In The News | Infrastructure Hardening

In recent years, it seems like severe weather is becoming more and more common across the US. From wildfires, to tornadoes, and super storms like Katrina and Sandy, the impact is felt in every corner of our country.

While we can’t prevent severe weather events from happening, we can improve existing infrastructure, so that widespread power and transit outages are less likely to occur. How is Alpha 3 participating in making the country’s infrastructure more resilient? We are currently involved in several projects that will help to reduce the risk of damage from severe storms.

An Alpha 3 Senior Designer, Bill Lankitus, is focusing on grid reliability for a major mid-Atlantic electric utility through our partner, Sargent & Lundy. He has been working to design flood sensor systems in the utility’s substations. These sensors will provide alerts for flooding in the substation and allow power to be diverted to another location, reducing the number of outages to residents and businesses who rely on that specific portion of the electrical grid. Disruptions in service may still occur, but they will be for a considerably shorter amount of time.

In the transportation sector, Alpha 3 recently provided CPM schedule development for a SEPTA project to install a slope revetment system along the Schuylkill River. This system will help to protect SEPTA rail facilities from the risks of undermining and erosion due to impacts from a large storm, like those recently experienced from Hurricane Ida.

These are just two examples of efforts by public and private infrastructure owners to mitigate risks for themselves and their customers. Alpha 3’s experienced professionals are working with these entities to mitigate risk, minimize damage from future storm events, and provide customers with electricity and transportation when they need it most. Our team is committed to improving the areas in which we live and serve.