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Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) is a maintenance strategy that is a key component of a world-class asset management program. Organizations implement RCM to increase equipment reliability and safety while reducing maintenance costs by performing planned and scheduled maintenance tasks based on equipment criteria. While implementing RCM may sound simple in theory, in reality, an RCM program is only as good as data used to drive the program. Furthermore, the quality of your data is highly dependent on the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) and underlying work order management processes. This session will describe the necessary foundational elements of an RCM program and strategies for getting a program started. Participants will hear from the presenters on how a project to replace an outdated CMMS led to the revamping of an organizations’ work order management processes to pave the way for RCM implementation.
Read MoreElectric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles are currently testing and expected to provide passenger service as soon as 2024. This amazing new technology will change how we travel and transport people and goods between and within cities. The City of Orlando is preparing an Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Transportation Plan to prepare for this emerging technology, using a series of community workshops with transportation agencies, local governments, and private citizens to discuss equitable, economic, and environmental challenges and opportunities. The City is also leveraging a community partnership with NASA to share best practices in advancing a transformative new regional connectivity plan. The input gathered through the planning process will help inform the equitable, safe, and early advancement of air taxi vertiports in Orlando. Learn what ideas are shaping AAM in Orlando and how communities across the U.S. can prepare for their future networks.
Read MoreA large component of the City of Houston’s growth has come from the annexation of smaller communities, which has included the accumulation of small, decentralized wastewater collection and treatment systems. At present, the City owns and operates 39 wastewater treatment plants. As many of these facilities have aged and require significant upgrades to maintain reliable service, the City has sought to find opportunities to consolidate flow into fewer facilities and decommission smaller, aging plants. The City’s Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant (SEWWTP) has plenty of space for expansion, and two nearby facilities, Sagemont and Easthaven Wastewater Treatment Plants, are aging and in need of expensive upgrades to remain in service. The City is in the process of a two-stage expansion of the SEWWTP to accept flow from these two facilities. This presentation will outline the challenges encountered and solutions developed in executing this consolidation plan, including conveyance and capacity upgrades to an aging facility.
Read MoreDon’t lose out on federal funding. Local agency federal-aid project implementation is a high risk for Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and state departments of transportation (DOT), due to complex federal…
Read MoreUsing best practices, learn how to convert your fleet to a standard repair equivalency. This will allow you to properly determine the number of technicians needed to maintain your diverse…
Read MoreDue to climate change, cities are experiencing significant challenges due to unpredictable weather events that may impact lives in the community. A winter emergency situation in Western Canada typically arises when there is a single or multiple snow events with excessive snow, generally over 25 cm with blizzard-like conditions. These conditions cause drifting snow and poor visibility for an extended period of time. Winter events can also cause icy pavement conditions impacting normal driving and walking conditions for extended periods. Such emergency situations generally require the city to utilize their resources to full capacity in order to allow an early recovery to the pre-emergency state with new-normal conditions. The City of Regina, Saskatchewan has created a Winter Emergency Response Plan to help winter crews handle extreme conditions on account of excessive snow and ice.
Read MoreFort Collins, Colorado with over 70 inches of snowfall annually is one of only five Platinum biking communities in the United States, with intentions on being the first Diamond biking community! For Fort Collins to lead a revolution in bicycle transportation, snow and ice removal have to clean and clear these new biking facilities to allow for year-round use. This presentation highlights the challenges in maintaining and addressing the needs of a northern, high-elevation community with over 400 miles of on-road bike lanes and a robust low-stress biking network on secondary streets with special crossings at the arterial intersections. To address this challenge, new equipment and new thinking are needed to move past the car-centric snowplowing solutions of the past.
Read MoreIn 2018, the City of Arvada had a strategic goal to meet the Better Building Challenge for 2020, which was to show a 20% reduction in energy usage for all 18 of its facilities. At the time, the City was tracking at 8%. To meet the target, the City had to address the gorilla in the room, the most energy-sucking facility on its portfolio, the 120,000 square foot performing arts center. In 2018, Ameresco and the City of Arvada partnered to implement many creative energy-saving measures and infrastructure improvements. It took creative design and thinking to make significant upgrades to city facilities to include renewable energy improvements, tariff rate changes, and new equipment for the City to meet the target to reduce 20% energy by 2020. This $4.2 million project was backed by the State of Colorado Energy office–guaranteeing savings and energy reduction. The City will see a return on investment within 12 years and has already been tracking above projected milestones.
Read MoreDallas Water Utilities (DWU)—Stormwater Operations shows how to chart the course for a more resilient future through an ambitious comprehensive assessment of their Storm Drainage Management program. Their approach demonstrates ways to identify and communicate resource needs, satisfy regulatory requirements, allocate budgets wisely, enhance efficiency, and improve customer service. The assessment includes a review of their organizational structure and business practices; an asset inventory and data management; hydrology and hydraulic modeling and solution development for chronic flooding areas; and development of a strategic approach to capital project planning financing and implementation. The presentation includes DWU’s initial findings and preliminary recommendations on organizational structure, business practices, and data management.
Read MoreMany suburban communities are concerned about building roundabouts as they are not convinced about its benefits. Government officials may not know how to start the feasibility study, available funding sources, design details, and best practices. The biggest challenge is to convince residents of the benefits and use of roundabouts. The Village of Orland Park successfully built its first roundabout in 2019. The Village went through various design, funding, and approval processes and successfully delivered its first roundabout to its residents. The Village is now in the process of building a second and a third privately-funded roundabout. This presentation will discuss and provide real-life details of designing and building a suburban roundabout in a community where seniors (55 and older) exceed 30% of the population. The presentation will discuss practical tips that should be included in the design of roundabouts.
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