Abstract
My capstone and STS research projects both examine the difficulties of designing infrastructure that is environmentally oriented and also mindful of larger-scale social and ecological effects. While my capstone centers on assessing stormwater management options in a rapidly eroding portion of the Meadow Creek watershed in Charlottesville, Virginia, my STS research examines the long-term ecological and social effects of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt. These projects meet in their focus on the role of environmental engineering solutions in shaping and also being shaped by their respective settings.
My capstone project responds to the issue of increased runoff and headcut erosion caused by large storm events and ineffective stormwater management. My group considered three design alternatives to restore the drainage path and mitigate erosion: (1) a regenerative step pool conveyance system (SPSC), (2) grassed swale, and (3) replacement of the existing stormwater pipe. We compared the hydraulic performance, environmental compatibility, and long-term maintenance of each option using GIS methods, HEC-RAS steady flow modeling, and cost assessments. Our aim was to determine a solution to stabilize the headcut and improve water quality and ecosystem health, while not causing additional burdens on city maintenance or neighboring communities in the long run.
As we developed and compared these alternatives, we realized that technical performance is not the sole factor in determining the success of an infrastructure project. For instance, though pipework replacement has efficient volume control, it does not provide any nutrient pollutant removal or aesthetic benefits for the Meadow Creek Golf Course. In contrast, the SPSC and swale have ecological and aesthetic co-benefits but take a more complicated design implementation. These different benefits and drawbacks prompted us to examine more critically the interaction of engineering decisions with social and environmental priorities, something that I also explored in great detail in my STS paper.
In my STS research, I analyzed the effects of the Aswan High Dam from a technological politics perspective. The dam was intended to modernize to Egypt's water management and increase agricultural production, yet it caused a significant displacement of Nubian communities, prolonged ecological damage from the trapping of sediments, and erosion of the Nile Delta downstream. I examined the way in which large-scale projects of infrastructure conceal societal harms in the name of improvement. This was done by integrating a historical and critical analysis of the dam’s post-development impacts, focusing on how political goals influenced the decision making power that contributed to social and environmental harm.
The implications of examining both projects together are impactful. The capstone project reinforced the value of context specific and adaptive infrastructure that values both ecological and community needs. Additionally, the STS research served as a cautionary tale, demonstrating how infrastructure can unintentionally harm people and environments when long-term implications are ignored. Together, they highlight that sustainable engineering requires not just technical competence, but also ethical foresight, stakeholder engagement, and a broad view of consequences.
