President's Message - Sustainability
By Tapas Dutta, P.E.
One of three areas of focus for ASCE is “Sustainability”. In this article, the…
Read More »Secretary's Column - Life Members: A Legacy of Achievement
By Cindy Miller, P.E.
On March 2, 2013 the Los Angeles Section held its Life Member Brunch to…
Read More »New ASCE Life Members - Recognizing a Milestone Status
By Cindy Miller, PE
On March 2nd, the Los Angeles Section of ASCE recognized fifty-seven professional engineers who…
Read More »In This Issue
President's Message - Sustainability
By Tapas Dutta, P.E.
One of three areas of focus for ASCE is “Sustainability”. In this article, the ASCE OC President looks at a few new programs that promote sustainability elements in our projects. As Civil Engineers, we have an obligation to our communities to lead the way in sustainable planning, design and construction. ASCE defines sustainability as “a set of environmental, economic and social conditions in which all of society has the capacity and opportunity to maintain and improve its quality of life indefinitely without degrading the quantity, quality or availability of natural, economic and social resources”. Simply stated, our planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of our nation’s infrastructure should include sustainable elements in order to maximize the use of resources.
Secretary's Column - Life Members: A Legacy of Achievement
By Cindy Miller, P.E.
On March 2, 2013 the Los Angeles Section held its Life Member Brunch to honor those members who have advanced to Life Member status in the society and to recognize their career achievements. Because of the large number of ASCE members located here in the So Cal region, many of the major engineering achievements in our country over the past 50 years can be traced to the prominent roles that our local Life Members have played. For example, some of these local Life Members have included engineers that were part of the engineering design team who had worked on the Hoover Dam.
New ASCE Life Members - Recognizing a Milestone Status
By Cindy Miller, PE
On March 2nd, the Los Angeles Section of ASCE recognized fifty-seven professional engineers who achieved Life Member status during 2013. This is a significant achievement for any ASCE member and hopefully is something to which all members aspire. Of the fifty-seven new Life Members, six of them are affiliated to the Orange County Branch of ASCE and recognized in this article. Congratulations on reaching this career milestone.
Branch News - Field Trip to Rialto Concrete Products
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We couldn’t have asked for better weather on March 22nd when a group of about forty ASCE OC Branch members boarded a chartered bus to take us from Tustin to Rialto Concrete Products (RCP) on a “behind-the-scenes” engineering tour of their manufacturing plant. Our March field trip was in lieu of our normal luncheon program and offered an up-close opportunity to observe how some of the most widely used products in our industry are manufactured.
History and Heritage - Heritage Hill Historical Park
By Carl R. Nelson, P.E.
Heritage Hill Historical Park has its origins in the building of the Serrano Adobe in 1863 by Don Jose Serrano's family as the original land grantees of the Rancho Canada de los Alisos, granted to Don Jose by the Mexican government by grants in 1841 and 1846. The Serrano Adobe passed through various hands, was first restored by George and Dwight Whiting Jr. in 1932. It was made a state historical landmark No. 199 and was last owned privately by Mr. and Mrs. V.P. Baker from 1958 to 1969. Carl Lewis, former Director of Public Works at OC Parks, recalls the history, design and construction of this Orange County treasure.
National ASCE's 2013 Report Card
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Every 4 years, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) releases a Report Card for America’s Infrastructure that illustrates the condition and performance of the nation’s infrastructure in the common form of a school report card, by assigning letter grades to each type of infrastructure. According to the report, our infrastructure systems have diminished to a level that an investment $3.6 trillion will be required to rescue our infrastructure systems by 2020. This article recaps the main points of ASCE's report card.
Help Us Help You
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This article offers a perspective on the importance of, and the benefits derived from, including a Geotechnical Engineer early in a project's design process. Examples are given of why Civil Engineers and Geotechnical Engineers should work hand in hand for the best project outcome for the client.
Law and CE - Should I Sign and Stamp These Plans?
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From Sumerian tablets dating back to the 31st century, to the digital signatures used prevalently in today’s information age, stamping and signing documents has undergone a revolution over the last 5,000 years. Not everyone will have a signature that remains as timeless and symbolic as John Hancock’s when he signed the Declaration of Independence. However, just as the signatures that appeared on that historic document, an engineer’s stamp has a legal and binding effect that cannot be taken lightly.
American Academy of Water Resources Engineers
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Water Resources Engineering is the professional discipline for the stewardship and sustainable use of the world's water and related resources. Water Resources Engineers develop and apply scientific and engineering principles to plan, design, construct, manage, operate and maintain infrastructure programs. The American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE) is a non-profit organization formed in 2004 by water resources engineers who were members of the American Society of Civil Engineers' Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) to improve the practice, elevate the standards, and advance the profession of water resources engineering.
YMF - Mammoth Trip Feb 2013
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On the weekend of February 23rd the ASCE Orange County Younger Member Forum (OC YMF) joined up with the Los Angeles, San Bernardino/Riverside, Santa Barbra/Ventura County, and San Diego groups for a weekend of snowboarding/ skiing at Southern California’s premier resort.
YMF - Santiago Canyon College STEM Workshop Feb 2013
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On Thursday, February 28, 2013, Santiago Canyon College held a “Careers in Engineering” workshop for approximately 30 students from their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S.T.E.M.) program. The workshop was an interactive 1.5-hour session where students had the opportunity to ask engineering professionals questions about their educational background, career path, degrees and professional licenses obtained.
YMF - Haster Basin Construction Site Tour March 2013
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Boots, safety vests, hard hats, and safety glasses on, twenty fellow YMFers could not spend a better afternoon outside (sunny and 86◦F) touring the Haster Basin Retarding Basin, Pump Station, and Recreational Field construction site.
YMF - Ronald McDonald House March 2013
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On Sunday March 24th, members of Orange County Branch Younger Member Forum and local student chapters prepared a meal for families staying at the Orange County Ronald McDonald House through the meal program, ”Feasts from the Heart.” The Orange County Ronald McDonald House provides a comforting "home away from home" for families with seriously ill children receiving treatment in Orange County hospitals.
YMF - General Meeting March 2013
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On March 12th 2013, a group of ASCE OC YMF members met up for a general meeting and happy hour at Slater’s 50/50 Burgers by Design in Huntington Beach. This meeting was all about enjoying each other’s company and good ol’ fashion indulgence.