Dallas ASCE Articles RSS Feed

Dallas ASCE February Newsletter

Sean Merrell - noemail@dallasasce.org — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:30:28 GMT

Hello [firstname],

Welcome to the Dallas ASCE February newsletter of upcoming events, articles, jobs and more from our membership. Starting next month, the lunch prices will be increased by $5 for our non branch members. To find out more on this price increase and how to avoid it by becoming a Dallas Branch member, please click here.

Calendar Events
Articles

Your login information is listed below. To log into the site, visit http://www.dallasasce.org/en/ and enter your Username and Password.

Username: [username]
Password: [password]

If you have any questions please contact Sean P. Merrell, P.E.

Calendar Events for February

MATHCOUNTS Competition
Day: Saturday 11-Feb-12 6:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Location: Karl Hoblitzelle Hall The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX 75080
Mapquest | Add to Calendar

February Dallas Branch Meeting - Sam Rayburn Tollway & US Hwy 75 interchange
Speakers: Mr. Mark A. Bouma, P.E. - North Texas Tollway Authority & Mr. Michael Bauer, P.E. - Jacobs
Sponsor: HDR, Inc.
Day: Monday 13-Feb-12 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Location: Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria 14901 Dallas Parkway Dallas, Texas 75254
Register Mapquest | Add to Calendar

E-Week Gala Luncheon
Day: Tuesday 14-Feb-12 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Location: Westin Park Central
Add to Calendar

Articles for February

President’s Message - February 2012

National Engineers Week, or E-Week, will be celebrated February 19 - 25, 2012. It is recognized by hundreds of organizations across the country including engineering companies, government agencies, and on almost every U.S. engineering college campus. The theme for the National Engineers Week Foundation (www.eweek.org) for 2012 is based on the projected world population of 7,000,000,000. Sometimes I feel like most of them are here in the DFW area…and they need our help, even if they do... [More Info]

February Main Speaker - Mark Bouma

Mr. Mark A. Bouma, P.E. started with the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) in 1998 as the Project Manager overseeing design and construction of the President George Bush Turnpike and Addison Airport Toll Tunnel. In 1999, he was promoted to Director of Engineering, managing the NTTA’s planning, design and construction of numerous toll road and capital improvement projects, including the President George Bush Turnpike, the Dallas North Tollway Extension in Frisco, the Lewisville Lake... [More Info]

February Main Speaker - Michael Bauer

Mr. Michael Bauer, P.E. is a registered Professional Engineer in the states of Texas, Missouri, and Illinois, and a registered Structural Engineer in Illinois. He received his BS in Engineering from Southern Illinois University in 1990, and his MS in Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1992. He has been employed by Jacobs Engineering for nearly 20 years, and has held roles of increasing responsibility around the country, including St. Louis, Virginia Beach, and Chicago. For the... [More Info]

February Meeting Sponsor is HDR

HDR Engineering, Inc., (HDR) is a global employee-owned firm providing architecture, engineering, consulting, construction and related services. The firm was established in 1917, and today employs more than 7,800 professionals in 185 locations worldwide. HDR has continually been in operation in Dallas for over 51 years and has a long history of providing solutions for clients in the DFW Metroplex area. The firm has over 250 professionals locally, who are active within the DFW community. The... [More Info]

Structural Engineering Technical Group Seminar

The Dallas Branch Structural Engineering Technical Group will hold a seminar following the February 13, 2012 meeting/luncheon. The seminar is titled “Design and Construction of Post Tensioned Straddle Bents” and will highlight the design and construction of post tensioned concrete straddle bents to expedite the construction in SH121/US75 Interchange. The presentation will be made by Mr.Mir H. Ali, P.E. Project Manager, Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. Mr. Ali holds M.S. in concrete... [More Info]

ASCE Dallas Branch 2012 Engineer of the Year Awards

The National Engineers Week Awards Luncheon is sponsored each year by the Dallas and Preston Trail Chapters of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. It is a festive event to honor engineers from all disciplines, who make outstanding contributions to both our profession and to the society. Doug Smith, P.E., President, will present the ASCE Dallas Branch 2012 Awards to two award recipients at the E-Week Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, February 14, 2012. Ayub R. Sandhu, P.E., President, ARS... [More Info]

Membership Drive & Rate Change Notice

The Dallas Branch is sponsoring a Membership Drive for the first quarter of 2012. We need YOU to bring non-members to our meetings and assist in getting them signed up to become Dallas Branch members. All new members will receive a free lunch for the first month AFTER they join the Dallas Branch. If your membership is due for renewal, please renew ASAP! Starting with the March 2012 Luncheon Meeting, the price for an individual non-member will increase from $25 to $30. All others pricing... [More Info]

Texas Section Update

1. CALL FOR PAPERS! There is a call for papers for the TX Section Fall Meeting on a new accelerated schedule for peer review (Deadline for Construction Track has been closed as of Jan 31, All other abstracts due by March 31) to be submitted on http://papers.ci-asce.org. For more details, contact VP-Technical Bob Pierry: bob@pierryconsulting.com. Author notifications of acceptance will be on April 30th. 2. SAVE THE DATE! TX Section Spring Meeting – “A Texas‐Sized... [More Info]

ASCE Education Committee News

ASCE would like to thank the many volunteers who participated as judges in the Future City competition on January 21st at UT-Arlington. We are still looking for volunteers for the MATHCOUNTS competition at the UT-Dallas campus in Richardson on Saturday, February 11. Please email Angela Matthews if you are interested in helping! All volunteers get a free breakfast and lunch! ASCE will also be participating in E-Week at the Dallas Nature and Science Museum. There will be a Q&A session with... [More Info]

MATHCOUNTS Competition

TSPE Preston Trail Chapter MATHCOUNTS Volunteer Opportunities Saturday, February 11, 2012 6:30 AM – 3:30 PM (different shifts available) @University of Texas at Dallas, Karl Hoblitzelle Hall, Richardson, TX Want to help kids discover the love of math and engineering? Come on Competition Day & volunteer with us. Competition Day agenda and Volunteer duties descriptions can be found at http://tspe-prestontrail.org/mathcounts.html. Grab a few co-workers & friends and Sign up by emailing... [More Info]

ASCE Dallas Branch Articles: We value your input!

Do you have a news worthy article or announcement you would like to submit in the next Dallas Branch newsletter? Please contact Nadeem Moulvi, Newsletter Editor at nmoulvi@lee-eng.com or at 972-248-3006 for submissions by the newsletter deadline, the third Monday of the month. Thank you in advance for your input!

Stay up to date with our RSS feeds.

6-Feb-12 2:30 PM

President’s Message - February 2012

Douglas Smith - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:00:00 GMT

E-Week is generally held in the U.S. the third full week of February and is observed by more than 70 engineering, education, and cultural societies. The purpose of E-Week is to call attention to the contributions to society that engineers make. It is also a time for engineers to emphasize the importance of learning math, science, and technical skills. The celebration of National Engineers Week was started in 1951 in conjunction with President George Washington’s birthday. President Washington is considered the nation's first engineer, notably for his survey work.

Engineers Week is a great opportunity to reach out to kids and showcase how civil engineers are making a difference in the world around them every day. ASCE national and the Dallas Branch have lots of opportunities to work one on one with students, be a part of a larger pre-college outreach effort, or just let our community know how valuable engineers are. Our Branch was actively involved in last weeks Future Cities competition as well as next weeks MathCounts (there is plenty of time to sign up and help, see Angela Matthews).

As part of E-Week, the Dallas Branch of ASCE selects a Young Engineer of the Year and an Engineer of the Year. The Honors Committee, led by Scott Young, reviewed a number of high-quality applications and I am proud to announce Colin G. Blankenship, P.E. of Hayden Consultants, Inc. as ASCE’s Young Engineer of the Year and Ayub R. Sandhu, P.E. of ARS Engineers, Inc. as Engineer of the Year. Both will be recognized at TSPE’s 4th Annual Engineers Week Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, February 14, 2012. When I last checked, seats were still available online. Look for additional information on these two outstanding engineers in this month’s newsletter and please send them a note or congratulate them at the February Branch meeting.

See you at the Marriott for our next meeting on February 13^th.

Douglas L. Smith, P.E.
President
ASCE Dallas Branch, 2011 - 2012

5-Feb-12 4:00 PM

February Main Speaker - Mark Bouma

Mark Bouma - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:30:00 GMT

Mr. Mark A. Bouma, P.E. started with the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) in 1998 as the Project Manager overseeing design and construction of the President George Bush Turnpike and Addison Airport Toll Tunnel. In 1999, he was promoted to Director of Engineering, managing the NTTA’s planning, design and construction of numerous toll road and capital improvement projects, including the President George Bush Turnpike, the Dallas North Tollway Extension in Frisco, the Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge, the Sam Rayburn Tollway and the Chisholm Trail Parkway in Tarrant County. In late 2007, he became the NTTA's Technical Oversight Leader, providing technical direction, quality assurance and leadership of multiple consultant design and construction teams in the NTTA's new Project Delivery Department.

Prior to joining the NTTA, Mark was employed for 12 years by HNTB Corporation. He worked in construction management of the Dallas North Tollway extensions from IH 635 to SH 121, advancing through various roles that culminated as Resident Engineer. His experience includes extensive TxDOT bridge inspections, rehabilitation design for the historic Waco Suspension Bridge, and design of bridges and interchanges such as the High Five.

Mark earned his B.S. and M.E. degrees in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1983 and 1986, respectively.

Mark served as Chairman of the Engineering and Design Committee for the International Bridge Tunnel & Turnpike Association from 2004 to 2009. Additionally, he was active in the leadership of the Preston Trail Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers.

In his spare time, Mark is very active in the Boy Scouts of America, serving as Assistant Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout Troop in Frisco, Associate Advisor to a Venture Crew, Unit Commissioner for Cub Scout packs and as the Chapter Advisor to the Boy Scout Order of the Arrow camping and service program for the Iron Horse District of Frisco, Prosper and Celina.

5-Feb-12 3:30 PM

February Main Speaker - Michael Bauer

Michael Bauer - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:00:00 GMT

Mr. Michael Bauer, P.E. is a registered Professional Engineer in the states of Texas, Missouri, and Illinois, and a registered Structural Engineer in Illinois. He received his BS in Engineering from Southern Illinois University in 1990, and his MS in Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1992.

He has been employed by Jacobs Engineering for nearly 20 years, and has held roles of increasing responsibility around the country, including St. Louis, Virginia Beach, and Chicago. For the past 7 years Michael has worked here in North Texas, holding leadership roles on several of the Region’s most successful mega projects, including the LBJ Managed Lanes, Chisholm Trail Parkway, and the Sam Rayburn Tollway. He currently serves as the Operations Manager for Jacobs’ North Texas Operations, including offices in Dallas and Fort Worth.

Michael lives in Richardson with his wife (Kristina) and 4 children.

5-Feb-12 3:00 PM

February Meeting Sponsor is HDR

Matt Ludwig - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

HDR Engineering, Inc., (HDR) is a global employee-owned firm providing architecture, engineering, consulting, construction and related services. The firm was established in 1917, and today employs more than 7,800 professionals in 185 locations worldwide. HDR has continually been in operation in Dallas for over 51 years and has a long history of providing solutions for clients in the DFW Metroplex area. The firm has over 250 professionals locally, who are active within the DFW community. The key to HDR’s growth is a commitment to our clients, the desire to provide meaningful work to our employees and a passion for an involvement in significant projects that make our communities a better place to live.

HDR is one of the largest employee-owned corporations in the country. Every employee has a personal and professional obligation to the company’s success. This obligation and passion for client satisfaction fosters a corporate philosophy of client service and technical excellence. Our corporate culture encourages creativity, innovation, efficiency and entrepreneurism. Never satisfied with the status quo, our engineers and professionals are encouraged and rewarded for their technical and cost-effective solutions for their clients. www.hdrinc.com

5-Feb-12 2:00 PM

Structural Engineering Technical Group Seminar

Mir Ali - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:45:00 GMT

The Dallas Branch Structural Engineering Technical Group will hold a seminar following the February 13, 2012 meeting/luncheon. The seminar is titled “Design and Construction of Post Tensioned Straddle Bents” and will highlight the design and construction of post tensioned concrete straddle bents to expedite the construction in SH121/US75 Interchange.

The presentation will be made by Mr.Mir H. Ali, P.E. Project Manager, Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. Mr. Ali holds M.S. in concrete structures from London University, UK.

For additional information on the committee or the seminar, contact Mir H. Ali, P.E., SEI Committee Chair at: 214.920.8103 or mir.ali@jacobs.com

5-Feb-12 1:45 PM

ASCE Dallas Branch 2012 Engineer of the Year Awards

Scott Young - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:30:00 GMT

Doug Smith, P.E., President, will present the ASCE Dallas Branch 2012 Awards to two award recipients at the E-Week Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, February 14, 2012.

Ayub R. Sandhu, P.E., President, ARS Engineers, Inc., will receive the “2012 Outstanding Engineer of the Year Award”. This award recognizes established engineers who have made outstanding contributions to the civil engineering profession, the public welfare, and/or the humankind.

Colin G. Blankenship, P.E., Associate, Hayden Consultants, Inc., will receive the “2012 Outstanding Young Engineer of the Year Award”. This award recognizes young engineers who have made outstanding contributions to the civil engineering profession and their communities, during the early years of their careers.

The ASCE Dallas Branch congratulates both Ayub Sandhu and Colin Blankenship on their awards and achievements, and wishes them best of luck in achieving even more of their career and personal goals!

For more information on the ASCE Dallas Branch Awards, please contact Scott Young, P.E., Tel. 214-688-4698; e-mail syoung@usaengineers.com

5-Feb-12 1:30 PM

Membership Drive & Rate Change Notice

Phillip Alcorn - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:15:00 GMT

The Dallas Branch is sponsoring a Membership Drive for the first quarter of 2012. We need YOU to bring non-members to our meetings and assist in getting them signed up to become Dallas Branch members. All new members will receive a free lunch for the first month AFTER they join the Dallas Branch. If your membership is due for renewal, please renew ASAP!

Starting with the March 2012 Luncheon Meeting, the price for an individual non-member will increase from $25 to $30. All others pricing will remain the same (i.e., Regular Members, $25; Retirees and Government Employees, $20; Students, $12.50). This is our first price increase of any kind in many years and is necessary to offset higher expenses that the Branch incurs related to these luncheons. To avoid the price increase, all you have to do is make sure you are a member of ASCE (National, Texas Section, and the Dallas Branch). This increase will be in effect for the rest of the year, at which time we will assess our budget, just like any other year.

During registration, note your status as a member or non-member. Be sure to register before the deadline (4:00 pm Thursday before the meeting) to avoid the $10.00 late fee.

If you would like to become a member, now is a great time. There are special promotions, many benefits, and it is very easy! You can go online to https://join.asce.org, or contact our Membership Chair, Katie Barron, at 214-717-7385 or via email at katie.barron@ojdlegacy.com. We will also have membership forms at the nametag tables during upcoming meetings.

Remember, you must be a NEW member AND join the Dallas Branch in order to receive a FREE lunch. Join today!

5-Feb-12 1:15 PM

Texas Section Update

Angela Matthews - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:00:00 GMT

1. CALL FOR PAPERS! There is a call for papers for the TX Section Fall Meeting on a new accelerated schedule for peer review (Deadline for Construction Track has been closed as of Jan 31, All other abstracts due by March 31) to be submitted on http://papers.ci-asce.org. For more details, contact VP-Technical Bob Pierry: bob@pierryconsulting.com. Author notifications of acceptance will be on April 30^th.

2. SAVE THE DATE! TX Section Spring Meeting – “A Texas‐Sized Challenge: Infrastructure Needs of a Growing Population” — will be held at the El Tropicano River Walk Hotel in beautiful downtown San Antonio, Texas from April 18-21, 2012. Some highlights planned for the Spring Meeting:

· Golf at beautiful Quarry Golf Course.

· CPD seminars, Ethics hour, Civil Engineering Sessions (50+ abstracts have been submitted!)

· Younger Members Forum – learn from speakers who are leaders in civil engineering

· Hays Street Bridge Tour—Visit a former motor vehicle bridge that was rehabilitated into a pedestrian‐bicycle bridge, the restoration of which was the Texas Section’s ASCE 150th Anniversary project.

· Board and committee meetings

· Breakfast and plenary session – Panel discussion on infrastructure needs of Texas

· Student Concrete Canoe Presentations and exciting Concrete Canoe Races to be held at Boerne Lake on Saturday 4/21

· Awards Luncheon – See fellow engineers receive special awards for their service to the Section, the civil engineering profession and to the many Texas communities. Speaker is Mr. Henry Cisneros, the former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

· Fun social & Refreshment Break with Exhibitors – Relax and Network with one another!

· Explore San Antonio! San Antonio’s Fiesta celebration begins April 19. Visit Downtown, the River Walk, The Alamo, eat great food etc…

3. SAVE THE DATE! TX Section & Construction Institute Joint Fall Conference – “Where the Centennial Begins…” will be held at The Worthington Renaissance Hotel in Downtown Fort Worth, Texas from November, 7-10 2012.

4. ASCE TX CENTENNIAL HISTORY BOOK is in the works! Book anticipated to be completed and published by end of 2012.

5. TX Section 5-Year Strategic Plan was approved by the Executive Committee on January 7, 2012. More information on plan will be posted on the Texas Section website soon.

If you have any questions, please contact your Texas Section Director, Angela Matthews, P.E. at amatthews@saenzbury.com.

5-Feb-12 1:00 PM

ASCE Education Committee News

Phillip Alcorn - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:00:00 GMT

ASCE would like to thank the many volunteers who participated as judges in the Future City competition on January 21^st at UT-Arlington. We are still looking for volunteers for the MATHCOUNTS competition at the UT-Dallas campus in Richardson on Saturday, February 11. Please email Angela Matthews if you are interested in helping! All volunteers get a free breakfast and lunch!

ASCE will also be participating in E-Week at the Dallas Nature and Science Museum. There will be a Q&A session with elementary students on Wednesday, February 22 on Civil Engineering. If you and your children would like to attend, or for more information, click here.

5-Feb-12 11:00 AM

MATHCOUNTS Competition

Angela Matthews - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:45:00 GMT

TSPE Preston Trail Chapter MATHCOUNTS
Volunteer Opportunities
Saturday, February 11, 2012
6:30 AM – 3:30 PM (different shifts available)
@University of Texas at Dallas, Karl Hoblitzelle Hall, Richardson, TX

Want to help kids discover the love of math and engineering? Come on Competition Day & volunteer with us. Competition Day agenda and Volunteer duties descriptions can be found at http://tspe-prestontrail.org/mathcounts.html. Grab a few co-workers & friends and Sign up by emailing Angela Matthews (amatthews@saenzbury.com) with your name, phone number, duty or role you’re interested in soon.

Volunteers get coffee, donuts, and pizza lunch on day of event!

Can’t make it on competition day but still want to help? Contact Angela Matthews, amatthews@saenzbury.com or Michael Batuna, mbatuna@fugro.com. We have other volunteer opportunities weeks & days before the event!

5-Feb-12 10:45 AM

ASCE Dallas Branch Articles: We value your input!

Nadeem Moulvi - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Do you have a news worthy article or announcement you would like to submit in the next Dallas Branch newsletter?

Please contact Nadeem Moulvi, Newsletter Editor at nmoulvi@lee-eng.com or at 972-248-3006 for submissions by the newsletter deadline, the third Monday of the month. Thank you in advance for your input!

5-Feb-12 10:00 AM

February Main Speakers

Edra Brashear - noemail@dallasasce.org — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Mark earned his B.S. and M.E. degrees in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1983 and 1986, respectively.

Michael lives in Richardson with his wife (Kristina) and 4 children.

23-Jan-12 12:00 PM

January Meeting Sponsor is Kimley-Horn

Brian Shamburger - noemail@dallasasce.org — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Kimley-Horn was founded in 1967 by transportation planners and traffic operations experts. Today, Kimley-Horn is a privately-held full-service consulting firm with more than 1,500 employees, offering comprehensive engineering, planning, and environmental services, including roadway and bridge design, structural engineering, corridor studies, traffic engineering, transportation planning, streetscape and landscape design, and public involvement programs. The firm has 58 offices, including eight in Texas, most notably in Dallas, Fort Worth, Irving, and Frisco. They have more than 130 professionals in their Metroplex offices.

Kimley-Horn's long record of technical achievements is enhanced by their reputation for effective management and personal service. Their clients benefit from the resources of a nationally recognized organization while receiving personal service and local knowledge.

4-Jan-12 8:00 AM

Dallas ASCE January Newsletter

Sean Merrell - noemail@dallasasce.org — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:12:18 GMT

Hello [firstname],

Welcome to the Dallas ASCE newsletter of upcoming events, articles, jobs and more from our membership.

Calendar Events
Articles

Your login information is listed below. To log into the site, visit http://www.dallasasce.org/en/ and enter your Username and Password.

Username: [username]
Password: [password]

If you have any questions please contact Sean P. Merrell, P.E.

Calendar of Events

January Dallas Branch Meeting
Speaker: Mr. Ron K. Patterson Jr., Asst. City Manager with the City of Frisco
Sponsor: Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.
Day: Monday 9-Jan-12 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM (RSVP by Thurs., Jan 5 at 4pm to avoid $10 late fee)
Location: Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria 14901 Dallas Parkway Dallas, Texas 75254
Register Mapquest | Add to Calendar

Future City Competition
Day: Saturday 21-Jan-12 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Location: UT Arlington
Add to Calendar

E-Week Gala Luncheon
Day: Tuesday 14-Feb-12 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Location: Westin Park Central
Add to Calendar

Articles for January

January 2012 President's Message

Special thanks to Brad Hernandez for working with the Marriott folks to set up our holiday dessert social following our December luncheon. I thought it was very nice and it looked like many people stayed around to visit with friends and colleagues. I hope that everyone had a great holiday. Mine was super and included special church activities, celebrations with both my extended family and my wife’s family, and a few extra days off. It is always nice to recharge and think about the next... [More Info]

January Main Speaker - Mr. Ron K. Patterson, Jr.

The January ASCE Meeting will be held on Monday, January 9. The guest speaker will be Mr. Ron K. Patterson Jr., Assistant City Manager with the City of Frisco. Mr. Patterson is the Assistant City Manager for the City of Frisco, Texas. This is his second stint with the city. He served as the Assistant City Manager for Frisco between 1993 and 2000. Prior to returning to the City of Frisco in 2007, he served as the City Manager for the City of Forney, Texas and City of Kerrville, Texas. He... [More Info]

Transportation & Development Institute (T&DI) Committee Seminar

The Dallas Branch Transportation & Development Institute (T&DI) Committee will hold a seminar following the January 9, 2012 meeting/luncheon. The seminar is titled “Role of Independent Engineer in Design-Build” and will highlight the process of independent review of design of major TxDOT projects under design-build contracting. The presentation will be made by Mr. David Weeks, P.E., Project Manager of URS Corporation. For additional information on the committee or the seminar,... [More Info]

FUTURE CITY COMPETITION - CALL FOR JUDGES

I hope you will be able to join the North Texas Regional of Future City for another successful competition. Last year we fielded nearly 70 teams, with even more teams expected this year. With your assistance, we continue to expand the program to bring engineering, math, and science to more students. If you have never judged, I encourage you to join us to judge! New for last year, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History honored Future City and the winning students by presenting an... [More Info]

Dallas Branch Membership Drive

The Dallas Branch is sponsoring a Membership Drive for the first quarter of 2012. We need YOU to bring non-members to our meetings and assist in getting them signed up to become Dallas Branch members. All new members will receive a free lunch for the first month AFTER they join the Dallas Branch. If your membership is due for renewal, please renew ASAP! Remember, you must be a NEW member, not a renewing member, AND join the Dallas Branch in order to get a free lunch. Join today! Kindly... [More Info]

Engineers Week 2012 Awards Luncheon

Join TSPE Dallas and Preston Trail Chapters for the 4th annual Engineers Week Awards Luncheon where your support will help us raise $30,000 to return to the engineers of tomorrow through scholarships, awards will be presented to the top engineers in our community and a fabulous keynote presentation will educate and entertain. As the largest engineering event in D/FW you won't want to miss being a part of this special occasion. The event will be held on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 between 11:30... [More Info]

Christmas is for Caring Update

The members of the Dallas Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers donated $1,123.00 toward the 33st Annual KRLD “Christmas Is For Caring Campaign”. To date our members have given $9,991 to the Denton State Supported Living Center (formally known as the Denton State School) since we started in 2003. On Tuesday, December 12, I notified the Living Center that the members of the “The Dallas Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers” were mailing in their... [More Info]

Younger Member Awards Nominations Due Soon

It's nomination season for a number of important ASCE awards for younger members 35 or under. The attention these awards receive can enhance the career of a young engineer. Help ASCE recognize younger members by submitting nominations for the following awards: Nominations for Collingwood Prize Submittals for Daniel W. Mead Prize for Younger Members Nominations for Younger Member Group Award Nominations for Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award Nominations for Young Government Civil Engineer... [More Info]

Call for Abstracts for Construction Summit

New Deadline - January 15, 2012 Help set the agenda while showing the construction world your expertise by being a presenter at CI's Construction Summit planned to be held in Fort Worth from November 8-10, 2012. Better yet - be a session presenter and share your professional insights and Industry Best Practices with the best and the brightest in the industry. Mark Your Calendars Now and Submit Today, and don't forget to check out event updates on ASCE's Facebook page! Proposal abstracts are... [More Info]

ASCE Region 6 Continuing Education Seminars and Computer Workshops

We recently updated the Continuing Education page of the website at http://www.dallasasce.org/ContEducation/. Please visit this page for additional information as well as a listing of various upcoming seminars and workshops across Texas.

ASCE Dallas Branch Articles: We value your input!

Become a Dallas Branch Meeting Sponsor

The Dallas Branch is looking for Meeting Sponsors for all of the 2012 Branch meetings. For only $300 (or $200 if you are a newsletter/website sponsor) your company can benefit from advertising to the 200-300 attendees that attend out monthly meeting. It will be added to our newsletter that is sent out electronically to over 2,300 people each month. And to top it all off, it will be added prominately on the Award Winning Dallas Branch Website which in the past year had over 8,730 people visit... [More Info]

Stay up to date with our RSS feeds.

2-Jan-12 9:12 AM

January 2012 President's Message

Douglas Smith - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:00:00 GMT

I hope that everyone had a great holiday. Mine was super and included special church activities, celebrations with both my extended family and my wife’s family, and a few extra days off. It is always nice to recharge and think about the next year. Like I mentioned in last month’s newsletter, now is the time when I tend to set some goals for the coming year. One of my goals for our office is to renew our collective focus on safety. Our firm has had a great 2011 with no lost-time injuries. This is not easy for our firm, as we tend to spend a lot of time in the field. The problem with this type of performance is you can get complacent. I know many of our members’ firms are similar, with significant personnel-hours in the field. So maybe you can join me in a focus on safety for 2012.

The biggest thing we can do is drive safely. I read the other day that the most dangerous thing that many of us do associated with work is to drive there. Obviously, the travel to our job sites can also be risky. So think about limiting distractions while driving. I would be interested to hear from my highway design colleagues about how serious a problem this is. Particularly in construction zones (which I seem to be in a lot)!!

Another focus for the first part of 2012 is ASCE membership. Sophia Harvey (past Branch president) was visiting a while back and she noted the Dallas Branch was twice its current size once upon a time. Twice the size!! You will be hearing from Katie Barron, your Membership Chairperson in this newsletter. Please see how you can help her out. If not by encouraging colleagues to join, then by providing suggestion to her (and me) on how we can grow the Branch. Look for a survey this spring and please respond with ideas on how we can improve the Branch, meetings, membership, etc.

Speaking of growth, Ron Patterson with the City of Frisco will be our luncheon speaker at our January meeting on the 9th. He will be making a presentation on the development of the City, which is one of the fastest growing in the nation. I am sure it will be very interesting.

So Happy New Year’s and I will see you at the Marriott Quorum on Monday, January 9, 2012.

Wear those new clothes!!

Douglas L. Smith, P.E.
President
ASCE Dallas Branch, 2011 - 2012

31-Dec-11 5:00 PM

January Main Speaker - Mr. Ron K. Patterson, Jr.

Sean Merrell - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:30:00 GMT

The January ASCE Meeting will be held on Monday, January 9. The guest speaker will be Mr. Ron K. Patterson Jr., Assistant City Manager with the City of Frisco.

Mr. Patterson is the Assistant City Manager for the City of Frisco, Texas. This is his second stint with the city. He served as the Assistant City Manager for Frisco between 1993 and 2000. Prior to returning to the City of Frisco in 2007, he served as the City Manager for the City of Forney, Texas and City of Kerrville, Texas. He began his public administration career as a Human Resources Manager for City of Carrollton, Texas.

Mr. Patterson grew up in North Florida and Alabama and is a U.S Air Force veteran. He married his wife Taylor in 1985 and has two daughters. He holds a B.S in Public Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas, and an M.P.A from the University of North Texas.

31-Dec-11 4:30 PM

Transportation & Development Institute (T&DI) Committee Seminar

Behgam Roger - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:00:00 GMT

The Dallas Branch Transportation & Development Institute (T&DI) Committee will hold a seminar following the January 9, 2012 meeting/luncheon. The seminar is titled “The Role of the Independent Engineer in Public Private Partnership Concession Contracts”. The use of Public Private Partnerships (PPP) for highway development is increasing, as availability of gas tax funding for projects diminishes. Compared to design-bid-build and design-build contracts, there is a substantial transfer of construction, maintenance and operational risks from the Owner to the Developer in a PPP concession agreement. However, the need to protect the public interest remains, particularly if federal funds or public seed capital are invested in the project. The role of the Independent Engineer is to provide reasonable assurance about the quality of the activities of the Developer, while fully recognizing the risk allocations inherent in the contract.

This presentation will focus on how the role of the Independent Engineer differs from traditional quality oversight roles, and on the skills and experience needed to perform the role effectively. The use of quality management systems in construction is highlighted; and the challenges and benefits from increased reliance on management systems are outlined.

The presentation will be made by David Weeks, P.E., Project Manager of URS Corporation. David is a UK Chartered Engineer with 30 years of experience in highway engineering, including design, construction, operation and maintenance. David has been involved in the development and implementation of quality and other management systems in engineering for over 20 years, and he also has substantial Comprehensive Development Agreement feasibility and procurement experience in Texas.

He currently leads the Planning & Development team in the URS Austin office, and is the Independent Engineer project manager for the LBJ Managed Lanes project.

For additional information on the committee or the seminar, contact Roger Behgam, P.E., T&DI Committee Chair at: 214.215.8321 or dlsasce@flash.net.

31-Dec-11 4:00 PM

FUTURE CITY COMPETITION - CALL FOR JUDGES

Cissy Sylo - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:30:00 GMT

New for last year, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History honored Future City and the winning students by presenting an exhibit of models from the North Texas Competition. We are working on repeating the exhibit again this season. Look for the Future City exhibit during National Engineering Week - 2012.

NEW THIS YEAR - Here in the North Texas Region, we have continued to expanded the www.dfwfuturecity.org web site. By your request, you will be able to reactivate your account from last year and use your existing username and password. To reactivate your account, go to the judge's login page and click the Reactivate link on the right side of the page. You will be asked for your email address (this one) for verification. Use the following link to the login page: https://www.dfwfuturecity.org/NorthTX/Judging

In addition to the ability to reactivate your accounts, we have made several visual changes to the judges page, in an effort to make the judging process easier for you.

The Future City Competition - sponsored by National Engineers Week - is designed to inspire 6-7-8th grade students about engineering by challenging them to solve the real-world problems associated with building a livable city of the future. Hundreds of North Texas students, from more than 30 schools, have been working hard since October on their city concepts.

The students work in teams to first realize their city with a computer simulation, then as a physical scale model. Students must also research and write a paper on an engineering topic and publicly present their work to a panel of judges.

I would like to invite you to serve as a North Texas Region Future City Competition Judge. There are opportunities to fit any schedule, from on-site judging and interaction with the students, to working at your convenience on your computer. You may serve in any of the following ways:

1. Computer City Design - Judging the computer-simulated Future City design and layout. City planning/development experience desired, but not required. SimCity4 software and scoring templates will be provided. Approximate time commitment: 10 hours, Dec. 1 - 30, at your computer.

2. Essay and Narrative - Judging essays on materials of the future city design (1000 words), as well as a narrative of the future city (500 words. Scoring templates will be provided. Approximate time commitment: 10 hours, Dec 15 - Jan 12, at your computer.

3. Models and Presentations - Small panels of judges evaluate the teams' presentation of their 3-D city models looking for teamwork, creativity, workmanship, transportation, moving part components and use of recycled materials. Approximate time commitment: 6 hours, Jan 22, Univ of Texas, Arlington.

4. Special Awards – Don’t forget to “sign-up” to judge on-line however. It will help us with name tags and sending you information about the event! For those of you who have never judged I invite you to join us! Approximate time commitment: 6 hours, Jan 22, Univ of Texas, Arlington.

If you would like additional information regarding the local DFW competition, please visit http://www.dfwfuturecity.org. For information regarding the competition at the national level, please visit http://www.futurecity.org. If you are interested in participating in this year's competition, please use the following link to enroll: https://www.dfwfuturecity.org/NorthTX/JudgeBin/Judge/Enroll

Thank you for your support and the contribution of your time and effort to the National Engineers Week Future City Competition.

Cissy Sylo

Future City Special Awards Coordinator

cissysylo@verizon.net

972-395-0729

31-Dec-11 3:30 PM

Dallas Branch Membership Drive

Katie Barron - noemail@dallasasce.org — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:00:00 GMT

Remember, you must be a NEW member, not a renewing member, AND join the Dallas Branch in order to get a free lunch. Join today!

Kindly contact Katie Baron at Katie.barron@ojdlegacy.com for details.

31-Dec-11 3:00 PM