Responding to Challenges following the Panama Canal Expansion Project Liliana Almonte Caitlin Burner Julia Ring Victoria Simpson Sonia Zarate Responding to Challenges following the Panama Canal Expansion Project A Major Qualifying Project Report: Submitted to the faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in cooperation with the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá Submitted October 14, 2016 Submitted By: Project Advisors: Liliana Almonte Dr. Aaron Sakulich Caitlin Burner Dr. Tahar El-Korchi Julia Ring Victoria Simpson Sonia Zarate This report represents the work of WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review. For more information about the projects program at WPI, please see http://www.wpi.edu/academics/ugradstudies/project-learning.html Abstract The Panama Canal has shaped the global shipping industry since 1914, but recently expanded its operations to respond to increasing world trade. Projects completed in collaboration with the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá over the course of three months in Panama focused on the treatment of potable water originating in the canal and the maintenance of its aging structures following the expansion. Recommendations were provided to aid in preserving the sustainability of the canal. ii Authorship In order to achieve the collaborative writing goals set forth by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Major Qualifying Project (MQP) guidelines, the team adopted a methodology by which the alternative roles of writer and editor were assumed by each member. While different subsections of the report were written individually, all five students critically reviewed their teammates’ writing, editing the sections to improve clarity, tone, and the overall flow of the report. This ensured equal contribution and a cohesive voice throughout the paper. The four projects presented in this report were grouped into two chapters; one focused on water purification, and the other focused on dams and spillways. Within the water purification chapter, Liliana Almonte and Sonia Zarate completed the project entitled Analysis of Chemical Consumption Patterns at Miraflores Filtration Plant, and Julia Ring completed the project entitled Process Analysis of Mount Hope Water Filtration Plant. Within the dams and spillways chapter, Caitlin Burner completed the project entitled Evaluation of the ACP’s Formal Inspection Program of Dams and Spillways, and Victoria Simpson completed the project entitled Risk Analysis of Madden Dam and Spillway Drum Gates. The background, methodologies, results, analyses, conclusions, and recommendations for each of the four separate projects were written by the respective student researchers. iii Acknowledgments This report was made possible through the help, guidance, and support of the many people met through our time working with the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP – Panama Canal Authority). Each person played an important role in our efforts to adapt to a new culture and our development as young professional engineers. To our WPI advisor, Dr. Aaron Sakulich, thank you for your constant advice, criticism, and feedback on our report. This work was partially funded by Grant #1357667, made available by the National Science Foundation’s Office of International Science and Engineering, titled “IRES: Environmental Impact of the Panama Canal Expansion Project” (PI: Aaron Sakulich). Additionally, thank you to Dr. Tahar El-Korchi for offering your support throughout the development of our projects. To our ACP supervisors, Patricio Lyew, Roberto Bruno, Marietta Ng, and Ana Lucía Lim Cárdenas, thank you for welcoming us to your teams, inviting us to field visits to see incredible civil engineering structures, and providing answers to all of our questions. To our many friends met through work, thank you for giving us tips about your beautiful country, making us feel at home and part of the ACP family. Additionally, we would like to thank: Alberto Miró and Unidad de Ingeniería de Mantenimiento (IAIM – MAN) Karen Anguizola (EAAR – HM) Arnaldo Bramwell (EAAA – ME) Marisela Castillo, Aura Botacio, and Marilyn Dieguez (EAA – CA) Dr. Paul Mathisen and Dr. John Bergendahl of Worcester Polytechnic Institute Mr. Peter Quern of Wright-Pierce Ciudad del Saber Dormitory Staff Thank you for going out of your way to answer our questions, helping our projects develop, and providing a home for us during this incredible opportunity. iv Licensure Statement Professional licensure certifies that a person is qualified to create, sign, and seal engineering designs. In addition to having the ability to perform their engineering responsibilities thoroughly and to a high standard of quality, Professional Engineers (PEs) are also expected to work carefully and ethically. Licensure indicates a certain level of competency, experience, and expertise. It allows others to confidently put their trust in the PE’s work (National Society of Professional Engineers, 2016). Professional licensure is important on several levels, including to the individual, to the profession, and to the public. For the individual engineer, a PE License opens the door to promotions within their current companies and better job opportunities in their respective fields. For the engineering profession, PE Licenses provide credibility. By mandating licensure restrictions, engineers are held to a high standard, allowing the engineering profession to be regarded with respect. For the public, PE Licenses ensure a degree of safety. PE licensure is required to practice legally, and if an engineer wishes to maintain their license, they must adhere to industry-set regulations and safety restrictions when designing and approving plans (National Society of Professional Engineers, 2016). In the United States of America, PE licensure is regulated by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). The exact requirements necessary to earn a PE License varies on a state-by-state basis; however, there are four main conditions to be met that are mandatory across the country. First, the individual seeking the license must have attended and received a bachelor’s degree from a university accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) or Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET) (NCEES). These two organizations certify that education programs properly prepare their students for the workforce (ABET). Next, the individual must pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam geared towards their specific engineering field, earning them the title of Engineer Intern (EI) or Engineer-in-Training (EIT). The FE exam is a six hour, 110 multiple- choice question test given over computer that evaluates a spectrum of topics that an engineer must be proficient in to pass. After passing the FE exam, an EIT must work under the supervision of a PE for a minimum of four years. Finally, the EIT must pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam, an eight hour, open-book test that evaluates an individual’s v “ability to practice in a particular engineering discipline completely” (NCEES). Once all of these requirements are accomplished, in addition to the various ones set by the state, the EIT will be awarded their PE License. Each PE has their own assigned number that appears on their license and seal for identification and verification purposes. In order to maintain a PE License, one must continue taking courses and engaging in opportunities that will further educate and improve their engineering skills (National Society of Professional Engineers, 2016). In Panama, licensure is regulated by the government entity Junta Técnica de Ingeniería y Arquitectura (JTIA - Technical Board of Engineering and Architecture). Similar to NCEES in the U.S., JTIA is the only body that can certify a Panamanian engineer. In order to receive their Certificado de Idoneidad (Certificate of Suitability), a graduate must first submit their diploma to the Universidad de Panamá (University of Panama) for review. The individual is not required to be a Universidad de Panamá graduate to seek certification. The university verifies that the diploma and respective school are both credible. For graduates that studied outside of Panama, extra stamps of approval from organizations in the U.S. must be included as well. The university checks that the proper number of credits were met and that the proper types of courses were taken by the student. Once the paperwork is cleared, the Universidad de Panamá sends the information to JTIA for processing. While graduates are not required to wait a certain number of years before applying for certification, like in the U.S., the approval process can take up to one year to complete. During this time, the individual must practice under the guidance and supervision of a certified engineer. After the review process has been completed and JTIA determines that the documentation is valid, the engineer receives their Certificado de Idoneidad, along with their seal. The seal usually comes in the form of a stamp, but can also be a punch that creates a raised impression on papers. Both the certificate and the seal display the engineer's professional registration or identification number. This number is unique to the engineer and serves as proof