ASCE - Infrastructure Assessment
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The Orange County branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers… Read More »
President's Message - California's Road User Charge Pilot
By Steven L. King, P.E.
As I travel around throughout California, I notice that the road conditions change drastically from…
Read More »Branch News - California Piers
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By Tom Broz, PE, SE
At the March 17, 2017 OC Branch Meeting a presentation…
Read More »In This Issue
ASCE - Infrastructure Assessment
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The Orange County branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers today released its 2016 Orange County Infrastructure Report Card, giving the county a C+ average in 12 categories. UCI engineering advisory group collaborated on report, which urges more investment.
President's Message - California's Road User Charge Pilot
By Steven L. King, P.E.
As I travel around throughout California, I notice that the road conditions change drastically from one area to the next. In 2012, ASCE Region 9 released it’s most recent California Infrastructure Report Card giving Transportation a C- letter grade. At the time of the report, the California Streets and Roads Needs Assessment rated the overall Pavement Condition Index (PCI) across the state to be just 66 on a 100 point scale. Assuming funding levels would remain steady, Caltrans projected continued deferred maintenance and preservation activities would result in the PCI would dropping to 54 and the funding shortfall to increase from $39.1 billion to $63.6 billion by 2020. By Steven L. King, P.E.
Branch News - California Piers
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By Tom Broz, PE, SE At the March 17, 2017 OC Branch Meeting a presentation on the piers of California and most specifically the San Clemente and Huntington Beach piers was enjoyed by all in attendance. Tom Broz, P.E., S.E. - OC Branch History and Heritage Committee Chair, introduced the two main speakers, Bill Cameron, P.E. – Public Works Director / City Engineer for the City of San Clemente and Tom Herbel, P.E. – City Engineer for the City of Huntington Beach and provided an overview of the piers of California
New Members - June/July 2016
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Please join the Board of Directors in welcoming the newest members to ASCE OC! We look forward to getting to know you and hope to see you at an upcoming meeting.
Community Service - Forest Service
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By William Rapp On June 21st, Greg Henk from ASCE Orange County Branch (ASCE OC)/Engineers Without Borders Orange County (EWB-OC) and Will Rapp from Engineers Without Borders Los Angeles (EWB-LA) met with several Forest Service (FS) team members and 2 new interested engineers from CSLA (Joan E. Santiago & Araceli Contreras), at the Wildwood Picnic Site in the Angeles National Forest. The intent was to further the plans for EWB/ASCE to partner with the Forest Service in enhancing the experience for the public visiting this picnic site along Big Tujunga Canyon Road.
K-12 Outreach - OC Science & Engineering Fair
By Gary Gilbert, PE
ASCE Orange County Branch's (ASCE OC's) K-12 Outreach Committee is working on growing our relationship with the Orange County Science & Engineering Fair (OCSEF) to assist with improving the engineering element of the Science and Engineering Fair. ASCE OC and OCSEF have a shared objective, which is to educate junior high and high school students about the engineering profession. Recently, engineering concepts have been added to the curriculum of Orange County schools and teachers are looking for professionals to provide guidance on what topics should be included in the teaching of engineering principals. One area that ASCE has already discussed with several teachers is to have a project where the student doesn't just develop a thesis and have an end result, but instead come up with a concept and perform several iterations to refine the concept. The subtle differences between how science is taught and engineering is explained to students could have a significant impact on the students understanding the concepts.
Government Relations Committee - Independence Day
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By: Ken G. Bui, PE, M.ASCE As I reflect on our Independence Day – July 4th, I am very grateful for America … as one talk radio host would say: “the greatest country on God’s Green Earth!” ... Our Government Relations Committee, following the lead of Society, is reaching out to local and state elected officials to advocate for infrastructure spending. We recognize the need for the nation, as a whole, to invest in our infrastructure … to maintain, as well as expand, and stay “the greatest country on God’s Green Earth!” Please stay informed and work with Society to be advocates for infrastructure.
Mentorship Committee - Program Enrollment
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By: Melissa Hilsabeck The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Orange County (OC) Mentorship Program pairs young professionals with experienced engineers to best enhance and guide the young professional’s career while improving the leadership skills of the more experienced professionals.
Region 9 Transportation Committee - Statewide Transportation Perspective
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By: Lee Provost, PE and David Schwegel, PE On Thursday June 30, 2016, eight members of the Region 9 Transportation Committee participated in a Legislative Day near the state Capitol in Sacramento. These perspectives included the Transportation California (nonprofit), the California High Speed Rail Authority, the Legislative Analysts Office, and the Assembly Transportation Committee.
Sustainability Committee - Floating Solar Panels Save Water in CA
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By Janet Fordunski, PE Floating solar panels (aka "floatovoltaics") are being installed on reservoirs and ponds in Napa and Sonoma Counties to save land, save water, and improve water quality.
ASCE OC Annual Golf Tournament
By Josue Vaglienty, P.E.
By: Josue Vaglienty, P.E. One hundred players (a milestone first for ASCE OC) attended the 2016 Annual ASCE OC Golf Tournament held this past June 10th at Oak Creek Golf Club in Irvine, CA. ASCE OC-Branch, ASCE OC-Younger Member Forum (YMF), and ASCE Student Chapters (UC Irvine and CSU Fullerton) each provided volunteers to register and welcome the players from local civil engineering firms, public agencies, and product/service vendors.
Younger Member Forum - 2016 Young Member Group Award
By Remi Candaele, PE
By Remi Candaele, PE Yet another amazing milestone in the history of the Orange County Younger Member Forum (OC YMF)… Earlier this month, our group was recognized by Society and the ASCE Executive Director Thomas Smith as the 2016 Young Member Group (Large Group).
YMF - Mentorship Program Now Accepting Applications
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Applications for the 2016-2017 Mentorship Program are now being accepted! If you, or anyone you know, are interested in becoming a mentor or would like to gain a mentor, please consider applying!
PBL Summer Institute
By Jenny Mital
ASCE volunteered at OC Science's STEMQuest: PBL (Project Based Learning) Summer Institute, helping K-12 teachers develop projects focused on real-world science and engineering problems.
Branch News - In Memoriam Jack G. Raub
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Jack Goodwin Raub passed away in his sleep of natural causes on June 26, 2016, in Friday Harbor, Washington. Jack was born on March 25, 1936 in Santa Ana, read more about his life and legacy...
OCEC 3rd Quarter Newsletter
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The Orange County Engineering Council is an umbrella organization for professional engineering and scientific societies, engineering and scientific corporations, educational institutions, government agencies, and individuals with the common desire to enhance the public image of engineers and scientists and promote the interaction of professional societies, engineering/scientific corporations and universities in Southern California. Follow the link to view the OCEC Quarter 3 Newsletter and find out about their new board members, scholarship and grant opportunities, recent and upcoming activities, as well as engineering news related to Orange county and greater southern California.