2014 February - ASCE Richmond Newsletter

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ASCE Richmond Branch Newsletter

Volume 6 Issue 2 February 2014

Important Upcoming DatesFebruary Branch Meeting - Virginia's Stormwater Program

February 20th, 12:00 PM, Westwood Club

President's Message

February represents an exciting time of yearfor engineers as this month we celebrateNational Engineer's week. For the stereotypicalengineer it is difficult to promote one'sprofession. Many engineers fall in theintroverted side of the Myers-Briggspersonality chart, which can prove difficultwhen it comes to outreach. For me, I have found it easier to speak abouttopics when I am passionate about the topic. For many in Richmond thisfirst Monday in February, they are proud of their city. For today two ofRichmond's recent athletes can call themselves Super Bowl Champions.Who wouldn't be proud to say you hail from the home town of a SuperBowl winning quarterback? This month I want you to think about whatmakes you proud to be a civil engineer. What makes you proud to be amember of ASCE? Take time to share with your colleagues the excitingevents we are offering over the next several months; our monthlyspeaker series or our golf tournament April 24th. Share with them ouroutreach to the next generation of engineers with the Popsicle Bridgecontest. Make an effort to invite someone new to our next meetingdiscussing changes to VDOT's stormwater program.

This month's program will be presented by Roy Mills, VDOT's StormwaterProgram Administrator, Tracey Harmon, with VDOTs EnvironmentalDivision, and Ginny Snead, a VDOT consultant with Louis Berger. Thepresentation will begin with Roy Mills will providing a general overviewof VDOT's MS4 Program followed by Tracey Harmon who will discussVDOT's TMDL efforts, including the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. Ginny Sneadwill close by going over the implementation of the VSMP Part IIBTechnical Criteria (Runoff Reduction and Energy Balance). Thispresentation provides an excellent setting to learn about the upcoming

In This Issue

President's Message

Exciting UpcomingEvents and PDHOpportunities

Local News andProjects

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changes to the state's stormwater program and ask the experts questionsabout the impacts that these changes may have.

Sign-ups were extended until February 10th for the Popsicle Bridgecontest. Please contact Ashley Johnson if you would like to volunteer forthe event. This is a fun event to see the creativity and ingenuity oftoday's middle and high school students.

Please check our website, ASCERichmond.org, under the GovernmentRelations tab to find the latest civil engineering bills before the GeneralAssembly.

We have another learning opportunity this month from the VirginiaWater Environment Association,

Virginia Water Environment Association, Sustainable Utilities CommitteeWebinar (Free): Climate Change and Sea Level Rise in the HamptonRoadsDate: February 21, 2014, 12:00pm to 1:30 pm (Engineers' Week)Moderators:

• Denise Nelson, VWEA, Sustainable Utilities Committee Chair• Mujde Erten-Unal, Associate Professor and Director of

Sustainable Development Institute, Civil and EnvironmentalEngineering Department, Old Dominion University

Speakers:

• Dr. Larry Atkinson, Slover Professor of Oceanography, ClimateChange and Sea Level Rise Initiative, Old Dominion University

• Dr. David Basco, Professor of Civil Engineering, Director ofCoastal Engineering Center, Old Dominion Universiry

• Dr. Poornima Madhavan, Associate Professor of Psychology,

Director of Undergraduate Research, Old Dominion University• Dr. Hans-Peter Plag, Professor, Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric

Sciences, Co-Director, Climate Change and Sea Level RiseInitiative (CCSLRI), Old Dominion University

Learning Objectives: Following the webinar, attendees should be ableto:

• Describe the challenges of rising sea levels and flooding in theHampton Roads region

• Describe the engineering significance of sea level rise in theHampton Roads Region

• Describe the public perceptions of seal level rise• Describe the social construct of vulnerability and risk related to

sea level rise and climate change and how this limits mitigationand adaptation options

Register at: http://www.vwea.org/eventsproceedings/upcoming-events/event/346

Many of those future engineers will be attending our Popsicle BridgeCompetition which is scheduled for February 23, 2014. The rules have

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been posted on our website for our Popsicle Bridge Contest which occursduring Engineers Week at the Science Museum. Registration is now openfor those with middle and high school students who want to get a jumpon constructing their bridge. Proper planning and preparation will allowa team to find success in one of the award categories: highest efficiencyrating, most aesthetically pleasing bridge or the innovation contest.

Next spring, April 3-5, 2014, the University of Virginia is hosting the ASCEVirginias Student Conference and is in need of assistance judging severalof the events. ASCE Student Chapters may compete in the followingcompetitions: concrete canoe, steel bridge, environmental, sustainableland development, technical problem solving, surveying, Hardy Cross cuppresentations and Marr Technical paper. Description of each event maybe found on our website, ASCERichmond.org. Three to five judges areneeded per competition. On site judging is necessary for the steel bridgeand concrete canoe competitions with 10 judges needed for each ofthose events. The Marr paper and Hardy Cross papers may be reviewedelectronically. Please contact Tom Baber, [email protected] for moreinformation and to volunteer.

Sincerely, Austin Clark

Exciting Upcoming Events and PDH Opportunities!

February Branch Meeting - Virginia's Stormwater Program

Location: Westwood Club, 6200 West Club Lane, Richmond, VA 23226When: Thursday, February 20th, 2013 @ 12:00 PMCost: $25PDH: 1 creditMenu: A buffet style lunch will be served

This program will be presented by Roy Mills, VDOT's Stormwater Program

Administrator, Tracey Harmon, with VDOTs Environmental Division, andGinny Snead, a VDOT consultant with Louis Berger. The presentationwill begin with Roy Mills will providing a general overview of VDOT's MS4Program followed by Tracey Harmon who will discuss VDOT's TMDLefforts, including the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. Ginny Snead will close bygoing over the implementation of the VSMP Part IIB Technical Criteria(Runoff Reduction and Energy Balance). This presentation provides anexcellent setting to learn about the upcoming changes to the state'sstormwater program and ask the experts questions about the impactsthat these changes may have.

Contact Caleb Lange by phone at 804-641-8278 or by email [email protected] for more information. Please register on our

website .

ASCE's 19th Annual Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition is here!(Registration deadline extended to February 10th!)



ASCE's 19th Annual Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition will be heldon February 23, 2014 at the Science Museum of Virginia. The object ofthe competition is to have students build the most efficient bridgepossible using only popsicle sticks and Elmer's glue. The contest is opento all Richmond area Middle and High School students.

Prizes are awarded for the three most efficient bridges in each agegroup, as well as for the most aesthetically pleasing and most innovativebridges. There will even be a chance for the students to test theirbridges against one designed by professional engineers!

This competition is held in conjunction with the Richmond JointEngineers Council as part of their annual Celebrating EngineeringIngenuity Day.

Registration for the competition will be open until February 10,2014 . Please visit our website for more information or to register: www.ascerichmond.org/2014bridgecontest

For any questions about the contest, please contact Ashley Johnsonat [email protected] or 804-771-9159.

Save the Date - ASCE's 12th Annual Golf Tournament Mark your calendars for April 24th for our annual golf tournament whichhas been a great success in the past years. This year's tournament willbe held at Brandermill Country Club. More details to follow in laterannouncements.

Best Urban BMP in the Bay Award



The Chesapeake Stormwater Network (CSN) is very proud to announcethe launch of the first ever Best Urban BMP in the Bay Award (BUBBA)contest! This contest aims to recognize the best urban stormwater BMPsthat have been designed and installed in the Chesapeake Bay watershedwithin the past 5 years. Projects can be submitted for any ofsix categories: Homeowner BMPs, Innovative BMPs, Best Combination ofBMPs in a Series, Ultra Urban BMPs, Best Habitat Creation in a BMP, andBest Stream Restorations

The goal of the BUBBAs is three-fold:

1. Recognize innovators in the field who are using new andinnovative techniques for facing the challenges of stormwater

management;2. Provide an avenue for disseminating these techniques to other

communities who could benefit from the lessons learned andinnovative approaches; and

3. Engage CSN's nearly 4,000 member network of stormwaterprofessionals throughout the Bay watershed to promote

interactivity among the members.

Winners will be announced to CSN's network of 4,000 stormwaterprofessionals within the Bay watershed.

The top three finalists in each award category will receive certificates ofrecognition for placing as a finalists in the award category and befeatured on the CSN website

Category winners will receive a free registration to the 2014 Bay-widePartners Stormwater Retreat where they will be recognized at a BUBBAsawards ceremony.

Grand prize winner (the people's choice award) will receive an award of$5,000

Visit the website for more information and to enter your submission:

http://chesapeakestormwater.net/the-bubbas/

The deadline for submission is February 28th, 2014 .

The Daniel V. Terrell Paper Competition

The Region 4 Assembly of the American Society of Civil Engineers isproud to conduct the Daniel V. Terrell Paper Competition for YoungerMembers. This prestigious competition has been held for 60 years andcommemorates Dean Terrell's many years of work and service to theSociety and especially his leadership in the establishment of the DistrictCouncil System, the predecessor of the Region 4 Assembly.



All members, associate members or affiliates of ASCE who are 35 yearsof age or less on February 1, 2014, residing in Region 4, are eligible tosubmit papers in this competition. The following rules are to beobserved:The Daniel V. Terrell competition topic (same as the topic for thesociety's Daniel W. Mead Contest) must address professional ethics withrespect to the following question or statement:

In the built environment, there has been and will continue to beongoing development in areas that are prone to natural disasters.From floods and storms to earthquakes and forest fires, naturaldisasters are costly both in terms of human suffering and financialresources. Despite the risks associate with building in such areas,demand for public and private development in them continues togrow. As stewards of the built environment, what responsibility docivil engineers have in this continued growth? Consider the followingethical questions.

What are the ethical responsibilities for planning future civilengineering projects in natural disaster prone areas? What are the potential ethical issues in determining design codes,recommendations and parameters to prevent damage in naturaldisasters? What are the ethical issues involved when attempting to predictnatural disaster frequency or return periods? What are the ethical obligations of civil engineers when advisingclients engaged in development in natural disaster prone areas?

These are two separate competitions but the same paper may besubmitted to both.

No individual may submit more than one paper in any one annual DanielV. Terrell paper competition.

Please include your member ID number and your name on the paper.

The paper shall be of such length that it can be presented orally in notmore than fifteen minutes and contain not more than 2000 words.

Submit one electronic copy of the paper, preferably a PDF, with a coverletter to your Section President by March 1, 2014. Each section is limitedto two entries.

The paper must be presented orally, by the author, before the Region 4Assembly at its Spring 2014 meeting to be held April 11 & 12 in theNashville, TN area. (Contestants are encouraged to seek financialsupport from their Sections and Branches for travel expenses to presenttheir papers.)

AWARDS First Place - Bronze plaque + $500 cash prizeSecond Place - $250 cash prize



BASIS OF JUDGING

Presentation of Paper - 35%(Delivery and Effectiveness - 20%, Choice of Words, Literary Style,Pronunciation and Enunciation - 10%)

Content of Paper - 65%(Material - 40%, Aquaintance with subject - Scope - 10%, Originality -Independence - 10%, Arrangement - 5%)

Thanks to our Sponsors this Month!

Interested in advertising in this newsletter and being seen byhundreds of local engineers and companies within the GreaterRichmond Area? Email Melanie at [email protected] formore information!

If you have any comments regarding this newsletter, please don'thesitate to contact me at [email protected] .

Thanks!Melanie LeckeyASCE Richmond Branch Communications Chair

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2014 February - ASCE Richmond Newsletter