An overview of the Kansas City's Green Solutions Pilot Project, by URS Green Solutions, Kansas City.

1. Engineering + Ecology + Creativity
Turning Stormwater Challenges Into
Community Benefits
Kansas City’s Green Solutions Pilot Project
May 2012
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2. Engineering + Ecology + Creativity
Blending Sound Engineering with Ecology
URS Green Solutions Kansas City has helped clients solve problems by integrating
engineering and ecology for decades and has real world, “dirt under the fingernails”
experience in both municipal and industrial applications. Projects have ranged from
bioengineering for streambank restoration to rain gardens for CSO control (below) to
industrial stormwater treatment wetlands.
Thought Leaders
Streambank restoration, bioengineering
Constructed wetland designed to remove
nutrients
Urban Raingarden For CSO Controls
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3. Engineering + Ecology + Creativity
Kansas City’s Green Solutions Pilot Project
The Middle Blue River Green Solutions Pilot Project is using green infrastructure to
reduce CSOs while helping revitalize an urban neighborhood. The project is testing
the technical effectiveness, constructability, and cost-effectiveness of 150 BMPs
retrofitted into a residential and commercial neighborhood. Construction includes
73 raingardens, 39 bioretention gardens, 36 curb extensions, a bioswale, tree planters,
below-grade storage systems, and over 5,000 feet of porous sidewalk.
Turning Problems into Opportunities:
Selecting the Right Solutions for Your Community
Below-grade storage is hidden beneath a rain
garden
Pilot Testing Green Infrastructure for CSO Controls
Stormwater BMPs included in this project were designed to intercept stormwater
before it enters the combined sewer (photo at upper right), providing storage and
Porous sidewalk soaks up stormwater and
infiltration which will reduce runoff to the sewer. BMPs such as porous sidewalk and reduces winter icing
select bioretention gardens also include subsurface storage (a total of 370,000 gallons
throughout the project) which will be released back into the sewer at a controlled
rate.
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4. Engineering + Ecology + Creativity
Kansas City’s Green Solutions Pilot Project
Over 100 raingardens and bioretention gardens were included in the design
throughout the project area. Distributed detention more closely mimics natural
hydrology, promotes infiltration, filters pollutants, and creates attractive streetscapes
in the process.
Raingardens and Bioretention
Bioretention
Raingarden
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5. Engineering + Ecology + Creativity
Kansas City’s Green Solutions Pilot Project
When talking to residents at the neighborhood meetings and help during the
design phase, one common concern raised was speeding through neighborhood
streets. The curb extension design was created to integrate stormwater storage with
traffic calming devices to address specific neighborhood needs. Many of the curb
extensions also contain below-grade storage systems for extra detention volume.
Curb Extensions
Curb extension inlet
Check dam
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6. Engineering + Ecology + Creativity
Kansas City’s Green Solutions Pilot Project
Over 5,000 feet of porous pavement and pavers have been constructed. Porous
sidewalks and gutters are used in this project both to store and convey water.
Materials being tested include porous concrete, pervious pavers, porous street
gutters, and below-grade storage systems beneath the pavements.
Porous Pavements
Storage cubes under porous pavers
Porous gutter conveys stormwater
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7. Engineering + Ecology + Creativity
Stormwater Challenge: Combined Sewer
Overflows
Kansas City’s Green Solutions Pilot Project is pilot testing multiple BMP types and
design variations to select the most reliable and cost-effective approaches for the
Midwest climate, landscape, and soils. The lessons-learned from this project will help
URS select the right approaches for future stormwater retrofits.
Improving BMP Design:
Details Improve Performance
Plant locations and varieties are a key design
detail
Sweating the Details of Green Solutions Design to Improve
Performance and Reduce Maintenance
Small details can make the difference between success and failure in stormwater
Field testing engineered soil for infiltration rates
management BMPs. Preventing erosion, managing sediment, promoting infiltration
through proper bed preparation (photo at upper right), selecting the right plant for
the right place in a rain garden all improve performance, reduce maintenance, and
save headaches. URS Green Solutions Kansas City has built hundreds of BMPs, made a
few mistakes along the way, and improved designs each step of the way to help make
it easier for the next community to invest in green infrastructure.
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8. Engineering + Ecology + Creativity
Kansas City’s Green Solutions Pilot Project
URS Green Solutions, Kansas City is pushing the limits of the green approach to
stormwater management and charting new waters in green design to create a new
generation of cities with sustainable stormwater infrastructure.
Creative Solutions
Custom inlet and trash basket
Address Local Challenges
Project designs were adapted to specific project challenges. The photos above
illustrate: A cascading raingarden on sloped streets; a low profile bioretention Smartdrain underdrain in bioretention bed
underdrain; a custom inlet to keep debris out of storage chambers, and porous street
gutters and sidewalks.
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9. Engineering + Ecology + Creativity
URS Corporation
8300 College Boulevard, Suite 200
Overland Park, Kansas 66210
913.344.1000
913.344.1011 (fax)
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