Reducing the use of Fossil Fuels
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Celebrating Zero Emissions Day: a day focused on encouraging the reduction of the use of fossil fuels in daily life and promoting the use of renewable energy.
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LSA Grant Open for Public Entities with Public Interest Projects
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The PA Race Horse Development and Gaming Act provides for the distribution of gaming revenues through the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) to support projects in the public interest within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Applications will be received from September 1, 2024 to November 30, 2024.
Read MoreNew PADEP NPDES General Permit Requirements
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If you currently have coverage under PAG-02 General Permit, your permit coverage for discharge of stormwater associated with construction activities will expire on December 7, 2024.
Read MoreUnderstanding the Land Development Process
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Whether you’re adding a new building, expanding an existing footprint, changing the use of the facility or increasing the amount of impervious surface on your site, you may need a Land Development plan. Regardless of size, projects with some level of earth disturbance may require a site plan with a minimum set of requirements to move forward.
Read MoreBuilding Energy Performance Program Compliance Deadline: September 30
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If you are a commercial building owner in the City of Philadelphia, you may be required to comply with a recent regulation called the Building Energy Performance Program (§ 9-3404 Building Energy Performance Policy). This ordinance mandates that owners of buildings larger than 50,000 square feet complete a “Building Tune-Up” every five years. The deadline for compliance is set for September 30, 2024.
Celebrating Water Quality
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National Water Quality Month is dedicated to making the most of what little freshwater we have available. We must protect and repair our waterways because healthy water is essential for our health, agriculture and environment.
At SSM we are dedicated to protecting, developing, and managing water resources for future generations.
Read MoreReducing Plastic Waste: Joining the Movement with Plastic Free July
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Take the challenge and join in on Plastic Free July!
Plastic Free July was founded in 2011 by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz to help reduce the amount of plastic waste we consume. The month is dedicated to encouraging people to discover alternatives to single-use plastics and to reexamine the major role plastic takes in their everyday lives.
Read MorePA Department of Environmental Protection Launches Energy Efficiency Grant and Loan Program
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The PA Department. of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) launched a new program to help local governments develop and implement energy efficiency upgrades for their buildings. The Municipal Opportunities for Retrofits and Energy Efficiency (MORE) program offers grants to $50,000 each and loans to PA municipalities and municipal authorities that are ineligible for direct EECBG allocations. Applications are open now, and awards are first come, first served.
Read MoreEmbracing Plastic Free July and Protecting Our Environment
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Becoming plastic free or lessening your consumption of plastic can positively impact the environment greatly. Plastic Free July gives participants the tools they need to change their habits and the resources to stop and think about how individuals can make an impact for the better and reduce their reliance on plastic.
Read MoreThe Impact and Benefits of Solar Power
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As we celebrate the first days of summer, it's the perfect time to explore how solar power can benefit our world.
Read MoreCase Study: Radnor Township
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Developed a plan to achieve The Green Team of Radnor Township’s Ready for 100 commitments to transition township-wide to 100% clean energy for electricity by 2030 and for heat and transportation by 2050.
In addition, we provided engineering services to the Township for three main facilities in a feasibility study to identify the potential financial impact and set priorities for moving into design and implementation of improvements in accordance with the Township’s Ready for 100 goals, pursuant to the Renewable Energy and Conservation Plan.
Read MoreWater Quality Reporting - Consumer Confidence Reports
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SSM assists many of our clients to prepare their annual Consumer Confidence Report. The CCR is a general overview of the water quality delivered by community water systems to their customers. Here’s what you should know about it.
Read MoreCase Study: Renew America's Schools Grantee
/Our team provided modeling of deep energy upgrades for the Penn Wood High School Cypress Street campus, prepared the application and all supporting documents, and managed the post-award grant negotiations to secure more than $7.2 million for the District.
Read MoreThe Renew America's Schools Prize
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Applications are now open for the second round of funding: The Renew America’s Schools Prize.
Read MoreCase Study: Energy Benchmarking and HVAC Controls Analysis
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Our Energy and Sustainability Team completed an assessment of BAS settings and algorithms, and a subsequent fine-tuning by the controls contractor, providing a significant and progressive reduction in energy use, resulting in utility bill and environmental savings.
Read MoreEnhancing Piping System Longevity: The Role of Nitrogen in Fire Sprinkler Systems
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Fire sprinkler systems play a crucial role in safeguarding facilities from the devastating effects of fires. For building owners who rely on dry pipe or pre-action sprinkler systems, a strategic switch from compressed air to nitrogen proves to be a functional solution for maximizing the lifespan of their piping systems.
Read MoreTips for Oil Water Separators (OWS)
/Oil water separators (OWS) are a vital part of protecting the environment from hydrocarbon releases. Although typically out of sight and mind, they quietly do their part when properly maintained. The coalescing media is the essential element for attaining acceptable oil discharge limits. However, the coalescing media is also most susceptible to solids obstructing proper oil separation. When solids and hydrocarbons are not removed regularly, they can cause unwanted sludge buildup in the system and poor effluent characteristics.
Read MoreFarm to Table: Supporting the Food Industry
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Farmers, processors, distributors, and even restauranteurs all turn to SSM. November is all about bringing food to the table. Here’s a little taste at some projects we’ve worked on.
Read MoreLead and Copper Rule Revisions: GIS for Service Line Inventory
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EPA recently revised the Lead and Copper Rule, establishing compliance deadlines of October 2024. To jumpstart the road to compliance, water systems should consider deploying a GIS team to establish their service line inventory. Likewise, water systems should ensure they have an engineering team on board that is well-versed in providing engineering design and consulting services.
Read MoreBeyond Storefronts: Supporting the Retail Space
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The landscape of retail is ever evolving with success lying in the seamless orchestration of many elements. At SSM, we’re proud to support our retail clients so that they get to focus on what they do best - curating exceptional shopping experiences. We recognize that the complexities of retail extend far beyond storefronts. From optimizing parking lots to ensuring safe spaces to shop - we specialize in providing comprehensive and multi-faceted solutions to even the most complex challenges. So that when holiday shopping is on the mind, our retail clients get to focus on just that.
Check out a few of the recent retail projects we’ve worked on:
Boscov’s | Solar Array | SSM has provided structural evaluations of existing framing for new solar array loading for retail outlets in various locations, including determining the existing structure capacity and providing guidance on load limitation for the proposed array. Existing steel-framed and concrete-framed structures have been evaluated.
TJ Maxx | Facade | SSM provided structural design for the renovation of a 4-foot-tall facade to a 20-foot-tall replacement. Structural scope included evaluating existing framing and capacity of existing steel joists. Engineering drawings included foundation plans, framing plans, wall sections, reinforcing details, and details of the light-gage metal framework. Construction administration services were also provided throughout renovation.
Berkshire Mall West | Site Improvements | Engineering and permitting services for a new driveway entrance and pedestrian circulation. SSM’s survey team provided a property survey, and our engineering team provided a land development plan as well as necessary Borough documents. Land development plans included existing conditions, site layout, grading and landscape, as well as construction details for the driveway and pedestrian facilities. SSM also provided construction administration and coordination.
Berkshire Mall West | ADA Ramp Evaluations | Survey, evaluation, and design services for existing ADA sidewalk ramps. SSM provided a detailed evaluation of existing ramps and developed design drawings for proposed ramps and related site improvements. Evaluation and design included compliance with ADA standards, construction specifications, project administration, and associated field meetings.
Berkshire Mall West | Land Development Plan | SSM has been contracted to provide land development services for a 40,000SF building addition. SSM’s services include land development plans and documentation for municipal approvals. Also included is an updated survey, conceptual layouts, and preliminary/final land development plans and construction details. SSM will also prepare a storm water management design and provide construction coordination.
Burlington | Building Addition | SSM provided survey services to support construction of an addition to an existing Burlington store. Our Survey team provided an existing conditions survey accompanied by construction stakeout - integrating the addition’s new design with existing structural steel and building walls. Construction stakeout included steel layout of the addition. Upon construction completion, SSM will prepare a final as-constructed survey plan.
Burlington | Construction Documentation | SSM provided structural design and documentation for the fit out of an existing retail space. SSM provided drawings from development of conceptual design into final construction documents. The structural scope of work also included providing foundation plans determining load capacity for existing roof framing.
Boot Barn | Square Foot Verification | SSM was contracted to verify the square footage of a building formerly used as a restaurant for the leasing operations of the Boot Barn retail location. Our team visited the site and performed field measurements throughout the interior of the building and around the exterior perimeter to verify the rentable area for leasing purposes.
For additional information contact us:
Scott Miller, ASLA | scott.miller@ssmgroup.com
