Under Construction
A Blog about those who build the world around us?- Episode one
Builders shape our surroundings in such unique ways, we sometimes are not even aware of their impact. Coming across new construction projects in the greater Houston area is just a daily occurrence.
We drive around and suddenly spot a large yellow crane, temporary fencing, maybe a couple of those small office trailers, and as you get closer, the forest of flashing barricades comes into view, and for a moment, you wonder, "what are they building in there?"
This blog aims to pull back the barricades and fences of those projects going on in your cities and hometowns to explore together the new constructions. My goal is to uncover how they contribute to building the world around us, making it safer, practical, more enjoyable, and prettier, enhancing our properties' value and our well-being.
The first under-construction project I will showcase is "Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 2 Third Pump Station" (FBCLID2), located at 2602 Oakland Drive in Sugar Land, right behind Clemens High School, southwest of the city of Houston, Texas.?You might wonder why I chose this project as the first entry for this blog.
Well, Sugar Land has been my neighborhood for the past twenty years. I have seen the community grow and thrive as my wife and I raised our kids. I have also experienced the flood damage our neighborhoods have faced over the years and how projects powered by community and city initiatives have addressed it.
Before we get into the project specifics, let's start with some background information about the FBCLID and why this is a critical upgrade to protect the Sugar Land area from future flooding.
Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District?
Currently, the FBCLID (Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District) oversees and maintains:?
The 19 districts work together to provide flood protection for 1/4 of the county's total population of 811,000 residents and over $14 billion in property and structures.
Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 2
The?FBCLID2 protects 25% of the Sugar Land community. District No. 2 covers over 5300 square acres, including 9000 homes and hundreds of businesses worth more than $5 billion.
District No. 2 is responsible for servicing and maintaining
The primary purpose of any levee system is to protect the area within the levees from the damage that a "hundred-years storm" can cause. And if you're local to the area like me, you probably remember the following:?
2016 Tax Day flood
领英推荐
You might be wondering, why have we had five "hundred-years storms" over the last six years? And how did we have two within weeks of one another??
Well, the term hundred-years storm has nothing to do with the measure of time.?Instead, the term references the estimated probability of a significant storm event happening in any given year. So, a hundred-year storm has a 1% (or 1-in-100 chance) of?occurring in any given year.
The Third Pump Station Project
As a result of Hurricane Harvey, the 35" of rainfall completely overwhelmed the FBCLID pump and drainage systems. Consequently, the Brazos River rose to a new flood record of 55.19 feet.
?After collecting and analyzing the storm data and property damage from Hurricane Harvey in November 2017, FBCLID 2 recommended levee and pump capacity upgrades, eventually known as The Third Pump Station Project.?
The levee and drainage improvements include widening and reinforcing Drainage Ditches B, C, and E.?The plan also includes a third pump station to supplement current pumping capacity beyond another potential sustained rain event, such as another slow-moving hurricane system.
The new pumping station includes seven new 190,00 GPM (Gallons Per Minute) pumps. Once completed, the third pump station will result in a 400% increase in pumping capacity to keep Sugar Land homes dry.?
To put that increased capacity into perspective, just four of these new pumps could have prevented all the flooding Sugar Land experienced during Hurricane Harvey.?
Of course, the pumps can't run without power. So, the project includes fourteen Enchanted Rock backup generators to power the pumps, no matter what happens to the power grid.
The Third Pump Station project is slightly behind schedule due to the pandemic's supply chain, and labor forced interruptions. However, FBCLID 2 should wrap up the final construction work in late '21 or early '22.?
Exploring together?
The Third Pump Station project will keep the Sugar Land area from potential flooding, no matter what Mother Nature throws at us. This project showcases the creativity and ingenuity of a dedicated team of community and city leaders partnering with engineers, architects, general contractors, and subcontractors to improve the lives of all the residents and business owners in my neighborhood and beyond.?
Leave your comments in the box beneath if you discover a new construction project you would like to know more about.?My goal is to learn about construction projects in all our cities and hometowns and explore them together!
For the past 25 years as a sales account executive, business development professional, and digital marketing expert, I have led organizations through accelerated growth to market dominance, selling different technology products and services in various vertical markets/industries. At Paskr, a SAAS company providing an all-in-one construction project-management software for general contractors, I focus on helping my clients save time, money and mitigate risk.
Alan Black / email me at [email protected] for questions and suggestions.
Freelance Construction Copywriter. Struggling to connect with prospects to promote your products/services? My 30+ years of contractor experience can improve your traffic and sales with concise copy that gets the click!
3 年A local spotlight on construction, what an excellent idea! Looking forward to future episodes, too.
Global Business Leader | Proven Track Record Driving Growth, Innovation and Success Across Private and Public International Companies | Experienced Transformational Leader |
3 年Thank you Alan, great article. Unfortunately allowing the developers to construct without taking into account the need for additional rain water managment is just very bad. In my area were more than 500 houses were flooded during harvey due to the usage of land as a reservoir (upstream) a huge distribution logistics facility is being built. So we have not learned and the authorities approve projets with no consequences.
Customer Success Manager - Digital Transformation at AVEVA
3 年Thank you for sharing this blog, very interesting information
Country Manager - Petrofac
3 年excelente gracias por compartir