Holly Hills Detention Pond 3001 3D Simulations Arapahoe County Public Works, Littleton, Colorado Two low lying areas along the High Line Canal experienced flooding during even minor storms consistently damaging several residences during each event. Arapahoe County Public works and the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District developed a plan to convert one of the residential properties at each location, 3001 and 2585 S. Holly Place, into detention basins to store the storm water. Eliminating the flooding problem was a complex task and removal of a residence in each instance was a sensitive issue. POITRA was asked to provide a 3D model of each neighborhood that was accurately contoured so that the limits of ponding water and the overflow into the canal could be illustrated. The 3D model had to provide for multiple level storm events in both existing and the proposed conditions.

Take a closer look! POITRA created a web based presentation that Arapahoe County representatives could carry to individual neighbors on laptops. The presentation featured 3D stills and animations to help quickly orient stakeholders and to communicate difficult flood control concepts.

The accurate 3D model was the answer to explaining the concept of classifying rainfall totals and flooding limits for one, two, five, ten, fifty and one hundred year events and relating them to specifically to each neighborhood location. To help the county respond sensitively to the neighborhoods POITRA prepared a web browser powered presentation to orient viewers and provide interactive access to flooding animations and still images that illustrated the changes in flooding limits with the addition of each pond. These presentrations look and function great! I think the county is going to be very surprised and I can't wait to show them everything on tuesday.” B.B., Muller Engineering Consultant Project Manager The presentation was map based to keep the presenter and viewer oriented. Being browser powered it could be used in the formal presentations at a public meeting and copies could be left on disk for any stakeholder who desired. The county could have confidence that the presentation could be viewed trouble free and easily navigated on home computers. Since the public needed to quickly recognize the locations within the 3D model a fairly high level of detail was called for. POITRA created very accurate 3D Model representations of the neighborhood's existing houses, fencing, walks, driveways, curbs and vegetation. Yard grading and driveways were correctly sloped so that the flooding limits would be correct. POITRA modelers laid out the project from concept contour and drainage plans as well as a POITRA photo-survey of the neighborhoods. Landscaping elements including fences, retaining walls and shrubbery were also added to make a mini-park environment in the detention area. Once the 3D model was complete and the water levels acted correctly for the various events several short animations were produced and still images created. POITRA web designers then created the final presentation. The needs of this small project were more than met within the associated tight schedule and limited budget. Please view the final presentation as whole to appreciate the effectiveness of this simple solution to the common engineering public communication task. « BACK

Take a closer look! The highly skilled Artists at POITRA Visual build and animate your design concept in 3D. (click to magnify)