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Austin Branch Newsletter |
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June 2008 |
Volume 12, Number 10 |
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In
This Issue…
President's Message 2008-2009 Board Elections Continuing Ed July 25th Meeting Sponsor Info Design Squad Event New Orleans Trip (No. 3) Call for Committee Chairs Eweek School Visits YMF Update History & Heritage: Book Review Continuing Education |
June Branch Meeting – June 17, 2008
of Renewable Energy Speaker State Energy Conservation Office When Where Cost RSVP \Meeting Sponsor
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Quick Links… |
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JuneSpeaker: Eddie Trevino, Program
Manager of the State Energy Conservation Office of Texas, Texas Comptroller
of Public Accounts Wind Power and Other
Sources of Renewable Energy
Eddy Trevino is a Program Manager for
Texas’ State Energy Conservation Office (SECO). Mr. Trevino is a
registered Professional Engineer with 25 years of design and management
experience. Mr. Trevino is Program Manager for the CCG
Energy Management Services Project (EMSP), a contract administered by
SECO. The EMSP contract objective is to maximize energy efficiency and
reduce energy costs in all state-owned buildings, 7,400, in Texas. A
contract task overview is provided in the following list. ·
The
creation and installation of an enabling hardware and software infrastructure
to facilitate the identification of energy efficiency opportunities and to
tract energy efficiency measures at the operations, accounting and executive
levels, ·
The
management of energy procurement activities to reduce energy costs, ·
The
management of utility bill auditing activities to recover overpayments, and ·
The
management of owner’s representation services on performance contracts. Before joining SECO, Mr. Trevino was in the
private sector where he owned and managed his own consulting firm for 16
years. This firm specialized in building assessments, quality assurance
inspections and studies, and litigation expert witness studies. Mr. Trevino earned Engineering, Masters of
Business Administration, and Masters of Science in Science and Technology
Commercialization degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Trevino is a native of Corpus Christi,
Texas. He lives in Cedar Park with his wife and teenage son. |
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President’s Message
For our luncheon, Professor Kenneth J.
Fridley, Head of the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Alabama
flew in to town to give us a presentation on the ASCE’s Raise the Bar
initiative. Whatever your stance may be on this topic, it is important
for you to let us know your thoughts so we can communicate them with the
Texas Section as well as ASCE National. I also was honored to be invited to attend
the University of Texas ASCE Steel Bridge Visitation that was held the week
before the team was heading to the National competition in Gainesville,
Florida. They provided drinks and snacks and showed us their record
breaking approach to assembling the steel bridge. The team was able to
answer questions that were asked and I was able to give them one last “hoorah
and good luck” from the Austin Branch. Looking forward to another exciting
month! If you would like to get involved in the Branch, please feel
free to visit our website at www.austinasce.org,
or feel free to contact me at Pape-Dawson Engineers, Inc. at 512-454-8711 or
at kbarney@pape-dawson.com.
There is an opportunity waiting for you! |
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2008-2009 Austin
ASCE Board Elections
by
Dale P. Murphy, P.E. – Nominations Committee Chair and 2007-2008 Past
President Please join us at
the June Branch meeting as we will be electing next year’s Board. The
Nominations Committee worked hard to come up with a proposed slate of
Officers. Additionally, nominations were opened at last month’s meeting
and will remain open until the beginning of the June Branch meeting if anyone
would like to throw their hat in the ring. Below is the proposed slate: President-Elect – Robert Scholz VP of Programs – Rose Marie Klee Communications
Director – Roman
Grijalva Secretary – Reem Zoun Treasurer – Tony Buonodono Younger Member
Director – Kim
Patak State Director – Craig Chesser In addition, the
Past-President (Kelly Barney) and President (Julia Harrod) Board positions
are automatic. If you would like to nominate someone for a position to run
against those proposed above, please contact Kelly Barney prior to the June
meeting. |
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Austin ASCE 2008
Continuing Education Seminar:
“Central Texas
Infrastructure, Growth and Development”
by
David Harris, P.E. – Continuing Education Co-Chair This year’s continuing education seminar
will present 10 speakers from various public agencies, organizations and
private firms to talk about issues related to the industry of civil
engineering as it relates to infrastructure and responsible development
within Central Texas. All proceeds benefit the Austin Chapter ASCE
scholarship fund. Public and non-profit sector employees may attend for
a nominal fee of $25.00. Private sector ASCE member may attend for
$150.00 and non members for $200.00. This event will be held at the
University of Texas Pickle Research Campus Commons Auditorium on Friday July
25th. Firms may sponsor this event for $600.00 which
includes the entrance for four participants and the opportunity to set up
displays at the event. An announcement for online registration will be
sent out via email in mid June. Please contact David Harris at dmharris@pbsj.com (512-342-3304) for
sponsorship information. Please note that the Texas Board of
Professional Engineers requires 15 hours of continuing education credit with
at least one hour of ethics annually. This event will satisfy
approximately half the annual requirement including ethics. The draft
agenda is provided below.
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June Meeting Sponsor – Hanson Pipe and Precast
Hanson Pipe & Precast has made concrete
pipe in Austin at 801 Airport Blvd for over half a century. While the
name has changed from Austin Concrete Works to Gifford-Hill to Hanson Pipe
and Products to now Hanson Pipe & Precast; the same quality product has
basically stayed the same. There have been improvements to concrete
pipe over the years, but basically the same features that made concrete pipe
the choice of Austin Area Engineering Firms for years has stayed the
same. Concrete pipe does not rust or burn. It made be made with
various strengths to suit the needs of the design engineer for his particular
project. Unlike flexible pipe products which rely on the quality of the
soil envelop around them for their strength, concrete pipe is a rigid pipe;
the majority of the strength of concrete pipe comes with the pipe; thus
greatly reducing the need for installation inspection. This greatly
reduces the liability of the design engineer when it comes to pipe performance. Hanson Pipe & Precast recently began to
produce a wide array of precast junction boxes, catch basins, inlets and
manholes to complement their pipe and box product line. David Matocha, Past Austin Branch President
and current Austin Branch Texas Section Director, is the contact person from
Hanson for technical information and advice for your next project. “I
always tell design engineers to consider me a part of their design
team. The good news for them is unlike them, I don’t charge for my service!”
jokes David. David wants every Austin Branch member to
know they are always welcome for a plant tour and he is only an email or
phone call away for technical information or help. According to David,
“I enjoy working with engineers to help them with a design question or issue,
and I have enjoyed my association with the Austin Branch”. David’s phone and e-mail are 512-914-0674
and david.matocha@hanson.com. |
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Central Texas Discover
Engineering, Austin ASCE and the Austin Children’s Museum Host a Design Squad
Science Sunday
·
·
Can
you create a zip line to carry a ping pong ball? ·
Can
you make a door bell or buzzer from a kit? ·
Can
you excite kids about science and technology? ·
Can
you talk to school kids about your education and career? ·
Can
you do this on June 22nd? If you can help, we need you.
Volunteer shifts are from 12:30 to 3:00 or 2:30 to 5:00 PM. You can choose
either or both shifts. Please let us know your preferece by June 18th
so we can prepare our schedule. Bilingual volunteers are also needed as we
are focusing on diversity and targeting Hispanic families. Email either Linda
Barlow at lbarlow@hvj.com or Laton Carr at LCarr@pape-dawson.com
.
To learn more about Discover Engineering in
Austin visit www.centexeweek.org. To
preview the activities go to http://pbskids.org/designsquad/parentseducators/activity_guide.html |
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New
Orleans Trip on the 3rd Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
by
Rose Marie Klee, P.E. – Communications Director and Trip Organizer The Austin Branch of ASCE, in collaboration
with the Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering Department of
UT, is planning to make our 3rd trip to New Orleans over Labor Day
weekend. This exciting opportunity is the brainchild of UT professor Robert
Gilbert, who is on the ASCE External Review Panel studying the levee failures
of Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Gilbert’s dedication to the edification of students
and the engineering community at large is evinced by his extraordinary
commitment in providing this opportunity for civil engineers to learn about
what happened in New Orleans during Katrina. This trip includes valuable
opportunities to bond with fellow-engineers; befriend, learn from, and mentor
others; meet future colleagues; help the people of New Orleans; learn some
valuable civil engineering lessons on the ground from an expert; visit the
French Quarter to enjoy dining and entertainment opportunities; see
first-hand where the city is in terms of recovery 3 years after the
devastating event; and perhaps even to discover your own power to help make
this world just a little bit better as a human being and as a civil engineer! In the past two years we have had a great
mix of UT engineering students and professionals and even some family and
friends. We will depart from Austin on Friday, August 29 to arrive in New
Orleans that night. Saturday’s agenda will include a volunteer work day and
an evening in the famous French Quarter. On Sunday we will have a second work
day, and depart New Orleans in the afternoon. Participants will have
opportunities to learn about the devastating effects of Katrina from a civil
engineering as well as a social and political perspective. You
can learn about our 2006 and 2007 trips to New Orleans by visiting http://www.austinasce.org/neworleans07.htm Please plan to join us on this trip from
August 29 to September 1, 2008. Contact Rose Marie Klee at rmklee@crespoinc.com (512.343.6404x107)
for more information and to sign up for the journey. You can also volunteer
to help with planning and organizing this trip, or feel free to make
suggestions and submit ideas. |
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Call
for Committee Members and Chairs for the Austin Branch
Have
you been thinking about getting more involved with the Austin Branch? Are
there specific programs that interest you or do you have some new ideas about
what the Branch could be involved with? The
Austin Branch is currently recruiting committee members and chairs for the
upcoming year. Participating as a committee member is a great way to help the
Branch, and if you are curious about what it would be like to participate it
is a great way to begin your involvement. It is also a great opportunity to
meet new people in different realms of the engineering world. The current Branch
committees include:
Please
see our webpage (www.austinasce.org)
to find out who are current committee chairs are, and contact Julia Harrod at
julia@mwmdesigngroup.com to
inquire about how you can get involved in the coming year! |
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ASCE
Discover Engineering Eweek School Visits
by
Laton Carr, E.I.T. – Eweek Committee Chair Eweek school visits went very well this
year, and ASCE was well represented in the mix. The response to Eweek’s
invitation for schools to participate in the Discover Engineering, a program
bringing engineers to the classroom for a small presentation to students, was
overwhelmingly favorable this year. In the beginning, the list of
interested schools quickly trumped the initial list of volunteers who signed
up to assist. With additional calls to service, area
engineers from several disciplines responded to meet the demand. ASCE was
a well represented portion of those respondents and helped to cover a number
of schools. A big “THANK YOU!” to all the members who
participated is in order! Thanks to everyone who helped! The
members whose contributions are known are:
Katie Kizziar Skillpoint Alliance Involved in everything from organizing to
training to school visits! |
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YMF Update
by
Kimberly Patak, P.E. – Younger Member Forum President Geez louise, I cannot believe it's summer
already! What happened to a little spring shower warning? I went straight
from wearing a fleece in April (I'm a weenie) to freaking out because I
forgot my sunscreen at home and if I step out that door I'll fry like a
chicken! So grab your sunscreen and it's time for a little fun in the sun! It’s also that time of year to start
thinking about next year’s slate of YMF officers and committee members. If
you would like to be considered for an officer position or committee member,
please contact Jamie Farris at JFARRIS@dot.state.tx.us .
We will vote on the proposed slate of officers via email during the
month of June. We have a variety of chair positions open to attract a range
of personalities, including committee chairs for the West Point Bridge
competition, Social events, and the annual Golf Tournament. The
May happy hour at Little Woodrow's 6th Street was a very enlightening time!
Several of us had the opportunity to learn about life as a Ugandan from a
fellow ASCE member, while others were hamming it up over the latest
sporting events. One of the biggest things that came away from the meeting is
that we decided we wanted to start looking for opportunities to have joint
happy hour's every once in awhile with other professional engineering
organizations in the Austin area, like Engineers without Borders, AWWA, WEAT,
and TSPE. We just realized that each of these organizations are
made up of like-minded individuals and it would be beneficial to get together
every once in awhile. So, if you or a colleague are involved with another
organization that you think would enjoy meeting up in the near future, please
drop me a line at kkp@freese.com . Our
next social will take place at Crown
and Anchor Pub on the engineering side of
campus at 2911 San Jacinto on June
18. What better way to celebrate summer and still having to
work than hanging out a college bar while the students are away! Hope you can
join! With
this being our last newsletter for the summer, please check the website for
upcoming events or look out for our emails. http://www.austinasce.org/ymf.htm
We hope to plan a summer party in July or
August, so stay tuned! |
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Book Review: Flash Floods
in Texas, by Jonathan Burnett
by
Melinda Luna, P.E. – History and Heritage Chair Jonathan Burnett has completed a book on
Flash Floods in Texas. It was recently released in April 2008. The book
reviews twenty eight (28) flash floods. Included are: Ñ
April
1900 (flood that breached the Austin Dam) Ñ
December
1913(focusing on Nolan Creek and the Brazos River) Ñ
April
1915 on Shoal and Waller Creeks Ñ
September
1921 in Downtown San Antonio Ñ
September
1921, Thrall Record Rainfall and Little River Flood Ñ
Ñ
September
1932, Devil’s River and Rio Grande Floods Ñ
May
1935, D’Hanis Flash flood Ñ
June
1935, Downtown Houston Flood Ñ
September
1936, Concho River Flood Ñ
July
1938, Brady Creek and San Saba Rivers Ñ
May
1949, Downtown Fort Worth Ñ
September
1952, Pedernales river Flood Ñ
June
1954, Pecos River Eight (6 foot Wall of Water) Ñ
May
1957, Lampasas Mother’s Day Flood Ñ
June
1965, Sanderson Flood Ñ
May
1966, Dallas Flash Flood Ñ
May
1970, San Marcos River Flood Ñ
May
1972, New Braunfels Flood Ñ
May
1978, Canyon, Texas and Palo Duro Canyon Flood Ñ
August
1978, Hill Country Flood Ñ
May
1981, Memorial Day Flood in Austin Ñ
August
1998, Del Rio Flood Ñ
October
1998, Hill Country Flash Floods Ñ
June
2001, Tropical storm Allison in Houston Ñ
July
2002, Guadalupe River Flooding The book also contains an appendix of
significant floods with a short description of each. There narrative
includes a summary description of each flood, including deaths and damages,
causes of the storms, and information from newspaper articles and
interviews. The descriptions contain daily rainfall amounts, with great
photographs from several sources. A person would have to do a good bit
of research and traveling in order to get the same information provided in
this book, and some of the roles of engineers is even discussed, for instance
in the flood of 1900. Also covered are the lessons learned in floods
such as that of May 1981, in Austin, Texas. This work is a great
addition to the libraries of those interested in the history of floods and in
historical photographs. Even if you are not interested in the history
of floods, Flash Floods in Texas is a great teaching tool for those in
emergency management or those teaching others to prepare for floods.
Although flash floods can occur at any time of the year, their occurrence in
May and June is especially likely. If you live in a flood prone area,
you would do well to consider making a family emergency plan. There are
several sites to help you such as www.ready.gov.
Flash Floods in Texas was published by the
Texas A & M press and is available at varying prices from several
bookstores. It’s interesting to note that Jonathan Burnett is an
engineer but not in the flood business but rather the semiconductor
sector. |
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ASCE
Summer 2008 Continuing Education Seminars
from Michael W. Cook
– Senior Manager, ASCE Geographic Services In our continuing effort to enhance
communications between ASCE’s Sections, Branches and ASCE National,
Geographic Services is pleased to advise you of the following seminars scheduled
in your geographic area from June through September 2008: June 19-20, 2008 Dallas, TX Financial Management for the Professional
Engineer (Management and Leadership) September 11-12, 2008 San Antonio, TX Pipe and Pipeline Renewal (Geotechnical) September 25-26, 2008 San Antonio, TX Construction Cost Estimating for the Civil
Engineers ~NEW! (Construction/Development) These in-depth, practice-oriented programs
are produced by ASCE’s Continuing Educations Department and may be of interest
to many ASCE members in your Sections and Branches. We would greatly
appreciate if you would consider positing information on these seminars in
your newsletters and on your websites. Information on seminars scheduled in other
ASCE Regions can be found under the Region maps on ASCE’s website at http://www.asce.org/inside/sec_brnch.cfm,
Detailed descriptions of the seminars (by title) are available on ASCE’s
website at www.asce.org/conted/seminars.
If you have questions or need assistance,
please contact Kelly Jarvis, Continuing Education Registrar at kjarvis@asce.org, or me at mcook@asce.org. |
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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. |
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© 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 |
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