Fairfax County Crushed Glass Project
Published: April 3, 2019
By Giorgio Barchitta
By Giorgio Barchitta
"Big Blue," Fairfax County's glass compacting machine
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Grains of the crushed glass filtration media
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In August 2017, Eric Forbes, a senior authority member at Fairfax County, presented the problem of glass waste disposal to EfID. Currently, most glass in the county is destined to landfills because recycling it involves a melting process that is too expensive and energy intensive. This is not economically sustainable or environmentally efficient, so it has been discontinued. Recently, however, Fairfax County has started using crushed glass as pipe bedding material. They have a machine called “Big Blue” that compacts glass waste for it to be recycled for this purpose. Matt Doyle, the Branch Chief of the Wastewater Design and Collection Division at the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services and part-time professor at George Mason University, Michael Schindler, a GMU alumnus, former EfID President, and current Senior Project Engineer for Balfour Beatty, and Badana Mohamadi, a GMU alumnus and treasurer of EfID who assisted with research of the glass pipe bedding, introduced this concept to EfID. The group hypothesized that if crushed glass could be recycled for use as pipe bedding, then it could also be recycled as a filtration medium for water purification to minimize glass waste disposal.
Sieving of glass grains
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Alejandro Villamizar, Anna Close, and Stephanie Thomson working in the lab
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This led the students to pursue a project where they designed a water filter made from crushed glass and compared it to traditional filter sand, the current filtration medium used in wastewater treatment plants. The students researched sieving, assessed different filtration media setups, and selected materials based on their properties. Afterward this, they worked on the planning and logistics for how to carry out the project. Stephanie Thomson led the project and design process, making sure that the design fulfilled its purpose without being too bulky, costly, or difficult to manage. By the summer of 2018, construction was complete. The housing materials for the filtration medium were: 6” of clear PVC tubing, PVC reducers, 2” PVC pipe, and 2” ball valves. The stability components consisted of a wooden frame, u-shaped pipe straps, and steel bolts and nails. Initial testing took place during this time at the newly constructed engineering laboratory at George Mason’s Science and Technology Campus in Manassas, Virginia.
The two filtration media being compared were traditional filter sand and crushed glass, but they were not the only materials that went in the filter. From bottom to top, both filters contained a strainer at the bottom to hold and support layers of gravel, pea pebbles, and torpedo sand. The support media are components of a conventional sand filter. The filter medium was placed after these three aforementioned layers. A second layer of gravel was added as the top layer to diffuse the energy of the water flowing in and prevent the disturbance of the filter media. The depth of each support and filter medium remained constant for both filters, with the difference that one filter contained a layer of crushed glass and the other contained a layer of traditional filter sand.
The two filtration media being compared were traditional filter sand and crushed glass, but they were not the only materials that went in the filter. From bottom to top, both filters contained a strainer at the bottom to hold and support layers of gravel, pea pebbles, and torpedo sand. The support media are components of a conventional sand filter. The filter medium was placed after these three aforementioned layers. A second layer of gravel was added as the top layer to diffuse the energy of the water flowing in and prevent the disturbance of the filter media. The depth of each support and filter medium remained constant for both filters, with the difference that one filter contained a layer of crushed glass and the other contained a layer of traditional filter sand.
Stephanie Thomson (left) pouring water into the crushed glass filter and Anna Close (right) pouring water into the sand filter
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Andrew Simpson, president of EfID, with the filtration system
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Because the sample of the crushed glass had variations in particle sizes, sieves were used to separate out the finer and larger diameter particles to obtain a similar l particle size distribution, as is done with the traditional sand medium, for more accurate results. Pond water from Mason’s Fairfax Campus was used to test the filtration performance and 5 trials were conducted. The parameter used for testing was turbidity, which evaluates how cloudy the water is with the unit of measurement as Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU). Since pure water is clear and has no turbidity, clear water has an NTU of zero. Water that has high levels of turbidity is recorded to have higher NTU. The results showed that the water that passed through the crushed glass filter was less turbid than the traditional sand filter, which indicates that crushed glass may be more effective than sand. The process of crushing glass causes irregularities in shape and sizing that may allow for more solids to get trapped in voids compared to a more uniformly manufactured material such tradition sand media. Due to the physical differences between the filter media, the crushed glass provides a slower filtration rate compared to the traditional sand media. Continued testing and analysis is required and is going to take place within the following months to gain further insight into these initial findings. Further testing will investigate additional water quality parameters and maintenance of the filter system with additional emphasis on backwashing.
Preliminary tests have optimistically demonstrated that the crushed glass filter may be more efficient in removing turbidity than sand. Anna Close, the current project manager, wants to add a biofilm to the filter to see if it is effective. A biofilm is a group of organisms that are held together by a polymeric substance that allows for them to adhere to a surface. A biofilm may be capable of removing contaminants in water that pass through it. The bacteria act as a living filter, which the group is very curious to test. This will allow for additional water quality testing that will investigate the removal of nutrients.
Preliminary tests have optimistically demonstrated that the crushed glass filter may be more efficient in removing turbidity than sand. Anna Close, the current project manager, wants to add a biofilm to the filter to see if it is effective. A biofilm is a group of organisms that are held together by a polymeric substance that allows for them to adhere to a surface. A biofilm may be capable of removing contaminants in water that pass through it. The bacteria act as a living filter, which the group is very curious to test. This will allow for additional water quality testing that will investigate the removal of nutrients.
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Left: Water filtered through traditional sand filtration media Right: Water filtered through crushed glass filtration media |
EfID’s goal in this project is to provide the local community with a sustainable use for crushed glass that is currently disposed of as waste. Under this circumstance, the county would no longer have to pay for sand filter media because crushed glass is available as free waste. Glass products are ubiquitous and plenty of them are thrown out every day. Finding a way to recycle glass would help to reduce our community’s waste output and we would no longer have to worry about disposing it locally. If successful, this could be implemented in other municipalities across the nation. Furthermore, EfID is looking to see if the crushed glass filter can be implemented in some of its international endeavors, where the organization has worked to install potable water systems for communities in need.
Clean water is an everyday necessity for all people and overcrowding landfills are a looming problem that depends on how we control our waste. Tackling both problems with one innovative sustainable solution is what EfID is striving for and the students are excited about the positive change this project may present. As always, they are motivated to improve people’s quality of life and fulfillment of basic needs in their projects, and this project is no exception.
Clean water is an everyday necessity for all people and overcrowding landfills are a looming problem that depends on how we control our waste. Tackling both problems with one innovative sustainable solution is what EfID is striving for and the students are excited about the positive change this project may present. As always, they are motivated to improve people’s quality of life and fulfillment of basic needs in their projects, and this project is no exception.
EfID Wins Big in Engineer's Week 60 Second Video Contest 2019!
Published: March 20, 2019
EfID received two awards for entries in Volgenau's 2019 60 Second Video contest! EfID won first place in the category "Telling a compelling story about an engineering project" for our video on our 2019 Ecuador water filtration project. In addition, EfID took second place in the category "The Future of Engineering is Here." This was for our video on our 2018 Appalachian Trail bridge project. Congratulations to our talented video producers!
Award Recipients: Andrew Simpson, Ben Tieu, Omar Azizi, Jack Scherer, Michael Ambrosio, and Mike Belay.
EfID received two awards for entries in Volgenau's 2019 60 Second Video contest! EfID won first place in the category "Telling a compelling story about an engineering project" for our video on our 2019 Ecuador water filtration project. In addition, EfID took second place in the category "The Future of Engineering is Here." This was for our video on our 2018 Appalachian Trail bridge project. Congratulations to our talented video producers!
Award Recipients: Andrew Simpson, Ben Tieu, Omar Azizi, Jack Scherer, Michael Ambrosio, and Mike Belay.
EfID Ecuador Trip 2019
Published March 17, 2019
By Sidney Boakye
Engineers for International Development is going to Ecuador this summer! San Pablo de Amali, Ecuador is a small, 200-person agricultural community located in the Andes Mountain Range. The community currently lacks access to potable water. To combat this problem the EfID plans to construct a gravity-fed water treatment and distribution system which will provide the whole community with potable water.
In January of 2019, an Assessment Trip was conducted and 5 EfID members traveled down to San Pablo de Amali to survey potential water sources. Water samples were collected from three sources and compared to one another. From this process, the best source was determined and that will be the focus of the Implementation Trip. This next trip, scheduled for June 2019, will see to the construction of the water distribution system, along with the intake system, which will connect to our new river water source. One mile of piping will need to be laid to transport the water from the river down the community. In addition, a UV disinfection system, flowmeter, and water storage tanks will also have to be constructed during the Implementation Trip.
Second Annual EfID 5K!
Published November 5, 2018
EfID's Second Annual 5K was a major success! We would like to thank everyone who sponsored, participated or volunteered at the event- you made it possible!
Special thanks to our gracious sponsors: ASHE, CDM Smith, Dewberry, Kimley-Horn, RK&K, AECOM, Louis Berger, Custom Coating, ATCAP, and T3 Design!
We are happy to continue this great EfID tradition! Hope to see you all next year!
Race Times:
EfID's Second Annual 5K was a major success! We would like to thank everyone who sponsored, participated or volunteered at the event- you made it possible!
Special thanks to our gracious sponsors: ASHE, CDM Smith, Dewberry, Kimley-Horn, RK&K, AECOM, Louis Berger, Custom Coating, ATCAP, and T3 Design!
We are happy to continue this great EfID tradition! Hope to see you all next year!
Race Times:
Announcing Our 2019 Ecuador Project!
EfID is excited to announce our latest International Water Project in San Pablo de Amali, Ecuador! San Pablo de Amali is a small farming community with a population of 200. It is the second poorest county in Ecuador, and currently has no access to potable water. The EfID team will design and construct a water treatment and distribution system in the community. We are planning on taking an assessment trip in January of 2019. For updates on this project, please click the link below.
EfID Constructs Pedestrian Bridge Along the Appalachian Trail
Published August 16, 2018
By Paul Cipparone
In July 2018, a team of twenty EfID members traveled to Toms Brook, VA to build a bridge along the Tuscarora Trail. Getting to the actual construction, however, was a months-long process. Students made site assessment trips and consulted with several professional engineers (P.E.’s) to come up with the optimal bridge design. Once the design was finalized, the construction process began. The project consisted of multiple phases and ultimately took seven months to complete.
During Phase I of the project, EfID met with members of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) to determine the bridge location and survey the site. The team took multiple site visits to gather elevation data and stream bank measurements. After collecting sufficient data, students began working on a conceptual bridge design using their classroom knowledge and past experiences. In Phase II, the team developed a structural design based on the AWC-NDS Timber Manual as suggested P.E. and Assistant Professor in Structural Engineering, David Lattanzi. With a strict budget and a set of standards outlined by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, cost-effectiveness, constructability, and environmental impact were all focal points in the bridge’s design. After finalizing hand calculations, RISA-3D software was used to develop an accurate model of the bridge and ensure structural stability.
Unlike the bridge constructed last year, the team decided to forgo the use of gusset plates because they complicated the construction process and added extra costs. After completing a preliminary design, students consulted with a number of P.E.’s for quality control. The meetings with P.E.’s helped students refine their design and learn about the engineering design process. After finalizing the design, the team presented their final design proposal to the PATC. The PATC approved the proposal and commissioned construction, allowing the team to finally begin the construction phase.
Bridge construction was completed over the course of three weekends. The concrete foundation was placed in late May and left to cure to achieve maximum strength. One month later, students returned to begin building the superstructure. During this trip, the beams were assembled but due to inclement weather could not be safely put into place. Two weeks later, the EfID team took one final trip to complete the construction. On the final build day, students hoisted beams into place, added the decking, built handrails, and even included a walk-up staircase to the bridge deck. This marked the completion of the bridge structure.
At every phase of the project, students were forced to go beyond their classroom knowledge to come up with real-world solutions. This project allowed students to learn about surveying, drafting, modeling, and project management, while fulfilling a need in their community. This project was an amazing bonding experience for the EfID students as they worked together every step of the way to finish the project. At the end of the day, EfID was able to create something that will impact the community for years to come, while providing students with a unique learning experience.
Special Thanks to:
Faculty Advisor Matt Doyle P.E.
Associate Professor in Structural Engineering Girum Urgessa P.E.
Assistant Professor in Structural Engineering David Lattanzi P.E.
Lauren Clark P.E.
Amy Floren P.E.
Jameelah Muhammad P.E.
Khatereh Vaghefi P.E.
Brenda Villarreal E.I.T.
EfID Elects New Officers for 2018-2019 School Year
From Left to Right: Alejandro Villamizar, Michael Belay, Omar Azizi, Andrew Simpson, Anna Close, Mubeen Farukh, Min Lu Kelly-Durham
Published April 4, 2018
EfID welcomes the 2018-2019 Executive Board!
President: Andrew Simpson
Vice President: Omar Azizi
Treasurer: Anna Close
Operations Manager: Mubeen Farukh
Co-Fundraising Chair: Michael Belay
Co-Fundraising Chair: Alejandro Villamizar
VWEA President: Min Lu Kelly-Durham
EfID welcomes the 2018-2019 Executive Board!
President: Andrew Simpson
Vice President: Omar Azizi
Treasurer: Anna Close
Operations Manager: Mubeen Farukh
Co-Fundraising Chair: Michael Belay
Co-Fundraising Chair: Alejandro Villamizar
VWEA President: Min Lu Kelly-Durham
EfID Partners with Pennington to Present STEAM Night
Published March 8, 2018
EfID would like to thank Prince William County Schools, Pennington Traditional School, and Ms. Ann Bullock-Macgowan for welcoming EfID members to present at STEAM night. Pennington's STEAM night aims to introduce elementary and middle school students to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. EfID members presented to an audience of Middle school students and their parents about the field of Engineering. It was a great opportunity to highlight EfID's recent projects, and get students engaged in the field of engineering. Click the link below to learn more about EfID's involvement with STEAM night!
EfID would like to thank Prince William County Schools, Pennington Traditional School, and Ms. Ann Bullock-Macgowan for welcoming EfID members to present at STEAM night. Pennington's STEAM night aims to introduce elementary and middle school students to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. EfID members presented to an audience of Middle school students and their parents about the field of Engineering. It was a great opportunity to highlight EfID's recent projects, and get students engaged in the field of engineering. Click the link below to learn more about EfID's involvement with STEAM night!
EfID Appalachian Trail Bridge Project 2018 Survey Trip
Published February 26, 2018
EfID's 2018 Appalachian Bridge Project is officially underway! Over the past weekend, EfID's bridge team took a trip out to Toms Brook, Virginia, the site of our next bridge build. During the trip, students learned to survey and evaluate different sites in order to pick the optimal one. By the end of the trip, the team had selected a final bridge site, collected elevation data, and determined the placement of the foundation. Over the next few weeks, students will design, model, and ultimately construct the new bridge. Click the link below for the latest updates!
EfID's 2018 Appalachian Bridge Project is officially underway! Over the past weekend, EfID's bridge team took a trip out to Toms Brook, Virginia, the site of our next bridge build. During the trip, students learned to survey and evaluate different sites in order to pick the optimal one. By the end of the trip, the team had selected a final bridge site, collected elevation data, and determined the placement of the foundation. Over the next few weeks, students will design, model, and ultimately construct the new bridge. Click the link below for the latest updates!
EfID Wins Second Place in Engineer's Week 60 Second Video Contest
Pictured here are students, Jack Scherer (Left) and Andrew Simpson (Right), with Associate Dean and Faculty Advisor, Liza Wilson Durant.
Published: February 23, 2018
EfID congratulates everyone who was a part of the Nicaragua Video Project for winning second place in George Mason University's 60-Second video contest. EfID also thanks our amazing Faculty Advisors, Matthew Doyle and Liza Wilson Durant, for all of their hard work on the Nicaragua Project. The team created a video that details EfID's Sustainable Community project in Nicaragua. The video outlines EfID's goal of developing a master plan for a sustainable community that serves low and middle-income families in Nicaragua.
Award Recipients: Andrew Simpson, Jack Scherer, Eden Beth DeVera, Badana Mohamadi, Anna Close, Matthew Doyle, Liza Wilson Durant, Min Lu Kelly Durham, Omar Azizi.
Click the link below to watch the video:
EfID congratulates everyone who was a part of the Nicaragua Video Project for winning second place in George Mason University's 60-Second video contest. EfID also thanks our amazing Faculty Advisors, Matthew Doyle and Liza Wilson Durant, for all of their hard work on the Nicaragua Project. The team created a video that details EfID's Sustainable Community project in Nicaragua. The video outlines EfID's goal of developing a master plan for a sustainable community that serves low and middle-income families in Nicaragua.
Award Recipients: Andrew Simpson, Jack Scherer, Eden Beth DeVera, Badana Mohamadi, Anna Close, Matthew Doyle, Liza Wilson Durant, Min Lu Kelly Durham, Omar Azizi.
Click the link below to watch the video:
EfID Travel Team Returns from Successful Nicaragua Site Assessment Trip
Click the link below to learn more about EfID's trip to Nicaragua!
Jack Austin Dives Into Research Using Finite Element Analysis to Explore the Impacts of Underwater Explosions on Submerged Structures
Andrew Simpson | EfID
Published: November 18, 2017
When Dr. Girum Urgessa, an accomplished Structural Engineer and Associate Professor of Structural Engineering in George Mason’s Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering, presented students in his Structural Analysis class with the opportunity to engage in research, Jack Austin did not hesitate to get involved. The research introduced is an ongoing project that consists of using finite element analysis to study submerged structures and vehicles, like submarines, to develop an understanding of how these objects respond to close-range underwater explosions.
Published: November 18, 2017
When Dr. Girum Urgessa, an accomplished Structural Engineer and Associate Professor of Structural Engineering in George Mason’s Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering, presented students in his Structural Analysis class with the opportunity to engage in research, Jack Austin did not hesitate to get involved. The research introduced is an ongoing project that consists of using finite element analysis to study submerged structures and vehicles, like submarines, to develop an understanding of how these objects respond to close-range underwater explosions.
First Annual EfID 5k Fun Run Presented By CDM Smith
Omar Azizi
Published: November 12, 2017
EfID is proud to announce that our first ever 5k Fun Run was a major success. Over 70 participants registered for the run, while dozens of supporters cheered them on to the end. We would like to thank all of the 5k participants, our dedicated volunteers, CDM Smith, as well as all of our sponsors.
This event would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors: CDM Smith, Arcadis, Dewberry, Orr Partners, Haskell, Sherwood-Logan & Associates, AECOM, HITT, RK&K, Loudoun Water, Hazen and Sawyer, APM Institute, HDR, Trunk and Drawer.
We would like to recognize EfID President, Michael Schindler, and CDM Smith sponsor, Sogol Gremi, for organizing this amazing event. Additionally, we recognize Matt Doyle and Liza Wilson Durant for advising EfID and for providing us with the opportunity to host this event. We hope that this is the first of many more EfID 5k races to come and we look forward to seeing you all next year!
Congratulations to all of the winners of this year's 5k:
Men:
1. Blaize Johnson
2. Xavier Ho
3. Sean Ahearne
Women:
1. Sarah Dickerson
2. Min Lu Kelly-Durham
3. Jennifer Walsh
Youth:
1. Nathan Loomis
2. Luella Adam
Published: November 12, 2017
EfID is proud to announce that our first ever 5k Fun Run was a major success. Over 70 participants registered for the run, while dozens of supporters cheered them on to the end. We would like to thank all of the 5k participants, our dedicated volunteers, CDM Smith, as well as all of our sponsors.
This event would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors: CDM Smith, Arcadis, Dewberry, Orr Partners, Haskell, Sherwood-Logan & Associates, AECOM, HITT, RK&K, Loudoun Water, Hazen and Sawyer, APM Institute, HDR, Trunk and Drawer.
We would like to recognize EfID President, Michael Schindler, and CDM Smith sponsor, Sogol Gremi, for organizing this amazing event. Additionally, we recognize Matt Doyle and Liza Wilson Durant for advising EfID and for providing us with the opportunity to host this event. We hope that this is the first of many more EfID 5k races to come and we look forward to seeing you all next year!
Congratulations to all of the winners of this year's 5k:
Men:
1. Blaize Johnson
2. Xavier Ho
3. Sean Ahearne
Women:
1. Sarah Dickerson
2. Min Lu Kelly-Durham
3. Jennifer Walsh
Youth:
1. Nathan Loomis
2. Luella Adam
EfID Fairfax County Tree Planting Event
Omar Azizi
Published: October 28, 2017.
EfID worked with Fairfax County Urban Forest Management Division and Volunteer Fairfax to help build the Volunteer Grove at Fairfax County Government Center. During this two day event, EfID members worked to help clear land to plant 25 trees in honor of the 25 years that Fairfax County has recognized volunteers in the community. We would like to thank all of the EfID members who came out to support the project, as well as Fairfax County Urban Forest Management and Volunteer Fairfax for hosting this great event!
Published: October 28, 2017.
EfID worked with Fairfax County Urban Forest Management Division and Volunteer Fairfax to help build the Volunteer Grove at Fairfax County Government Center. During this two day event, EfID members worked to help clear land to plant 25 trees in honor of the 25 years that Fairfax County has recognized volunteers in the community. We would like to thank all of the EfID members who came out to support the project, as well as Fairfax County Urban Forest Management and Volunteer Fairfax for hosting this great event!
2017 VWEA Water Jam Presentation
EfID President Michael Schindler and Treasurer Badana Mohamadi presented at the 2017 Virginia Water Environment Association (VWEA) Water Jam. Michael and Badana participated in the Digital Knowledge Presentation as they showcased their design project to the VWEA Student Activities Committee. Badana also won 2nd place for her video presentation of the Verbo Orphanage Projects!
EfID placed 2nd for the 2017 NCEES Engineering Education Award
EfID won 2nd place for the 2017 NCEES Engineering Education Award. The NCEES Engineering Education Award recognizes college engineering programs for engaging their students in collaborative projects with licensed professional engineers. It was established to promote understanding of the value of licensure and to encourage partnerships between the engineering profession and education.
MembershipGeorge Mason University's Engineers for International Development (EfID) welcomes Mason students of any major, whether at the undergraduate or graduate level. Members will attend monthly meetings, team building events, domestic projects, and even international projects. Make sure to check out our Calendar for upcoming meeting and trip dates!
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The EfID ExperienceBecoming part of EfID allows students to give back to the global community and gain professional experience in multiple fields, including engineering, leadership, IT, marketing, business, education, and international relations. Additionally, students will be able to build their resumes, meet new people, and participate in fun events on and off campus.
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