The standard specifications and details of the four counties in Hawaiʻi have not been updated since September 1984 and September 1986, respectively. New technologies, new regulations, and climate change over the last 40 years reveal that these specifications and details may not be meeting the current and future needs of our island communities. Sea level rise will impact the construction and design of drainage structures and green stormwater infrastructure. In addition, the standard specifications and details did not include any low-impact development (LID) or green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) best management practices (BMPs)/storm control measures (SCMs)/integrated management practices (IMPs). The lack of typical or standard details of LID/GSI BMPs impedes the adoption of consistent and reliable stormwater quality treatment measures. The City and County of Honolulu Department of Facility Maintenance embarked on an effort to update our island’s 40-year-old standard details and specifications. Multiple consultants researched and developed an entirely new set of specifications and details to address gray and green infrastructure. Bowers + Kubota Consulting, Inc. was the only consultant that developed both gray and green infrastructure specifications and details. Logistically, the development of these new specifications and details required close and frequent coordination with the other consultants on the project and multiple departments within the City and County of Honolulu. In addition, the details needed to incorporate local construction means, methods, expertise, and supply chain limits and as well as local climatic conditions. Reaching out to contractors, developers, and local suppliers provided Bowers + Kubota Consulting with valuable insight in the development of the specifications and details. By working with the City’s various departments, the new details and specifications incorporated provisions to address specific operations and maintenance concerns. The details and specifications also incorporated provisions to address sea level impacts on structures to extend the life of these structures.
