Current News

“Just Do It!”

by Eva Lerner-Lam, M.ASCE
President, Transportation and Development Institute of the ASCE

It’s happening.  Like the athletic shoe company’s motto urges, T&DI members have stepped forward with new initiatives, energy and knowledge and they’re “just doing it.”

Nazir Lalani came up with an idea in 2004 to conduct web seminars on best practices in traffic calming, and very quickly, his two-part webinar series became one of the most sought-after ASCE Continuing Education programs ever offered by ASCE, reaching thousands of transportation engineers and planners in 2005 alone.  Scott Murrell’s Airfield Pavement Committee, Imad L. Al-Qadi’s Highway Pavement Committee and Matthew M. McDole’s Construction Committee combined forces and jointly produced T&DI’s 2006 Airfield and Highway Pavements Conference in Atlanta, GA. Walt Kulyk’s Public Transportation Committee developed a workshop that provided input to the Federal Transit Administration for the upcoming revision of FTA’s Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) document that was over-subscribed in Washington, DC.  Tom McGean’s Automated People Mover Standards Committee developed an ANSI-accredited standard that is now the international standard for planning, design, construction, and operations of an APM system. 

To read the full article please click here.

ASCE Technical Region Director's Report

May 15, 2006

By:  Stan R. Caldwell, P.E., F. AEI/ F.ASCE, Technical Region Director

All members of the ASCE Board of Direction are expected to communicate effectively with the constituents in their respective regions.   The Technical Region is a worldwide,  virtual region comprised of ASCE's seven Institutes.  This report is the second in a series of brief summaries intended to keep you informed of news from the ASCE Board of Direction.  Communication is a two-way process.  Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time with your questions and concerns.  I would especially appreciate receiving any thoughts that you might have on how ASCE and its Technical Region can better serve you.

For the rest of this article, please click here.

Report from the April 28-29, 2006 Meeting of the ASCE Council of Institute Leaders 

by

Eva Lerner-Lam, M.ASCE, T&DI President

Louis F. Cohn, Ph.D., P.E., T&DI Vice-President

As the presidential officers of the T&DI Board of Governors, it is our privilege to represent you as members of the ASCE Council of Institute Leaders (CIL).  CIL includes representatives from all seven ASCE Institutes, as well as the Technical Region Representatives.  The current chair of CIL is none other than our own Bob Costigan, who is a former president of T&DI.

To read the full article please click here.

T&DI Board of Governors Elections

This is a reminder that ballots for the 2006 T&DI BOG Elections are due no later than July 1, 2006.  To view each candidate's qualifications please click here.

ASCE Technical Region Director Election

ASCE is preparing to hold elections for the new Board of Directors position of Technical Region Director. Please click here to learn more about the candidate's qualifications and to their read bio and candidate statements. 

Infrared Aircraft Deicing Facility at John F Kennedy International Airport

Introduction:

In March 2006, the Port Authority completed installation of an InfraTek ® Radiant Deicing System at John F Kennedy International Airport (JFKIA).  The system will provide airlines the ability to deice up to a 747- 300 size aircraft more quickly and for dramatically less cost than traditional glycol deicing technology.  While there are two smaller versions in the United States and one in Oslo, by volume, the new facility at JFKIA is approximately 2.5 times larger.  The narrative below provides a description of the environmental benefits to be realized, and technical and financial information on the infrared deicing system designed and constructed using the DBOM project delivery method.

To read the rest of the article please click here.

Washington D.C. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Workshop

By Walt Kulyk, P.E., M.ASCE

Chair Public Transportation Committee of T&DI

T&DI’s Public Transport Committee hosted a workshop on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) at the Residence Inn Capitol, in Washington, DC on  April 20-21, 2006. The purpose of the workshop was to provide a forum allowing the civil engineering and transit communities to share knowledge, experience, and ideas about BRT operations, its elements, and its benefits.  Information and recommendations from the workshop will be shared with the Federal Transit Administration which is updating the document, Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit for Decision Making (CBRT), which was released in October 2004. 

To read the rest of the article please click here.

Airfield and Highway Pavements: Meeting Today’s Challenges with Emerging Technologies

By

Gary Mitchell, P.E., M.ASCE

Chair 2006 Airfield and Highway Pavements Conference

The Transportation & Development Institute of ASCE held the 2006 Airfield and Highway Pavement Specialty Conference April 30 – May 3, 2006. The conference was held in Atlanta, GA near the Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport and had 262 attendees.  The conference was supported by the T&DI Airfield Pavement and Highway Pavement Committees.

Other committees who contributed to the conference include the T&DI Construction Committee, the Bituminous Material Committee of the Construction Institute of ASCE, and the Geo-Institute of ASCE Pavement Committee. The objective of the conference was to transfer knowledge about emerging technologies and their implementation to address critical elements in the pavement life-cycle.

To read the full article please click here.

Announcments

2006 T&DI Airfield and Highway Pavements Conference Proceedings

The 2006 T&DI Airfield and Highway Pavements Conference Proceedings are now available in bound format.  The proceedings can be purchased through the Publications Department of ASCE.  To view the table of contents and an abstract or to order your own copy please click here.

JOHN A. ROEBLING SYMPOSIUM AND TOURS

October 27 – 29, 2006
Brooklyn, New York

ASCE Call for Disaster Assistance Volunteers

Each time a natural disaster, such as Hurricane Katrina, or a man-made event, such as the terrorist attacks of 9/11, occurs, ASCE members generously volunteer their time and talents to assist in response and recovery initiatives, and look to ASCE to provide an avenue to do so.  The ASCE Committee on Critical Infrastructure (CCI), in response to our members’ desire to lend support to such efforts, is developing a directory of members who express 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 to use in the event of natural and man-made disasters requiring engineers for planning, damage assessment, and rebuilding efforts. 

Committe on Critical Infrastructure

ASCE’s Committee on Critical Infrastructure (CCI) would like your input as it develops future training programs on disaster management topics, including preparedness, response, and recovery activities.  Each time a natural disaster or a man-made event occurs, ASCE members seek volunteer opportunities to assist in response and recovery initiatives.  CCI’s goal is to offer training programs to prepare ASCE members to assist before, during, and after these events strike.  Your input via the online CCI disaster management training needs survey will help provide the feedback needed to develop valuable training programs.   Please pass this message on to other interested ASCE members.

For additional information about ASCE disaster management activities, visit http://ciasce.asce.org.

Key Contact Program

Public policy information you should know in easy to read briefs.  That’s what ASCE’s Key Contact Program can provide to T&DI members.

T&DI members are invited to join ASCE’s Key Contact Program and receive “This Week in Washington” a weekly email newsletter with information on issues active in Washington, D.C. and the state capitals.  In addition, Key Contacts receive periodic Key Alerts asking for grassroots action from ASCE members on a specific issue.  For more information please click here.

Georgia Tech President Clough Addresses UPADI 2006

G. Wayne Clough, Georgia Institute of Technology president, will discuss global engineering education at UPADI 2006, the Pan American Convention of Engineers, on Sept. 19-22, in Atlanta. The four-day conference, hosted by Georgia Tech, will address “Building a Sustainable Infrastructure: Education, Technology, Innovation, and Economic Development.” www.upadi2006.com

Committee Updates

The Airfield Pavement Committee

By Scott Murell, P.E., M.ASCE

Chair, Airfield Pavement Committee

The Airfield Pavement Committee (APC) has had a very active spring, the highlight of which was the 2006 T&DI Airfield and Highway Pavements Conference.  Held in Atlanta, Georgia this conference concentrated on the issues, concerns, and problems faced everyday by planners, designers, owners, researchers, and contractors.  The conference offered the attendees the choice of over 100 overall presentations in five technical tracks, three workshops, and two networking events.  It is the committee’s hope to use the lessons learned through this conference in the current planning for the 2008 conference in order to better meet the needs of the members and attendees.  The conference, though the largest, was not the only event that The Airfield Pavement Committee completed this spring. 

To read the rest of this article please click here.  

People in the News

 Ann Brach, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE Promoted

The Transportation Research Board has announced that Ann M. Brach will serve as Deputy Director of the newly authorized Strategic Highway Research Program II (SHRP II). SHRP II is a $150 million research program that seeks to accelerate innovation in highway system renewal, safety, travel-time reliability, and transportation planning and design. Dr. Brach has been the principal organizer of all SHRP II planning activities over the past five years, serving as study director for the study that recommended SHRP II and coordinating the preparation of detailed work plans through the National Cooperative Highway Research Program. Prior to working at TRB, she served as Chief of Research and Technology for the Maryland State Highway Administration, and as a Research and Technology Program Manager for the Federal Highway Administration. In her new position, Dr. Brach will be responsible for overseeing the Safety and Reliability focus areas of SHRP II and the communications and outreach efforts of the program.

Ann Brach is the Chair of the Research Committee of the Transportation and Developement Institute of ASCE. Congradulations Ann!

Michael S. Bronzini, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE

Dr. Michael Bronzini, Chair of the Education Committee and member of the Transportation Security Committee, has been appointed to a four-year term as Chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.

Continuing Education

Seminars

Highway Bridge Design, Evaluation, and Strengthening Using LRFD

August 24-25, 2006 San Francisco, CA

Technique for Pavement Rehabilitation, September 13-15, 2006

in Boston, MA

Webinars

Thursday, July 6, 2006 ~ 12 Noon - 1:00pm Eastern Time
Road Crossing Structure Improvements to Accommodate Wildlife Passage

Tuesday, July 11, 2006 ~ 12 Noon - 1:00pm Eastern Time
On-Site Circulation and Access Design for Commercial Developments ~

Part I

Tuesday, July 18, 2006 ~ 12 Noon - 1:00pm Eastern Time
On-Site Circulation and Access Design for Commercial Developments ~

Part II

Tuesday, August 1, 2006 ~ 12 Noon - 1:30pm Eastern Time
An Introduction to Roadside Delineation and Safety Systems

Tuesday, August 15, 2006 ~ 12 Noon - 1:30pm Eastern Time
Tort Liability ~Part I: The Public Agency Perspective

Tuesday, August 22, 2006 ~ 12 Noon - 1:30pm Eastern Time
Tort Liability ~Part II: The Civil Engineer's Role as a Witness

Thursday, September 7, 2006 ~ 12 Noon - 1:30pm Eastern Time
Signalized Intersection Safety

Tuesday, September 12, 2006 ~ 12 Noon - 1:30pm Eastern Time
Intersection Design and Channelization

Tuesday, September 19, 2006 ~ 12 Noon - 1:00pm Eastern Time
Best Practices, Traffic Calming ~Part I

Tuesday, September 26, 2006 ~ 12 Noon - 1:00pm Eastern Time
Lessons Learned, Traffic Calming ~Part II

To sign up for either a seminar or a Webinar please go to the Continuing Education page on ASCE's website located here.

Become An ASCE Continuing Education Instructor

Share your professional experience and technological advances with your colleagues through ASCE Continuing Education Seminars.

As your professional society we need to continually offer the latest information regarding advances and breakthroughs in your field. To do this we need your help - "the practicing engineer". if you are working on something innovative or cost saving that would be of benefit to ASCE consider sharing the news.  For more information please click here.

Upcoming Conferences

9th International Conference on Application of Advanced Technology in Transportation, August 13 - 16, 2006, Wyndham Chicago Hotel, Chicago, Illinois.  For more details and to register please go to www.asce.org/conferences/aatt06/.

2006 NDE Conference on Civil Engineering, August 2006, St. Louis, Missouri www.asnt.org/events/conferences/smt06/papers.pdf. (T&DI is a co-sponsoring organization).

Pan American Convention of Engineers, UPADI 2006, September 19-21, 2006, Atlanta, GA. For more information and to register please click here.

ICPI's 8th International Conference on Concrete Block Paving: Sustainable Paving for our Future, November 6-8, 2006 Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, California.
(T&DI is a Co-Sponsor of this event)
For more information and to register please click here.

11th International Conference on APMs, April 22 -25, 2007, Vienna, Austria.  For more information on this event or to submit an abstract please follow this link. www.apm07.org

29th International Air Transport Conference, Dallas, TX, July 2007.  More information to be available soon.   

International Conference on Transportation Engineering, Chengdu, China, Late 2007 (T&DI is a co-sponsoring organization).