On June 6th, three Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering Senior Design teams were selected to showcase their projects at the 2013 College of Engineering Senior Design recognition. These teams were recognized for outstanding final projects, which resulted from in a year of rigorous research, project management and group work. Each of the three groups represented a different concentration: Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering.
Environmental Engineering seniors Luke Campbell, Kinman Leung, Nahjan Nordin, and Jim Pagel , advised by Dr. Charles Haas, represented their project to design a Net Zero Energy Wastewater Treatment Plant for the City of Philadelphia. This project addresses the need to increase energy efficiency of existing wastewater treatment plants. The reactor used for this treatment plant is an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB). The UASB is a high rate reactor because of its ability to retain biomass; it has a high treatment capacity and requires low space requirement. It utilizes an anaerobic process to release biogas, which can then be captured for energy production. The particular project results in annual net positive energy of 20 million kWh, therefore satisfying the team’s net positive energy goal.
CAEE seniors, Ece Koch, Greg Potens, Mike Sohanic, and Dan Taylor, advised by Professor James Mitchell, presented their project entitled: Rail to Retail – A Repurposing of the Pennsylvania Avenue Subway. The group has renovated and repurposed the Pennsylvania Avenue Subway tunnel into a walking retail mall. This tunnel, built in 1897, supports Pennsylvania Avenue in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia. The mall will run from the Philadelphia Museum of Art underground to a plaza opening located at the Rodin Museum at 21st and Hamilton Streets. The sub-grade plaza area has been repurposed into a cafe and stage. The group has implemented 20 retail shops in the tunnel totaling 31,350 square feet of retail space. The group has performed all of the major engineering for the structural, mechanical, plumbing, fire protection, traffic control, and electrical systems, as well as the architectural needs.
CAEE seniors, John Braley, Angelo Faia, Christine Kerner, Douglas Wentzel, advised by Dr. Frank Moon, presented their project entitled: Renovation & Expansion of Towers Hall Dormitory. The team evaluated Drexel’s current residential housing facilities for the purpose of selecting a dormitory to be renovated and expanded. The team decided to address Towers Hall dormitory at 34th and Arch Streets. The team recommended the existing interior of Towers Hall be gutted and renovated, the building envelope be removed and replaced with one in line with Drexel’s modern aesthetics, and a large addition be added that wraps from the northeast to southwest corners of the structure, utilizing curved building faces. These renovation efforts will increase the building square footage by 105% and the number of beds by 64% and will remain consistent with Drexel’s Strategic plan to satisfy both the condition and amount of on-campus housing. Many sustainable design elements for both the mechanical systems and the surrounding exterior site design will be implemented.