We Have Much To Be Thankful For
Kenneth Beache, PE. CPESC
Almost 10 years ago, Metric Environmental was started by a small but determined group of 10 of us establishing ourselves and our name as environmental consultants in central Indiana. A lot of water has passed under the bridge these past nine years, and we have so much to be thankful for. Our greatest source of gratitude is for that extended to us from the people that we call our clients, and for whom we employ our gifts to serve each day.
Metric Environmental conducts much of its work in support of others. As I learned in college sports and throughout life so far, successes as part of a team are significantly more rewarding than individual victories. So, I thank you, our clients and collaborative partners, for your steadfast teamwork with us, your mentorship towards us, and your favor towards us.
Though the future may be somewhat nebulous, I am reassured that just as we have faced challenges past, side-by-side. We face future challenges with even greater confidence. Knowing you, our teammates, even more assuredly than we did 10 years ago.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Soil Excavation: The Struggle Is Real
Karen Garrard, PhD, RPA
“I’ve been digging forever,” said the backhoe operator early one morning during a construction project that Metric archaeologists monitored. The design plans stated a firm 14-foot final depth for the pipe to be installed below ground. Despite benching and shoring of trench walls, it seemed to the backhoe operator that the ground was rising back up, raging against that Number 14. This same scenario, however, happens to the archaeologist who is kneeling down in a one-meter by one-meter excavation unit and attempting final excavation depth measurement: striving for 25 centimeters exactly (or other measurement) below datum or the current ground surface, intently focusing on getting that bubble centered within a simple line level, one hand on a string pulled taut from a stake in the ground and the other using a measuring tape. That last two centimeters can take forever. Sometimes the depth even decreases—why does it measure only 23 centimeters now?!
It’s not imagination, the ground can actually “rise up” or swell during excavation. Soil volume does increase when soil is dug up and soil particles spread out as the pressure from being in the ground is removed, creating more void space. The extra volume needs to be considered when transporting and storing excavated soil and it definitely makes a difference if you are backfilling soils on-site. The swell factor is the ratio of volume of loose excavation material to the volume of the same material in place. For example, a cubic yard of soil might become 1.2 cubic yards when excavated. The biggest factors affecting swell? Clay mineral type, soil density, moisture content, and particle size. Variables found anywhere and everywhere.
Delivering Joy and Hope: Toys for Tots Donation Drive
A Special Request: The greatest need is often for gifts supporting infants (newborn-2) and teenagers (12-14). We have included a link to the Toys for Tots website, where they accept monetary donations. Thank you for helping us support this incredible mission.
Toy Drop Location – 6958 Hillsdale Court, Indianapolis, IN 46250 (M-F, 8 AM – 5 PM)