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March 2001 |
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President’s Column On March 8th ASCE National will release the 2001 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, at a press conference in Washington DC. The press conference will be broadcast at 1:30 p.m. local time on the ASCE website www.asce.org. The 2001 Report Card is a follow up to the 1998 Report Card which inspired the Seattle Section to create a local version. After many hours of talking to department heads and reviewing agency reports, the Seattle Section is pleased to announce the first Infrastructure Report Card for King and Snohomish Counties will be released on March 8th as well. Prepared by the Section’s Infrastructure/Transportation and Urban Planning Committee and modeled after the national report card, it evaluates the same 10 elements of the infrastructure. Even though the report card is based on existing data and reports, it was a real eye-opener for the volunteers to realize how much effort would be required. The time to interview department heads, collect and review existing documents, and then evaluate the information in terms of condition, adequacy to meet demand, and maintenance history, was considerable. It was also a surprise to learn that the approach used by National to evaluate the entire country was not going to work for our area, thus requiring additional time to tailor a locally-focused approach. But the meetings are over, the final spell check completed, and the Section has a well-documented report card, to use for raising public awareness about the essential need of our infrastructure. It is also an opportunity to promote the important role civil engineers play in designing, building, and maintaining it. The following is a list of the authors who prepared each element. AUTHOR ELEMENT
Mary Rutherford Dams Given all the current power supply problems in the country right now, our task of educating the public and the politicians about the need to responsibly manage the infrastructure just got easier, and with the Section Report Card we now have a new tool to draw attention to local issues. Compared to the grades for the entire country, our local systems are in relatively good shape. Obviously they are much younger than most systems and it probably reflects adequate public support to fund maintenance. But are we keeping up, and are we at risk of having our systems decline to the national average? These are important questions, which are best answered by civil engineers, and the report card is a way to start the discussions that lead to answers. The Report Card and backup reports are posted on the Section web page, www.asce.org/gsd/sections/Seattle. If you are interested in knowing more about a particular element you can check out the backup report prepared for each element. Look it over, and start talking. Copies of the Report Card will be available at the March Section meeting. |
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ASCE Seattle Section Meeting |
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Place:
Ballard Yankee Grill Cost: $25 per person*
Spouses and guests are invited. Ccash, or checks to ASCE Seattle Section are accepted.
Program The March 26, 2000, Kingdome Implosion provided a unique opportunity to observe the impact of the implosion on the surrounding environment. John Hooper of Skilling Ward Magnusson Barkshire, Inc. and Susan Chang of Shannon & Wilson, Inc. will present results of building and ground monitoring. John will present a brief discussion regarding the implosion plan prepared by Controlled Demolition Inc., the firm responsible for the implosion. Estimates of the probable ground motions will be discussed and compared with the actual ground motions that were measured. An important aspect of the implosion was the determination of the potential damage induced by the energy released. The acceptance criteria developed for determining potential damage will be presented along with the actual results. Finally, response history results will be presented for two buildings that were monitored during the implosion. Susan will present the details of the instrumentation installed by Shannon & Wilson (S&W) as part of a National Science Foundation funded project. An earlier liquefaction evaluation of the Kingdome foundation soils by S&W had shown that some of the soils in the area are potentially liquefiable under a design earthquake event. Subsurface instrumentation, including piezometers and downhole accelerometers, were installed to evaluate whether the foundation soils liquefied during the implosion, and whether current, earthquake-based methods for predicting liquefaction may be used to predict liquefaction due to impact loads. |
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PNC and Zone IV Leadership Conference |
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On February 8th and 9th, Ron Leimkuhler and Ron Borowski represented the Section at the spring 2001 Pacific Northwest Council meeting in Sacramento. The Zone IV Leadership Conference was held immediately following the PNC meeting. Ron Borowski stayed on to represent the Section at that meeting. The PNC meeting is a time for section leaders to get together with representatives from National and discuss issues of importance. The following is a summary of the meeting highlights. ASCE National is making plans for the Society’s 150th Anniversary. Sections are encouraged to plan local events starting this October, and get their City, County, and State officials to declare November 5, 2002 "Civil Engineers’ Day". National is planning to culminate the anniversary celebrations on that day with a big gala event. Increasing membership is a major objective, particularly since civil engineering student enrollment is decreasing. We are facing a future of high demand and low supply for civil engineering talent. Our assistance with membership solicitation is encouraged. Since most civil engineers have chosen government employment and the majority of ASCE members’ work for the private sector, we are encouraged to seek members from the public sector. As part of the recent redistricting of Zone IV, District 12 was given the option to have a District Representative support the District Director. Funding for this position is to be split evenly among National, the Sections, and the individual. The Seattle Section Board will be asked whether they support increasing our contribution to PNC by up to 32 cents per member. Contact Ron Borowski or Ron Leimkuhler if you want to express an opinion on this issue. On March 8, 2001, ASCE will release the 2001 version of the Infrastructure Report Card. Concurrent with media release, National will conduct a major lobbying effort in Washington DC to call attention to our infrastructure issues and the resources needed to keep America vital. Once announced, the grades and supporting documentation will be released to our membership. National is encouraging us at a local level to take advantage of this opportunity to raise infrastructure awareness and foster increased involvement by civil engineers in the public process. For example, the California Sections are planning on hiring their own lobbyist to communicate with the California Legislature. National is encouraging members to get involved with the public process, even to the extent of running for public office. Actions such as this support the 150th Anniversary and the Infrastructure Report Card process. Our very own Steve Hart was recognized by the PNC for his service as the PNC president for 1999-2000. ASCE is sponsoring a parade in next years’ Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Sponsors of this event would welcome contributions towards this publicity event to celebrate our field of endeavor. The OPAL Award for engineering project excellence will be held in Washington DC in April 2002. The event, modeled after the Academy Awards, will honor major engineering projects. National is soliciting grass roots input on the governance structure for the Society. Over the course of the next year, they will be looking at various models. Members are encouraged to contact their Section officers if you wish to express your opinion. National is going electronic. There are plans for a World Electronic Conference in the future, where there will be on-line communication between engineers on a global basis. National is on the verge of updating their website to increase the amount of information available to our membership, in a more user-friendly format. An example of this information will be a site on engineers’ salary levels. For more information on these items, check the National website. ASCE is a co-sponsor of the West Point Bicentennial Engineering Design Contest for high school and younger students. Check out your abilities with bridge design and download software at this site—www.usma.edu/bridgecontest. In closing, as Bob Bein, ASCE National President says, let’s have fun. That is an inspirational attitude we should aspire for in our professional careers. |
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American Society of Civil Engineers |
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The following projects were submitted for the 2001 Outstanding Project Awards Program. The evaluation and ranking process is underway, and winners will be announced at the Section’s June Meeting. Thanks to all the agencies and firms that submitted; there was a lot of nice work completed last year. Geotechnical:
Site Development:
Structures:
Surface Water Management:
Transportation:
Water Supply:
Ports & Waterways:
Wastewater:
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Civil Engineering in the Middle Schools |
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Would you like to share your profession with students? Here’s your opportunity. Because of interest generated by the Building Big series that was aired on PBS last October, middle schools have contacted the Section about having civil engineers speak to their classes, and perhaps lead a hands-on activity. Some schools have a curriculum with an engineering emphasis through the end of school. The Section has training materials available; resources include guides, videos, and mini-training sessions. We are trying to put together a speakers’ bureau so that we can respond to teachers’ requests. Please contact Susan Gardner at (206) 389-0291 or sgardner@halcyon.com if you are interested. Currently requests have come from Enumclaw and a school on Capitol Hill. |
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Local Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (LOCEA) Award |
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Since 1984, a LOCEA award has been presented to recognize outstanding small civil engineering achievements within the Seattle Section. A bronze plaque is awarded to the recipient. The entry requirements are as follows:
All civil engineers who are subscribing members of the Seattle Section are encouraged to submit their projects for consideration by May 1, 2001. The standard application form for submittal of the required project information can be found on the Section web page (www.asce.org/gsd/sections/seattle) or can be mailed or emailed by contacting Susan Gardner at (206) 389-0291 or sgardner@halcyon.com. |
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ASCE Seattle Section Executive Board Meeting Minutes for February 14, 2001 |
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Attendees: Susan Gardner, Ron Leimkuhler, Arthur Fleming, Ann Epler, Ron Borowski, Bob Boudinot, Stan Boyle, Shannon Kinsella. Don Northey, Joe Colcord, Cindy Hirsch, and Dave Crippen participated for a portion of the board meeting. Section President Ron Leimkuhler called the meeting to order at 4:20 p.m. Approval of the January Board minutes was deferred to the March Board meeting. Treasurer’s Report: Arthur Fleming presented the Treasurer’s report for the period ending February 12, 2001. Approved. Committee and Branch Reports: Committee reports were presented by Shannon Kinsella, Ann Epler, and Bob Boudinot. Linda DeBoldt was absent but forwarded a written summary of Standing Committee activities on February 16, 2001. Most of the committees remain active, including the Ports and Waterways Committee which has meetings scheduled for the next 4 months. See the activities schedule elsewhere in this newsletter or the Section web page for information on committee meetings and events. OLD BUSINESS: Seattle Section Archives: Joe Colcord and Cindy Hirsch of the History and Heritage Committee gave a status report and update of how the historical records for the Seattle Section are being stored. A few years ago an agreement was reached with the Washington State Historical Society, now in Tacoma, to store our old records and documents that might be of historical significance. They accepted approximately 10 boxes and have entered information about these documents in a database for easy searching. By storing these records with WSHS these records are now secure and accessible by members and the general public. It was agreed that documents and information that accumulates in the future would be archived with WSHS when ready access to the information is not required by the Section. It was generally agreed that five to seven years of financial records and two to four years of general records probably need to be readily accessible. Stan Boyle will look into storage alternatives for these documents and report back to the Board in March. Newsletter Advertising: We are getting lots of requests for ads in the newsletter and postings on our web site. New advertising policy and rates for the monthly Section newsletter were proposed and accepted by the Board. These rates are presented elsewhere in this newsletter. The new rates will go into affect with the April newsletter, except for the new business card ad rates which will take affect in September 2001. Reassessment of the web page advertising and use policy will be conducted at a later date. Infrastructure Report Card: The ASCE National Infrastructure Report Card is to be released March 8, 2001. The local report card will also be ready for release at that time; however, the actual date or means of announcing and distributing this information has not been decided. Ron Leimkuhler will be the main point of contact and spokesperson for responding to questions about the local Report Card. Nominations Committee: Nominations are being accepted for the following ASCE Section positions: President-elect (3-years), Secretary (2 years), Director (3 years). Please contact Susan Gardner if you would like to run for a position or to nominate someone. The nominating committee will submit the names to the April newsletter in the form of a ballot. We will be taking nominations from the floor of the Section meeting in March. NEW BUSINESS: Public Service Project: The YMF proposed that the Seattle Section consider increasing its public service activities. They proposed providing Civil Engineering Design and Surveying type activities for an existing charitable organization. Stan Boyle also announced that ASCE National has formed a partnership with Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April and could also increase their community involvement by working with that organization. See the announcement and call for volunteers for both these proposals elsewhere in this newsletter. Funding for District Representative: Ron Leimkuhler presented information and a proposal by ASCE National for the Seattle Section to help fund a new District Representative. Further discussion was tabled to the March meeting. PSEC: Dave Crippen announced that PSEC is looking for help in the booth at the Engineers Fair for Saturday and Sunday, February 17 and 18, 2001. Very few people have signed up. Dave reported that PSEC appears to have focused its efforts on providing outreach to junior high, high school, and college students to increase interest in and awareness of the engineering profession. PSEC also strives to present a collective voice for engineering. The meeting was adjourned at 6:05 p.m. Meeting minutes prepared by Stan Boyle. |
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Applying Web Based |
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David Ginsberg, VP of Strategy and Partnering for Operations Analysis, Inc., discussed how Web-based decision support models can be applied to increase performance of engineering and construction companies at the Management in Engineer Committee’s November 2000 meeting. As represented in the attached diagram, Mr. Ginsberg has researched a recent shift suggesting engineering has become more of a commodity product, losing ground in the vertical services chain. Essentially, management consultants and others are able to become involved earlier in the design build process, at which point clients perceive higher value in the strategic planning.
Utilizing web-based decision support technology;
engineering and construction firms are better able to position their
expertise to provide strategic management, pinpointing specific
technical expertise in early planning phases where the value added is
higher. Otherwise, engineering firms will continue their historically
slow response to market conditions, poorly repositioning their staff and
core competencies. Benefit is also gained by incorporating risk management from conception into design. Taken together, engineering firms can provide higher value and better position their strengths to connect operations to market with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. Success for the client means rewards for the engineering firm. E&C companies can better position their historical strengths including:
"By helping clients to optimize these techniques and technologies, engineering companies can position themselves as suppliers of true value-added decision support services, rather than the ‘commodity’ of drawings and specifications". Article written by Timothy Lowry – Chair, Management in Engineering Committee. Join us for our May meeting where we will further discuss "Value" in engineering. |
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Assessment of New
Technology Used for Water Quality Protection — |
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The Ecology Training and Development Office is pleased to offer the above-named class. Maximum attendance is 100; 75 spaces are reserved for DOE personnel and 25 for consultants. The class will be held April 3-4, 2001, between the hours of 8:00 to 4:30 each day. There is no cost for attending. Location: Radisson Hotel Seattle Airport, 17001 Pacific Highway South, Seattle, WA 98188 (206) 244-6000. Instructors: Dr. H. David Stensel, Ph.D., P.E., Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington; Richard Horner from the University of Washington; Mr. Orris Albertson of Enviro Enterprises. Cancellation deadline: March 5, 2001 For registration information, contact Richard Koch, Rkoc461@ecy.wa.gov. Class overview: A two-day program designed to give better understanding of a systematic approach to basic fundamentals and mechanisms associated with wastewater treatment technologies and to elevate the technology. The objective of the workshop is to identify and assess wastewater treatment technologies that are currently of high interest and have significant future application potential in the State of Washington, and represent significant advancements in wastewater treatment technology. Technologies to be reviewed in the 2-day program were selected on the basis of providing improved effluent quality, reduce costs, and decreased operations complexity. The program will describe the technologies and their fundamental underlying mechanisms and factors that affect their performance, design procedures with information on relevant design parameters, description of previous applications and an assessment of performance and capabilities, and a review of process limitations and most appropriate application conditions. The technologies to be included in this workshop are different biological nutrient removal processes, biological systems with membrane separate technology, improvements in secondary clarifier design, advances in trickling filter and fixed film treatment processes, and wetlands treatment. Following each topic a discussion session will occur and a basic design problem will be done by the attendee teams. |
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Student Mentoring Program |
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The Student Mentoring Program Event held on January 11 at Seattle University attracted over thirty people including students, professionals, and faculties. The program began with the opening note by Professor Nimmy Gnanapragasam of Seattle University. Raymond Chung and Terry Yuen, the directors of the 2001 Student Mentoring Program, followed with a brief introduction of the this years program. The Event’s Speaker was John McKenzie of CH2M Hill who shared his experiences of doing civil engineering work on charitable projects in developing countries. John has volunteered on several international charitable projects, including trips to Philippines, Haiti, Kenya, and Nicaragua. Most recently John traveled to Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua with a team of design professionals to design a "cluster community" orphanage in response to Hurricane Mitch devastation. John’s message challenged those in the audience who wanted to explore the idea of performing their profession for a charitable cause to take the initiative and go for it. Everyone was totally engaged in the presentation and it generated an enriching and inspiring discussion among the audience. To catch the spirit of the evening, you can go to the ASCE Seattle University chapter web site at www.seattleu.edu/scieng/cee/asce/mentor/ If you would like to learn more about volunteer opportunities, such as Compassion Works, please feel free to contact John McKenzie (email jmckenzi@ch2m.com) at 425-453-5000. The following is a list of mentors and Seattle University students who have been matched.
Mentor
Company/ Seattle U Student
Harry Ehlers URS Corporation Peachy Lorenzo On behalf of the Student Mentoring Program Sub-Committee, I would like to thank Rolf Skrinde, the Professor and Chairman of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of Seattle University, for his presence, and Nimmy Gnanapragasam and Phil Thompson from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of Seattle University for the great job in coordination effort that makes this program a success at Seattle University. Thank you for the participation from Harry Ehlers and Jeff Wolfe for attending the event, and also from the professionals and mentors who have not yet been matched with a student. They are: Aaron Shupien of DEA, Mary Holland of URS Corps, Mark Killgore of Louis Berger & Associates, Inc, and Tim Smith and Tawni Hoang of CH2M Hill. We are in the process of planning for the Student Mentoring Program next year. If you would like to join the mission to help shape the civil engineers of the future or have suggestions to help to make this program more fruitful, please contact Raymond Chung (email rchung@ch2m.com) or Terry Yuen (email tyuen@ch2m.com) of CH2M Hill at 425-453-5000. The Student Mentoring Program is just one of the programs brought to you by the University Advisory Committee. The University Advisory Committee also offered a guest lecturing program, a student recruitment program, and a field trips program. If you are interested in working with the University Advisory Committee in any of these programs, or would like to serve on the advisory committee, please contact Ray Walton (email Rwalton@WESTConsultants.com) at 425-646-8806. |
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Community Service Projects – |
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The ASCE Seattle Section and the Younger Member Forum will be working together in a joint effort to find ways that we can use our engineering skills and experience to benefit the community. We are looking for two section members and two YMF members to work on this committee. If you are interested in helping to organize and plan this effort, or if you have any questions, ideas, contacts with non-profit organizations who could use our engineering skills, or would like to be added to the volunteer list, please contact Ann Epler at aepler@hcwl.com or (206) 632-2664. |
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Blue Ribbon Commission Update |
| The Infrastructure Transportation and Urban Planning (ITUP) committee has been following the progress of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation (BRCT) since its inception. Peter Hurley, a Commission member and the Director of Transportation Choices, attended our January committee meeting to present the Commission’s findings. The ITUP committee voted unanimously to endorse the findings of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation including the Early Action Investment Guidelines for 2001 through 2007 at our February 15 meeting. The committee further recommends that the Board and the membership of the Seattle Chapter of ASCE at large endorse the Blue Ribbon Commission findings. In order for this endorsement to be effective in influencing the legislature’s actions regarding transportation legislation and funding, the Board and Section must take action at their March meetings. Anyone interested in getting additional information on the BRCT findings can visit their website at www.brct.wa.gov. |
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Nominations Still Being Accepted |
| Nominations are still being accepted for the President-Elect, Director, and Secretary of the Seattle Section. The first two position are three-year terms, while Secretary is a two-year position. If you or anyone you know is interested in running for office, please contact Susan Gardner at (206) 389-0291 or sgardner@halcyon.com. Also, if you think someone would be a good candidate, submit his/her name and the Nominating Committee will contact that person. |
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New ASCE Section Newsletter |
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Employment Ads:
Inserts: 8 ½ by 11:
Business Card Ads: $300 for 10 issues (paid in advance), Policy Implementation The above advertising rates will take affect starting with the April newsletter with the exception of the new business card rates which will take affect in September 2001. |
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Help Rebuild Seattle Neighborhoods |
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Help ASCE’s national community service partner, Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April, repair homes and non-profit facilities on Saturday, April 28, 2001. On December 13, 2000, James E. Davis, ASCE’s Executive Director, signed a memorandum of understanding outlining a broad network of cooperation between ASCE and Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April. Rebuilding Together Seattle, a non-profit organization, is the leading local volunteer organization that, in partnership with the community, rehabilitates the houses of low-income homeowners, particularly the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and families with children, so that they may continue to live in warmth, safety, and independence. HOW CAN YOU HELP? Contact Rebuilding Together Seattle at 206-682-1231 or visit: www.cinas.org. |