President's Message - Student Chapters
By Gary Gilbert, PE, GE
One of the reasons I accepted the opportunity to join the ASCE Orange County Branch…
Read More »Branch News - OCTA Highway Programs
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The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is tasked with delivering several multi-million dollar transportation projects. …
Read More »2015 Corporate Sponsors
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The ASCE OC Branch has unveiled a new "sponsorship package" program for 2015! We are…
Read More »In This Issue
President's Message - Student Chapters
By Gary Gilbert, PE, GE
One of the reasons I accepted the opportunity to join the ASCE Orange County Branch (OC Branch) Board of Directors was to engage with the student chapters and find ways to create more opportunities for them to grow. I joined ASCE as a student member at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) and since graduating I have been able to see what other student chapters in ASCE are able to accomplish. Therefore, one of my strategic goals as president of the ASCE OC Branch this year is to help strengthen and grow the CSULB, University of California, Irvine (UCI), and California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) student chapters.
Branch News - OCTA Highway Programs
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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.
2015 Corporate Sponsors
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The ASCE OC Branch has unveiled a new "sponsorship package" program for 2015! We are excited to introduce our FIVE Gold Sponsors and THREE Bronze Sponsors for 2015.
New Members - January 2015
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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.
Law and CE News - Design Immunity
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Design Immunity, Government Code section 830.6 is one of the most powerful and effective defenses a public entity has to avoid liability. Yearly there are upwards of 22,000 lawsuits filed in California for personal injury, property damage and wrongful death claims. Nearly half of those claims are filed in Los Angeles and Orange County. Both the state and federal government have enacted statutes which give people the right to sue public entities when there is a dangerous condition on the public property that leads to injuries. Therefore, it is crucial that public entities establish guidelines and standards of practice to ensure the availability of design immunity in the event that a claim is made. The legal experts at Collins Collins Muir + Stewart LLP discuss Design Immunity an effective tool for Public Entities.
ASCE OC Awards
By Tapas Dutta, PE
Congratulations to the ASCE OC Award Winners! Each year the Orange County Branch recognizes outstanding projects and individuals from the civil engineering industry at our February Awards dinner. This year our awards dinner will be held on Wednesday February 18, 2015 at the Center Club in Costa Mesa. Join us in recognizing the outstanding individuals and civil engineering projects selected for a 2015 Award!
TTG - CA HSR
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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."
EWRI - Gobernadora Basin
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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.
Mentorship - Program Update
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Starting May 2014, OC Branch and OC YMF teamed up to implement a mentorship program to provide guidance and support for young civil engineers while giving experienced engineers an opportunity to give back their lessons and knowledge to the civil engineering community.
ASCE LA Section - Life Member Brunch
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A brunch will be held in Honor of those members who have advanced to Life Member status in the society and in recognition of their career achievements on March 7, 2015.
Community Service
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The ASCE OC Branch is looking for opportunities to partner with HomeAid Orange County (HomeAid OC). HomeAid OC was founded 25 years ago by leaders in the building industry. There are now 15 HomeAid chapters nationally, and the movement continues to grow and increase in impact. HomeAid exists to end homelessness. Since its inception, HomeAid OC has created 50 shelters serving men, women and children experiencing homelessness. We achieve this through Advocacy, Development, and Service. For more information about HomeAid OC please visit [url=http://www.homeaidoc.org]http://www.homeaidoc.org[/url]
OCSEF - Call for Volunteers
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The Orange County Science & Engineering Fair (OCSEF) will be held at the Orange County Fairgrounds again this year in April. More volunteers are needed than ever before as OCSEF has associated with the Imaginology Fair. We are seeking volunteers daily from April 21st-26th (Tuesday-Sunday).
Sustainability - Drought & OC Water Infrastructure Workshop Recap
By Sam Ali, PE, ENV SP and Nathan Chase, PE, ENV SP
The Sustainability Committee for ASCE-OC organized a seminar entitled “The Drought and Water Infrastructure” on Friday, October 31, 2014. More than 30 professionals and 7 civil engineering students attended the seminar. The seminar was conducted at the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) Multi-Purpose room. In addition to hosting, IRWD also provided refreshments and IT support. We would like to thank IRWD for their contribution to educate the civil engineering professionals on ways different agencies are implementing sustainable infrastructure and water efficiency programs.
PSBC - Call for Volunteers
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ASCE annually hosts a Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition (PSBC) for the high school students in the Los Angeles, Orange County and San Bernardino/Riverside County area. This year’s event will be held at Los Angeles Union Station on February 28, 2015.
Sustainability - Proposition 1 Water Bond
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An update on plans for spending funds for the $7.5B Proposition 1 Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 (aka “Water Bond”). The Governor’s 2015-16 Budget shows that $532M of the Proposition 1 funds will be made available initially. Although limited information is currently available regarding specific projects that will benefit from Proposition 1 and their timing, highlights for Southern California are provided in this article.
Career Center - February 2015
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The ASCE OC Board of Directors has added a new section to the Newsletter for 2015 - Career Center! If you're looking for a career opportunity, or know someone who is, check out this section for local companies that are hiring.
Ragnar Relay Race - ONLY 5 SPOTS LEFT!!
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Time is RUNNING out! (pun intended!) Last chance to join the ASCE team for the Ragnar SoCal relay race on April 10-11.
UC Irvine Newsletter
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American Society of Civil Engineers, UCI chapter dedicated to enhancing members interests and perspectives in civil engineering through industry exposure and practical applications. Find out what is happening in the ASCE UCI student chapter.
YMF - The Legal Side of Engineering, Part 2
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The legal side of engineering is not something usually talked about. Instead, most people think of engineering as highly technical field. But although the latter is true, the legal aspects of engineering are just as important as the technical. Engineering students and young professionals learn topics like hydrology, transportation, planning and so on.
YMF - Joint YMF Ducks Game
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ASCE OC YMF hosted a joint event with Los Angeles and San Bernardino/Riverside YMF on Friday, January 16th.
ASCE OC YMF - HH & General Meeting
By Amanda Heise
The January General Meeting was held Tuesday, January 13 at The Auld Dubliner Irish Pub and Restaurant in the Tustin District.