Orange County Branch Newsletter
Celebrating 55 years of Service “Winner of the 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Regions 8 & 9 Awards for Outstanding Branch and Newsletter”
January 2009
Published Monthly By the ASCE, Orange County Branch PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
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Pay your Dues!
appy New Year! It is the time to renew your ASCE dues for 2009 and you should act now to make that payment! Keeping your dues current is the best way for you to keep pace with your profession and, most importantly, in these challenging economic times, to keep in contact with by fellow professionals as a network to identify Kenneth Rosenfield, PE employment and project leads. When times are tough, a good offense can be the most In This Issue advantageous approach to take. In this regard, your dues keep you in touch with international, national and local trends in Civil President’s Message......... 1,2 Engineering and your Branch is the key to this Board of Directors................ 2 information. Your dues statement includes the Secretary’s Column.............. 3 Calendar of Events............... 4 overall Society fees and a small contribution Letters to the Editor.............. 4 to the Los Angeles Section of ASCE. It New Advertising Rates......... 4 is through this latter contribution that the Branch News........................ 5 Orange County Branch is able to function and K-12 Outreach......................6 continue to provide you with excellent monthly YMF News............................7 Photo Album......................... 8 programs, active contact with students of all Sustainability News.............. 9 ages, public communications and legislative California Symposium........ 10 tracking that furthers understanding of our Luncheon Flyer................... 11 local circumstances and Civil Engineering. Professional Practice......... 12 Our operating income is derived in large part Law & Civil Engineering..... 13 from our share of the Los Angeles Section Leadership.......................... 14 Civil Engineering is Local... 15 dues. These dues are re-distributed to all of Student Assistance Fund the Branches in this Section. Being one of Donors........................... 17-19 the largest Branches in the Section, much of Membership Info................. 20 your contribution comes home to the Orange Newsletter Editor: County Branch and is used to enhance the Joshua Nelson, PE Branch services to you. Please take a few ocascesecretary@gmail.com minutes today to complete and return your CONTACT ASCE: dues payment to the Society. OC Branch www.asceoc.org 714-258-8390 Los Angeles Section www.ascelasection.org 714-258-8306 ASCE National www.asce.org 1-800-548-ASCE
JANUARY NOTICE
We are fortunate in Orange County to have a local sales tax dedicated to transportation improvements and an organization, the Orange County Transportation Authority,
which is efficient in distributing the funds and getting projects completed. The first Measure M will sunset in April 2011 after its 20 year life and after raising an estimated $4 billion for transportation infrastructure. The second Measure M, “M-2,” will raise an estimated $12 billion over the next 30 years to continue the good work done to date on the transportation system in this County. Many public agencies will need your help in developing projects for M-2. These massive funds will help bridge the economic downturn being experienced in the development community for privately funded improvements. However, the local funding it is still not enough. The Transportation infrastructure is only one part of our infrastructure funding need and substantially more investment is required. ASCE has been a champion of infrastructure investment for a very long time and has been successful in raising the public’s awareness of the short falls in this arena. The Orange County Branch first rang the alarm bells on a lack of infrastructure spending with the issuance of the 2002 Infrastructure Report Card, renewed in 2005, and currently being updated again. I recently attended a steering committee meeting for the update of the Orange County Infrastructure Report Card where more than a dozen of your fellow professionals in both the private and public sectors are dedicating substantial volunteer time to keep this document current and they deserve our thanks. You may be called upon to help with the data collection of our current infrastructure. As a result of efforts such as these, infrastructure investment entered continued on page 2
Thursday, January 15th, 2009 TOPIC: The Civil Engineer in an Emergency – The Yorba Linda Fires SPEAKER: Mark Stowell, PE, Director of Public Works/City Engineer, City of Yorba Linda LOCATION: The Costa Mesa Hilton, Costa Mesa, CA TIME: 11:30 a.m. – Social 12:00 p.m. – Lunch 12:30 -1:10 p.m. – Program See flyer included on page 11 of this newsletter for details!
OC Branch
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
continued from page 1
American Society of Civil Engineers
Ken Rosenfield, PE 949.707.2655 President 949.707.2633 FAX krosenfield@ci.laguna-hills.ca.us Kathereen Shinkai, PE 714.435.6369 Vice President 714.424.2263 FAX ocascevp@gmail.com Ziad Y. Mazboudi, PE 949.234.4413 Treasurer 949.493.1251 FAX ocascetreasurer@gmail.com Josh Nelson, PE 626.333.0336 Secretary 626.336.7076 FAX ocascesecretary@gmail.com Darren Adrian, PE 714.939.1030 Past President 714.938.9488 FAX darren.adrian@kimley-horn.com
COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Yazdan Emrani,PE 949.855.8300 Awards/Nominations 949.855.0800 FAX yemrani@aim-corp.net Dan Elkins 714.481.7920 Continuing Education 714.545.8883 FAX delkins@psomas.com Fred Meier, PE 714.550.7551 History & Heritage 714.550.7551 FAX fredmeier@aol.com Yazdan Emrani, PE 949.855.8300 Infrastructure Report Card 949.855.0800 FAX yemrani@aim-corp.net Grace A. Lee 714.327.1600 K-12 Outreach Co-Chair 714.327.1601 FAX grace.a.lee@jacobs.com Chao-Chun Yang 949.753-8111x246 K-12 Outreach Co-Chair 949.753.0775 FAX cyang@pencoeg.com Vacant Legislative Chair FAX Ted McConville, PE 949.673.4475 Life Member Forum tedmcconville@aol.com Anh Ly, PE 661.316.8355 Membership 661.852.2194 FAX Anh.Ly@parsons.com C.T. Bathala, PE 949.724.2994 OCEC Liaison 949.724.2995 FAX CT_Bathala@dot.ca.gov Brad Dybel, PE 949.499-7874 Professional Practice 949.499.7430 FAX bdybel@lagunageosciences.com Lori Wolfe, PE 714.402.9645 Programs 714.731.8551 FAX loriwolfe@wolfe-engineering.com Kasey Nielsen 714.834.4786 Publicity kasey.nielsen@rdmd.ocgov.com Marie Trinh 714.327.1600 Student Groups 714.327.1601 FAX marie.trinh@jacobs.com Josue Vaglienty, PE 949.855.0754 Younger Member Forum 949.837.8007 FAX jvaglienty@rbf.com Sam Ali, PE 714.751.7373 Sustainability 714.545.8883 FAX Sali@psomas.com Mike Hoolihan, PE 949.453.5553 Webmaster 949.453.0228 FAX hoolihan@irwd.com
the national dialogue in the Presidential Debates and is currently in the news on almost a daily basis. As reported by the Associated Press, President-Elect Barack Obama is working with a team of economic advisors to craft “the largest U.S. public works spending program since the creation of the interstate highway system a half-century ago. That could bolster the economy by putting thousands of people to work building schools and other construction projects.” The buzz is in the air that substantial funding is just around the corner after the January 20th inauguration of our next President. I have been contacted by no less than four separate agencies asking for the City’s list of projects that could be under construction within 180 days or less in an effort to spur economic activity. We, and other agencies, are dusting off shelf ready projects for an influx of funds. This is great news for Civil Engineers. Having said that, I suggest that caution is the watch word. If every agency in every State developed a wish list of funding needs for public infrastructure, as surely they are, the need will far outweigh the oneyear capacity of the Federal Government to provide the funds. I am confident that some funding will come soon but probably not in as great an amount as some are anticipating. Further, given our State’s continuing budget problems, the funds may get diverted or delayed. Nevertheless, Civil Engineers stand ready to aid in this economic recovery.
You can help get the economic stimulus plan enacted by contacting your Congress member and telling her/him that infrastructure investment creates jobs and helps to maintain the quality of life that we enjoy. As a Civil Engineer, you are an expert in this topic and can also be a resource to answer questions posed by decision makers. Further, Congress should be reminded that infrastructure investment has lagged the need for decades and the short-term infusion of funds should be followed with a long-term commitment for infrastructure renewal throughout this country. As you make contact with elected officials, please share your experience with us so we can maintain these contacts over time. Please take care of your dues commitment and remember that together, we can build a better community.
Happy New Year
In order to spend Federal funds in a quick manner, some regulations will need to be relaxed. While we must be good stewards of the environment, properly manage the expenditure of funds, and produce the desired result, the existing morass of Federal Regulations relating to Public Works projects can cause even the simplest of projects to be delayed for over six months and more complex projects to be delayed for several years. Some
TECHNICAL GROUP CHAIRPERSONS
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streamlining of the Regulations should be a part of an economic stimulus plan. Only in that way can the funds hit the street in a timely manner and have the desired effect of pulling this nation out of recession sooner than later.
ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
Eric Akiyoshi 949.453.5552 Hydrology & Hydraulics 949.453.5354 FAX akiyoshi@irwd.com
Khashayar Hadipour PhD, PE 818.226.6900 Transportation khadipour@kleinfelder.com
SECRETARY’S COLUMN
Adversity Breeds Innovation
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recently got the opportunity to hear aeronautical superstar (and a graduate of my Alma Mater Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) Burt Rutan speak at Autodesk University (www.autodesk.com/au). You may have heard of his recent project SpaceShipOne which won the ten million dollar Ansari X-Prize on October 4, 2004 when it became the first private manned spacecraft to exceed an altitude of 328,000 feet twice within the span of a 14 day period. You all probably remember one of his earliest famous projects - the Voyager – which was the first plane to fly around the world non-stop non-refueled in the mid 80s. His upcoming project is the appropriately named SpaceShipTwo. Mr. Rutan gave an excellent talk that covered his predictions for the space industry (he believes the private sector will surpass the military’s capabilities in the next 15-20 years) as well as some points about innovation. What he said about innovation caught my attention. He said that most innovation occurs during periods of adversity. Adversity forces you to look at your processes and see where you can be more efficient. He was excited to see what will come out of the current economic downturn we are experiencing. When everything is going smoothly and you have lots of work and you are busy, you don’t have time to change the way you do things or look at better ways of doing what you do. It is when times are tough that you start to look for more efficient ways of completing a task. A Civil Engineering example of this is the Hoover Dam. That engineering marvel was built during the great depression. I realize the government issued the largest single contract of any kind to get it built, but it truly had many innovative construction methods and techniques to get it built as quickly as it did. After hearing Mr. Rutan talk about innovation, it seemed like I kept hearing more and more people bring up that same point. Another example of this theory is the dot com crash from 2000 to 2002 which put a lot of talented people out of work. Rather than sit around waiting for something else to pop up, a lot of these people created technologies and new ways of doing things because they had all this newfound free time. Things like blogs and podcasts all exploded into the world after that bubble burst. Mr. Clayton M. Christensen, a Harvard Business School professor who focuses on innovation, was recently interviewed by the Wall Street Journal and told them that the current economic downturn “will force innovators to not waste nearly so much money. One of the banes of successful innovation is that companies may be so committed to innovation that they will give the innovators
a lot of money to spend. And, statistically, 93% of all innovations that ultimately become successful started off in the wrong direction; the probability that you’ll get it right the first time out of the gate is very low. So, if you give people a lot of money, it gives them the privilege of pursuing the wrong strategy for a very long time. In an environment where you’ve got to push innovations out the door fast and keep the cost of innovation low, the probability that you’ll be successful is actually much higher.” This is because you will move away from unsuccessful projects sooner than if you had a lot of money to throw at an unsuccessful strategy. Mr. Christensen believes we will see the homeruns from this downturn in about 5 years, but maybe some as early as 2 years from now. So what can we as Civil Engineers take away from this? Well, I challenge you all to learn something new – learn about a new technology or piece of software. For those of you that are in a position to do this, I challenge you to find the creative innovative people in your organization and ask them what they would like to pursue. You probably all have a person or people within your company or organization that could complete this sentence: “If I had the time to do XXXXX, I think it would make YYYYY within our organization/company so much easier/faster/ efficient/etc.” Find those people and sit them down and turn them loose on it. I know a lot of companies right now are implementing the latest Civil design software from Autodesk called Civil 3D. It definitely is an innovative new way to get the job done. Others are looking at how they can make their company more capable of putting out sustainable projects and innovative ways to make their projects more sustainable. I want to leave you with one quote from Mr. Rutan. He said “Your ability to innovate is inversely proportional to your client’s self-perceived sophistication.” You can replace “client’s” with “boss”, or “board of directors” or “company executives”, etc. – whichever is more appropriate to you. Basically this is saying that if someone is too sure or confident in their own sophistication, they won’t be willing to take a risk with something that is outside their level of expertise. Some would call this risk “thinking outside the box”. Thinking outside the box is the only way to be innovative. If you or someone else sets up too rigid guidelines it doesn’t allow you be creative. I would love to hear any comments you have on this, so please feel free to email me at ocascesecretary@gmail.com ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS Orange County Branch of the LA Section Date& Day
Event
Time
Location
January-09 13 15 21 27
Transportation Technical Group 11:30AM OC Branch Luncheon Meeting 11:30AM YMF Meeting 6:30-8:30PM “Surviving the Recession Part Deux” OC ASCE Board Meeting 7:00 AM
McCormick & Schmick’s, Irvine CA Costa Mesa Hilton Hotel, Costa Mesa, CA TBD Gayle Stewart & Associates, Tustin, CA
February-09 5 Hydraulics and Hydrology Technical Group 11:50AM - 1:15PM 5-8 YMF Mammoth Ski Trip TBD 19 Branch Annual Awards Dinner 5:30PM
Dave and Buster’s, Irvine, CA TBD Costa Mesa Hilton Hotel, Costa Mesa, CA
March-09 10 19 27
Transportation Technical Group OC Branch Lunch meeting Seminar “Street Design” LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
11:30AM 11:30AM TBD
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ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
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branch news
December Luncheon Meeting
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with Engineers Without Borders
he branch was honored to host Engineers Without Borders at our December monthly luncheon. Our society has partnered with them at the national level so we were pleased to hold our first event with the Orange County Chapter. Gayla Fecher shared with us everything they are currently working. The chapter hasn’t even been around for more than a year and they will already be implementing some of their project next year. Ms. Fecher shared with us some heart wrenching statistics about the children of the world. Out of every 100 children, 50 live in extreme deprivation, 29 have no adequate shelter, 23 have no access to sanitation, 18 lack safe drinking water, 13 have no healthcare, 6 have never gone to school, 4 are severely food deprived and 1 is affected by AIDS. They have 4 projects in progress outside of the United States. One will bring necessary healthcare facilities to 1200 people in Kenya. Another will bring a sustainable water to 8,000 people in El Salvador. And finally one will treat the water supply for 2,400 people in one part of Honduras and another one will advance education for more than 600 children in another part of Honduras.
So, how can you help? 1. First you can check out our local chapter’s website at http://www.ewb-oc.org/. There you can find information about how to help support them. They don’t just need money, they need people to donate even as little as one hour of time. 2. Please consider adding $40 to your ASCE Membership dues for Engineers Without Borders. If you have already paid your dues, you can login at www.asce.org to add the “Engineers Without Borders Supporting Membership” or you can call (800) 548-2723.
Congratulations!
To Hall and Foreman, Inc.
For being chosen the recipient of the
2008 Employer Recognition Award by the Committee of Younger Members of The American Society of Civil Engineers
ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
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K-12 Outreach
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Shaping the future
hen you ask teenagers about their career aspirations, there is a pretty good chance that any form of “engineering” is not anywhere near their future goals. As a matter of fact, most young adults that I have encountered do not even have the slightest clue with regards to what an “engineer” is. The term “engineer” often brings up the image of a guy driving a train or a mechanic fixing a car to these young inexperienced minds. Typically, it is not until college students are curiously researching majors or becoming acquainted with actual engineering students that the basic understanding of what engineering comes to actual fruition. This void of understanding within student culture is adding to, if not the primary reason for, the possible future deficit of talented entry-level engineers that will be needed to fill our industry in the next few decades. OC-YMF recognized that this problem needed to be addressed and on October 30 and November 14, OC-YMF members helped assist SWE-OC with their Speakers’ Bureau Program at Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School and Garden Grove Lake Intermediate School, respectively. The SWE-OC program provides presentations by very accomplished women that love to share their experiences which inspire and hopefully lead students into the fascinating world of science and engineering. In addition to their presentation, SWE-OC conducts a fun and educational halfhour activity, such as constructing paper towers or penny bridges that give students a handson look at engineering. Amanda Nash, the program coordinator, has done an excellent job
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ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
coordinating and setting up meetings with various schools throughout Orange County. In our past outing, the students had a lot of fun and it’s so amazing to see what kind of out-ofthis-world, who-would-a-thunk-it ideas these kids come up with! During the penny bridge contest, one the team rolled the paper into a tube, clipped the sides with paper clips, slid the pennies inside, and “voila” instant winner. Talk about completing a project ahead of schedule! And on another note, another 6th grade student in one of the paper bridge tower teams kept screaming, “Come on guys! We gotta make the foundation stronger! Get more tape! The foundation has to be strong!” I was so proud. I’m a shy guy, so I just smiled and nodded my head in appreciation. But if I were an outgoing person, I would have said, “Yeah baby!” and bumped forearms with him. Either way, win or lose, these kids are all great and seeing them in action is such a great experience. So if you are a women engineer or an engineer looking to spread the love that is engineering, please contact Amanda Nash at anash@parker.com and volunteer to help the keep our profession stacked with engineers ready to go out of the box... or college at least. Special thanks to OC-YMF and SWE-OC members: Sonalee Myneni, Linn Moisan, Lisa Truong, Amanda Nash, Jeannette Lindemann, Marie Trinh, Aileen Dao, Paola Chavira, Tran Nguyen, and Kendrick Jackson.
YMF NEWS
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YMF HELPS COLLECT FOOD FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY RESCUE MISSION
n December 6th, members of the Orange County Young Members Forum woke up early on a Saturday to help collect food for the Orange County Rescue Mission. The Rescue Mission is a resource for the homeless in Orange County. It offers transitional housing for entire families at the Village of Hope in Tustin, emotional support for youth and vocational training at their Mustard Seed Ranch near Warner Springs. OC-YMF was there for a food drive to help supply the Village of Hope. We got to the Village of Hope at 8:30, where the staff issued us fliers and bags to pass out to people as they went into grocery stores around Orange County. Inside the stores, people filled the bags with groceries and as they left they dropped them off with us. We were able to cover two stores, an Albertsons in Santa Ana and a Ralphs in Irvine. It started out kind of slow, as we waited for people to finish shopping, but after the first hour, the pace really picked up. We were amazed at people’s generosity! One woman came up with a whole shopping cart full, said, “Here you go,” and walked off. By the end of three hours we had collected
eleven shopping carts full of groceries. Tom, the photographer/ graphic designer from OCRM, came by and snapped some photos of us for their newsletter, so if you check out http://www. rescuemission.org/ you might see us on the internet. We were all done at the stores by noon, and by 12:30 we had dropped off our donations at the Rescue Mission. They were really appreciative, but I think that we got more out of it than they did. They got some food, but we got the chance to connect with those less fortunate than us right here in our own county. We’ll be having more community service events throughout the year, but if you have a suggestion, feel free to e-mail me at Ben.Stanphill@gmail.com. If you would like more information about the Orange County Rescue Mission, check out http://www.rescuemission.org for ways to get involved. Ben Stanphill
ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
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PHOTO ALBUM
Surveyor’s Benchmarks and Monuments
“Bentmark” (get it?) – Photo by Flickr user Dawn Endico
Photo by Flickr user Nemo's great uncle “Benchmark” from the UK By Flickr User windyharbor.com
“corner marker” by flickr user ikes Disneyland
“Four Corners Benchmark” by Flickr user Travis S.jpg
By Flickr user luistxo eta marije
US Army Corp Monument in North Carolina By Flickr User jdj150 Thank you to Rich Maher with KDM Meridian for helping us find these photos.
Do you have any Civil Engineering related photos from your travels around the world that you found interesting? If you would like to share them with us for a future newsletter, please email them to ocascesecretary@gmail.com.
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ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
All images on this page are licensed under a Creative Commons license. Creative Commons is a non-profit that offers an alternative to full copyright. creativecommons.org
Sustainability News
What is the Sustainable Sites Initiative and How is it Different than LEED?
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By: Sam Ali, PE LEED-AP Psomas, Chairman Sustainability Committee
he Sustainable Sites Initiative is an interdisciplinary effort by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the United States Botanic Garden to create voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land design, construction and maintenance practices. Sustainable Sites Initiative Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009 A compilation of current research, technology and practices to provide technical guidance and performance benchmarks for sustainable land development and management practices. Sustainable Sites Initiative Rating System (target publication date 2011) Sustainable landscape performance benchmarks with weighted credits and a recognition system. Sustainable Sites Initiative Reference Guide (target publication date 2012) A user guide containing information from pilot projects that will explain credit requirements and provide resources to aid in creative problem solving. Guiding Principles of a Sustainable Site • Do no harm. • Precautionary principle. • Design with nature and culture. • Use a decision-making hierarchy of preservation, conservation and regeneration. • Provide regenerative systems as intergenerational equity. • Support a living process. • Use a systems thinking approach. • Use a collaborative and ethical approach. • Maintain integrity in leadership and research. • Foster environmental stewardship. Ecosystem Services The goal of a sustainable site is to protect, restore and enhance such ecosystem services
wherever possible through sustainable land development and management practices: 1. Global climate regulation 2. Local climate regulation 3. Air and water cleansing 4. Water supply and regulation 5. Erosion and sediment control 6. Hazard mitigation 7. Pollination 8. Habitat functions 9. Waste decomposition and treatment 10. Human health and well-being benefits 11. Food and renewable non-food products 12. Cultural benefits Ecosystem Services Matrix 1. Site Selection • Selection locations to preserve existing resources and repair damaged systems. 2. Pre-Design Assessment and Planning • Plan for sustainability from the onset of the project. 3. Site Design – Ecological Components • Protect and restore site processes and systems. 4. Site Design – Human Health Components • Build strong communities and a sense of stewardship. 5. Site Design – Materials Selection • Reuse/recycle existing materials and support sustainable production practices. 6. Construction • Minimize effects of construction-related activities. 7. Operations and Maintenance • Maintain the site for long-term sustainability. For more information about The Sustainable Sites Initiative visit the following web site: www.sustainablesites.org ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
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CALIFORNIA SYMPOSIUM
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ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
American Society of Civil Engineers
Ken Rosenfield, PE, President
ORANGE COUNTY BRANCH
Kathereen Shinkai, PE,VicePresident Ziad Mazboudi, PE, Treasurer
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Joshua Nelson, PE, Secretary
JANUARY LUNCHEON MEETING
Darren Adrian, PE, Past President
TOPIC: The Civil Engineer in an Emergency – The Yorba Linda Fires SPEAKER: Mark Stowell, PE, Director of Public Works/City Engineer, City of Yorba Linda Mark Stowell is a graduate of Cal State Fullerton and started his career in civil engineering as an intern at the City of Brea. He moved into development engineering working for Willdan & Associates, but quickly realized his passion for public agency projects. He spent the next 5 years at BSI / Berryman Henigar working on Public Works projects. Mark has since worked for Hall & Foreman, the City of Corona and the City of Irvine before becoming the Director of Public Works / City Engineer for his hometown of Yorba Linda. Mark has been married 17 years to his high school sweetheart, Lori, and has two teenage kids, Jillian and Kyle. On November 15th a wildfire known as the Freeway Complex Fire broke out in Corona along the 91 Freeway. Within hours, the fire tore through Yorba Linda burning down over 120 homes and causing the evacuation of approximately half the City’s residents. Emergency Operations were implemented. As a result of the fire, over nine miles of wild land interface between Chino Hills State Park and the northern boundary of the City of Yorba Linda was stripped of all vegetation exposing the hillsides to extensive erosion during rain storm events. Since the fire, the City of Yorba Linda has experienced three major rain events. With each rain, the debris and mud flows have inundated the City’s infrastructure and neighborhoods. The discussion will cover the event of the fire, the mobilization of the City’s resources, the subsequent FEMA declaration of a national emergency, the City’s preparations for the debris and mud flows, working with the County of Orange and the State Office of Emergency services, and describing the methods a contract City utilizes in managing an emergency of this magnitude. MEETING PLACE:
The Costa Mesa Hilton, 3050 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
TIME:
11:30 a.m. – Social
COST:
Members $38 prepaid; $40 at the door (with reservations); Non-members and walk-ups $45; Students $20
MEAL:
Grilled Soy Ginger Glazed Salmon, salad and dessert. Vegetarian meal available.
PARKING:
Validated parking for adjoining structure included in luncheon cost.
RESERVATIONS:
RSVP by January 8, 2009, at 12 noon Include the names of all persons attending. Your advance reservations, made and honored, are essential to fulfilling our catering commitment. No shows will be billed. You can now pay with credit card via the branch website.
REGISTRATION:
You can register (and pre-pay for lunch) by accessing the website at www.asceoc.org. Registration can also be by emailing your name, company name and membership status (member, non-member, or student) to gstewart@associationplanet.com or by fax at 714-258-8391, or by phone at 714-258-8306 or by mail:
12:00 p.m. – Lunch
12:30 – 1:10 p.m. – Program
ASCE Orange County Branch, 1405 Warner Avenue Tustin, CA 92780 Display Booth Space is available for this event at cost of $100. For space bookings please call 714-258-8306 or Email: gstewart@associationplanet.com
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
The Order of the Engineer Ceremony 2008
Want to complete your winning RFP Team?
By Brad Dybel, PE, GE, CEG
SBE & WBE CERTIFIED
hanks and congratulations to the civil engineering practitioners and students who participated in the Orange County Branch’s fourth Order of the Engineer ceremony at the November dinner meeting. The professional participants in this year’s ceremony included in alphabetical order: Edward Kao, Sal Mian, and Christopher Poli. Student members Mark Beltran, Erin Cabanero, and Alexander Chung represented University of California, Irvine. Student member Steven Marquez from CSU Long Beach also participated. Special thanks go to ASCE Los Angeles Section Governor, Shahn Ahmad, who was our master of ceremonies.
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Paul A. Moote & Associates, Inc.
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ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
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LAW & CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Standard of Care - A Moving Target Written by Eugene Bass, Esq.
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question that engineers often ask is “what is the standard of care must be followed to avoided being negligent in the practice of civil engineering.” That question, unfortunately, cannot be answered with precision. Rather, the answer is “it depends.” Failure to meet the standard of care is one of the elements of negligence. Performing in accordance with the applicable standard of care, however, can present conflicts in the practice of engineering. For example, compliance with the standard of care may require that a more extensive investigation be conducted than was originally anticipated in the original contract. A proper investigation will cost more money and therein lies the potential for conflict. “You get what you pay for” is not an absolute legal defense against failure to meet the standard of care. The standard of care is a moving target. It is a relative term and it’s determination involves experience, insight and common sense. In a trial involving the question of professional negligence the jury is instructed as to the law that must be applied to the facts. The instructions given to the jury can serve as a general guide to enable an engineer to help define the standard. The law provides that an engineer performing professional services for a client, owes that client the duty to have that degree of learning and skill ordinarily possessed by reputable civil engineers, practicing under similar circumstances. The engineer also has the duty to use the care and skill ordinarily used in like cases by reputable members of the profession practicing under similar circumstances. Also, the engineer has the duty to use reasonable diligence and best judgment in the exercise of skill and the application of learning. The failure to perform any one of these duties is defined as negligence. If an engineer purports to be a specialist, the standard of care applicable to specialists will apply. It is the duty of an engineer who holds himself
or herself out as a specialist in a particular field of engineering, to have the knowledge and skill ordinarily possessed, and to use the care and skill ordinarily used, by reputable specialists practicing in the same field under similar circumstances. Prior jury instructions used to include “...in the same or a similar locality...” as an element defining duty. The modern rule, however, is that the standard of care is the reasonable degree of skill, knowledge and care ordinarily possessed and exercised by members of the profession under similar circumstances. Geographical location may be a factor in evaluating the similarity of circumstances but not a determining one. Finally, the law provides that a jury must determine the standard of professional learning, skill and care required of the defendant only from the opinions of the an expert engineer and the engineer defendant who may have testified as expert witnesses as to the standard. The jury is instructed that should consider each such opinion and take into consideration the reasons given for the opinion, the facts relied upon by the witness, and the relative credibility, special knowledge, skill, experience, training and education of the witness. An engineer should always be seeking to determine the applicable standard of care and should bear in mind that it will be changing with the times and the circumstances. This article is intended to provide general information regarding legal issues. It is not to be relied upon as specific legal advice or in place of the need to seek competent legal advice on specific legal matters. Eugene Bass is an attorney and registered Civil Engineer. He has offices in Redwood City and can be reached at 650-3611199.
ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
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LEADERSHIP
Money Secrets
H
by Steve Kaye, Ph.D.
ere are three uncommon ways to regard money.
make sure that you prepare appropriately.
1) Your Financial Responsibility
Thus, determine the goal for your presentation, interview key attendees to learn about their expectations, and rehearse your presentation. Make sure that you present new, thought provoking, valuable ideas.
Do this: Divide the annual gross income for your company by the number of employees. Then repeat this calculation for all of the companies in your industry. Compare the number for your company with the numbers for your competition. Result: You now have a handy comparison for employee effectiveness (and efficiency) in producing revenue. Larger numbers are good, and smaller numbers are bad.
3) Your Financial Future Do this: Calculate how much you must save each month in order to retire with a million dollars. You will need a financial calculator, a spreadsheet, or the help of a financial planner. And to help, here are a few possibilities:
Who thinks about this: Your top management. They use these numbers to justify layoffs and reorganizations. They also consider these numbers when planning acquisitions (i.e., buying other companies) and liquidations (i.e., selling assets).
* Save $60/month at 10% for 50 years
Your next step: Use these numbers to plan your career. For example, you might consider them when deciding which job offer to accept. You can also use them to make general predictions about future events (specifically changes) in your company.
Some of you may be thinking:, “So what. It’s too late.”
And, of course, the number for your company shows how much is expected of you. Thus, use your time well. Avoid common time wasters such as pointless meetings, water cooler chit chat, and surfing the net. 2) Your Speaking Fee Do this: Calculate the cost of your next presentation. It will be the product of the number of people in the audience, the length of your talk, and the average labor cost for those attending. Then add to this any logistical costs, such as room rental, supplies, and equipment. As a rough estimate, you can use a labor cost of $100/hour, which is a conservative cost for business professionals in major corporations. And so, if you spoke for an hour to 20 people, your speaking fee is at least $2,000. Who thinks about this: Your boss and other executives who are in your audience. Leaders want a positive return on their investment. Specifically, they want presentations that help them make decisions. Your next step: Realize that you are doing more than just giving a presentation. You are inspiring people to take actions that can change your business. And so, 14
ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
* Save $160/month at 10% for 40 years * Save $450/month at 10% for 30 Years
And it may be too late to accumulate a million dollars if you have only a few years. But consider this: do you know a teenager? Or do you know someone who is just starting a career? Because that fifteen-year-old could easily retire with a million dollars by saving only $60/month. Note that I used a return on investment of 10%, which is less than the average growth of the DOW over the past 100 years. This strategy has the greatest likelihood of success when using standard mutual funds, instead of get-rich-quick stocks, which can drop in value faster than you can say, “Aw, nuts!” Who thinks about this: Rich people. Your next step: A small, methodical savings plan can make a huge difference over long time. If you are young, this could be the key to having a financially comfortable future. And if you know young people, you may be able to offer this as priceless advice. --Steve Kaye helps leaders achieve results. He is an author, speaker, and IAF Certified Professional Facilitator. His workshops and meeting facilitation create success for everyone. Call 714-528-1300 for details. Visit http://www.stevekaye.com for a free report.
civil engineering IS LOCAL
S
CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE RAIL CORRIDOR PEDESTRIAN TRAIL PROJECT
an Clemente beaches attract over 2.5 million visitors each year, but to reach the sand those visitors had only a few legal access points across one of the busiest rail corridors in the country. Many people chose to cross or walk along the rail line—an illegal and dangerous situation. To improve coastal access and public safety, the City recently completed construction of a multi-use pedestrian trail which was almost a decade in the making. The Rail Corridor Pedestrian Trail (referred to as the “Beach Trail”) extends from North Beach south to Calafia Beach, and for most of its 2.3 mile length is located at the base of coastal bluffs and within the existing rail corridor right-of-way. The trail itself is a 5- to 10-foot wide compacted decomposed granite path that has been treated with a binder to provide a durable but natural looking surface. To safely traverse a natural pinch point at Mariposa Point, an approximately 1,000 foot long, 8 foot wide elevated walkway was constructed using a number of prefabricated bridge span segments. Smaller bridges were used to span two drainage channels near the southern end of the project. Five signalized pedestrian at-grade rail crossings were added along the project reach for improved beach access, two of which included wooden stairways over the existing rail embankment riprap down to the beach. Due to sight lines and space constraints, a pedestrian tunnel was constructed for beach access at Mariposa Point. This tunnel consisted of prefabricated concrete sections and was constructed using an open cut trench method.
Installation of beach access stairway landings.
This required careful coordination and scheduling to complete the tunnel installation within the maximum two-day rail traffic closure window required by the rail agency. Finally, the trail project included landscaping and a “see through” cable rail fence for much of its length to help direct beach visitors to the new legal crossing points. Planning for the trail began in 1999 with the formation of a diverse stakeholder group that included community, environmental and business representatives, railroad agencies, City Council members and staff, California State Parks, Orange County Transportation Authority (the railroad corridor owner), along with others. Design began in late 2000, and the last of many agency approvals was received in mid-2004. The project was constructed in two phases, with the first phase completed in mid-2007 and the second phase completed in late 2008. The total project cost of about $15 million was funded with local City funds and a number of Federal and State grants. The Beach Trail has become extremely popular amenity and is enjoyed by walkers, joggers, and bicyclists. The trail and its beach access features provide protected routes to and along the coast from North Beach to Calafia Beach, making for a much safer and enjoyable experience for beach visitors. Contributed by Tom Bonigut, P.E., Assistant City Engineer.
An elevated walkway bridge section being set in place.
Installation of the pedestrian underpass tunnel.
Do you have a local (i.e. Orange County) Civil Engineering project that you would like highlighted in the next newsletter? If so, please send your project info and pictures if available to ocascesecretary@gmail.com and look for your project in a future newsletter. We are looking for both public and private projects. ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
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City Laguna City ofof Laguna BeachBeach Associate Engineer
Associate Engineer
$6,277 and City paid PERS 2.5% at 55at(formula effective 7/01/2010). $6,277 --$8,831/monthly $8,831/monthlyplus plus5% 5%Civil CivilEngineer Engineerregistration registrationpay pay and City paid PERS 2.5% 55 (formula effective 7/01/2010).
The scenic seaside community of Laguna Beach seeks a competent, team oriented professional for the position of Associate The scenicThis seaside community Laguna seeks March a competent, team oriented professional for the Engineer. is a new positionofand is setBeach to be filled 1, 2009. position of Associate Engineer. This is a new position and is set to be filled March 1, 2009.
Reporting City Engineer, Engineer,the theAssociate AssociateEngineer Engineer works independently in managing design consultants and Reporting to to the the Assistant Assistant City works independently in managing design construction contractors andcontractors is responsible overseeing design and of a varietyofofa capital improvement projects, consultants and construction and isforresponsible forthe overseeing the construction design and construction including sewer projects, system, drainage, and other public facilities variety ofstreets, capital parks, improvement including streets, parks, sewer system,improvements. drainage, and other public facilities improvements.
Minimum Requirements: equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree with major course work in civil engineering or construction Minimum Requirements: equivalent a Bachelor’s with major course work in civil engineering management plus four years (full timetoor cumulativedegree part-time) of civil engineering experience withor at least 3 years working on the construction management plus four years (full time or cumulative part-time) of civil engineering experience design or administration of public works projects. Municipal agency related engineering experience and experience with AutoCAD with at least 3 years working on the design or administration of public works projects. Municipal agency and ArcView is highly desired.and experience with AutoCAD and ArcView is highly desired. related engineering experience License/Certificate as aa Civil Civil Engineer Engineerinin the the State State of of California Californiaisis required. Due to the License/CertificateRequirements: Requirements:Current Current registration registration as required. Dueoftosome the performance some may field require duties, which may require operationorofCity a personal performance field duties,ofwhich the operation of athepersonal vehicle,oraCity valid California Driver’s license vehicle, a valid California and an acceptable driving record are required. and an acceptable drivingDriver’s record license are required. Application/Resume Submission: Applications and accompanying resumes will be accepted until 5:00 Application/Resume Submission: Applications and accompanying resumes will be accepted until 5:00 p.m., Monday, January 19, p.m., Monday, January 19, 2009. Visit .lagunabeachcity.net to review detailed position and benefits 2009. Visit www.lagunabeachcity.net to review detailed and benefits information and to complete your online application information and to complete your online application and position resume submission. City of Laguna Beach and resumeDivision, submission. City of Laguna BeachBeach, Personnel Division, Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach, Ca 92651, (949) 497-0730. Personnel 505 Forest Avenue, Laguna Ca 92651, (949) 505 497-0730.
Draw the path that best suits your goals. Leighton has immediate openings for registered professionals for geotechnical and environmental services. Forward your resume to HR@leightongroup.com 41715 Enterprise Circle N, Suite 103 Temecula, CA 92590 951.252.8028
Leighton Consulting, Inc.
Irvine | Los Angeles | Temecula | Rancho Cucamonga | Palm Desert | Santa Clarita | Ventura | Bakersfield | San Diego EOE M/F/D/V
16
ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
2008-2009 STUDENT ASSISTANCE FUND DONORS
ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
17
2008-2009 STUDENT ASSISTANCE FUND DONORS
LIN Consulting, Inc. Traffic, Civil and Electrical Consulting Engineers
Mohammad Qureshi, Ph.D. Senior Project Manager
1432 Edinger Avenue, #230, Tustin, CA 92780-6293 Tel (714) 258-8411 ext. 202 Fax (714) 258-8511 E-mail: drq@linconsulting.com
18
ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
2008-2009 STUDENT ASSISTANCE FUND DONORS
PLANNING
DESIGN
CO N S T R U C T I O N
Providing innovative, timely and cost effective solutions to today’s design challenges through personalized client service
www.RBF.com
Offices located throughout California, Arizona and Nevada
14725 Alton Parkway, Irvine, CA 92618 949.472.3505
Transportation Planning
Traffic Engineering & Design Environmental Engineering Parking Demand Studies
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Newport Beach
3991 macarthur boulevard, suite 310
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newport beach, ca 92660 Tel: 949.474.0809
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11870 pierce street,
riverside, ca 92505
tel: 951.854.8500
www.rkengineer.com / rg@rkengineer.com
HAVE YOU RENEWED YOUR BUSINESS CARD AD?
If not, please send your renewal along with $330 to: Ziad Mazboudi, Treasurer ASCE, OC Branch 1405 Warner Avenue, Tustin, CA 92780 ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
19
ANNOUNCEMENTS
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
Type of Membership and Annual Dues (National) Student: Free Associate Member: $50 year of baccalaureate degree and first after, then incremental increases to $205 over five years Member: $205 annually Affiliate: $205 annually Section (Branch) Dues $45/year (1) National ASCE Student Membership is now FREE! Those who have chapters or clubs still must be a member of them before joining National. To join as a student, log onto www.asce.org/join. To renew as a student go to www.asce.org/renew. Students may also call 1-800-548-ASCE or email member@asce.org. (2) Online membership renewal available, go to www.asce.org/renewal. You just need your member number, all e-payments must be made with a major credit card. An e-receipt is transmitted to the member upon completion of the transaction. (3) For non-members, dues for O.C.Branch Newsletter only $45/year.
Please contact Anh Ly, O.C. Branch Membership Chairman at 714-720-4868 or FAX: 714-938-0782 for application forms, change of address and additional information. Or for address changes on-line go to www.asce.org/myprofile. E-Mail for member questions is member@asce.org
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ASCE OC-Newsletter • January 2009
Please send all advertisements (Except Business Card Ads) to the Secretary before the 10th of each month. Advertisements must include pre-payment in order to be included in the newsletter. Please complete the Advertisement Request form at www.asceoc.org Joshua Nelson, Secretary ASCE OC Branch c/o CNC Engineering, Inc. 255 N. Hacienda Blvd., #222 City of Industry, CA 91744 ocascesecretary@gmail.com Send Business Card Ads (with $300.00) to: Ziad Mazboudi, Treasurer ASCE, OC Branch 1405 Warner Avenue, Tustin, CA92780
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