In recognizing some of the Pacific Northwest’s most impactful projects, DJC Oregon hosted its annual awards event. Among the ‘Top Projects’ for 2024 were eight from Otak, and our teams were in attendance for the honor.
Left: Margaret Steinhilber, Martin Munguia, and Matt Neish with the award for the Hardeson Campus Service & Operations Building; Right: Ralph Mocerino, Nick Brown, Mike Day, Kathy Kianunis, Martin Munguia, Matt Neish, and Brian Hardebeck sit together at the event
The collective celebration of industry excellence covered a wide range of project types and included the selection of a ‘Project of the Year’ from the year’s winners. There was also a new award for ‘Subcontractor of the Year’ as well as ‘People’s Choice’. Adding to our list of award-winning work, more detail into those eight Otak projects can be found below.
Hardeson Campus Service & Operations Building
Representing a unique opportunity for adaptive reuse design, this project converted a two-story concrete tilt panel office building into an operations hub for the busy transportation organization, Community Transit. Take a closer look at how this multidisciplinary effort between Otak architectural, structural, civil, and landscape teams revitalized this existing building with holistic improvements that place an emphasis on employee wellness.
Originally constructed in 1953, the deck of the steel-truss-cantilever Dalles Bridge on U.S. 197 had degraded to the point of needing to be replaced. Safety improvements to this vital transportation connection over the Colombia River utilized accelerated bridge construction techniques to avoid long term closure and disruption to regional commerce. See how the Otak structural and construction management teams were part of a unique hybrid management system to efficiently complete this work.
One of three bridges creating safe pedestrian passage along the Willapa Hills Trail system, the Littell Bridge addresses a previously dangerous at-grade crossing with SR 6. The 250-foot, sinuous bridge provides a final link in the western 27 miles of the trail. Check out how Otak’s structural engineering and environmental teams combined to add safety and resilience to these trail crossings.
Art Rutkin Elementary School: Tigard Tualatin School Bond Program
As part of broader improvements to the Tigard Tualatin School district from a successful bond program, the new Art Rutkin Elementary School adds 75,000 square-feet of space for the community’s students. Learn more about how the district, with Otak as owner’s representative, implemented technology upgrades and new sustainable features across its growing facilities.
After nearly a century of service, Monmouth City Hall would be replaced with a design focused on sustainability, safety, and operational efficiency. Read more into how the Otak owner’s representative team joined the project to resolve cost issues while initiating a highly collaborative value engineering process.
Nestucca Valley High School Career Technical Education Center
In addressing the gap in diverse and accessible education opportunities for youth faced by many rural areas, the Nestucca Valley High School Career Technical Education (CTE) Center was developed as part of a school bond program for the communities of Coastal Oregon. Get a more complete view of how as owner’s representative, Otak helped guide to completion the flexible design of a facility that will provide long-lasting benefits to the surrounding community.
With a unique shared post-tension podium deck, the BRIDGE Waterleaf Building adds 178 affordable housing units to the River Place neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. Take a more in-depth look at the Otak owner’s representative team guided this project through a number of challenges to make this community-focused building a reality.
In a major transformation across its facilities, Multnomah County Library is expanding spaces and upgrading technology to benefit the community through a capital bond program. See how the $380 million bond program is being applied to these public assets with overall program management from Otak.
With many disciplines working together on a variety of projects, perhaps the best way to get a feel for a firm’s impact is simply, a coffee with… the people doing the work.
This video series features experts sharing insights gained during their time in the AEC industry, with an emphasis on the importance of collaboration to meeting a common goal of creating better communities.
In this edition of ‘a coffee with…’, we learn from a landscape architect and a senior designer within architecture about the importance of designing and placemaking for people’s lives. Find out in the video and its transcript below:
Improving People’s Lives through Impactful Design
I think we’re changing lives, making them better.
One of the things that I love to see is when I go to one of these places that I’ve designed and there’s a family out there or kids swinging on the swing set. You’re seeing this idea you had in your brain come to fruition and being enjoyed by the community… it’s one of the best things.
My name is Chris Maykut. I’m a senior designer here at Otak working on the architecture team and I’ve been here for five years.
I’m Gabriel Kruse, I’m a landscape architect. I’ve been with Otak for almost nine years.
What is the Importance of Collaboration between Disciplines on Projects?
I really do believe this that there’s, you know, there’s no “I” in team… that collaboration is very key to a successful project.
He’s in landscape, I’m in architecture, I’ve got the built form, he’s got the natural form, but we also kind of come together and there’s this blended area.
So, I think we both have a job of imagining, creating, and developing places for people to inhabit. And I think that’s, you know, really important, and I think collaboration makes that a much stronger end result.
We meet, like, what’s it at 5 feet outside, 5 feet outside the building? Yeah.
But you know I think on the bigger projects we have multiple buildings… we create the space in between the buildings together.
I think for me as a landscape architect and working with Chris and architecture, we’re trying to make really great places for people to live. Going home to a great piece of architecture, going through that landscape experience, also just having all those all those pieces working together in harmony is a real goal of ours.
How Does a Multidisciplinary Environment Create Unique Opportunities to Work Together?
I think of Otak as a family, it’s kind of corny. But I have one project that the landscape consultant is outside of Otak, and another project where the landscape is Gabe or someone else on this team… I can coordinate and communicate with in in both situations quite well. But I feel just the family atmosphere of Otak, I feel like I can be more open and more responsive in communicating back and forth.
We both use a 3D modeling software and we’re both pretty good at using that software. So, we can exchange models together and say what do you think of this?
You know, he’s got this big building model and a lot of things going on in there.
And then I’ll take a piece of it and say, ‘hey, give me that model,’ and I’ll take it and then I’ll put my landscape design in there and I’ll send it back to him… drop that in there see what you think and then Chris [and I] we’ll just kind of work together back and forth that way massage it back and forth, massage it back and forth.
Not everyone designs that way, but I think Chris and I both have that. We’ll use that 3D modelling as a tool, as a design tool, not just a presentation tool. I think that, yeah, that is one way I think we really work together well.
What is Most Exciting about Working in the Design Industry?
Making someone feel like they have a home and it’s just not a place that they’re sleeping at. They’re having birthday parties. They’re, you know, sharing fun times with friends and family.
And, you know… we’re helping them create memories for their lives here at Otak.
We do a lot of multifamily and specifically affordable right now. I really enjoy that as opposed to doing, you know, high end condos in downtown Portland. There’s more meaning to it and… that gets me excited to come into work everyday.
Designing a park, then going to see it afterwards and seeing people use it; enjoy it; and then talking to the neighborhood and [seeing] just how much people appreciate open space… It’s a really important part of neighborhood design and community design.
There are a lot of when that’s where, you know, all the kids spend a lot of their time and that’s what I really look forward to.
In the realm of environmental restoration, the concept of adaptive management has emerged as a crucial tool for ensuring the long-term success of projects. This approach, rooted in data analysis from monitoring a project site over time, allows for continuous improvement and informed decision-making to ultimately enhance the resilience of restored natural systems.
In this piece, we delve deeper into how an adaptive management plan furthers the understanding and benefits of multi-objective projects. We’ll also take a closer look at a stream in Boulder County, where the approach is helping to balance fish habitat benefits with water rights management and providing valuable insights to advance the practice for future projects across the industry.
Adaptive management is a systematic process that involves applying knowledge gained from ongoing monitoring. That knowledge is used to improve project specific decision-making with informed management actions that maintain project goals under uncertain conditions. The approach relies on data gained from monitoring over time to help inform ongoing project operations as well as advance scientific understanding through “learning by doing.”
The Adaptive Management Process
The process for an adaptive management plan acknowledges the dynamic nature of river systems, enabling project adjustments to meet goals and ensure long-term success. By establishing a framework for iterative decision-making, this approach adds control to situations with high uncertainty.
With an emphasis on fostering collaboration among stakeholders, an adaptive management process aligns clearly-defined project elements with desired outcomes. Collectively, these elements allow for the flexibility of agile actions and fixes (if needed) to ensure the project continues to meet the design goals. Successfully designing a plan features some key steps.
Establishing Project Goals
During the design phase, defining project goals with a diverse set of stakeholders at the table is paramount. These goals typically encompass multiple priorities and are meant to set clear direction for the expected outcome of the project.
Stating Monitoring Objectives
With project goals in mind, a project team can then establish monitoring objectives aimed at accurately measuring how those goals are being met. These objectives serve as the basis for evaluating project performance over time and informing adaptive management actions.
Linking Monitoring Parameters
Once monitoring objectives are set, the question becomes, what specifically is going to be monitored? Monitoring parameters are measurable (either qualitative or quantitative) aspects of the project that can be aligned to monitoring objectives they aim to address. By defining these parameters, stakeholders can track progress, identify deviations from expected outcomes, and define triggers for adaptive management interventions.
Photo Credit: Boulder County Parks and Open Space
Establishing Methodology
There are often several different ways to monitor a parameter. Establishing specific methods for a project outlines the techniques and tools used to address each monitoring parameter.
The selection of a method may be influenced by available budget, equipment available, as well as the importance of each individual parameter. By adhering to specific criteria, the methodology ensures the reliability, consistency, and repeatability of data collection, which could allow for not only project-specific year-to-year comparisons, but apples-to-apples comparisons between other adaptive management projects in the region.
Setting Thresholds
Thresholds are predetermined values for each parameter that, when surpassed, trigger adaptive management actions that aim to course-correct a project back to desired conditions. Setting thresholds can often be difficult, but with close coordination with stakeholders, project teams can determine values that at a minimum, maintain an ongoing conversation about potential project improvements.
Taking Adaptive Management Action
When triggered, adaptive management actions aim to address identified issues and improve project outcomes. Stakeholders collaborate to assess results, evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, and apply lessons learned to future decision-making processes. Adaptive management actions may vary in severity, ranging from minor adjustments to significant project revisions. By preparing for potential outcomes, stakeholders minimize uncertainty and maintain project resilience.
If all steps are taken properly, adaptive management actions should allow for agile improvements that return expected results. Altogether, this process ensures projects achieve and maintain goals while taking a proactive approach that avoids costly and time-consuming reactive adjustments.
Fish Passage, Water Rights, and Adaptive Management Along St. Vrain Creek for Boulder County Parks & Open Space
In 2013, Boulder County experienced historic and catastrophic flooding that damaged property and infrastructure and reshaped the land and riverscape of the St. Vrain Creek corridor. Rebuilding from the flood presented an opportunity to repair infrastructure and restore the stream and ditch connections in ways that improved resilience to future floods and reconnected habitat for native transition zone fishes.
This case study along St. Vrain Creek illustrates the application of adaptive management for two stream restoration and fish passage projects located three miles apart.
For both projects, Boulder County Parks and Open Space replaced flood-damaged channel-spanning diversion dams with fish-passable structures that maintained the delivery of decreed water rights at the proper time, with the overall goals of enhancing stream connectivity and resilience in the St. Vrain corridor.
Credit: Boulder County Parks and Open Space
Goals and Objectives
The adaptive management plan focuses on confirming project functionality based on project goals. These goals span water delivery, protecting infrastructure, improving fish passage and habitat, and the restoration of stream and floodplain connectivity.
Parameters
Monitoring parameters were identified based on plan objectives and included some general categories. Those include vertical and lateral channel stability, infrastructure functionality, fish presence and habitat, and vegetation. These and other parameters were chosen to serve as indicators of project performance and guide adaptive management interventions.
Methods
The methodologies selected to assess monitoring parameters included field observations and photographs, drone technology, stream measurements, and telemetry studies. Where available, use of existing standardized protocols ensure data accuracy and facilitate interdisciplinary assessments.
Adaptive Management Actions
As discussed, management actions are triggered when/if certain thresholds (identified within the plan) are met. These actions are coordinated with the stakeholder group for consideration of the benefit/impact that could come from implementing the management action. Adjustments over time that do not compromise project goals may not warrant intervention.
Possible management actions range in levels of urgency from simply verifying a parameter in question, to increased frequency of monitoring, to small-scale or large-scale modifications of project components. For St. Vrain Creek, these parameters cover a wide-range of project elements, including some highly-visible examples.
Large Wood Parameter
Large wood is an essential feature to enhance fish habitat and stabilize banks. As an established goal for Boulder County Parks and Open Space, large wood was included as part of the stream restoration design under the objective of enhancing fish habitat for regional species.
Goals
Objectives
Parameters
Methodology
Thresholds
Actions
Enhance native fish habitat in the channel
Improved fish passage and habitat
Large wood functionality
Field observation / Photo points
Reduction of in-channel large wood by 25%
Augmentation of large wood within the reach
Flanking or instability of installed large wood structures
Re-key structures into bed and bank
As part of St. Vrain’s adaptive management plan, the functionality of the large wood is monitored through established photo points and field observations. This methodology allows the team to measure the way large wood moves through the site and potentially impacts fish habitat over time. If certain thresholds on the reduction of in-channel large wood or instability of installed structures are observed, action is taken to augment or re-key those structures into the bed and bank.
Vertical Channel Stability Parameter
With the goals of maintaining water delivery and reliability and improving aquatic ecology, parameters were established in the adaptive management plan to ensure the vertical stability of the channel. The presence of an active head cut (caused by erosion) can quickly alter the channel slope and result in a channel steeper than the threshold for native fish and impact the ability to divert the appropriate amount of water.
Channel slopes exceed 4.5%, without multiple, variable margin flow paths or roughness elements present
Creation of multiple low flow paths / Regrading of the channel (localized grading by hand or with machinery)
Maintain water delivery and reliability / Improve aquatic ecology / Increase stream stability
Water delivery / Fish passage and habitat / Channel stability
Vertical stability
Longitudinal profile survey / Photo points
No longer a low flow path for fish passage
Regrading of the channel (localized grading by hand or with machinery)
Maintain water delivery and reliability / Improve aquatic ecology / Increase stream stability
Water delivery / Fish passage and habitat / Channel stability
Boulder vane stability
Field observations / Photo points
Evidence of boulders within vane moving or scouring
No longer a flow flow path for fish passage
Repair and stabilization of individual boulders
Placement of bed material to restore passability
Field observations, photo points, and longitudinal profile surveys were established to monitor for evidence of scour or head cut development, as well as any changes in slope throughout the project area. Additionally, field observations are recorded within the engineered boulder vanes to identify any boulders that may have shifted in a manner that inhibits low flow pathways for fish passage. Based on findings, localized regrading, stabilization of boulders, and/or the placement of bed material to restore low flow passability can be implemented.
Learning Lessons through Adaptive Management
Still early in the monitoring process (two years of data), insights from the adaptive management plan in collaboration with Boulder County Parks & Open Space will be used to highlight the success of diversion/fish passage designs, potential for improvements in design, and the importance of adaptive management. By monitoring these innovative approaches and applying lessons learned, Boulder County is helping pave the way for sustainable stream restoration practices region wide.
Adaptive management offers a robust framework for navigating the complexities of stream restoration projects. By embracing iterative decision-making, stakeholders can achieve a balance between environmental conservation and water rights management, ensuring the long-term resilience and connectivity of natural systems. The case of Boulder County serves as a testament to the transformative potential of adaptive management for not just one community, but for the greater industry while inspiring future innovations and best practices.
Otak is celebrating Engineers Week by sitting down for coffee with Sean Clark, senior project manager and passionate engineer! Check out the video and the transcription below:
“My name is Sean Clark, and I’m a structural engineer.”
What is your role on the structural team?
“I work a lot with architects. I also work a lot with the civil department, and water and natural resources – we do a whole lot of retaining walls on the side of roads, so I work with the transportation department as well.”
“The structure is basically anything in the built environment, and that encompasses different people at Otak, so it’s a wide variety.”
What excites you about the field of engineering?
“What excites me the most I think is the amount of technology and new types of construction. I get really excited when somebody’s like, ‘Ooh, we can use titanium rods to strengthen this girder.’ You know, something different.”
“Elegance in design is efficiency, you know? So, I take pride in being able to give an elegant design to somebody’s problem. One of the interesting ones that I’ve got recently is that we’re doing a rain shed in Hawaii. So, one – it’s Hawaii, and two – the seismic there is just crazy, it’s built on the side of a volcano. It’s really interesting to see how my part is just structures, but to get the water to all these people involves a lot of different disciplines.”
What do you enjoy most about being an engineer?
“I think what I love about engineering is that every day I create. It takes a lot of imagination, it takes a lot of work, it takes a lot of knowledge, but there’s just nothing better.”
Field Notes is a recurring series where impactful aspects of projects are brought into focus from the field, along with the people who make it possible.
There’s something special about transportation projects and the impact connectivity can have on a community. With greater connectivity comes greater access to healthier lifestyles, vital resources, and a wider range of opportunities. For public transit and infrastructure, this is especially true.
The Sound Transit East Link Extension project, which is designed to expand the light rail connection between Seattle, WA and its surrounding area, certainly fits this notion. As an analyst within our project controls group, our team has had the opportunity to bring efficiencies through tools and data to the development of this unique public asset.
I was honored to also have an opportunity to visit the project site itself, which I’d spent the last few years of my life working on from afar. What I found in this one-of-a-kind rail transport that features a floating bridge only reinforced my view of this feat of engineering, and my pride in being part of it bringing value to the community it aims to service.
Adreanna on-site at the Sound Transit East Link Extension.
The light rail has a combination of Direct-Fixation Tracks and Ballasted Tracks through the tunnels. Furthering the unique design of the 14-mile run connecting Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond.
Welcome to Judkins Park Station: Through the Eyes of An Engineer
Judkins Park Station (or JPS), located on 23rd Ave S, in the center of I-90, is one of the stations within the E130 scope and one of ten under construction within the 14-mile Eastlink Extension.
The access to this station allows the community to commute from Seattle to South Bellevue via light rail. JPS is right across the street from the Northwest Jimi Hendrix Park and is designed for people to walk, bike, or bus directly to the station!
Experiencing the East Link Light Rail
The Light Rail runs from the International District in Seattle, through Mount Baker Tunnel, to Mercer Island and concludes at Redmond. The Eastlink Extension creates yet another way for folks to commute without leaving behind a carbon imprint on our environment. The station itself is beautiful, and has a special flow of artwork and intentional landscaping throughout.
A Unique Design to Connect Communities
In the eye of an engineer, the project as a whole is a tangible form of beauty. The I-90 bridge is made up of several pontoons with a density less than water, allowing them to literally float! As astonishing as that may be, the bridge carries large volumes of traffic flow daily and will soon be carrying the additional weight of the light speed rail.
One of the most fascinating pieces of this experience is that the design of the light speed rail had to account for the water displacement caused by the weight of the materials and equipment required to build the tracks for the light speed rail. Additionally, the design had to account for the respective impacts on the bridge itself prior to construction.
One of the many things that make Judkins Park Station special is the artwork found throughout the station.
We’re delighted to share some additional award wins – this time for our project work in the Puget Sound region. The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Washington has awarded two projects from our bridge engineering team with Silver and Gold-level recognition!
ACEC Washington represents the gold standard for the business of engineering in Washington state, creating an environment that encourages quality, safe, impactful, and sustainable solutions for both the built and natural environments. They are the leading organization for promoting engineering companies through professional knowledge and exceptional services for communities across the state, and we’re grateful to be recognized on behalf of our teams who accomplished this award-winning work.
Learn more about each winning project on their respective project pages, and hear directly from our clients on what makes these wins so special.
Dungeness River Bridge – Best in State Gold Award: Social, Economic, and Sustainable Design Considerations
As the firm providing lead design consulting services, bridge engineering, architecture and landscape architecture, and building structural engineering, our approach to this project was creating a space where critical infrastructure and the environment’s natural surroundings intersect. This created a meaningful and useful finished product for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe based on their input and desired outcomes:
“Aesthetically and functionally, the bridge is superb. We are thrilled with the innovative wishbone design, and the flow of traffic merges and splits seamlessly. The Tribe routinely receives rave reviews about the bridge from trail and Nature Center users.”
– Randy Johnson, Habitat Program Manager for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
Willapa Littell Bridge – Best in State Silver Award: Successful Fulfillment of Owner/Client Needs
As prime consultant on this project – Otak performed a variety of essential services including project management, survey, environmental services, bridge and civil engineering, landscape architecture, stormwater management, and CMI work. The challenge for the client was mitigating safety hazards thanks to a highly popular trail combined with a dangerous at-grade crossing on a high-speed state highway while addressing aesthetic concerns among community members. With special thanks to our partners in overcoming speed bumps on the way to final delivery, the project now stands as a testament to innovative engineering that not only functions well, but is also a sight to behold:
“Constructing a 250’ span bridge over a busy highway with little to no lay down/staging area was a challenging endeavor. Otak produced a design that satisfied permit requirements, design requirements, and was aesthetically pleasing, definitely exceeding our expectations.”
– Tim Bell, Project Manager for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
View the rest of the winners on the Seattle DJC’s official website here, along with their write up on the Dungeness Bridge and river restoration here!
Otak is proud to announce some recent accolades from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Oregon. The ACEC Oregon Engineering Excellence Awards celebrate the best of the best in the engineering world, acknowledging firms that demonstrate innovation, technical expertise, and a commitment to delivering exceptional projects.
View the project page for each award winner below and be sure to watch the videos that accompany them for direct insight into what makes each project special.
Check out how Otak’s approach to stream restoration design returned a critical juncture of Johnson Creek at Cedar Crossing to it’s natural features, ensuring that one of the last creeks where salmon actively spawn in Portland, OR is viable for generations to come.
See how Otak involved the community of Independence, OR to replace an ailing bridge on Ash Creek, providing critical infrastructure through quality survey, geotechnical, roadway, bridge, hydraulic analysis, and environmental permitting work.
Field Notes is a recurring series where impactful aspects of projects are brought into focus from the field, along with the people who make it possible.
Land surveying is an ever-evolving profession, with data acquisition and measurement tools continuously becoming obsolete as they are replaced with faster, more accurate, safer, and more efficient tools. One such tool involves the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or what’s more generally known as a “drone”. When paired with a sensor (aka payload) the drone becomes an unmanned aerial system (UAS), capable of capturing unique perspectives from otherwise unreachable vantage points.
In the survey and mapping industry, drones have grown to be safer, less expensive, and easier to operate. Gone are the days of creating your own drones, control systems, payloads, and controllers to tailor an unmanned aerial system (UAS) to a project’s particular needs. The result of a drone survey today can provide aerial imagery, point cloud data, and ultimately data that allows for map creation and digital terrain modeling. Just as important, a drone survey also allows us to obtain a perspective of the overall context of a site in a way that is immediately understandable by non-surveyors.
In this piece, we’ll examine exactly what a drone survey is, what it’s capable of, and how it leads to more informed projects from design through construction.
Drone surveying is the art of mapping areas of land using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology. Drones carrying cameras or sensors (known as “payloads”) are used to capture data that can be turned into images ranging from the visual spectrum to infrared or point clouds utilizing LiDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging).
Modern drones can be deployed quickly and safely, providing images and videos in different formats, perspectives, and angles. Drone images and videos can be used to create maps, orthomosaics (aka “aerial photos”), and help users better view and understand view corridors.
The Science of Turning Data into 2D and 3D Models
In processing what’s captured during a drone survey, flat, 2D photos are used to create 3D models and obtain a digital terrain model of a site. How? Through a technique called structure from motion (SfM).
Structure from motion is a photogrammetric technique for estimating three-dimensional structures from two-dimensional image sequences. It is based on the principle that if we know the position and orientation of a drone’s camera when images are taken, we can use corresponding features to compare overlapping images as the drone has moved to reconstruct a 3D structure of area.
The SfM process works by first finding matching features in different images of the same scene. These features can be anything from corners of buildings to leaves on trees. Once the matching features are found, the software can use them to estimate the position and orientation of the camera for each image. With the camera positions known, the software can then reconstruct the 3D structure of the scene.
Drone Survey and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
A drone survey also naturally lends itself to Geographic Information System (GIS) applications. For the practice of mapping and analyzing geographically referenced information, the perspective and data obtained from a drone can significantly streamline that process.
The ability to produce this accurate and information-rich view of a given area has widespread benefits for a variety of projects. For instance, UAV captured data can be used in GIS for anything from modeling post-fire debris flow potential or avalanche terrain risk studies to view shed studies for planning and architecture projects. It can also have major applications in environmental design including the analysis of river morphology and water turbidity, plant species and land cover classification, advanced wetland identification modeling, and many more.
[Interactive] Slider in ArcGIS Showing Water Level Change Over Time
Why Use a Drone Survey – An Essential Component of Upkeep, Planning, and the Design Through Construction Process
The world isn’t a static place, and neither are the uses for drone imagery. While the prevailing usage is to create a map or aerial photo of a site once, mapping how that site changes over time is another very valuable application. Whether it be monitoring how plantings are growing, or tracking how woody debris and boulders may move seasonally in a stream restoration project, recording change over time reveals how well the project stands up to the elements of nature and time.
As the field has evolved, many manufacturers are building UAS specifically for land surveying uses – “metric” cameras for high accuracy, high resolution photography and LiDAR to name a couple. Advances in battery life, carrying capacity, and overall capabilities have rapidly accelerated while costs have come down and piloting has become more intuitive.
Drone surveys can provide highly-accurate data with a level of detail that is not possible with traditional surveying methods over wider areas. This is because drones can fly closer to the ground and take more photographs, which can then be stitched together to create a detailed 3D model of the survey area. Whereas traditional surveying methods require intention to map every specific item with a survey field crew, with a drone, you get all the items in your photo and then decide what to include in your map.
Cost-Effectiveness
Drone surveys are typically less expensive than traditional surveying methods, as they require fewer personnel and less equipment. Additionally, drone surveys can be completed much more quickly than traditional surveys, which can further reduce costs.
Efficiency
Drone surveys may be completed much faster than traditional surveys. This is because drones can cover large areas of land in a short period of time. The approach also opens the door to a wider variety of project sites as drone surveys can be conducted in areas that are difficult or dangerous to access using traditional methods.
Safety
All work done with drones for commercial purposes must be flown or overseen by a Remote Pilot in Charge having their FAA Part 107 UAS Remote Pilot License. Drone surveys are much safer than traditional surveys, as they do not require surveyors to put themselves in dangerous situations. For example, drone surveys can be used to survey areas that are otherwise inaccessible. This could be due to steep terrain, failing infrastructure, dangerous lake or river crossings, or areas with hazardous materials among a host of other reasons.
Drawbacks to Drone Survey: Airspace, Weather, and Logistical Limitations
The drawbacks of surveying with drones generally come down to airspace restrictions. There are limitations on where and how high drones can fly in areas around secure locations such as airports. Weather also comes into play. Clouds must not be too close to the ground, and wet ground may be too reflective and shiny to create acceptable imagery for mapping.
While the costs associated with surveying – as well as drone technology – continue to reduce, the process still involves highly-skilled individuals using very advanced and expensive equipment. Each survey crew has a sophisticated setup, including their truck/mobile office – and for this reason, survey field crews are costly. They also often need to be scheduled weeks if not months in advance. Unfortunately, this doesn’t allow for rapid deployment to capture an ephemeral situation or event, such as a flood, moving slide, or traffic conditions. However, there are situations where a decent drone and a Part 107 pilot can be deployed to a site rapidly if needed, at a much lower cost than a traditional field crew.
Does this mean traditional ground mapping is no longer needed? Not at all. In addition to the limitations noted above, ground cover, tree canopy, and the ability of an experienced survey crew to discern the existence and location of objects that might be under a few leaves, or a thin layer of sand or mulch won’t be replaced anytime soon.
Orthomosaic Mapping and the Drone Capture Process
Orthomosaics are large, dimensionally correct photos made up of hundreds or even thousands of individual photos of a site. Utilizing software to create these images, they provide a surprisingly accurate view of planimetric features.
When using drones to create a mapping product, there are a number of steps to ensure that the resulting product meets the accuracy needs of project.
[Watch] Drone Survey Flight Footage at Manley Road
Mission Planning
To maximize the resulting imagery from a drone survey, there are numerous factors to consider during mission planning. Critical aspects often include determining the best time of day, anticipating low wind conditions, cloud cover, and less congestion from parked vehicles or pedestrians. Ensuring the controller and UAV are up to date on software, firmware, and airspace maps, and that the drone is physically in tip-top condition with charged batteries is vital prior to every flight. Determining the optimal height above ground for the UAV to fly, the overlap and number of images, the specific UAS to be used, and the direction and rate of travel of the drone while acquiring images all add to the considerations when planning a flight mission.
Establishing Ground Control Points (GCP’s)
Small marks are made throughout the site, visible in the drone images, that have specific coordinates and elevations associated with consistent locations on these marks. These may be “T”’s or “L”’s or “X”’s made with tape, or circles with the classic survey pattern of opposing quarters. Depending on the site size and elevation change, there may be 7 to 10 of these used to control the data, and 3 to 4 that are used to check it. The resulting map can only be as accurate as the least accurate control point, quality survey equipment and great care in this process is essential to establish these stations.
Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Flight
If all the planning was done properly, the flight is mainly about safety, safety, and safety. Immediately prior to a mission, the pilot must plan ahead to mitigate distractions, disruptions, and disputes that may arise while the mission is underway.
While a UAS can be programmed to literally fly itself , the pilot is on hand to at least ensure safe flight operations from the moment they arrive on-site to the time they depart. While the UAS is in flight, the pilot needs to give their full attention to the safe operation of the drone. Pilots need to look out for other craft entering their airspace and track that the drone is acquiring the correct number and type of images that it is programmed to capture.
Post Processing
The images, sometimes as many as two thousand, are loaded into software. What’s known as a photogrammetry module (both the module and software package can run thousands of dollars) is designed specifically for the kind of mapping needed on a particular project. There are a variety of options when it comes to post processing software packages with some better designed for different types of drone survey applications.
Mapping Creation
The process can also be taken a step further by creating a photographic point cloud, which allows us to create a digital terrain model and obtain the heights of items above the ground such as buildings, wire elevations, and trees. Point cloud data may be used simply for map quality control or to supplement field surveying with 2D items such as paint striping or concrete patterns. But it can also be used to create mapping in inaccessible areas or areas that would be dangerous to map with traditional means. While most surveying won’t rely solely on drone data, it can be an essential tool in all these areas.
Structure from Motion is used to create a 3D model of everything within the images. This is then cleaned up and items that are irrelevant to the project are removed. The clean data can then be used to create linework and digital terrain model (DTM) features (i.e., objects found on the surface area) which are transferred into AutoCAD for final mapping and drafting.
Many times, land surveying work is performed to create a basemap of a location so engineers and architects can design improvements or new uses for that site. But what if the goal is to simply have a record of what is there rather than to immediately improve it? This is where mapping that may require a lower accuracy than “survey grade” may be what is needed.
In simply documenting a project visually from a unique perspective, drone-based photography and mapping really shines. When overseen, controlled, and quality checked by a land surveyor, the resulting mapping from a drone mission will be as accurate and reliable as possible. This data can be used to create GIS datasets that track locations of site improvements, utilities, and other features.
Ultimately drones give surveyors the ability to visualize unique project perspectives, capture otherwise unobtainable viewpoints, and document site conditions in a way that can’t easily be accessed.
A Multidisciplinary Approach Supported by a Complete Survey Team
While the Otak UAV program is hosted through our land surveying group, the use of drones extends much further. From marketing and comprehensive project management to water resources engineering and construction management and inspection, the full breadth of multidisciplinary expertise can benefit from data obtained through drone imagery and video. Drones are an increasingly valuable part of our industry, and their usage and value will continue to be discovered and utilized for years to come.
While an exciting tool that provides capabilities not before available to land surveyors, UAV-based mapping is still just one of several advanced tools Otak has to map features above, on, and below the surface of the earth. Whether a project requires UAVs, terrestrial scanning, bathymetric mapping, traditional mapping, or nearly any other mapping means, Otak’s land surveying and GIS personnel are equipped with the tools and expertise to get the project done right.
More award wins at Otak! We’re happy to share that this fall the Wade Creek Restoration project was the recipient of two awards!
Otak would like to thank the City of Estacada, Greenworks, and Pacific Habitat services for their partnerships on delivering this project to the benefit of the community of Clackamas County.
Read more about the project and the awards below!
What Were the Awards?
State Land Board Award – Stream Category
Led by Greenworks, the restoration of Wade Creek was at the heart of the city’s multi-year effort to address problems with the pond while also creating better connection with the surrounding community. Work included restoring the historic course of the creek to provide improved passage for salmon species throughout their life cycle, adding native plants along the bank to shade and cool the creek, and eliminating steep slopes to create a working floodplain.
The restoration project also added accessible walking trails and a boardwalk to the adjacent park and public library, an amphitheater and community gathering space, stormwater rain gardens, and a pollinator garden. Along with benefiting the environment surrounding the creek, these crucial additions and improvements to accessibility increased the area’s overall sense of community.
John Van Staveren of Pacific Habitat Services was integral to both the completion of the project and the submittal of the Land Board Award, so we would like to extend special thanks to him and the greater firm for all his work advocating for the project.
You can read the press release on the Land Board award win from the Oregon Department of State Lands here.
Oregon ASLA – Honor Award
Also submitted and led by our partners at Greenworks, architects tapped Wade Creek as a Project of Honor at the annual Oregon American Society of Landscape Architects awards banquet for the collaborative and environmentally conscious What method in which it was delivered..
Read more about Wade Creek on our project page, and we’re pleased to have worked on such a transformative and community-driven project.
Otak is thrilled to announce our success at the 2023 American Public Works Association (APWA) Colorado Awards Luncheon, where we were honored to be part of not one but two awards!
The awards ceremony brought together professionals and organizations from the public works sector to celebrate excellence and innovation in community development.
The Adam’s County Veteran’s Memorial Project team accepting the 2023 APWA Project of the Year Award. (Photo Credit: Colorado Public Works Journal)
What Projects Won?
The big winner for this year was one of the most interesting projects Otak’s has had the chance to team up on in recent years – Adam’s County Veteran’s Memorial. Partnering with DHM Design and ECI Site Management was an opportunity to not only serve the community but honor veterans with a historic battleship turned testament to their service for their country.
The ceremony was not only an occasion for Otak to celebrate its own achievements but also to applaud the remarkable efforts of other dedicated professionals and organizations in the field. Together, we continue to elevate the standards of excellence in public works and community development.
The Adams County Veteran’s Memorial project team at the APWA Colorado 2023 luncheon.
Otak would like to express its gratitude to the APWA Colorado Chapter for organizing this event and for providing a platform for industry leaders to share ideas, inspire innovation, and celebrate success. We are thrilled to be part of this thriving community of professionals who are working tirelessly to build a brighter future.
At Otak, we remain committed to making a positive impact on the communities we serve. These awards are a testament to our collective efforts, and we look forward to many more opportunities to create meaningful change. It’s amazing to get recognition for the work we do to serve our communities, and the real payoff is not just with awards, but in the way we deliver projects successfully.
For more information about Otak and our ongoing community-focused projects, check out our website where you’ll find the latest on other projects in the Rocky Mountain Region!
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What Were the Awards?
