Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Published quarterly (spring, summer, fall and winter), the ASCE Texas Section's magazine, Texas Civil Engineer, updates members on membership news, civil engineering issues, projects, events and activities.
Citation preview
Winter 2014 | Volume 85| No. 1
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage PaidAustin, Texas
PERMIT NO. 879
2014 CECON In Review
2014 Texas Section Honors and Awards
2014-2015 ASCE Texas Section Directory
Scoring a Win through Landfill Transformation Elm Fork Athletic Complex, Dallas
2 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
texasce.org 3
In This IssueWinter 2014 | Volume 85 | Number 1
Calendar of Events 4
CPD Opportunities 4
President’s Message 5
Message From the Executive Director 6
Report From Region 6 7
Scoring a Win Through Landfill Transformation 8
2015 Texas Civil Engineering Conference 10
ASCE Life Members 2015 11
2014 In Memoriam 11
ASCE World Congress in Panama City 12
Younger Members’ Corner 14
Meet Your Board Members 16
ASCE Texas Section Directory 18
Branch News 20
2014 CECON In Review 22
2014 Texas Section Honors and Awards 25
Student’s Center 30
Newly Licensed Engineers 32
Legislative News 34
ASCE News 36
Old Highway 9 37
Business Directory 38
On the Cover: Dallas Cup participants at Elm Fork Complex, photo by FC Dallas.
TEXAS SECTION OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERSEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Crespin Guzman PEOPERATIONS MANAGER: Elizabeth R. GreenwoodCOMMUNICATIONS MANAGER: Annemarie GasserDATA MANAGER: Lauren Marcotte1524 S. Interstate 35, Suite 180Austin, Texas 78704Phone: 512-472-8905E-mail: [email protected]: www.texasce.org
2014–2015 OFFICERSPRESIDENT: Curtis B. Beitel PEPAST PRESIDENT: Tim C. Newton PEPRESIDENT ELECT: Audra N. Morse PhD, PEVP-EDUCATIONAL: Lawrence D. Goldberg PEVP-EDUCATIONAL ELECT: Brian D. Bresler PEVP-PROFESSIONAL: Roman D. Grijalva PEVP-PROFESSIONAL ELECT: M. Isabel Vasquez PEVP-TECHNICAL: Peter E. Falletta PEVP-TECHNICAL ELECT: Edward M. Penton PETREASURER: Curtis R. Steger PE
DIRECTORS AT LARGESENIOR DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Christina L. Hickey PESECOND YEAR DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Brad M. Hernandez PEFIRST YEAR DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Melanie D. Gavlik PEFIRST YEAR DIRECTOR AT LARGE: John A. Tyler PE
SECTION DIRECTORSTravis S. Isaacson PE, Austin BranchRobert Lys Jr PE, Brazos BranchRussell R. Carter PE, Caprock BranchJohn A. Simcik PE, Central Texas BranchAnthony B. Gavlik PE, Corpus Christi BranchChula B. Ellepola PE, Dallas BranchJ. Gilberto Andujo PE, El Paso BranchKimberly K. Cornett PE, Fort Worth BranchMartin D. Morris PE, High Plains BranchPaul A. Voiles PE, Houston BranchRussell W. Gibson PE, Northeast Texas BranchAlfonso A. Soto PE, Rio Grande Valley BranchKara J. Heasley PE, San Antonio BranchRobert C. Hickman PE, Southeast Texas BranchAndrew L. Mellen PE, West Texas Branch
ASCE - Region 6Kenneth B. Morris PEDirector and Board of Governors Chair 2014-2017Ken A. Rainwater PhD PEGovernor—Texas Section 2012–2015Jeremy P. Stahle PEGovernor—Oklahoma Section 2013-2016Sean P. Merrell PEGovernor—Appointed (Texas Section) 2013-2016Daniel B. Hartman PEGovernor—Texas Section 2014–2017Jeanette Walther PEGovernor—New Mexico Section 2015
4 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
Calendar of EventsTexas Section MeetingsExecutive Committee Meeting Houston
DiscoverE Week
Executive Committee Meeting AustinCECON 2015 - San Marcos
Executive Committee Meeting Austin
January 29, 2015
February 22 - 28, 2015
July 10, 2015
Sept. 29 - Oct. 2
January 8, 2016
Texas Civil Engineer DeadlinesSpring 2015 - Volume 85, No. 2February 20 Ad Insertion DeadlineFebruary 6 Copy Submittal DeadlineSummer 2015 - Volume 85, No. 3May 18 Ad Insertion DeadlineMay 4 Copy Submittal DeadlineFall 2015 - Volume 85, No. 4August 24 Ad Insertion DeadlineAugust 10 Copy Submittal Deadline
CPD OpportunitiesTo enhance communications between ASCE and ASCE’s Regions, Sections, and Branches, Geographic Services is pleased to advise you of the following seminars scheduled in our area:
Austin2/4/2015 GIS for Hydraulic and Hydrologic
Modeling Using ArcGIS DesktopDallas1/15/2015 Leadership Development for the
Engineer3/12/2015 HEC-HMS Computer WorkshopHouston2/5/2015 Load Rating of Highway Bridges3/11/2015 Structural-Vibration Analysis:
Design and TroubleshootingDetailed descriptions of seminars are available at
www.asce.org/continuing_education/Find us on Facebook Badge CMYK / .eps
@TEXASCETweets
texasce.org 5
President’s Message
Curtis B. Beitel PE, CFM, ENV SPTexas Section President
It is going to be another great year for the Texas Section of ASCE! Our first-ever Texas Civil Engineering Confer-ence (CECON) in Galveston was a great success and a lot of fun was had by all. Please join me in thanking our Conference Planning Committee for their tireless efforts to bring this vision to reality.
Texas’ voters made the right choice as they voted ‘yes’ on Proposition 1. As chair of our Public Relations and Professional Image Committee, Stephen Crawford PE led a strong Get Out The Vote campaign working with our partners Move Texas Forward and Texas Infrastructure Now - way to go Stephen! The high percentage passing rate of almost 80% shows our legislators that Texans are serious about funding our transportation infrastructure. The new dedicated portion of the state’s oil and gas collection will increase revenue to the State Highway Fund without harming the Rainy Day Fund. With this reliable funding stream, Texas will be able to make transportation infrastructure improvements and maintenance without new taxes, fees or debt in the years to come.
Other exciting Section events include EWRI’s Low Impact Development Conference in Houston on January 17-21, 2015, and ASCE’s Multi-Region Leadership Conference in Houston from January 30-31, 2015, hosted by the Houston Branch Younger Members. In addition to these events, we will continue the Section’s efforts to strengthen our Branches, Student Chapters and Institute Chapters.
Our monthly webinar series has been very well received, and will continue (let me know if you have any suggested topics). Last year President Tim C. Newton PE established the Section’s STEM Committee, and we will be working on ways to present civil engineering to middle school and high school students. Email me at the Section Office at [email protected] if you have any suggestions or want to get involved in these initiatives.
Together we will continue to strengthen our leadership and networking skills to grow into global leaders who build a better quality of life for all Texans.
Arthur Casagrande Professional Development AwardChadi Ell Mohtar D.Eng
Shortridge Hardesty AwardTodd Helwig PhD, PE
James Laurie PrizeKara M.Kockelman PhD, PE
Stephen D. Bechtel Pipeline Engineering AwardDavid H. Marshall PE
Raymond D. Mindlin MedalJ.N. Reddy PhD
Norman MedalRani Jaafar PhD
William H. Wisely American Civil Engineer AwardStephen W. Balint PE, D.OE
Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award for Professional AchievementAngela L. Matthews PEBrett A. Pope PE
Columbia MedalDonald R. Pettit PhD
Congratulations to These 2014 ASCE Award Winners
6 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
Crespin Guzman PEExecutive Director
Message From The Executive DirectorThe Section office staff has eagerly begun the fiscal year with goals to deliver better services to the m e m b e r s h i p
through some office operation
enhancements. We have gained experience from last year’s initiatives which will reflect improved product delivery and essentially, a greater value to you - the Member.
The communications arena will be the most visable as we strive to enhance your experience with the Texas Civil Engineer, the TexASCE Advisor, our webinar series, utilization of all the social media venues in place and the development and promotion of special projects throughout the year. One special project that has just begun is the development of a Career Center on our Section’s website. By the time you read this, we hope to have it in full swing and to provide the Executive Committee with a preliminary progress report during their meeting just prior to the Multi-Regional Leadership Conference (MRLC) in Houston, late January 2015.
CECON 2014 was one project that gave staff some great opportunities to learn from and improve future conferences. Another was the Section’s history book development and most recently, our participation in the Texas Book Fair at the Capitol, where we were able to promote the Section’s centennial history book and the civil engineering profession. The event gave us an opportunity to meet with the general public, show off our centennial banners and made us feel like part of the book publishing industry.
As we move through the year, we will have an opportunity to support the Student Symposium in April 2015 at Lamar University in Beaumont, followed by the 2015 EWRI World Congress in Austin in May where the Texas Section is the official section host for the event. CECON 2015 in San
Marcos in September will bring our efforts full circle for the year.
Another continuing initiative is advocacy work with the Legislature on the recently approved statewide referendum, Proposition 1 for transportation funding. We look forward to continuing to influence the development of implementation that the Legislature will work out beginning in January 2015. Keep your eyes and ears open for updates and alerts on this and other legislative activity.
Our STEM initiative is also moving forward with the emphasis being on the Branches to engage their local communities with these activities. Additionally, with National Engineers Week coming up in February, I encourage our members to support STEM activities like going to a K-12 school and talking about your civil engineering experiences. YOU can make a difference in a youngster’s ultimate choice of a career!
So, if you are looking to make your mark on any of the these projects or activities, drop us a line at the Section office. We look forward to hearing from You!
Left to right Crespin Guzman, Lauren Marcotte, Elizabeth Greenwood, Annemarie Gasser and Tim Newton at CECON 2014. Photo: Art Clendenin
texasce.org 7
report from region 6 Kenneth B. Morris PE, PTOERegion 6 Director
Region 6 represents three Sections (Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas), 19 Branches, and 22 Student Chapters. We are one of the largest regions in terms of populations, and we are definitely one of the most complex in terms of the number of geographic units represented.
The Global Engineering Conference (ASCE annual conference) was held in Panama City, Panama, October 8-11, 2014. The conference was well attended by civil engineers from around the world. This was a special meeting since it is the 100th Anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal. There were several attendees from Region 6 including Texas Section Past President Tim C. Newton PE and Past Region 6 Governor Walter (Terry) Winn Jr. PE, D.WRE, F.ASCE. Many of the conference presentations focused on the history or construction of both the original and new Panama Canal. It was a significant engineering feat for the time period, being built between 1904 and 1914. There were also tours of the existing canal and the new Panama Canal construction. The pictures below depict the old Panama Canal in contrast to the new Panama Canal currently under construction. It is scheduled to open by 2016.
The Board of Direction had a two day meeting before the conference. Some items of interest were the 1. New website update2. Global Strategic Initiative3. Policies on Licensure and Continuing EducationThe new ASCE website
launched in mid-November and continued additions will be made through the end of 2014. The new website will be more user friendly and easier to maneuver and search for items or articles. The ASCE staff is interested in any comments you may have. The Global Strategic Initiative continues to grow membership for ASCE outside the U.S. ASCE President Randall S.
(Randy) Over PE, F.ASCE and Executive Director Patrick J. Natale PE, CAE, F.ASCE, FASAE made visits to Costa Rica, Bolivia and Columbia this summer promoting ASCE. Some of these countries are making major improvements in their water and wastewater systems. Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is helping to provide these services and train students and younger engineer volunteers. Civil engineers are definitely global leaders. And finally, the ASCE Board of Direction approved changes to policies regarding engineering licensure and continuing education. As you are probably aware, not all states require continuing education to maintain their Professional Engineer license. The ASCE Policy 425 suggests that all states require at least 15 hours of professional development per year. All of the Region 6 states, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico require continuing education. Mark Woodson PE, LS, F.ASCE from Flagstaff, AZ will be the President-Elect and Bob Stevens PhD, PE, AICP, F.ASCE from Fort Worth will be our new President of ASCE.
The Region 6 Board of Governors will hold its next meeting at the Multi-Regional Leadership Conference (MRLC) in Houston on January 29, 2015, 7-9 p.m. The MRLC is a great opportunity for officers of a Section, Branch or Student Chapter to learn more about ASCE and the resources available to our civil engineering profession. I hope to have a good turnout from Region 6 since we are hosting this event. At our meeting, we will consider candidates for the new Region 6 Governor from Texas. Ken Rainwater will end his service as Governor next October and we appreciate all the work that Ken has done for the Board of Governors as Treasurer. Starting October 1 this year, Daniel B. Hartman PE, F.ASCE is your new Region 6 Governor replacing Nancy Cline PE. We also appreciate Nancy’s service on the Board of Governors for the past three years. If you have any items that you would like the Region 6 Board of Governors to consider please let me know. Information about the MRLC can be obtained from Nancy Berson ([email protected]) at ASCE Headquarters.Sincerely, Kenneth B. Morris, P.E., PTOERegion 6 DirectorCivil Engineers are Global Leaders building a better quality of life.
Kenneth Morris
Kenneth Morris
8 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
Tricia H. Hatley PE, ENV SP, LEED AP BD+CVice President/Principal - Urban Planning + DesignFreese and Nichols, Inc.In 2000, Freese and Nichols, a Texas-based architectural and engineering firm, was hired by the City of Dallas, Texas to conduct a flood plain management study of the Elm Fork area of the Trinity River. A component of the plan focused on recreational opportunities and, in conjunction with the Park and Recreation Department finishing up its long-term master plan known as “A Renaissance Plan,” the collective groups identified a compelling need for tournament-level soccer fields and increased green spaces.
The city worked to identify available land and, after careful consideration, selected a former landfill (and illegal dumping site) in the Interstate 35-Walnut Hill area of northwest Dallas as the new spot for the athletic complex. The city focused on creating a sustainable recreational area that could serve as an example of successful reclamation and environmental stewardship
for other cities across the country and around the world.
The Environmental C h a l l e n g e : Converting a Dump into Fields of Dreams
The ability to effectively remediate a former landfill site was the largest
unknown factor. Ultimately, the site would prove to be challenging and require
extensive planning in the areas of drainage, foundation,
turf selection, building materials, lighting, paving, landscaping and irrigation to address environmental hazards on land, air and water. Initial remediation steps included:
• Initiating legal action to stop illegal dumping and remove the stockpile of materials
• Providing soil stability and a landfill cap, using 250,000 cubic yards of free dirt from an interstate highway reconstruction project in Dallas County (IH635/IH 35), resulting in a cost savings of $1 million
• Working with Dallas Water Utilities (DWU) to specify the use of double-walled water pipes as the main conduit to move water across the landfill, preventing cross-contamination of the potable water supply, and
• Cutting special trenches during construction to contain all of the uncovered solid waste and leachate, which was eventually reburied onsite and capped; this resulted in a $200,000 savings on transportation and landfill costs.
Protecting the Natural Resources: A Case Study in SustainabilityBeyond the soccer fields being developed, the city hoped to provide opportunities for a variety of other recreational activities as well. Future plans for trails, picnic areas and nature areas were put in place in order to enhance the urban landscape that had previously had very few trails, minimal parks and virtually no open space. A variety of sustainable design features were also built into the large-scale project to help overcome a number of environmental challenges, as well as help to reduce maintenance as landscaping and additional facilities were added in the future. Some of the sustainable design features of the complex included:• Bioswales underlying drainage areas to capture and
filter storm water
Scoring a Win through Landfill Tr ansfor m ation The Genesis of a Major Reclamation Project
Freese and Nichols
texasce.org 9
• A provision to use non-potable water sources for irrigation when future infrastructure is installed
• Sustainable building practices for structures based on LEED principles, including using concrete that incorporates fly ash (a byproduct of coal-fired electrical power plants) to construct building facilities
• Use of recycled materials for the pavement and parking areas throughout the complex
• Use of drought-resistant and drought-tolerant landscaping that minimizes the need for water resources
• Operational guidelines focused on organic methods, limiting the use of chemicals to maintain athletic fields and other landscaped areas
• Installation of a hybrid sports turf that is a durable variety and, when planted in a special soil mix, allows the fields to dry quickly
• Tree and vegetation placement to shade parking areas, buildings and facility users
• Development of an irrigation pond to reuse captured rain water and minimize the use of municipal water supplies.
Building Partnerships for Financial SustainabilityAs the 18-month-long construction project progressed, the team identified the need for an outside partner to support the long-term financial sustainability of the project. The city turned to the private sector as a source of funding for ongoing maintenance and operating expenses, ultimately selecting Major League Soccer team FC Dallas/Hunt Sports Group to become the official operator of the complex effective January 1, 2014.
The management team expects to host more than one million visitors annually for local, regional and international tournaments, league play and other sports activities. Generating an estimated $6 million in gross economic impact from the annual Dr. Pepper Dallas Cup alone, this municipal asset has a myriad of revenue-generating opportunities that will support its continued financial sustainability.
What began as an identified community need and subsequent vision for world-class tournament-level playing fields became a reality for the City of Dallas and its partners. The Elm Fork Athletic Complex, a $31 million project with a total of 140 acres including 27 acres of playing fields and 28 acres of nature preserve, is a prime example of the incredible power of public-private partnerships in successfully balancing a community’s needs with the commitment to environmental and financial stewardship and sustainability. Freese and Nichols
Freese and Nichols
Freese and Nichols
10 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
SUSTAINABILITY
TRANSPORTATION
WATER RESOURCES
9/29 - 10/2 2015San Marcos
Embassy Suites1001 E McCarty Ln
San Marcos, TX 78666
TexasCECON.org
2015 TEXAS CIVIL ENGINEERING CONFERENCECALL FORTOPICS and SPEAKERSWhat do you think are the important topics and challenges of our profession? Let us know! CECON 2015 proposals will be accepted on these conference themes: TRANSPORTATION, WATER RESOURCES, AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
The CECON 2015 program agenda will include sessions that exemplify civil engineers and civil engineering projects as:
Master Builders Stewards of the Environment Innovators Managers of Risk Leaders in Public Policy
Submissions for CECON 2015 topics and speakers will be accepted through January 31, 2015. Submissions received after January 31, 2015 will be considered for future speaking opportunities.
Submit your ideas to [email protected]
or fill out the form at www.texasce.org/page/CECON2015Topics/?
texasce.org 11
Austin BranchSam O. Brooks PETracy L. Hill PEMichael R. Monnig PEG. Nicholas Textor PE, D.WRE, F.ASCEHarold L. Von Quintus PE
Brazos BranchBill Batchelor PhD, PEJean-Louis Briaud PhD, PE, D.GE, Dist. M.ASCERalph A. Wurbs PhD, PE, D.WRE, F.ASCE
Central Texas BranchMichael R. McBay PE
Corpus Christi BranchAjmer S. Kular PEMichael Kupferman PE
Dallas BranchJohn T. Davis PE, PLS, LS, F.ASCEClyde C. Ding PESal M. Gazioglu PEBartley D. Gill PELewis L. Kadleck PE, PLSRobert J. Kleineck PEGerald E. Monk PEIvan F. Nicodemus PERonald Reed PEDwayne C. Stubblefield PE CFM, HG, CAEJohn F. Stull PE, LS
El Paso BranchAngel Ramierez PE
Fort Worth BranchRichard W. Albin PE, RLSWilliam L. Boomer PE, LSJ. Theron Darr PECharles M. Jackson PE, F.ASCERonnie Lemons PE, LS, D.WRE, F.ASCERicky D. Lunsford PEStanford W. Lynch PEDavis G. Parsons PE, RAStephen L. PattersonThomas R. Sadler PEJohn P. Wier PE, LS
Houston BranchJames R. Ainsworth PEMark Berman PEJohn D. CarraraPeter C. CrosslandPaul J. Derkowski PE, F.ASCEAhmad J. Durrani PhD, PE, F.ASCEJames V. Hall PEFrancis S. Key PENgok W. Lai PE, D.OEGary W. Lemley PEJames F. Moore PENelson B. Nuckles PEPeter A. Polk PEGerardo Quiros PEWilliam S. St. John PE, F. ASCERobert F. Stevens PE, F. ASCEEdward A. Wiley PE
Northeast Texas BranchR. Reeves Hayter PE, LSMichael L. Marler PEPhillip W. McGough PEWalter T. (Terry) Winn PE, D.WRE, F.ASCE
San Antonio BranchPeter C. CrosslandMichael W. Cude PE, LSKarl J. Dreher PE, D.WREAlan D. Lindskog PE, PLSW. Henry Waggy PE
ASCE Life Members 2015
John R. Collins Jr. Houston Branch Thomas M. Daniel Dallas BranchElvidio Diniz Northern Branch (New Mexico)Morgan I. DoyneAustin BranchHarvey HawkinsBrazos Branch
David HelpenstellCorpus Christi BranchJaMES R. (Bob) King Jr.Fort Worth BranchAlan B. Matejowsky Austin BranchA. P. Tony Wenzel Jr.Houston Branch
2014 In Memoriam
ASCE Life Members are at least 65 years old, have paid dues for at least 35 years and have had ten years of continuous membership immediately preceding the attainment of Life Member. Congratulations!
12 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
ASCE World Congress in Panama City
I am a member of the Dallas Branch and I was the E n g i n e e r s
Without Borders USA (EWB-USA) delegate to the Planning Committee of the 2014 Global ASCE and EWB Conference in Panama. I was also on the education and planning committees for EWB-USA for the Design Global Engineer Local Course and I was a leader/ teacher in the water supply and distribution pathway in The Design Global Engineer Local course.
Design Global Engineer Local is a one-week fast-paced course about engineering’s role in sustainable development. This brought together 154 students and professionals from nine countries around the world. The attendees learned and applied concepts of sustainable engineering for projects in the United States as well as countries around the world. The course was offered as a joint partnership between Engineers Without Borders USA, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the University of Colorado Boulder.
The course covered all aspects of beginning a project including the assessment, project initiation, and community appraisal. The data from the appraisal was used to identify and rank community problems to determine what needs to be done first as well as what portions of the project have the best probability of succeeding. We then discussed capacity, vulnerability, and risk analysis to determine how non-technical issues influence technical decisions related to design. There are many factors that can determine when a project is successful but this must be considered to show the effectiveness of a project. There is then a point to where all of the projects have been addressed or when the scope of the project is unfeasible for that chapter or group and one needs to discuss when and how to end or leave a project. This will include handing off a functional project to a community that knows how to operate and maintain the system. After three days of coursework the participants joined ASCE for the Global Conference. The participants learned how these projects in developing countries discussed in the course had some of the same aspects as the large-scale projects that were examined at the ASCE/EWB sessions.
A difficult topic that was covered and encouraged in the EWB and ASCE sessions, was learning from past project mistakes or things that one could improve. I think that this is a necessary and hard part of the engineering process, to discuss why some projects fail and what lessons can be learned from them.
At the end of the ASCE/EWB sessions on Friday, participants and
leaders went on a tour of the existing Panama Canal Miraflores locks and then went to the construction site of the new locks. The scale of this project is something that I have never seen before. We were standing at a construction site which, in a short time, would be flooded with water and have ships passing over.
On the last day of the course, we divided into groups and went on site assessments to various communities around Panama. This took us to a vastly different landscape; from seeing skyscrapers in the city to indigenous communities in rural areas. The community I visited was conducting a survey to count the number of people in the village and how they obtained the water they used. This information will be used by EWB-Panama to design a water source, distribution, and supply project. The need in the community was overwhelming and the desire for change was great. We also went to a neighboring community where EWB-Panama just completed a similar system to see the completed project of what we started that morning.
Through this process I learned many things that can be applied to projects I work on in Texas, as well as on projects for EWB-USA North Texas Professional Chapter. I also learned what goes into organizing a conference on this scale. At the conference and on the many hours of conference calls leading up to the conference, I had the opportunity to meet and get to know many people in the civil engineering profession that I would not ordinarily have a chance to get to know. I am proud to have helped put on such a successful course and conference.
Julie Jones PE, CFM | Conference Co-Chair | 2014 Global ASCE and EWB Conference
14 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
Younger Members’ Corner Fabian A. Herrera PEYounger Member Chair
Towards the end of September and the Major League Baseball regular season, despite an unsuccessful year for the Rangers baseball team, the Dallas ASCE Younger Member Forum was able to collaborate with 5 other
Young Professional groups from around the DFW area at a successful joint outing to watch the Rangers face the Houston Astros.
The joint Rangers outing was organized through a series of conference calls by leaders from ASCE, Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE), Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), American Water Works Association (AWWA), and National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).
Defining the success of this event, the 54 attendees represented a broad spectrum of the community. Age groups ranged between young EITs to an 83-year-old SAME fellow member who was a big time Rangers fan and was proud to admit that he was at the game where Nolan Ryan pitched his 5,000th strikeout. The event
prompted engineers from all different facets to come together with their friends and family. Several recruiters also came out to share career opportunities with our members.
The outing began at Blue Mesa Grill in Arlington for a happy hour and some food where people had a chance to meet and network, and then took shuttles provided by the restaurant to the ballpark to watch the game.
All the organizations had a blast with this event and hope to make this an annual occurrence.
texasce.org 15
March17-212015
JW MarriottSan Antonio Hill CountryResort & Spa
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A.
◆ Indoor and Outdoor Geo-Industry Equipment and Displays
◆ 5K Fun Run/Walk
◆ Extensive Technical Program
◆ Over 150 Exhibitors and 35 Hours of Exhibit Time
◆ Internationally Acclaimed Presenters
◆ Student Competition
◆ Panel Discussions and Short Courses
The World’s Largest Equipment Exhibition and Technical Congress Dedicated to the
Deep Foundations Industry
PDHs Available
Registration Now Open at www.ifcee2015.com
IFCEE_ad_TX_Eng.indd 2 10/28/14 7:55 AM
16 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
The Texas Section ASCE Board Members were asked to fill out a questionnaire so that the Section’s members might get to know them a little better on a more personal level. The series will run in each of the 4 editions of the TCE and each edition will highlight a couple of the Board Members with the goal that by the end of the year each Board Member has been introduced.
President Elect: Audra Morse, PhD, PEAudra Morse works at Texas Tech University as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. It is therefore, no wonder that she listed any Red Raider sports team as the team she was a fanatic of.
Q: What is your top love in the civil engineering profession? A: “I love that civil engineering surrounds us every day and is something I can proudly point out to my two sons. I especially love that I can answer where water comes from and who builds roads and buildings. I always tell the boys that engineers design the world around them.”
Q: Have you completed any physical challenges? A: “Ran through DFW airport in heels to catch my flight.”
Q: What do you do to de-stress? A: “Walk my dogs early in the morning to get an early start on the day, which allows me to plan to get ahead of the stress. At the end of the day, a great margarita or glass of red wine.”
Q: How would you describe your family?A: “My husband and best friend is Stephen Morse who is an accomplished civil engineer in his own right. We are blessed with two amazing sons, Braden and Orin, who still think their mom is great. Our family includes three fury friends (Shiner, Nutmeg and Lady Gray) and a tank full of fish.”
VP-Educational: Larry Goldberg PELarry currently works at LANDEV Engineers Inc. and is serving his second year on the Board. Q: What concept in civil e n g i n e e r i n g have you found especially hard to grasp? A: “Obtaining agency approval, just when you think you have the system down, the rules of the game change.”
Q: Have you completed any physical challenges? A: “I have completed a three bridge running series: a 10K run over the Kemah Bridge, 10K run over the Galveston Causeway, and a half marathon over the Fred Hartman Bridge between La Porte and Baytown.” – now that is an answer from a true civil engineer!
Q: What previous vacation should be a must for everyone? A: “My oldest daughter was recently married in Porto, Portugal. I would highly recommend to anyone to vacation in Portugal. Porto is located in the northwest portion of the country and is bordered on one side by the Duro River, and another by the Atlantic Ocean. You get the best that a river scenery and ocean scenery can offer.”
Q: What is the best piece of advice you have received?A: “Happy Wife, Happy Life…”
VP-Educational Elect: Brian BResler PEServing the first of a two year term, Brian currently works for Freese and Nichols in their Corpus Christi office.
Q: What do you do to de-stress? A: “Spend time with family…surf…fish…hunt. In that order.”
Meet Your Board Members
Larry and his wife, Rhoda, in Portugal attending their daughter’s wedding
Audra Morse standing next to Tex-as Tech concrete canoe ready to cheer on her team
texasce.org 17
Q: How did you decide to become a civil engineer? A: “I was driving down the road one day, spilling my drink from all the potholes, and I thought, “Wow, whoever gets paid for fixing all these roads has a gold mine!”
Q: Other interesting fact?A: “Civil engineering is my second profession after a decade in secondary education. True to form, since I did not have a degree in math, they had me teach high school math, and after doing that for a while, I finally felt confident enough in math to try engineering. From this experience, I know that there are many highly motivated and highly skilled Texas high school students that are not pursuing civil engineering in college, not because they can’t, but because we have not done a good enough job connecting them to the opportunities available in the profession of civil engineering. We must do a better job as professionals to connect with talented local kids, who are already invested in the success of our local infrastructure, to become partners in this critical profession that does so much to provide a stable platform for modern society to flourish. Our obligation as professionals is to create opportunities for those under us and to provide the professional ranks with a steady supply of talented and motivated individuals in order to carry the profession forward.”
Treasurer: Curtis Steger PECurtis works at Steger & Bizzell Engineering in Georgetown, Texas.Q: Were you the former winner of any previous competition? A: “I guessed the number of hockey pucks in a plexiglass box to win season tickets to the Austin Ice Bats back in 1997. My wife also won season tickets to Kyle field to watch the Aggies win every home game that year (oh, the good ‘ole days).” – sounds like a pretty amazing prize to get to watch the Aggies all season!
Q: How would you describe your family? A: “I am blessed to have been married to my wife for 21 years. We have 2 children that are active in sports and church. My son is a 6’6” tall 16-year old junior who plays varsity basketball for East View High School in Georgetown and my daughter is a 5’10” tall 13-year old freshman who plays freshman volleyball and basketball for East View High School.”
Q: What is your biggest achievement?A: “My family was one of the first on the scene of a very serious motorcycle accident late one night on a very dark road. My son, an Eagle Scout, ran from our car to tie a make-shift tourniquet on the victim. He used his basketball jersey, which made it difficult to tie a tight tourniquet, so I used my shirt and tied a second tourniquet. We were successful in stopping the bleeding and getting the victim to regain consciousness. He survived the accident and is fulfilling his duties as a husband and father of 3 (including twins).”
Christina L. Hickey PESenior Director at Large
Brian and his two sons at Natural Bridge Caverns
Curtis with his father, Les Steger, fishing in Matagorda Bay
18 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
ASCE Texas Section 2014 - 2015 DirectoryTEXAS SECTION OFFICEExecutive DirectorCrespin Guzman [email protected] Manager/SecretaryElizabeth R. [email protected] ManagerAnnemarie [email protected] Assistant/ Data ManagerLauren [email protected]
ASCE Texas Section1524 S. Interstate 35, Ste. 180Austin, TX 78704Phone: [email protected]
2014 - 2015 OFFICERSPresident Curtis B. Beitel PEHDR [email protected]
Past President Tim C. Newton [email protected]
President Elect Audra N. Morse PhD PETexas Tech [email protected]
VP-Educational Lawrence D. Goldberg PELANDEV Engineers [email protected]
VP-Educational Elect Brian D. Bresler PEFreese and [email protected]
VP-Professional Roman D. Grijalva PE Brown & Gay Engineers, [email protected]
VP-Professional ElectM. Isabel Vasquez PE Huitt-Zollars, [email protected]
VP-TechnicalPeter E. Falletta [email protected]
VP-Technical ElectEdward M. Penton PEJacobs Engineering [email protected]
TreasurerCurtis R. Steger PESteger & Bizzell [email protected]
Directors At LargeSenior Director at Large Christina L. Hickey PECity of [email protected]
Second Year Director at Large Brad M. Hernandez [email protected]
First Year Director at Large Melanie D. Gavlik PENaismith Engineering [email protected]
First Year Director at Large John A. Tyler PEPape Dawson Engineers [email protected]
section directorsAustin Branch (2014-2016) Travis S. Isaacson PETBE [email protected]
Brazos Branch (2013-2015)Robert Lys Jr. PE Tricon Precast [email protected]
Caprock Branch (2013-2015)Russell R. Carter PE Carter Consulting & Engineering [email protected]
Central Texas Branch (2014-2016) John A. Simcik PEKasberg Patrick & Associates [email protected]
Corpus Christi Branch (2014-2016) Anthony B. Gavlik PEHDR Engineering [email protected]
Dallas Branch (2013-2015) Chula B. Ellepola PETerra Testing [email protected]
El Paso Branch (2013-2015) Gilberto Andujo PE City of El [email protected]
Fort Worth Branch (2013-2015) Kimberly K. Cornett PEBrown & Gay Engineers, [email protected]
texasce.org 19
ASCE Texas Section 2014 - 2015 DirectoryHigh Plains Branch (2014-2016)Martin D. Morris PEAmarillo Testing & Engineering [email protected]
Houston Branch (2014-2016) Paul A. Voiles PEBinkley & Barfield [email protected]
Northeast Texas Branch (2014-2016)Russell W. Gibson PEETTL Engineers & Consultants [email protected]
Rio Grande Valley Branch (2013-2015)Alfonso A. Soto PE Terracon [email protected]
San Antonio Branch (2014-2016) Kara J. Heasley PEVickerey & Associates [email protected]
Southeast Texas Branch (2013-2015) Robert C. Hickman PELJA Engineering [email protected]
West Texas Branch (2013-2015) Andrew L. Mellen PE Maverick Engineering LLC [email protected]
Region 6 Board of GovernorsDirector/Chair, 2013-2016Kenneth B. Morris PE, [email protected]
Governor, 2014-2017Daniel B. Hartman PE, [email protected]
Governor (Appointed), 2013-2016Sean P Merrell PE, [email protected]
Governor, 2012-2015 (Texas Section)Kenneth A. Rainwater PhD, PE D.WRE (Texas Section)[email protected]
Governor, 2013-2017 (Oklahoma Section)Jeremy P Stahle [email protected]
Governor, 2013-2014(New Mexico Section)Jeanette Walther PE, [email protected]
Governor, 2015-2018(New Mexico Section)Jerry B. Paz [email protected]
2014 - 2015 Branch PresidentsAustin BranchDave Lubitz PEAguirre & Fields [email protected]
Brazos BranchJeremy N. Peters PEGessner Engineering [email protected]
Caprock BranchTravis S. Barnett EITParkhill, Smith, & Cooper, [email protected]
Central Texas BranchTaylor Blanchard EITWalker [email protected]
Corpus Christi BranchMichelle A. Patton PEMaverick Engineering [email protected]
Dallas BranchAngela L. Matthews PEHayden Consultants, [email protected]
El Paso BranchWendy M. Arredondo EITQuantum [email protected]
Fort Worth BranchSamantha W. Clark PECity of Arlington Public Works [email protected]
High Plains BranchRodolfo O. Mireles EITAmarillo Testing & [email protected]
Houston BranchJason P. Ellison PEBrown & Gay Engineers [email protected]
Northeast Texas BranchArun S. Kortikere PECity of [email protected]
Rio Grande Valley BranchMarlen Gonzalez [email protected]
San Antonio BranchGeoffrey T. Turner PEUnintech [email protected]
Southeast Texas BranchRobert C. Hickman PE (acting)LJA Engineering [email protected]
West Texas BranchBrady Stanford EITParkhill, Smith & [email protected]
20 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
The weather is not the only thing changing across the State of Texas. The Branch leaders across the State are also changing. In the fall 2014, the Branches installed their 2014-2015 officers/Board Members. This is an exciting time for each branch as they continue to uphold and build upon the vision, mission and goals of ASCE. Please help me congratulate the new Branch officers serving as leaders for this great organization.
Austin BranchPresident: Dave Lubitz PEPast President: Reem Zoun PEPresident-Elect: Jane-Ellen M. Carter EITVice President-Programs: Stephen R. Zobal PESecretary: J. Brandon Klenzendorf PhD, PETreasurer: Glenn A. Goldstein PETreasurer-Elect: Joe F. Goessling PECommunication Director: Juan Carlos Araiza PhD, PEYounger Member Director: Lindsey O’Leary PETexas Section Director: Travis S. Isaacson PE
Brazos BranchPresident: Jeremy N. Peters PEPast President: Alfred A. Paine PEVice President: Sean Ray PESecretary: Christopher Surface EITTreasurer: Joshua D. Norton PETexas Section Director: Robert Lys Jr PE
Caprock BranchPresident: Travis S. Barnett EITVice President: Kelli FriarSecretary: Kendra HanfeldTreasurer: Matthew S. Laverty PETexas Section Director: Russell R. Carter PE
Central Texas BranchPresident: Taylor Blanchard EITPast President: John A. Simcik PE, CFMVice President: Allen B. Nash EITSecretary: Kyle A. Stanislav EITTreasurer: Brian J. Geiger EIT
Corpus Christi BranchPresident: Michelle A. Patton PEPast President: John D. McMullan PEVice President: Gabrielle Escamilla PESecretary: Joshua Smith EITTreasurer: Michael C. York EITTexas Section Director: Anthony Gavlik PE
Dallas BranchPresident: Angela L. Matthews PEPast President: Kristin D. Green PEPresident-Elect: Brad M. Hernandez PEVice President: Lena Peter PESecretary: Anthony Luce PETreasurer: Frank E. Pugsley PETechnical Director: Mark Roberts PEBranch Director: Fabian Herrera PETexas Section Director: Chula B. Ellepola PE
2014-2015 Corpus Christi Branch Officers with Texas Section President Curtis B. Beitel PE, CFM, ENV SP
Branch News Brad Hernandez PESecond Year Director at Large
texasce.org 21
El Paso BranchPresident: Wendy M. Arredondo EITPast President: Yvonne C. Conde-Curry PE President-Elect: Marvin H. Gomez PE, CFM, PTOETreasurer: Roxanne Rivera-Medina PE Section Director: J. Gilberto Andujo PEBranch Director (2014-2016): Thomas M. Vick PEBranch Director (2014-2016): Jesse Valles EITBranch Director (2013-2015): Sergio R. Mendez EITBranch Director (2013-2015): R. Shane Brooks EIT
Fort Worth BranchPresident: Samantha W. Clark PEPast President: Leah M. Hodge PEVice President/Treasurer: Travis N. Attanasio PESecretary/Asst. Treasurer: Clinton Hoover PETexas Section Director: Kimberly Cornett PEBranch Director: Scott F. Berman PEBranch Director: Brett A. Schock PEBranch Director: James P. Sappington IV PE
High Plains BranchPresident: Rodolfo O. Mireles EITPast President: Eliot L. Fisher PEVice President: Michael T. Krusing PESecretary – Treasurer: Andrew Sry EITTexas Section Director: Martin D. Morris PE
Houston BranchPresident: Jason P. Ellison PEPast President: Lane M. Lease PEPresident-Elect: Brent BaldwinSecretary: Natalie M. Weiershausen PE, ENV SPTreasurer: Heather Guillen PEBranch Director: Jason Brock PEVP Administration: Scott A. MarrVP Education: Saud A. Memon PEVP Technical: Anwar S. Akhtar PETexas Section Director: Paul A. Voiles PE
Northeast Texas BranchPresident: Arun S. Kortikere PEPast President: Joshua W. Barton EITVice President: Owen Sanderson EITSecretary - Treasurer: David D. Stanley EIT
Rio Grande Valley BranchPresident: Marlen Gonzales EITPast President: Eugene Palacios PEVice President: Robert L. Canterbury PESecretary: Dora E. Marin-Robles EITTreasurer: Carlos Garza PETexas Section Director: Alfonso A. Soto PE
San Antonio BranchPresident: Geoffrey T. Turner PEPast President: Steven A. Gonzales PEPresident-Elect: Curt G. Campbell PEVP Programs: Amy M. Stone PEVP Membership: Deepa Thankavel PESecretary: Ryan R. Plagens PETreasurer: Luke J. Reed PETexas Section Director: Kara J. Heasley PE
Southeast Texas BranchSection Director: Robert C. Hickman PE
West Texas BranchPresident: Brady Stanford EITPast President: Joshua C. Ferguson EITTreasurer: Adrian Frias EITSecretary: Jared A. Squyres EITNewsletter Editor/Membership: Larry H. Walker PEWebmaster: Jeffrey H. Cohen PETexas Section Director: Andrew L. Mellen PE
2014-2015 Dallas Branch Officers with Region 6 Governor Sean Merrell PE.
Branch News
22 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
2014 CECON In Review Audra N. Morse PhD, PEPresident Elect
The Texas Section of ASCE held its first annual conference, CECON, at the San Luis Resort, Spa and Conference Center in Galveston, Texas September 17 through 19, 2014. The planning committee was co-chaired by LeAnne
Napolillo PE, F. ASCE and Ron Reichert. The theme of the conference was The Future of … Ports, Transportation and Energy. The conference included three days of presentations and conversations regarding the future of Texas infrastructure, with specific focuses on rail, highways and space travel. The conference committee experimented with new formats for presentations, including a lightning round presentation format. During the conference, keynote presentations were made by Kelvin L. Solco, PE, MBA, FES - FAA, Regional
Administrator, Southwest Region Airports Division , John J. Drobny, Director of Security Projects (retired), Port of New York and New Jersey, and Bob Harvey, President and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership. Other honored guests included David Alexander, Director of the Rice Space Institute and Michael W. Alford PE, Texas Department of Transportation, Houston District.
During the conference, the Texas Section-ASCE Board of Direction met to discuss Section business including Get Out the Vote for Proposition 1, a change in the format of student competitions to combining them to
one annual conference instead of a separate concrete canoe competition and steel bridge competition. The new format will begin in Spring 2016 in Lubbock. Moreover, the Board discussed attainment of the Texas Section Strategic Priorities for 2012-2016, which include 1) communication, 2) organizational support 3) community involvement, 4) Student Chapters and Younger Members, 5) continuing education, and 6) annual meetings (CECON).
ASCE Global President-elect Robert D. Stevens PhD, PE, AICP, F. ASCE attended the conference and installed the following officers who comprise the ASCE Texas Section Board of Direction for the 2014-2015 fiscal year along with the Section Directors representing each Branch: PresidentCurtis B. Beitel PE, CFM, ENV SP (Fort Worth)
President ElectAudra N. Morse PhD, PE (Lubbock)
Vice President-EducationalLawrence D. Goldberg PE (Houston)
Vice President-Educational ElectBrian D. Bresler PE (Corpus Christi)
Vice President-ProfessionalRoman D. Grijalva PE (Austin)
Vice President-Professional ElectM. Isabel Vasquez PE (El Paso)
Vice President-TechnicalPeter E. Falletta PE (Houston)
Vice President-Technical ElectEdward M. Penton PE (Dallas)
TreasurerCurtis R. Steger PE (Georgetown)
Senior Director at LargeChristina L. Hickey PE (McAllen)
Second Year Director at LargeBrad M. Hernandez PE (Dallas)
First Year Director at LargeMelanie D. Gavlik PE (Corpus Christi)
First Year Director at LargeJohn A. Tyler PE (San Antonio)
Kelvin Solco speaks at CECON. Art Clendenin
texasce.org 23
During the Wednesday night luau and awards ceremony, the following projects and individuals were honored for their contributions to advancing the civil engineering profession through technical or service activities - read more about them starting on page 25.2014 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award: Ward County Water Supply Project, Colorado River Municipal Water Authority, Freese and Nichols, Inc. 2014 Outstanding Civil Engineering Award of Merit: Birnamwood Drive Extension, Harris County Public Infrastructure Department, Klotz Associates
Excellence in Journalism Award: Gary Jacobson, Dallas Morning News “When it comes to concrete, they’re set” Award of Honor: Richard L. Patrick PEJohn A. Focht, Jr. Citizen Engineer Award: LeAnne M. Napolillo PE Government Civil Engineer Award: Carol E. Haddock PEHistory and Heritage Award: Betsy TysonProfessional Service Award: Donald J. Anderson PE and Travis N. Attanasio PEProfessional Service to Students Award: Natalie M. Weiershausen, PEService to People Award:
Frank C. Brogan PE
Over 200 people from many of the branches attended the inaugural annual conference and the Texas Section wants to see this event grow into the civil engineering conference of Texas. So, please mark your calendars and bring a friend to the second CECON at the Embassy Suites in San Marcos, September 29 to October 2, 2015.
Certified HUB-DBE-WBE-SBE 1507 South IH 35, Austin, TX (512) 328-2430 Serving Texas and Beyond Since 1987
www.horizon-esi.com
Agency CoordinationUS Army Corps of Engineers US Fish & Wildlife Service
Texas Historical Commission Texas Parks & Wildlife FEMA TxDOT TCEQ TWDB County and Municipal
Specializing in Infrastructure Projects Water/Wastewater RoadwaySchools Parks & Recreation
Oil & Gas Electric Utility Flood Control Wind Power
Waste Management
Regulatory Compliance NEPA Wetlands Archeology Endangered Species Geology TxDOT Categorical Exclusion SWPPP/Erosion Control Reservoir Permitting
Rich Patrick dances at the luau. Art Clendenin
24 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
I’m At Home GettInG CertIfIed As A dIplomAte.
I’m HOME At AsCe.
“Cdm smith is a strong proponent of specialty certifications for their technical staff and
it was a natural next step in my career... After obtaining a masters degree, pursue certification for your professional engineer (pe) license and specialty certification (such as the AAWre) as
soon as you are eligible.”
Lena Rivera, P.E., D.WRE, M.ASCE senior Water resources engineer, Cdm smith
“Being certified by ACopne as a diplomate in Coastal engineering recognizes my specialized
expertise, experience, and leadership in the field. the ACopne certification distinguishes
those with the credentials to practice in specialized engineering disciplines - such as
coastal engineering — from individuals without such credentials.”
Christopher J. Bender, P.E., D.CE, M.ASCE senior engineer, taylor engineering, Inc.
“looking at the list of the previous inductees, it was a great honor for me to be considered as a diplomate. We are living in a world that specialization is not a luxury anymore. this
new certification will provide an avenue to the engineering community to readily recognize the
specialist who are sanctioned by their peers through AGp.”
Soheil Nazarian, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE, F.ASCE professor, University of texas at el paso
Stand out from your peers by obtaining the credential that shows you’ve reached the highest level of recognition in your field.
The Diplomate credential stands for mastery in your specialty, commitment to professionalism through ethics and continuing professional development, and your support of ASCE’s mission to elevate the standards in civil engineering.
If you are a professional engineer with 10 years of experience, and have a post-undergraduate degree, apply now to become an ASCE Board Certified Diplomate in:
n Coastal Engineering,n Geotechnical Engineering,n Navigational Engineering,n Ocean Engineering,n Port Engineering, andn Water Resources Engineering.
Distinguish yourself and find the certification that’s right for you by visiting www.asce.org/certification.
The home for civil engineers and the civil engineering profession
www.asce.org
texasce.org 25
2014 Texas Section honors and Awards2014 Outstanding Civil Engineering Acheivement Award
Ward County Water Supply ProjectOWNER: Colorado River Municipal Water Authority – Cole WalkerENGINEER: Freese and Nichols, Inc.
The Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD)’s Ward County Water Supply Project, implemented after the record drought of 2010-2011, supplies 30 million gallons of water a day to Odessa, Midland, San Angelo, Big Spring, Snyder and other water supply customers. Freese and Nichols, Inc. engineered the collection and water transmission system, which includes 21 groundwater wells, 66 miles of pipeline, four pump stations and other facilities. Daniel B. Stephens & Associates, Inc. (Albuquerque, NM) acted as civil engineering consultant for the well field expansion.
Four construction firms were contracted for the project, including Garney Construction (Kansas City, MO),
who acted as the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR); S.J. Louis Construction of Texas Ltd (Mansfield, TX); Oscar Renda Contracting (Roanoke, TX); and Hydro Resources (Sugar Land, TX). Because of emergency water needs, several innovative concepts were utilized in order to expedite the total project time line, including resource scheduling, modular construction, CMAR delivery method, simplified equipment
specifications and use of locally available materials. The project was designed and constructed in less than 18 months, and completed two weeks ahead of schedule and $25 million (20%) under budget. Concurrent with one of the largest oil booms in decades, the timely completion of this water supply project was of critical importance to the vitality of West Texas and the nation’s economy.
2014 Outstanding Civil Engineering Acheivement Award of Merit
Birnamwood Drive Extension OWNER: Harris County Public Infrastructure Department
ENGINEER: Klotz Associates
Harris County Public Infrastructure Department (HCPID)’s Birnamwood Drive Extension was engineered by Klotz Associates, Inc. to incorporate low-impact development (LID) principles, becoming the first public roadway in the Houston region to do so as well as a benchmark for the Harris County Low-Impact Development and Green Infrastructure Design Criteria for Storm Water Management (2011). The extension comprises a north-south four-lane roadway just under a mile long, which relieves congestion associated with access to Pundt Park and improves storm water quality through a median bioswale of native vegetation which mixes natural and engineered elements to provide on-site detention, utilizing underground rain tanks that collect and slowly release filtered water at outfall locations. Architect – Knudson, LP (Houston, TX) – designed the streetscape.
The general contract for the construction of the extension was awarded jointly to D&W Contractors, Inc (Channelview, TX) and BIO Landscape and Maintenance (Houston, TX), who built the roadway and installed the ideal low-maintenance solution for vegetated areas respectively. Sustainable construction methods were utilized such as the reuse and recycling of materials. The project is a model of sustainability – a successful implementation of a more environmentally respectful approach to roadway construction which is also less costly to build and maintain, paving the way for roadway projects to run 15% below cost of traditional methods.
26 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
Excellence In Journalism AwardGary Jacobson, is a reporter on the Business News staff of The Dallas Morning News. He joined the newspaper in 1986 and has worked as a sports writer, projects writer, executive business editor and Sunday editor. He served as publisher and
editor of the Arlington Morning News, a start-up daily newspaper owned by The News, from 1996 to 2001. He has also worked at the Times-Union in Rochester, New York, and at USA Today, where he was deputy managing editor for the Money section. Gary has co-authored two books with John Hillkirk of USA Today: Xerox: American Samurai (Macmillan, 1986) and Grit, Guts and Genius (Houghton Mifflin, 1990).
A native of North Dakota, Gary has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. He lives in Dallas with his wife, Sherry, who is also a reporter at The News.Gary’s article, “When it comes to concrete, they’re set”, was selected because of its excellent explanation of a very technical subject to the public.
Government Civil Engineer AwardCarol E. Haddock PE, has been serving the community over 15 years through her work at the City of Houston and Harris County Flood Control District. She is currently the Senior Assistant Director of the Infrastructure
Planning Branch for the City of Houston. She is responsible for long-range planning efforts that lead to development of specific infrastructure projects for programming in future Capital Improvement Plans (CIP) and for pre-engineering leading to project development. She developed a process and criteria to identify and prioritize infrastructure needs across the water, wastewater, storm drainage and street & traffic control categories. Carol serves on Department steering committee for ReBuild Houston implementation. Prior to joining HCFCD, Carol was the ASCE/AAAS Congressional Fellow and served on the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. She was responsible for helping evaluate project and study requests, drafting policies and setting up the structural organization for the proposed Water Resources Development Act planned for reauthorization in 2004.
She coordinated closely with bipartisan Committee staff on day-to-day activities of the Committee, including hearings, mark-ups and floor debates. Carol has served at the Society, state and local levels of ASCE through various committee and leadership positions. She also served on the Timbergrove Manor Civic Club.
Professional Service to Students AwardNatalie M. Weiershausen PE, ENV SP currently works as a Project Engineer with Klotz Associates, Inc. in Houston, Texas as a licensed professional engineer and certified sustainability professional. In her six years of total work experience, she has participated in a variety of projects ranging from water and wastewater planning, utility relocation/design, site design, flood plain analysis, roadway design, and general civil design. Natalie has been a very active member of ASCE and currently serves as the Houston Branch Vice President of Education. She has previously participated in special committees as well as serving as the Younger Member Forum Chair and Community Services Chair. Her current ASCE endeavors include heading up the start of a civil engineering club at a local high school and co-chairing the 2015 CRYMC Conference in Houston. In 2013, she received the ASCE Central Region award for Outstanding Younger Member in Community Services and in 2014 was honored as an ASCE National New Face of Civil Engineering, as the Central Region’s Outstanding Young Civil Engineer in the Private Sector and with the Houston Branch’s Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award. Natalie is a 2008 graduate from the University of Texas with a civil engineering degree that focused in the hydraulic/hydrology and transportation fields. Natalie loves to run, practice yoga, play volleyball, and spend time with her husband, a small business owner in Houston.
Service to People AwardLee C. Lennard PE, F. SAME, serves as President and CEO of Brown & Gay Engineers, Inc. Lee has 25 years of consulting engineering experience covering the full range of project development from master planning through construction management. Lee holds a B.S. in civil engineering from Texas A&M University.
ASCE Texas Section Honors Presented
texasce.org 27
at the 2014 texas Civil Engineering Conference
Visit:TexASCE.org > Organization > Awards and Honors for a list of past recipients or n o m i n a t i o n procedures
ASCE Texas Section Honors Presented
Lee’s service to people is evidenced in his leadership in the local engineering community and exemplified in his service to the broader global community. Locally, Lee is an active volunteer of his time, leadership, and technical expertise to benefit the health, safety, and welfare of the general public through his professional involvement. Lee firmly believes that it is in service to others where we find our greatest joy and purpose. Lee serves on the Board of Apostles in Action, a non-profit board that raises funds and awareness to combat the debilitating effects of poverty throughout the world. Lee’s direction on the Board includes oversight of the provision and distribution of medical supplies and mosquito nets to impoverished rural communities in Uganda. Lee is an active volunteer with Living Water International, bringing safe water supplies to communities throughout the world. He has traveled to Guatemala each of the past three years as part of a mission team to drill water wells in communities along the coast and in the highland areas of the country. Lee, his wife Kate, and their children have served the poor in colonias in Nuevo Laredo for many years. Until recent drug violence erupted, they would regularly travel across the border to distribute basic food and medical supplies to thousands in need. Lee and Kate continue to sponsor 20 children in Nuevo Laredo, funding their education as an avenue to a better future for them and their community. Lee and Kate have a heart for orphans. Over the past 10 years, they have adopted four children locally.
Professional Service AwardsDonald J. Anderson Jr. PE, is Vice President of the Houston Office of TD International, a strategic consulting firm
that specializes in risk management. As Vice President, Donald works to provide clients intelligence consulting services directed at risk identification, management, and mitigation as it relates to corporate strategy, geopolitics, compliance, market dynamics, asset security, and transactional due diligence. Donald received a B.S. and M.S. in civil engineering from Louisiana State University, an MBA from the Jones
School of Business at Rice University. He is also a recipient of the Jones School Citizenship Award and the Michael Wright Award for Leadership. Donald has been on the Board of Directors of several professional organizations including the ASCE Houston Branch. He has worked on several national committees and developed articles to support legislative initiatives promoting infrastructure policies. He has received national recognition for his leadership and professional endeavors, including being recognized as a Top 40 Under 40 by Building, Design + Construction Magazine and recognition for his writings on professional ethics. Donald was named a Young Leader by ASFE and has worked with other recognized ASFE Young Leaders to broaden membership participation from younger members. Donald has served as an ASFE Professional Practice Committee Member on a national level and has worked as one of the lead committee members that updated the ASFE Geotechnical Engineer of Record Guidelines. He has presented technical papers to the Louisiana Engineering Society, the Texas and Louisiana ASCE Sections and to the National Transportation Research Board conferences. He is equally passionate about his family and is unselfish in giving time to his church and other professional/charitable organizations.
For Travis N. Attanasio, PE, CFM, protecting public safety has always been a theme in his life. At the age of 15 he joined his late father as a volunteer
firefighter for Inter Canyon Fire/Rescue in Morrison, Colorado. While doing this Travis began to focus on his future career choice of civil engineering, obtaining a degree from the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO in 2002 where he was an active member of the ASCE student chapter. Following college, Travis moved to Texas to begin his career as an engineer, and in 2005 began to realize the benefits of becoming a more active member ASCE. Since joining the Fort Worth Branch, Travis has volunteered for nearly every position, from the meeting set-up position to currently serving as Vice-President/Treasurer,
28 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
he has viewed ASCE as an opportunity to meet fellow members and to be recognized on a regular basis - not only in meetings but in everyday life. Travis’s efforts are supported by his company, A.N.A. Consultants, LLC, in Colleyville, TX. Travis has worked for A.N.A. since 2005 as a Senior Project Manager, specializing in drainage and floodplain studies. Travis is supported at home by a loving family who joke that they are going to buy a stamp and tag every project that Travis drives by and says “I designed that.”
Service to People AwardFrank C. Brogan PE, RPLS, is the Managing Director for the Port of Corpus Christi Authority and is responsible for daily operation of the Port. He directly supervises the Operations, Engineering, Finance, IT, Business Development, Human Resources and Police
Departments. Frank Brogan is a Registered Professional Engineer and Surveyor. He received his BSCE with honors from the University of Texas at Austin and Masters in Engineering from Texas A&I in Kingsville. A resident of Corpus Christi since 1974, Frank has been with the Port since September 1987. Frank directed the Mary Rhodes Water Pipeline Project, a $130 million emergency water supply project for the region. Prior to joining the staff at the Port, Frank was a consulting engineer in the Corpus Christi area for thirteen years, specializing in the design of industrial and marine facilities. He is active in the local community, has served on various boards, and is a Past President of the Kiwanis Club of Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christi Branch ASCE. In 2003, he achieved the designation as a Professional Port Manager (PPM) from the American Association of Port Authorities and is the 47th person to receive this national designation. Frank recently completed six years of service as a member of the Board of the Flour Bluff Independent School District. On November 30, 2011, he was appointed by the Nueces County Commissioners Court to a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Christus Spohn Health System. Currently, he is the chairman of the American Association of Port Authorities PPM Committee. Mr. Brogan was born and raised in San Antonio. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Deedie for 40 years, and they have a 27-year-old daughter named Sarah who is in graduate school.
History and Heritage Award Betsy Tyson loves to read, write, and research history. She admires a well-told tale whether in print or on film and enjoys diving into new subjects, knowing there are good stories and engaging people to be found. This made “Engineering A Better Texas” such a great project. She is a third-generation Texan, born in Fort Worth and raised in Fort Stockton. Her parents and Tyson grandparents were teachers, and her second job after graduating from Texas Tech followed in those footsteps. Her first paid writing assignments were for the Texas Tech alumni magazine during graduate school in journalism. This opened the door to jobs in Fort Worth; Dallas; Washington, D. C.; San Francisco; and Austin. She has written for two public utilities, electric and telephone; two federal agencies, the U. S. Forest Service and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; a member of Congress; the Texas Public Utility Commission; and the Texas Medical Association, where she currently researches and curates its museum exhibits. Betsy lives in South Austin. She’s a member of the Austin Film Society; Austin Museum Partnership; Harry Ransom Center, where she volunteers, Mystery Writers of America; and The Writers’ League of Texas.
Art Clendenin
ADVERTISE in Download our rates & media kit here:Texasce.org/advertisingQuestions? Contact Lori [email protected] thousands of civil engineers in Texas!
texasce.org 29
John A. Focht, Jr. Citizen Engineer Award LeAnne M. Napolillo PE has been an active member of ASCE since college, where she served multiple leadership positions, including Student Chapter President. During her tenure at the Houston Branch, she has served
as Branch President, Vice President-Administration, Treasurer, Secretary, Infrastructure Day Co-Chair, and currently serves on the Branch SAGE committee. She has also served on multiple branch committees over the years. At the Texas Section level, LeAnne has served as Vice-President Education and Section Director. During her VP-Education term, she coordinated and facilitated the Texas Section Centennial Webinar series. Additionally, she co-chaired the Fall 2004 and Fall 2009 Texas Section meetings, chaired the Section Meetings Planning Committee, and currently is co-chairing the 2015 Civil Engineering Conference. Nationally, LeAnne served as Zone III Representative to the Committee on Younger Members, served on the Task Committee on Committee Restructuring, and participated in the planning committee for the 2001 National Convention. She participated in the 2010 Legislative Fly-In and is a Key Contact member. She currently serves as governor on the Construction Institute Board of Governors. LeAnne is an ASCE Fellow, was awarded the Houston Branch Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award in 2002, the National Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award in 2005, and the Houston Branch Award of Honor in 2012. Since 2010, LeAnne has served as treasurer for HobbyFest, a festival celebrating the Hobby Airport employees and surrounding community, with proceeds benefiting the Allen T. Johnson Memorial scholarship fund. Since its inception in 2010, HobbyFest has given away $12,000 in scholarships to students interested in the field of aviation. LeAnne and her family are active members of St. Ignatius Loyola Church and have participated in multiple capital campaigns, participated as volunteers and donors in the annual Fall Fest, and have participated in SandwichMakers since 2002. She served as president of the Young Adults Group in 1996. LeAnne served on the WindRose Community Association Board from 2004-2006, overseeing development of the WindRose website. LeAnne has also served as a Big Brother/Big Sister Volunteer, served as an elementary school mentor, and volunteered for Habitat for Humanity.
Award of HonorRichard L. Patrick PE, graduated from Texas Tech in 1971, joined TxDOT and gained valuable transportation experience designing highways in the Dallas area. In 1976, Rich moved to Houston and joined a consulting engineering firm, LJA, and gained valuable residential development experience designing streets and utilities for subdivisions and municipal utility districts. In 1984, LJA began a transportation practice and Rich led a design team which designed two sections of the Sam Houston Toll Road. From 1988 to 1995, Rich gained valuable public works experience with LJA designing streets and utilities for public works clients. From 1996 to the present, Rich “shifted gears” in his career by focusing more on business development responsibilities and less on technical responsibilities for consulting engineering firms, the current of which is PSI. During this career of varied experiences with both public and private clients, Rich began to serve the Houston Branch and the Texas Section in various roles. In the Branch as: Transportation Committee Chair, Chair of Technical Committees, Chair of 1993 SAGE Committee, Vice President Technical, Vice President Administrative, President-Elect, President, Past President, Branch Section Director, Chair of 2003 SAGE Committee, & Chair of 2014 SAGE Committee. In the Section as: Chair of Publicity Committee for 1987 Section Meeting, Chair of Transportation Committee, Chair of Transportation Committee for 1992 Section Meeting, Treasurer of 1997 & 2001 Section Meetings, Chair Membership Committee, Vice President Professional-Elect, Vice President Professional, & Chair of Sponsorship Committee for 2014 Section Meeting. Rich has received the following awards: Texas Section Professional Service Award in 2002, Induction into the Texas Tech Civil Engineering Academy in 2003, and the Houston Branch Award of Honor in 2003.
Art Clendenin
30 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
Student’s Center John A. Tyler PE, RASFirst Year Director at Large
One of the most valuable assets ASCE brings future engineers is developing leadership skills and exposing students to professional mentors which may be unavailable outside the organization. Below are two examples of flourishing
Student Chapters providing these benefits to their members. Each Chapter maintains a strong group of leaders which are developing lifelong professional traits to assist them in their careers. The University of Texas at El Paso Student Chapter approached the upcoming year by planning ahead and developing a list of goals to accomplish, then prepared a strategy to accomplish these goals. The Texas A&M Student Chapter provided their membership the unique opportunity to listen to the Deputy Executive Director of Texas Department of Transportaion (TxDOT). The Student Chapters are truly benefiting their fellow peers and providing their leaders lifelong skills. Texas A & M Student ChapterKhataw Hamzah, PresidentThe Texas A&M Student Chapter of ASCE has had a busy semester. I am proud to announce that both our Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge teams competed in their respective national competitions! We have excellent support from the department as well as several corporate sponsors that allow us to remain competitive in both competitions each year.
This semester we were honored to have Mr. John Barton PE, Deputy Executive Director of TxDOT, present at one of our meetings. He gave a tremendous presentation and enabled us to schedule a technical tour of the Grand Parkway Expansion in Houston. Thank you to Mr. Barton and TxDOT for allowing us to provide our members with this opportunity.
One of our most successful programs this semester has been our Freshman Aspiring to be Civil Engineers (FACE) Program. The goals of the FACE program are to introduce freshmen to the civil engineering profession, help with the transition into college, and provide a support system for them prior to declaring civil engineering as their major. So far, the response has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic! The freshmen are eager to learn about the civil engineering family. Accordingly, this program will provide a foundation upon which they can build their professional network.
Lastly, I would like to congratulate Chelsea Hickey who will be taking over as President when I graduate in December. Chelsea has been involved in ASCE for 3 years now and will provide excellent leadership for us moving forward.
University of Texas at El Paso Student Chapter Andrea Gutierrez , PresidentThe ASCE Student Chapter at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) started the fall semester of 2014 with a mission of establishing goals, increasing membership and providing students with more opportunities for professional development. The ASCE Student Chapter at UTEP put this in motion by organizing and carrying out several recruiting strategies during the first several weeks of the semester. One major success was the first ASCE Open House Fair where new and returning members were encouraged to join the organization during the two-day event featuring food and games. A showcase displayed the Chapter’s purpose, as well as their role in the Steel Bridge and Concrete Canoe competitions. About 80 percent of the total membership was gained during the event.
With respect to the second goal of providing more opportunities for professional development, UTEP’s ASCE Chapter began partnering with the local civil engineering firms and entities to organize tours for its members. Recently, a group of about 20 to 30 students took a tour of the Fred Hervey Water Reclamation plant in northeast El Paso. Students learned about
Adam McCreary
Adam McCreary
texasce.org 31
wastewater and drinking water plant processes as well as the beneficial impact of water reclamation in the area. Currently, the ASCE officer team is working with Job Materials, a local supplier of concrete, asphalt and other construction materials, to tour their concrete research lab.
This was a dynamic semester for the UTEP ASCE Student Chapter. The chapter was awarded an endowment of $30,000 from two very generous donors and former members of the ASCE chapter at UTEP, Gerry and Margarita Licon. The Licons own a successful engineering firm, Licon Engineering Co. Their generosity was celebrated by the ASCE Student Chapter, UTEP’s
College of Engineering and board members from the ASCE El Paso Branch in a ceremony where the Dean of the College of Engineering, Richard Schoephoerster PhD, and the chair of the Department of Civil Engineering, Cesar Carrasco PhD, also were in attendance.
The fall semester is wrapping up and the UTEP ASCE Student Chapter had many other activities planned for such as the AIM High STEM Conference for Girls in November, as well as the upcoming Texas-Mexico Regional Steel Bridge Competition in January. It is a great year to be a part of the ASCE Student Chapter at UTEP!
Fred Hervey Water Reclamation Plant. El Paso Water Utilities
Students observing tank. Andrea Gutierrez
Adam McCreary
Left to right: donors - Gerry and Margarita Licon. Dean Richard Schoephoerster PhD, & UTEP Civil Engineering De-partment Chair Cesar Carrasco PhD. Adam McCreary
32 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
Travis N. Attanasio PEMembership ChairNewly Licensed Engineers
Syed A. AhmedBryan J. AlldredgeGrady S. AtkinsonSaul BalderasTravis R. BarbierBenjamin J. BialasGregory J. BlankDawit S. BogaleJohn D. BosleyDavid R. BroylesTravis H. BryantLorena M. CarterClayton M. CaruthersNicholas A. ClarkNathan Ray CoblerRenee E. CousinsEric A. CoweyEric M. CoxEric DavilaJason R. DavisJohn N. DeLisleJonathan W. DwightChristopher E. EdwardsRobin E. ErnstromCarlos FloresXiuyu GaoDavid C. GarciaJose I. GarciaEzequiel F. GarciaJeremy P. GarciaDavid A. GarciaJose I GarciaEzequiel F. Garcia
Daniel GarretJohn E. GarzaJohn D. GarzaVinay GoelPhilip M. GoertzJohanna M. GuerreroRanjiv GuptaChristopher W. HaecklerCraig A. HajovskyMicah L. HargraveRandal J. HartsfieldTyler G. HennekeClaire K. HeumannEmmett T. HillDonald E. HodgesErin M. HolmesErin HolmesClinton L. HooverChristopher B. HowardRoel E. HuertaJoseph Z. HuffSyed A. JafferyJoaquin Ubaldo JaramilloBrandie K. JohnsonJohn G. JohnstonJohn A. JohnstonJohn W. JohnstonSanjay P. JoshiDavid JuanRyan D. KalinaLufthansa R. KantaP.T. Kolitha N. KarunaratneStacey S. Keim
Jason K. KelliherJodi L. KosteckiMathew K. KoziolCole G. LangeJose F. LealEverett A. LenhartCharles A. LewisTyler W. LewisDavid A. MackenzieThomas J. ManderRobert C. MarbutJavier MartinezAnastasia K. MatschinskyBulent MercanWorku Y. MergiaHeath H. MichelKarlena F. MontgomeryRobert T. MorganRobert H. MorganTaraka R. S. MullapudiGreg B. MundenRebecca E. MuskAndres PalmaWade P. ParksMatthew A. PavelchakWilson P. PeppardVanessa PerezJohan C. PettersonMichael R. PettijohnJacob M. ReinigJordan M. ReyMark W. RobertsonPatrick N. Rodgers
The following members have passed their PE exams and include civil, geotechnical, and structur-al specialties. Congratulations, newly licensed engineers!
texasce.org 33
James S. RomanRanjith S. RosenberkSanjay S. SahasrabudheMohammad M. SalamaManuel A. SalasWilliam H. SaourKyle D. SchulzeSujan M. ShakyaMohammadreza Sharaf-bayaniGabriel A. SheltonSahas ShresthaKelly M. SkovieraCorey W. SmithCorey A. SmithFrank L. SnellJoshua SolisGenevieve F. T. SollenbergerTonya S. SonstengTonya SonstengThomas E. StarrThomas R. StarrBrandon J. StephensKathleen E. StrainKathleen StrainLucas W. SuelflowTecky SurawijayaPaul E. SzempruchArnaud B. ThibonnierBernardino D. TristanAndrew L. TrullJeffrey N. TysonJeffrey D. Van PeltDouglas W. WeaverThornchaya WejrungsikulMason A. WelchBria A. WhitmireMichael S. WilsonMichael F. Wilson
Joseph A. WithJanet E. WolfJisuk YoonYurianto Yurianto
SHAREWith Us!We want to
hear and share your good news!
Tell us about promotions, new jobs or
positions, ac-colades and
awards.
Email [email protected] or Tell us on
Twitter:@TEXAStweets
Facebook:TEXASCE
Linked In:Texas Section
ASCE
34 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
Legislative NewsGet Out The Vote 2014 Was a Huge Success!ASCE’s 2014 “Get Out the Vote” Campaign was a success! The Texas Transportation Funding Amendment,
Proposition 1, which will generate approximately $1.4 Billion per year for Texas’ Highway Fund, passed overwhelmingly by Texas voters by nearly 80% of the vote. The amendment authorizes annual disbursements from the state’s oil and gas production tax collections to the State Highway Fund. ASCE’s GOTV campaign included several statewide editorials, campaigning via the issuance of the latest ASCE Texas Infrastructure Report Card, and media partnerships with organizations such as Move Texas Forward and Texas Infrastructure Now.
The resulting passage authorizes additional Texas transportation funding – without new taxes, tolls or fees – that can only be used for construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, and acquisition of right-of-way for public roads. These funds cannot be used for toll roads. House Bill 1, which was passed by the Texas Legislature in 2013, put these requirements in place. Additionally, under HB 1, the Texas Department of Transportation must identify $100 Million worth of savings within the department to apply towards its debt.
Special thanks go out to Stephen Crawford PE, Section Representative to the ASCE Government Relations Committee, for his exhaustive work serving on the Public Relations & Professional Image Committee and spearheading our GOTV effort.
Water Plan Funding UpdateAs you may recall, the Texas State Water Fund Amendment, Proposition 6 (also known as the Rainy Day Fund Amendment), overwhelmingly passed in November of 2013 to fund projects in the state water plan. The original investment in the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) of $2 Billion will be leveraged by the accompanying Revenue Fund (SWIRFT) to fund close to $27 Billion in water supply projects over the next 50 years.
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) recently developed rules to implement the program, including a prioritized point system that allows interested entities to apply for funds. The 16 regional water planning groups originally prioritized projects in their 2011
regional water plans and final regional prioritizations were submitted to TWDB on September 1, 2014. The legislation specified that no less than 10% of the funds go to projects serving rural communities and agricultural conservation projects, and no less than 20% of the funds go to water conservation and reuse projects. The application period opened on November 6, 2014 and abridged applications are due to the TWDB by February 3, 2015. For more information visit http://www.twdb.texas.gov/financial/programs/swift .
2015 Texas Legislative SessionThe 84th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature convenes on Tuesday, January 13, 2015 and ends on June 21, 2015. Now that current funding shortfalls in water and transportation have been addressed, ASCE will be working in 2015 with sister organizations to lobby the state legislature on issues of importance to the practicing civil engineering community, including: the local governmental use of design-build, qualification based services selections, and closing the unmet need of long term transportation funding.
Roman D. Grijalva PEVP-Professional
36 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
NewsCongratulations to the Dallas Branch!The Dallas Branch won the 2014 Outstanding Section and Branch Web Site Award in the large Sec-tion and Branch membership cat-egory: (1,001-2500 members). This award will be presented at the 2015 Regions 3, 6, and 7
Multi-Region Leadership Conference on Saturday, Janu-ary 31, at 2:20 pm at the Omni Houston Galleria Hotel.
Complete the ASCE Professional Interest InventoryAs ASCE strives to better tailor services to members’ needs, your help is needed to build a database of mem-bers’ current specialties and interests. The Professional Interest Inventory will guide the Society in setting prior-ities. In less than five minutes, you can tell ASCE which areas you care most about. Visit asce.org/interests and be sure to have your ASCE website login handy.
2015 Multi-Region Leadership Conference (MRLC)January 30 & 31, 2015 | Houston, TXWith the MRLC being held in our own backyard this year, the Texas Section is offering a grant to all 15 branches to reimburse the workshop registration fee for one member in a position of branch leadership AND one younger member to encourage participation by Section members. This grant is for the conference fee only and does not cover travel or lodging, which is eligible for re-imbursement by ASCE.
Registration Fee ReimbursementOne member in a position of leadership and one younger member from each branch will be eligible for reimburse-ment of their registration fee by the Texas Section. Once the registration form is completed, the Branch president must notify the Section secretary ([email protected]) indicating who are the branch’s delegates. After the conference has concluded, the official branch delegates will be asked to send proof of attendance (e.g. a scan of the conference brochure or notes from a workshop) along with a copy of their registration receipt to the Section of-
fice. Reimbursement checks will be issued within 30 days of receipt of these documents. Registration starts at $200.
In order to obtain our group discount price, the dele-gate must also make reservations with the hotel before December 31, 2014, by calling 713-871-8181. Please identify yourself as an attendee of the ASCE Leadership Conference. The sleeping room rate is $129.00 per night for single or double occupancy.
Society Level Committee ParticipationSociety members in good standing are encouraged to apply for open positions on one of the five Society-Level Committees or one of the three Strategic Initiative Com-mittees. An online application for service on a Soci-ety-level committee will open on January 1, 2015, and remain open through March 15, 2015. Applications will also be used to identify candidates for service on a num-ber of constituent committees. Approval of committee ap-pointments is required by the ASCE Board of Direction in July, and terms will begin at the ASCE Annual Business Meeting in October. For more information, contact Pat-ty Jones ([email protected]) ASCE’s Director of Executive and Board Operations.
Aaron Roberts PE, has joined LJA as a Project Manager in the Houston
Transportation DivisionAaron has over 11 years of civ-il and environmental engineering experience. His background in-cludes transportation and drain-age studies, preliminary engi-neering reports, specifications, bid documents and drawings. His environmental experience includes environmental site assessments,
Environmental Assessments, categorical exclusions, wet-land delineations, and Section 404 Wetland Permitting.
As Project Manager, Aaron will be responsible for man-aging various aspects of the schematic design of transpor-tation projects such as drainage, environmental services, utilities, public involvement, and traffic engineering as well as assisting in preparing contract documents.
texasce.org 37
Old Highway 9 was one of the first 26 Texas highways proposed in 1917. The original route follows much of the present day U.S. Highway 87 from Amarillo, through Canyon, Plainview, Lubbock, Big Spring, San Angelo, Brady, Mason, Fredericksburg, into San Antonio. From San Antonio, it follows U.S. Highway 181 to Sinton and terminates in Corpus Christi. A few parts of Highway 9 exist in its original condition. One of those segments starts in Kendall County off of F.M. 473. The highway also travels along some of the Old San Antonio Road, also known as El Camino Real - one of the most historic roadways in Texas. The road consists of highways that follow paths of buffalo and Indian trails. Traveling the road heading north, you will find a few points of interest that include a series of low water crossings, culverts and a bridge – all mostly built around 1936. This map and link show points of interest along the roadway. http://bit.ly/10fjGDO
Old Tunnel State ParkThe most interesting point along the road is the Old Tun-nel State Park. The tunnel was built in 1913 by engineer Foster Crane who helped develop the Medina Dam. His previous experience included Sugarloaf Dam and dig-ging canals for irrigation of the Wood River Project from the Magic Reservoir, both in Idaho. Crane’s partner, Temple Smith, set out to build a rail line between Freder-icksburg and Comfort known as the San Antonio Aran-sas Pass or SAP. The route of the rail line passed through a 300 foot increase in elevation which was mitigated by the building of a 300 foot long tunnel. Dynamite was used to blast out the tunnel at the cost of $134,000 dol-lars (3 million dollars in today’s money). The tunnel was a financial setback and also had numerous maintenance issues. The train would have to stop before enter-ing the tunnel so that crew members could check to see if large rocks had fallen on the track. Passengers could hear smaller rocks falling on top of the train as they trav-eled through the tunnel. The railroad went bankrupt in 1943. The rails were ripped up to be sold to the War Production Board for use as tracks in other parts of the country. With no trains running through it on a daily basis, Brazilian free-tail bats moved into the tunnel. In 1991, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department turned it into a state park attraction for wildlife enthusiasts.
Low Water CrossingsWith the high number of low water crossings during times of rainfall, travel along Old Highway 9 must have been more difficult than roads of today. But compared to ca-liche and mud roads in early Texas history, Old High-way 9 was a better road and made travel easier. If you want to get a glimpse of what travel was like in the early days of automobile travel, take Old Highway 9 between Fredericksburg and Comfort.
Old Highway 9 Melinda Luna PEHistory and Heritage Committee Chair
Train tunnel at Old Tunnel State Park. Earl Nottingham, Chief Photographer, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
38 Texas Civil Engineer | Volume 85, No. 1 - Winter 2014
Advertise with us! Contact Lori Brix, 512-458-1191, ext 16 or [email protected]
Business Directory
Engineering n Design n Environmental Planning n Management
214.703.5151www.civilassociates.com
Phone 800-677-2831Fax 361-814-4401
naismith-engineering.com
...providing engineering services to Texas for over
60 years...
1-800-HALFF USwww.halff.com
Amarillo Testing and Engineering Inc.806.374.2756
amarillotesting.com
CONSULTING ENGINEERSGeotechnical
CivilConstruction Surveying
Construction Materials Testing(Soils-Concrete-Asphalt)
512-326-5659 | www.rpsgroup.com
Austin | Beaumont | Corpus Christi | Dallas | Ft. Worth | Houston
Providing sustainable solutions in the built & natural environment
texasce.org 39
San Antonio / Austin / Houston / Fort Worth / Dallaswww.pape-dawson.com
LAND DEVELOPMENT • TRANSPORTATION • WATER RESOURCES ENVIRONMENTAL • SURVEYING
Environmental Facilities Geotechnical Materials
1 3 O f f i c e s S e r v i n g Te x a s
( 8 0 0 ) 5 9 3 7 7 7 7
t e r r a c o n . c o m
For t Wor th 817.336.5773Denton 940.383.4177
Dallas 214.461.9867Sherman 903.870.1089
www.tnpinc.com
engineerssurveyors
landscape architects
TBPE Firm No. F-230 | TBPS Firm No. 100116-00
HOUSTON SAN ANTONIO EL PASODALLAS FORT WORTH OKLAHOMA
Transportation DesignCivil & Structural Design
Traffic EngineeringBridge Design & Inspection
Construction InspectionUtility Engineering
Phone 281.493.4140www.aiainc.com
Specializing in surface and groundwaterhydrology, hydraulics and water quality
L. Stephen Stecher, PE, PresidentCrespo is certified as an M/DBE and HUB
4131 Spicewood Springs Rd., Ste. B-2 Phone 512/343-6404Austin, Texas 78759 Fax 512/343-8120
Specializing in surface and groundwater hydrology, hydraulics and water quality.
L. Stephen Stecher, PE, President
Crespo is certifi ed as an M/DBE and HUB
4131 Spicewood Springs Suite B-2 Austin, TX 78759
Phone 512/343-6404Fax 512/343-8120
Tunnel Feasibility Studies
Tunnel and Shaft Design
Cost Analysis and Constructability Review
Risk Management
lachel.com
T/ 972-250-3322
George Teetes, PhD, PE
www.mectx.com
Sinc
e 197
7
Public InfrastructureTransportation
Land Development IndustrialUtilities
