January 2009 Newsletter - ASCE-American Society of Civil Engineers

San Bernardino & Riverside Counties Branch
Los Angeles Section, Region 9 - Since 1953
V OL UME
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
November Luncheon meeting recap
3
Advertising Rates
Membership Info
Spotlight Info
4
ASCE assures
Infrastructure,
Education and
licensure changes,
and Gusset plates
5
Mentoring Program 6
Stormwater
Committee
7
Student Flyer
8
Business Spotlights
9
Business Spotlights
10
Business Card
Advertisements
11
Meeting
Calendar
12
I S S UE
1
J AN UAR Y
20 09
President’s Message
Christmas and the New Year are fast
approaching. Recent Discoveries have
found that the expansion of the
Universe is accelerating, stretching the
fabric of Space, and perhaps pushing
Time faster with it. Nothing so
elaborate - I’m just showing my age.
But I swear each year seems to go by
faster. So let me quickly tell you about
what San Bernardino/Riverside County
Branch of ASCE has in store for you in
the New Year – before 2009
disappears as well.
Our January Membership Meeting is
planned to be a discussion of
Legislation before our Sacramento
Lawmakers. Of primary concern - the
Sacramento Delta and water sources
for California’s San Joaquin Farmers
and the 20% remaining for Southern
California. Again we are having the
meeting at the Mexicali Grill in
Riverside. Thereafter, Our Representatives, Past President Terry Renner
M. ASCE and Past President before
Terry, Chris Turnage M. ASCE, will be
traveling to Sacramento to attend an
ASCE Legislative seminar and on their
second day, February 25th, meet and
discuss with our lawmakers items of
concern to the Engineering
Community. You are encouraged to
bring your concerns to the table at the
January 21, 2009 Luncheon meeting.
We are sending our Branch Secretary,
Rita Escobar M. ASCE, January 2324 to Workshop for Section and
Branch Leaders to San Francisco, as
our Branch representative.
NEWSLETTER
President’s Message 1,2
Engineers History
1 9,
In February we participate in the Inland
Empire Council of Engineers and
Scientists meeting at the University of
Redlands. Always an interesting topic
from a prominent Inland Professional,
arrangements are being made by the
IECES committee to secure the
speaker for this event to be announced
early in 2009. The Dinner meeting will
be held Tuesday, February 17, 2009.
The Concrete Canoe Competition will
again see our Cal Poly, Pomona,
Student Chapter of ASCE held in
Hawaii this year. We heard from two
students who spoke at our Board
meeting this last Friday, needing
additional funding for the competition
(see page 7)– since it is being held a
long distance from home - and we
voted to redirect Branch funds away
from the National ASCE meeting in
Pittsburgh (that I was too ill to attend)
to assist with their pursuits to the tune
of $1000. Each Year, the Student
Chapter presents their activities at our
April Meeting. We are looking forward
to hearing about their Island Engineering adventure.
The Younger Engineers Forum and the
Storm Water Committee have also been
(Continued on page 2)
© Copyright 2008 ASCE San Bernardino & Riverside Counties Branch
PAGE
2
(Continued from page 1)
quite active. But I will differ discussion of these since you will hear of their activities
through Project Partners.
Looking forward to seeing you in 2009! Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year
to you all!
With the Spirit of Christmas, warmest regards,
Timothy R. Wilson PE, RA, M. ASCE
President, San Bernardino/Riverside Counties Branch of the LA Section of ASCE
Roebling’s reputation
established, in 1857
Roebling wrote a letter
suggesting that a
suspension bridge be
built over the East
River to connect
Brooklyn with New
York City.
Johann Augustus
Roebling
Great Civil Engineers in History
JOHN AUGUSTUS ROEBLING (1806 - 1869)
"It will no longer suit the spirit
of the present age to pronounce
an undertaking impracticable.
Nothing is impracticable which
is within the scope of natural
laws."
John Augustus Roebling
showed early promise in construction, earning a certificate
as a master builder in his native
Germany by the age of 14.
Born Johann Augustus
Roebling in Muhlhausen,
Germany, he traveled to Berlin
to study engineering at the
Royal Polytechnic Institute,
which boasted among its
faculty the philosopher George
Hegel, who later declared that
Roebling had been his favorite
student.
At the institute, Roebling
studied bridge construction and
became intrigued with efforts to
build bridges that were suspended from chains or wire
rope. He wrote a thesis on a
suspension bridge constructed
at Bamberg, Germany.
After graduating in 1826,
Roebling took a job with the
Prussian government, working
on roads and small bridges in
Westphalia. His future was
secure, but he grew restless,
and in 1831 he and his brother
NEWSLETTER
Carl boarded a ship for
America. They settled in
Pennsylvania and established a
farm, dubbing the area Saxonburg. Now going by John,
rather than Johann, Roebling
married in 1836, and his first
son, Washington Roebling, was
born the following year.
Meanwhile, Roebling had
realized he was ill suited to
farm work. He began taking on
small mechanical jobs, then
accepted a position as an
assistant engineer working on a
Beaver River canal, even
though he had to accept small
wages because his English was
poor.
While working on the canal, he
witnessed an accident in which
two men were killed when a
hemp rope broke, and he hit
upon the idea of replacing the
fiber rope with stronger wire
rope for greater safety and
economy. He began transforming his Saxonburg farm into a
factory to produce wire rope,
and in 1841, he filed a patent
application for a cable made of
parallel wires. The wire rope
business thrived. When it
eventually outgrew the Saxonburg site, he moved it to
Trenton, New Jersey.
Still fascinated by suspension
bridges, Roebling decided to
bid for a contract to rebuild a
canal bridge across the
Allegheny River at Pittsburgh.
He theorized that the wire rope
for suspending the bridge could
be wound at the site, with each
wire individually strung with
the necessary droop between
towers, forming a bundle that
could then be compressed into a
single compact cable.
Suspension bridges of the time
were highly vulnerable to wind
loads, and many eventually
collapsed under the strain of
high winds. Roebling devised a
system of diagonal stays to
stiffen his structures against the
force of the wind.
In 1851, he began construction
on a railway bridge over the
Niagara River below the falls
amid immense skepticism that a
suspension bridge could withstand the force of a train's rolling load. There, he added heavy
iron trusses to the bridge's deck
for stiffness along the 821-foot
span and used four cables, instead of two, to ensure that his
bridge could support the live
load of a moving train. The first
train passed safely over the
bridge in 1855.
(Continued on page 3)
VOLUME
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(Continued from page 2)
His reputation established, in 1857 Roebling
wrote a letter suggesting that a suspension
bridge be built over the East River to connect Brooklyn with New York City. Meanwhile, he went on building bridges elsewhere, including the Cincinnati-Covington
Bridge over the Ohio River.
After the Civil War ended, Roebling submitted a design for what would become the
Brooklyn Bridge, and two years later, he
was given the contract. Although he had
conceived and designed this monumental
project, he would not live to see it
NEWSLETTER
completed. While surveying the location on
the Brooklyn side near the Fulton Ferry slip,
a boat entering the slip crushed his foot
between a piling and a timber. He
contracted tetanus as a result of the injury
and died two weeks later.
Shortly after his funeral in 1869, the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper called Roebling a great
hero of science, commenting, "One such life
as Roebling's was worth more than those of
a whole convention full of jabbering and
wrangling politicians."
PAGE
2008-2009 Board of Directors
President
Timothy Wilson, PE
(951) 658-7463
GTSAssoc@aol.com
President Elect
Brian D. Wolfe, PE
(909) 989-9789
bwolfe@westlandgroup.net
Vice President
J. Scott Petersen
(951) 352-4100 Ext 206
spetersen@adams-streeter.com
Treasurer
Lauren Popescu, PE
(909) 350-7663
lpopescu@fontana.org
November Luncheon Meeting
60/91/215 Interchange Improvement Project
Secretary
Rita Escobar
(714) 878-7283
rves@hotmail.com
Newsletter Editor
Matthew Addington, P.E., P.L.S.
(909) 477-2710 Ext 4202
matthew.addington@cityofrc.us
Past President
Terry Renner, PE
(951) 680-0440
trenner@tkeengineering.com
Committees
Cal Poly Pomona Student Advisor
Lauren Popescu, PE
(909) 350-7663
lpopescu@fontana.org
YMF President
Kamyar Razavi Ghods, PE
(951) 788-9142
krghods@co.riverside.ca.us
Temecula/Murrieta Committee
Ron Moreno, PE, LS
(909) 676-8042
RMORENO@rbf.com
Aerial view of the interchange 1
Our November meeting had a great turn out. Our speaker, Faisal Zahlout a Senior
Bridge Engineer with Caltrans gave an insightful yet technical overview of the design of the project complete with a few dry humor quips. The interchange improvement project is the largest transportation project ever built in District 8, and is almost complete. Construction on the 60/91/215 Interchange Improvement Project
began in February 2004. All the significant road improvements, which include
mixed-flow lanes, carpool lanes, connectors and ramps, were finished and open to
traffic by September 20, 2008. The final construction and finishing touches will be
done by mid-December 2008. The California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans), the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC), and the
(Continued on page 4)
3
Stormwater Committee
Bill Flores, CPESC, PE
(951) 320-7311
Bill.flores@hdrinc.com
Assistant Newsletter Editor
Position available
volunteer today!
Mentorship Committee
Neil Nilchian, PE.
(951) 955-6782
nnilchia@rctlma.org
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NEWSLETTER
PAGE
4
(Continued from page 3)
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) worked in
partnership to make this project a success.
The following features are now making life easier
for drivers in Riverside and
San Bernardino counties:
The Northwest Flyover Connector, which goes from
northbound I-215 (from Moreno Valley) to westbound State Route 91 in Riverside
The Southeast Flyover Connector, which goes from
southbound I-215 (from San Bernardino) to
southbound
I-215/eastbound State Route 60 towards Moreno
Valley
A new truck bypass from southbound I-215 to eastbound State Route 60
Four miles of carpool lanes and widened freeways on
I-215, State Route 60 and State
Route 91
3 new wider bridges at Linden, Iowa and Blaine
streets
8 reconstructed bridges to accommodate
widened lanes
84 new sound and retaining walls
Improvements to local drainage
Project Benefits
Relieves congestion and improves mobility
Improves safety
Improves access to local streets and the
University of California Riverside
Separates slow-moving trucks from other vehicles
and improves traffic flow with a truck bypass
Membership Information
Type of Membership and Annual Dues (National)
Students:
Free
Associate Member:
$50 year of baccalaureate degree and
first year after, then incremental
increases to $205 over five years
Member:
$205 annually
Affiliate:
$205 annually
Section (Branch) Dues
$45/year
1.
2.
National ASCE Student Membership is now FREE! Those who
have chapters or clubs still must be a member of them before joining National. Log onto https://www.asce.org/online/ fill out the
short application and instantly become a member of ASCE or call
1-800-548-ASCE (2723)
Online Membership renewal available, go to https://www.asce.org/
renewal/inforenewal.cfm. You need your membership number, all
payments must be made with a major credit card. An e-receipt is
transmitted to the member upon completion of the transaction.
Company Spotlights/Projects
If you paid for a monthly business ad and you would like your
company or one of your projects spotlighted in the monthly
newsletter please contact the Newsletter Editor, Matthew
Addington at matthew.addington@cityofrc.org
We will be happy to place your spotlight in an upcoming issue.
Advertising Rates
Approximate number of mailings: 600 per month.
Professional Directory Per Card (10 issues)
(Business Card Ads)
Display Ads
Full Page (per issue)
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Advertising Information: To place ads, contact the editor. Payments are due 30 days from the date of publication. Copies must
be received by the Editor by the first Friday of the month prior to
publishing.
Publisher:
San Bernardino-Riverside Counties Branch American
Society of Civil Engineers
Minimizes weaving
Design and Published by Lenore Gueste (jgwdsolutions)866-220-5908
Identification Statement: ASCE San Bernardino & Riverside Counties
Reduces air pollution and commute times with
Branch News is published periodically by the San Bernardino & Rivercarpool lanes
side Counties Branch, American Society of Civil Engineers.
Annual subscription rate: $45 San Bernardino & Riverside Counties
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POSTMASTER: Address Correction Requested. Return Postage Guaranteed. Send Mail to Editor at address shown on back cover.
VOLUME
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NEWSLETTER
PAGE
5
ASCE Ensures Infrastructure's Critical Role in Stimulus
Reinvestment in the nation's infrastructure is virtually a given as a key component of any
economic stimulus package that Congress and the White House will approve in the coming
weeks. ASCE's longtime,
respected leadership on infrastructure issues is giving the Society a prime seat at discussions with Congress and the Obama transition team over
responsibly funding projects of greatest need and greatest potential. With a stimulus the
best opportunity in many years to accomplish long-neglected works, ASCE will keep making the case for infrastructure projects in terms of jobs now and economic benefits later.
Other steps by ASCE senior leaders are
forthcoming and will be announced here as they are made.
•
•
•
•
Get updates on the status of the stimulus and ASCE's actions in response. http://blogs.asce.org/
govrel/
for Our Failing Infrastructure, the ASCE Government Relations blog.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman has proposed an infrastructure package
for the stimulus that is very similar to the recommendations ASCE made to the committee in late October.
Get details on the $45 billion plan http://www.asce.org/pressroom/news/grwk/event_release.cfm?
uid=5683.
Read the testimony given by ASCE last fall before the committee http://www.asce.org/pressroom/
publicpolicy/testimony_correspondence.cfm.
Civil Engineers Push for Historic Education and Licensure Changes
Next fall's class of civil engineering freshmen will witness historic changes in education and licensure during
their careers. Guided by the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century, changes already underway in accreditation, curricula and licensure will better prepare them to be leaders and innovators. ASCE has
released the second edition of the Body of Knowledge. In this new report, many of the original concepts and
ideas have been clarified and sharpened, and their implementation will lead to the revision of current undergraduate and post-undergraduate education.
Gusset Plates' Flaw Led to I-35W Collapse, NTSB Rules
The I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis on August 1, 2007, was caused by inadequate gusset plates that
could no longer support the combined weight of bridge improvements over the years plus additional construction equipment and supplies. The plates' failure caused a collapse that killed 13 people and injured 145. About
24 of the gusset plates, which held the bridge's beams together, were made with only half the thickness required, a failure not caught when the bridge was built in the mid-'60s. Along with its findings, the NTSB has
issued nine safety recommendations to federal and state highway officials. "Bridge designers, builders, owners,
and inspectors will never look at gusset plates quite the same again, and as a result, these critical connections in
a bridge will receive the attention they deserve," said NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker.
VOLUME
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PAGE
6
Mentoring Program
The San Bernardino & Riverside County Branch Mentorship Committee along with National ASCE
and the ASCE Committee on Career Development began a local ASCE Mentoring Program on May
17, 2008. The goals of this mentoring program are to:
San Bernardino &
Riverside County
Branch
Mentorship
Committee
Presents
•
Provide an opportunity for our members to enter into mentoring relationships that will facilitate
the growth of young engineers and the profession by means that may not be available through
typical work relationships or training.
•
Host an Annual Dinner and other mentoring related activities. These events will bring together all of the mentor and protégé pairs to celebrate the Mentoring Program.
•
Utilize an online Mentor Database. This database would be separate from the Mentoring
Relationships and would serve as additional means for younger engineers to locate experienced engineers who are willing to answer questions related to engineering. The database
would appeal to those who have questions about a particular field of engineering but aren’t
seeking a long-term mentoring relationship.
There are numerous benefits for being a Mentor/Protégé. Mentors can influence the leaders of tomorrow to ensure the future success of our profession and they can learn about some of the challenges
younger engineers face today. Protégés can learn what it takes to become a leader through experiences
and wisdom of their mentor.
Participation is key. We request that you commit to working with your mentor/protégé for at least 6
months, and encourage a 12 month mentoring relationship. It is recommended that mentor/protégé pairs
have contact (e-mail or call) at least once every two weeks and meet in person (or have a longer phone
conversation) once a month.
ASCE will be holding a training workshop in May 2009 to give you the tools and tips on how to
gain the most out of the mentoring relationships. Examples of topics to be discussed include:
•
•
•
•
•
Meet your mentor/protégé in person
Discuss the purpose of the program
Mentoring: What It Is and Isn't
Mentoring Benefits: Case Study and Testimonials
Do's and Don'ts ("Ground Rules")
Sign up to participate. The attached application will assist the Committee in matching each mentor and
protégé appropriately. If you interested in participating as a Mentor or Protégé, please complete the
application and return via email or fax to:
Protégé Applications: Alfred Pedroza, PE APedroza@BoyleEngineering.com (909) 933-5225 Phone (909) 933-5228 Fax
NEWSLETTER
Mentor Applications: Neil Nilchian. PE nnilchia@rctlma.org (951) 955-6782 Phone (951) 955-3164 Fax
OR to submit via mail send to: ASCE SB/Riv Mentorship Committee Attn: Neil Nilchian, Chair P.O. Box 124 Riverside, Ca 92502 REGION 9, LOS ANGELES SECTION
SAN BERNARDINO & RIVERSIDE COUNTIES BRANCH
Stormwater Committee
2008-2009
COMMITTEE
Bill Flores Jr.,
P.E.,CPESC, CPSWQ
Chairman
(951) 320-7311
bill.flores@hdrinc.com
Arlene Chun, P.E.
(951) 955-1330
abchun@rcflood.org
Cynthia Gabaldon, P.E.,
CPSWQ, CPESC
(909) 980-4000
cynthia_gabaldon@urscorp
.com
Neil Nilchian, P.E.
(951) 955-6782
nnilchia@rctlma.org
Roy King, P.E.
(909) 383-4555
roy_king@dot.ca.gov
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Topic: Mojave River Watershed Stormwater Management Program
Synopsis: The Mojave River Stormwater management program will be reviewed
including the current plan, the proposed requirements for the next four years and a
review of accomplishments. The Mr. Dan Ilkay with San Bernardino County will be
making the presentation.
Time:
6:00 - 6:30 pm: Check-In/Networking
6:30 - 7:00 pm: Dinner
6:45 - 7:15 pm: Presentation
7:15 - 7:25 pm: Q&A
7:30 pm:
Adjournment
Location:
San Bernardino Hilton
285 East Hospitality Lane
San Bernardino, CA 92408
(909) 889-0133
Cost:
Members $35 prepaid; $40 at the door (with reservations); Non-members and walkups $45.
Send your request for a vegetarian meal to ascesbr.sc@gmail.com
Contact us about
Dinner Sponsorship
opportunities. This
may assist you with
your marketing
efforts.
Reservations:
RSVP
by
January
7,
2009
at
12
noon
to
http://www.projectpartners.com/ps/ps_show_events.asp?id=19 . No refunds after this
date. Include the names of all persons attending with membership number (if
applicable). Your advance reservations, made and honored, are essential to fulfilling
our catering commitment. No shows will be billed. Seating is limited and payment at
the door will be accepted based on availability. Reservation response is still
necessary. By mail, please make checks payable to “ASCE Stormwater
Committee” and mail to:
Bill Flores Jr.
ASCE Stormwater Committee Chairman
HDR Engineering, Inc.
2280 Market St. Suite 100
Riverside, CA 92501
Parking: Parking is free.
To reduce your carbon footprint, carpooling is encouraged.
ASCE Central (800) 548-ASCE
National Website www.asce.org
Civil Engineers – Designers and Builders of the Quality of Life
Branch/Section Website www.ascelasection.org
ASCE Pacific Southwest Regional Conference
University of Hawaii, Manoa on April 2-4, 2009
In PSWRC, civil engineering students from eighteen universities in
the Pacific Southwest region gather to compete against each other in
various engineering competitions. A majority of our time, efforts,
and funding is dedicated to preparing for PSWRC. The conference is
extremely competitive and each event is a critical and valuable
component to the overall competition. PSWRC provides
opportunities for students to work on engineering projects and learn
valuable engineering and team building skills. Students not only gain
valuable experience, but also have the opportunity to interact,
network, and build relationships with hundreds of other engineering
students.
The knowledge and experience gained from these
competitive events is something that can’t be taught in the classroom.
Students work together in these events to achieve a common goal and
demonstrate practical engineering knowledge. PSWRC builds school
spirit and is a tremendously memorable event for all who participate.
The different events and rules can be found at http://pswrc2009.asceuhmanoa.org/, http://concretecanoe.org/, and http://www.nssbc.info.
Conference Budget for 80 people:
School Registration
=$100.00
Student Registration @ $70 each
=$5,600.00
Hotel @ $480/ 4night (5 people/room)
=$7,580.00
Transportation (2 vans for 4 days)
=$700.00
2 shirts @ $10 each
=$1,600.00
Canoe Team
=$12,000.00
Bridge Team
=$2,000.00
TOTAL $29,580
Flights @ $650 (Student Contribution)
=$52,000.00
Sponsor Levels:
Bronze: $500 – Logo on www.csupomona.edu/~asce ; sponsor plaque
Silver: $1000 – Bronze + Logo on team apparel
Gold: $2000 – Silver + membership shirt; invitation to CE banquet
Contact Information:
ASCE President- Amanda An (714)402-2953 aean@csupomona.edu
ASCE Advisor- Dr. H. Farran (909)869-2643 hjfarran@csupomona.edu
ASCE Advisor- Dr. W. Kitch (909)869-3147 wakitch@csupomona.edu
VOLUME
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SPOTLIGHT
PAGE
9
Company Spotlight
TKE Engineering, Inc.
2305 Chicago Avenue
Riverside, CA 92507
(951) 680-0440 ph
(951) 680-0490 fax
http://www.tkeengineering.com
Michael P. Thornton,
P.E., L.S., M.S.
President
Terry M. Renner, P.E.
Vice President
TKE Engineering, Inc. (TKE) was established in July of 2000 with the goal of providing
Public Works Engineering Services to local Cities and Water District and Agencies. TKE
has a total of 15 employees, 2 PE’s and 2 LS’s providing the services desired by our
clients. TKE Engineering, Inc. provides consulting engineering and surveying services
to local public agencies for public works engineering projects such as street, park,
drainage system, wastewater system, and water system improvements. Services include
project management, project planning, engineering design, construction administration,
construction inspection, and engineering surveying services. TKE Engineering produces
a wide variety of products. They include finished drawings, specifications, engineers’
estimates, exhibits, reports, studies, and legal documents.
TKE Engineering, Inc. desires to provide top quality engineering
services to local public agencies for development of public works
engineering projects.
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SPOTLIGHT
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VOLUME
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Business Card Ads
PAGE
11
Mark Your Calendar
We’re on the web:
http://www.asce-sbriv.org/
The Mojave River Stormwater management program will be
reviewed including the current plan, the proposed
requirements for the next four years and a review of
accomplishments. The Mr. Dan Ilkay with
San Bernardino County will be making the presentation.
Stormwater Committee Meeting
General Membership Meeting
Date:
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Date:
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Time:
6:00 pm
Time:
12:00 pm
Location:
Cost:
Deadline:
Additional
Info:
San Bernardino Hilton
285 East Hospitality Lane
San Bernardino CA, 92408
See Official Flyer— on page 7
January 7, 2009
bill.flores@hdrinc.com
Location:
Cost:
Deadline:
Additional
Info:
c/o Matthew Addington, P.E., P.L.S.
Newsletter Editor
City of Rancho Cucamonga
Building & Safety Department
10500 Civic Center Dr
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
FIRST CLASS MAIL
Mexicali Grill
1690 Spruce Street
Riverside CA, 92507
$25.00 members, $35.00 non-members
No RSVP, $12.50 students
January 14, 2009
lpopescu@fontana.org