Engineering Newsletter - August, 2006

In the August NEWSLETTER we will try to clear up some terms used in the "potable" or drinkable water trade. When a water main is installed in a new subdivision the Engineering plans will show a domestic water "tap" or connection for each housing unit. This "tap" consists of a "corporation" or connection at the main utilizing a threaded connector and valve assembly, a run of "K-copper" water line to the curb area where a "curb stop" is installed. The "curb stop" is a valve assembly with a stem that extends to grade inside housing with cover. The water line then extends to the house and the meter. Regulations for cover over the pipes, fitting types and alternate meter locations vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and must be individually verified.

WEB LINK of THE MONTH,www.authentichappiness.org a happiness web site by scientist Martin Seligman

As always, you can count on McSteen and Associates, a multi-faceted second-generation family business that has been serving Northeast Ohio since 1970 to help you better design your project. The McSteen & Associates Engineering and Surveying Departments will design a quality product, using the experience gathered over many years of dealing with government agencies, in a manner readily accepted by the City Councils, County Engineers Office and the Recorders Office. The management team consisting of Terry Feller, President and Registered Professional Engineer and Surveyor, Tim Feller, Vice President and Registered Professional Surveyor and Debbie Feller CFO and Certified Public Accountant and the 62 employees in the offices in Cuyahoga, Lake, Summit, and Franklin counties will handle your project needs. A new office in western Cuyahoga County has recently been added to allow us to provide even more effective services. Local knowledge of the area, extensive records and experience with the area governments allows McSteen & Associates to go the extra mile to protect your investment.

Whether your needs are Mortgage Location and Boundary Surveys, Elevation Certificate, Commercial and Industrial Surveys or complete Engineering Design we are well staffed to provide the professional product you need. Each project will receive the personal service associated with working with a well-established family owned and operated business.

Thoughts for August:

In the 1500’s plates were made of pewter and food with high acid content caused some of the lead in the pewter to leak onto the food causing lead poisoning and death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Post has a cereal called "Grape-Nuts" that has neither grapes nor nuts but is made from wheat and malted barley. They named it because it was sweet as grapes and crunchy as nuts.

Why are two consecutive baseball games played in one day called a doubleheader? The early base ballers took the term from railroad jargon where a doubleheader is a train with two engines.

Why is the capture of the king in chess "checkmate"? The word is a variation of the Persian word, shah-mat, which means, "the king is dead".