Ashville Park Drainage Improvements Phase I - The One with Construction
The Ashville Park Drainage Improvements Phase I is the first of a comprehensive, multi-phased strategy aimed at mitigating recurrent tidal and storm flooding in the Ashville Park Neighborhood in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Addressing the challenges posed by unpredictable wind-driven tides, which operate independently of normal lunar tides, is crucial. These tidal events significantly reduce the dry storage capacity vital for managing large storm events within the system. The City of Virginia Beach conducted prior investigations and analyses of the area to address these issues.
Building upon the findings of previous studies, the Phase I project introduces key enhancements. These include the installation of a new stormwater pump station, retrofits to existing wet ponds, improvements and additions to existing stormwater conveyance systems, elevation of roadways, future replacement of large diameter box culverts, and outfall improvements. The objective is to alleviate the severity and duration of flooding within the Ashville Park Neighborhood and surrounding areas, particularly during 10- and 100-year design storm events.
The project team will touch on a brief history of the project and then elaborate on their approach to getting the project out to bid during the height of COVID and share insights gained from construction, and start-up testing of the pump station.
Author Bio
Brad Vanderwarker, P.E. is a Senior Project Manager for the City of Virginia Beach. He has over 35 years of engineering experience with plans, specifications, and construction administration, and specializes in drainage and stormwater management design. Mr. Vanderwarker became registered as a Professional Engineer in 1990 serving 17 years as a consulting engineer and also served 10 years as a Project Consultant, manufacturing modular precast concrete arch bridges and prefabricated stormwater water quality structures before entering the municipal sector.
Christopher Woods, EIT, is a Civil Engineer in the Virginia Beach office of WSP. Christopher received his Masters and Bachelors of Science in Engineering from Old Dominion University and has over 5 years of experience in site development, utility design, stormwater pump station design, hydraulic and hydrologic analysis, cost estimating, and construction administration.
Jim Novak, PE, is a Lead Consultant in the Virginia Beach office of WSP. Jim received his Bachelors of Science in Engineering from Old Dominion University has over a decade of experience including hydraulic and hydrologic analysis, stormwater pump station design, stormwater improvements and retrofits, and construction administration for both local and international projects.
