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Pre-monitoring Report for Negley Run Boulevard Green Infrastructure Project

Technical Report · August 2014

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.22979.60966

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Pre-monitoring Report for Negley Run Boulevard
Green Infrastructure Project

August 2014

By Irena Gorski and Samantha Wong,

Hydrology Interns at The Penn State Center – Pittsburgh
 Introduction

Project 15206 is a two year initiative to address stormwater mitigation through various
projects including the implementation of green infrastructure. It is a collaborative effort of
community, governmental, academic, and philanthropic organizations with The Penn State
Center Pittsburgh serving as the overall project manager. Through detailed analysis, ten sites
have been chosen for green infrastructure projects. The top priority site among these is Negley
Run Boulevard, a long winding road that is perpendicular to Washington Boulevard in the
Larimer section of Pittsburgh. This paper provides hydrologic data collected and analyzed for
Negley Run for the purpose of helping plan a green infrastructure project there as well as to
provide data for comparison with monitoring data post-implementation to determine the
effectiveness of the project. All monitoring was completed by Penn State Center hydrology
interns, Irena Gorski and Samantha Wong, along with Civil & Environmental Consultants soil
scientist, John Buck.

Methods
Decagon Greenhouse Sensor

The Decagon GS3 Sensor (Figure 1) measures water content, electrical conductivity, and
temperature of soil.The sensor has 3 slim, stainless steel prongs that are put into the ground to
take measurements. The GS3 sensor uses electromagnetic fields, electrical currents, and a
thermistor to take readings. This device was obtained from John Buck and tests completed by
Samantha Wong and Irena Gorski.
The north side of Negley Run was mapped out every 100 feet with corresponding letters
in the alphabet, from A which is 100 feet down Negley Run from Washington Boulevard all the
way to R which is 1800 feet from Washington Blvd. From June 25 to June 28, 2014 and July 2 to
July 3, 2014, volumetric water content (VWC), electrical conductivity (EC), and temperature
were measured in a grid format with at least 3 points at each letter at different distances from the
curb (example: A1 is 6 in. away from curb, A2 is halfway between curb and treeline, and A3 at
the tree line). In order to have consistent locations, a popsicle stick was inserted into the ground
to mark the point. On June 25, there was 0.956 inches of rain within the last 24 hours, on June 26
there was 0.031 inches of rain within the last 24 hours, and 0 inches of rain on June 27.
Measurements were taken for three consecutive days to observe the volumetric water content as
water is removed by the downward forces of gravity. Further data was collected after the soil
dried up more on July 2, 2014 when there was 0 inches of precipitation within the last 24 hours
and July 3, 2014 with 0.012 inches of precipitation. Measurements were collected between 10:15
am and 3:15 pm each day.
 Figure 1. Photo of Decagon GS3 Sensor

Turf-Tec Double Ring Infiltrometer

A double ring infiltrometer measures infiltration rates of soils with all pore space factored
in such as macropores and wormholes, and can be used for both saturated and unsaturated soil.
A Turf-Tec double ring infiltrometer was obtained from John Buck and tests were performed by
Samantha Wong and Irena Gorski. Infiltration rates were measured at the four spots, two “wet”
spots (C1 & I3) chosen for their high VWC and low decrease in VWC over the test period June
25 through July 3, 2014, and two “dry” spots (G2 & N1) chosen for their low VWC and high
decrease in VWC over the test week.
The surface infiltration was measured by pushing the infiltrometer evenly into the soil
surface using a piece of wood and a sledgehammer. Figure 2 shows a photo of the setup. It was
filled with water inside the inner and outer rings until the nail that rises as the inner ring fills read
0 mm. The infiltrometer was filled with water from the fire station and left to infiltrate for 15
minutes at a time. After saturating the soil at each spot for two 15 minute rounds, readings were
taken at the end of each 15 minute period before refilling the infiltrometer. This was repeated
until several similar measurements were found and hence the infiltration rate leveled off.
 Figure 2. Photo of Setup of Turf Tec Double Ring Infiltrometer

After performing surface infiltration tests, sub-soil level infiltration tests were
performed. To do this, holes of approximately 5-6 inches depth and 7-8 inches in diameter were
dug before driving the infiltrometer into the soil at this depth. The rest of the test was performed
in the same manner as at the surface and rates found were taken to be percolation rates.

Monitoring System Design & Implementation

After completing a One-Call and utilities along Negley Run were identified, Lisa Vavro
organized with Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works to dig test pits. Digging of these pits
was overseen by John Buck, Irena Gorski, and Samantha Wong. Nine test pits were dug on July
23, 2014, each 40-48 inches in depth and approximately 5 feet long by 3 feet wide. Pits were
spaced apart every 150 ft along Negley Run Boulevard and offset 10 ft from the closest marked
utility, toward the tree line. A John Deere 310 tractor with a 2 ft rear bucket was used to
excavate these holes. Logs of the soils in the test pits were recorded by John Buck (Figure 3
shows pictures). Clay-rich soils in the walls of the pits were sampled because they would be the
limiting factor in infiltration. Hand texture analysis was carried out and also sent for particle size
analysis by A&L Labs for comparison.
After backfilling the test pits, they were all surveyed by John Buck, Irena Gorski, and
Samantha Wong. While surveying, GPS locations were taken with a Trimble GPS of inlets,
street lights, and test pits. A map of the GPS located points is included as Appendix A. Inlets
surveyed were all along the northernmost curb of Negley Run with Inlet 4 closest to Washington
Blvd and Inlet 3 and 2 the next inlets moving away from Washington to 1R which is near the
bridge that crosses over Negley Run. The theodolite (Figure 4) was used to measure the relative
height of the test pits and inlets. The values collected with the theodolite helped to develop a
more accurate contour map of the site.

Figure 3. Test Pit Soil Analysis by John Buck

 Figure 4. Theodolite Used to Measure Relative Elevations of Test Pits

A monitoring system to be installed at the site was designed jointly by Irena Gorski,
Samantha Wong, and John Buck. It includes a Decagon Em50G Remote Cellular Data Logger,
DataTrac Logger software, PVC piping (straight 2” schedule 40, slotted, and elbow), Decagon
CTD-5 water level sensor, and Novalynx heated rain gauge. Future plans for installing the
equipment are to connect all sensors and the rain gauge to the data logger via wiring under the
soil surface through PVC piping. The data logger will be set up to transmit data by cellular
internet access to the Penn State Center where the hydrologist will then use the DataTrac Logger
software to review and analyze the data. The rain gauge was chosen to be heated so that
precipitation could still be tracked during the winter. It will mounted on a street light the
Department of Public Works 10 feet above the ground with bird spikes on top in order to keep
vandals and birds from interfering with results. The water level sensor will be mounted in the
sewer inlet nearest to the street light inside slotted PVC piping covered in filter fabric to keep out
debris. The catch basins for the sewer inlets were all cleaned out on August 6, 2014. The data
logger will be installed next to the street light.

Data Trac & ECH2O Utility Software

Decagon Em50G Data Logger was used to log data from a Decagon Leaf Wetness Sensor
and Decagon CMT-5 Water Level Sensor. ECH2O Utility software was used to configure the
measurement time intervals every five minutes and the cellular configuration every four hours.
The cellular configuration sends the data to Data Trac at the chosen times. Data Trac is a
software that collects and stores the information. The latest Data Trac software, v.3.10.3705,
was downloaded from ​http://software.decagon.com. The Em50G Device ID to be installed at
Negley Run is 5G0E3766. The data logger was enrolled to Data Trac by clicking ​setup, ​create
new, and then ​EM50G subscription. The device ID and password was entered into the program.
The sensors must be configured to each port by clicking ​configure and then ​Port 1, 2, 3, etc. The
type of sensor is selected to the appropriate ports. To access the latest information recorded, click
download. The data can be viewed in a table format or chart by clicking either ​table or ​chart.
This information can also be exported and saved the computer by clicking ​File then ​Export.
 Results & Discussion

Temperature, EC, and VWC Data

Measurements of EC and VWC are included in Appendix B. Although temperature

measurements were collected, the results were not significant so they were left out of this
appendix to keep the large table a manageable size. Based on the temperature data, the soil is the
hottest for the first 500 foot stretch of Negley Run where there is no tree coverage close to the
firefighter training station. The range for soil temperature over the 5 days of testing at Negley
Run was 77.7 to 96.1 degrees Fahrenheit. As for EC, cells in Appendix B are highlighted in
green if they exceed the average EC value by over one standard deviation. Averages and
standard deviations were computed for each day. The range for EC over the week was 0.032 to
0.99 dS/m with an average of 0.21 dS/m. The highest frequency of high EC values is at D, H-I,
and Q-R.
Throughout the test week, the range for VWC was ​29.7 - 65.5% with an average of
40.5%. ​The locations farthest from the curb remained wet the most often. This is probably due to
the tree cover and a hill sloping down to this area. The extra shade could be preventing
evaporation, the trees could continue to drip onto the area after a storm, and water could be
flowing down the hill to these locations, keeping them wet. The area that dried out the most over
the test week was along the curb close to Washington Boulevard. This could be due to the lack of
shade and hotter temperatures of the soil causing evaporation or could be due to better drainage.
Further analysis of VWC is included in Appendix C. In this appendix, values for VWC
were averaged each day by area to allow for better comparison of values just along the curb, just
along the tree line, and just in the middle. What can be gathered from this appendix is that the
areas which contained the most moisture is about 200 to 900 ft away from Washington Blvd.
This stretch of land had more higher moisture content averages than its surrounding area.

Infiltration & Percolation

It was expected that at “wet” locations C1 and I3 where VWC remained high throughout
the test week, there would be slow infiltration rates; fast infiltration rates were expected for “dry”
locations G2 and N1 where VWC decreased significantly over the test week. Data for the
infiltration tests is included in Appendix D. A summary of the results is included in Table 1. The
infiltration and percolation rates do not show the expected trend; there is no trend for the “wet”
spots versus the “dry” spots. It is recommended that further infiltration testing be performed on a
denser scale once the area for the green infrastructure project is narrowed down.
Table 1. Results of Double Ring Infiltrometer Tests

Surface Infiltration Percolation Rate

Location Notes
Rate (~6" depth)
(900 ft down Negley from
"Wet" I3 3.94 in/hr 6.14 in/hr
Washington, 34 ft from curb)
(300 ft down Negley from
"Wet" C1 10.08 in/hr 5.67 in/hr
Washington, 0.5 ft from curb)
(700ft down Negley from
"Dry" G2 5.61 in/hr 1.89 in/hr
Washington, 16ft from curb)
(1400 ft down Negley from
"Dry" N1 8.44 in/hr 16.82 in/hr
Washington, 0.5 ft from curb)

The results of the surface infiltration rates at Negley Run were compared to the surface
infiltration rates at a current bioswale at the Environment and Energy Community Outreach
(EECO) Center (Table 2). Interestingly, the infiltration rates are fairly similar on the green
infrastructure site and pre-green infrastructure site. Although there is variability depending on
the where the rates are taken, it is imperative to re monitor the locations after GI is implemented
at Negley.

Table 2. Comparison of Negley Run and EECO Infiltration Rates

Negley Run EECO Center

Surface Infiltration 3.94 in/hr

5.61 in/hr 5.35 in/hr

8.44 in/hr 7.95 in/hr

10.08 in/hr 10.71 in/hr

Test Pits

As expected, the 5ft x 3ft x 4 ft test pits contained fill, made up of bricks, Gilpin Upshur,
and Urban soils. There was soil mottling in areas of the soil at various depths and locations
which does not suggest a high water table here. The soils likely developed this mottling before
being placed as fill at this location. Results of hand texture and lab analysis are in Table 3 along
with the location of the sample and the Munsell color. Results of particle size analysis by
hydrometer method with breakdowns of percentage sand, silt, and clay from A&L Great Lake
Labs is included as Appendix E.

Table 3. Analysis of Test Pit Soils

Test Pit Location & Description of Soil Sample Hand Texture A&L Particle
Analysis Size Analysis

1 31-41 inch depth; dark brown Sandy loam; Loam

many pebbles

3 33-38 inch depth; dark reddish brown Loam Clay loam

4 30-36 inch depth; dark brown Silt loam Silt clay loam

6 25-32 inch depth; dark brown Clay loam Clay loam

8 38-42 inch depth; olive brown with many fine Clay Clay loam
to medium brownish yellow and dark gray
mottles

Relative elevations of the test pits are listed in Table 4 along with elevations of other
features around them including sewer inlets and points on the curb. Note that the elevation of
Inlet 4, the lowest point, was chosen to be 790 ft based on contours on Appendix A’s GPS map
and all other elevations are based off of this number.
Table 4. Relative Elevations of Test Pits and Surrounding Features
Relative
Location Elevation (ft)
Inlet 4 790
Test Pit 1 792.72
Test Pit 2 792.88
Test Pit 3 794.27
Inlet 3 810.46
Test Pit 4 811.97
Curb at TP-5 814.58
Test Pit 5 816.71
Curb at TP-6 817.44
Test Pit 6 833.11
Inlet 2 834.55
Test Pit 7 837.08
Test Pit 8 842.09
Curb at TP-9 842.28
Test Pit 9 845.33
Inlet 1R 844.75

The overall change in elevation is 54.75 ft over this roughly 1400 ft stretch of Negley
Run Boulevard; this is a slope of nearly 4%.
 Conclusion

The main findings of this pre-monitoring are:

(1) EC was relatively low over the test week with a maximum value of 0.99 dS/m in one
location along the curb. The highest frequency of high EC values is at D, H-I, and Q-R.
(2) The locations farthest from the curb remained wet the most often. The area that dried out
the most over the test week was along the curb close to Washington Boulevard.
(3) There are two major utilities that run down Negley Run.
(4) The soil is mostly loamy fill with layers of restricting clay loam at various depths.
(5) Negley Run Blvd has a 4% slope down to Washington Blvd which is relatively flat
(>10% is generally considered steep and could present difficulties for a green
infrastructure project).

Based on these findings, the following recommendations are made:

(1) A finer network of infiltration tests should be performed on the soil once the area for the
project is narrowed down; 1-12 in/hr infiltration rates are desirable for rain gardens.
(2) A back-up design, possibly an underdrain, should be included in case the soil does not
drain as well as expected to avoid surface pooling.
(3) Monitoring and analysis should continue throughout the installation of the project and for
several years afterward in order to determine the effectiveness of the project at mitigating
stormwater flowing down to Washington Boulevard.
(4) If designs are to be implemented near the fire station, it is recommended that further
investigation be done near Washington Blvd to determine if conditions from firefighter
training activities could negatively impact a GI project on the nearby grassy area along
Negley Run (Smoke, excess water, heat from fires, CO2). Additionally, it should be
noted that along this same stretch, there is a significant amount of silt and tar in the road.
(5) The green infrastructure designs should be sent to both Equitable Gas and Duquesne
Light, to confirm that there will be no conflicts with their utilities. An important factor to
keep in mind during the construction process is the Equitable Gas Line. Equitable Gas
marked the gas line based on maps that they have, which may not be completely accurate.
On July 23, 2014 Equitable Gas attempted to find the exact location of the pipelines using
a high pressure vacuum but the search was inconclusive.

Of course, the application of these recommendation will depend on the type of project
desired, the desired goals, and the constraints caused by all non-scientific factors. Therefore, it is
highly recommended to continue to involve hydrologists and soil scientists throughout the design
and construction process and encourage their input to make sure the green infrastructure project
is made as effective as possible at infiltrating and draining stormwater away from the roads near
Negley Run.
View publication stats

August 15, 2014

Irena and Samantha would like to thank John Buck, Lisa Vavro, Ian Lipsky, David
Himes, Matt Graham, Erin Copeland, Carla Lukehart, Leah Grosso, Peter Calarie, Rob Arnold,
and Mary Ann Farrell, for their help and cooperation with the monitoring and analysis completed
for this report. All pictures without a source noted on them were taken by Irena Gorski or
Samantha Wong.