BRANCH SECRETARY MONTHLY MEETING REPORT
TEXAS SECTION-ASCE
Please send to the Executive Secretary, Texas Section-ASCE, 1524 S. IH-35, Suite 180, Austin, Texas 78704, after each meeting. (Phone: 512-472-8905 Fax: 512-472-5641 E-Mail:)
ATTENDANCE
BRANCH: Fort Worth MeetingMembers:49
DATE OF MEETING:Monday, May 16, 2005Spouses: 4
LOCATION: RichlandHillsChurch of ChristGuests:
Fort Worth, TexasStudents: 0
PRESIDING: Ronda Visintainer, P.E.Total: 53
( X ) President ( ) Other
- Business Meeting Comments:
-Fort Worth Branch President Ronda Visintainer, PE opened the meeting with welcoming and introductory comments.
-Charles M. Jackson, P.E. gave the Invocation.
-Ronda recognized guests at each table in addition to our speaker. Guests included: Becky Eaton, Terra-Mar/U.S. Labs; Chris Pharr, Contech; Jonathan Shirk, C&B; and Brian Pierce, Halff & Associates.
-Son Ngo announced the upcoming HEC-RAS Short Course to be presentedon May 26 and 27 at UTA. Post cards have been sent to members and registration forms were available at the meeting. Further details of the course information will be located on the Fort Worth website. Son stated the class will be limited to the first 40 people to register.
-Jay Sappington stated the newly located ASCEState office is asking for Branches and members to send them engineering project photographs for the new office. Please consider what photo you may have for this prestigious setting.
-Chris Schnitger is coordinating the new officer slate for 2005-06 and was asking for volunteers to help on the nominating committee.
-Scott Berman gave a report on the Younger Members activities: May 19 there will be a Business Afterhours at Mulligans. The joint Fort Worth/Dallas Scholarship Golf tournament is coming up June 3 at Bear Creek Golf Course starting at 2:00 p.m.. Please sign up as soon as possible. Nominations for the Employer Recognition Award recognizing exemplary contribution and support to ASCE are due soon. The Younger members are planning summer activities like a picnic and a Ranger baseball game. They are still selling the tree grates as a fund raiser.
-Ronda announced that the next meeting would be the joint meeting of the Fort Worth and Dallas Branches. This year the meeting will be held Monday, June 14 at the Hilton Arlington Grand Ballroom, 2401 East Lancaster Blvd, Arlington. Cost of the meal will be approximately $25.00. Help FTW win the attendance trophy.
-John Wier, PE introduced the speaker, Mark Thomas. P.G.
- Program Highlights:
Speaker: Mark Thomas. P.G., Senior Engineering Geologist
Firm Name and Address: Fugro Consultants
Title of Presentation: "Current Technology in Tunneling Construction ”
Program Comments or Highlights: We thank Mark Thomas for stepping in for Mr. Kelly to make the presentation.
Mr. Thomas’ 19 years of experience were evident as he described the IH 635 tunnels that will connect IH 35 to Central Expressway. The tunnel will be nearly 2 miles long, 30 feet high and 60 feet wide, making it the longest and widest auto tunnel. At 100 feet deep, the tunnel will traverse the Austin Chalk and Eagle Fork formations.
Mr. Thomas described some the challenges such as keeping water out during construction and getting drainage water out of the permanent structure. Waste removal, fresh air, use of road cutters, reinforcement of the crown and walls during drilling and geological limitation were a few more challenges.
Mr. Thomas also discussed angle borings to be used at critical locations like the portals and fault lines. The micro-scanning used is a technology adopted from the petroleum industry.
A question/answer session followed Mr. Thomas’s presentation.
John presented a speaker’s gift of an ASCE T-shirt and baseball cap to Mr. Thomas.
Ronda announced that the June meeting will be onthe joint meeting of the Fort Worth and Dallas Branches. This year the meeting will be held Monday, June 14 at the Hilton Arlington Grand Ballroom, 2401 East Lancaster Blvd, Arlington
She requested attendees bus their trays. She then adjourned the meeting.
Submitted by: Roxanne L. Pillar – SecretaryE-Mail:
Phone: 817-335-3000, ext. 203Fax: 817-335-1025