ENGINEERING
TECHNICAL
FIELD
INFORMATION
TECHNICAL
NOTES
DATA
RETRIEVAL
REPORTS.
TEXTS
0 CURRENT AWARENESS
SYSTEM
Notes
Field
Volume
2
Number
Getting Involved
John
in
1
January 1970
Environmental
Planning
Daly R-8
North-Seeking Gyro Systems
Victor
Hedman
H.
A Nontechnical
and
Pollution
Herbert
S
ýa
Discussion of
Sewage Treatment
Control
Smallwood WO
Culvert Band
Sterling
R-9
J.
Installation
Wilcox
FOREST
Tools
EDC San Dimas
SERVICE
U.S.
DEPARTMENT
OF AGRICULTURE
ENGINEERING FIELD NOTES
This publication is a monthly newsletter published
ideas among Forest Service personnel.
The
is
publication
not
intended
material in the publication
be exclusive
to
Engineering information and
However
for engineers.
and engineering technicians
engineers
all
exchange
to
because
of the
type
of
read each monthly
should
issue.
The publication is distributed from the Washington
Office directly to
and Research
Offices.
Center Station Area Laboratory
Adequate
to provide all who wish a personal
If
copy.
you are not now receiving
would like one
number
the
ask your Office
of copies
sent to
issues are also available
It
is
intended
Service
Field
that
the
Manager
your
from
material
Use form 7100-60
Washington
the
Regional Information
or the
office.
all
Forest Regional
are printed
a personal copy and
copies
Coordinator to increase
purpose.
Copies of back
and can be ordered on form 7100-60.
Office
for this
Field Notes be primarily written
and used by Forest
material from other publications
may be used.
the
in
Engineers however
accom-modate
Note material should always be informative and cannot contain mandatory instructions
The length of an article may vary from several sentences to several typewritten
Material need not-be typed neatly written
or printed is acceptable or edited before
pages.
Field
or policy.
being
This will be done
submitted
to the Washington
Office.
our format and allowable
space.
Each Region
has an Information Coordinator to
and material for publication.
whom
The Coordinators are
Kenneth
R-2
Marshall
R-3
Dan Roper
R-6
R-8
R-9
Fleet
R-10
R-4
R-5
Fox
Stanton
Chuck
WO
Paletti
the
Washington
field personnel
R-1
Yeager
in
Don
should
Office
to
submit both
questions
Loff
Bailey
David Jones
Rollie
Gerald Schauwecker
Norman
Sears
DISCLAIMER
Information contained
in this report has been developed for the guidance of employees of the
its contractors
and its cooperating
Department of Agriculture - Forest Service
Federal and State agencies.
The Department of Agriculture assumes no responsibility for
the interpretation or use of this information by other than its own employees.
U. S.
The use
the
of
reader.
trade
Such
endorsement
be suitable.
or
firm or corporation names
use does not constitute
approval
of any
product
an
is
for the
official
or service
information and convenience
to
of
conclusion
recommendation
the exclusion
of others which may
evaluation
F
GETTING INVOLVED
by John H.
Daly R-8
The
of our
quality
L
E
I
IN
D
N
0
T
E
S
ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING
environment has come more and more under
Pressure from a more informed public has led
public scrutiny.
the extensive use of the design team concept in the
diversified and extensive engineering problems.
With
the
this idea in
concept
mind
of an ideal
the
R-8
Division
design team.
of
solutions
of
to
many
Engineering developed
an endeavor
They envisioned
in the Forest Service.
disciplines
encompassing many
held
to
a
true
A 4-day seminar was
inter-disciplinary approach
promote
toward creating and projecting the design team concept in the Forest
of the various
informa-tion
Service.
Participants
architect
hydrologist
-- other than
biologist and
--
engineers
ranged from forester
soil scientist to public
specialist.
The main purpose of the seminar was to bring these varied disciplines
of each
and capabilities
together create an awareness of the functions
them
planning
problems and challenges of environmental
in
the
and
together
analysis
design team concept
participate
field problems.
and solution of two existing environmental
motivate
and
to the
the
dis-cussion
seminar was a new approach to planning and guest
lecturers provided 6 hours of informative and thought-provoking
on diverse aspects of ecology pollution and other factors
These guest lecturers were as varied in
our environment.
affecting
The theme
of this
backgrounds
career
The guest lecturers
as
were
the
Forest Service
participants.
were
Eugene P. Odum -- Director Institute of Ecology University
Georgia a delegate to the first Atoms for Peace Conference
and Georgias Scientist of the Year in 1968 considered by many as
one of the worlds foremost ecologists.
Dr.
of
out-standing
Jr. -- Professor of Civil Engineering
William W. Eckenfelder
Environmental Health Engineering University of Texas
Dr.
in
consultant and
field and author of over
treatment of wastes.
researcher
100 papers
in the
sanitary engineering
and nine books on the
biological
Frome
Mr. Michael
One of the countrys leading authoris on
conservation winner of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial
Award and columnist for the American Forests and Field and
--
travel and
Stream magazines. Mr. Frome recently
Orville L. Freeman a book entitled The
co-authoried with
National Forests
of
America.
Mr.
William
Moorehead
R.
Kidd
and president of
Florida. Mr. Kidd has
-- Consulting engineer
Engineering
Company Ocala
--all
capa-bilities
been responsible for several major recreational projects in Florida
Under former
including the redevelopment of Rainbow Springs.
Florida Governor Farris Bryant Mr. Kidd served as
Administra-tive
Assistant responsible
recreational
programs
for the
for the
development
State
Many Forest Service participants presented
ranged from road design and waste disposal
with the intention
how
and
these capabilities
After the lectures
brief talks.
to
an awareness
of creating
fit
into
of conservation
and
of Florida.
Subject matter
timber management
each disciplines
of
environmental
planning.
were completed the last phase of the
seminar began.
Four
Participants were grouped into design teams.
teams of 10 participants each were established.
Two of the teams were
made up of engineers only the other two teams consisted of all
The environmental
attending the meeting.
planning problems at the
Cradle of Forestry were outlined for the teams and field work was
and
speeches
discip-lines
to-pography
arranged so
that
gather
each team could
existing
Forest Service personnel
all
data
each project problem inspect
discuss the proposed project with both
citizens.
After the field exercise
visit
and
and local
met
separately for approximately 3 hours to discuss and
each project and to develop action plans supporting the views
groups
pro-posed
analyze
ideas of each group.
The
last
day each design team presented
solution.
was
evident to
At this presentation
all.
The teams composed
problem analysis and
to all engineering
and
to the
the
solution
in the
scientific
its
and useful
life.
2
of the
seminar
went about
and technical
the
way common
Their technological approach
as a base and cost as the
problems used engineering sciences
Their solution was design-oriented
capacity
main purpose
of only engineers
analytical
criteria.
as size cost
problem analysis and
one
disciplines.
and
-- pointing
out
such factors
The teams composed
proved several things.
Their varied backgrounds provided different ideas rational objectives
and consideration of different alternatives.
These objectives and their
alternatives involved decisions not only on what to design but why
and
social
of dissimilar occupations
economic
ecological and
esthetic
factors as well.
The comparisons between these teams pointed out the need and advantages
of the inter-disciplinary approach to the problem-solving process in
environmental planning. This broad approach forces the planner and
designer
how
to seek
to plan
and
most
out the
build
--
their
design decisions.
This
seminar was
favorable and
and then how
to
not the
incorporate
maximum
solution
these answers
on
into
multi-disciplinary
de-parted
insight
The participants gained not only
success.
but
also
motivation to use the
special problems
in
these
concept
solving
problems. The participants
into
a great
with a noticeable eagerness
Victor H.
The
involved.
Hedman R-9
June 1969
introduced
of the
get
GYRO SYSTEMS
NORTH-SEEKING
By
to
the
Volume 1 Number
North-Seeking
a follow-up
2
issue of the Field Notes
Eastern Regions
plans for actual field use
This is
Gyro System for surveying.
on the project.
in-cluded
orienta-tion
In
September 1969
the
Eastern Region
TK-4 North-Seeking Gyro under
initiated the
use
of the
Fennel
field conditions on a cadastral
survey
photogrammetric project in northern Minnesota.
Project planning
the use of the north-seeking gyro to determine precise
control in restoring and
establishing land corners
from ground
pro-ject
targets.
of the gyro prior to field use indicated that precise
testing
orientation requirements can be accomplished with this instrument.
The unknown to be determined was the performance over the entire
Preliminary
requiring orientation control
from 70
targets.
transit-traverse
The
initial
phases
from ground
of the project permitted
a
check on gyro orientation
targets by comparison with independent
control lines.
Good results were obtained.
3
offsets
from
less than 10 percent of the project was completed when
occurred in the power source.
For reasons unknown the
nickel-cadmium battery in a special metal housing burned and
Unfortunately
disinte-grated
a failure
sack while being carried to the next target location.
new battery a malfunction was detected in the
backpack
in a
After replacement with a
performance
of the
gyro.
A preliminaryshop
inspection of the gyro by the authorized company
and a testing of the power source pointed to an internal gyro
The gyro has been returned to the Fennel Company for a complete
dealer
defect.
check.
re-scheduled
An
insufficient
the range
of
number
of readings
The
performance.
were made with
test on
We
for next field
a
the
gyro to establish
complete project
is
now
season.
expect
performance
results under a variety of conditions.
Generally we are well satisfied
with the results attained but will be alert to performance failures and
the reasons
Because
promised you
end
to provide
for them.
of the
until the
it
with the
problem encountered
in the
June 1969
of the next
field
gyro
our
issue of the Field Notes
complete
season.
A NONTECHNICAL
DISCUSSION OF SEWAGE TREATMENT
POLLUTION CONTROL
by Herbert Smallwood
Why
cant we
report
will be delayed
AND
WO
kind of sewage treatment and use it at all
question is asked so frequently of sanitary engineers
merits serious attention.
Any direct answer will be inadequate
settle on one
in-fluences
of our
that
it
sites
because
This
will exclude
it
which are
from consideration many
vital to an understanding
of the
of the
bordering
problem.
These
may
In fact the lack of
require considerable
study or investigation.
data concerning the quantity
and
quality
periods of sewage flow
is one of the greatest handicaps
we have in designing efficient treatment
facilities for the Forest Service.
We have hopes of undertaking a project
basic
to satisfy
this
need
in the
near
future.
considerations affecting the design are exactly the same as though we
had all the needed data but they cannot be treated as rigorously.
Thus
the designer is far from assured that the result meets the objectives in
The
4
2
3
4
environ-mental
an optimal manner.
quality standards
effluent
1
designer are
economics and
Matters which concern
quality
the
Water
re-quires
influence.
Water
The maintenance of specified water quality
Quality Standards.
standards for a stream into which an effluent is being discharged
knowledge of the quality and
effluent.
Aside from practicality
a
the
and
match
be for the quality of the effluent
This is hardly possible.
to
Since
in the
there will be a difference
cost
the
stream and
of both the
quantity
the
ideal
quality of the
stream.
sources
two
of the
quality
would
situation
the
measure-ment
arises where
question
will the resultant characteristics be
measured
the point must be after complete mixing has occurred
Practically
If the
before a change in characteristics would be significant.
made
is
prior to complete mixing a representative
and the results are certain to be misleading.
be obtained
To
this extent
the setting
of effluent
standards
is
more
sample
rational
and
will not
and
The latter is
equitable than the setting of water quality standards.
less difficult and puts the responsibility for maintaining the water quality
In establishing water quality standards the
upon the discharger.
estab-lishing
agency
We
saying
on water quality
is
discharges
maintain the quality of the
writing
a
performance
dont know
but
is the
it
the
dischargers
receiving waters.
as
specification
of multiple effluent
effect
It is
opposed
responsibilityto
very comparable
to the
recipe
to
approach.
paradoxical that water quality standards have received so much
and yet
by the Federal Government and by the various States
the selection of an appropriate waste water treatment design to meet the
It
is
attention
largely intuitional for all but the larger installations.
data and a computational
approach are needed to replace intuition.
standards
Basic
is
general design considerations previously mentioned there
are certain characteristics which can be expected of the effluents of
various sewage treatment processes.
Lagoons aerobic complete mix
Within
the
sus-pended
sus-pended
mix lagoons can be expected to yield high
from the latter two are easier to remove.
those
although
Extended aeration and contact stabilization can normally remove 85-95
and the
percent -- both 5-day biochemical
oxygen demand
and aerated
incomplete
solids
solids.
flows both
in the
To
of these
clarifier
achieve
BOD5
this level
of solids
removal with our variable
processes require careful consideration
solids
removal
of
peak flows
design.
Effluent Quality
Factors influencing the quality of the effluent are the
The
and
quality of the influent and the treatment given it.
quantity
quantity and
quality
in turn are
determined by
5
the
kind of
use
the
pro-cess
numbers of people and
It is necessary that the
pattern of use.
be established prior to deciding upon the
the time
ultimate plan of development
waste treatment design. The treatment given is determined by the
which is a design matter and by the skill or application of the
The major portion of the designers objectives
skills of the operator.
un-skilled
can
wasted
be defeated and the investment
if
the
operator is either
to the detriment of the
or burdened with other responsibilities
operation.
plant
Adminis-tration
the usual
Unfortunately
terms
for plant performance is stated
The Federal Water Pollution Control
specification
removal.
of percent
in
per-formance
now
defines the criteria
secondary treatment or its equivalent
BOD5 and suspended solids. Used in this
of
as 85 percent removal of both
sense as a criteria of performance
against capability
quality it leaves
of effluent
and
it
quantity
is
not
define
to
a
removal
percent
term
match
As a measure
meaningful.
is
much to be desired
As a measure of
mentioned.
or
to
since the influent
quality
on water quality
influence
meaningless.
is
Since
influent
mentioned
is not
quality
must be
other design criteria
To
in relation
to treatment
flexible to discount
sufficiently
efficiency
its
effects.
set required detention time
help accomplish this most State agencies
which is a direct measure of the physical size of the plant at the greatest
For the sake of economy we need better criteria.
possible period.
Economics
With the
and remaining to be
effort to
choice
assure
produce
to
represents
operational
foregone
There
It
is
that
the
the
installed
each
it
is
installation
needed
optimum
cost
numbers of sewage
large
quality
total cost
interest
treatment
most important
that
facilities being
we make every
represents the most economical
of effluent.
The economical choice
after
consideration
depreciation
land cost
of
and
initial
the
investment
cost of any
opportunity.
many
are
making an economic choice of treatment systems.
overestimate
or underestimate operation and maintenance
pitfalls in
very easy to
As an example earth lagoons are
con-struction
costs.
than holes
a
in the
very low
initial
When
ground.
investment.
lagoons can be
left
constructed
in this
manner
as hardly
more
they represent
misconception that after
themselves.
As a result
by
operate
It
to
often
constructed
is
a great
they
Yet for proper
maintenance such as
load-ing
in both operation and
are usually neglected
continued functioning
and
seeding
fertilizing
maintenance.
earth lagoons require dike
of long rooted plants and protection
removal
against
burrowing animals.
They also require removal of bottom growing plants
or maintenance of the lining if any operational control according to
and
volume skimming removal
of algae deposits on the
6
banks
and sludge mats control of
up and dispersal of floating algae
midges gnats and flies and occasional control
mosquitoes psychoda
breaking
of algae
growth.
too narrow a
to consider
pitfalls include the tendency
to undertake
of alternatives and the reluctance
stage construction.
Other economic
range
consider the case of a highly variable
an example of alternatives
flow.
Possible alternatives may include parallel or multiple-chambered
extended aeration plants a convertible extended aeration-contact
As
stabili-zation
unit an aerobic or aerated lagoon or combination of both followed
by solids removal an oxidation ditch inclusion of a surge tank and
under some circumstances batch operation as opposed to continuous flow.
The advantages
of stage construction
are obvious
when
it
is
associated
but less apparent
advantage
with increasing use or development
when the needed degree of treatment is unknown. An example of this
need frequently occurs when an intuitive design is either proposed by
is the
problem-atic
some degree of
or requested by another authority to achieve
removal
is
the
need
for
the
nutrient
nutrient removal.
Usually
nutrient
contribution nor its
in the sense that neither the specific
ourselves
sources has been evaluated either in
relationship to other nutrient
amount or impact.
Therefore. a design which incorporates nutrient
Under these conditions
removal without this evaluation is intuitive.
the first step of which would not
better to adopt a stage approach
include the nutrient removal phase.
Subsequent monitoring would then
of
for
the second stage.
establish the need or the lack
it
it
is
be recognized that dollars used in building too much plant
too little plant detract from the progress of the overall effort.
It
must
or
Another economic aspect is the reduction of either initial investment or
maintenance costs through layout and design features which reduce the
extent of the facility or the man-hours required for operation or
The latter
incur additional initial costs which have to be
main-tenance.
included
may
in the
economic
appraisal to determine their actual worth.
Most of our concerns with the relationship
and
the environment have been directed toward
between sewage disposal
the impact of one upon the other.
Once the effluent quality needs have
been cared for surely we then have the engineering and architectural
ingenuity to prevent the method of disposal from creating an undesirable
environment.
Environmental Influences
Engineers generally regard their productions somewhat paternally.
Such paternalism should extend to insistence upon appropriate settings
to make
external presentations
in the case of treatment facilities
them compatible with their surroundings. This is simple salesmanship.
and
7
Another aspect of the relationship however is the impact of the
environment upon the treatment facility.
This may have considerable
economic as well as esthetic importance.
Environmental factors
may
eliminate
some
will influence the
alternatives for treatment and certainly
These
particular design which is undertaken.
of the
factors include soil geology and topography wind direction
strength
and duration sunlight and temperature water table characteristics
surface drainage ground cover and area development
humidity and
precipitation.
cost-wise
One
of the
fallacies
we embrace
facility be
selected
on the basis of economic
facility is only one
it
is
appraisal
end
of a
is
the notion that
only the treatment
appraisal.
Yet
this
system within
a system.
Perhaps
are
part.
truly cost-conscious any
will extend to the collection
system water system the
even
a
minor
If
we
waste collection and disposal and the development of the area
These should all be treated as parts of a single unit for
serving people influencing and influenced by the same environment
and subject to the same cost considerations.
It is not reasonable
solid
served.
develop-ment
that physical
esthetics
arrangement
and independent
is
entirely
of cost.
upon topography and
arrangement of the
dependent
Thus
the
dis-posal
ex-pected
should not be considered
and services.
separately
from the arrangement
of
its utilities
Granted
that
and adequate
sewage collection treatment and
are necessary
these efforts cannot in themselves
be
to control water pollution
in water-oriented
recreation areas.
safe
The pollutants reaching the water body even from a faulty sewage
system may be only a small portion of that contributed by surface
runoff from use areas from meadows and pastures by human and
animal litter from construction and maintenance
and by seasonal
run-off
We should not be surprised
drainage of otherwise
stagnant areas.
see continued algae bloom after the installation of an expensive
sewage system if we have not invoked
an area policing program
used ditch and area sweeping provided for dispersal of surface
stabilized
In spite
ground surfaces
of all this
pollution
to
and drained adjacent land areas.
and
eutrophication will continue in
The only sensible course is to
some
degree.
People mean pollution.
establish an effective
continuing water monitoring system at every
valuable recreation water to measure the progress of our impacts
and
to devise
counter
measures
to offset
8
them.
CULVERT BAND INSTALLATION TOOLS
by Sterling
J.
Wilcox
EDC
San Dimas
methods are presently being used to aid in installing
connecting bands on corrugated metal pipe culverts.
Asphalt coatings
make the bands especially tough to squeeze together in order to
In addition to safety hazards skinned
insert the bolts for fastening.
Several
knuckles
Two
our
etc
present
available devices
attention.
by the Fowler
South
The
which seem
first is called
Nebraska
to
quite
work
time-consuming.
quite well
68776
50 plus freight.
S
1
Fes
Yi
r
y
have come to
manufactured
Ban-Squeeze
Route 1 Crystal Lake
It is
Phone 402-494-3555.
the
Company
Manufacturing
Sioux City
priced at $42.
methods are
k-1
ý
9
00
wT
7
J
connector can be used on various types and sizes of bands.
One problem with it is that on coated bands it is difficult to insert
the clamp between the angle iron and the corrugations if this area
is filled with bituminous
material.
We welded an additional tooth
on the arm which enabled us to use the tool on 18-inch culverts and
draw the band tighter.
This
707-255-4655.
The
second
device
Enterprises P.
O.
is
a smaller tool
Box 2612 Napa
manufactured by Hatcher
California 94558
Phone
priced
$27. 50 FOB destination.
Price includes a
culvert
spreader tool used to loosen bands when disassembling
It
is
at
sections.
10
ý
cM
i
9b
3.
ýA
1r
Z
r
f
4
f
IA9
II
also be used on various types and sizes of bands.
well
on bands with angle iron connector brackets.
especially
It attaches
in the bolt holes rather than between the bracket
and
corrugations as does the Fowler device.
This
It
connector
can
works
Additional
from the
sources
for these
of supply
EDITORS
We have
received
requests
may
be available
EPITOME
for the
chart
Costs
Air
Power Requirements for Aerating Sewage
printed
an article in December 1969 Volume 1 Number 7
and
in
devices
manufacturer.
Field Notes.
limited
WO
The
number
National Engineers
the
theme
the 1970s.
is
Division
of glossy prints
Week
Engineering
This
is a
is
of Engineering
has a
of this chart.
February 22-28 1970 and
Environmental Design for
good opportunity
to
prepare displays
or Supervisors Office as the
case may be.
Lets not miss this chance to project to
the public the role of the Forest Service Engineer in
planning and design within the rural environment.
Let
for
your Regional
Office
your imagination be your guide
12