THE ARIZONA CIVIL ENGINEER |
Volume 96 Issue 8 - June/July |
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As summer approaches I am reminded of one of my fondest memories as a kid growing up in Phoenix. As the days transitioned from warm to hot, I remember enjoying the relief during the somewhat cooler nights. Regardless of the activity the nighttime brought a sense of relaxation and seclusion from the rest of the world. It was also an opportunity to really appreciate the nighttime environment that the Arizona desert had to provide. Living in Phoenix I would often forget about one of the greatest benefits, the stars the night sky has to offer.
Living in Flagstaff now I have gained a tremendous appreciation for the priority given to protecting the night sky. As you may know the City of Flagstaff was the world’s first International Dark Sky City, receiving its designation in 2001. With Lowell Observatory and the U.S Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station it has been a priority to protect dark night skies while not compromising growth, development and safety.
As older lighting technologies became unavailable and recognizing that newer technologies did not meet the goals and needs, several years ago the City of Flagstaff Transportation Section began the process of revising its lighting standards. Over the course of these years the City involved stakeholders from the observatories, the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition, as well as the community in the process named Street Lighting for Enhancing Dark Skies (SLEDS). In the end, this process drove the lighting industry in a direction it had never gone before. If you would like to learn more about the City’s new standards, the recognition they have received, and how this impacts the community please follow the links below.
City of Flagstaff Street Lighting Standards:
Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition:
Information on LED Lighting:
City of Flagstaff, International Dark Sky Association Annual Reports:
City of Flagstaff SLEDS website:
At the very least I hope everyone is anxiously awaiting the upcoming summer. Enjoy your vacations, get outside, relax, and enjoy those cool summer evenings.
Gary Miller
ASCE Section President
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Shortly all AZ ASCE Section members will be seeing ballots for new branch and section officers. As your current officers complete their terms, vacancies in officer positions will be opening. Not only are there vacancies at the branch level, but there are leadership vacancies within our institutes and technical committees. If you appreciate the services and benefits that ASCE provides, are interested in expanding your professional network, or are just looking to become more involved, please consider running for one of these leadership positions.
While on the surface this may be intimidating, there is strong support from current officers, as well as additional leadership training offered by ASCE to help you be successful in these positions. If you are interested please contact your local president, or the AZ Section President. They would be more than willing to answer any questions you might have.
If you are looking for a shorter-term commitment with a lot of the same benefits, consider volunteering to help plan the AZ Section’s Annual Conference. The conference is currently looking for volunteers to help in all of the planning efforts for this event in November. For more information on this please contact the AZ Section President-Elect, Jose Aguilar.
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The 2021 national election concluded on Tuesday, June 1, and the Tellers Committee validated the election results. The results of this years' election includes the following newly elected ASCE leaders and results of the constitutional amendment vote.
President-elect Elect:
Maria C. Lehman, P.E., ENV SP, F.ASCE
Region Directors-Elect:
Region 3: Kenneth R. Mika, P.E., M.ASCE
Region 4: Findlay G. Edwards, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, BCEE, F.ASCE
Region 8: Lawrence M. Magura, P.E., D.WRE(ret), F.ASCE
Technical Region: Daniel F. Becker, M.ASCE
Region Governors-Elect:
Region 1:Craig F. Ruyle, P.E., M.ASCE; Beth Ann Smith, P.E., BCEE, M.ASCE
Region 2: Patrick J. Sullivan, Jr., P.E., M.ASCE
Region 3: Jesse D. Jefferson, P.E., PTOE, M.ASCE
Region 4: Colette Easter, P.E., M.ASCE; Maneesh Krishnan, P.E., M.ASCE
Region 5: Robert L. Jackson, P.E., M.ASCE; Bradley M. Williams, P.E., M.ASCE
Region 6: Sonya Leigh Cooper, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE; Lawrence D. Goldberg, P.E., ENV SP, F.ASCE
Region 7: Molly K. Bennett, A.M.ASCE; Jennifer Jacka-Taylor, P.E., ENV SP, M.ASCE
Region 8: Virginia J. Groeschel, A.M.ASCE; Robert B. Turner, P.E., F.ASCE
Region 9: Patricia “Tricia” McColl, P.E., M.ASCE
Region 10: Kamal Laksiri, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE; Saliu A. Lawal, C.Eng, M.ASCE
By a vote of 66.5% in favor and 33.5% against, the membership also defeated the proposed constitutional amendment intended to allow Student Members the right to vote. Amendments to the constitution require the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of those members voting.
If you have questions regarding the election results, please email Patty Montgomery, Managing Director of Executive and Board Operations, or call 703/295-6101.
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Phoenix Branch News
Joseph Dietrick, PE, M.ASCE, Vice President, Phoenix Branch
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On Wednesday, May 12, 2021, the Phoenix Branch of ASCE hosted a virtual luncheon meeting with Mark Glock, PE, Phoenix Streets Transportation Deputy Director, providing a presentation on the City of Phoenix 7th Street Bridge Fire. On February 28, 2021 a 10-inch natural gas line ruptured, ignited and burned for nearly 2 hours causing extensive damage to the north end of the 5 span 7th Street Bridge. Fortunately, there were no injuries from the fire but this vital transportation link had to be closed until an inspection could be conducted and the recommended repairs completed. The bridge closure also affected bikers and walkers because the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration trail, which passed under the bridge, had to be closed as well.
It was determined that, due to the extreme heat of the fire, the two north spans would have to be removed and reconstructed, along with the north abutment and the northern most supporting pier in order for the bridge to return to service. Hunter Contracting was retained by the City to complete the demolition and rebuild the structure. Demolition work began on March 15, 2021. As of the date of our meeting the contractor has completed the demolition, was nearing completion of the new pier and abutment and preparing to set the new girders. The reopening of the bridge to traffic is expected to occur in September 2021, just a short 5-1/2 months after the fire. A significant amount of coordination had to come together quickly in order for this project to be successful. This include setting up vehicle and pedestrian detours, obtaining a 404 permit from the Corps of Engineers, environmental testing for lead and asbestos and the design of the new abutment, pier and girders. Mark gave a special thanks to other City employees including Tricia Balluff – Office of Environmental Programs, Emmett Boyd – Parks and Recreation and Derek Rogers – Street Transportation. Repair of this bridge is a great example of what can be done when a team, public and private, work together to solve a problem.
A recording of this presentation can be found on the Arizona Section website.
In other Phoenix Branch news the board is looking for an ASCE member to fill the role of Branch Treasurer for the 2021-2022 term. If anyone is interested please contact Stephanie Templeton or any branch officer.
The branch has started a Sustainability Committee and we are looking for members to be part of this growing program. If you are interested please Mike Naber at mnaber@azland.gov to see how to get involved.
Our next virtual luncheon will be on June 23, 2021 and will be a presentation on the I-17 and Central Ave bridge reconstruction project. Please look for an upcoming e-mail with additional information on how to join this meeting.
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Southern Arizona Branch News
Blake Junak, PE, M.ASCE, Vice President, Southern Arizona Branch
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Thank you again to our Infrastructure Week Panelists from Metro Water, Tucson Water, and PCRWRD! SAB Members enjoyed hearing jurisdictional updates and participating in the Q & A afterwards. |
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Phoenix Branch YMF News
Cynthia Alvarez, President, Phoenix Branch YMF
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June 10 YMF Social Event
Join our Virtual YMF Social Event on 6/10 at 5 pm - Backyard Online Games
Backyard merges flawless video, voice & text chat with everyone's favorite games, all in one place.
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The Arizona Civil Engineer is a publication of the Arizona Section of ASCE.
Information published in the newsletter must be consistent with ASCE Arizona Section Board policy.
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