Programs Committee
2015 Related News
Natural Valley Procedure for Hydraulic Analysis and Floodplain Mapping of Non-Accredited Levee Systems Using HEC-RAS 2-D
By: Roger Chung, PE
In the August luncheon, Dr. Dragi Stefanovic of Tetra Tech, Inc., presented a new procedure for hydraulic analysis and floodplain mapping of “Without Levee” (Natural Valley) conditions in accordance with latest FEMA guidelines for Analysis and Mapping of Non-Accredited Levee Systems. An unsteady hydraulic model (HEC-RAS) is developed to analyze flows in the main river, while two-dimensional flood routing (HEC-RAS 2-D) is utilized for the floodplain mapping on the landward side of a levee. The advantages and challenges of the new approach are discussed with special emphasis on the long awaited HEC-RAS Version 5.0 featuring a two-dimensional modeling component. » Read More
Sustainable Development - OC & Beyond Seminar Recap
By Salem Afeworki, LEED GA, ENV SP and Nathan Chase, PE, LEED AP ND, ENV SP
Thank you to the City of Irvine and our presenters (Darlene Nicandro, Jeff Thompson, Kip Skabar and Jamie Yoshida) for sharing their experiences in sustainable development in Orange County and beyond. The seminar held at the City of Irvine’s Civic Center was attended by over 40 professionals on Oct 23, 2015. » Read More
Update on the Irvine Ranch Water District Membrane Bioreactor Project
By: Ankita Vyas, EIT
On December 3rd Steve Malloy, Principal Engineer with Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) for over 25 years, gave a presentation to the EWRI Orange County on the Michelson Water Recycling Plant (MWRP) Phase 2 Expansion. » Read More
ITS Seminar
By: Sirous Alavi, Ph.D., P.E.
On Friday, November 13, 2015 the American Society of Civil Engineers, Orange County Transportation Technical Group (ASCE OC TTG) and ASCE OC Branch Continuing Education Committee hosted a half day seminar on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in the City of Irvine. The theme of the seminar was the past, present and future overview of ITS nationally and also regionally in the State of California. The seminar was very well received with five presenters covering various topics in ITS. » Read More
Join Us for the Annual ASCE OC Branch Awards Gala - February 18, 2016
By: Elizabeth Ruedas, EIT, ENV SP
Save the date for the annual ASCE OC Branch Awards Gala, this year occurring on February 18, 2016 at Seven Degrees in Laguna Beach! We hope you'll join us for an evening of recognition for the projects and engineers that are shaping Orange County. » Read More
2015 History & Heritage / Student Night
By: Gidti Ludesirishoti, Elizabeth Ruedas
On Thursday November 19, 2015 ASCE Orange County Branch hosted the annual History and Heritage / Student Night. This year’s event was hosted at a new venue, the Heritage Museum of Orange County, home of Santa Ana’s first Engineer, Hiram Clay Kellogg. The 192 experienced professionals, younger members, and students had the opportunity to tour the Kellogg House during the event to explore the museum and previous home of Hiram Clay Kellogg. » Read More
Gerald Desmond Bridge Technical Tour
By: Chuck Karunathilake
The New Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project tour was held on Friday, October 9th 2015. The tour was made possible by the Design-Builder for the project SFI; a joint venture between Shimmick Construction, FCC & Impregilo. » Read More
Giant Magellan Telescope
By: Walter Quezada
On October 22, 2015, our members got treated to a wonderful presentation about the design and construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). What is special about this telescope besides its enormous size is that it will let astronomers see the light of the very first stars when galaxies were starting to form and our universe was less than 1 billion years old. » Read More
SpaceX Tour Summary
By: Adrian Anderson, ASCE OC TTG
Much like the real world of launching a rocket into space, everything must come together just right and at the right time. That right time came a week after our initially scheduled SpaceX facility tour date, and the fact that all 20 of our lucky attendees still arrived with just one substitution, speaks volumes to the popularity and interest in the SpaceX tour that was held on Saturday, September 19, 2015 at SpaceX’s home - Rocket Road in Hawthorne adjacent to the airport. » Read More
2015 “End of Summer” Social Mixer in Laguna Beach
By: Isamar Escobar, Gidti Ludesirishoti, Elizabeth Ruedas, Josue Vaglienty, P.E.
The end of summer came a little earlier this year at Las Brisas Restaurant in Laguna Beach - the host venue for our ASCE OC “End of Summer” Social Mixer on September 17th. Please 'read more' for a recap of the event festivities! » Read More
Airport Boulevard Railroad Grade Separation, Thermal
By Joe Gonzalez, P.E.
ASCE Orange County held its August lunch event at the Center Club in Costa Mesa. We had a great presentation on the Airport Boulevard Railroad Grade Separation project in the Community of Thermal, which is currently under construction. » Read More
Sustainability Tour | Newport Beach Civic Center + Park
By Nathan Chase, PE, ENV SP, LEED AP
We would like to thank the City of Newport Beach for hosting a presentation this past June on the lessons learned in sustainability during the planning, design, construction, and use of the City’s Civic Center and Park. Director of Public Works, Dave Webb PE, presented on the $140M project completed in 2013 and certified at the LEED Gold level. Dave and a few other City staff members also guided the nearly 40 attendees on a walking tour highlighting various sustainable features of the buildings and site. » Read More
Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project Presentation
By: Vincent Ip, PE
On July 15, 2015, Mr. Ibrahim Hafeez, project manager and construction manager, City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, gave a very informative presentation about the Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project, at UCI’s University Club. This presentation was hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers, Orange County Transportation Technical Group, as part of their ongoing series presenting topical projects and programs addressing local and regional transportation needs. » Read More
Orange County Loop
By: Sherry Weinmeier, PE, LEED AP, ENV SP
Active transportation and improved quality of life—our government leaders from the local level to the federal level recognize these are important for a sustainable future. That’s why our local leaders are preparing studies and seeking funding for 28 miles of bike lanes and trails in Orange County that will ultimately form a nearly 70-mile loop through North Orange County known as the OC Loop. » Read More
Water District Panel (MWDOC, OCWD, SMWD, and MNWD)
By: Jenny Robinet/Jose Cruz, MS, PE
As a result of the current drought in California, state law makers took action this past July and issued mandatory water cuts to water suppliers throughout the state to help alleviate water supply concerns and mitigate the impact of the drought. By February 2016, water districts and suppliers throughout the state are required to reduce their water use by a specified percentage. The required reduction percentage varies per district/supplier, but the overall average cut is 25%. » Read More
Thank you City of Santa Ana Public Works Agency | Bristol Street Greenroads Sustainability Seminar
By: Nathan Chase, PE, ENV SP, LEED AP ND
We would like to thank the City of Santa Ana's presenters (Mindy Ly, PE and Ehab Elias, PE) for sharing their experience on the Bristol Street Improvements and Widening project, which was recently certified at the Bronze level under the Greenroads rating system for sustainable roadways. Their presentation on this pioneering project drew a crowd of over 60 attendees at a lunchtime event held at UCI in April 2015. » Read More
Environmental Panel Discussion
By: Joe Gonzalez, P.E.
ASCE Orange County held its June lunch event at the Center Club in Costa Mesa. We had a great panel of that included a permit manage and environmental planners representing Orange County Public Works, Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), and Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA). The topics presented were related to permitting, environmental mitigation, and environmental restoration. » Read More
ASCE Orange County Branch and APWA Southern California Chapter Host Joint Presentation on the SR-91 Design-Build Project
By Michael Pierce
On May 28th, ASCE Orange County Branch and APWA Southern California Chapter hosted a joint lunch program for a presentation on the $1.4 billion SR-91 Design-Build Project. David Thomas, Project Manager for the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) gave very informative updates on the current status of the project as well as where it should be in the near and distant future. » Read More
General Meeting - Transportation Panel
ASCE Orange County held its April lunch event at the Center Club in Costa Mesa. We had a panel of transportation experts representing FHWA, Caltrans, and the private sector. The topics presented were related to highway operations and performance measures. » Read More
I-405 Improvement Project
On March 16, 2015, Mr. Jeff Mills, Program Manager with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), spoke to 65 transportation professionals and university students at UCI’s University Club, about the proposed Interstate 405 (I-405) Improvement project. This presentation was hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers, Orange County Transportation Technical Group, as part of their ongoing series presenting topical projects and programs addressing regional transportation needs. » Read More
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge - A Tale of Two Bridges
Dr. Maroney began the presentation as a “…tale of two bridges,” a metaphor for the austerity of the bridge coupled with the challenges of its construction. Dr. Maroney described the trying experience as he scientifically and methodically examined the failure of a select set of critical anchor bolts for the shear keys and bearings at Pier E-2 – which had broken within a year of installation. The audience was led through this trying experience from the perspective of the Chief Bridge Engineer, which was unassumingly humble and, in this author’s opinion, an incredible example for both young and senior engineers alike to look back on when they are in a time of trial or difficulty. Under great criticism and scrutiny, » Read More
Using 3D-Hybrid Animation of XPSWMM Results as a Tool to Educate Stakeholders and Communities on Flood Hazards
At the Orange County Branch EWRI February Luncheon, presenters from Michael Baker International presented the use of 3D animation to convey advanced hydraulic modeling results. Two case studies were used as examples to verify the use of 3D animation. » Read More
The Structural Engineering Institute has a new Chairman! Welcome Chad Harden, PE, SE!
The Orange County ASCE Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) was created just last year to provide a resource and social environment for civil/structural engineers in Orange County of all disciplines (bridges, buildings and other civil structures). During February we celebrated “e-week,” a nationwide celebration of engineering. Engineers across the nation were reaching out to students to give a first glimpse of the potential of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)… maybe even combining art into the mix (see STEAM movement for engineering innovation). » Read More
2015 Annual Awards Dinner
On Wednesday, February 18 2015, ASCE OC celebrated their annual awards night at the Center Club in Costa Mesa. Over 200 people were in attendance as we honored outstanding individuals and projects for 2014. A total of 35 awards were given out, including 21 project awards and 14 individual awards. » Read More
Gobernadora Basin – An Innovative Multi-Objective Basin for Stormwater Treatment and Reuse
It’s rare to find a single flood control design facility which can provide numerous functions and meet multiple objectives. The Gobernadora Detention Basin, located in Southern Orange County, California, accomplishes just that. The innovative stormwater management multi-purpose basin is the very definition of integrated watershed planning with the intent to maximize water resources beneficial uses. On Thursday, December 4, 2014, attendees of the Orange County Environmental and Water Resources Institute (OC EWRI) Technical Luncheon were treated to an in depth and personal exploration of the proposed 30-acre Gobernadora Detention Basin. » Read More
California High Speed Rail—a Transformative Investment in California’s Future
On January 13, 2015, American Society of Civil Engineers, Orange County Transportation Technical Group hosted a presentation on California High Speed Rail. Mr. Sam Alameddine, Southern California Regional Delivery Manager, California High Speed Rail Authority, spoke to 65 transportation professionals and university students at UCI's University Club. His Power Point presentation and talk was titled "A Transformative Investment in California's Future." » Read More
OCTA Highway Programs Continuous Improvement Initiative
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is tasked with delivering several multi-million dollar transportation projects. Projects include improvements to all major freeways in Orange County and several Grade Separation projects. » Read More