www.roceng.org
AUGUST 2015
Reconstructing the Erie Canal's Retaining Wall
Also in this Issue:
Promoting Physical Activity in the Built Environment | 42
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The Rochester Engineer Published since 1922 by
ROCHESTER ENGINEERING SOCIETY, INC.
Founded March 18, 1897
Volume 94, Number 2, AUGUST 2015 3,500 to 4,000 Monthly Circulation ISSN 0035-7405
RES Mission Statement: The RES will become the lead organization for improving the image and influence of the engineering community in the greater Rochester area by: Demonstrating a comprehensive knowledge of the region’s engineering and technical capabilities; Providing the best clerical support and public relations assistance to our affiliates; Continually communicating the engineering and technical accomplishments to both the engineering and technical community and the public; Providing regular forums and networking opportunities for the exchange of ideas and discussion of issues; and, Providing programs that identify career opportunities to the region’s youth and develop the skills of the practicing engineer.
Reconstructing the Erie Canal's Retaining Wall
Promoting Physical Activity in the Built Environment
(cover) Page 6
(feature) Page 42
contents 5 • "Summer School 2015"...A Big Success. More Tutors Needed for the 2015-16 School Year 6 • Reconstructing the Erie Canal's Retaining Wall (cover) 8 • Get to the Point! - Listen So You Can Hear 9 • Get IT Done - Pair of Dachshunds
News items and articles are invited. Materials should be submitted to the executive director at the society’s office, 657 East Avenue, Rochester, New York 14607; Phone number (585) 254-2350, e-mail: res@frontiernet.net.
10 • The Limited Monopoly - Eye in the Sky - The Advantages of Using a
The web site for the Engineers’ Center is at: www.roceng.org. The deadline is the 10th day of the month prior to the issue. Unless otherwise stated, opinions expressed in this publication are those of contributors, not of the Rochester Engineering Society, Inc. Advertising information may be obtained by contacting the office of the Rochester Engineering Society or going to the website at www.roceng.org.
12, 16, 18-19, 23-25 • Professional Firms - Employee News
Published every month but July. Yearly subscription is $20.00, single copies are $2.00. Go to www.roceng.org to join the Rochester Engineering Society. Click on the individual membership and you can submit your application on-line. Board of Directors:
OFFICERS: President ADAM CUMMINGS, PE Barton & Loguidice, PC / ACummings@bartonandloguidice.com First Vice President JON KRIEGEL Retired / jkriegel@rochester.rr.com Second Vice President MICHAEL V. TRIASSI Optimation Technology, Inc. / mike.triassi@gmail.com Acting Treasurer MICHAEL V. TRIASSI Optimation Technology, Inc. / mike.triassi@gmail.com Past President MARY STEBLEIN, PE LaBella Associates / mary.steblein@swe.org DIRECTORS: CORNELIUS (NEAL) ILLENBERG PE Retired / nillenberg@aol.com LEE LOOMIS Retired / leeloomis46@gmail.com SCOTT GRASMAN, PhD Rochester Institute of Technology / Email: scott.grasman@rit.edu ESTHER BETANCOURT Harris Corporation / ebetanco@harris.com RICHARD E. RICE, PE MJ Engineering / rriceaquash@gmail.com CASEY DILL Arnold Magnetic Technologies / casey.dill@gmail.com JOSEPH DOMBROWSKI, PE M/E Engineering / jdombrowski@meengineering.com DIRECTOR to TBD Administrative Director LYNNE M. IRWIN Rochester Engineering Society / e-mail: admin@roceng.org
Patent Alert Service
12, 20 • News From Professional Firms 14-17 • Position Openings 21, 26 • Campus News 22 • Continuing Education Opportunities 22-23 • Engineers’ Calendar 27 • ASME Honors the George Eastman House Technology Collection asa National Historical Landmark - June 15, 2015 40 • RES Individual Membership Application 41 • Rochester Engineer Advertising Rates 42 • Promoting Physical Activity in the Built Environment (feature) 44-46 • Directory of Professional Services 46 • Directory of Business Services 47 • Affiliated Societies and Corporate Members of the RES
news of the...
• ABCD Association for Bridge Construction and Design.....................29 • APWA American Public Works Association...........................................33 • ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers............................................30 • ASHRAE American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers....................................................32 • ASPE American Society of Plumbing Engineers....................................34 • EA Electrical Association.......................................................................31
2 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
• GVLSA Genesee Valley Land Surveyors Association.............................39 • IES Illuminating Engineering Society....................................................35 • IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.................36-37 • INCOSE International Council of Systems Engineering...........................38 • IS&T Imaging Science and Technology...................................................28 • NYWEA New York Water Environment Association.............................28 • RES Rochester Engineering Society.................................................... 3-5
index
President’s Message Adam Cummings, PE RES President 2015 - 16 As RES enters its 119th year, I am honored to join a long list of leaders that have proudly served as President of the Rochester Engineering Society. While our challenges and business environment are very different than those shouldered by the RES founders, we are still following the same vision…to be the principal leader in the Rochester engineering community committed to increasing the visibility and image of engineering industry and our accomplishments. Before I jump into our numerous, exciting initiatives at RES, I would like to take a few sentences to introduce myself. I am proud to say I am born and bred in Rochester, New York. This is always evident when I have friends come from out-of-town and I always end up giving them a historical tour of our great community. They are always fascinated to hear that Rochester used to have a subway, has a supermarket on the top list of destination spots, and that we enjoy our summers so much that we have a festival every weekend. Now back to my history, I am a Civil/Environmental Engineer who has been practicing in the Rochester area for the past 13 years. I have a M.E. in Civil Engineering from Norwich University, a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University at Buffalo, and an A.S. in Engineering Science from Monroe Community College. My calling to protect the environment and our most important natural resource, water, began back at ChurchvilleChili High School thanks to my AP Chemistry professor and track coach. He pointed me in the direction of Chemical Engineering and I am forever grateful for that. I have been blessed to have had so many positive role models and mentors in my personal and professional life. In my consulting career, I have helped many communities develop multi-year plans for capital replacements, utility management, or staffing resources. So several years ago, I decided to set a 5-Year Plan for myself. I decided it was a good idea to make my plan a 5-Year Pay It Forward Plan and participate in as many ways as possible to mentor our young, future engineers.
Back in 2013, RES began the drive to reinvent ourselves as a value added organization. We are now entering our 3rd year of this initiative and I believe the data speaks for itself. Our website is seeing a record number of visitors. We are striving to continually improve this increasing trend. RES is doing our best to provide useful tools and events for our members and affiliates. Please send along any feedback to us at admin@roceng.org.
www.roceng.org website activity (June) - 2014 vs. 2015
Rochester’s Premier Engineering Continuing Education Calendar Resource
RES, as an umbrella organization, has always been the leader in publishing our numerous local engineering events for our affiliates. The Rochester Engineer has been the top resource to view the many calendar events hosted by our diverse engineering community. With the advent of our new and improved website, it is now much easier to find, research, and register for these events. I invite all of you to experience our new, value-add resource, the RES Online Calendar.
I am extremely proud to say that RES shares this goal and has so many opportunities for all of us to help maintain the integrity of our engineering industry and expand it for future generations. So I invite all of our membership to consider one of the many mentoring opportunities RES and our affiliates have to offer:
For those of you that are not aware, I am also a pushover for trivia. Did you know that our engineering community hosted 163 events in 2013, 187 in 2014, and appear to be heading towards even more in 2015? We are already at 111 events with a couple of our busiest months (September-December) coming soon. I invite all of our members to check out this great resource. As a NYWEA Planning Committee member, I use this calendar on a constant basis to make sure one of our events is not conflicting with another similar event. Or even better, it provides a way to see if there any opportunities to join events with another affiliate organization.
• Join Lee Loomis and the RES Tutoring Team at Dr. Walter Cooper Academy. • Contact Jon Kriegel, our Volunteer Campaign Committee Chair, to see if there are any STEM opportunities that seem interesting. http://roceng.org/Volunteer • Ask Richard Repka, our Lead Advisor, about opportunities in the Explorer Post #801. http://roceng.org/page-1836509
The Board of Directors and I look forward to the year ahead and the many opportunities in front of us. Thank you for your support of the RES and for making Rochester the gratifying engineering community it has grown to become. I look forward to this coming year of trials and successes as RES President. I humbly convey my sincere gratitude for this opportunity. If you have any questions or input, please feel free to reach out to me at president@roceng.org.
Mentoring Initiatives
res news - president’s message
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 3
Rochester History Continuing with the historical sampling of the earlier writings on behalf of the Rochester Engineering Society, the years following "The Great War," into and through the “Great Depression,” continued to be a time of reaching out for the maturing Society, both locally and nationally. The meeting minutes describe a series of technical discussions and presentations intended to broaden the technical horizons of the membership (especially the CE's, ME's and EE's). The RES affiliated itself with a number of National technical societies, adopted local Affiliated Societies, frequently held joint meetings with them and continued taking action on a growing list of public matters. Certain issues of standardization, some crucial to public safety, became the responsibility of the RES and its affiliates. Once again war affected the Society, taking away many of its leaders and providing opportunities for others to step forward to fill these vacancies. In an effort to provide even greater perspective on the happenings and concerns of the day, a synopsis featuring selected items from "The Rochester Engineer" has become an integral part of this series. In the pervasive economic downturn of the “Great Depression,” the magazine offered classified advertising for unemployed engineers, technicians and draftsmen and took other steps to try to deal with the crisis. Still, it continued its effort to shape the function, purpose and infrastructure of the City of Rochester, and beyond. The Second World War and the Korean Conflict are now history. These experiences have changed the face and, no doubt, the future of the community. The Rochester municipal leadership and the industrial community have become immersed in the cold-war, growth economy.
“The Rochester Engineer” (September 1960)
According to tradition, this month’s issue provided a listing of the active RES Committees (19), including Advisory, Automotive, Aviation, Constitution, Education, Representatives of Affiliated & Cooperating Societies, Excursion, Finance, House, Legislation, Library, Luncheon, Membership & Delinquents, Papers & Meetings, Policy, Public Affairs, Publicity, Standards, and Traffic Committee.
October 24, 1960 (RES Executive Committee Meeting, Hotel Sheraton)
The recently-established RES Executive Committee met and, in addition to considering/approving recent RES membership applications and resignations, began discussing its required activities for the coming year.
“The Rochester Engineer” (October 1960)
Entitled the Radio Engineers’ Number, this issue outlined the agenda for the three-day annual Fall Meeting of the Electronics Institute of America (EIA) and Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE), at Syracuse, NY. A contributed article, “An Esaki Diode Bistable Oscillator,” by Richard W. Couch and Robert Spence, described a new development in transistorized circuits that allows for increased operating speeds in computers. This issue also gave space to an announcement by Rochester Hands, Inc. that its staff of handicapped workers are now set up to perform electronic assembly, in addition to their demonstrated skills in mechanical assembly work.
November 1, 1960 (Board of Directors Meeting, Hotel Sheraton)
The Board approved motions aimed at the following: Soliciting suggestions from the RES Cooperating Societies for new activities, Investigation of possible RES involvement in civic activities, Solicitation of suggestions from the engineering community for new courses at the U of R and RIT and a Study for improving the Rochester Airport. The Excursion Committee reported on the success of the recent RES tour of the Niagara Power Project, and that it intends to pursue a tour of the Retsof Salt Mines, in the Spring of 1961. Other concerns discussed at this meeting included elimination of the Court House from the 4 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
A Sampling from the Archives of the Rochester Engineering Society...1897 - 1961 by Lee M. Loomis
proposed Rochester Civic Center project, the great need for Rochester Airport improvements, proper development of the Inner Loop and the Outer Loop, the beginning of urban development in Rochester, and finally, a dramatic increase in the presence of litter on Rochester’s City streets, despite a concerted anti-littering campaign by the City and by local radio stations.
“The Rochester Engineer” (November 1960)
The RES and the MIT Club, along with some twenty other local technical societies, sponsored a dinner meeting featuring an address, “Education: The Ultimate Weapon,” by MIT’s dean of engineering, Dr. Gordon S. Brown. This issue featured an article, “Standards for Electric Space Heating,” by Lowell R. Mast, director of engineering, Electromode Division of Commercial Controls Corporation. In it he describes the great need for standards of performance and safety for all equipment, from low-wattage portable appliances to commercial equipment, to special purpose industrial heaters.
“The Rochester Engineer” (December 1960)
“Organizing the Engineering Profession” was the theme of a joint RES & AIEE meeting, held in the RG&E Auditorium. Presentations included, “The Engineering Societies,” by Donald S. Brereton, manager, Power Application Engineering, General Electric Company; The AIEE Functional Plan,” by Howard L. Foote, Stromberg-Carlson Company; and “A Federation of Societies,” by C. Curtis Herskind, General Electric Company. These presentations proposed methods for improving unity among engineering societies. “A Home for the State Code,” by David L. Garrat, describes the history of, and parameters by which municipalities have been adopting the carefully-crafted, 1949 NY State Building Code. He urged engineers, and their organizations, to establish and maintain contact with their legislators, toward ensuring proper adoption, oversight and State funding support for the building codes.
January 9, 1961 (Executive Committee Meeting, Hotel Sheraton)
The Board approved a “tight” annual budget of $12,109.58 for RES operations for the current 1960-61 year.
“The Rochester Engineer” (January 1961)
Traditionally The Automotive Number, this issue announced a joint (RES & ASME) dinner meeting and presentation, “Racing Cars: History, Development, Design and Problems,” by William Close, principal engineer, Vehicle Dynamics Department Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory, Inc. The feature article in this issue was, “The Early Automobile Industry of Rochester,” a compilation by the RES Automotive Committee, describing Rochester car manufacturers, and other local industries, responsible for numerous automotive components. Editor’s note: Reprints of this January 1961 article can be obtained by email request to the RES office. Subsequent articles in this series will describe the RES' continuing outreach to other technical societies as it considered its role in this and the larger community, along with more of the activities of the RES as it moved to be of greater service to its membership, especially those suffering from the current economic crisis, and adopted a greater role in shaping the future of the City and its environs. Noted also, will be the contributions made by RES members in the struggle to meet the challenges coming out of World War II, as well as a hoped-for period of post-war growth and prosperity. These articles will also feature an impressive array of RES activities in support of post-war re-emergence of Rochester area industry. We welcome your questions and comments on this series. res news - history
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RES News “Summer School 2015”...a Big Success More Tutors Needed for the 2015-16 School Year Summer School at Dr. Walter Cooper Academy…a Big Success! Thanks to the generosity of
a childhood friend of Dr. Cooper’s, a first-ever summer school program saw an enrollment of over 150 Pre-K through Grade 6 Students, and 30 parents. The “Dr. Everett Williams Summer Literacy & Science Academy,” a five-week program, ran from July 6th through August 7th, helping students continue to develop their Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills, preventing any “Summer-Loss” in their academic progress.
It’s time, now, to get our Tutoring Team established for the 2015-16 school year. We have
many of our 20+ RES Tutors returning, but the need is great, and we still need more. We are currently scheduling “Lunch & Learn” presentations in several Rochester area firms, to inform and inspire prospective new tutors. We need your support...Can we schedule one with your firm, work group, church or family?
RES Tutoring Team Leader, Lee Loomis, helps a Pre-K Student in the “Summer School” Computer Lab. (That’s right, the 4 Year-Olds are Learning to Use Computers!)
The RES Tutoring Team at Dr. Walter Cooper Academy currently includes full-time, employed Professional Engineers, recently-graduated engineers, retired engineers, retired school teachers, U of R and RIT undergraduate and graduate students, local business leaders and employees using their “flex-time” to spend a few hours a week as tutors. Whether or not you think you have the time to commit to it, right now, please contact us, learn about this successful program and the opportunity it offers us to “make a difference” in Rochester’s City Schools. Let us come and meet with you, your business associates, family members, friends, neighbors. Even just two hours a week of your time can make a big difference in the life of a student. Hear about the training each tutor will receive. Please contact the RES office, and let us know you’re interested in tutoring at Dr. Walter Cooper Academy - School #10, 353 Congress Avenue (in the 19th Ward, one block North of Genesee Park Blvd., between Post Avenue and Virginia Avenue).
Questions??? Reach out to RES Past President Lee Loomis and the RES Tutoring Team at… Rochester Engineering Society, (585) 254-2350 via website: www.roceng.org or via email: leeloomis46@gmail.com (585) 738-3079 (mobile & text) res news - tutoring
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 5
Reconstructing the Erie Canal's Retaining Wall Enhancing Canal-side Recreation in the Historic Village of Fairport, New York by Sebastian C. Galbo, Prudent Engineering Prudent Engineering, LLP recently won a 2015 American Council for Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC – NY) Silver Award for a retaining wall replacement design that targeted a deteriorating portion of the Erie Canal wall in the Village of Fairport, New York. Located in the Town of Perinton, Monroe County, Fairport is a richly historic place with significant ties to Erie Canal heritage, and boasts a growing local business core, comprised of quaint restaurants, inns, and retailors, that attracts tourists from across the state. The design work served to replace a crumbling stretch of the canal’s marine retaining wall and rehabilitate the canal-side trailway for public recreation. These various design improvements aimed to revitalize community engagement with the Village’s waterfront; encourage visitors to use canal-side grounds for leisure and recreation; and draw tourists to the Village’s local businesses. Prudent Engineering’s staff encountered several design challenges unique to the location and nature of the canal wall structure, and collaborated with a community committed to preserving local history and enhancing opportunities for outdoor recreation. Completed in April 2014, Prudent’s canal wall replacement and trailway designs uniquely blended local business, community engagement, and outdoor recreation, while staying mindful of the regional history of the Erie Canal.
HISTORIC FAIRPORT & THE ERIE CANAL On April 8, 1811, the New York State Legislature made the momentous decision to mobilize the construction of the Erie Canal—a little over 200 years before Prudent Engineering finalized this project’s canal wall repair designs. New York City Mayor, DeWitt Clinton, had long been the adamant champion of building a manmade waterway that would forge a vital link connecting the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and the Atlantic’s coastal ports. But an engineering feat that involved shoveling out “350 miles through the wilderness” of upstate New York was, as Thomas Jefferson famously quipped, “a little short of madness.”1 Jefferson wasn’t aloof to the realities of the frontier: he knew that the terrain of nineteenth-century New York State was a mass of dense forest, swampland, and impenetrable brush, so when he was petitioned for federal funding, he politely declined, remarking: “It is a splendid project and may be executed a century hence.” While many considered the canal a doomed ambition, Clinton, however, remained confident in the grit and ingenuity of his planners. He drew inspiration from his conviction that the canal, once realized, would stimulate the state’s economy, increase population, and open the west for expansion. While a few attempts had been made prior to Clinton’s renewed campaign, it was ultimately due to the state’s lack of mountains that the canal was successfully constructed. When Clinton was installed as Governor of New York, he drove his canal bill through the legislature, and the construction of “Clinton’s Ditch” commenced July 4, 1817. The Erie Canal was quickly completed in 1825.
"Barge on Erie Canal in Fairport," circa 1907. Courtesy of the Perinton Municipal Historian Collection
Among the many historic towns dotting the Erie Canal is the Village of Fairport, a place inextricably linked with canal history. Fairport was once considered one of the inhospitable swampy expanses that had daunted Jefferson and others from endorsing the canal effort. The swamp was drained by canal laborers in the early 1820s, and soon Fairport burgeoned into a bustling transportation center along the canal. According to Perinton historian William Keeler, Fairport’s rapid emergence as a significant canal port was partly indebted to its connection to the Fairport-Perinton Road, a heavily travelled passageway used by northern farmers hauling their crops and wares to the canal.2 The influx of traffic and travelers spurred the development of the Village’s inns, docks, businesses, and warehouses, earning its reputation as the “Jewel of the Erie Canal.” With the advent of the railroad, the passenger and freight cars of the New York Central and West Shore Railroad lines rumbled through the Village, positioning Fairport at the center of a major transportation nexus. Today, Fairport has repurposed its historic buildings and repaved the old Canal towpath; its community events and activities, namely the annual Fairport Canal Days Festival, remain firmly rooted in its Erie Canal heritage.
PRESERVING THE CANAL WALL Prudent Engineering joined the Fairport community’s efforts to preserve its valued structural history and revitalize its outdoor recreational resources. Programmed by the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) and New York State Canal Corporation (NYSCC), this project’s chief objective was to replace approximately 450 linear feet of deteriorating stone canal wall—which had collapsed at several locations—with a new marine retaining wall. For Fairport residents, this specific portion of the wall was more than a crumbling slab of stone: this was a stretch of historic property constructed during the 1905-1918 canal expansion, which reconfigured the canal from a 40-foot-wide by 4-feet-deep waterway into the Canal Barge System—a larger, deeper waterway system that could support large-vessel traffic.
Deteriorating Canal Wall
Under this contract, Prudent was designated as the Engineer of Record. Prudent’s Civil Engineering - Special Projects Design Team, led by Project Manager Daniel Huffaker, PE, developed and refined the canal wall removal and replacement designs, cofferdam design, construction sequencing, and trailway layout. Charged with this set of design objectives, Prudent’s team prepared and finalized preliminary and final design plans; coordinated project management; and developed construction plans, engineer’s cost estimates, and construction specifications. Prudent also developed the project’s Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), which determined how to reduce pollutants in the project area’s stormwater discharge. Before 6 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
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delving into the design work, Prudent completed several important design survey and mapping tasks. The geotechnical survey and mapping component involved acquiring essential data on the project site’s bedrock and soil characteristics. Additionally, the Right-of-Way survey and mapping work determined and demarcated existing boundary and property lines.
PROJECT CHALLENGES & RESOLUTIONS During the course of this project, Prudent encountered several engineering challenges. The first challenge concerned resolving the logistical complexities of accessing the section of canal wall requiring replacement. To install the new wall, Prudent dewatered the site using a specially designed 14-foot-high by 500-footlong earthen cofferdam, a watertight structure used to isolate an underwater construction zone. With the cofferdam securely placed, the site was declared a safe work area. The second challenge involved performing construction activities without negatively impacting adjacent property owners. Due to the project’s location in the Village, there were several properties within six feet of the project excavation limits whose protection was a major concern of the NYSCC. To avoid disturbing private residences, a temporary soldier pile and timber lagging wall— special barricades that retain soil—were installed along the excavation threshold.
Lagging Wall
The process of installing the new canal wall presented the third challenge. Complexities unique to the canal’s soil, particularly its varying bedrock depth, caused the canal’s elevation to vary approximately 25 feet along the wall. These elevation differences required design adjustments to the depth of H-pile embedment, the beams used to bolster deep-foundation structures. The new canal wall was installed using steel H-piles, which were driven into the canal bed and supported by precast concrete panels. After installation, the new wall was topped with a precast concrete cap to give the structure a clean, trim appearance. After the wall was securely placed, the excavation was backfilled and the timber lagging was removed to the elevation of the new canal trailway. The fourth challenge did not concern a technical issue, but required the design and construction teams to maintain a highly organized and efficient building schedule so that the workload was successfully completed within the four months of the non-navigable winter season.
New Canal Wall
LASTING IMPACT
Photo: Jonathan Beach
Technical design work aside, the project’s overarching objective involved developing a trailway design that would increase pedestrian engagement with the area by linking the natural elements of the canal with waterfront recreation and the Village’s downtown area. Prior to launching this project, Prudent sought community and shareholder input in recognition of the Village’s efforts to enhance its central business district and waterfront. It was decided that the new design would be informed by social and economic goals, both of which aimed to deliver and sustain a meaningful impact on the local community. In an effort to promote Fairport’s outdoor recreation facilities, the project’s design scope included reconstructing 2,585 linear feet of severely deteriorated trailway adjacent to the canal. The 10-foot-wide canal trailway provides a safe, pedestrianfriendly route for walkers, hikers, and cyclists. Its enhancement involved removing and repurposing existing stones; reconstructing the canal embankment; various Pedestrian Trailway drainage improvements; and the installation of nautically themed trail signage and Photo: Jonathan Beach post-and-chain railings along the route. Extensive maintenance and removal of overgrown vegetation drastically improved canal views. These aesthetic improvements serve to strengthen community ties among residents and visitors, and also provide a beautiful trailway for the everyday enjoyment of its users. The project’s sensitivity to factors impacting the local economy is reflected in the development of a sustainable trailway design that attracts bicyclists, hikers, and tourists who, in turn, patronize Fairport’s many restaurants, shops, and lodgings. Drawing the attention of visitors will stimulate the growth of local businesses and the community’s economy. By focusing on rehabilitating the Village’s canal wall and surrounding waterfront grounds, Prudent’s designs have enriched the built and natural environments of this scenic community, affording local residents and visitors an opportunity to enjoy the many historic and cultural resources of Fairport, “the Jewel of the Erie Canal.” Sebastian C. Galbo is the Marketing Coordinator at Prudent Engineering, LLP 1
Michael T. Keene, Folklore and Legends of Rochester: The Mystery of Hoodoo Corner and Other Tales (Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2011) 42.
2
William Keeler, Perinton, Fairport, and the Erie Canal (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2001) 8.
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AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 7
Get to the Point! Listen So You Can Hear
In the past, this article has focused on written communications. This month, however, I address a different, often undervalued factor in effective communication. When you enter into a conversation/dialogue, you should be prepared to spend 90% of the time actively listening and only 10% of the time speaking.
Ways to Listen Better Today
Hearing is easy! For most of us, our body does the work by interpreting the sounds that we hear into words. Listening, however, is far more difficult. Listening is the process of looking at the words and the other factors around the words (such as our non-verbal communication), and then interpreting the entire message. Here are seven things that you can do to start becoming a better listener. 1. When you’re listening, listen. Don’t talk on the phone, text message, clean off your desk, or do anything else. 2. Avoid interruptions. If you think of something that needs to be done, make a mental or written note of it and forget about it until the conversation is over. 3. When you do talk, make sure it’s related to what the other person is saying. Questions to clarify, expand, and probe for more information will be key tools. 4. Do not offer advice unless the other person asks you for it. If you are not sure what they want, ask! 5. Make sure the physical environment is conducive to listening. Try to reduce noise and distractions. (“Would you mind stepping into my office where I can hear you better?” is a great line to use.) If possible, be seated comfortably. Be close enough to the person so that you can hear them, but not too close to make them uncomfortable. 6. If it is a conversation where you are required to take notes, try not to let the note-taking disturb the flow of the conversation. If you need a moment to catch up, choose an appropriate moment to ask for a break.
Understanding Active Listening
Although hearing is a passive activity, one must listen actively to listen effectively, and to actually hear what is being said. There are three basic steps to actively listening. 1. Try to identify where the other person is coming from. This concept is also called the frame of reference. 2. Listen to what is being said closely and attentively. 3. Respond appropriately, either non-verbally (such as a nod to indicate you are listening), with a question (to ask for clarification), or by paraphrasing. Note that paraphrasing does not mean repeating the speaker’s words back to them like a parrot. It does mean repeating what you think the speaker said in your own words. Some examples: “It sounds like that made you angry,” (Using the “It sounds like…” precursor, or something similar, gives the speaker the opportunity to correct you if your interpretation is wrong.)
Asking Good Questions
Good questioning skills are another building block of successful communication. Questions will help us gather information, clarify facts, and communicate with others. There are several questioning techniques that you can use throughout the communication process. Which type of question you use will depend on the situation and the audience.
Open Questions
Open questions get their name because the response is open-ended; the answerer has a wide range of options to choose from when answering it. Open questions use one of six words as a root: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? Open questions are great conversation starters, fact finders, and communication enhancers. Use them whenever possible.
Closed Questions
Closed questions are the opposite of open questions; their very structure limits the answer to yes or no, or a specific piece of information. Some examples include: • • •
Where do you work? Did you work on the WIAA project? Are you a member of the RES?
Although closed questions tend to shut down communication, they can be useful if you are searching for a particular piece of information, or winding
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a conversation down. If you use a closed question and it shuts down the conversation, simply use an open-ended question to get things started again.
Probing Questions
In addition to the basic open and closed questions, there is also a toolbox of probing questions that we can use. These questions can be open or closed, but each type serves a specific purpose.
Clarification
By probing for clarification, you invite the other person to share more information so that you can fully understand their message. Clarification questions often look like this: “Please tell me more about…” “What did you mean by…” “What does … look like?” (Any of the five senses can be used here)
Completeness and Correctness
These types of questions can help you ensure you have the full, true story. Having all the facts, in turn, can protect you from assuming and jumping to conclusions – two fatal barriers to communication. Some examples of these questions include: “What else happened after that?” “Did that end the …”
Determining Relevance
This category will help you determine how (or if!) a particular point is related to the conversation at hand. It can also help you get the speaker back on track from a tangent. Some good ways to frame relevance questions are: “How is that like…” “How does that relate to…”
Drilling Down
Use these types of questions to nail down vague statements. Useful helpers include: “Describe…” “What do you mean by…?” “Could you please give an example?”
Summarizing
These questions are framed more like a statement. They pull together all the relevant points. They can be used to confirm to the listener that you heard what was said, and to give them an opportunity to correct any misunderstandings. Example: “So you were shortlisted as a vendor, invited to present the proposal, and ended up not getting the contract?” Be careful not to repeat the speaker’s words back to them like a parrot. Remember, paraphrasing means repeating what you think the speaker said in your own words. Communication will improve when we can learn to listen. Better communication will lead to less stress, stronger relationships, and higher productivity. RGI Learning offers workshops in conflict resolution and communicatons skills. Please email me at LisaM@rgilearning.com with questions or comments for a future article. Online instruction on how to write effective reports and proposals is available at www.rgilearning.com.
© 2015, RGI Learning Lisa Moretto is the President of RGI Learning, Inc. For 21 years she has helped engineers improve their oral and written communication skills. Visit www.rgilearning.com or call (866) 744-3032 to learn about RGI’s courses. get to the point
g
Get
IT Done
Pair of Dachshunds
— André Godfrey There is no theme to today’s article but I thought I’s share some recent observations. Here’s one. It is one of the great paradoxes of modern technology that I live on my mobile phone but I never call anyone. It’s true. I grant you “never’ might not be quite true but it is pretty true. I communicate using my mobile phone via text messaging, email, instant messenger and Facebook but I rarely actually talk to another human being. We live our lives in snippets and phone conversations have protocol, ritual and niceties that frankly the other forms of communication do not adhere to. On the phone I am obliged to identify myself, say ‘hello’, probably ‘how are you’ and answer to that very same question. In the other forms my identity is preestablished. On email I might ask ‘how are you’ but I am not likely obliged to echo that answer. I am a slow adopter of technology. Some people are surprised by that seeing as I am in “the biz”. But I am slow adopter to everything. I didn’t buy cable TV, bottled water and I never did understand Starbucks. The food I eat today is the same food I ate 30 years ago. Not literally the same food. The same kind of food. I don’t have children but I have heard stories about the technological acumen of friends’ children. My brother and his seven young kids visited the other day. Computers and electronic devices are strewn around the various rooms of the house and you would think the variety might be daunting but kids today are technically intrepid. Their little hands would push buttons and they’d talk it through logically with each other and there wasn’t a single device from the sequence of the six remotes to turn on the TV to the multiplexer to our guest Wi-Fi that they didn’t simply wade in and operate like a Level III engineer. Oh, I’ve heard the stories but seeing it firsthand was an eye opener.
not a very good guitar player. However, there is no truth to the rumor that I wasn’t aware of what those pegs on top of the neck did and that when my guitar went out of tune, I would simply buy another guitar. BTW - I’ve had electronic guitar tuners before. But the guitar tuners I bought were invariably lost at some point or they ended up in a basement box somewhere near the Ark. But a FREE tuner right on the phone? Very cool. Best mobile app ever? Maybe the hearing test app. A few years ago I sat on the board for Rochester Hearing and Speech, a terrific organization that provides inexpensive or free hearing devices to people who otherwise could not afford them. The number one obstacle to improving the quality of hearing in older people was simply to get them to admit they’re hearing was impaired. In another case of art mimicking life, I was watching Modern Family (talk about slow adopters – it took me years before I finally watched that show) and the character Jay would not admit to having difficulty hearing until his granddaughter tested him using a mobile hearing app. As it happens, the exact same scenario played out at my house with my wife’s father. I said “paradoxes” and he heard “pair of dachshunds”. I gave him the app and let him wander into the next room to test himself. After years of diminished hearing and doing nothing, that app provided him the impetus to get a hearing aid. Think about IT.
André Godfrey is President/CEO of Entré Computer Services, www.entrecs.com
Newest mobile app? Guitar tuner. It is true that I am get IT done
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 9
The Limited Monopoly® Eye in the Sky – The Advantages of Using a Patent Alert Service by John Hammond, PE and Robert Gunderman, PE
The Patent Landscape – Always Changing
The term “patent landscape” is widely used to denote the state of patent activities in a given field of technology, or with regard to a more narrow class of inventions. An Internet search of the term will produce pages of hits, many of which link to the websites of companies that are in the business of compiling and distributing patent data from various patent offices throughout the world. And yes, the patent landscape is always changing, as the USPTO, WIPO1,2, and the patent offices of foreign countries publish new patent applications and issue new patents every week. Keeping a close watch on the patent landscape can be an essential business task in any number of situations, including developing new technology, manufacturing and selling a product line, considering entry into a new market, or performing due diligence in a business startup or acquisition opportunity. In any of these situations where patents play an important role in protecting products that are out in the marketplace, or are soon to be introduced, it is important to know the landscape, and where your company or investment opportunity fits in it.
News You Can Use
Because patents by definition are complete disclosures of inventions made available to the public (in exchange for that “limited monopoly” – the right to exclude others from making, using or selling the invention during the term of a patent), there is a wide range of patent information that is readily discoverable with online searching. There is also a wide range of business uses for the information. A few specific ones are as follows: • Knowing your competitors – who they are, and where they stand in patenting products in your market. Could they block you from operating strongly in a key market? Could you block them? Where do they stand in developing new technology? What direction are they headed? How strong is their portfolio? Where are they patenting – in the U.S. only, or in foreign countries as well? • Determining “freedom to operate,” and infringement risks. 10 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
“One key advantage of using a weekly patent alert service is that you can spot threats and opportunities quickly, and react to them.” Are there any patents out there, or published applications that may issue, which would limit your ability to enter or remain in a market? • Determining potential licensees or buyers of your patents. Who is playing in that space? Perhaps they are interested in making a deal, especially if you hold patents that they need to license to gain freedom to operate. • Doing due diligence. Suppose you have an opportunity to invest in a startup company or make an acquisition. The company presents its patent position and that of the competition as part of the business case. You will want to do your own research – “Trust, but verify.”3 In evaluating a deal, the assertions a company makes on its patent position are probably one of the few things that can be tightly fact-checked. (In stark contrast to those typical hockey stick growth projections in their investment pitch). • Monitoring patent litigation and post-grant opposition. What’s happening in patents that cover your marketplace – who is suing whom for patent infringement? What patents are under post grant or inter partes review? How are these cases proceeding? How might the possible outcomes affect your business?
And On a Weekly Basis
At some point, any one of these challenges or opportunities may knock, and you will need to conduct your own survey of this patent landscape, starting from ground zero. There are numerous companies that provide this service, and plenty of online articles on how to do your own patent searching and related analysis. As we note above, however, the landscape is changing every week, and to varying degrees. Some weeks The Limited Monopoly
y
will be uneventful, but one week in particular could produce a patent application on a disruptive technology that could impact your business. If you are not continuously monitoring the landscape, that comprehensive search and analysis that was just completed could be obsolete in a few months. The good news is that many of the companies that are in the patent information business also provide “patent alert” services, informing subscribers of newly issued patents and published patent applications every week. Having a “weekly feed” of new information on patent activities can provide a number of advantages and options over a “one and done” or yearly patent search. One key advantage to such an alert service is that you can spot threats and opportunities quickly, and react to them. When a competitor’s patent issues, you can obtain a prompt opinion as to whether you might have an infringement problem. Knowing about it early also presents the opportunity to submit a post-grant opposition4 to the patent, which must be filed in the USPTO within nine months of its issue date. Early knowledge of a published patent application also presents opportunities. Once an application is published, you can watch its prosecution5 progress in Public PAIR6 to monitor the likelihood that it will issue as a patent, how soon, and what the possible claims may be. Additionally, if you know of possible prior art that might be a bar to its issuance as a patent, you can check to see if that prior art has been considered in prosecution. If not, you may have the opportunity to submit the prior art via a Third Party Submission7 to the USPTO. Knowing the existence of the pending application as early as possible is important, because the submission must be made before the earlier of either the date a notice of allowance is given or mailed in the application, or the later of either six months after the date on which the application is first published or the date of the first rejection of any claim by the examiner during examination of the application. Another advantage of weekly alerts is that you can strengthen your own patent application – or abandon it if the news is really bad. Suppose you have a pending application, and your weekly feed contains a newly published application that is “close” to yours, i.e., it might be material to the patentability of your claims, and it was filed before the filing date of your application. It’s never a good feeling to get that news, and moreover, now that you know of it, you have the “duty to disclose”8 it to the Patent Office. However, it is much better to submit it now, have the Examiner consider it, and let the chips fall where they may. If you emerge with a patent, it will be that much stronger. And in a worst case scenario, where it’s a “knock out” reference that totally eliminates the possibility of obtaining a patent with any value, you can choose to abandon your application. That choice is far better than continuing to invest any further money in prosecution absent the knowledge of the competitor’s application. The Limited Monopoly
Some “Budget” Choices
Several of the private sector patent information companies that offer weekly patent alerts operate under a typical Internet business model: provide an entry level of service free (or at a low cost), and also provide a “premium” fee-based subscription with a higher level of service. A Google search will quickly identify a number of options. (In fact, Google itself has an alert service via Google Patents.) In May 2015, the USPTO also began offering a free alert service9, albeit limited solely to U.S. published patent applications. If you think that a patent alert service may be useful, starting with a free one is a low risk option. See how it works, and what it delivers versus what you need. If it falls short, you can always move up to the fee-based option or move on to another provider. We have some needs and opportunities for using an alert service ourselves. We’ve identified a particular DNA-related technology of interest, and our plan is to choose several of the free services, “road test” them, and compare results. We’ll report back in early 2016 with an update on how they performed. 1. WIPO – the World Intellectual Property Organization, administrator of the Patent Cooperation Treaty. 2. The Limited Monopoly®, November 2007. 3. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust,_but_verify for the origin of this maxim. 4. The Limited Monopoly®, March 2009. 6. The Limited Monopoly®, May 2006. 7. The Limited Monopoly®, October 2012. 8. The Limited Monopoly®, December 2006. 9. https://www.uspatentappalerts.com/ Authors John M. Hammond P.E. (Patent Innovations, LLC www.patent-innovations.com) and Robert D. Gunderman P.E. (Patent Technologies, LLC www.patentechnologies.com) are both registered patent agents and licensed professional engineers. They offer patent-related seminars that may be approved for PDH credits. More information can be found at www.patenteducation.com. Copyright 2015 John Hammond and Robert Gunderman, Jr. Note: This short article is intended only to provide cursory background information, and is not intended to be legal advice. No client relationship with the authors is in any way established by this article. PHOTO CREDIT: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory illustration of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, launched June 30, 2015 to measure atmospheric carbon dioxide.
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 11
News From
Professional Firms
Preservation League of New York State Awards DePaul Carriage Factory Apartments for Excellence in Historic Preservation The Preservation League of New York State has recognized the DePaul Carriage Factory Apartments in Rochester with its Excellence in Historic Preservation award. The league’s statewide awards program honors notable achievements in retaining, promoting and reusing New York’s irreplaceable architectural heritage. “The Cunningham Carriage Factory was built for the production of horse-drawn carriages, and output changed with the times — from automobiles and ambulances to tanks and airplanes,” said Jay DiLorenzo, president of the Preservation League. “After some 80 years, production ceased and the building was on the verge of collapse. The Carriage Factory now provides affordable housing and serves as a complement to the ongoing revitalization of the surrounding area.” The five-story, 73,000-square-foot Cunningham Carriage Factory was one of the oldest manufacturing plants in Rochester. The rehabilitation restored many of the defining elements of the building, including exposed brick, natural light and original ceiling heights. The former atrium in the center of the building, long since tarred over, was re-glazed to create a bright and welcoming community space. Industrial pollution was reversed through brownfield remediation, and a once-decaying hulk now serves as a welcome reminder of Rochester’s industrial heritage. The project team included DePaul, a not-for-profit developer of supportive housing; SWBR Architects; Community Preservation Corporation, of Albany; Christa Construction, of Victor; historic preservation consultant Michael Puma; DJ Parrone Associates; and Betts Housing Partners LLC, of Albany. The project used Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and state and federal historic tax credits, and received support from the New York State Housing Trust Fund, Finger Lakes Economic Development Council and the City of Rochester. The awards were presented at the Preservation League’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony in New York City on Wednesday, May 13, at the historic New York Yacht Club.
From left to right: Mark Fuller, president, DePaul; Joe Gibbons, principal, SWBR; David Christa, president, Christa Construction; Chris Betts, president, Betts Housing Partners, LLC.
About Preservation League’s Excellence in Historic Preservation The Preservation League’s Excellence in Historic Preservation awards program is funded by a generous grant from the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation. The Preservation League of New York State invests in people and projects that champion the essential role of preservation in community revitalization, sustainable economic growth, and the protection of our historic buildings and landscapes. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs all across the state. q
News from Professional Firms, continued on page 20...
Professional Firms Employee News Bergmann Announces Two New Hires Bergmann Associates announced that Dan Rusnack P.E., LC, LEED BD+C, CLEP has joined the firm as an electrical discipline specialist. Before joining the firm, Dan worked at Hunt Engineers as an electrical engineer. Dan has a bachelor’s of architectural engineering from Pennsylvania State University specializing in electrical / lighting design. Also joining the firm is Michael Marchand as an intern architect 2. Before joining the Dan Rusnack, PE
firm, he worked at Ramar Steel as a detailer. Michael has a bachelor’s of architecture
Michael Marchand
from Syracuse University, School of Architecture. Professional Firms Employee News, continued on page 16...
12 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
news from professional firms | professional firms employee news
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AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 13
Position Openings
The Rochester Engineering Society relies on its many volunteers to keep us running. We continue to encourage you to join the RES and volunteer on our many committees. We need committee members for: Membership Committee Gala Committee (Save the Date of Saturday, April 16, 2016 - we are working on details now for this most important fundraiser for the RES) Scholarship Committee Financial Committee "Rochester Engineer" Editorial Committee Constitution & By-Laws Committee Program Committee Strategic Planning Committee, and many more... We also need volunteers for the Tutoring Team, the E3 Fair, STEM Programs and the Explorer Post.
Please go to the RES Website (www.roceng.org) and sign up on the volunteer site run by Jon Kriegel. We also have a Director Position open on the BOD.
Can you help?
Thank you to our many volunteers! 14 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
position openings
s
Position Openings
RIT’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering invites applications and nominations for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of assistant professor. Candidates with exceptional qualifications will be considered at the rank of associate professor. Candidates must have ability to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of ergonomics and human factors. We are looking to build research strength in ergonomics and human factors to complement our current research areas including health systems engineering, sustainable engineering, and advanced manufacturing. Applicants must have a Ph.D. degree in Industrial Engineering or a closely related field. Candidates must also have a record of dissemination of scholarly research; demonstrated potential for high quality teaching; potential to establish a successful externally sponsored research program; excellent written and oral communication skills; and the ability to contribute in meaningful ways to the university’s continuing commitment to cultural diversity, pluralism and individual differences. Faculty responsibilities include teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, student advising (including M.S. and Ph.D. students), conducting sponsored research, and providing service to the university community. We are seeking an individual who has the ability and interest in contributing to a community committed to student centeredness; professional development and scholarship; integrity and ethics; respect, diversity and pluralism; innovation and flexibility; and teamwork and collaboration. THE COLLEGE/ DEPARTMENT: The Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering is experiencing significant growth with several exciting new initiatives under development. The department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Industrial and Systems Engineering, with additional degree options in Sustainable Engineering and Engineering Management. In addition, we are developing an interdisciplinary graduate program in Healthcare Systems Engineering. Faculty are also actively engaged in an interdisciplinary engineering Ph.D. program with focus areas in Transportation, Energy, Communications, and Health Care. For more information on the department, see https://www.rit.edu/kgcoe/ise/. The Kate Gleason College of Engineering has established its reputation as a preeminent provider of career-oriented engineering education with a rapidly growing commitment to research. It offers bachelor degree programs and comprehensive, innovative graduate programs in a range of engineering disciplines including a broad-based cross-disciplinary doctoral degree in engineering. For more information visit https://www.rit.edu/kgcoe/. THE UNIVERSITY AND ROCHESTER COMMUNITY: RIT is a national leader in professional and career-oriented education. Talented, ambitious, and creative students of all cultures and backgrounds from all 50 states and more than 100 countries have chosen to attend RIT. Founded in 1829, Rochester Institute of Technology is a privately endowed, coeducational university with nine colleges emphasizing career education and experiential learning. With approximately 15,000 undergraduates and 2,900 graduate students, RIT is one of the largest private universities in the nation. RIT offers a rich array of degree programs in engineering, science, business, and the arts, and is home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. RIT has been honored by The Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the “Great Colleges to Work For” for four years. RIT is a National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Transformation site. RIT is responsive to the needs of dual-career couples by our membership in the Upstate NY HERC. Rochester, situated between Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes region, is the 79th largest city in the United States and the third largest metropolitan area in New York State. The Greater Rochester region, which is home to over one million people, is rich in cultural and ethnic diversity, with a population comprised of approximately 16% African and Latin Americans and another 7% of international origin. It is also home to the largest deaf community per capita in the U.S. Rochester ranks 3rd among the best metropolitan regions for “raising a family" by Forbes Magazine; 6th among 379 metropolitan areas as “Best Places to Live in America” by Places Rated Almanac; 1st in Expansion Management Magazine’s ranking of metropolitan areas having the best “quality of life in the nation”; and is among Essence Magazine’s “Top 10 Cities for Black Families.” HOW TO APPLY: Apply online at http://careers.rit.edu/faculty. Questions for the search committee regarding this position may be directed to Michael Kuhl by email at Michael.Kuhl@rit.edu. Anticipated Start Date: August, 2016 (An earlier start date of January, 2016 is also possible.) Review of applications will begin October 15, 2015, and continue until a suitable candidate is found. RIT does not discriminate. RIT promotes and values diversity, pluralism and inclusion in the work place. RIT provides equal opportunity to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, age, marital status, sex, gender, religion, sexual orientations, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, veteran status or disability in its hiring, admissions, educational programs and activities. position openings
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 15
Position Openings
Professional Firms Employee News Mark McAnany of Bergmann Associates named Chairman-Elect of ACEC New York ________________________________________
The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACECNY, a proactive coalition representing over 300 private engineering firms and 20,000 professional employees) has named Mark McAnany, P.E. Chairman-Elect of their statewide organization. Mark will serve this leadership position for one year, followed by a Chairmanship in year-two and then a National Director post in the third year. The appointment reflects a 33 year career in the transportation industry which has included numerous honors, awards and achievements including ASCE Rochester Engineer of the Year in 2013. Mark joined Bergmann in 1983 after graduating from the State University at Buffalo with a degree in civil engineering. Since then, his more than three decades of experience have encompassed major projects throughout the Rochester region, as well as across New York State and the northeastern U.S. Over that time, Mark has directed such notable projects as: the multi-million dollar corridor improvements to Mt. Hope Avenue at College Town in Rochester; the NY 590 – Sea Breeze Drive roundabout corridor transformation in Irondequoit; over $150 million in planned improvements to the NY390/I-490/NY31 western interchange in Monroe County, and the active $160 million I-81 /NY 17 Interchange reconstruction project in Binghamton, NY. He served on the ASCE-Rochester board from 1992 to 1997 and as Regional President in 1996-’97. Mark has been an active leader in ACEC New York, previously as the Rochester Region Chair, New York State Board of Directors member and on the ACEC New York Executive Committee. He also continues to serve Monroe County as a civil engineering advisor to the Mill Seat Landfill Citizens Advisory Board as well as the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council's Infrastructure & Transportation sub-committee where he helps set policy and priorities for the region. q Professional Firms Employee News, continued on page 18...
16 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
position openings | professional firms employee news
Position Openings
MRB Group Engineering, Architecture & Surveying, P.C. (www.mrbgroup.com) is currently recruiting for several positions to join our growing team in Rochester, New York:
Planner/Civil Engineer: Candidate will work with our planning and municipal services group providing support on
subdivision and site plan reviews, planning board activities, general planning services, and SWPPP/site inspections. Minimum qualifications include a planning or civil engineering related degree with a minimum of 3-5 years experience. Some of the skills that would be desired for this position include knowledge of site plans, State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR), NYSDEC and MS4 stormwater regulations, comprehensive plans and zoning regulations. Candidate should be proficient in Word and Excel and have excellent writing skills. AutoCAD or GIS skills would be a plus. Successful candidates will be self-starters with good communication skills and the ability to work well in a team environment. Individual may also be expected to represent the firm in meetings and conferences with clients, regulatory agencies, and officials of other organizations.
Team Leader/Project Manager: Candidate will be responsible for client and project development, client interaction, and client meetings. Individual will represent the firm in meetings and conferences with clients, regulatory agencies, and officials of other organizations. Candidate must have experience and background with civil engineering disciplines and especially water and wastewater conveyance and treatment. Team Leader/Project Manager will develop projects with clients and then will be involved in the oversight and management of the design and construction of those projects while maintaining client contact. Only candidates with the ability to apply advanced engineering techniques and demonstrate exceptional problem solving and communication skills will be considered. Public speaking and interactions with clients, politicians, and municipal officials will expected. Licensure is required with a minimum of 10 years of experience. Civil Engineers to plan, design, direct, oversee and execute civil engineering projects in our water/wastewater group. Minimum qualifications include a B.S. degree with 1-3 years of experience (for Civil Engineer I), 3-5 years of experience (for Civil Engineer II) or 5-7 years of experience (for Civil Engineer III). Water/wastewater experience desired. P.E. license preferred. Successful candidates will be self-starters with good communication skills and the ability to work well in a team environment. Junior Architect/Designer to assist the Architectural Department Manager and Senior Architects with assignments. Successful candidates will be detail-oriented; efficient; keen to quality output; possess the organizational skills to prioritize tasks and manage multiple deadlines; and have excellent communication skills. Must also have the ability to work independently. Responsibilities include drafting production/ technical assistance on a variety of public and private projects; developing projects from schematic design through construction administration; performing product research, material selections, specifications, and review of submittals and shop drawings; and preparing graphic presentations for client review and approval. Technical proficiency in the following is required: AutoCAD 2015, Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office. Should also have experience with graphics software such as Google Sketch Up, 3D Studio Max and/or other 3D imaging software. Qualified applicants should have 2–5 years of experience; Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited architectural school; demonstration of licensure track is preferred. Intermediate Architect/Designer: Successful candidate will be detail-oriented; efficient; keen to quality output; possess
the organizational skills to prioritize tasks and manage multiple deadlines; have excellent communication skills; a thorough knowledge of relevant codes, operations, processes and trends; a demonstrated ability to mentor and manage junior staff; and ability to maintain client relationships. Responsibilities include: production lead/technical assistance on a variety of public and private projects; develop projects from schematic design through construction administration; manage junior staff production and schedule; communicate with and manage select client types; assist the Department Manager as required; and review building codes to assure that design complies with the current code standards. Technical proficiency in the following is required: AutoCAD 2015, Microsoft Office, NYS Building Code, and ADA Standards. Experience with Adobe Photoshop, Sketch Up, 3D Studio Max and/or other 3D imaging software is a plus. Qualified applicants should have 6-10 years of experience; Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree from an accredited architectural school; Licensed Architect preferred, but not a requirement. Structural knowledge and production experience is a plus.
MRB Group has offices in Rochester, Watertown, Saratoga Springs, Seneca Falls, and Elmira, New York.
Please e-mail your resume to: resume@mrbgroup.com or mail a copy to: MRB Group, The Culver Road Armory, 145 Culver Road, Suite 160, Rochester, NY 14620 AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 17
Professional Firms Employee News Erdman Anthony News
Andrew P. Schwingel, EIT
Matthew Weaver, PE
Zachary Murray
Matthew Palmer, PLS
Erdman Anthony Associates announces new hires, licenses, certifications, and executive named to ACEC New York board. Andrew P. Schwingel, EIT, was recently hired as a structural engineer in the Transportation Engineering group. Schwingel holds a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Vermont. Zachary Murray was recently hired as a design engineer in the Transportation Engineering group. Murray holds a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering technology from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Jeffrey J. Kroon was recently hired as a design engineer in the Transportation Engineering group. Kroon holds a bachelor of science degree in civil structural engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He spent several years as a technical consultant and has experience with structural engineering, bridge analysis, and the design software industry. Shelby Vakiener was recently hired as a transportation engineer in the Transportation Engineering group. Vakiener formerly served as
Jeffrey J. Kroon
Shelby Vakiener
commissioning professional (EBCP™) certification. The Association of Energy Engineers established the EBCP certification program with the dual purpose of recognizing the most qualified professionals in this growing area within the energy industry and raising the overall professional standards within the existing building commissioning field. Stuckey holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and a B.A. in physics from Goshen College. She is the founder of Rochester Sustainable Women.
“Rachel is a consummate engineer who is committed to continuous professional growth in the best interests of the firms clients,” said Michael D. St. John, PE, CEM, Rachel Stuckey, PE William P. McCormick, LEED AP, core business leader and PE principal associate, Erdman Anthony. an intern at the firm. She holds a bachelor of “Each certification she has received is science degree in civil engineering technology based on rigorous standards.” from Rochester Institute of Technology. William P. McCormick, P.E., Matthew Weaver, P.E., mechanical engineer Erdman Anthony principal, has been in the firms Facilities Engineering and Design named to the American Council Services group, has earned his license as a of Engineering Companies of New professional engineer in the state of New York. York (ACEC New York) board of Weaver holds a bachelor of science degree in directors. McCormick was inducted mechanical engineering from Rochester Institute at its recent meeting in New York of Technology. Weaver has more than 10 years City. of professional experience and specializes in the design of refrigeration systems for retail and McCormick, who serves as Northeast higher education clients. transportation regional manager, has worked for Erdman Anthony for Matthew Palmer, geospatial technologist in the close to 30 years. He has expertise in firms Rochester Geospatial group, has earned transportation and traffic engineering his license as a professional land surveyor in and is licensed as a professional the state of New York. Palmer holds a bachelor engineer in the states of New York, of science degree in surveying engineering Florida, Maine, and Vermont. technology from Alfred State College. In McCormick received his bachelor of addition to conventional surveying duties, science degree in civil engineering Palmer has extensive GPS, high-definition laser from Clarkson University and is a scanning, and GIS project experience. member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, the American Rachel Stuckey, PE, LEED AP, BEMP, CEA, Society of Highway Engineers, and EBCP, sustainability and energy conservation the New York State Association of engineer, recently achieved her existing building Transportation Engineers. q
18 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
professional firms employee news
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LaBella Associates, D.P.C. announced the hiring of seven new employees, and an employee passing the EIT exam. Anthony Sanganetti, EIT has joined as a junior civil engineer. He recently graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology. While at RIT, Anthony completed two internships, one with the Town of Henrietta, and the other at Langan Engineering and Environmental Services. Anthony has experience drafting plans and performing construction and SWPPP inspections. He has also worked on stormwater management design, utility design, and site development for residential, commercial, and industrial projects.
LaBella Associates News
Anthony Sanganetti, EIT
Michael J. Barbasch, PE
Theodore L. Sherwood, PE
Joshue Lawrence
Michael J. Barbasch, PE, CEM, LEED AP has joined as a senior energy engineer for the Buildings Engineering Division. He has over 12 years of Sean Evans, PE Brian LeMoine, Michael D. Rogalski, Melissa Levis, experience which includes demand EIT PE EIT side energy efficiency strategies, energy efficiency auditing and developing innovative solutions for various facility types. Mike has extensive skills in project preliminary assessments, utility bill analysis, detailed energy calculations, investment grade audits and cost estimates, engineering design support and project management services. Theodore L. Sherwood, PE, CFPS, LEED AP has joined as a senior mechanical engineer for the Building Engineering Division. He has over 30 years of experience which includes consulting engineering, plumbing, HVAC design, fire protection, new construction and renovations, historic buildings, inspections and code enforcement. His experience includes specialty systems for laboratory hood exhaust, dust collection, chilled water systems, fire suppression, medical gases, and back flow prevention. Ted has provided work for universities, offices, industrial buildings, commercial buildings, hospitals, and health care facilities. Joshua Lawrence has joined as a junior structural engineer for the Buildings Engineering Division. He has experience with commercial building design and renovation as well as metal framed exterior, steel and concrete, and platforms, and structures. Currently, he attends SUNY University at Buffalo to earn a master’s degree in structural and earthquake engineering. Sean Evans, PE, PMP has joined as a power systems division director. He has over 14 years of experience which includes control systems, energy systems, heat transfer, vacuum, process control systems and other process equipment within a broad set of industries. Sean has an extensive skill set including work with power, refining, material processing, chemical processing, and food and agriculture industries. He is able to manage and create large and small teams both locally and across the globe, meeting deadlines and budgets and enhancing employee relations. Brian LeMoine, EIT has joined as a junior mechanical engineer for the Buildings Engineering Division. He has experience with energy related projects with NYSERDA incentives, energy efficient equipment, HVAC design, refrigeration, and structural and mechanical systems. Brian graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s of science in mechanical engineering. Michael D. Rogalski, PE, LEED AP has joined as a senior electrical engineer for the Buildings Engineering Division. He has over 25 years of experience which includes design and specification of power distribution systems, grounding and lighting systems, and QA/ QC for manpower projects. Mike has extensive skills in contract document preparation, client interactions, negotiating contacts, budget monitoring, engineering design support and project management services. Melissa Levis, EIT has recently passed the Engineering-in-Training exam. This is the first step in becoming licensed as a Professional Engineer. Melissa works at LaBella Associates in the Structural Group as a junior engineer. q Professional Firms Employee News, continued on page 23...
professional firms employee news
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 19
News From
Professional Firms
New Power System Division at LaBella Associates LaBella Associates, D.P.C. is proud to announce that June 1st, 2015 marked the beginning of the newest service area for the firm: Power Systems Distribution. Over the past few years, power system distribution has been a catalyst for growth throughout the company. That growth was a result of the employees, directors and marketing staff working across divisinal lines as the new service area was being developed. "This
unique evolution has provided the firm the opportunity to seek out new clients and new geographies," President Robert A. Healy said. Our newest division will help service the electrical supply industry from substation automation to infrastructure upgrade projects. Sean Evens, PE, PMP, having over 14 years of power systems experience, will serve as division director. He will be supported by a
dedicated team of professionals that includes Power Systems Engineering Manager, Fernando Sanchez, who manages LaBella's office in Madrid, Spain. "This is an exciting time for our company," Healy said. Our team comprised of staff in Rochester, NY and Madrid, Spain will work together to develop a strategic approach that will focus on excellent client service and geographical growth opportunities. q
SWBR Architects News SWBR Architects Recognized as a Top Design Firm in New York by Engineering News-Record
SWBR Architects announced it has been ranked as part of Engineering News-Record's New York Top Design Firms list. The list ranks the top design firms throughout New York State based on annual revenue for architectural and engineering services performed in 2014. SWBR is ranked 86 out of 119 firms. The firm's regional revenue in 2014 was $11.6 million. The firm has completed award-winning projects throughout the Northeast and the Rochester region including projects for the Rochester Institute of Technology, Roberts Wesleyan College, Eastman Business Park, University of Rochester, Seneca Park Zoo and more.
Two Projects Recognized at 2015 Excelsior Awards
SWBR Architects was recognized by the New York State American Institute of Architects (AIA) with two 2015 Excelsior Awards for its work on DePaul Carriage Factory and DePaul Riverside Apartments. Both projects received honors for Historic Preservation. The Excelsior Awards honor the best examples of public architecture, focusing on neighborhood transformation, urban revitalization, site planning, exterior and interior design, and sustainability. The Carriage Factory renovation project consisted of the five-story former Cunningham Carriage Factory that served as one of the oldest manufacturing plants in Rochester. It was converted into 71 affordable and supportive apartment units. Construction began on the building in April 2013 and it celebrated its grand opening in December 2014. The firm preserved much of the existing building and transformed the historic factory into a new, functional living space by adding a fully renovated central entry, new doors, windows and elevators, and a centralized community room for the residents. The rehabilitation restored many of the defining elements of the building, including exposed brick, natural light and original ceiling heights. The former atrium in the center of the building, long since tarred over, was reglazed to create a bright and welcoming community space. Industrial pollution was reversed through brownfield remediation and a oncedecaying building now serves as a welcome reminder of Rochester’s craftsman heritage. Riverside Apartments was also recognized at this year’s awards ceremony. Buffalo’s Riverside Academy closed in 2002, after more than 100 years of service. The original building was constructed in 1896, with a major addition in 1921. After almost a decade of neglect, the 20 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
building needed substantial rehabilitation. DePaul chose to renovate the vacant four-story building into 68 affordable and supportive apartments. The project included restoration of the original brick façade, a new building entrance and lobby with new elevator and restoration of the grand stairway and new resident mailboxes clad in historic chalkboards. The auditorium was also restored for use by the building residents and the community.
Two Projects Receive BOMA Rochester Recognition Awards
The Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Rochester presented BOMA Recognition Awards to two of SWBR Architects’ recent projects. The BOMA Awards recognize companies with a strong commitment to ethical business practices in everyday operations and in response to crises and challenges. Rochester Institute of Technology’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability received the Sustainable Building Award. The firm served as executive architect and architect of record on the project, with LeChase Construction Company as design-build team leader and FXFOWLE as design architect. The nearly $36 million RIT GIS project consisted of an 84,000-squarefoot four-story addition, complete with cutting-edge “green” technology. It houses sustainability research, technology transfer, education and outreach for the university and is a state-of-the-art showcase for green construction and design, as well as GIS master’s and Ph.D. programs in sustainability and architecture. The Collegetown Rochester project received the 2015 BOMA Rochester Recognition Award in the new-construction category. The firm was responsible for assisting DCS (Davis Carter Scott), the design architect and the architects of record through the design phase taking the lead on neighborhood and city meetings and was contracted to do all the Construction Administration for buildings 3, 6 and 4. In addition to this, SWBR’s Structural and Landscape departments were retained for design through construction administration for all buildings except the hotel. The design included the rebuilding of the intersection of Mt. Hope and Elmwood, and the firm worked with area businesses and the University of Rochester to develop the area and make it shopper-friendly. RIT GIS and Collegetown are multi-award-winning projects. q news from professional firms
Campus News Rochester Researchers Receive NSF Grant for Pilot Study of Smartphone Technology for Monitoring of Ebola The spread of Ebola and other infectious diseases could be tracked – and victims of the diseases could more quickly find help – with a new app for Android phones being developed by University of Rochester researchers. A National Science Foundation (NSF) grant will allow the researchers to conduct a pilot study this summer in Lagos, Nigeria using the app to complement traditional forms of monitoring and to support the work of doctors and other health workers in the region. The app, called Node, monitors location patterns (e.g. where people are and where they go), habits (e.g. walking, sleeping), and resource needs (e.g. hand sanitizers or gloves) to help people find care, improve the monitoring of disease, and increase awareness of disease prevention. While this Ebola epidemic is waning, the researchers hope the app may be useful in response to future epidemics, of Ebola or other diseases. The app is the brainchild of Solomon Abiola, a research associate at the University of Rochester Medical Center, who came up with the idea during his undergraduate studies at Princeton University as a way of monitoring meningitis amongst students. “I was in Nigeria when they declared their first Ebola case and I thought that this app could have some potential for monitoring the spread of the disease,” said Abiola. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the NSF announced a call for proposals in relation to the modeling and understanding of the spread of Ebola, he mentioned his app to his soon-to-be boss at the University of Rochester, Ray Dorsey, director of Rochester’s Center for Human Experimental Therapeutics. Together with Henry Kautz, the Robin and Tim Wentworth Director of Rochester’s Goergen Institute of Data Science, they put together a proposal to establish the feasibility of using Node to track a disease like Ebola. Abiola is keen to stress that the potential for the low-cost app goes beyond Ebola; it could help with other infectious diseases such as campus news
malaria and tuberculosis. He explains that this epidemic offers a chance to learn for the future.
villages. Node could allow for better allocation of resources and a more accurate location of contacts.
“We now need to figure out how useful the app would be and work with people in the community to see how they would use it,” explains Abiola. He has been setting up contacts with universities and medical centers in Nigeria with the hope of doing a pilot study with over 100 people. The researchers have also been making some changes to the app for more active monitoring.
2. Can Node provide information on prevention of the disease, and can this change people’s behaviors? Smartphones are an efficient way of reaching people in a timely manner. For example, the BBC launched a WhatsApp group chat to share audio, text message alerts and images to help people get the latest public health information. Node would also serve to connect with at-risk populations.
“The app will ask you questions like ‘how do you feel this morning? Do you have a fever?’ and if you have a fever it would tell you to come in and get screened,” says Abiola. As he talks about this app and the potential for telemedicine more generally, it is easy to hear the excitement in his voice. “Instead of waiting, you can then get in front of a health care worker, preventing the spread of the disease to your family or anyone else you encounter.” The researchers will be using the $130,000 grant from the NSF to find out just how good the app would be at monitoring any future outbreaks of Ebola or another disease. Over the next six months, they are hoping to answer three questions: 1. How effective are smartphones at predicting the spread of a disease (Ebola in this case) compared to more traditional epidemiology models? Several other high-tech initiatives already use mobile phones as part of the monitoring and prevention of Ebola. For example, the CDC is monitoring cell phone towers that route calls to emergency call centers to help predict how Ebola is spreading. IBM also set up a system to collect mobile phone messages from patients, doctors and others. However, Node does not rely on a call or message actually being placed in order to obtain a location for the user. Its GPS/WiFi tracking allows Node to link data to individual villages, while the CDC approach can only link data to cell towers that may serve multiple
3. Is a health program based on mobile phones sustainable in West Africa? Cell phone usage in West African countries ranges from 40 to 80% and upwards, with over 2 million Android devices in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia alone. The researchers will look at whether the infrastructure can support such innovations over the long term. Many groups are researching the use of mobile phones and other high-tech approaches to monitor the spread of disease. For example, in the U.S. the CDC already uses Google trends to better understand the spread of the flu each season. Abiola has recently returned from Nigeria where he planned the roll-out of the pilot study and met with potential collaborators, including Professor Oyewale Tomori, president of the Nigerian Academy of Sciences and Professor Olaoluwa Akinwale, director of research at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research. He also held a seminar with students at the University of Lagos, who are currently aiding in the initial testing of the application. He says he is excited that what started as an undergraduate student project could end up being a building block in public health monitoring, and looks forward to further developing it during his jointPh.D. in Translational Biomedical Sciences and Computer Science at the University of Rochester. q
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 21
Go to the RES Web Site for Updated Details On All Meetings - www.roceng.org
Continuing
Education Opportunities
Friday, August 21
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
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A Family Day at the NY Museum of Transportation 1.5 PDHs (pending approval)
Place: NY Museum of Transportation, 6393 E. River Road, West Henrietta Time: 2:30 pm Museum opens; 3:00 to 4:00 PDH class; 4:45 pizza served (plates, napkins provided); 5:30 ice cream served; 6:00 pm event ends. Trolley rides: Begin at 3:15 pm and run every ½ hour until 4:45 pm 4:15 pm ride reserved for class attendees.
Cost: Adults $10; children ages 3-12 $5 (ages 2 and under free); PDH $5 Reservations: Contact Denise May (Erdman Anthony), mayd@erdmananthony.com or 585-427-888 by Aug. 14th. Payment: Collected at the door on August 21st. Cash or checks should be made out to NYSATE only. No credit cards or IOUs accepted. Receipts available at the door. No cancellations accepted after Aug. 14th. No shows will be billed. Comments: Hosted by ABCD, APWA, ASCE, NYSATE and ITE. Bring your colleagues, friends, and family – outdoor picnics are encouraged. Bring your own beverages (water, pop, juice, alcoholic beverages). Museum will be open to our group only. Event will be held rain or shine.
To post continuing education opportunities on this page please contact the Rochester Engineering Society, 585-254-2350, or email: res@frontiernet.net.
Engineers’ Calendar
The engineering societies are encouraged to submit their meeting notices for publication in this section. The deadline for submitting copy is the 10th of the month prior to the month of publication. Please email to: res@frontiernet.net. The meetings offering PDHs are highlighted in blue. Details about the meeting and affiliate (if in this issue) are on the corresponding page listed next to the affiliate name.
Thursday, August 13
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Disruptive Innovation: The Story of the First Digital Camera
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Speaker: Steven Sasson Place: George Eastman House: International Museum of Photography, 900 East Avenue, Rochester. Time: Networking – refreshments at 6:00; Keynote presentation – Cutis Theater from 6:45 to 7:45 pm; Dinner – Potter Peristyle area from 7:45 to 9:00 pm
Thursday, September 10
Genesee Valley Land Surveyors Association (GVLSA) First Friday Regional Webinar Rebroadcast
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Speaker: Gary Kent Time: 6:30 to 8:30 pm. More details will be available next month or go to the website at www.gvlsa.com.
Monday, September 14
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) ASHRAE Clambake
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Place: Burgundy Basin Inn, 1361 Marsh Road, Pittsford, NY Time: 5:00 pm Comments: Meeting topic will be determined soon. Additional details will be available soon and posted on the website (www.rochester.ashraechapters.org). 22 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
continuing education calendar | engineers' calendar
e d
Wednesday, September 16 American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE)
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Faucets and Shower Valves Speaker: Doug Meier, Twin “D” Associates Place: Valicia’s Ristorante, 2155 Long Pond Road, Greece Time: 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm Cost: $20.00 (member or guest), check or cash at the door.
Support Your Affiliate Attend A Meeting The RES website (www.roceng.org) has a calendar of events for meetings that are received or updated after the deadline. Please refer to the website for updated information. If you wish to be listed on the calendar please send details to res@frontiernet.net
Professional Firms Employee News Foit-Albert Associates Announces Additions to Engineering Group Foit-Albert Associates announced three additions to the Engineering Group. Andrew Couche has joined the firm as a junior engineer. Mr. Couche recently received his bachelor of science in civil engineering from The State University of New York at Buffalo. His first assignment will be engineering support for the Erie County Sheriff’s Office Shooting Range. Andrew Couche
William O’Heron has joined the firms as an engineering technician. Mr. O’Heron has over 20 years of experience in preparing design and detail drawings using AutoCAD and Revit, and performing estimating and field measuring/surveying. He is currently working on the SUNY Delhi Retaining Wall project and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office Shooting Range. Mr. engineers' calendar | professional firms employee news
O’Heron earned an associate degree in drafting with specialization in process piping and model building from Alfred State College School of Vocational Studies. Carl P. Dimmig, Jr, PE, has also joined the engineering group. Mr. Dimmig was most recently with the Erie County Department of Public Works and served as senior William O'Heron civil engineer, permit engineer, bridge engineer, and dam safety engineer. He brings over 40 years of experience and will provide engineering support on a part-time basis. Mr. Dimmig holds a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Tri-State College in Angola, Indiana and an associate of applied science in civil technology from Erie County Technical Institute. q Professional Firms Employee News, continued on page 24...
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 23
Professional Firms Employee News Pathfinder Engineers & Architects News Pathfinder Employee Earns Professional License, Promotion Jaimee Wilson, PhD, PE, LEED AP BD+C, BEMP, BEAP, has earned her New York State license as Professional Engineer and been promoted to senior energya engineer. She has been with the firm since 2008 and is also an Associate of the firm. Dr. Wilson earned her PhD in 2008 and a master of science degree in 2005, both from the University of Rochester. She earned her bachelor of science from Cornell University in 2002. Dr. Wilson is a LEED Accredited Professional. She has been certified as both a Building Energy Modeling Professional and Building Energy Assessment Professional by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, of which she is also a member.
Pathfinder Staff Graduated from Leadership Institute
Jaimee Wilson, PhD, PE
Two employees of Pathfinder Engineers & Architects LLP graduated from The ACEC Leadership Institute. The Institute, offered by the American Council of Engineering Companies – New York, is a program to develop technical leaders into design firm leaders and further develop a firm’s leadership culture. Eric J. LePore, PE, LEED AP, BD+C, a senior Eric J. LePore, PE mechanical engineer, joined the firm in 2008. Mr. LePore is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering technology.
Faith Wilbert, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP ID+C, a senior architectural designer who has successfully completed the NCARB Intern Development Program, joined the firm in 1998. Ms. Wilbert has an associate’s degree/ applied science, in architectural design and drafting from Finger Lakes Community College. Both were named Associates of the firm in 2014. Each participant develops a Faith Wilbert, AIA personal vision and develop his/her own leadership style, and participates in courses on communications to motivate, leading during difficult situations, creating environments for change, empowering and growing others, defining a personal leadership style and inspiring leadership in others. LePore and Wilbert participated in a graduation event as part of the ACEC – New York Annual meeting.
ACEC New York Named Alex Strasenburgh New Principal of the Year Alex C. Strasenburgh, PE, LEED AP BD+C, was named New Principal of the Year by the American Council of Engineering Companies – New York. The award was presented at the ACEC New York Annual Meeting in New York City on June 10. The ACEC New York New Principal of the Year Award is presented each year to a member who, as a new Principal, has exhibited invigorating ideas and has made significant contributions to the consulting engineering profession and his or her community.
Alex C. Strasenburgh, PE
at the Seneca Park Zoo.
Strasenburgh, an employee of Pathfinder since 1999, was named Associate of the firm in 2005 and became an equity partner in 2012. He has been key in expanding the firms client list by developing relationships based on his technical knowledge and his pragmatic approach to designing sustainable and highperforming engineering solutions. Alex has lead design teams for a variety of municipal and institutional clients including Monroe County, DASNY, SUNY Alfred, SUNY Binghamton, as well as industrial clients. Several projects have won ACEC New York Engineering Excellence awards. One local example is the design of the new water treatment system for the aquatic animal exhibits
“As a team leader Alex has key attributes that enhance project success, including demonstrating respect, showing appreciation, and being a careful listener. As a mentor and a project manager he provides constructive feedback and timely communications and inspires all to achieve the highest outcomes,” explains David J. Meyer, PE, LEED AP, a founding Partner of the firm. “Some would say he provides calm in the midst of chaos, offering a positive and confident outlook and a witty sense of humor.” As a Partner of the firm, Alex is charged with aspects of operations oversight, including budget, human resources, and technical guidance. He works closely with the accounting and marketing managers, project managers, associates and the other partners to further the goals of Pathfinder. In addition to his ACEC Rochester Section activities as a Board Member and AIA Liaison, Alex often hosts high school and college students interested in engineering careers for shadow days and internships. q 24 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
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SWBR Architects News SWBR Architects Announces Two New Hires SWBR Architects announced the hire of Samuel Elliott as architectural designer. As an architectural designer, Elliott will assist project architects and project teams with the design and coordination of architectural projects Samuel Elliott through all phases of the design process. He will be working on projects within the firm’s education sector, including The Performing Arts Center at Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women, Roberts Wesleyan College’s Smith Hall and the SUNY Alfred Advanced Manufacturing Center. He has served as an intern architect for over a year, focusing on sustainable design projects, during which time he earned his Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Associate accreditation. The United States Green Building Council’s LEED GA credential demonstrates a solid and current foundation in green building principles and practices. As a LEED Green Associate, Elliott has a broad understanding of sustainability and applies sustainable architecture standards to designs. Elliott received his bachelor of arts in environmental studies from Allegheny College and a master of architecture in sustainability from Rochester Institute of Technology. The firm also announced the hire of Megan Smith as interior designer. In her role as interior designer, Smith is responsible for design ideas, presentation boards for clients, monitoring current sustainable products and trends, and space planning. She has experience assisting designers with material selection, site visits, client meetings and project development.
Smith received her associate degree from Monroe Community College and a bachelor’s degree from Villa Maria College.
He is a trusted adviser to such leading companies as DePaul, Monroe Community College and SUNY Brockport, with whom he has worked for many years. Fornataro continues to aspire to mentor the next generation of designers and use the power of design to effect positive change in the community.
Megan Smith
SWBR Architects Promotes Fornataro to Senior Associate
Robert Fornataro, AIA
The SWBR Architects Board of Directors announced that Robert Fornataro, AIA, LEED AP, has been named a senior associate of the firm. Fornataro has been with the firm for seven years and in practice for 16 years.
"When Rob joined the firm, we knew he had great design acumen,” said David Beinetti, AIA, SWBR president. “That, coupled with his wealth of experience, has enhanced our design and is welcomed by our clients. He brings an energy and passion for client service and great design that has made him a key part of our senior leadership.” Fornataro is providing design guidance to housing and higher-education clients throughout upstate New York. He brings an inherent sense of space, accentuates context from a visual and environmental perspective, and is helping us transform to a highly competitive design firm. Fornataro has demonstrated strengths in design excellence, which have resulted in several award-winning and highly acclaimed projects for his teams in the past three years. He has brought a stronger emphasis to our sustainable design commitment and has shown versatility in all phases of project development. Additionally, his success with mixed-use/urban projects has raised the overall perception of our firm.
He received his associate in architectural studies from Alfred State College, his bachelor of science in architecture, and his masters in architecture from the University of Utah. Fornataro is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. Additionally, he is a board member of the Rochester Regional Community Design Center and the United States Green Building Council, and is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accredited professional.
SWBR Architecs Recognizes Corporate Officers and Board of Directors SWBR Architects is pleased to recognize its new corporate officers and board of directors. The firm’s corporate officers include: David Beinetti as president; Thomas Gears as treasurer; and Rob Simonetti as secretary. The firms board of directors include: David Beinetti, president and principal; Thomas Gears, principal; E. Joseph Gibbons, principal; Mark Maddalina, senior associate and sustainable design director; Steven Rebholz, principal; Rob Simonetti, senior associate and design director; and, Philip Wise, principal, Central NY Region. “We have two new additions between our corporate officers and board of directors,” said Dave Beinetti, president and principal. “Rob Simonetti is our newest corporate officer and Mark Kluczynski is our newest board of director. We are honored to have them both, as they have a clear, dedicated vision to improving and growing our firm.” q
McSweeney, Ruh, and Rice Join Beardsley Beardsley Design Associates Architecture, Engineering, Landscape Architecture, D.P.C., announced that Timothy McSweeney, Luke Eric Ruh, and Steven Rice have joined the firm. Timothy is a detail and team oriented electrical drafter and designer. His past experience includes drafting of electrical and mechanical designs for healthcare, education, commercial, and manufacturing projects. professional firms employee news
Eric is an architectural designer with advanced skills as a 3D modeler and technician with broad experience across multiple drafting platforms. His past project experience includes commercial projects and food service industry equipment layouts. Steven is a recent graduate of SUNY Alfred State College. He is experienced in the development of conceptual renderings and plans using a wide range of computer modeling programs. q
Timothy McSweeney
Luke Eric Ruh
Steven Rice
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 25
Campus News Turning up the Volume on Prostate Cancer RIT research on targeted molecular imaging could improve detection and treatment A targeted molecular-imaging method under development at Rochester Institute of Technology could help detect early stages of prostate cancer and improve image-directed biopsies. RIT professor Hans Schmitthenner is designing molecular imaging compounds that will selectively target prostate cancer cells and light them up with contrast dyes. A $444,367 grant from the National Institutes of Health supports his research with a team of undergraduate student researchers. The project is in the preclinical phase. Prostate cancer is the second leading cancer death in men in the United States, following skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. “There is no reliable imaging screen for early prostate cancer,” said Schmitthenner, research professor in RIT’s Department of Chemistry and Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science. “Initial diagnosis is dependent on measurement of PSA (prostatespecific antigen) levels followed by confirmation via biopsy. Prostate biopsies can be painful and can have side effects. Ultrasound guidance without a targeting compound is unreliable and often necessitates repeated biopsy for a positive diagnosis.” Schmitthenner is creating a targeted molecular probe for prostate cancer for use in conjunction with photoacoustic imaging. This emerging diagnostic medical technology combines
activation by laser light and emission of ultrasound waves to differentiate between cancerous and healthy tissue. “Photoacoustic imaging is much more sensitive with targeted probes,” Schmitthenner said. “Cancers even 1 to 2 millimeters in size—pinhead size—can be illuminated on a computer screen.” Schmitthenner assembles the targeting compound like a molecular puzzle. On one end of the chemical scaffold is a targeting agent that locks onto prostate cancer cells; on the other, a set of contrast dyes that illuminates the malignant tissue on a monitor. Cancer cells coupled with fluorescent dyes light up like fireflies. Cells capped with these dyes also absorb heat from the laser and expand, producing acoustic waves like a faint buzzing noise. “I like to say we make the cancer scream,” Schmitthenner said. The cellular scream detected via ultrasound waves shows up as glowing patch of cancer on a digital screen. The design of Schmitthenner’s compounds represents a new kind of architecture for targeted molecular imaging agents and is based on his patent-pending design. The patent application lists Schmitthenner and three of his former students, RIT graduates Taylor Barrett, Stefanie Beach and Chelsea Weidman. Their
26 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
modular approach to building compounds around a chemical scaffold can be modified to target a variety of cancers using different contrast dyes and medical imaging technologies. “All you need to change is the targeting agent and you can take our scaffold to any tumor,” Schmitthenner said. “Because the scaffold is based on peptides—or strings of amino acids— similar to natural peptides, it will have advantages for translational studies in humans. They are designed to progress into clinical trials without too many hurdles.” Federal funding for Schmitthenner’s project extends to two of his colleagues in RIT’s College of Science. Irene Evans, professor in RIT’s Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, will evaluate the compound’s ability to bind to and illuminate prostate cancer cells in a confocal fluorescent microscope, a high-resolution instrument that magnifies tissues to the cellular level. Likewise, Navalgund Rao, research professor in RIT’s Center for Imaging Science, will evaluate the compounds with photoacoustic imaging technology. Rao won a separate NIH grant worth $436,290 to build a prototype photoacoustic-imaging probe with collaborator Dr. Vikram Dogra at the University of Rochester Medical Center. q
campus news
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American Society of Mechanical Engineers honors the George Eastman House Technology Collection as a National Historical Landmark, June 15, 2015 Todd Gustavson, curator of the Technology Collection at George Eastman House toured the Museum with Madiha El-Mehelmy Kotb, ASME Past President, following a designation ceremony in the Dryden Theater, where approximately one hundred guests were present, to honor this Landmark.
Madiha El-Mehelmy Kotb, ASME Past President
Bruce Barns PhD, Director of the George Eastman House, accepted the Designation Plaque. The collection contains 16,000 items, including a daguerreotype camera signed by Louis Daguerre, the inventor of the original photographic process, Ansel Adams' first cameras, a Technicolor camera used to film the Wizard of Oz, a camera from the NASA lunar orbiter program and the camera that took the picture of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima.
The Eastman House collection is the 258th Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark to be so designated. John K. Brown, of the ASME History and Heritage Committee, spoke on the value of this recognition. The list of ASME Mechanical Engineering Landmarks includes Edison’s Phonograph, the Artificial Heart Pump, the Wright Flyer and the Apollo Command Module.
Apollo 14 Command Module 1971
Wright Flyer III 1905
Example hardware and an image from the George Eastman Technology Collection
Lunar Orbiter Cameras photographed the surface of the Moon, allowing the selection of a safe landing site. asme news
This first image of Earth from space, captured by the Lunar Orbiter Camera, is also part of the Technology Collection.
Instrumental in ensuring that the George Eastman House received this recognition, was ASME Past Chair Jon Kriegel. Jon began a campaign to add the Technology Collection to the ASME's list, over a decade ago, and kept the importance of this famous Rochester facility on their radar screen, until this recent recognition.
ASME Past Chair and RES Past President, Jon Kriegel.
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 27
Rochester Chapter
Society for Imaging Science and Technology Website: http://rochesterengineeringsociety.wildapricot.org/ISandT
The following is our slate of officers from our recent elections. President – Jim Gotta Director – Mike Molaire Treasurer and VP Membership – David Odgers VP Programs – Natalie Russo Recording Secretary – Joanne Weber Councilors – Bob Patti, Bruce Pillman, Beilei Xu
NYWEA Announces 2014 Environmental Performance Awards
IIC 2014 Performance Award Winners, left to right, Mary Lee Bishopp (Red-Rochester), Valerie Kromer (Rochester Midland), Cynette Cavaliere (GM Components Holdings), Gina Thomas (Crosman), Marc DeRoller (Gleason Works), Kevin Prinzing (Xerox), and Manny Burgio (MCPW)
The Industrial Issues Committee recognized several industries for outstanding environmental performance at the New York Water Environment Association’s Industrial Issue Committee Awards Luncheon held this year on May 21, 2015. For the past fifteen years the IIC has given Environmental Performance Gold and Silver Awards to industries that are in 100% or 99% compliance, respectively, with discharge limits listed in their Publicly Owned Treatment Works and / or New York State Department of Environmental Conservation State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permits. Environmental Performance Gold Award winners for the calendar year 2014 are: Crosman Corporation; GM Components Holdings, LLC; MCPW Northwest Quadrant Wastewater Treatment Facility; RED – Rochester, LLC; 28 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
Rochester Midland Corporation; and, The Gleason Works. Environmental Performance Silver Award winners for calendar year 2014 are: MCPW Frank E. Van Lare Wastewater Treatment Facility and Xerox Corporation. The Industrial Issues Committee of the New York Water Environment Association Genesee Valley Chapter is a peer group comprised of local Environmental Health and Safety professionals who have a common focus on the unique challenges and issues faced by those in industrial settings. Participants hail from industry, government agencies, the legal profession, and related support services. The committee facilitates a variety of activities in the local environmental community. q is&t news | nywea news
abcd news
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 29
Rochester Section
American Society of Civil Engineers Website: www.asce.org ASCE Board Editorial by: Erin McCormick, EIT, A.M.ASCE, 2014-15 ASCE Rochester Section President
A Family Day at the NY Museum of Transportation - includes 1.5 PDHs (pending approval)
When? 8/21/2015 (2:30-6pm)
Event schedule: 2:30 pm – Museum opens 3:00 - 4:00 pm – PDH class (a 2nd class may be offered based on demand) 4:45 pm – pizza served (plates, napkins provided) 5:30 pm – ice cream served 6:00 pm – event ends Trolley rides: Begin at 3:15 pm and run every ½ hour until 4:45 pm. 4:15 pm ride reserved for class attendees. 4:45 pm ride if there is demand. Where? NY Museum of Transportation (6393 E. River Road, West Henrietta, NY 14586) Cost: Adults $10.00; children ages 3-12 $5.00 (age 2 and under free); PDH $5.00 RSVP: to Denise May (Erdman Anthony) mayd@erdmananthony.com or (585) 427-8888 by 8/14/2015 Payment: collected at the door on 8/21/2015. Cash or checks made out to NYSATE only. No credit cards or IOUs accepted. Receipts available at the door. No cancellations accepted after 8/14/2015. No-shows will be billed. Notes: - Bring your colleagues, friends, family – outdoor picnics are encouraged. - Bring your own beverages (water, pop, juice, alcoholic beverages). - Museum will be open to our group only. - Event will be held rain or shine. Hosted by: ABCD, APWA, ASCE, NYSATE and ITE
Career Guidance “Hands On” Booth
Our Career Guidance “Hands On” booth went to St. John Fisher College on May 14 and 15 for the 44th Edition of Science Exploration Days. Our booth and a group of dedicated civil engineers was on hand to explain what we do and encourage students to pursue a career in civil engineering. Volunteers staffing the booth included Erin McCormick, Mark Amman, Kelly Cholewa, Dale Dimick and Bill VanAlst. Bill also made two classroom presentations on Friday. A BIG THANKS to all of those who helped out. If you have ideas for future Career Guidance activities, please contact Bill VanAlst at 272-7310 or wvanalst@larsen-engineers.com.
Annual ASCE Scholarship Golf Tournament The 2015 ASCE Scholarship Golf Tournament took place on Friday, May 29 at Webster Golf Club. We had 64 golfers and 16 corporate sponsors. Thanks to our sponsors and everyone who attended who made it a success! 30 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
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ea news
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Rochester Chapter
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers Rochester ASHRAE website: www.rochester.ashraechapters.org
AUGUST NEWSLETTER
President's Message
As the official start of the new ASHRAE year took place on July 1st, I want to take this opportunity to thank Ed Burns for the fantastic job he did as last year’s President and for the hard work that he put forth. Our chapter thrived under his leadership. Thank-you Ed! I would also like to show my appreciation for the other officers, committee chairs and board of governors that have volunteered their time to serve our chapter. The success of our Chapter, through educational monthly programs, and in offering networking and professional development, is because of these volunteers so please join me in recognizing the following people for their continued support: Jeff Close, President Elect & Program Bill Clark, Secretary Paul Kenna, Treasurer Ed Burns, Immediate Past President & Nominating Scott Edwards, Newsletter & Board of Governors Mike Benedict, Board of Governors Tom Streber, Board of Governors Branden Farnsworth-Weinblatt, Board of Governors Steve Dear, Board of Governors Sam Scorsone, Board of Governors Tim Duprey, Reception & Attendance Lee Loomis, Historian Jake Hall, Membership Promotion Matt Devlin, Research Promotion Chris Lukasiewicz, Student Activities Chair Al Rodgers, Awards Jeff Wiedrick, Chapter Technology Transfer Chair Bill Murray, Education Chair Mark Kukla, Publicity Chair Kevin Wind, Webmaster Matt Kremers, YEA Chair Jim Browe, Picnic & CRC 2016 Chair 32 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
Marianne Schumacher, Buyers Guide Jody McGarry, Valentine’s Dance Mike Nohle, Refrigeration Chair Tom Burke, Government Advocacy Chair
Our chapter is busy planning this year’s meetings. If you have any suggestions for topics or speakers, please reach out to Program Chair, Jeff Close at jeff.close@pres-services.com. To go along with that, I want to thank Bill Murray who has been instrumental in helping us to certify many of our monthly presentations so we can issue PDH credits to attendees who are professional engineers. I look forward to seeing you at our opening season Clambake on September 14th! Christina Walter 2015-2016 President Rochester Chapter
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Genesee Valley Branch
American Public Works Association Website: www.apwa.net Geoffrey Benway, PE Genesee Valley Branch President Serving Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans and Wayne County
Show me the money! We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes nonwork. Milton Friedman I can make a firm pledge, under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes. Barack Obama I recently attended a meeting with staff from the State of New York as part of their traveling road show. They were in town to hear from government entities on how they can help us save money through consolidation and help with any other needs. While I was impressed with the number of staff that showed up, I was disappointed in how few municipal entities spoke to express their needs and concerns. The speakers included a few DPW leaders and a couple of mayors/supervisors. The talks were limited to 1.5 hours so I don’t know if anyone was not able to speak, but the general sentiment is that there is not enough money to complete our work with current aging infrastructure and reduced funding. The Governor still seems to believe that consolidation is the key to reducing costs. People spoke of the difficulty in stretching the CHIP funds for roads, deteriorating water and sewer facilities, and staff reductions to meet budget constraints. Others spoke of the difficulty in applying for funding due to complex rules and conditions that must be met. The Governor’s tax cap, which can vary but is less than 2% makes it virtually impossible to adjust municipal budgets for huge health care cost increases and capital improvements. In some towns, the tax cap has resulted in a government spending down their capital reserves. This has resulted in possible downgrades of their bond ratings. Local governments have smaller budget that larger entities such as a city or school district. Thus, there is a large disparity in how much a 1.75% tax increase can generate. For example, the Webster apwa news
CSD increased their taxes 1.75%, resulting in a net gain of $3 million. This is on top of their state funding of $1.2 million. The Town of Webster, for the same 1.75%, can raise an additional $300,000 which barely covers the increase in medical costs and no cash windfall is coming from Albany. The one thing I really find confusing is why so few people vote for a school or fire district budget, but will go crazy when a municipality increases taxes (which are a small percentage for each property owner’s taxes) even a few percentage points. Public works professionals know that we serve the community on a daily basis while the others are only a small part of resident’s daily life. So what do we do? We each need to advocate for the public works industry. The increasing cost of new vehicles is going up dramatically due to engine emission standards. “Buy USA” provisions make it difficult to shop for economical decisions with equipment and supplies. Send a letter or call your local federal or state representative. Invite the public into your facilities so they can understand what goes into keeping the roads clear in the winter, making sure storm water is clean, treating domestic sewage, or keeping the fleet operating 24/7. The use of consultants is critical to reduce costs and provide the most skilled individuals providing competent and cost effective decisions to municipalities, from planning to construction. Have a healthy construction /improvement program available to support our construction industry grow and maintain a safe and continuous work load. We are ALL Public Works!!!
New York Chapter Conference
The preparation for the 2016 Conference is already starting. Please SAVE THE DATE to be in Syracuse on April 14th & 15th. If you would like to speak please send me an email. There are so many things going on with public works and APWA is the primary agency for quality training.
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 33
Rochester, NY Chapter
American Society of Plumbing Engineers President: ALAN SMITH, P.E. IBC Engineering, P.C. 3445 Winton Place, Suite 219 Rochester, NY 14623 585-292-1590 Vice President Technical: DAVID JERECKOS IBC Engineering, PC 3445 Winton Place, Suite 219 Rochester, NY 14623 585-292-1590 Vice President Legislative: JENNIFER WENGENDER, PE CPD Clark Patterson Lee 205 St Paul Blvd Rochester, NY 14604 585-454-7600 Vice President Membership: DOUG MEIER Twin”D” Associates 1577 Ridge Road West, Suite 116B Rochester, NY 14615 585-581-2170 Treasurer: TERRY BROWN, CPD M/E Engineering, PC 150 North Chestnut Street Rochester, NY 14604 585-288-5590 Administrative Secretary: ADAM KRAMER IBC Engineering, PC 3445 Winton Place, Suite 219 Rochester, NY 14623 585-292-1590 Education Chairman: JENNIFER WENGENDER, PE, CPD Clark Patterson Lee 205 St Paul Blvd Rochester, NY 14604 585-454-7600 Newsletter Editor: DAVID MYERS LaBella Associates, DPC 300 State Street Suite 201 Rochester, NY 14614 585-454-6110 Affiliate Liaison: ADAM FRENZEL Empire State Associates 181 Bay Village Drive Rochester, NY 14609 585-602-0271
www.aspe.org
President's Message
Thank-you to the following sponsors that made the 2015 Golf Outing a success. AO Smith Clarion Clark Patterson Lee Delta Faucet Empire State Associates Ferguson Enterprises Frey Technologies Guardian Gerber Grundfos Haws Highland Tank IBC Engineering Kolstad Associates Labella Leonard Valve
Liberty Pump M/E Engineering Mansfield Medical Gas Systems Solutions Popli Design Group R.C. Kolstad Water Corp. Saniflo Section 22 Sloan Valve T&S Brass Twin D Tyco Fire Suppression Victaulic V.J. Stanley Viega WMS Sales
A special thank-you to the Golf Committee (Jennifer Wengender and Adam Kramer) for organizing the golf outing. The 2015-2016 meeting schedule for topics/speakers is in progress. Meetings will be on the 3rd Wednesday of the month starting in September. Alan Smith, P.E. Rochester Chapter President
Meeting Notice – September 16, 2015 Topic: Faucets and Shower Valves Speaker: Doug Meier (Twin "D" Associates) Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 Time: 12:00 noon - 1:30 pm Place: Valicia's Ristorante, 2155 Long Pond Road, Rochester 14606 (just north of Route 31, Gates) Cost: $20.00 (member or guest), check or cash at the door.
34 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
(Chapters are not authorized to speak for the Society)
aspe news
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Illuminating Engineering Society - Rochester Chapter P.O. Box 23795, Rochester, NY 14692 585-766-0329 - www.ies-rochester.org
It’s summertime and the Rochester IES is enjoying the weather. Here are a few things that are coming up this fall. (dates & details coming soon)
We will be doing a tour of the new Rochester Transit Center. There will be a couple of lunch time meetings covering... - The Latest Energy Codes - LED Lamps Submissions for the IES Rochester Harley Hill Award for Lighting Excellence are due by December! We'd love to have your submission for interior, exterior & energy saving project designs. Check our website for submission details. We now take payments for all meetings via check to our PO Box and via credit card or checks at the door. Soon to come - PayPal Our website - www.ies-rochester.org - will be updated with presentations and classes as they become available - so make sure to check it out.
ENJOY YOUR SUMMER WHILE IT'S HERE!!
And, if you aren't already, think about becoming a member of the IES. It will brighten your day! Please direct any questions through the email address on our website or contact Diane Montrois at 585.254.8010
ies news
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ieee news
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Finger Lakes Chapter
International Council on Systems Engineering www.incose/org/flc
Finger Lakes Chapter of INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON SYSTEMS ENGINEERING www.incose.org/flc
Upcoming Chapter Meeting Events • 2015 Annual Picnic (August): We are planning the annual picnic for August 15th, 16th, 22nd or 23rd.
Please contact Rick Zinni (rzinni@gmail.com) if you are interested in attending. This year we are looking at Letchworth State Park. Last year we had a great time. An article was written about it and if you are interested let me know and I can send it to you.
• 2015 INCOSE Finger Lakes Chapter Annual Dinner Meeting (early Fall)
Ithaca, NY. We are in the stages of planning our annual dinner meeting. This year we plan to hold the meeting in Ithaca. We would really like to get as many members and their guests to attend. If you are interested in attending the following dates are under consideration 9/26, 10/3, and 10/17. We are planning on a buffet style dinner with meat, fish, and a vegetarian dish as well. The location will be at the heart of Cornell University and we are hoping to get students and faculty interested in Systems Engineering to participate. The topic will be on real-world applications of system engineering and possibly a panel wide discussion with FLC members alongside faculty members. Please contact Rick Zinni (rzinni@gmail.com): If interested in attending, and if so, which dates you are available. If you have any questions or observations about the meeting format.
• Call for nominations for chapter leadership: Do you enjoy working with great people, full of ideas and experience? Consider joining the leadership team of the Finger Lakes chapter of INCOSE. We have openings on the board of directors (President-elect, Membership Director, and At-large Director) for 2015, and we will be holding a special election soon to fill these positions. If interested, please email rzinni@gmail.com to learn more about being part the FLC Leadership group; it’s a great way to gain leadership experience to enable you to grow faster professionally. • No chapter meeting in August: as per our standard operating procedure, there are no chapter meetings in the summer months (July and August). We will resume chapter meetings in the September, either with the annual dinner meeting (ADM) 9/26 (Sat.), or on 9/18 (third Thursday of the month), depending on the ADM decision. As always, if you would like to suggest topics, speakers, or other meeting content, please feel free to contact Rick Zinni (rzinni@gmail.com).
38 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
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Genesee Valley Land Surveyors Association Website: www.gvlsa.com
Year 2015 Officers President John F. Gillen, LS Vice President Roy B. Garfinkel, LS Secretary Robert J. Avery, LS Treasurer Michael A. Venturo, LS
Board of Directors
August 2015
2013-2015 Michael C. Bodardus, LS Jared R. Ransom, LS 2014-2016 Clifford J. Rigerman, LS Joseph J. Hefner, LS 2015-2017 Jeffrey A. Tiede, LS Scott E. Measday, LS
Robert B. Hatch, LS, ex officio
Year 2015 Meeting Dates September 10, 2015 First Friday Regional Webinar Rebroadcast
No August Meetings
6:30 to 8:30 pm More details to follow.
October 15, 2015 Finger Lakes Dinner
November 19, 2015 Board of Directors and General Membership Meeting More details to follow.
September: First Friday Regional Webinar Rebroadcast Thursday, September 10th, 2015 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Professional Affiliations • • •
New York State Association of Professional Land Surveyors, Inc. National Society of Professional Surveyors Rochester Engineering Society
Gary Kent will be our speaker. More details to follow.
gvlsa news
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 39
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res news | membership application
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AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 41
Engineering and Active Design: Promoting Physical Activity in the Built Environment by Thomas M. Robinson, RLA, LEED AP
Active Design is an approach to the development of neighborhoods, streets and buildings that uses architecture, engineering and urban planning to make daily physical activity more accessible and inviting. One important component of Active Design is weaving outdoor recreational opportunities into the built environment. Healthy communities connect sustainable parks, playgrounds and schools with bicycle and pedestrian movement systems. Outdoor physical activity occurs not only at the destinations, but all along the journey. Urban ecology and green infrastructure provide a sustainable context that is inviting to users and promotes interaction with natural systems. The traditional perception of recreation and its benefits is rapidly evolving. Significant trends include urbanization, climate change, an aging population, changing family structures, and public health issues related to inactivity. Engineers can be leaders in adapting to this complex equation of changing realities. In the 19th and 20th centuries infectious diseases presented the highest level of threats to public health. Progressive engineering supported environmental solutions that were effective tools in the prevention and control of deadly infectious diseases. The most serious health threats of the 21st century are chronic diseases that are strongly linked to low levels of physical activity. Diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and strokes all share risk factors including obesity, physical inactivity, poor diets and smoking. Illnesses related to physical inactivity impact not only on our health but also our economy. According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, in 2000 the total direct and indirect health care costs attributable to obesity in the United States were estimated to be $117 billion. Applying innovation to environmental design can greatly improve public health and reduce mortality rates. Engineers have a key role to play in creating Active Communities that support high levels of activity in daily life and provide a counter-measure to the public health challenges of our time. Active Design principles can be applied across a wide range of scale and context, and are closely linked to other sustainability initiatives. Design strategies that increase physical activity and improve health also tend to improve air and water quality and reduce the carbon footprint. In our region, engineers are playing an important role in a diversity of projects that support Active Design. The local case studies presented here balance the needs of multiple user groups and provide affordable, low-impact and context-sensitive approaches to integrating outdoor activity opportunities into the built environment. 42 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
feature article
Brighton Meridian Centre preserves and enhances the ecological functions of a former agricultural property in a context of pervasive development. The soft ecological footprint of the site work and the connectivity that it establishes support this purpose and the over-arching goal of human well-being. As the outlying agricultural belt of an inner ring suburb is increasingly encroached upon, Meridian Centre provides a sanctuary not only for wildlife, but also for residents who now have access to this important amenity. The project connects to the Erie Canal Heritage Trail, an adjacent office complex, a nearby senior living facility, and athletic fields in the Town Park. Pedestrian and bicycle use are encouraged, and all connecting pathways are ADA-compliant. A helical pier boardwalk system provides access through a jurisdictional wetland with minimal ecological impacts. Monroe County Shared Use Trails Sustainable shared-use trails provide neighborhood connectivity and offer a wealth of year-round activity opportunities for residents. A review of existing research indicated that shared-use trails can be sustainable if they are located appropriately, built correctly, and used responsibly. Prior to project design, Monroe County compiled a GPS database of existing trail conditions. This included taking geo-tagged photos and assessing criteria at over 500 sample points. In Tryon Park and Irondequoit Bay Park West, over 19 miles of shared-use trails were constructed or improved by following sustainable trail design guidelines. Construction was accomplished by community labor from Genesee Regional Off-Road Cyclists (GROC). Utilizing the GPS baseline data, Monroe County Parks conducted an 18-month Pilot Program to monitor the impacts of the new trails on park ecology.
Monroe Avenue Green Streets, in the Town of Brighton, applies several strategies to encourage physical activity. Applications of green infrastructure improve water quality, establish a robust urban ecology, and create a more supportive and attractive pedestrian environment. The project integrates transit use and active transportation, thereby reducing consumption of fossil fuels and GHG emissions. Public Transit and Active Transportation are closely related and mutually supportive. Every ride on a bus starts and ends with walking. Nationwide, transit users take 30 percent more steps per day and spend 8.3 more minutes walking per day than people who rely on cars. Thomas M. Robinson, RLA, LEED AP is the Senior Managing Landscape Architect at Barton & Loguidice, D.P.C. feature article
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 43
Directory of Professional Services John E. Rooney
REGIONAL MARKETING MANAGER | DIRECTOR
400 Andrews Street Harro East Building | Suite 710 Rochester, NY 14604 p 585-295-7700 | f 585-263-2869
john.rooney@obg.com direct 585-295-7718 www.obg.com
Asbestos Consulting & Analytical Services Environmental Chemistry NYSDOH & NVLAP Certified 24 Hour Turnaround Available 179 Lake Avenue, Rochester, NY 14608 / (585) 647-2530
www.paradigmenv.com
R. KRAFT, Inc.
CLEANROOMSERVICES.COM ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Accredited Testing/Certification/Troubleshooting of Cleanroom Facilities Laminar Flow Bench Testing/Certification Hepa/Ulpa Filter Testing Contamination Control Investigations Training Seminars/Workshops SOP/Protocol Development and Implementation Clean Mfg, Lean/Six Sigma, FMEA Consulting
C: (585) 261-5935 O: (585) 621-6946
44 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
rk.cleanroomservices@gmail.com
directory of professional services
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Directory of Professional Services Compliance Plans, Permits, and Reports Industrial Water Treatment Compliance Auditing Stormwater Design/Management NPDES/Air/Solid Waste Engineering Civil/Site Design Environmental Design and Engineering Evaluation
300 State Street Suite 201 Rochester, NY 14614
Office: 585.454.6110 Fax: 585.454.3066 www.labellapc.com
87 South Vendome Drive, Rochester NY 14606
585 330-6986 (Phone) 585 429-6985 (Fax) dennis.roote@cde-pllc.com
ENGINEERING ENERGY PLANNING SURVEYING LEED/GREEN DESIGN SOLAR PV ENERGY CONSERVATION TRANSPORTATION
Solving soils problems for over 30 years. 335 Colfax Street, Rochester, NY 14606 Tel: 585-458-0824 • Fax: 585-458-3323 www.foundationdesignpc.com
www.larsen-engineers.com
Michael S. Quagliata, Jr., PE President
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 217 West Commercial Street East Rochester, New York 14445 585/385-1450 585/385-1482 Fax mikeq@q-techpc.com
Electrical & Mechanical Engineering & Design
Inc. A sign, of ct Deeld, NY 14526 US u d o r P P. Haltaolt nfi e f P f.com o , e r H Ga ry Halt ridge Lan @ y arr ckb
40 Ro
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Design Engineering Services - Concept thru Production Mechanical / Electromechanical - Consumer / Industrial All Plastic and Metal Technologies Tel: 585-388-9000 Fax: 585-388-3839
directory of professional services
www.Haltof.com
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 45
Directory of Professional Services, continued
www.eco-rentalsolutions.com 855-ECO-RENT Newest Rental Fleet in the Industry Exceptional Customer and Technical Service Consistent Quality Rentals • Sales • Service
www.slaterequipment.com sales@slaterequipment.com Manufactures reps: heating, ventilation, and ac products
Ruskin-Louvers, Fire/Smoke Dampers, Loren CookCentrifugal & Prop Roof Fans, Titus - R G & D's, Terminal Boxes, Chilled Beams, Flexible Duct, Access Doors, Ketchen Exhaust Systems t 585-473-5310, f 585-473-9546 768 S. Clinton Avenue • Rochester, NY 14620-1402
Advertising Opportunities See page 41 for sizes and costs or go to the RES website at: www.roceng.org
Directory of Business Services
46 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | AUGUST 2015
directory of business services | directory of professional services
s
Affiliated Societies of the Rochester Engineering Society American Consulting Engineering Companies of New York President, David J. Meyer, 585-218-0730 Email: dmeyer@pathfinderengineers.com
Association For Facilities Engineering, Rochester Chapter President, Dan Friday, 585-341-3225 Email: danf@rochesterymca.org
New York State Association of Transportation Engineers, Section 4 President, Howard R. Ressel, 585-272-3372. Email: Howard.Ressel@dot.ny.gov
American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Rochester Section Chairman, Vincenzo G. Marcello, 585-422-0043. Email:Vincenzo.Marcello@SDMS.usa.xerox.com
Electrical Association Executive Director, Karen Lynch Email: karen@eawny.com President, Joe Lengen, Horizon Solutions
New York Water Environment Association Inc., Genesee Valley Chapter (www.gvcnywea.org) President, Bill Davis, 585-381-9250 Email: william.davis@mrbgroup.com
American Public Works Association Monroe County/Genesee Valley Branch Past-Chairman, Geoff Benway Email: gbenway@ci.webster.ny.us
Genesee Valley Land Surveyors Association President, John F. Gillen, LS Ex-Officio, Robert Hatch, 585-349-3750. Email: bhatch@schultzpc.com
Professional Services Management Association, Upstate New York Chapter President, Margaret Rathmell, SWBR Email: mrathmell@swbr.com
American Society of Civil Engineers, Rochester Section President, Thomas Zaso, PE Email: TZaso@rocgeotechnical.com
Illuminating Engineering Society of North America Inc., Rochester Section President, Dwight Roth, Zeller Automation Email: droth@zellercorp.com
Project Management Institute, Rochester Chapter Preesident, Brian Gregory, PMP Email: president@pmirochester.org
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Rochester Chapter President, Christina Walter Email: cwalter@trane.com
Imaging Science & Technology, Rochester Chapter President, David Odgers Email: odgers@frontiernet.net
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Rochester Section Chairman, Joseph Lawson Email: joseph.lindley.lawson@gmail.com
Independent Entrepreneurs Council, Rochester NY Chapter Chairman, Ralph Kraft, 585-621-6946
Refrigeration Service Engineers Society Executive Director, Kirstie Steves 585-313-8972, fax 538-6166, Email: kirstie@rses-rochester.org President, Jim Allen, email: jta141@yahoo.com
American Society of Plumbing Engineers, Rochester New York Chapter President, Alan Smith, IBC Engineering 585-292-1590. Email: asmith@ibceng.com Association for Bridge Construction and Design President, Kevin H. Miller, PE 716-852-3211 Email: kmiller@bergmannpc.com Association of Energy Engineers Western New York Chapter President, William Murray, 585 641-7121 Email: bmurray@ec4b.com
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Rochester Section Chairman, Greg T. Gdowski, 585-275-2580 Email: Greg_Gdowski@urmc.rochester.edu Institute of Industrial Engineers, Rochester Chapter President, John Kaemmerlen, 585-475-2767 Email: jxkpdm@rit.edu International Council on Systems Engineering, Finger Lakes Chapter President, Jack Riley Email: jackri2139@hotmail.com Monroe Professional Engineers Society President, Christopher Devries, PE Email: CDevries@calvauto.com
Sheet Metal & Air-Conditioning Contractor’s National Association-Rochester, Inc. Executive Director, Aaron Hilger 585-586-8030. Email: mzin@smacnaroc.org Societ of Manufacturing Engineers, Chapter 16 Chairman, Christopher r. Vastola, 585-367-2904 Email: SMERoch16@aol.com Society of Plastics Engineers, Rochester Section President, Brett Blaisdell, Bausch & Lomb, 1400 North Gooaman Street, Rochester, NY 14609 585-338-5417, Email: brett.blaisdell@bausch.com Society of Women Engineers President, Jodi Carville, RIT, 585-475-7028 Email: jody.carville@rit.edu
Corporate Members of the Rochester Engineering Society LaBella Associates (Enterprise)
(Enterprise)
Stantec Inc. (Champion)
M/E Engineering, P.C. (Champion)
BME Associates
TY-LIN International (Champion)
MRB Group (Champion)
University of Rochester
Clark Patterson Lee Corporation (Champion)
Optimation Technology, Inc.
Vanguard Engineering, PC
CHA Consulting (Champion)
Passero Associates
EnergyMark, LLC
Popli Design Group
Erdman Anthony Associates
Rochester Business Alliance
Greenman-Pedersen, Inc.
Rochester Institute of Technology, Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Bergmann Associates P.C.
IBC Engineering, PC (Champion)
(Enterprise)
affiliated societies & corporate members of the rochester engineering society
Visron Design, Inc. V.J. Stanley Inc.
IS YOUR COMPANY LISTED HERE? Call 585-254-2350 for information.
AUGUST 2015 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 47
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