San Francisco Public Works

Four times a year, Public Works engineer Alfonso Aguilera grabs a hammer and heads to the San Francisco Police Department’s firearms range. There, his ears get to work. Aguilera, part of the department’s structural engineering team, uses a hammer, in a method known as hammer sounding, to tap the overhead steel-frame truss that holds up wooden baffles at the outdoor range. The baffles, dimpled with round indentations, keep stray bullets from ricocheting and leaving the range. “You want to hear a nice ding or a clear ring,” he explained of his hammering technique. “If you hit a truss member and you hear a thunk – if it sounds dull – then I need to take a closer look.” The hammer sounding serves as an extension of the visual inspection he performs. What he’s mainly looking for are signs of corrosion – cracked paint on the steel tubing, for example, is another sign of rust – that can make the truss vulnerable to failure. A truss member failed due to extensive corrosion in 2016. While no one was injured, the level of corrosion discovered from the failed truss member prompted the quarterly inspections. The SFPD shooting range is located down a long driveaway off of John Muir Drive near Lake Merced in the City’s southwest. While the range is closed to the public and out of public view, the sound of gunfire provides a reminder of its presence. The Police Department uses the range to train and recertify officers in firearms use. Originally opened in the early 1940s, the range was renovated five decades later when the truss was added. Eventually, the Police Department would like to build a new indoor firing range when funding becomes available. Until then, the game plan calls for regular upkeep of the existing facility. That’s where Public Works comes in. Our engineers provide routine structural inspections, our architecture bureau handles project management and our specialized trades workers from our Bureau of Building and Street Repair perform the needed repairs and upkeep, including carpentry, welding, painting, roofing and electrical work. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g3H3xeZn San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) #SFPublicWorks #Safety #Engineering #ProjectManagement #Maintenance #Repair #Work #Police #PublicSafety #SanFrancisco #BayArea #Inspection #Welding #Painting #Roofing #Carpentry #ElectricalWork

📢 Jobs, jobs, jobs! We're hiring, come work with us. 😎 1. Our Bureau of Architecture is looking to hire a project architect. 📐 In this role, you will undertake complex and responsible architectural tasks related to the design, construction, maintenance and conversion of public buildings. Compensation Range: $163,930 - $199,394 annually Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/gr5epguv 2. We also current have vacancies for the position of general plumber apprentice within our Street and Sewer Repair division. 🔧 In this role, you will learn the operation, repair and maintenance of water mains, pipes, meters, fire hydrants, gates and valves. Compensation Range: $72,020 - $100,802 annually Interested? Then apply here: https://lnkd.in/gBFDRnqQ 3. Last but not least, we're looking for a civil engineer to join our Bureau of Infrastructure Design and Construction. ⚙ In this role, you will lead the construction management team, oversee the construction of future Public Works assets, provide leadership in developing new programs and establish organizational policies, priorities and objectives. Compensation Range: $220,376 - $288,054 annually Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gf388CNW To browse more job postings within Public Works visit https://careers.sf.gov/ and select "Public Works" from the dropdown menu. With a far-reaching portfolio at Public Works, there's something for everyone – so apply, apply, apply! #SFPublicWorks #JobSeekers #PublicService #Hiring #ApplyNow #Apply #Career #Recruitment #Opportunity #Work #Project #Jobs #JobSearch #Vacancies #JobPostings #CareersWithPurpose #Team #JobAlert #Architecture #Design #Engineering #CivilEngineering #Construction #Maintenance #Repair #Plumbing #Infrastructure #Leadership #Supervisor #Salary #Compensation

For the first time in nearly a century, San Francisco is overhauling a crucial part of its emergency firefighting apparatus – with the help of some Public Works engineering and design know-how. In the wake of the devastating 1906 San Francisco Great Earthquake and Fire, it became clear the City needed an emergency water supply that can function after a major temblor to aid in firefighting efforts. City leaders devised a standalone system now known as the Emergency Firefighting Water System. It includes a resilient 135-mile high-pressure pipeline network, a 10.5 million-gallon reservoir at Twin Peaks, two large-capacity storage tanks, underground water storage tanks, also known as cisterns, about 1,600 dedicated high-pressure hydrants, two high-pressure seawater pumping stations and a handful of manifolds that allow fireboats to pump Bay water into the City’s pipelines. Manifolds can also be directly connected to hoses used by firefighters to put out blazes. In the 1930s, the City began to strategically install the five cast iron fireboat manifolds along its northeastern shore, from Fort Mason to Islais Creek. But some of the existing manifolds are at risk of being destroyed during a major earthquake due to their locations. And additional manifolds are needed to provide adequate access and coverage. “This is part of our defense against major fires, especially after an earthquake, when there’s no other water sources available,” said Michael Smith, a Public Works engineer who designed the first new manifold, which was installed at Treasure Island earlier this year. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g3H3xeZn #SFPublicWorks #Earthquake #Safety #Engineering #Design #PublicSafety #Emergency #EmergencyPreparedness #EmergencyResponse #SanFrancisco #BayArea #History #Project #Work #Firefighters #Firefighting

Last week, Public Works welcomed a group from the Municipal Engineering Foundation Victoria - MEFV to our headquarters at 49 South Van Ness Ave. They came to meet with staff from our Infrastructure Design & Construction division and our paving program to learn about road rehabilitation and reconstruction and waste reduction and reuse. The group also toured the Southeast Community Center, a Public Works-led project that opened in 2022. And our staff gave them a bike tour of the green infrastructure along The Wiggle – a popular cycling route that zigzags from Market Street to Golden Gate Park – and the Page Street Neighborway Project. It's always a joy to connect with professional peers from around the globe to share experiences and best practices, build relationships and learn new skills! #SFPublicWorks #Project #ProjectManagement #Engineering #Construction #Design #Leadership #Knowledge #Expertise #Relationship

More than two dozen community volunteers and Public Works staffers spent three hours last Saturday weeding and pruning, picking up litter, removing green waste and mulching medians on the 500 and 600 blocks of Guerrero Street — keeping the neighborhood beautiful. 💚 #SFPublicWorks #LoveOurCity #Community #Volunteer #Event #SanFrancisco #Together #Environment

Our CleanCorridorsSF team deep cleaned Folsom Street in SoMa yesterday — power washing sidewalks, removing graffiti, picking up litter, flushing down the road and sprucing up tree basins. This operation focuses on a different neighborhood every week. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gPWuC3a8 #SFPublicWorks #KeepSFClean #LoveOurCity #Dedication #Teamwork #Cleaning #EssentialWorkers #Work #PublicService #Community #SanFrancisco

Today, City officials announced major updates to the SF311 mobile app, making it available for the first time in Chinese, Spanish and Filipino. The new multilingual functionality provides a pathway for Chinese, Spanish and Filipino speakers to quickly and easily request City services, like street cleaning and graffiti removal, with just a few taps.   The SF311 app is now available to download for Android and iPhone in Chinese, Spanish, Filipino and English. The app will detect your phone’s language automatically.    The updated app is one way that the City is making services more accessible for immigrants and San Franciscans with limited English skills. SF311 also provides live assistance over the phone in over 160 languages. SF311 on Android: https://lnkd.in/gyKvSjPQ SF311 on iPhone: https://lnkd.in/gGYvB3KJ #SFPublicWorks #LoveOurCity #KeepSFClean #Language #App #Tech #Cleaning #SanFrancisco

Last week, Public Works joined the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan and others for a ribbon-cutting in the Outer Richmond for a set of new solar-powered crosswalk safety beacons that were installed with the help of our skilled trades workers and engineers. The new light fixtures – located at the crosswalk at 38th Avenue and Geary Boulevard, and formally known as “Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons” – can be activated with the push of a button by any pedestrian wanting to safely cross the busy boulevard. Once turned on, the flashing lights alert drivers that someone is looking to cross the road. The Outer Richmond intersection was the site of a traffic fatality four years ago when a pedestrian who was out for a walk was struck and killed by a car. "This is a collaborative project with Public Works and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, with support from Mayor Breed, Supervisor Chan and the Board of Supervisors and advocacy groups like Walk San Francisco," said Public Works Director Carla Short. "San Francisco is a beautiful, exciting and inviting city, and creating an environment where people can feel safe moving about is key to advancing that experience. Elevating pedestrian safety is a top priority, and projects like this new flashing beacon keep us moving in the right direction." Several Public Works teams are involved in this vital initiative, including project management, disability access coordination and engineering. From our Operations side, carpenters, electricians and cement masons help with the installation work. Under this initiative, Public Works installed the first safety beacon earlier this year in the Diamond Heights neighborhood at Duncan Street and Diamond Heights Boulevard. The Outer Richmond one marks the second. The next flashing beacon is set to be installed at Clayton and Fulton streets near the University of San Francisco. #SFPublicWorks #LoveOurCity #Community #Operations #SanFrancisco #Infrastructure #Construction #Design #Engineering #PublicSafety #Transportation #Project #ProjectManagement #Partnership #Team

The San Francisco AmeniPODS won the 2024 International Architecture Award in the Public Space category! 🏆 Public Works collaborated with JCDecaux and designer SmithGroup to deliver this new generation of San Francisco public toilets. The new model has more efficient and effective cleaning systems, as well as better lighting that includes a skylight to bring in daylight from above and a rain-water collection network that supports routine washing. The mechanical systems have been upgraded, too. The toilets self-clean after every use and the hand-washing system is stronger and more energy-efficient. As before, the new public toilets are accessible to people with disabilities and connected directly to City sewer, water and electrical lines. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/geT2fjsa Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gwY9TY56 #SFPublicWorks #KeepSFClean #LoveOurCity #Design #Innovation #Future #UrbanDesign #Architecture

Happy Labor Day from the team at Public Works! #SFPublicWorks #LaborDay #Holiday #LoveOurCity #PublicService #SanFrancisco