Greetings!
Happy (belated) E-Week to all of our Branch engineers, and aspiring engineers! I hope you were able to participate in a few engineering celebrations last month. I would like to congratulate our very own East Central Branch award winners, which were presented at the E-Week Banquet on February 26th:
- Engineer of the Year: Catherine Felter, PE, ENV SP
- Member of the Year: Steve Sommerfeldt, PE, CFM
- Technical Contributor of the Year: Donna Friis, PE
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(Picture) From the left: Catherine Felter, Donna Friis, and Steve Sommerfeldt
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Please be sure to congratulate these exemplary engineers next time you run into them!
I would also like to congratulate our Structural Engineering Institute for its recent recognition as 2022 Chapter of the Year from the Society!
Our student members are working diligently towards the 2022 ASCE Southeast Student Conference, to be held at the end of March. Good luck to all of our students, I look forward to announcing the awards you bring home from Tallahassee.
Clearly, our Branch continues to work hard and the effort is frequently recognized. Do you know any individuals that go above and beyond to further the profession? Be sure to see details below to nominate them for our Annual Branch Awards.
A complete listing of upcoming events can be found in the newsletter below, I hope you find something that meets your interests and is able to participate!
Cheers,
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Melissa Burns, PE
ASCE East Central Branch President
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This issue
- Annual Branch Award
- Icebreaker
- E-Week
- Education Committee
- Environmental & Water Resources Institure
- Transportation & Development Institute
- Sustainability Committee
- Structural Engineering Institute
- Younger Member Forum
- Student Chapter Activities
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ANNUAL BRANCH AWARD NOMINATIONS
Know a fellow ASCE Member in Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, or Volusia County that is consistently going above and beyond, or an impressive project everyone needs to know about? Great! Because ECB is currently accepting nominations for the Annual Branch Awards as listed below.
- Engineer of the Year Award
- Young Engineer of the Year Award
- Government Engineer of the Year Award
- Project of the Year Award
All nominations need to be received by April 15th, 2022.
After April 15th, ECB’s official nominations will be selected, and the formal application process will be initiated with the selected nominees.
All Branch award winners will be submitted as nominees to the Florida Section’s Annual Awards to be presented at the Florida Sections ASCE’s Annual Conference in July 2022, as well as recognized at the East Central Branch Officer Installation Luncheon in September 2022.
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E-Week 2022 was a successful collaboration between ASCE, SWE, SHPE, NSBE, and WTS. A variety of events were held by the organizations which included a Dream Big viewing and panel discussion with panelist Gail Woods (WTS) and Juan Valenzuela (ASCE).
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The event culminated with a joint awards ceremony with members from ASCE, SWE, and NSBE being recognized by their respective organizations for their efforts. Please congratulate ASCE awardee Member of the Year Steve Sommerfeldt, Technical Contribution Donna Friis, and Engineer of the Year Catherine Felter.
Steve Sommerfeldt: Member of the Year
Steve has been a member of ASCE since his senior year at UCF. Steve has served in all officer positions within the local Environmental Water Resources Institute and the East Central Branch. Under his leadership, the ECB received Large Branch of the Year from the Florida Section. Last year, Steve started the Sustainability Committee where he serves as the Chair. In addition, Steve also is serving as the Florida Section’s District 3 Vice President. Steve is also an Associate Principal with Inwood Consulting Engineers, Inc. where he leads their water resources group. He has been responsible for the company sponsoring the UCF ASCE Student Chapter since 2016 through monetary donations and several on-campus presentations. Steve also frequently volunteers with his wife and three children at local outreach and service events hosted by ASCE and other engineering societies.
Donna Friis: Technical Contributor of the Year
Donna Friis is a Principal Consultant with the Construction Practice of Envista Forensics. She has over 25 years of experience in structural engineering design and forensics. She has served on the local chapter of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE. At the national level, she has served on the SEI Local Activities Division Executive Committee, SEI Membership Committee, SEI Leadership Development Committee, SEI Fellow Review Committee, and served on the Board of Governors. In the technical capacity, she currently serves as the ASCE Florida Section – Technical Activities Chair. Donna also serves on the following ASCE national committee: ASCE 7 Wind Subcommittee, ASCE 7 Main Committee, and the Committee on Forensics Investigations.
Catherine Felter: Engineer of the Year
Catherine Felter has been involved with the ASCE East Central Branch as a member of the Younger Member Forum since 2017. Over the years she has been the community service chair, vice president, and president of the Younger Member Forum as well as the Icebreaker chairperson. In the past five years, Catherine has led many community service and scholarship events. Her connections with individuals and companies have helped her raise over $100,000 in sponsorship contributions for the chapter which continues to provide scholarships and education events at all levels of the ASCE organization.
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EDUCATION COMMITTEE
(K-12 OUTREACH)
If you would like to continue our success of inspiring and educating local students through sharing your excitement of being an engineer, please consider the following opportunities:
Engineers in the classroom
Seminole County Science Fair ASCE Award Recipients
Members of the East Central Branch judged science fair projects from Seminole County. The students listed below were selected for special awards from ASCE ECB, SEI, & EWRI.
- Avalon McNay – “How to Increase Efficient of Wax Worm’s Biodegradation”
- Ryan Bauer – “Materials: Natural Vs. Artificial Which will be hotter and which will be cooler”
- Moitri Santra – “Innovative Engineering Tools for Controlling Harmful Algal Blooms”
- Gargi Paranjape – “Water Sustainability Through Reclaimed Water Usage”
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67th State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida STEM Competition
Florida State Science Fair is looking for judges, please use the following link to register: https://ssefflorida.com/judging-3/ The event will be held on March 30, 2022, at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, FL.
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FIRST Robotics
Team 16290 Z.I.P Ties is a 3rd year FIRST Tech Challenge team supported by the ASCE East Central Branch. Our 11-member team is made up of 7th – 11th graders from 3 different schools based in Sanford, Florida. We follow our mission “Building Unity while Ziptying FIRST into our Community” in everything we do.
This season we set 3 goals for our team:
1. Spreading FIRST and STEM to the Community
2. Ensuring our team’s sustainability
3. Gaining new knowledge and using innovative technologies
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We are proud to share that we have reached our goals and became one of the top teams in our league to advance to the State Championship. We would like to share with you our accomplishments from State Championship tournament:
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1st place Motivate award
- Finalist Alliance award
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3rd place Compass award
- Dean’s List Award Finalist
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In order to give back to our community, we have participated in many Outreach activities. For example, we have conducted a virtual summer camp – ZIP Camp – for 9-12-year-olds, hosted ZIP Talks, a virtual FTC summit, exhibited our robot at Orlando Science Center’s Otronicon, presented & interacted with professionals at Florida Turnpike, founded Gateway to Science, a student-led STEM outreach club, started an FTC team in North Carolina, and mentored 4 other FTC teams.
We are very grateful to ASCE for its continued support and guidance through the last few years, without which we would not be able to sustain our team. We look forward to continuing our relationship with ASCE in our next season and beyond.
Thank You!
FTC Team 16290 Z.I.P Ties
Email: teamzipties@gmail.com
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdCgtCur0wTPhWaebK2id0Q/videos%2520Instagram%3A%2520%40ftc16290
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If you have any questions, or comments about K-12 Outreach or would like to join the committee, please contact Michael Olka molka@lakecountyfl.gov
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ENVIRONMENTAL & WATER RESOURCES INSTITUTE
EWRI Annual Extended Doubleheader Webinar
Friday, May 13th, and Friday, May 20th
Save the Date for the ASCE ECB EWRI Annual Extended Doubleheader Webinar to be held remotely on Friday, May 13th and Friday, May 20th from 12-3 with an in-person networking event to follow.
Registration link will be sent out via a separate email later in March.
Sponsorship opportunities are available.
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TRANSPORTATION & DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
District 5 Update
Date/Time
March 31, 2022, at 12:00 noon; Registration starts at 11:30 AM
Location
CFX Headquarters (4974 Orl Tower Road, Orlando, FL 32807)
Speaker
Jack Adkins – District 5 Director of Transportation Development
Be sure to take this opportunity to hear from the new D 5 Director of Transportation Development on his background, expectations, and philosophies as well as on recent trends in the district.
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SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
The Sustainability Committee’s core mission and function are to organize and facilitate outreach opportunities allowing the members of the East Central Branch to stay informed and promote sustainable engineering practices. Below are some upcoming events and interesting reads recommended by the committee.
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Upcoming Events
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March 24, 2022, noon-1 pm – Orange County Sustainability Advisory Board Meeting
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March 31, 2022, noon-1 pm - Concrete Ideas for Reducing Carbon Emissions webinar, hosted by SEI and Sustainability Committee – Register online
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ISI Envision Webinar Series – Free webinars hosted by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. Next webinar:
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March 30, 2022, 2-3 pm - Exploring the Nexus of NEPA, Sustainability, and Envision – Register for free online
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April 13, 2022, 2-3 pm - Envision Highlights Omaha River Front Innovation - A Credit Deep Dive – Register for free online
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If you would like to join the ECB Sustainability Committee, please reach out to our Committee Chair Steve Sommerfeldt. The committee typically meets (virtually) on the last Tuesday of the month during lunch to plan out future activities and ideas related to sustainability. We welcome any new and/or seasoned individuals interested.
Want to hear more? Join the Sustainability Committee mailing list today!
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STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING INSTITUTE
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It is with great pleasure that I inform you that The SEI East Central Florida Chapter has been selected to receive the 2022 Chapter of the Year Award in recognition for its exemplary activities and efforts to advance the structural engineering profession.
“The SEI East Central Florida Chapter, its officers, and members are commended for their dedication to advance and serve the structural engineering profession through successfully rejuvenating activities, events, and scholarships, including co-hosting webinars with the SEI Metropolitan NYC Chapter and the SEI Grad Student Chapter at the University of Central Florida. Plans for this year include collaboration on both in-person and virtual events with other entities of the East Central Branch such as the Florida Bridge Design Contest for local middle and high school students.”
Thank you, Michael, Jignesh, Anthony, and Khanh for all you do!
Sincerely,
Rocio Rodriguez, P.E.
Structural Engineering Institute Chair
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ASCE SEI and Sustainability Committee
Webinar: Concrete Ideas for Reducing Carbon Emissions
When
Thursday, March 31, 2022, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Speaker
Jim D'Aloisio is a Principal with Klepper, Hahn & Hyatt
Fee
$10.00
Credit: 1 PDH
Whatever their structural system, most buildings, and infrastructure projects utilize a significant amount of concrete in their construction. Concrete is a time-tested, reliable material that creates strong, durable, cost-effective structures, however, the manufacture of Portland cement used in concrete creates a large “bloom” of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. This presentation presents information about the specifics of carbon emissions from concrete and concrete masonry construction, including new GWP emissions data obtained from Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) of aggregated concrete mixes developed by the National Ready-Mix Concrete Association (NRMCA). We will then explore answers to the question, “How can we reduce our CO2 emissions from concrete and concrete masonry without compromising the performance of our structures?” We will look at several specific strategies, including:
- Alternatives to conventional foundations to reduce the concrete volume used
- Use of Supplementary Cementitious Materials to offset Portland cement in concrete and grout
- Alternatives to standard concrete slabs-on-grade that can reduce cement usage
- Use of Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) to reduce cement usage in superstructure walls
- Voided Slab Systems (VSS) to reduce the volume of concrete used in two-way slabs
- Options for alternative types of cement that have reduced CO2e footprints
Speaker Bio:
Jim D'Aloisio is a Principal with Klepper, Hahn & Hyatt, a structural engineering, landscape architecture, and building envelope services firm in East Syracuse, NY. He has over 30 years of experience as a consulting structural engineer, responsible for the design and assessment of new buildings, additions, and structural renovations. Jim is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Registered Professional Engineer (NY and MA), Certified by the Structural Engineering Certification Board (SECB), a LEED accredited professional (LEED AP), and an Urban Green Council-trained Crushing the Energy Code presenter. He is a member of the Order of the Engineer, through Syracuse University. He is a member of the ASCE StructuralEngineering Institute (SEI) Sustainability Committee and a member of ASCE’s Frost-Protected ShallowFoundation Committee. Climate Action Team. He is a former Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council'sNew York Upstate Chapter, and former USGBC national board member. He has written over 20 articles on the relationship between building structures and sustainability and has presented over 300 times.
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The SEI Standards Series debuted in 2021 as a 6-part sequence of educational, virtual sessions designed to showcase the six, unique, about-to-be-published SEI Standards that govern several niche markets. Now in 2022, the SEI Standards Series will preview ASCE 7-22 as a 5-part series that reviews the changes from ASCE 7-16. This unique program includes a dialogue between the leaders and experts who develop ASCE 7 and includes a detailed technical presentation on the specific changes and three main hazards - Seismic, Wind & Tornado, and Snow/Rain. In addition, information will be provided on the ASCE 7 Digital Products/Hazard Tool. Attendees will be encouraged to join the discussion for the extensive live Q&A portion of the session.
Schedule-At-A-Glance
- May 12, 2022: ASCE 7-22 Seismic
- June 9, 2022: ASCE 7-22 Wind & Tornado
- July 14, 2022: ASCE 7-22 Snow/Rain
- September 8, 2022: How & Why to Use ASCE 7-22 in Your Practice
PDH:
1.5 PDHs available per session
Join ASCE/SEI now to receive member rate and all SEI benefits
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SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDENTS TO ATTEND
ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION AND SUBSTATION STRUCTURES CONFERENCE
Deadline: April 25, 2022
The goal of this scholarship is to assist 15-20 full-time ASCE/SEI Civil Engineering Student Members (all levels B.S., M.S., Ph.D.) to develop and expand their professional opportunities and careers through the ETS Conference. The scholarship is made possible by the SEI Futures Fund.
The scholarship provides complimentary registration and travel assistance for selected student members to attend and actively participate at the ETS in-person conference.
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LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR SEI YOUNG MEMBERS
Deadline: March 31, 2022
Attention ASCE SEI Young Professional members (35 and younger)!!!!
The following committees need to fill their Secretary position and invite you to apply. SEI Committees provide great opportunities to gain valuable experience with expert leaders, advance and serve the profession.
SEI Board-level Committee on Resilience
Vision: Promote resilient design in buildings, bridges, and other structures.
Mission: Advance structural engineering professional practice by developing programs and resources to support engineering professionals working toward enhancing resilience.
Charge: To direct, oversee, and coordinate SEI’s efforts to enhance resilience for buildings, bridges, and other structures by preparing recommendations for the SEI Board of Governors and SEI Divisions, Committees, and Members.
Chair: Don Scott, P.E., F.SEI, F.ASCE
SEI Board-level Committee on Performance-Based Design
Purpose: To advance the structural engineering profession toward performance-based design through the development of guides, standards, and educational resources; advocacy; and other activities.
Chair: Don Dusenberry, P.E., F.SEI, F.ASCE
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CALL FOR PROJECTS
The Structural Engineering Institute is seeking submissions from fellow structural engineers about their past or present projects. The submission is to quickly discuss the project's highlights, uniqueness, and/or challenges the structural engineer encountered during the project. This will provide ASCE-ECB members and aspiring student engineers with insight into the current structural engineering practices, and provide an opportunity for local or regional structural engineers to showcase their work. The submittals must include the following:
- At least one photograph of the project location.
- A summary of the project setting and background, such as location, new construction/restoration, private/government, etc.
- A summary of the challenges and/or unique aspects of the project, such as new design technology or use of new construction material not typically used in similar designs.
The submittals shall be sent to Rocio Rodriguez at rocio_rodriguez2@hotmail.com in which we will review and prepare for presentation in a future ECB newsletter.
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CALL FOR OFFICER
SEI is looking for members who would like to serve as an Institute Officer beginning in September 2022. Interested members should send a message to Rocio Rodriguez at rocio_rodriguez2@hotmail.com.
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When
Saturday, March 19, 2022, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Where
Dr. James R. Smith Neighborhood Center
Come volunteer with ASCE-YMF East Central Branch for Keep Orlando Beautiful! They have hosted numerous community cleanups, implemented public space recycling bins, and created educational programs for the City of Orlando. This month we will be assisting with their community cleanup for Richmond Heights where we will focus on litter removal and beautification of the area! Everyone 14 and older are welcome to attend.
All supplies needed for the cleanup will be provided by Keep Orlando Beautiful and ASCE YMF will be providing volunteers with water and snacks!
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February Activities
This month we have continued to have many activities and opportunities for our members and have been focusing more on working on the competitions for the conference. This month we held two general body meetings with Scalar and PGA, they showed us their projects and told us what they do, then our members got to ask them questions and give them their resumes for potential internships. We also held two socials this month, for the first one we went paintballing, it was a lot of fun and it was the first time for many of our members, for our second social we held a field day, we played many outdoor activities and had a fun time with our members.
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We also held a field trip in collaboration with YMF, our members got a chance to visit and tour ADS and Finfrock, it was a very informative and interesting trip and it was a great way to see how what we are studying now is translated into real-life work. We also held a beach cleanup as a volunteering opportunity for our members.
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With the conference coming up in March, our teams have been starting to put in more work for their competitions. Our concrete canoe team made two more canoes, they got the opportunity to work with Titan America to make them. Titan America helped provide the materials and some tools to make the process easier, it was a great opportunity for our members to visit their site and see the type of work they do and how the whole process of making concrete works. Our steel bridge team has also been working on fabricating their bridge, with their competition coming sooner, they are almost complete with their project and getting ready to compete. Our other smaller competitions have also been prepared and many have already completed what they need to before the conference. Our members are very excited and can’t wait to show what they have been working on! March will be another great month of events and activities.
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The Embry-Riddle student chapter has had a very busy month of February. We have been working on different competitions for the Southeast Student Conference coming up in March. We had our concrete canoe pour day on February 21st. We also had a great time at the Annual Central Florida Field Trip on February 25th.
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Sincerely,
Khanh Olka
Communications Chair
ASCE East Central Branch
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