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President's Message

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Dear Fellow Engineers and Friends:

““Top Hat”/ “Cut and Cap,” these terms used lately regarding the oil spill crisis are bringing engineers to the spotlight. The BP Horizon explosion one month ago has catapulted engineers as the leading news story in trying to cap the well that is releasing approximately one million gallons of oil into the Gulf every day. So far the efforts to cap the well have been unsuccessful, but hopefully there will be a solution soon. Typically, engineers do not “get press” until a disaster strikes. The public is asking, “Why couldn’t the problem have been foreseen?” They ask the same questions of infrastructure. Two years ago, the I-35W bridges in Minnesota collapsed. In 2009, ASCE released the National Infrastructure Report Card with an overall grade of D. In Texas, the overall grade was C-. In Sunday’s paper, the CEO of IBM discussed the need to increase the infrastructure investment in transportation by leveraging technology. This information has been made public that the infrastructure is crumbling, so the question should really be “What are the solutions that we can begin to implement to improve our failing infrastructure?” ASCE National has been conducting Infrastructure Roundtables that discuss potential solutions. Although it may seem that the failing infrastructure is a national problem, it becomes a very personal issue when it affects you. What can we do in Houston?

ASCE Houston is spearheading an event to educate the public on infrastructure and why infrastructure investment is important. The event will occur this fall, with townhall sessions, an education festival for K-12, a candidate meet and greet and a gubernatorial debate. The Infrastructure Townhall is in the planning stage. A committee has been formed and volunteers are needed for education, finance, administration and publicity committees. The townhall sessions will educate the public on different infrastructure topics, such as transportation, water, drainage, energy grid, sustainability and airports and ports. The sessions will have a speaker, moderator and panelists. The public will be able to ask questions, which we will be able to compile for future use. ASCE Houston will be able to use information and solutions from the Infrastructure Roundtables to provide to the public. The educational festival will give the public opportunities to experience hands-on engineering experiments, as well as see “what lies beneath”. We are expecting a huge turnout, so volunteers are needed for planning and the day of the event. If you would like to be a part of this exciting event, please contact infrastructure@ascehouston.org or contact me at president@ascehouston.org for more information.

We had a great meeting in May with Mike Talbott giving an update on the Harris County Flood Control District. Although money is tight, the District is working hard to use their budget wisely. The June meeting will feature Jim Grace from Baker Botts, who will present on Public Private Partnerships. I look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,

B. Andrea Cheng Ranft, P.E.

4-Jun-10 11:00 PM

Houston Branch Meeting Main Speaker

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 03:00:00 GMT

BP Oil Spill

Professor Satish Nagarajaiah

Professor Satish Nagarajaiah holds a joint appointment between the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, and the Mechanical Engineering and Material Science Department at Rice University. He obtained his Ph.D. (1987-1990) from State University of New York at Buffalo, where he was a post-doctoral researcher before he started his academic career in 1993.

Dr. Nagarajaiah’s teaching and research interests are in the areas of structural dynamic systems and control; smart-structures-materials-sensors; system identification; monitoring; applied nanotechnology; earthquake and wind engineering; offshore structures; civil, mechanical and aerospace engineering. His research is funded by the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Energy, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, other state and Federal Agencies. National Science Foundation has awarded him the prestigious faculty early CAREER award for his research in structural control. He has published nearly sixty journal papers and over hundred conference papers. He currently supervises seven Ph.D. students. He holds two U.S. Patents. Visit the following web site www.ruf.rice.edu/~nagaraja for full details.

Dr. Nagarajaiah currently serves as the co-editor of the international journal—structural control and health monitoring journal [Wiley Journal], and serves on the editorial board of four other international journals. He served as the associate editor for the journal of structural engineering (2002-2006) and as the guest editor of several special issues in various journals. He currently serves as the chairman of ASCE Structural Engineering Institute, Technical Activities Division Executive Committee. He also serves as a member of the board of directors of the international association of structural control and monitoring. He served as the chair of the U.S. panel on structural control and monitoring (2006-2008). He was the founding chair structural health monitoring and control committee (2004-2006), ASCE-Engineering Mechanics Institute, and chair of the structural control committee (1998-2002), ASCE Structural Engineering Institute.

4-Jun-10 10:00 PM

Houston Branch Meeting Technical Session #1

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:30:00 GMT

Shoretec® Revetment Methods

Patrick Bonorden will be presenting Shoretec®.
Shoretec® offers the most durable, effective and environmentally-friendly, erosion control revetment methods for fighting severe erosion problems.

Whether you are an engineer, architect, designer, or contractor there are projects which require hard-armor revetment systems to prevent erosion of soils and sub grades. Shoretec is a leader in the design and manufacture of these systems. Our articulated concrete block (ACB) system is durable, aesthetic and an environmentally compatible solution at a cost savings of up to 50% when compared to traditional hard armor methods.

On sites where access is difficult or where the installation is of an irregular shape is required, Shoretec offers an attractive and economical solution.

4-Jun-10 9:30 PM

Houston Branch Meeting Technical Session #2

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:15:00 GMT

NEPA Documentation

Tim Kroeker

Tim Kroeker is a NEPA Specialist/Urban Planner with Berg Oliver Associates, Inc. He has a Master’s Degree in Environmental Design with a specialization in Urban Planning and Downtown Revitalization and has almost 15 years of experience in environmental planning projects in both the public and private sectors. Mr. Kroeker has specialized in environmental planning for transportation projects with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Arizona Department of Transportation and his responsibilities include project management, transportation master plans, bicycle and pedestrian master plans, organization and coordination of public meetings, presentation and reporting to senior public and appointed municipal, county, and state officials, preparation of technical documents, and GIS mapping. Mr. Kroeker has also been involved in developing long, medium, and short range infrastructure policy and program plans, he has written planning and regional transportation reports that include policy direction, and he has been involved in developing project direction. Mr. Kroeker has also been involved in economic development projects for townships in Cape Town, South Africa.

4-Jun-10 9:15 PM

Younger Member's Report

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:00:00 GMT

Fellow Younger Members,

Below is a recap of last month’s events and information regarding upcoming events.

Recap

9^th Annual Golf Tournament: On Friday, May 14^th the Younger Members hosted the 9^th Annual ASCE Golf Tournament to benefit our scholarship fund for our local universities. The scramble-style tourney was held at the Cypresswood Golf Course. There were 53 players in attendance, each helping raise $3,300 for our scholarship fund. The winning team, consisting of David Ellett, Kirk Eager, and Franco Puentes, shot an impressive 60 strokes. Special thanks to our sponsors and also Scott Marr and Jeri Ji for organizing this event.

Joint Rock Climbing Event w/ AIChe: On Saturday May 15^th, we participated in a joint social event with AIChe at the Texas Rock Gym. There were 14 people between both societies in attendance. Everyone that attempted seemed to be successful at making it to the top at least once. After we exhausted ourselves from our respective climbs we enjoyed some pizza and conversation. Special thanks to Laura Espinoza for helping put on this event.

Upcoming Events

ASCE Night Out at Minute Maid Park: Come join us to watch the Houston Astros take on the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park on June 19th at 7:05 pm. This will be a joint event with the Fort Worth Branch. We will be given a tour of the park at 3:00 pm and afterwards we get to watch some of batting practice from the Diamond Club level seats. Tickets are just $25 and includes the game, tour and Nolan Ryan Bobblehead! You can RSVP online at http://ascehouston.org/en/cev/125. Please specify if you will be attending the tour. Bring guests! Please contact Brett Pope (bapope@terracon.com) if you have any questions.

Brett Pope

ASCE Houston Younger Member Forum Chair

If you are age 35 or younger and want to join the Younger Members Group, please email Brett Pope at bapope@terracon.com.

4-Jun-10 9:00 PM

Treasurer's Report

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 01:00:00 GMT

As of June 1, 2010
Paypal	$	4,560.17
Money Market	$	27,733.79
Main Checking	$	6,238.18
Section Mtg. Checking	$	1,000.00
Certificate of Deposit	$	40,846.63
Total	$	80,378.77

4-Jun-10 8:00 PM

Membership Report

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Currently, adjusted assignments to the Houston Branch include 2942 members. 86% of all National renewals (2108 members) elected to pay their Texas Section Dues. Thank you for your strong ASCE participation!

2009-2010 ASCE Houston Branch Membership Report
Report Date		Total Assigned Membership	Total National Dues Paid		Total Section Dues Paid
September	9/2/2009	2981	2557	86%	2051	80%
October	10/7/2009	3114	2602	84%	2105	81%
November	11/3/2009	3140	2644	84%	2165	82%
December	12/3/2009	3160	1441	46%	1253	87%
January	1/5/2010	3202	1856	58%	1583	85%
February	2/3/2010	3242	2097	65%	1778	85%
March	3/3/2010	3290	2260	69%	1909	84%
April	4/5/2010	3319	2375	72%	1987	84%
May	5/3/2010	2916	2464	85%	2057	83%
June	6/3/2010	2942	2528	86%	2108	83%

Current active Members are eligible to win special monthly and quarterly prizes through the 2009-2010 Member-Get-A-Member drive (http://content.ascedrive.org/).

Who do I contact with Membership questions?

Houston Branch Membership Chair:

Anthony Luce, aluce@browngay.com, 713-488-8146

National Membership Contact - memrec@asce.org or call 800-548-2723

How to Join - https://www.asce.org/membership/howtojoin.cfm

Online Application - https://www.asce.org/online/

Renew Your Membership - https://www.asce.org/lib/redirect/

Additional Membership Information - https://www.asce.org/membership/

4-Jun-10 7:00 PM

Monthly Trivia

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 23:00:00 GMT

Questions of the Month

The questions of the Month became interactive. Click the link below to test your knowledge!!

http://www.ascehouston.org/en/sur/?7

Solution to May's Questions

1. How may seconds are in a day?
85460.40
86400.00 (there are only 86400 seconds per day)
86457.40
86456.60

2. How many days are in a year?
364.25
365.00
365.50
365.25 (There are 365.24 days per year, the .25 is saved up and corrected every 4th year
on Leap Year)

4-Jun-10 6:00 PM

President's Message

Fri, 07 May 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Dear Fellow Engineers and Friends:

The April Meeting was great with a mix of engineers at different places in their careers. We awarded seven students with scholarships, recognized one newly licensed P.E. and congratulated six members on becoming Life Members. Engineers without Borders was the main speaker and provided information on projects in Africa and Nigeria. As ASCE Partners, we have a great opportunity to support them financially as well as professionally. They are looking for mentors and project managers for different projects. If you hear the calling, please contact EWB-Houston.

The Education Committee held a successful seminar with “FEMA 55: Coastal Construction Manual (for Residential Construction)”. FEMA and the Houston Branch are contemplating a follow-up seminar in the summer. Look for emails and visit the website for information. The Technical Programs will be hosting a HEC-RAS – Unsteady Flow seminar on May 19^th. The spots are filling up fast, so register today!

The May meeting will be a lunch meeting with technical sessions. Mike Talbott, P.E., of Harris County Flood Control will be the speaker. HCFCD has been busy with preparing an update of their design guidelines, as well as drainage projects. We look forward to his update.

Another tragedy has struck the engineering community. The Deepwater Horizon project, which was highlighted last year, exploded and sunk this past month. Unfortunately, the oil is still flowing and has not been capped yet. Hopefully, the engineers working on the solution will be able to solve it soon. The effects on the economy and ecology have yet to be determined. We need to learn from this project on how we can improve designs and safety measures and to discuss worst-case scenario solutions.

The ASCE Houston Board had a great opportunity at the last Board Meeting to talk with the National President Blaine Leonard, P.E. He was in town for the Offshore Technology Conference and stopped by to meet the Board and share his thoughts on sustainability and infrastructure. He was very interested in the Low Impact Design Competition and ASCE Houston’s role in supporting sustainability.

ASCE Houston Branch wants to keep the engineering community updated with ASCE initiatives, new technology and best practices. If you have a particular need that you want us to fulfill, please let me know at president@ascehouston.org.

Sincerely,

B. Andrea Cheng Ranft, P.E.

6-May-10 11:00 PM

Houston Branch Meeting Main Speaker

Fri, 07 May 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Harris County Flood Control District Programs and Projects

Michael D. Talbott, P.E.

MICHAEL D. TALBOTT, P.E., the Director of the Harris County Flood Control District in Houston, Texas, has been with the district for 29 years. Under his direction, the district carries out its mission to devise countywide flood damage reduction plans, implement those plans, and maintain the infrastructure. That mission is executed in the third most populated county in the United States, with a population in excess of 3.9 million, which includes the City of Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city. The district has jurisdiction over the primary stormwater facilities in the county, which consist of about 1,500 channels, totaling nearly 2,500 miles in length, as well as more than 40 regional stormwater detention basins and a 2.5-square mile wetlands mitigation bank. Mr. Talbott is active in a number of associations, local committees and task force groups relating to stormwater planning and environmental management. Mr. Talbott is a licensed professional engineer with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston.

6-May-10 10:00 PM

Houston Branch Meeting Technical Session #1

Fri, 07 May 2010 02:00:00 GMT

Abstract:

The Harris County Flood Control District’s (HCFCD) Model and Map Management (M3) System is an interactive tool designed to manage changes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) effective floodplain models for Harris County. The goal of the M3 System is to distribute FEMA effective models to the engineering community and general public, track ongoing changes to the models resulting from development projects, and facilitate communication between FEMA, HCFCD, Local Floodplain Administrators, and the community. The technical session will provide a general overview of the M3 System and present the key components that assist HCFCD in managing model change.

Bio:

Tommy Middleton,CFM is the Project Manager for the M3 System. He has 12 years experience with the Harris County Flood Control District and is currently a member of the HCFCD Planning Department.

6-May-10 9:00 PM

Younger Member's Report

Fri, 07 May 2010 01:00:00 GMT

Fellow Younger Members,

Below is a recap of last month’s events and information regarding upcoming events.

Recap

Graduation Picnic: On Saturday, May 1^st we met at Memorial park for our annual Graduation Picnic for students at our local universities. There were around 12 attendees, which included students from both University of Houston and Rice. We enjoyed the nice weather along with more than enough barbeque to go around. The students gladly took with them all of the leftovers we had. Special thanks to Gareth Young and Julio Salinas for putting on this event. Congratulations to all of the Graduates!

Upcoming Events

9^th Annual Golf Tournament: On Friday, May 14^th at 8:00 am, the Younger Members will be hosting the 9^th Annual ASCE Golf Tournament to benefit our scholarship fund for our local universities. The four team scramble-style tourney will be held at the Cypresswood Golf Course. Burgers and Chicken will be served during lunch and snacks and beverages will be provided during tournament play. Bring your friends, clients or coworkers and join us for all the fun!

Registration fees are $100 for individuals, $50 for government employees and $50 for students. Registration is open until April 30^th and late registration ends May 7^th(Additional $10 fee applies). There are also sponsoring opportunities that range from our Bronze level ($150) to our Platinum level ($750). See our flyer along with the registration form attached on our website.

(http://www.ascehouston.org/en/cms/?1029)

Please contact either Scott Marr (smarr@fugro.com) or Jeri Ji (jeri.ji@kimley-horn.com) for additional information regarding the tournament.

Joint Rock Climbing Event w/ AIChe: On Saturday May 15^th, we will be having a joint social event with AIChe at the Texas Rock Gym from 10am to 1pm. The Texas Rock Gym is located at 1526 Campbell Road, Houston, TX 77005. Cost totals $15 per person with our group discount. Free pizza will also be included. Please show up on time at 10am to participate in the safety training course prior to rock climbing. RSVP at http://yp.sts‑aiche.org/ by Friday, May 14th. Please contact Lauren Espinoza (lgespinoza@lan-inc.com) if you have any questions.

Brett Pope

ASCE Houston Younger Member Forum Chair

If you are age 35 or younger and want to join the Younger Members Group, please email Brett Pope at bapope@terracon.com.

6-May-10 8:00 PM

Treasurer's Report

Fri, 07 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As of May 3, 2010
Paypal	$	2,493.99
Money Market	$	27,458.23
Main Checking	$	8,860.10
Section Mtg. Checking	$	6,260.89
Certificate of Deposit	$	40,638.54
Total	$	85,711.75

6-May-10 7:00 PM

Membership Report

Thu, 06 May 2010 23:00:00 GMT

Currently, adjusted assignments to the Houston Branch include 2916 members. 83% of all National renewals (2057 members) elected to pay their Texas Section Dues. Thank you for your strong ASCE participation!

2009-2010 ASCE Houston Branch Membership Report
Report Date		Total Assigned Membership	Total National Dues Paid		Total Section Dues Paid
September	9/2/2009	2981	2557	86%	2051	80%
October	10/7/2009	3114	2602	84%	2105	81%
November	11/3/2009	3140	2644	84%	2165	82%
December	12/3/2009	3160	1441	46%	1253	87%
January	1/5/2010	3202	1856	58%	1583	85%
February	2/3/2010	3242	2097	65%	1778	85%
March	3/3/2010	3290	2260	69%	1909	84%
April	4/5/2010	3319	2375	72%	1987	84%
May	5/3/2010	2916	2464	85%	2057	83%

Current active Members are eligible to win special monthly and quarterly prizes through the 2009-2010 Member-Get-A-Member drive (http://content.ascedrive.org/).

Who do I contact with Membership questions?

Houston Branch Membership Chair:

Anthony Luce, aluce@browngay.com, 713-488-8146

National Membership Contact - memrec@asce.org or call 800-548-2723

How to Join - https://www.asce.org/membership/howtojoin.cfm

Online Application - https://www.asce.org/online/

Renew Your Membership - https://www.asce.org/lib/redirect/

Additional Membership Information - https://www.asce.org/membership/

6-May-10 6:00 PM

Monthly Trivia

Thu, 06 May 2010 22:00:00 GMT

Questions of the Month

The questions of the Month became interactive. Click the link below to test your knowledge!!

http://www.ascehouston.org/en/sur/?6

Solution to April's Questions

In which State can you find - The Seneca Caverns - Ohio

In which State can you find - The Multnomah Falls - Oregon

In which state can you find - The Sand Hills - Nebraska

In which state can you find - The Tonto National Forrest - Arizona

In which state can you find - The Salton Sea - California

In which state can you find - The Moundville Archaelogical Park - Alabama

In which state can you find - The Coleman Glacier - Washington

In which state can you find - The Creelsboro Natural Bridge - Kentucky

In which state can you find - The Sleeping Bear Dunes - Michigan

In which state can you find - The Avery Island Salt Dome - Louisiana

In which state can you find - The Devil's Sinkhole - Texas

In which state can you find - The Mammoth Spring - Arkansas

In which state can you find - The Diamond Head State Monument - Hawaii

In which state can you find - The Three Saints Bay - Alaska

In which state can you find - The Garden of the Gods - Colorado

In which state can you find - The Valley of Fire - Nevada

In which state can you find - The Lost Sea - Tennessee

In which state can you find - The Madison Boulder - New Hampshire

In which state can you find - The Niagara Springs - Idaho

In which state can you find - The Badlands - South Dakota

In which state can you find - The Lost World Caverns - West Virginia

In which state can you find - The Cave of the Mounds - Wisconsin

In which state can you find - The Susquehanna Water Gap - Pennsylvania

In which state can you find - The Mount Katahdin - Maine

In which state can you find - The Cold Water Cave - Iowa

In which state can you find - The Devil's Tower - Wyoming

In which state can you find - The Ohio Coral Reef - Indiana

In which state can you find - The Rainbow Springs State Park - Florida

In which state can you find - The Pilot Mountain - North Carolina

In which state can you find - The Great Salt Plains - Oklahoma

In which state can you find - The Chimney Bluffs - New York

In which state can you find - The Bryce Canyon - Utah

In which state can you find - The Calvert Cliffs - Maryland

In which state can you find - The Gila Cliff Dwellings - New Mexico

In which state can you find - The Grand Caverns - Virginia

In which state can you find - The Wassaw Island - Georgia

In which state can you find - The Giant City State Park- Illinois

In which state can you find - The Gay Head Cliffs- Massachusetts

In which state can you find - The Marvel Cave- Missouri

In which state can you find - The Glacial Lake Missoula - Montana

In which state can you find - The Great Falls of the Passaic River - New Jersey

In which state can you find - The St. Phillips Island - South Carolina

In which state can you find - The Camels Hump Mountain - Vermont

In which state can you find - The Mushroom Rock State Park - Kansas

In which state can you find - The Avon Mountain - Connecticut

In which state can you find - The Big Piney Island - Delaware

In which state can you find - The Vermillion Falls - Minnesota

In which state can you find - Tombigbee National Forest - Mississippi

In which state can you find - Beavertail State Park - Rhode Island

In which state can you find - Lake Sakakawea - North Dakota

In which state can you find - The Cold Water Cave - Iowa

In which state can you find - The Pilot Mountain - North Carolina

In which state can you find - The Cave of the Mounds - Wisconsin

6-May-10 5:00 PM

President's Message

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Dear Fellow Engineers and Friends:

Last month, ASCE Houston Branch held the “Sustainability Meeting” which featured technical presentations from all the winners of the Low Impact Design competition and the main speaker, John Blount, P.E. of Harris County Public Infrastructure Department spoke about Harris County’s goals for the Green Roadway and sustainability.

As engineers we need to be the driving force for sustainability, if not others will be telling us what to do. We need to provide input on regulations, since the decisions and guidelines will affect our design and the way we do business. The Houston Branch will continue to provide opportunities for members to learn of new guidelines or practices.

As many of you know, ASCE is a partner with Engineers Without Borders and I am pleased that they will be the main speaker this month. As engineers, we provide infrastructure within our community. Engineers Without Borders “helps create a more stable and prosperous world by addressing people's basic human needs by providing necessities such as clean water, power, sanitation and education.” The speakers will present on projects and how they are affecting the quality of life for others.

In continued support for technical education, we have several technical seminars scheduled. On April 22^nd, “FEMA 55: Coastal Construction Manual (for Residential Construction)” is scheduled. Registration is open now, so make plans to attend this informative seminar. On May 19^th, a HEC-RAS seminar is being planned. Watch for the registration flyer.

This past month, ASCE Houston Branch members attended the Legislative Fly-In. This program provides opportunities for ASCE to meet with their members of Congress to discuss infrastructure issues. In today’s economy, infrastructure is critical to job creation and the movement of goods and people. Poor infrastructure can affect economic growth through traffic congestion or reduction of services. We need to continue to show our leaders that strong infrastructure will promote a strong economy.

Sincerely,

B. Andrea Cheng Ranft, P.E.

11-Apr-10 11:00 PM

Houston Branch Meeting Main Speaker - Ethics Presentation

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Engineers Without Borders and its Role in Ethical Engineering, Sustainable Development, and Haiti Relief Work

By Ruth Alkons Wolinsky Engineers Without Borders – Central Houston Chapter

Engineers Without Borders (EWB) fills a unique role in developing world work between national and local governments, non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), community workers, and relief organizations.In this talk, we will discuss the background and intent of the work of EWB, and how EWB fits into disaster work in Haiti and the Tsunami Relief efforts in Southeast Asia.We will also explore the efforts EWB undertakes to implement sustainable projects and operate in an ethical manner.

Ruth is an environmental engineer at CH2M Hill, where she works in water and wastewater engineering and water resources management. She graduated in 2001 from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor's in Civil Engineering. In 2005, she completed a master's degree in Environmental Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While in graduate school, she co-founded UNC's chapter of Engineers Without Borders, whose first endeavor was a rainwater catchment project in

Cambodia

. She moved to Minnesota in the winter of 2005 and joined the Minnesota Professional Chapter of EWB. She traveled to Guatemala in 2007 to install a water system and started a water project in Honduras. In January 2009, she moved to Houston and transferred to the Central Houston Professional Chapter of EWB.

Ruth serves as the educational chair for the Houston chapter and also became the project manager of a water and power project at a hospital in Kenya in August of 2009. She led a six person team for an assessment of the Kenya site in January, and plans to travel back in August to install the water system. In March 2010, Ruth traveled to Nicaragua with the University of Houston student chapter for the assessment phase of a school construction project.

11-Apr-10 10:00 PM

Houston Branch Meeting Technical Speaker #1

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 02:00:00 GMT

Steve Smith

Surface Water Rights in Houston

Steve is the Manager of the Water Section of the Region 12 Houston office of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). In that role he is charged with managing the domestic and industrial wastewater, pretreatment, storm water, public drinking water, utility district creation, on site sewage facility and emergency response programs of the agency. Steve earned his BS in Biology and MS in Aquatic Biology from Southwest Texas State University. He has been employed by the TCEQ and its predecessor agencies for the past 26 years. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Biology with the Lone Star College District where he has taught for the past 22 years. Steve sits on numerous committees and workgroups at the city, county, state and national level.

11-Apr-10 9:00 PM

Houston Branch Meeting Technical Speaker #2

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 01:30:00 GMT

Roma Garg

Transportation Research in the Houston Area

Ms. Roma Garg, Assistant Transportation Engineer at Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), Houston, has over 17 years experience in the field of Civil engineering and over 7 years experience in the field of Transportation engineering. She is a registered professional engineer in the State of Texas and a certified Professional Traffic Operations Engineer. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering) and a Master of Engineering (Structural Engineering) degree from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, India. She also holds a Master of Science (Civil Engineering) from Texas A&M University, College Station. She is married to Charles Stevens and has a daughter – Asha.

11-Apr-10 8:30 PM

Upcoming Events

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Thursday, April 8
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
H-GAC Building
Second Floor
Conference Room A

SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN CHALLENGE RETROSPECTIVE:

Everything you wanted to know, but didn't get a chance to ask at the Finals Event

In the first of three retrospective sessions covering each of the three Design Challenge categories in the recent Low Impact Development Design Competition, you'll hear expanded versions of the Finals Event presentations given by the three Finalist teams in the Suburban Residential category. The floor will be open for questions, making this an ideal opportunity to explore the findings of these teams as they developed their Low Impact Development (LID) solutions for the Competition.

Members of the Finals Jury, along with sponsors and organizers will also be on hand to take your questions.
Seating is limited to 120, so please reserve your seat soon. RVSP by clicking here.

Co-Sponsored by ASCE-Houston

*********************************************************************************

Thursday, May 6
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
H-GAC Building
Second Floor
Conference Room A

URBAN REDEVELOPMENT DESIGN CHALLENGE RETROSPECTIVE:

Everything you wanted to know, but didn't get a chance to ask at the Finals Event, Part II

The City of Houston TIRZ 15 Board, who provided the subject property for this design challenge will be special guests at this program. With the recent developments in the proposed Soccer Stadium negotiations, this design challenge takes on new significance. Come and participate as the Board quizzes the teams, and add your own questions to the mix.

Members of the Finals Jury, along with sponsors and organizers will also be on hand to take your questions.
Seating is limited to 120, so please reserve your seat soon. RVSP by clicking here.

Co-Sponsored by AIA-Houston

***************************************************************

Early June, Date TBD
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location TBD

GREEN ROADWAY DESIGN CHALLENGE RETROSPECTIVE:

Everything you wanted to know, but didn't get a chance to ask at the Finals Event, Part III

11-Apr-10 7:00 PM