Mark your Calendar!
Mark your calendar for the ASCE Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida—"Infrastructure for All Generations"
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Press Briefs
“Co-engineers Share Designs on Clean Water,” MIT News (online), March 5, 2007—A team of MIT students and their advisor have brought their ingenuity and technical skills to villages in Nepal to try to solve a very basic practical problem—providing clean drinking water at very low cost, reports an article in MIT News. According to the article, different types of solutions are required for less developed parts of the world with limited resources—filter systems must be affordable, reliable, easy to maintain, socially acceptable, and environmentally friendly. The result in Nepal is the distribution of more than 5000 inexpensive household water filters in 2006 that simultaneously remove arsenic and microorganism contamination, impacting about 40,000 people, the article reports. An additional 5000 filters are slated for distribution in 2007. According to Susan Murcott, a senior lecturer in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and leader of the MIT Nepal Water Project, the team’s technical designers partner with everyone from local university professors to illiterate peasants, notes the article. Now Murcott has turned to northern Ghana with support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to market ceramic water filters to help minimize the occurrence of cholera, typhoid, guinea worm disease and other water-borne diseases. Together with students from MIT engineering and the Sloan School of Management, the goal is to reach more than one million people in the region with the ceramic filters, the article says. Future targets for aid are Nicaragua, Haiti, Peru and Kenya. Worldwide, billions of people lack access to clean drinking water, greatly increasing the likelihood of illness and death. Read more
“Engineer Shortage: Researches Doubt the Lasting Power of Youth Outreach Models—Even Girls’ Day Faces Criticism,” by W. Schmitz, VDI Nachrichten, April 27, 2007—Researchers in Stuttgart, Germany, contend that programs intended to interest kids and young people in technology often see their effects dissipate, reports an article in the German engineering publication VDI Nachrichten. Even the popular Girls’ Day, in which girls visit technology workplaces, has come under criticism, the article says. However, according to Girls’ Day organizers, more than 40% of the visiting girls would be interested in pursuing training in the work they learned about. In addition, the program can help expose girls to jobs with which they are not familiar. While the last Girls’ Day had a record participation of 130,000 girls, the Stuttgart researchers contend that the annual program always involves a different set of participants. The researchers say that the program should have a mentoring follow-up to spur possible interest and not be a one-time exposure, the article reports. Moreover, other technology outreach programs for youth do not take advantage of a best-practices analysis, says the article. Some groups think they are doing something new without realizing that others have already undertaken the same thing. Coordination is reportedly lacking. Also common are programs that target the wrong age group with well-intentioned and attractive content, such as playfully dealing with tech phenomena with older students, when such an approach is better for kids and youth. A Girls’ Day spokesperson counters that technology companies that have participated repeatedly in the event show a stronger internal and external commitment to increase the number of women in their ranks, notes the article. The participating girls also go home to tell their parents about the new career opportunities to which they have been exposed. However, all agree that the needed shift in gender job outlooks has not yet been achieved, the article says. Read more (In German)
“Engineer Shortage Drives Pay, Conditions,” Sydney Morning Herald (online), April 30, 2007—Shortages in the local supply of engineers in Australia has industry experts worried about how the country will staff its upcoming engineering and construction projects, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. According to Chandler Macleod, an Australian human resources company that has reintroduced its engineering recruitment division (Entec), the country faces a shortfall of 18,000 engineers, with no indication of the situation easing in the next three to five years, the article says. Major infrastructure projects, such as the Olympic Dam Expansion in South Australia, may worsen the shortage, and some major projects have already reported human resources cost increases as high as 30%. An Entec executive says that demand for engineers is pushing up pay rates and employee benefits, the article reports. Read more
“Building engineering capacity key to Africa’s development,” Business Daily (Africa), May 3, 2007—In an opinion piece in Business Daily (Africa), Calestous Juma, a professor at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, sees engineering as crucial to developing the ability to provide clean water, good health care, adequate infrastructure, and safe food. Unfortunately, engineering has not taken a central role in development practice over the past three decades, the author notes. When irrigation projects led to breeding grounds for disease, and major infrastructure projects were linked to macroeconomic distortions, a backlash against such engineering arose, the article notes. However, the failure of development strategies has forced the international community to rethink the role of infrastructure in sustainable development, the author says. Engineering projects can stimulate growth by boosting employment opportunities and upping agricultural production. Developing local engineering knowledge therefore becomes key, which in turn, will require investments in the technical programs of institutions of higher learning, the article says. Better local engineering knowledge is needed to manage complex ecosystems such as forests, watersheds, and seas. Engineering can also impact agriculture. For example, engineering approaches applied to water scarcity can reduce the water needed to produce a unit of grain. Similarly, engineering know-how applied to remodeling landscapes and redesigning houses can help reduce mosquito breeding and malaria transmission, according to the article. However, such technological measures alone will not eliminate poverty and hunger, the author argues; the solutions must be part of an integrated strategy addressing human welfare overall. Read more
“Students Get a Dose of Global Culture,” PE, March, 2007—Engineering educators are offering new courses that help teach U.S. students what it takes to succeed in the global marketplace, reports PE magazine. For example, at Iowa State University, Professor Jim Bernard, P.E., introduced a collaborative, cross-disciplinary course in 2005 to examine the present and future impact of globalization. Created with the help of the university’s Department of World Languages and Cultures, the course “Technology, Globalization, and Culture” focuses on preparing students for leadership roles in diverse contexts, the article says. During the course, students hear presentations by leading professionals from the industry, business, and academia who confront the challenges of globalization in both theory and practice. Speakers have included former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich and Caterpillar Vice President James Waters Jr. “In order to be valuable in the global economy, [the students’] knowledge has to expand beyond Iowa,” Bernard is quoted as saying. Another course, introduced at Virginia Tech by professor Gary Downey, focuses on teaching students that engineering problems can be solved in different ways and that technical problems involve nontechnical aspects such as social, cultural, and ethical value dimensions, notes the article. The course covers the history and state of the engineering profession in France, Germany, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. For example, in France, elite engineers have often parlayed their abilities to a high prestige job in government, whereas the majority of engineers work in lower status jobs in industry, the article reports. Efforts are underway to expand the course to include Brazil, China, Columbia, Egypt, India, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan, says the article. Read more at http://www.nspe.org/pemagazine.asp
“World Cup stadium construction making headway,” by Nelendhre Moodley, Engineering News (South Africa) (online), May 7, 2007—Preparations for the World Cup soccer championship in South Africa in 2010 include the building and upgrading of 10 stadiums, reports an article in South Africa’s Engineering News. The Moses Mabhiba stadium in Durban is one of five venues South Africa is building from scratch for world soccer’s showpiece event. The other four are the Peter Mokaba complex in Polokwane—the northern outpost of South Africa; the Nelson Mandela stadium in Port Elizabeth; the Mbombela stadium, in Nelspruit; and the Green Point stadium in Cape Town, notes the article. Recent statements of a FIFA official raised skepticism about South Africa's readiness for the World Cup after potential shortcomings were exposed earlier this year. However, according to a FIFA spokesperson, the previous remarks had been taken out of context and FIFA has expressed full confidence in South Africa’s ability to host the tournament, says the article. According to a spokesperson for the Moses Mabhiba stadium, construction is moving ahead of schedule and should be finished by December 2008. Projected capital expenditures to build the 70,000-seat stadium are $232 million. One challenge will be finding the employees to meet demand. At construction peak, estimated as the end of 2007, about 2 000 employees would be working on this project. Currently about 500 are employed. Read more at http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=108432
News From ASCE
ASCE Provides Support to Virginia Tech Victims
As a result of the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and the worldwide civil engineering family lost a dedicated and seasoned professor, Dr. G.V. Loganathan, and eight promising young students. Two of the students came to the United States from abroad: Partahi Lombantoruan, of Indonesia and Waleed Shaalan,of Zagazig, Egypt.
On behalf of its 140,000 members, ASCE extended its deepest condolences not only to the Society's student and faculty members at Virginia Tech, but to all the students, faculty, staff and their families, who were affected by these incomprehensible events.
The CEE Department is pursuing multiple ways of honoring those who were lost, including establishing three memorial funds. The ASCE Board of Direction approved a $50,000 donation to the Virginia Tech memorial fund and members are encouraged to donate as well. ASCE President-Elect David Mongan traveled to the Virginia Tech campus to take part in a memorial service and extend ASCE’s condolences. Additional information on the funds and other memorial efforts can be found at http://www.cee.vt.edu/.
View Condolence Book
Engineers Visit Afghanistan for Capacity Building
The Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE), an organization of expatriate Afghans in North America and Western Europe that is focused on the re-development of Afghanistan, has joined with ASCE to develop a training program for start-up engineering firms and a mentoring program with US firms interested in “growing their own” partners in Afghanistan. The goal is to further engineering capacity that will accelerate construction of infrastructure essential to economic growth. The US Trade and Development Agency is providing the funding, and ASCE is managing the effort under an agreement with Kabul University.
Hadi Rakin (SAE) and Mike Goode (ASCE) traveled to Kabul in April to assess the state of the design and construction industry and existing business training programs and to establish a common vision of program objectives with Kabul University and other stakeholders. Rakin and Goode met with focus groups of Afghan contractors and engineers, Ministry representatives and the Society of Afghan Architects and Engineers—the fledgling professional society. Special meetings were held with the US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Agency for International Development Mission, receiving their commitment to support the program.
| The industry data gathered will be used to refine the training curriculum currently under development by ASCE and SAE, and to convey to prospective mentors the spectrum of available protégé candidates, their strengths and their needs. The trip also provided assurance that trainee candidates are available and interested. US engineering firms already working in Afghanistan also gave clear indication that they would benefit from mentoring start-up Afghan firms and would support the training. Overall the trip was of high value and conveyed the commitment of ASCE and SAE to deliver for Afghanistan. |
Dr. Ata Nazar, Dean, Engineering School at Kabul University (left) with Hadi Rakin, Chair, SAE |
ASCE Honors Machu Picchu, Tipon at Embassy
In early March 2007, members of ASCE attended a reception at the residence of the Ambassador of Peru, his Excellency, Felipe Ortiz de Zevallos, to present Peru with bronze plaques honoring the archeological sites of Machu Picchu and Tipon as International Historical Civil Engineering Landmarks. The reception was organized by the Peruvian Embassy, The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian, and ASCE. ASCE President Bill Marcuson opened the ceremony with a statement outlining the engineering and social significance of Machu Picchu and Tipon. Marcuson noted that Machu Picchu and Tipon infrastructure illustrates the advanced civil, hydraulic, and geotechnical engineering capabilities of the Inca people. On behalf of the President of Peru, Alain Garcia, Ambassador Felipe Ortiz de Zevallos recognized Ken and Ruth Wright for their efforts to document the wonders of these two sites, which are highlighted in a book published by ASCE. The Ambassador thanked ASCE as he accepted the Historic Civil Engineering Landmark plaques. Machu Picchu is one of the candidate sites for the New 7 Wonders of the World. To view nominated sites and vote go to http://www.new7wonders.com.
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The two plaques honoring Machu Picchu (left) and Tipon (right) as Historical Civil Engineering Landmarks. Shown at the ceremony are (left to right) Bernie Dennis, Vice Chairman of the ASCE History & Heritage Committee; Ken Wright, author of Machu Picchu and Tipon books available from ASCE Press; Khaled Alamdeen, President of the ASCE National Capital Section; and Steve Pennington, Chairman of the ASCE/NCS History & Heritage Committee.
Hatch Nominated for ASCE At-Large Director
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Henry J. “Hank” Hatch, P.E., Hon.M.ASCE, a current member and past chair of the ASCE International Activities Committee (IAC), has been nominated to serve as the first At-Large Director on the ASCE Board of Direction for 2008. The nomination came out of the April 24, 2007 meeting of the ASCE Nominating Committee. The At-Large Director position was established to encourage engineering leaders from across the profession to become active in ASCE. A voting process will take place June 15 - August 14, 2007. |
In addition to his IAC duties, Hatch is currently the Chair International Activities Committee of the American Association of Engineering Societies, and Coordinator of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Sector of the U.S. National Commission to UNESCO. Hatch has also served as Chief of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers.
Jones Nominated for WFEO President-Elect
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The International Activities Committee of ASCE has recommended to the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES) that ASCE Honorary Member Russel Jones be nominated for the position of President-Elect of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations. AAES is the US representative to WFEO, the umbrella organization that represents the engineering profession globally. |
An active member of ASCE, Jones has served as district director and vice president, and as a member of many committees and task groups. He currently serves on the ASCE International Activities Committee, is an ASCE representative on the US member group of the Pan America Union of Engineering Societies (UPADI), and represents ASCE on the US National Commission for UNESCO.
In WFEO Jones served for many years on the Committee on Education and Training, and he currently chairs the very active and effective Committee on Capacity Building— which is hosted in the US by AAES. As chair of a major standing committee, he is a vice president of WFEO, and participates in leadership meetings. He has been particularly active in WFEO relationships with UNESCO.
The election of the next president elect of WFEO will take place at the General Assembly in New Delhi in November 2007. There is one other candidate for that position nominated by Spain. International members of ASCE are encouraged to contact their national society that is a member of WFEO to encourage that their vote be cast for Jones in November.
New ASCE Critical Infrastructure Newsletter Launched
The ASCE Committee on Critical Infrastructure (CCI) recently launched a new electronic monthly publication, The CRIB Sheet (CRitical Infrastructure Bulletin) is available free of charge to all ASCE members. The CRIB Sheet features updates on critical infrastructure news, events, and related resources. To subscribe and to access the online archive of previous issues, visit:
http://ciasce.asce.org/MonthlyBulletin.html.
To submit content for future issues, send an email to cci@asce.org.
Society Calls for Disaster Assistance Volunteers
Each time a natural disaster or man-made event—such as Hurricane Katrina or the terrorist attacks of 9/11 occurs, ASCE members volunteer their time and talents to assist in response and recovery initiatives. They also look to ASCE to provide an avenue to do such work. To that end, the ASCE Committee on Critical Infrastructure (CCI) is developing a directory of members who have expressed their interest and availability to assist. CCI is currently seeking volunteers to participate in disaster management activities (planning, preparedness, response, and recovery) on an as-needed basis. The information provided will be included in a directory for the ASCE Disaster Assistance Volunteer Program, which will be made available when needed to qualified parties including local, state, and federal agencies, as well as private consulting firms seeking professional engineering expertise. Enrollment in the directory does not guarantee that a member will be called on to help. Additionally, volunteers should note that “Good Samaritan” laws vary from state to state. No protection from liability concerns is provided by enrollment in the database.
Interested members are encouraged to update their ASCE member profile by providing additional disaster assistance related information for inclusion in the directory. To ensure the accuracy of the directory, members may be asked to confirm the information on an ongoing basis.
For additional details about the ASCE Disaster Assistance Volunteer Program and to enroll in the directory, visit http://ciasce.asce.org/
ASCE Seeks International Civil Engineering Landmarks
The ASCE History & Heritage Committee (HHC) welcomes nominations for International Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks (IHCELs) from engineering societies outside the United States. Currently, ASCE’s HHC has designated 44 engineering projects from around the world as IHCELs. For more information on ASCE’s history and heritage program, read the committee’s first newsletter at http://content.asce.org/history/hh_newsletters.html.
ASCE Honors International Members with 2007 Awards
ASCE is pleased to announce 2007 Society awards to Society members of the international community.
- The Cermak Medal is presented to Peter A. Irwin, Ph.D., P.Eng., F.ASCE (Canada);
- Samuel Arnold Greeley Award is shared by Keith C. K. Lai, M.ASCE, Irene M.C. Lo, Ph.D., M.ASCE (China), Vibeke L. Birkelund, Aff.M.ASCE and Peter Kjeldsen, Aff.M.ASCE (Denmark);
- Shortridge Hardesty Award is awarded to Russell Q. Bridge, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE (Australia);
- Wesley W. Horner Award is shared by Muriel Auriol, S.M.ASCE, Rajeshwar D. Tyagi, Ph.D., M.ASCE and Yves Comeau, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE (Canada);
- Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize is awarded to Kenichi Soga, Ph.D., M.ASCE (England);
- Hydraulic Structures Medal is awarded to Willi H. Hager, Ph.D., F.ASCE (Switzerland);
- T.Y. Lin Award is shared by Siddwartha Mandal, A.M.ASCE and Amir Fam, P.E., M.ASCE (Canada);
- Moisseiff Award is shared by Kim J.R. Rasmussen, Ph.D., M.ASCE (Australia) and other authors;
- Raymond C. Reese Research Prize is shared by Yozo Fujino, Ph.D., M.ASCE (Japan) and others;
- Robert H. Scanlan Medal is presented to Masaru Matsumoto, D.Eng., A.M.ASCE (Japan);
- State-of-the-Art of Civil Engineering Award is shared by Rajeshwar D. Tyagi, Ph.D., M.ASCE (Canada) and others.
While the 2007 nomination cycle is coming to a close, nominations are invited for 2008. You are invited to nominate a colleague or mentor for any of 80 awards presented by the Society. For complete information on all awards and for downloadable forms, visit www.asce.org/awards
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American Academy of Water Resources Engineers Presents Honorary Award |
The American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE) proudly announces Indian-born Professor Asit K. Biswas, Ph.D., President of the Third World Center for Water Management in Mexico, as Honorary Diplomate of the Academy.
Professor Biswas was given honorary status by the Academy for his life's work and achievements in global water issues. Dr. Biswas will be given a certificate of achievement of honorary status and a Diplomate lapel pin.
AAWRE offers a voluntary, post-license credential that provides professional engineers and practitioners an opportunity to gain further recognition in the field of water resources engineering. For more information, please visit: http://www.aawre.org/appaawre.cfm
Energy Division Seeks Nominations for Three Awards
ASCE’s Energy Division is seeking nominations for three prestigious Society awards:
Stephen Bechtel Medal—for Contributions to Power Generation
Rickey Medal—for contributions to the Hydropower Industry
Hoffman Medal—for contributions to the Pumped Storage Generation field
For more information, go to:
http://www.asce.org/inside/energydivision.cfm#awards
Or contact Verna Jameson at: energydivision@asce.org
Information When You Need It
ASCE’S Cybrarian Research Service can help get you the information you need when you need it to help you solve your engineering problems. Whether you need background information on dredging beaches, materials on foundation analysis, or statistics on costs for a construction bid, get the answers you need with ASCE’s research service.
Don’t waste your client’s time and money Googling for information and getting thousands of results that don’t answer your questions. ASCE has the “cyber-skills” to find what you need when you need it. In addition, ASCE Members get one-half hour of FREE research time with each search request.
For more information, go to: www.asce.org/cybrarian/
ASCE Structural Engineering Institute Calls for Papers
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The Fourth International Conference on Bridge Maintenance, Safety and Management—IABMAS 2008 Seoul, Korea |
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Structures Congress 2008 Vancouver, Canada April 24-26, 2008 Deadline for Abstract Submissions: June 15, 2007 Please visit www.structurescongress.org for more information. |
The First International Conference on Life-Cycle Civil Engineering—IALCCE 2008
Varenna, Lake Como, Italy
June 11-14, 2008
Deadline for Abstract Submissions: July 30, 2007
Please visit www.ialcce08.org for more information.
ASCE International Partners
UNESCO National Commission Holds Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting of the US National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was scheduled for May 21-22, 2007 in Washington DC. The theme of the conference was "UNESCO as a Capacity Builder: Pursuing Its Mandate Through Education, Through Sciences, Culture and Communications". Russell Jones, the ASCE representative to the Commission, will address the Natural Sciences and Engineering Committee of the Commission on WFEO Capacity Building activities. Jones Chairs the WFEO Committee on Capacity Building. Read more at
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/may/84095.htm
http://www.state.gov/p/io/unesco/c15609.htm
Capacity Building Project Targets Solar Water Pumping
The U.S.-Pakistan Science and Technology Partnership Program is funding a project on "Improving the Lifestyle of Villagers in Remote Areas of Federal Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan Using Renewable Energy". The aim of the project is to provide solar water pumping to five villages in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of northwestern Pakistan. ASCE is supporting USAID in this effort by working with other domestic and international organizations to engage engineers in addressing the needs of the poor through capacity building. Read final report.
Participants Invited for Tunis Women's Colloquium
Millennium Development Goal 3 calls for the promotion of gender equality, the empowerment of women, the reduction of barriers to women’s participation in society, and the strengthening of regional networks. In line with this goal, the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) will host an International Colloquium for Women in Engineering and Technology: Global Efforts for Local Empowerment. The event aims to foster a dialogue on women’s development to increase the participation of women in the science, engineering and technology workforce, especially in developing countries. The empowerment project, which will be held in Tunis, Tunisia, June 4-8, 2007, is comprised of two parts—the international congress and a professional training program for women working in these fields. Read more
Rio Conference Highlights Sustainable Energy
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Organized by the Energy Committee of WFEO, the International Conference on Engineering for Sustainable Energy in Developing Countries will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 15 to 18 August 2007. The event is aimed at scientists, engineers, economists, government authorities, policy-makers and company executives in the areas of energy and strategic planning. The WFEO Energy Committee invites you and other members of your organization to participate. Read more. |
New Delhi Hosts Congress on Urban Infrastructure
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The Institution of Engineers India is organizing a World Congress on Urban Infrastructure (November 12-16, 2007) under the aegis of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations. The event will be held in conjunction with the WFEO General Assembly, scheduled for November 16-18, 2007. In Asia, urbanization has been an immutable fact over the past five decades, especially in the developing countries. The proportion of the total population living in urban centers has jumped from 19% to 45% and is projected to rise continually. In 2007, it is expected that 50% of the world population will live in cities. The world must immediately begin planning for this growth in numbers, conference organizers note. Keynote addresses, paper sessions, and round table discussions will be held under the themes Sustainable Development, including Urban Disaster Management; Urban Infrastructure Facilities in Rural Scenario; Urban Transportation, Water and Solid Waste Management; Quality of Urban Life and Healthcare; and Energy and Communication. The WFEO General Assembly will also be held, consisting of meetings of the standing technical committees, the Executive Council and technical seminars. For more information and registration go to http://www.worldcongress07.org
News from ASCE's Agreements of Cooperation
Japan Society Issues Report on
the Future of Civil Engineering
A special Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) presidential committee had releases a report “The Future of Civil Engineering and the Role of Civil Engineers”. Established by Dr. Masanori Hamada, JSCE President, the committee has posted an English translation on the JSCE web site (http://www.jsce-int.org/) The main themes of the report are:
- Current Circumstances, Issues and the Future of Civil Engineering
- The Role of Civil Engineering and Civil Engineers
- Capacities and Qualities Required of Civil Engineers
- The Role and Policies of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers
The report summarized the roles of civil engineers in the development of Japan and their contributions to Asian countries and worldwide; the roles of civil engineers in creating a sustainable, safe and secure world community through strong participation of the public and utilizing the best knowledge and achievements of civil engineering; the capacities and qualities required for civil engineers to achieve their roles; and the roles and expected activities by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers.
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Russian Society Partners InternationallyIn April the Russian Society of Civil Engineers (RSCE) held an international seminar in Tunisia to share knowledge and discuss problems relating to technical regulation in the construction |
industry. Technical, scientific and legislative experts from different regions of Russia attended the conference.
In June RSCE will hold a meeting to discuss the certification of civil engineers so the results can be shared at an October 2007 international symposium in Turkey. The professional training of civil engineers will be the main theme, with representatives from the European Council of Civil Engineers (Great Britain) and RSCE leading this discussion. Read more about RSCE events at http://www.rois.ru/index.php (In Russian)
Workshop on Engineering Challenges in Tanzania
The Institution of Engineers Tanzania (IET), in collaboration with the Engineers Registration Board (ERB), is sponsoring and organizing a Fellowship Professional Lecture and Workshop on the challenges facing the engineering profession in Tanzania in the 21st Century. The workshop will be held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on June 8, 2007.
ASCE Partners with Finland To Hold International Symposium on Cold Region Development
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ASCE is organizing the 8th International Symposium on Cold Region Development–ISCORD 2007 together with the Finnish Association of Civil Engineers. The symposium will take place in Tampere, Finland on Sept. 25-27, 2007. The main theme of the symposium will be cold region development, with sub-themes such as design, construction and maintenance of urban infrastructure, traffic routes and buildings as well as environmental technology and the impacts of climate change. The organizers received abstracts from 14 different countries. Register by August 15, 2007 in order to have a lower registration fee. Read more about the symposium and registration at |
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Vietnam Hosting Seminar on Construction Sector Human Resources |
The Vietnam Federation of Civil Engineering Associations (VIFCEA) is cooperating with several Vietnamese ministries to organize a seminar on “Developing Construction Sector Human Resources,” which will be held in Hanoi on November of 2007. The event follows last year’s seminar on “Efficiency of Construction Investment Capital From State Capital Sources: Real Situations and Solutions.”
The objective of the seminar is to develop high quality human resources that will meet the needs of the Vietnam construction industry. A further target is to propose a Government policy framework for construction labor and to put forward research subjects. Its primary seminar themes are:
—The real situation of the Vietnamese construction sector’s human resources.
—A forecast on construction market human resource needs.
—Human resources management and supply organization for the construction market.
—Training human resources for the construction market.
—Foreign countries’ experiences in training and supplying human resources to the construction sector.
Xi'an, China Hosts Symposium on Landslides, Slopes
The 10th International Symposium on Landslides and Engineered Slopes will be held from June 30 to July 4, 2008 in Xi'an China. The symposium is one of the most important activities of the Joint Technical Committee on Landslides and Engineered Slopes (JTC1) under the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) and International Association on Engineering Geology (IAEG).
The Symposium will be jointly organized by the three Chinese national sister societies: the Chinese Institution of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering—China Civil Engineering Society (CISMGE-CCES); the Chinese National Commission on Engineering Geology (CNCEG); the Chinese Society of Rock Mechanics and Engineering (CSRME); and the Geotechnical Division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE).
This Symposium aims to provide an international platform for exchange of views and experiences among delegates of different backgrounds. The symposium will also provide a variety of technical and cultural activities ( click for details).
For more information about the 10th ISL, go to http://www.landslide.iwhr.com/
Around the World
Thailand Section Honors Active Members at Reception |
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On May 15, 2007, members of the ASCE Thailand International Section and honored guests attended a reception at the RBSC Polo Club in Bangkok. The reception was organized by the ASCE-Thailand International Section (TIS). ASCE-TIS President Pratim K. Ghose opened the ceremony by recognizing the outstanding work of Charles R. Heidengren, P.E., F.ASCE, with the 2006 Best Membership Chair Award. Heidengren received a check for 8888 Thai Baht—intended as a lucky number.
Dr. Tawatchai Tingsanchali, ASCE-TIS Vice President; Charles Heidengren, Chair of the ASCE-TIS Membership Committee; and Zaw Zaw Aye, M.ASCE, held discussions on the upcoming 4th CECAR in Taiwan with the aim of finalizing their conference participation.
Development Bank Targets Kashmir Quake Relief Work
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) opened an office in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, near the epicenter of the 2005 earthquake, to coordinate its assistance in rebuilding the quake-hit region. ADB plans to provide funding of up to $400 million for infrastructure projects in Pakistan to help rehabilitate parts of Kashmir and North West Frontier Province. ADB has already disbursed $183.8 million, with $72 million being used for rebuilding schools and education projects, $69.3 million for reconstructing roads and transport projects, $27.5 million for the health and $14.9 million for power projects. ADB will provide support in project financing, technical assistance, and grants. Read more
ASCE Publications
First Spanish Edition of ASCE Press’ bestseller, Machu Picchu: A Civil Engineering Marvel
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The first Spanish Edition of ASCE Press’ bestseller, Machu Picchu: A Civil Engineering Marvel, is now available! Machu Picchu: Maravilla de la Ingeniería Civil Stock # UNI1 128 pp. (Softcover) Published 2006, Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria List $49.00 / Members $36.75 |
ASCE's Civil Engineering Magazine
The following international-related articles appeared in the March and April issues of ASCE's Civil Engineering magazine. (Please log in as a member at www.asce.org ["Members Only"] before logging into articles.)
March 2007
"Shoring Up,"
http://www.asce.org/cemagazine/0307/cemagazine_content.cfm?id=18
"Addressing Expansive Soils,"
http://www.asce.org/cemagazine/0307/cemagazine_content.cfm?id=19
April 2007
"Clean Drinking Water for All,"
http://www.asce.org/cemagazine/0407/cemagazine_content.cfm?id=17
"Removing Arsenic Sustainably,"
http://www.asce.org/cemagazine/0407/cemagazine_content.cfm?id=18
"Tower Lifts Olympic Torch to New Heights,"
http://www.asce.org/cemagazine/0407/cemagazine_content.cfm?id=3
"Ningbo Bridge Design Features Asymmetrical Pylons,"
http://www.asce.org/cemagazine/0407/cemagazine_content.cfm?id=9
"System for Gathering Dew Wins Competition,"
http://www.asce.org/cemagazine/0407/cemagazine_content.cfm?id=12
Books - International
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How Much Should a Person Consume? Environmentalism in India and the United States by Ramachandra Guha. Berkeley
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Students Only
Save on Test Preparation Courses
ASCE’s partnership with Kaplan now entitles members and their immediate family to a $50 savings on all GMAT, GRE, LSAT and SAT courses. This discount is available for all classroom and online test preparation courses offered by Kaplan as well as their private tutoring programs. For additional information or to register, go to www.asce.org/conted/distancelearning/prefkaplan.cfm
Upcoming Conferences
June 4-8, 2007 International Colloquium for Women in Engineering and Technology: Global Efforts for Local Empowerment Tunis |
June 6-9, 2007 2007 CSCE Annual General Meeting & Conference Yellowknife, Northwest Territories http://www.csce2007.ca/ |
June 25-27, 2007 Safe 2007 2nd International Conference on Safety and Security Engineering Malta |
June 25-28, 2007 4th Civil Engineering Conference in the Asian Region Taipei, Taiwan http://www.acecc.net/4cecar |
July 1-6, 2007 XXXII IAHR Congress Venice, Italy |
July 2-4, 2007 Coastal Structures 2007 Venice, Italy |
July 8-11, 2007 International Pipelines Conference 2007 Boston, MA |
August 15-18, 2007 International Conference on Engineering for Sustainable Energy in Developing Countries Rio de Janeiro, Brazil http://www.wfeo.org/CALL%20FOR%20PAPERS%20Energy%20Conference.doc |
September 3-5, 2007 Urban Transport 2007 13th International Conference on Urban Transport and the Environment in the 21st Century Coimbra, Portugal |
September 3-5, 2007 International Symposium on Environmental Hydrology Egypt |
September 5-7, 2007 UPADI 2007, Intermediate meeting of the Pan American Association of Engineers Costa Rica http://www.upadi.org.br/ |
September 10-13, 2007 2007 Hydraulic Measurements & Experimental Methods Conference Lake Placid, NY |
September 24-27, 2007 The 7th International Symposium on Field Measurements in Geomechanics (FMGM) Boston Park Plaza & Towers Boston, MA Become an Exhibitor - Limited Spaces Available |
September 25-27, 2007 8th International Symposium on Cold Region Development (ISCORD) Tampere, Finland http://www.ril.fi/Resource.phx/seminaari/semi-iscord/index.htx |
October 28-November 2, 2007 International Symposium on Managed Aquifer Recharge Phoenix, AZ |
October 31, November 1 , 2007 (International and Pre-Conference programs) November 2-3, 2007 (Main program) ASCE Annual Conference "Infrastructure for All Generations" Orlando, Florida |
November 2-7,2007 The Third Structural Engineers World Congress (SEWC-2007) Bangalore, India |
November 12-16, 2007 World Federation of Engineering Organization-General Assembly and World Congress on Urban Infrastructure Hosted by the Institute of Engineers India New Delhi, India |
December 6-9, 2007 International Conference on Forensic Engineering: Failure Diagnosis and Problem Solving Mumbai, India |
March 9-12,2008 GeoCongress 2008 New Orleans, LA |
April 24-26, 2008 First International Symposium on Transportation and Development Innovative Best Practices Beijing, China |
June 4-5, 2008, RIL / IABSE Information and Communications Technology Conference Helsinki, Finland |
Submit Articles for the August issue!
Please send us current news and events from your organization and be sure to include a Web link and the email address of the contact person. Articles should be sent to Katerina Lachinova at klachinova@asce.org no later than July 15, 2007.
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