https://www.travisbasnett.com/articles daily 0.75 2026-10-13 https://www.travisbasnett.com/articles/what-happens-when-you-drive-over-a-bridge monthly 0.5 2026-10-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/15746221-8fb3-435f-b9ee-705b59133678/bridge-figure-1-load-path-desktop.png Articles - What Happens When You Drive Over a Bridge? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/8da85937-9bde-44c4-8175-d9443b3d6729/bridge-figure-1-load-path-mobile.png Articles - What Happens When You Drive Over a Bridge? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/be65f1a2-f3d5-4a92-a78e-0d0c933e4d76/bridge-figure-2-room-to-move-desktop.png Articles - What Happens When You Drive Over a Bridge? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/7703586c-9ce6-4688-aa03-30b6686e67dd/bridge-figure-2-room-to-move-mobile.png Articles - What Happens When You Drive Over a Bridge? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/56a3327d-357d-4fce-83f3-44fa789cfc53/bridge-figure-3-scour-desktop.png Articles - What Happens When You Drive Over a Bridge? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/dc1474b9-2733-4d2b-88a0-bae89fede1a0/bridge-figure-3-scour-mobile.png Articles - What Happens When You Drive Over a Bridge? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/e771e05e-9dc8-47c6-9239-b213247e007b/gervais-street-bridge-helene-flooding-september-2024.jpg Articles - What Happens When You Drive Over a Bridge? - Make it stand out Gervais Street Bridge during Hurricane Helene flooding, September 2024. The Congaree River crested at 30.58 feet at the Columbia gauge on September 30. The bridge’s concrete arches transfer vehicle loads toward the supports, while its foundations must also withstand the effects of the river below. Photo by the author. https://www.travisbasnett.com/articles/detention-pond-downstream-flooding monthly 0.5 2026-10-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/520be610-5818-4d9f-bba4-af1ac3aa3476/det-figure-1-runoff-desktop.png Articles - If the Detention Pond Meets the Rules, Why Is My Neighborhood Still Flooding? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/6c44b680-647b-44ef-9d9f-db00fad8379c/det-figure-1-runoff-mobile.png Articles - If the Detention Pond Meets the Rules, Why Is My Neighborhood Still Flooding? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/ef91913b-8cd8-48da-a8b3-85266fc3617a/det-figure-2-hydrographs-desktop.png Articles - If the Detention Pond Meets the Rules, Why Is My Neighborhood Still Flooding? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/5b22e9d0-0894-4bf5-a58a-9251c9d0082f/det-figure-2-hydrographs-mobile.png Articles - If the Detention Pond Meets the Rules, Why Is My Neighborhood Still Flooding? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/33338e8f-6cf2-417a-8f82-43b0ce0eaf7f/det-figure-3-timing-desktop.png Articles - If the Detention Pond Meets the Rules, Why Is My Neighborhood Still Flooding? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/3b8985ae-1699-4b54-8f07-a294979d781f/det-figure-3-timing-mobile.png Articles - If the Detention Pond Meets the Rules, Why Is My Neighborhood Still Flooding? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.travisbasnett.com/articles/what-happens-when-you-drive-to-work monthly 0.5 2026-09-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/0d1180b5-fda1-4a48-ba1a-745fd28f9172/road-figure-1-stopping-sight-distance-desktop-v3.png Articles - What Happens When You Drive to Work? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/7e39698a-d1ed-4a2e-b832-a77e39200fde/road-figure-1-stopping-sight-distance-mobile-v3.png Articles - What Happens When You Drive to Work? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/72119966-fab3-4130-b3c8-8971b9514007/road-figure-2-organizing-access-desktop-final.png Articles - What Happens When You Drive to Work? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/03a1407f-1d74-423b-9a0a-34541f4a7cde/road-figure-2-organizing-access-mobile-final.png Articles - What Happens When You Drive to Work? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/2c2c2f6a-76e3-4db5-9f56-53de5afcc752/road-figure-3-the-trade-desktop-v3.png Articles - What Happens When You Drive to Work? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/16a43e27-01a8-48d3-bcda-075007eca3c4/road-figure-3-the-trade-mobile-v3.png Articles - What Happens When You Drive to Work? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.travisbasnett.com/articles/what-happens-when-it-rains monthly 0.5 2026-09-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/fc30db8f-6259-4be0-97e5-51671a7c327d/rain-figure-1-the-whole-trip-mobile.png Articles - What Happens When It Rains? - Make it stand out Figure 1. The whole trip, from cloud to river. Where rain lands decides which route it takes, and how fast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/c6426626-ac38-40cf-b4ca-18ad54e8509b/rain-figure-1-the-whole-trip-desktop.png Articles - What Happens When It Rains? - Make it stand out Figure 1. The whole trip, from cloud to river. Where rain lands decides which route it takes, and how fast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/80edc574-4d5a-4e4c-a6dc-c726e33ee012/rain-figure-2-four-surfaces-mobile.png Articles - What Happens When It Rains? - Make it stand out Figure 2. The same storm on four surfaces. The rain does not change. What it lands on largely determines how much of it runs off, and how quickly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/b2881a4f-a535-457a-bc9a-3f7d55f780b1/rain-figure-2-four-surfaces-desktop.png Articles - What Happens When It Rains? - Make it stand out Figure 2. The same storm on four surfaces. The rain does not change. What it lands on largely determines how much of it runs off, and how quickly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/0ecb4ba4-ec32-40f9-8dfc-c1cd423d5260/rain-figure-3-hard-and-soft-mobile.png Articles - What Happens When It Rains? - Make it stand out Figure 3. The hard and soft systems. Pipes move water quickly and out of sight. Swales and vegetated channels slow it down and let some of it soak in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/ebec83f7-f133-406a-9df6-f6c096537cd0/rain-figure-3-hard-and-soft-desktop.png Articles - What Happens When It Rains? - Make it stand out Figure 3. The hard and soft systems. Pipes move water quickly and out of sight. Swales and vegetated channels slow it down and let some of it soak in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/f2ab67d5-b792-4f11-99e4-97b83aa39088/rain-figure-4-when-the-pipe-is-full-mobile.png Articles - What Happens When It Rains? - Make it stand out Figure 4. The minor and major drainage systems. Pipes are designed for frequent storms. During larger storms, the street and planned overland paths carry what the pipes cannot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/3fea6045-373c-41c9-a249-59d88b405ace/rain-figure-4-when-the-pipe-is-full-desktop.png Articles - What Happens When It Rains? - Make it stand out Figure 4. The minor and major drainage systems. Pipes are designed for frequent storms. During larger storms, the street and planned overland paths carry what the pipes cannot. https://www.travisbasnett.com/articles/what-happens-after-you-flush monthly 0.5 2026-09-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/f4647af1-a2aa-4219-a074-b31212852f03/flush-figure-1.png Articles - What Happens After You Flush? - Make it stand out Figure 1. The whole chain, from fixture to river. Wastewater moves from small service laterals into progressively larger mains, with pumping where the terrain requires it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/cf77761e-aac7-4f27-9be8-5ab4d29dbed8/flush-figure-2-three-pipes.png Articles - What Happens After You Flush? - Make it stand out Figure 2. The same neighborhood, three pipes, three different ways of moving water. Only the middle one depends on the shape of the ground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/bd466b21-1e49-4e90-8e29-c0b3ff771e14/flush-figure-3-two-pipes.png Articles - What Happens After You Flush? - Make it stand out Figure 3. Sanitary and storm are separate systems with separate destinations. What goes into a curb inlet reaches a stream, sometimes by way of a stormwater pond, but never by way of a wastewater plant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/b72626f7-7e43-449c-8c4d-54d4d6a60e16/flush-figure-4-inflow-infiltration.png Articles - What Happens After You Flush? - Make it stand out Figure 4. Conceptual, not to scale. A sanitary sewer is sized for the flow people generate, which is fairly predictable. Inflow and infiltration stack a second, weather-driven flow on top of it, and that added flow fills up the collection system long before it becomes a question about the plant. https://www.travisbasnett.com/articles/what-happens-when-you-turn-on-the-faucet monthly 0.5 2026-09-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/a3dc1dbd-15c5-41ba-95a3-b45390c2fc1b/figure-1-water-system.png Articles - What Happens When You Turn On the Faucet? - Make it stand out The whole chain, from source water to the tap. Water moves from larger transmission mains into smaller distribution mains on its way to individual services. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/0b478aa0-31b7-433f-92f7-c04b9ca1e64e/figure-2-pressure.png Articles - What Happens When You Turn On the Faucet? - Make it stand out The supply pipe is already full and under pressure. Opening the tap simply connects that pressure to open air. Typical service pressure is 40 to 80 psi; above 80 psi, code requires a pressure-reducing valve. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/5aec2ae3-ecac-4487-9403-411059018a53/figure-3-straw-vs-web.png Articles - What Happens When You Turn On the Faucet? - Make it stand out A real distribution system is looped, not linear. Valves let operators isolate a break, and the loops let water reach the houses beyond it from another direction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a562de717236671fa1c06b9/7033712d-bd39-40bb-b7fc-e630d5f940a7/figure-4-faucet-vs-hydrant.png Articles - What Happens When You Turn On the Faucet? - Make it stand out Flow, in gallons per minute. A kitchen faucet is capped at 2.2 gpm by federal standard; an NFPA Class A hydrant delivers at least 1,000 gpm. 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