second Life is now a walled garden that you cannot leave while these other grids allow you to move from grid to grid just like we do between Websites.

Aside from all this business, I do have to admit, there is also an element of fun to virtual worlds that increases their appeal. And attending interesting virtual events does help to further connections and community. I think Second Life has a lot to offer along these lines, and even though Reaction Grid is more focused on business, they also incorporate Fright Night on Reaction Gridinteresting builds and fun events. One of the most entertaining events on the grid has been Fright Night – an event that is set up like a drive-in movie theater where we watch great, old, creepy shows and throw tomatoes at the screen. I know that is where I will try to be every Saturday night. And whether you are interested in developing an engineering project or throwing tomatoes at a movie screen, Reaction Grid seems to be the place to be.

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Your Social Media Journey Begins Here

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So how many times have you tried to convince your friends and colleagues that they should be on Twitter or LinkedIn? Are you the person making the rounds in your office showing everyone Second Life and trying to convince them of the benefits of virtual worlds. I know I am one of those people shouting the benefits of Web 2.0 from the rooftops. And I share in everyone’s frustration because even though people seem to understand and “get it,” they never make that final step to actually join.

One day, I showed a vendor some social media tools, and he seemed very interested in using them. But I sensed some hesitation, so I asked, “If everyone understands these tools and is interested in using them, why don’t they?” And his response was, “I just don’t know how.”

Your Social Media Journey Begins Here


That simple response said a lot. So I changed my plan of attack from demonstrating the tools to establishing a road map of how to get started. The result of that was this document: Your Social Media Journey Begins Here. I am releasing it in Beta form since I am sure there are still some mistakes in it, and I am sure it could use some tweaking. So if you want, take it, give it to your friends, test it out. Let me know how it goes. I probably should mention that it is targeted at people working in government, engineering, and public works.

(For those of you who would rather read the document in digital book form, click here.)

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Stimulus Package Status Report

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If your community is like ours, you have received very little information about the much publicized economic stimulus package currently under consideration by our legislators and President-elect Obama. For a small town, this is frustrating because if this does happen, the opportunity will be a once-in-a-lifetime deal. So we sit on the edge of our seats anxious for news about what is going down.

Fortunately James G. McConnell, an attorney in Chicago, seems to be closely following this issue, and we have started receiving frequent “info-alerts” from him. Because some of you might be in a situation similar to ours, I wanted to pass along his name and link to his blog, Construction Law Developments, so you too can at least have access to some information.

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