Lehigh Valley Section
Summer 2014
Volume 91, Issue 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS: President’s Corner ................. 1 New LVASCE President .......... 3 2014 PA Report Card ............. 4 May Dinner Meeting ............ 5 June Dinner Meeting ............. 6 Summer Picnic ....................... 7 SEILV Seminar ........................ 8 P.E. Review Course ................ 9 IronPigs Night ...................... 10 Younger Members Forum ... 12 Website Preview ................. 14 Name That Bridge ................ 15 LVASCE SPONSORS: Alfred Benesch & Company Hanover Engineering Associates Inc. Keystone Consulting Engineers Newton Engineering RETTEW Lehigh Valley Technical Associates Traffic Planning and Design, Inc. Pennoni Associates Inc. The Pidcock Company Maser Consulting Michael Baker Jr. Inc. McTish, Kunkel and Associates BASE Engineers Inc. Benchmark Civil Engr Services Barry Isett & Associates Cherry, Weber & Associates, P.C. Monarch Precast Concrete Corp. Ott Consulting Inc. Terraform Engineering, LLC Langan Borton‐Lawson McMahon Associates Inc. Upcoming Events
LVASCE’s Night with the
IronPigs
August 15, 2014
Annual Summer Picnic
September 18, 2014
ASCE Structural Dinner
Meeting
October 2014
Summer is Here!
President’s Corner
Fantastic news! Our recent election is done and I am pleased to announce
that we have a full board for 2014-2015. All positions are filled and we are
ready to move forward.
Let me first say thank you to all who have supported the Lehigh Valley Section
this past year including board members, committee members but most of all
our sponsors who made our newsletter come to life. I am proud to say that we
had 22 sponsors this past year. Wow!
Our year started off with traveling to a Wilkes Barre/Scranton Rail Riders
baseball game where we saw Derek Jeter rehabbing from an injury. A great
evening at a great location for members to get together. From there we were
off to our annual picnic which was held in September last year at beautiful
Monocacy Park under clear skies and a fantastic pavilion. Many thanks to the
folks who flipped burgers and rolled hot dogs. At least 20 members gathered
to enjoy the picnic.
It was during the autumn month of October that our Structural Committee in
conjunction with representatives from Alvin H. Butz hosted a tour of the PPL
Center / Phantoms Arena construction which featured the placement of the
overhead trusses. It was quite a site to see, especially with the tight working
spaces and how the arena fit into the city setting with the Dime Savings Bank
and other features. We look forward to attending a hockey game this year.
(Continued on Next Page)
Congratulations to the
2014-2015 ASCE Lehigh Valley Section Officers
President: Dion Campbell, P.E.
President Elect: Muhannad Suleiman, Ph.D
Vice President: John Caperilla, EIT
Past President: Scott Stenroos, P.E.
Treasurer: Chas Snyder, P.E.
Secretary: Joe McFadden
Secretary Elect: Dave Alban, EIT
Member Director: Tom Christopher, P.E.
Member Director: Michael Derr, P.E.
Associate Member Director/YMF President: Bethany Malusa, P.E.
Associate Member Director: Kyle John, EIT
Like us on Facebook (http://facebook.com/lvasce) or check out our website
(http://lvasce.org) to keep up with the section’s events!
Lehigh Valley Section ASCE
Page 2 of 16
Presidents
Corner (Continued)
Once again our Holiday Banquet was featured at the Fowler Blast Furnace Room at the Arts Quest Center in Steel
Stacks and was attended by more than 50 people. The World Trade Center Transportation Hub and Freedom Tower
Project was presented by Jim Durkin from the Tishman Turner Joint Venture and provided and in depth look at the
construction details and issues. The dinner featured our annual music by Cliff Cole and his hammered dulcimer.
Many students attended this event - which is encouraged by the Lehigh Valley Section. Student attendance and
participation in section activities is a great way for students to become future members and be active in the section.
Then the snow fell, and fell, and fell, and fell. We managed to hold the January dinner meeting despite the weather
and we learned about the Lehigh University Bridges 2 Prosperity program and the student’s upcoming trip to build a
bridge in the Cocle region of Panama in June 2014. Bill MacNair and Jake Schray gave a presentation on their
Engineers Without Borders experience which featured their work at the Centennial Secondary School in the village of
Mattru Jong in Sierra Leone. Our Engineers Without Borders friends are really active and doing a great job with
rebuilding infrastructure in that war torn area.
The Engineer’s Week Banquet was the highlight of the 2014 Engineer’s Week which ran from February 16 to February
22. The Lehigh Valley Section once again sponsored and participated in the Engineer’s Week Banquet held on
February 21, 2014 at the Holiday Inn Fogelsville. Mr. Clinton J. Andrews PhD, PE, AICP from Rutgers University
spoke on “Climate Change – Who’s Innovations are Working”. The event was well attended with over 100 persons
and featured the Engineer of the Year awards for PSPE and ASCE.
The March dinner meeting featured our joint meeting with ASHE to hear Mike Rebert present the “State of the District
Address”. The event was very interesting and informative and the snow was still falling. The weather broke and our
April dinner meeting was held at Lafayette College and included our student presentations from both Lafayette
College and Lehigh University and special student awards for Alex Azero from Lehigh University and Eric
Himmelwright from Lafayette College. Congratulations to Alex and Eric!
Corrosion Protection was the topic of our May dinner meeting held at the Comfort Suites, Allentown. While this topic
may not have sounded interesting, for those who missed this dinner meeting I am sorry to tell you that it turned out to
be a fantastic topic and one of the most educational and informative dinner meetings this year. Maurice DeLisle spoke
and presented case studies on different types of corrosion failures and how to identify the problem before it starts.
Lastly, our June dinner meeting was held at the Stroudsburg Waste Water Treatment Plant. The tour of the facility
followed the process from the point where sewage enters the facility to the point where the effluent leaves the facility
and enters the Brodhead Creek. Members of the Brodhead Creek Regional Authority supervised the construction of
the plant and currently operate the plant on a daily basis. The dinner meeting portion was held at the Stroudsmoor Inn
and included a presentation from Dave Reder on the construction of the facility from start to finish.
Another week went by and members of the Lehigh Valley Section held a press release for the 2014 Pennsylvania
Report Card on Infrastructure. The event was held at PennDOT District 5-0 and was attended by 40 persons.
Channel 69 News, the Morning Call and Express Times covered the event which was featured on Channel 69 News at
5:00 pm, 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm. The Pennsylvania Report Card focused on the facts that seven (7) grades of D are
not acceptable, modernizing our infrastructure drives our economy and that we need to maintain the current
momentum sparked by Act 89 for investment in the Commonwealth’s transportation system. More to follow in this
newsletter on the PA Report Card.
And lastly our website upgrade is under way and will be finished in time for our next dinner meeting announcement in
August. We have worked hard on planning for this upgrade and we are very excited to unveil the website to our
members. Our website will be the place that our members can rely upon to find out what is going in the Lehigh Valley
Section. Interactive features will work with calendars and other social media. We are very excited about this
opportunity to network with our members. Perhaps an App can be in store for the future.
As you can see the Lehigh Valley Section was busy this past year and we encourage and strive for our members to
get out and attend dinner meetings, join committees, and participate in Section activities. The Lehigh Valley Section is
your home for civil engineering activities, information and networking with other members.
Thanks for a great year !!!
J. Scott Stenroos, PE
Lehigh Valley Section ASCE
Page 3 of 16
Meet your new LVASCE President, Dion R. Campbell, P.E., M.ASCE!!
Born and raised in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Dion attended The University of
Dayton where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering Technology
in 1982. Following graduation he worked at the A-treat Beverage bottling plant on
Tilghman Street in Allentown for nine months before returning to Johnstown to
attend The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. He studied Civil Engineering
Technology at UPJ earning a Bachelor’s degree in December of 1984. In the spring
of 1985 he moved to Pittsburgh where, over the next five years, he worked at
several small to mid-sized engineering firms performing highway and bridge
construction inspections and bridge safety inspections and design.
In 1990 he changed fields of practice to work in environmental remediation at hazardous waste sites as a
design and construction quality control engineer. Over the course of the next 15-years he worked for OHM
Corporation, International Technology Corporation, Metcalf and Eddy, Inc., ICF-Kaiser and Shaw
Environmental and Infrastructure. The majority of the projects that he worked on were design-build
environmental remediation projects for private industries, the U. S. Army Corp of Engineers, the United
States Navy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and similar agencies. Those projects took him to 16
different states. He was often involved in all phases of the projects including bidding, design, construction
and writing the work and quality control plans. The last environmental remediation project that he worked on
was a seven year contract with the Army Corps of Engineers at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey where he
was project manager and lead designer for the remediation of seven sites on the base. In 2005 he again
changed fields of practice to take a job with RKR Hess Associates, Inc. (now RKR Hess, A division of
UTRS) in East Stroudsburg, PA. where he practices general civil engineering.
Dion was first licensed as a Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania in 1993. He is also licensed to practice
engineering in the states of Ohio (1996) and New Jersey (1998). He has been an active member of ASCE
since joining the Student Chapter at UPJ in 1984. While living in Pittsburgh he was active in the Pittsburgh
Section of ASCE servicing as vice president and then president of the YMF and three years on the board of
directors.
Dion lives in Henryville, Pa with his Boxer, Aine, and cat, Rory. In the winter he works part-time as an
accident investigator at Camelback Mountain Resort where he enjoys many days of skiing each season. He
is an active runner who participates in events throughout the Poconos and Lehigh Valley. He is also on the
organizing committee for several local road races and participates on The Orange Timing Team providing
free timing services to local road races that benefit charitable causes.
Lehigh Valley Section ASCE
Page 4 of 16
2014 Pennsylvania Report Card on Infrastructure
The 2014 Pennsylvania Report Card on Infrastructure was released at a press conference held at the
PennDOT District 5-0 office on June 25, 2014 and simultaneously across the state. Scott Stenroos and Bill
MacNair introduced and presented the report card and its findings. The report card was prepared by the
four Pennsylvania sections of the American society of Civil Engineers: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Central PA
and Lehigh Valley. Members of the four PA sections worked very hard over the past year to develop,
identify, and grade many aspects of Pennsylvania’s infrastructure.
The 2014 Pennsylvania Report Card contained seven (7) “D”s, six (6) “C”s and three (3) “B”s in the following
areas:
Wastewater
D-
Energy
C
Roads
D-
Levees
C-
Drinking Water
D
Schools
C-
Transit
D
Ports
C+
Bridges
D+
Solid Waste
C+
Inland Waterways
D+
Parks and Recreation
B-
Stormwater
D+
Hazardous Waste
B-
Dams
C-
Freight Rail
B
It is important to note that seven D’s are not acceptable and that modernizing our infrastructure drives our
economy. Safety is our #1 priority and our leaders must plan accordingly. Recently Act 89 provided much
needed transportation funding for Pennsylvania; however, there is work to be done. Kicking the can down
the road will only raise our costs to fix obvious infrastructure needs.
The press conference also feature invited speakers from Lehigh County Authority (Auriel Arndt), Lehigh
Valley Planning Commission (Joe Gurinko), LANta (Owen O’Neil) and PennDOT (Mike Rebert).
Many of us take infrastructure for granted in our daily lives – whether it’s an easy commute to work across
roads and bridges, clean drinking water and streams or reliable energy to power our homes and electronic
devices. Please take time to read the report card. The 2014 Pennsylvania Report Card can be found at
www.PAREPORTCARD.org and also at www.LVASCE.org
Lehigh Valley Section ASCE
Page 5 of 16
May
Dinner Meeting Recap
By: Dion Campbell, P.E., M.ASCE
The May meeting featured a presentation from Maurice
DeLisle, a corrosion expert from the Broomall, PA office
of UTRS, Inc. Approximately 25 members and students
attended the meeting at the Comfort Suites on Hamilton
Blvd in Allentown.
The corrosion control presentation for the LVASCE
section provided case studies for five corrosion failures.
Easy and cost effective fixes for these failures were
shared. Attendees received information regarding the
cost of corrosion nationwide to US infrastructure. In
addition, participants learned techniques to prevent
future corrosion failures.
Case studies presented addressed galvanic corrosion of
steel and copper piping, failures of 42” butterfly valves
due to bolt corrosion, failure of reservoir outlet piping due
to improper maintenance of cathodic protection, valve
failure due to improper cathodic protection installation,
failure of concrete columns due to improper construction
inspection, and failure of a 16 foot stainless steel tunnel
structure due to improper design failing to address
corrosion. Solutions for these situations followed all
case studies presented.
Pictured left to right: former LVASCE President Scott
Stenroos with UTRS’s Maurice DeLisle
Lehigh Valley Section ASCE
Page 6 of 16
June Dinner Meeting Recap
By: John Caperilla, EIT, A.M.ASCE
The June dinner meeting brought members up to the Poconos for an exclusive tour of the Stroudsburg Sewer Plant.
The plant, which serves the Borough of Stroudsburg, Stroud Township, Pocono Township, Hamilton Township and
Tobyhanna Township (Kalahari Resort), is managed by the Brodhead Creek Regional Authority (BCRA). Recently,
the BRCA completed $40 million dollars in upgrades to the plant. BRCA Superintendent Dave Reder along with
Chris Borger and Mark Hay provided a tour of the plant. According to Dave, “We are an advanced Waste Activated
Sludge process. Our Influent Equalization tanks provide an anoxic detention period, allowing for luxury phosphorous
uptake within the SBRs (Sequential Batch
Reactors). This produces some BNR sludges
(Biologic Nutrient Removal). Chemical
precipitation of nutrients is also accomplished
through the addition of aluminum sulfate (Alum),
both within the SBRs, as well as to the filtrate
discharges from our thickeners and belt presses.
The Supernatant stream passes through Tertiary
Cloth Filtration, removing suspended solids down
to 10 microns. This stream then passes through
UV Disinfection prior to stream discharge
(eliminating the prior usage of gas chlorine).
The sludge stream is thickened prior to its entry
into the new ATAD Digestion system
(Autothermal Thermophilic Aerobic Digestion).
The ATAD systems are represented as capable
of sludge volume reductions to 50%. The ATAD
system is also capable of producing a “Class A”
Biosolid per US EPA 503 regulations.”
Following the tour, members enjoyed dinner at
the Stroudsmoor Inn and a presentation by Dave
highlighting the construction project
improvements. In addition, elections were held
for the Officers and Directors for the 2014-2015
Season. Outgoing President Scott Stenroos
thanked the board for their efforts and hard work
in making it a successful year for ASCE Lehigh
Valley.
Pictured left to right: former LVASCE President Scott
Stenroos with BCRA’s Chris Borger and Dave Reder, and
LVASCE Secretary Joe McFadden.
Lehigh Valley Section ASCE
Page 7 of 16
American Society of Civil Engineers
Lehigh Valley Section
Invites you to the Annual Summer Picnic!
Monocacy Park
(Pavilion #1)
Illicks Mill Road
Bethlehem, PA 18017
Thursday, September 18, 2014
5:30pm till Dusk
LVASCE will be providing the food and drinks
Cost: FREE!
DIRECTIONS: Take RT 22 to RT 512 exit. Follow RT 512 South to Illicks Mill Road. Turn
Right onto Illicks Mill Road and in less than ¼ mile, Monocacy Park will be on the right,
parking on the left. Cross Illicks Mill Road to get from the parking lot to the park, and we will
be at the 1st Pavilion on the right.
RSVP: Please to let us know if you will be joining us no later than Monday, September 15th
by contacting Ben Guthrie by phone at 610-625-4242 or by email [email protected]
Lehigh Valley Section ASCE
Page 8 of 16
SEI Lehigh Valley Chapter/
SEI Lehigh University Graduate Student Chapter/
Fritz Engineering Research Society presents:
HALF-DAY STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING SEMINAR
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Where:
Lehigh University Mountaintop Campus
ATLSS Building – Room B-101
117 ATLSS Drive,
Bethlehem, PA
Cost:
$25.00 per attendee – Free for SEI and FERS Students.
SEMINAR SCHEDULE
11:45am to 12:15pm - Registration
12:15pm - Session 1: “WF Beam to HSS Column Moment Connections” presented by Kim Olson,
Technical Advisor to the HSS Committee of the Steel Tube Institute
1:15pm - Session 2: “Incorporating Security Design Into Transportation Facilities” presented by
Joseph Englot, P.E., M. ASCE, National Director of Infrastructure Security and Associate Vice President
HNTB Corporation, New York NY.
2:15pm to 3:00pm – Refreshment and Networking Break – sponsored by the Steel Tube Institute!
3:00pm - Session 3: “Field Measurements of PA Route 30 Wrights Ferry Bridge during Mega Move”
presented by Sougata Roy, PhD., M. ASCE, Principal Research Scientist with the ATLSS Engineering
Research Center at Lehigh
4:00pm - Session 4: “Erection of Steel Trusses at the Allentown Hockey Arena” presented by
James D. Pudleiner PE, LEED AP, M. ASCE and Mike Rohl, P.E., M. ASCE, of Alfred Benesch.& Co. Inc.
4 PDH’s will be awarded to eligible attendees of all four sessions
Please RSVP to Cheryl Rishcoff at [email protected] by Friday, August 8, 2014
Lehigh Valley Section ASCE
Page 9 of 16
ASCE to Host P.E. Review Course in the fall for PE Exam!
Are you scheduled for the October P.E. Exam? Do you have employees or co-workers preparing for the
exam? For the benefit of ASCE members and any others who are interested, the Lehigh Valley Section is
making arrangements to host ASCE’s live P .E. Civil Exam 12-Part Review Course right here in the Lehigh
Valley. In order to accommodate our members a minimum of 6 members must sign up.
Course Description
Earning your P.E. license is one of the most pivotal steps in your career – make sure you are well prepared
for this essential milestone by enrolling in an ASCE Review Course. This course is a series of 12 two-hour,
live webinars held over a six-week period, covering topics and material that have high probability of
appearing on the exam, according to your instructors’ experiential insight. You’ll benefit from immediate
feedback and assistance from your instructors during the live webinars, and supplement your learning with
on-demand recordings of the sessions.
Course Schedule
All Live Webinar sessions are scheduled for 3:00-5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and courses begin
August 5, 2014. If you are unable to attend a live session, don't worry, you'll have free access to an ondemand recording.
Registration
Normally this course costs $1,395; however, if a minimum of 6 members sign up through LVASCE, the
registration fee is only $450! This is a great way to prepare for the PE Exam. Please contact Jim Hendricks
at [email protected] or any board member if you have an interest in the upcoming fall sessions.
More information is available at www.ASCE.org by selecting the Continuing Education Tab under the
Knowledge & Learning heading. The Live PE Exam Review link is on the left margin.
Date
Sessions
8/5/14
8/7/14
8/12/14
8/14/14
8/19/14
8/21/14
8/26/14
8/28/14
9/2/14
9/4/14
9/9/14
9/11/14
Structural Analysis
Strength of Materials
Structural Design
Construction Materials
Geometric Design
Waste and Water Treatment
Hydraulics
Hydrology
Geomechanics
Foundation Engineering
Engineering Cost Analysis
Construction Scheduling and Estimating
Lehigh Valley Section ASCE
Page 10 of 16
Lehigh Valley Section ASCE
Page 11 of 16
ASCE Younger Members Forum Presents…
Lehigh Valley ASCE Inaugural Mini Golf Tournament
Date:
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Raindate: Thursday, August 21, 2014
Location:
Putt U
5201 Route 309 Center Valley, PA
Time:
6:00 pm
Price:
$5.50 per adult
$4.50 per child (ages 3-12)
Children under 3 are free.
Please RSVP by August 15, 2014 to [email protected]
All ASCE members, family & friends are welcome!
Lehigh Valley Section ASCE
Page 12 of 16
Younger Member Forum
Weyerbacher Brewery Tour
By: Chris Skrabak, EIT, A.M.ASCE
The Younger Members Forum took a tour of the locally owned Weyerbacher Brewery, located in Easton, PA. The
tour included up close access to the brewery’s mashing, boiling and cooling equipment and concluded with a
sampling! (…strictly for quality control purposes…)
As an added bonus, our tour coincided with the release of Weyerbacher’s Imperial Pumpkin Ale. A summer take
on what is normally an autumn beer, the ale was flavored with cloves and other spices to invoke the taste of
pumpkin pie. Gathering with beer enthusiasts from around the Lehigh Valley, our chapter was among the first to
try this tasty release!
YMF Events Schedule
Summer/Fall 2014
Putt-U Miniature Golf Outing
August 20, 2014
Annual Summer Picnic
September 18, 2014
Happy Hour
TBD
October 2014
The Younger Member Forum (YMF) seeks to engage
younger members of the Lehigh Valley Section of
ASCE with social events as well as opportunities for
professional development. Some of the regularly
hosted events include monthly happy hours and an
annual whitewater rafting trip. The YMF actively
engages with the universities in the Lehigh Valley in
order to continue to engage the students with the
professional world. Interested in learning more about
YMF?
Contact
Bethany
Malusa
at
[email protected]
Lehigh Valley Section ASCE
Page 13 of 16
Committees
Membership – John Caperilla ([email protected])
Nominating/Awards – Scott Stenroos ([email protected])
Lehigh Valley Engineering Council/Engineers Week Banquet – Scott Stenroos
([email protected])
Younger Member Forum – Bethany Malusa ([email protected])
Student Chapter Affairs – Bethany Malusa ([email protected])
Website – Ben Guthrie ([email protected])
Geotechnical – Phil Gauffreau ([email protected])
Continuing Education – Jim Hendricks ([email protected])
Legislative Affairs – Bill MacNair ([email protected])
Hospitality – Chas Snyder ([email protected])
Structures – Cheryl Rishcoff ([email protected])
Transportation – Tim Kramer ([email protected])
Environmental – Aaron Frantz ([email protected])
Newsletter – Joe McFadden ([email protected])
Program – Muhannad Suleiman ([email protected])
Lehigh Valley Section ASCE
Page 14 of 16
Here is a sneak peek at the New LVASCE Website!
Our sincere gratitude to all our sponsors throughout the 2013-2014 calendar year. Your
patronage enabled us to develop a modern website to better serve our members!! As a
way of thanks we will display your firm’s logo on our homepage for the remainder of 2014!
We are happy to announce that the sponsorship rates have not increased for the 20142015 calendar year and we now offer a tiered (gold and platinum) dinner meeting/event
sponsorship opportunity In addition to the standard firm recognition, platinum sponsors
will be introduced prior to the event and have the opportunity to give a brief speech.
Please look for the LVASCE sponsorship letter in the near future.
Lehigh Valley Section ASCE
Page 15 of 16
Name That Bridge
Hint: “Salmon River”
Please respond to Scott Stenroos at [email protected] with your guess!
Congratulations to Chris Skrabak for correctly naming the Thaddeus Kosciuszko Bridge from the
Spring Newsletter!
Summer 2014
Volume 91, Issue 1
Lehigh Valley Section
Other Advertisement Opportunities
with the Lehigh Valley Section
One-time ad in newsletter
$100 for business card size
$150 for double business card size
$250 for full page
Sponsor an LVASCE Meeting
Gold $200: Includes recognition in the
meeting announcement sent to entire
section; a PowerPoint slide, and option to
hang company banner and table for
advertising at the dinner.
Platinum $500: Includes Gold above plus
opportunity to give
introduction/presentation about your firm.
Contact Joe McFadden via email if you
are interested at
[email protected]
Be sure to keep your national
membership account up-to-date at
http://asce.org
Our email database comes from the
information you provide to ASCE
National, so UPDATE YOUR
ACCOUNT TODAY!