Austin Branch Newsletter
January 2008	Volume 12, Number 5
In This Issue… Meeting/Speaker Info President's Message Austin Children’s Museum UT Scholarships Capital Area Foodbank Meeting Sponsor Info Bowl for Kids’ Sake History & Heritage YMF Update UT Austin Update	January Branch Meeting – January 15, 2008 Topic Americans with Disabilities Act Speaker Jesus Lardizabal – Altura Solutions When Tuesday, January 15th Social - 11:30 to Noon;  Lunch/Speaker - Noon to 1:00 PM Where Embassy Suites North - 5901 N. IH 35 Cost $15 with RSVP; $5 for Government/Students; Additional $5 without RSVP RSVP Click here to RSVP by Noon, Friday, January 11th \Meeting Sponsor
Quick Links… About Us Austin Branch Golf Tourney Job Board Younger Member Forum
January Speaker: Jesus Lardizabal, Altura Solutions City of Austin ADA Program As the President of Altura Solutions, L.P., Mr. Lardizábal has over twelve years of design, construction management, and accessibility policy-making experience. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE City of Austin ADA Program Manager Mr. Lardizábal has worked in the public sector as the City of Austin’s ADA Program Manager.  While in this capacity, Mr. Lardizábal developed and implemented several city-wide policies for construction management, accessibility inspection procedures, plan review procedures, and assisted with the maintenance of standard construction details. While at the City of Austin, Mr. Lardizábal also helped other municipalities in creating and implementing accessibility policies and procedures.  Mr. Lardizábal assisted Travis County in developing the Subdivision Sidewalk Policy and Sidewalk Remediation Program. Engineering Consulting Mr. Lardizábal has worked for a large international engineering firm where he performed ADA Surveys of various facilities throughout the country.  Mr. Lardizábal helped standardize and develop the inspection process of facilities for ADA compliance as part of the due diligence process for real estate transactions. Construction Project Management Mr. Lardizábal has worked as a project manager on multi-million dollar construction projects ranging from historical renovation to public infrastructure projects.  While working as a construction project manager, Mr. Lardizábal helped manage daily construction operations.  Mr. Lardizábal also developed an innovative construction delivery method, while at the City of Austin, that led to an increase of sidewalk and curb ramp construction at a reduced cost.  This new technique lead to an increase of three times the quantities of infrastructure while lowering overhead costs.
President’s Message by Kelly A. Barney, PE HAPPY NEW YEAR!  I can’t believe that 2008 is here!  This is going to be a good year for the Austin Branch.  December was a perfect way to end the 2007 calendar year with our guest speaker Lance Kinney from the Texas Board of Professional Engineers (TBPE).  Mr. Kinney gave an ethics presentation that can be credited for the one hour ethics for the Professional Engineer license renewal.  We had over 100 attendees at this meeting and I am just hoping that the meetings in 2008 will only get bigger and bigger! You can help!  If all of us invited one co-worker or one friend, we would double our attendance at our luncheons and make it even more valuable experience for everyone!  Plus, with our new membership drive, each guest you bring gives you one chance to win a monthly door prize or the year end $500 in cash!  Now who wouldn’t like that? I am looking forward to this New Year and getting to know more about the members of the Austin Branch.  We are a great bunch and would love to see you get involved.  Please feel free to contact me at kbarney@pape-dawson.com or 512-454-8711 if you are curious about how you can become involved with the Austin Branch.  There is an opportunity waiting for you!
We need you! Austin Children’s Museum Event Saturday, February 16, 2008 by Linda Barlow, P.E. – Public Relations Chair Join us for the 7^th Annual Engineer’s Day at the Austin Children’s Museum on Saturday February 16^th. This popular event introduces children to engineering with fun hands-on projects such as building skyscrapers out of newspaper, using spaghetti and marshmallows to make structures, and creating balloon-powered vehicles. We need Volunteers and Sponsors to make the event possible. Last year our sponsors helped pay 400 museum admission fees and cover the other event costs. Last year we had 60+ volunteers, who helped stuff the goody bags prior to the event and teach 400+ children with the engineering activities at the event. We can’t continue this legacy without you!  Volunteering: Our three-hour volunteer shifts are 9:00 AM to noon and 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Volunteer training will be minimal and take place just before your shift. Certificates for PDHs will be provided along with the new Discover Engineering t-shirt being provided by the Central Texas Engineers Week committee (www.centexeweek.com). Sponsoring: Sponsorships are available at the $150 level and $250 level. At the $150 level, your company’s name will be displayed the day of the event at the museum and at the $250 level, your company’s name will be included on the giveaway items and promotional materials, as well. Thanks to the sponsors who have already signed up for this year’s event: Urban Design Group, Baer Engineering, and Duke’s Root Control. If you are interested in volunteering or sponsoring, please sign up at: http://www.austinasce.org/acm.htm. We are in the process of updating the link from the 2007 event to the 2008 event; if the link has not yet been updated for the 2008 event, you can email any of the PR Committee members: Linda Barlow at lbarlow@hvj.com; Sharon Hamilton at Sharon.Hamilton@CASEngineers.com; John Conquest at JDCONQUEST@mactec.com; Cesar Calderon at calderon@guerra.com; or Jennifer Otterson at JMOtterson@pbsj.com. Be amazed!  Be entertained!  Be part of the Austin Children’s Museum Engineer’s Day!
Spring 2008 ASCE Austin Branch Scholarship Recipients by Roman D. Grijalva, P.E. – Scholarship Committee Chair The Austin Branch of ASCE is proud to announce the recipients of two $2,000 scholarships and two $1,000 scholarships for the Spring 2008 semester. The scholarships were awarded to University of Texas at Austin Civil Engineering students based on the quality of their written statement, GPA, extracurricular activities, and their references.  This year’s recipients are: Robert (Ty) Womble and Ryan Rush for the $2,000 scholarships, and Michelle Wilkinson and Martin Scales for the $1,000 awards. The award recipients will be presented to the ASCE Austin Branch at the February meeting.  Congratulations to all!
Capital Area Food Bank Fund Drive Results & Volunteer Day January 19^th, 2008 by Cesar Calderon E.I.T. – Public Relations Committee The Austin Branch collected $554 in monetary donations during the months of October, November and December which will feed 2,770 hungry children, adults, and seniors in the Austin area.  Way to go Austin Branch! Additionally, a volunteer day at the Food Bank has been identified to allow even more participation from the Austin Branch.  The Food Bank provides a meaningful volunteer experience in a positive, safe environment.  The Austin Branch has selected January 19, 2008 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm for our volunteer day at the Food Bank, and we are looking for 20-40 volunteers for this event.  Similar to last year, we will be volunteering in Product Recovery from which you get an inside vantage of the Food Bank’s work, evaluating donated products to determine what is safe for distribution.  "Recovered" items are then sorted, boxed, and made available for distribution to Partner Agencies and their clients.  Please contact Cesar Calderon at calderon@guerra.com, (512) 445-5012 x346, to sign up for the Austin Branch ASCE Volunteer Day at the Food Bank.  We will also be setting up a volunteer sign-up sheet at the ASCE Austin Branch website in the coming days, so keep an eye out for it. Let’s show our community that civil engineers work to improve lives in many ways, and one way is by providing support to the Capital Area Food Bank and Central Texans in need!
January Meeting Sponsor – Pape-Dawson Engineers Pape-Dawson provides civil and environmental engineering consulting to both public and private clients throughout central and south central Texas.  Pape-Dawson’s corporate headquarters is located in San Antonio and we have a satellite office located in Austin.  With offices in both San Antonio and Austin, Pape-Dawson is able to effectively serve our clients in not only those communities, but also throughout the rapidly growing IH-35 Corridor and beyond.   Pape-Dawson’s clients include residential and commercial land developers, utilities, private industry, municipalities and state agencies as well as other miscellaneous public and private sector clients.  Pape-Dawson has an extensive resume of successful projects in the areas of land development, the cornerstone of the business since 1965, water resources, transportation, environmental and surveying.  More specifically, this experience includes commercial and industrial development, single and multi-family development, municipal streets and drainage, geologic investigations, property surveys, wastewater treatment and collection systems, land and development planning, pollution abatement, project management, etc.  Our firm has a staff of over 400 employees including 60 licensed, Professional Engineers. Pape-Dawson’s civil engineers are experienced in the process and specific detail of transforming raw land through the planning, design, and construction process.
Big Brothers Big Sisters – Bowl for Kids Sake by Dale Murphy, P.E. For the 3^rd straight year, the Austin Branch will be participating in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas annual Bowl for Kids Sake fundraiser, with our bowling event scheduled for Friday, February 22^nd at 8:30 PM at Highland Lanes.  Last year the Austin Branch had 15 teams and over 70 participants, raising over $13,500!!  This year we are looking to have more participants and raise even more money.  Participants are asked to solicit donations from their friends, family and co-workers through a web based system that makes it very easy, with each bowler committing to raise at least $125.  We are looking for people who are willing to be Team Captains who would recruit 4 additional co-workers or friends to form a team of their own.  If you’d like to participate but don’t have a team, we can put teams together for you or you can just donate to one of our ASCE teams or bowlers as well.  For more information on how you can have fun bowling with your colleagues while raising money for a good cause, contact Dale Murphy (dmurphy@kfriese.com).
Tallest Building in Austin, Texas by Melinda Luna, P.E. – History and Heritage Chair The Austin Skyline has changed over the years, and there is a new proposed building that will eventually hold the title of tallest building.  Several towers are currently under construction, including the Austin 360 Tower at Nueces and Third Street, and the Austonian on Congress (to be completed in 2008/9) which will hold the title “Tallest building in Austin” when complete at a height of approximately 700 feet.  In the history of the Austin skyline several other buildings have held this title over the years. Starting in 1888, early in Austin’s History, the Texas State Capitol held the title tallest building in Austin and when completed was among the top ten tallest buildings in the world.  It was the tallest building in Texas for the next 35 years and it would not be until 1972 that the next building to hold this title in Austin would be built.  The Dobie Center near the University of Texas campus then held the ‘tallest building in Austin’ title for only 10 years. Completed in 1972, the Dobie Center provided housing for students at the University of Texas.  The One American Center was completed in 1982, stands 395 feet tall, making it the tallest building until 2004 when the Frost Bank Tower was completed at 515 feet in height.  The One American Center has one of the fastest set of elevators in the city that move about 1000 ft per minute.  The building was used as a background for the movie “Michael” in 1996. The Frost Bank Tower was the first high rise to be built after 9/11.  The crane used to build the tower was about 600 feet tall and the silver blue glass façade contains 200,000 square feet of glass.  The City of Austin and the State of Texas conducted a study of various viewpoints to the State Capitol building from throughout the City, and published a study to set criteria for the skyscrapers and the historic preservation of the Capitol View Corridors. These height-restricted zones include a number of views from the south-west, from Congress Avenue, and from several parks including Zilker Park and the UT campus.   Because of this study of the Capitol views published in 1983, the views will be preserved to show the view of the Texas State Capitol as it was meant to be seen by its builders.  When developers and engineers plan to build a structure in central Austin, they must consider the Capital Corridor views and understand the purpose of these limitations. Austin is not the only city to establish views of the skyline.  New York City; London, England; Lincoln, Nebraska and others have set requirements to preserve their skyline views.  Note:  The tallest building in Texas is currently the J.P. Morgan Chase Tower in Houston, standing at 1,002 feet.  It is currently the tenth tallest building in the U.S.  The Sears tower in Chicago completed in 1974 is still the tallest building in the U.S.  Currently there are three buildings proposed and under construction ranging from 1,776 to 2,000 feet that will hold the title tallest building in the U.S.  For those of you wondering about the University of Texas bell tower, it was built in 1937 and stands 307 feet tall.
YMF Update by Kimberly Patak, P.E. – Younger Member Forum President Man, the holidays are over and it is time to get busy! January is a very busy month for the YMF, with a conference to plan and the West Point Bridge Competition to kick off. The 2008 ASCE Central Region Younger Member Council Leadership Conference is taking place in Round Rock on Friday and Saturday, January 25 and 26, 2008 at the Austin Marriot North. This year the Austin Branch has the honor of hosting this conference and we need your help! We are looking for sponsors to help us offset our hospitality costs and enable us to show our guests a fabulous time while they are visiting Austin. The sponsorships (set at highly affordable rates!) are available for $300 for Gold Level sponsorship and $200 for Silver Level sponsorship. Please see the Austin ASCE website (www.austinasce.org/ymf.htm) for a description of these sponsorship levels. We have also created a website for the event at www.crymc.asce.org. Please log on to view the agenda and contact Robert Scholz at rwscholz@pbsj.com if you are interested in attending or sponsoring the event. In addition to the upcoming conference, please join your fellow colleagues for a happy hour on January 15 at 6pm at The Mean Eyed Cat on 5^th Street! We had to cancel last month’s event, so let’s make this month’s double the trouble! As always, if you are interested in getting involved with the YMF, please contact me (Kim Patak) at kkp@freese.com or 512-617-3138.
UT Austin January Briefing by Ryan Rush, UT Student Chapter Corporate Relations Officer With all seven meetings successfully completed for the fall semester, our faculty sponsor Dr. Robert Gilbert and his family hosted a Christmas party of December 7^th to recognize the diligent efforts of the UT ASCE officers. For the pot luck dinner our officers showed that not only are we well rounded students, but we also have some skilled cooks in our group. The white elephant gift exchange was a blast and we look forward to another celebration after the Spring semester. With the holidays around the corner the Outreach committee was busier than ever, with 3 activities taking place during December. At our final meeting of the year, we raised $150 to sponsor a needy family and used the money to purchase school supplies for their three children as per the family’s request. On December 6^th, Sarah Mayhall, Michelle Wilkinson, Dong-hyun Kim, and Corey Meeks donated their time from 5am-9am at a soup kitchen downtown. Later in December, Sarah Mayhall, Michelle Wilkinson, and Marco Guzman made two elementary school visits to Barton Hills and Widen Elementary schools to talk about how fun it is to be an engineer. Students were amazed that our concrete blocks (used in construction of the Concrete Canoe) would float in water. Their favorite part was the finale where each student got to build their very own paper helicopter. The Steel Bridge team is preparing for the Texas-Mexico regional competition which will be held in Beaumont, Texas January 18-19.  Fabrication was completed by Christmas for the first time ever, so the focus will now shift to practicing construction of the bridge since teams are partly judged by the speed at which the bridge can be assembled. On a final note, our Student ASCE chapter would like to thank the Austin ASCE branch for donating four scholarships totaling $6,000 for the second year in a row. Such generosity enables students to continue to focus on school while rewarding members for their contributions to the ASCE organization. Our website can be found at www.ut-asce.org. It contains information for Technical Competitions, Outreach, IM Sports, and Social Events as well as useful contact information to reach our officers.
Thank You to Our 2008 Sponsors Want to be an Austin Branch Sponsor?  Gives your company advertising and free postings on our online job board.  Click here for more information.
© 2008 Austin Branch American Society of Civil Engineers The Austin Branch Newsletter gives you the latest information on ASCE events and activities.  To inquire about this newsletter or to publish articles contact the Communications Director.  Contact information for our Board of Directors can be found at www.austinasce.org. National ASCE – www.asce.org      Texas Section – www.texasce.org