Two CivE classes take field trips
Katie Jones
Issue date: 9/17/07 Section: Features
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One great thing about civil engineering is that, in the real world, almost every projects involves field work. Unfortunately, in most of our classes we never get to actually see anything outside of the classroom. However, this week two classes took field trips: the Solid Waste Management and Landfill Design class visited the Rodman Landfill, and the Water and Wastewater Treatment class went to the Potsdam water treatment plant.
Solid Waste (CE478) is taught by Paul Dudden, a solid waste engineer who works for Barton and Loguidice in Syracuse. He graduated from Clarkson with a BS in civil engineering in 1967, and again with an MS in civil engineering in 1969. The class meets once a week because he commutes to Potsdam from Syracuse to teach the class. His colleague, John Brusa, a 1995 Clarkson grad, met the class at the Rodman Landfill near Adams, NY (south of Watertown) to give a presentation and give a tour of the work going on at the site.
All of the solid, non-hazardous waste from St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, and parts of Hamilton counties are sent to Rodman. It's a long way to drive for many locations, so transfer stations are used at points throughout the service territory. The class got to see construction of the lining for the next storage cell, gas vents, leachate treatment systems, and other parts of the landfill.
Dr. Amy Zander's Water/Wastewater (CE479) class took a trip to the Potsdam water treatment plant, located next to the Cactus Grill and Cantina in the Village of Potsdam. The tour was given by Bob Henniger, the chief operator of the plant. The plant treats water for all residents of the Village, including both universities; when students are in Potsdam, they treat about 1.5 million gallons a day, and in the summer they treat 700,000 gallons per day. The source water is from the Raquette, which is relatively clean due to the upriver dams. The Raquette is naturally tea-colored because of the organic matter in the water, and the water treatment plant's main job is to disinfect and clean the water, making it safe and aesthetically pleasing for its customers. People who live outside the Village of Potsdam usually get water from a well installed on their property.
Students in senior-level classes usually end up designing systems similar to those that actually exist in the field, so it was a good experience getting to see what they look like and how they operate.
Solid Waste (CE478) is taught by Paul Dudden, a solid waste engineer who works for Barton and Loguidice in Syracuse. He graduated from Clarkson with a BS in civil engineering in 1967, and again with an MS in civil engineering in 1969. The class meets once a week because he commutes to Potsdam from Syracuse to teach the class. His colleague, John Brusa, a 1995 Clarkson grad, met the class at the Rodman Landfill near Adams, NY (south of Watertown) to give a presentation and give a tour of the work going on at the site.
All of the solid, non-hazardous waste from St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, and parts of Hamilton counties are sent to Rodman. It's a long way to drive for many locations, so transfer stations are used at points throughout the service territory. The class got to see construction of the lining for the next storage cell, gas vents, leachate treatment systems, and other parts of the landfill.
Dr. Amy Zander's Water/Wastewater (CE479) class took a trip to the Potsdam water treatment plant, located next to the Cactus Grill and Cantina in the Village of Potsdam. The tour was given by Bob Henniger, the chief operator of the plant. The plant treats water for all residents of the Village, including both universities; when students are in Potsdam, they treat about 1.5 million gallons a day, and in the summer they treat 700,000 gallons per day. The source water is from the Raquette, which is relatively clean due to the upriver dams. The Raquette is naturally tea-colored because of the organic matter in the water, and the water treatment plant's main job is to disinfect and clean the water, making it safe and aesthetically pleasing for its customers. People who live outside the Village of Potsdam usually get water from a well installed on their property.
Students in senior-level classes usually end up designing systems similar to those that actually exist in the field, so it was a good experience getting to see what they look like and how they operate.
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