Hunt Valley, Maryland — T.E. Scott & Associates, Inc. (TSA) recently announced the release of the TSA TOOLS™ LID Module. The Microsoft Excel ® based application is the first software product that is intended to be used in conjunction with LID site layout, grading and stormwater management design. The user-friendly interface and minimal input requirements allow professionals who may not be well versed in detailed hydrologic methods to apply the complex formulas required to determine the effects of LID techniques.
Low Impact Development is an emerging environmentally sensitive method of site and stormwater management design that minimizes the effects of urban stormwater runoff. The LID Module calculates the effects of implementing a wide array or sustainable practices including bioretention and green roofs. Use of the TSA TOOLS™ LID Module can also qualify a project for Sustainable Site design credits under the U.S. Green Building Council LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System®.
The LID Module dramatically reduces the time required to determine the impact of development using LID micro-scale techniques – often referred to as Integrated Management Practices (IMPs) – on the hydrologic regime of a natural site. The computational basis for the LID Module is from Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds TR-55, published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Unlike many complicated software applications, all TSA TOOLS™ products are designed and developed by designers for designers. Features such as instant comparative discharge and volume computations, pop-up Navigators, and on-line Help minimize software learning curves. The Microsoft Excel ® platform is a familiar interface that results in immediate efficiency and nearly universal compatibility. Like all TSA TOOLS products, the LID Module is available as a Trial Version to allow prospective users the opportunity to evaluate it prior to purchase.
"The core principle of LID is to minimize the effects of development in a manner that preserves or duplicates the existing hydrologic regime. Up until now, many designers have been frustrated with or hesitant to apply LID methodologies due to the lack of verifiable tools and computational methods. This new ground-breaking software product establishes a design process that gives designers an organized way to apply many popular LID techniques. This provides a cohesive design approach while simultaneously presenting a computational method that is logically organized and fully referenced." said Theodore E. Scott, President of TSA. "An ideal companion to the successful Bioretention Module, this product demonstrates TSA’s commitment to developing tools and methodologies that enable designers to integrate environmentally sensitive stormwater management practices throughout their site designs."
The TSA TOOLS™ WEBSITE
TSA uses its website, www.TSATOOLS.com, to market all TSA TOOLS™ products. A white paper on the LID Module is available online. Free Trial versions of all TSA TOOLS™ products are available for evaluation via internet download or by email request.
Founded in 2002, T.E. Scott & Associates, Inc. applies eighteen years of specialty water resources consulting and site design experience to green building projects and software application development. Previously a Principal of a mid-sized Maryland-based A/E Firm, Mr. Scott applies his experience and insight to land improvement and consulting firm clients.
For more information: Theodore E. Scott 410.458.2651, Email Contact
Theodore E. Scott, CPESC T.E. Scott & Associates, Inc. 128 Cockeysville Road, Suite 300 Hunt Valley, Maryland 21030 p - 410.458.2651 f - 443.269.0216 Email Contact www.MdSwm.com www.Bioretention.com www.SWMaintenance.com