President's Message - Raise the Bar
By Tapas Dutta, P.E.
The President takes a look at the initiative by ASCE to raise the educational…
Read More »Secretary's Column - Just Say "Yes"
By Cindy Miller, P.E.
As engineers, we embark upon our careers and travel the paths of our professional…
Read More »Branch News - Annual Awards Dinner Banquet
By By: Ziad Y. Mazboudi, P.E.
On Thursday, February 21st, 2013 at the Center Club in Costa Mesa, over 190…
Read More »In This Issue
President's Message - Raise the Bar
By Tapas Dutta, P.E.
The President takes a look at the initiative by ASCE to raise the educational requirements for future engineers. Many other professions including doctors, lawyers and accountants already require more than a four year degree to practice. Engineering requirements have not changed in the past 100 years. There is broad concensus amongst other organizations such as NCEES, NSPE and NAE that we need to "raise the bar" for engineers in order to meet the demands of the 21st century.
Secretary's Column - Just Say "Yes"
By Cindy Miller, P.E.
As engineers, we embark upon our careers and travel the paths of our professional journey to build the future and make the world a better place, one project at a time. Giving back to our engineering profession by getting involved with some aspect of civil engineering outside of the normal work experience is one of the most valuable things we can do. The benefit of doing so is threefold, as it contributes value to our profession, enhances career experience for the engineer and builds relationships and social capital.
Branch News - Annual Awards Dinner Banquet
By By: Ziad Y. Mazboudi, P.E.
On Thursday, February 21st, 2013 at the Center Club in Costa Mesa, over 190 members and guests joined together to celebrate the annual ASCE Orange County Branch Awards Dinner Banquet. The venue was great and the atmosphere was a happy one. We enjoyed a wonderful night recognizing the individual award winners and project winners, as well as reuniting with some friends we haven’t seen in a while.
History and Heritage - The Seal Beach Red Car Museum
By William Lawson, P.E.
The Seal Beach Red Car Museum, located in Seal Beach, California, is one of the few places in Southern California that you can still see an original Pacific Electric Railway car, and gain a little insight into the history of the old "Red Cars" and their role in providing "mass transit" for Southern Californian's during the first half of the 20th Century (1904 - 1950).
OC Firm Spotlight - HNTB
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HNTB has been a leading infrastructure firm in Southern California since beginning work on Pasadena’s Arroyo Seco Bridge in 1914, the firm’s first year of operation. The firm’s many signature infrastructure projects in the region include: the University of Southern California Galen Center, the Interstate 405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements DB project, the LAX South Airfield, and the “Green Build” expansion at San Diego International Airport. Recently, the City of Los Angeles selected HNTB to deliver final design and construction support services for the Sixth Street Bridge over the Los Angeles River between downtown and Boyle Heights.
Law & CE - Liability Under The “Completed and Accepted” Doctrine
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It happens more often than any design professional would like. Long after the completion of the project, an accident occurs because of some fairly obvious condition on the property, and as a result, the engineer or architect is sued for design defects. Stairs, sidewalks, hand-railings, curbs, wheel stops, handicap ramps—once someone is injured, their attorney may well argue that these perfectly visible details harbored lurking danger: too dark, too slippery, not enough clearance, too much clearance, too little contrast, uneven surface, wrong slope, etc. What kind of liability does the design professional have to third parties for injuries caused by something so readily apparent that the owner should have seen and remedied it at the time the project was completed?
YMF - February General Meeting Feb 2013
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February's OC YMF General Meeting came with a significant twist that stood apart from previous General Meetings. February's General Meeting was a combo event of a happy hour followed by salsa dancing.
YMF - Resume, Cover Letter, and Interviewing Workshop Feb 2013
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On Saturday, February 9th, ASCE OC Branch and YMF hosted a Resume, Cover Letter and Interviewing workshop for the three Universities in the Branch. Cal State Long Beach was gracious enough to volunteer to host the event and students from UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, and Cal State Long Beach came out.
YMF - Mercy House-Armory Shelter Feb 2013
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On February 15th 2013, a group of ASCE OC YMF members volunteered with Mercy House at the Armory Shelter in Santa Ana, CA. The Orange Country Cold Weather Armory Emergency Shelter program provides up to 400 beds per night for the homeless at the National Guard Armories in Fullerton and Santa Ana.
YMF - Plans and Schematics Workshop Feb 2013
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ASCE’s Younger Member Forum of Orange County hosted a workshop for University of Irvine undergraduate students on how to read and interpret project plans on Thursday February 21, 2013.