Stay Connected
|
|
Younger Member Forum
Embry-Riddle
Student Chapter
|
|
|
 |
|
In comes October and along with it brings a new committee of officers who will strive to continue the great work done by last year's committee and hopefully (pandemic permitting) add to the list of exciting events that line East Central branches calendar for the year. We had a very successful virtual officer installation luncheon and I would like to give a big thank you to Melissa Burns for switching gears from in-person to virtual event and getting everything organized in addition to welcoming a future ASCE member and president in her family. I would like to welcome all my newly elected fellow branch officers, Committee chairs, and University chapter presidents.
 |
| | Prasad Chittaluru, P.E. |
We have started our new year with a bang, with our very own Prasad Chittaluru winning the ASCE Region 5 - 2020 Civil Engineer of the Year award. Please join me in congratulating Prasad on earning this well-deserved award. Prasad has been an inspiration to many engineers in Central Florida and especially his work with the extremely successful "Super 7" robotics team, year in and year out, deserves all the accolades.
Another event that was a rousing success was our Annual Scholarship Golf tournament. Craig and the golf committee did an amazing job of organizing the event keeping in mind all the safety measures. I would like to thank not only the organizing committee but also everyone who came out to the event and made it a success.
Looking ahead, we have a slew of virtual technical and non-technical webinars as well as other social events lined up for everyone to attend. I look forward to seeing each one of you, albeit virtually, at one of these events. Thank you for your continued support to your local ASCE branch.
Stay safe everyone.
Sincerely,
ACSE East Central Branch President
|
|
2020 ASCE ECB Scholarship Golf Tournament Recap
Last month over 100 engineers joined the East Central Branch out on the Eagle Creek Golf Course. We had great weather and a fantastic time! Thank you to our volunteers from the UCF ASCE Student Chapter and our many Sponsors! Congratulations to our Tournament Champions the DRMP Team! Hope to see you all again next year!
|
| | Tournament Winners - Team DRMP, Inc. |
|
|
Geotechnical Engineering Institute
|
Central Florida Geo-Institute Chapter
Geotechnical Lecture Series
A Perspective on Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls Pushing the Limits
or Pulling Us Down
Date
Thursday, October 22nd, 2020
Time
12 PM to 1 PM
Presenter
Dr. Robert C. Bachus, P.E., D.GE
Geosyntec Consultants
Kennesaw, Georgia
Abstract 
Many will argue that fill walls, particularly mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls, represent a boom to the U.S. geotechnical practice and are a testament to the valuable and innovative contributions by geotechnical practitioners. Many examples can be cited to demonstrate the profession's ability to push the limits in terms of wall height and creative applications. These success stories notwithstanding, there have been several reported MSE wall failures that should give the profession pause for concern. There are indications today that the profession's lack of attention and focus has started to reverse the impressive trends of innovative practice. These failures should remind us that we have to remain ever mindful of the basic tenants of good geotechnical engineering practice and that we cannot afford to lose sight of important geotechnical considerations and perspective regarding the design and construction of MSE walls and slopes. This presentation strives to once again highlight important lessons regarding the design and construction of MSE walls from both big and small projects. It will also include specific recommendations to halt this disturbing trend before it has potentially severe consequences.
Presenter Bio
|
| | | Dr. Robert C. Bachus, P.E., D.GE | |
Dr. Bachus is a civil engineer with more than 40 years of experience, with an expertise in geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering. He started his professional career as a member of the faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology where he taught for 11 years before joining Geosyntec Consultants in 1990, where he is a Senior Principal. The firm specializes in geotechnical, environmental, and water resource engineering, with >1,200 employees in its 75 offices in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. His research and project activities cover a wide range of topics, including dams and levees, landslide assessment, landfill design and performance, soil/rock properties, geosynthetics, and forensic engineering. He has worked extensively on the properties and beneficial use of coal combustion residuals (CCRs) and geotechnical data management and visualization. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Georgia Tech and Chairman of the Transportation Research Board's Standing Committee on Soil and Rock Properties.
|
2020 ASCE East Central Branch
Geo-Institute Scholarship
The Geo-Institute Chapter of ASCE's Florida Section - East Central Branch (ASCE ECB) is proud to announce two scholarship opportunities. These scholarships are part of the Geo-Institute's commitment to supporting Central Florida's brightest minds for future careers in geotechnical engineering.
|
|
Transportation & Development Institute
|
Transportation & Development Institute Luncheon
Save The Date
Topic
M-CORES Update
Presenter
Jennifer Stults, AICP.
Date
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Time
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Location
Virtual Luncheon
Meeting details to follow
Cost
$5.00 per person
RSVP
Details to follow
The presentation will provide all of the current information on the M-CORES projects.
|
|
Structural Engineering Institute
|
The Structural Engineering Institute is excited to announce a webinar for November 10, 2020 from 11:45AM to 1:30PM. Dr. Zachary Haber will be presenting on Ultra-high-performance concrete. Dr. Haber is a research structural engineer on FHWA's Bridge Engineering Research Team at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) in McLean, Virginia, USA. It is anticipated that 1.5 PDH will be offered for the webinar.
Florida Board of Professional Engineers is proposing to create a Special Inspector Limited option for the inspection/repairs of existing threshold building ( Rule No. 61G15-35). Anyone interested in this proposed rule change can visit the FBPE's website https://fbpe.org/
|
Ultra-High Performance Concrete: Enhancing the Design, Performance, and Resiliency
of Civil Infrastructure
Presenter
Zachary B. Haber, Ph.D.
Research Structural Engineer
Structural Engineering Lab Manager
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
Date
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Time
From 11.45AM to 1:30PM
Location
Virtual
RSVP
Details to follow
Abstract
Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is an advanced cement-based, fiber-reinforced composite material that is emerging as a popular solution to many challenges related to civil infrastructure performance and durability. UHPC-class materials exhibit mechanical and durability properties that far exceed those of both conventional and high-performance concretes. The Structural Concrete Group at FHWA's Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) has been conducting research on UHPC-class materials for more than 15 years, and has played a significant role in the growing popularity of this innovative class of materials in the United States. The objective of this webinar to introduce the audience to the state-of-practice and use of UHPC in United States market, and discuss how this material is innovating the way we design and construct civil infrastructure. Although much the webinar will focus on bridge engineering applications, the general concepts are applicable to most types of civil structures. The presentation will include: a review of the basic properties of UHPC-class materials; a discussion of the current deployments in the US bridge market for accelerated bridge construction (ABC) and bridge preservation; and a discussion of high-profile FHWA initiatives that are focused on advancing UHPC's state-of-practice in the United States.
Bio
Dr. Zach Haber is a research structural engineer on FHWA's Bridge Engineering Research Team at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) in McLean, Virginia, USA. Dr. Haber's research areas include prefabricated bridge systems and applications of innovative materials in bridge engineering. He provides technical assistance and outreach to bridge owners, designers, and consultants interested in developing or deploying innovative bridge engineering solutions. Dr. Haber also supports the Bridge Engineering Research Group's involvement in high-profile FHWA initiatives such as Every Day Counts (EDC) and forensic investigations of bridge failures in the U.S. He is involved with numerous ACI technical committees, serves as a reviewer for multiple peer-reviewed engineering journals, and has served as an adjunct professor at George Mason University and the University of Central Florida. Dr. Haber received his BSCE and MSCE from the University of Central Florida, and his Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Reno.
|
|
Environmental & Water Resources Institute
|
On September 17th, ASCE EWRI held a successful technical webinar on seagrass mapping along Florida's west coast and its relationship to estuarine health, presented by Dr. Chris Anastasiou from SWFWMD. This event brought a collaborative audience of engineers and scientists who are interested in the latest trends and impacts to our state's seagrasses.
|
Upcoming Events:
November 19th - Harmful Algal Bloom Remediation Using the Lake Guard® Technology, presented by Moshe Harel, Ph.D., and Waleed Nasser, Ph.D., from Blue Green Water Technologies
January 21st - Innovative Approach for Lake Apopka Nutrient Removal, presented by Donald Luke from Phosphorous Free Water Solutions, and Marc Van Heden, P.E., from SJRWMD.
|
|
Thank you everyone for your continued support and service to the ASCE YMF Branch. From our live interviews, online luncheons, mentorship programs, and to some of our fun events such as ASCE Draft football & Virtual 5k's I would say that despite the crazy times, we still have a lot of fun as a community together! I want to thank all of the East Central Branch ASCE YMF Board and student chapters UCF & ERAU (yes all 14 of them) who have been working hard to keep us entertained during this changing times.
Please join me in congratulating Catherine Felter as our incoming ASCE YMF President 2020-2021. As you may have already known her, she had been our ASCE star from the start, she had served in multiple roles at the ASCE YMF & ASCE UCF Student chapter. I look forward to seeing her leadership in the future!
Last month activities
Last month we had a wonderful socially distanced scavenger hunt! The goal was to learn the different roles of the ASCE YMF officers. And YES, we're keeping it 1 GATOR away from each other ��.
Here's all the school supplies we donated to the local school Chapter! Thank you everyone for coming!
Here's a snapshot of our last Officer Board meeting 2019-2020. Thank you everyone for your contribution!
Lastly, the ASCE YMF & UCF & ERAU, is planning on doing a 3 minute video contest to show how we are doing during the pandemic. If you have some video, camera, or excellent photography skills, please join us and show the world how we are still going strong as a community even during this hard times! Winner of the contest will have their video uploaded live on the ASCE HQ channel & a total of $5,000 dollar to the team!
|
October Update
With the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester, we hosted our first general body meeting with our guest speakers from the Younger Member forum and our second general body meeting with our recent graduates to talk about what they do now after graduation and how to make connections in school. Both William and Jignesh gave a very good presentation about their experience with ASCE and how it made an impact on their career today! 
Our board of officers continues to host bi-weekly meetings to plan and engage in discussion to make sure all issues are addressed and resolved in a timely manner.
To encourage both teamwork and communication among our members, we decided to host two social events: Virtual Game Night and Virtual Movie Night which was really fun since our members and officers were not only get to know each other but also strengthening the connection between members so there isn't a big gap among us.
This past Friday, our members got a chance to volunteer at the Eagle Creeks Golf Tournament, where we got a chance to meet new people and talked with some professionals in the industry!
|
Sincerely, | |
Khanh Olka, E.I.T.
Communications Chair
East Central Branch
Florida Section
asce-ecb@outlook.com
|
|
|
|
|
