9/17/2013

TCHH Operating Guidelines

Adopted September17, 2013

These Operating Guidelines are adopted by the Technical Committee on Hydrology and Hydraulics(TCHH) to ensure proper and consistent operation of the Technical Committee’s activities. TCHH is a technical committee of the Subcommittee on Design (SCOD). They are supplemental to and intended to be fully consistent with the AASHTO and SCOD Articles of Incorporation, by-laws, and operating policies, the provisions of which, in the event of any conflict, shall prevail over the content hereof. These guidelines are subject to review and revision when necessary to meet the needs of the Technical Committee.

Objective

The objective of this technical committee is to provide a focal point and working group with expertise in hydrology and hydraulics to develop AASHTO guidelines and policies for drainage design of transportation facilities.

Technical Committee Membership

Membership on the TCHH is limited to the AASHTO Member Departments, which consist of the transportation departments of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Associate membership on the TCHH is open to Federal, state, local, and international government agencies with current membership in AASHTO. Associate members shall have all rights and privileges of membership except that they will serve ex officio without the right to vote.

TCHH Members shall be appointed by the SCOD Chair based on recommendations from the SCOD Regional Steering Committees. SCOD Subcommittee members shall submit nominees to the Regional Steering Committees for appointment based on their recognized expertise in hydrology and hydraulics. TCHH can indicate to SCOD the need for a specific type of technical expertise. Technical committee members do not need to be Subcommittee members. Technical committees should strive to be regionally balanced, since their members represent their respective regions.

Technical committee size is governed by the committee’s workload and may be increased, but the preferred committee size consists of four members per region. Technical committee may increase membership as proposed by the Technical Committee Chair and approved by vote by the Subcommittee. When membership within a technical committee is increased, voting equity between regions must be maintained. In 2012 SCOD voted to approve four additional TCHH members for a total of 20 members.

Attendance at meetings is crucial to the successful accomplishment of the technical committees’ work. If a technical committee member misses two or more consecutive meetings, the technical committee Chair may replace that member with a new member from the same region, following the procedures outlined above. Consideration should be given by the Chair to members under temporary travel restrictions and who have continued to participate in meetings remotely. Members that are not active and do not participate will be removed from the Technical Committee. Member responsibilities to remain active:

  • Attend at least one in-person meeting within 2 years of becoming a new member,
  • Attend at least one meeting a year, in person or remotely,
  • Keep your contact information up to date,
  • Respond to emails from Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary or AASHTO Liaison requesting:
  • information on member status or contact information,
  • Voting on publications, NCHRP research needs or TCHH business.
  • Indicating availability for meetings
  • Volunteer periodically to do work that supports the mission and activities of the group. This includes any of the following:
  • work on TCHH publications as chapter chair, chapter team or provide comments,
  • write articles for the TCHH newsletter or participate on the newsletter editorial board,
  • give presentations at TCHH meetings,
  • Host a TCHH meeting.
  • Develop research problem statements for to be considered by TCHH for submission to the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)
  • Perform assigned tasks in a timely manner.

Membership records for the Technical Committee are maintained by AASHTO Headquarters and the Technical Committee Secretary. Each member department should furnish contact information for their department personnel serving on AASHTO committees as soon as practicable after appointment and when any changes occur. This information is kept current on the AASHTO web site and is published annually in the AASHTO Reference Book.

Subcommittee Officers

The officers of the TCHH shall consist of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and an AASHTO Staff Liaison in an ex officio role.

The Chair position is a two-year term and is filled by the Vice-Chair. The chair is a non-voting position, only voting when there is a tie and a decision needs to be made. The Vice-Chair will be electedby the voting members of TCHH for a two-year term. Standard practice has been to select candidates by identifying the member who has participated the longest, has not yet served as chair and is willing and available to meet the responsibilities of the position. If the Vice-Chair is unable to become Chair or either position becomes vacant mid-term, TCHH voting members will elect a replacement. Chair and Vice-Chair positions are renewable for up to one additional term. Elected positions begin at the close of the meeting at which the election was held.

The Secretary shall be appointed by the Federal Highway Administration for a two-year term, renewable indefinitely. The AASHTO Staff Liaison shall be appointed by the AASHTO Executive Director for an indefinite term.

Duties of the Chair shall include:

  • Lead and provide direction to the TCHH
  • Schedule and Conduct the TCHH’s meetings
  • Select a Host state for in person meetings
  • Prepare and provide the annual work plan to the SCOD.
  • Track and arrange plaques and certificates of recognition
  • Encourage the development of design-related research problem statements for submission to the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)
  • Conduct balloting of draft publications produced by the Technical Committee before sending to SCOD.
  • Present TCHH report at SCOD meeting every 1 to 2 years or provide material for SCOD liaison or other designated representative to present.
  • Keep TCHH Operating Guidelines up to date.
  • Identify members to participate in Joint Committees, research panels and other activities. Where possible balance representatives regionally.

Duties of the Vice-Chair shall include:

  • In concert with the Chair, leading and providing direction to the TCHH
  • In case of a vacancy or absence of the Chair, serving as Chair of the TCHH
  • Responsible for managing and reporting on TCHH financial transactions and bank account balance.
  • Special work and projects as might be requested by the Chair

Duties of the Secretary shall include:

  • Taking and distributing minutes of the TCHH meetings
  • Maintaining a member contact list.
  • Special work and projects as might be requested by the Chair

Duties of the AASHTO Staff Liaison shall include:

  • Assisting with coordination between the Technical Committee and other AASHTO committees
  • Updating and enhancing the Subcommittee and technical committee web sites based on member input
  • Arrange teleconferences and Web-meeting call in
  • Arrange recognition plaques and certificates through AASHTO publishing
  • Special work and projects as might be requested by the Chair

SCOD Communication

Work Plan

Technical committees shall submit annual work plans to the SCOD for review and approval at least one month prior to the Subcommittee’s annual meeting. These work plans shall cover accomplishments of the past year, activities planned for the coming year, a five-year plan for developing and/or updating publications, and a summary of current and proposed research topics.

Reporting at SCOD Annual Meeting

If a technical committee does not have any members from the Subcommittee on Design, then the Subcommittee Chair shall appoint a Subcommittee liaison to that technical committee. This liaison will be responsible for providing a point of contact between the Subcommittee and the technical committee, as well as for reporting on technical committee activities at the Subcommittee’s annual meeting when the technical committee Chair is unable to attend. To facilitate coordination, the liaison may be appointed from the same state as the technical committee Chair.

TCHH Meetings

TCHH shall meet in person at least once, but not more than twice, per year to conduct their work. Total meeting duration for the technical committee shall be no more than 6 (six) days annually, not including travel time to and from the meeting(s), unless approved by the Subcommittee Chair. Interim meetings conducted through the use of conference calls, video conferencing, internet conferencing, or other electronic means are encouraged to reduce meeting-related travel and time away from the office.

The Technical Committee Chair should coordinate meeting dates through the AASHTO Staff Liaison to avoid meeting conflicts and to ensure posting on the AASHTO web site meeting calendar.

Host State

Members volunteer to host the TCHH meeting. States with travel restrictions or who have not hosted the meeting recently are encouraged to volunteer. The meeting location is chosen by the host but consideration should be given to accessibility by airline and cost, easy access to restaurants and other necessities and nearby sites of cultural interest. The host should present alternatives to TCHH members or executive committee prior to making final arrangements.

Facility requirements should have a meeting room large enough to comfortably seat the number of expected attendees plus 2-3 extras. Room should be set up in conference or U style. A screen and projector must be available, preferably at no cost to the technical committee.

The host should arrange a meeting room and sign contracts required for the meeting or related activities. Arrange for coffee/beverages and morning and afternoon snacks. Arrange hotel rooms with same cost for 1-2 people and if possible keep the cost within the federal reimbursement rate. Provide an information packet to the Chair at least one month before meeting to be sent out to members. Information packet should include hotel cost and reservation contacts, information on economical transportation from airport, and registration fee to cover costs.

An afternoon field trip may be considered and should be related to hydraulics or transportation. A group meal should be planned for at least one evening though the cost need not be included in the registration fee.

Finances

TCHH establishes and maintains a bank account for operating expensesand to assist the host state in making advance meeting arrangements and financing "up front" commitments. It is imperative that these funds not be deposited in interest earning accounts in the name of AASHTO, since AASHTO is a non-profit organization, and AASHTO staff cannot exercise any management control over such accounts. These accounts should be sustained at minimal levels but it is recommended to have at least sufficient funds to pay up front meeting costs and cancellation fees if needed.

The Vice-Chair will manage the bank account and provide a financial report at TCHH meetings.

Meeting fees will be set and collected to fully pay for meeting costs and maintain a minimum bank balance.

Publications

AASHTO Headquarters maintains and publishes a listing of all AASHTO publications, and has a review process to maintain the credibility of its publications. Each technical committee shall review the publications for which they are responsible and propose a five-year “Publication Update Plan” as part of their annual work plan to the Executive Council for review and coordination with the other technical committees. Each technical committee’s review should include recommendations for each publication to: retain it ”as is”; revise/update it (including a proposed update schedule); drop/archive it; or reassign it to a different committee as appropriate due to changes in committee responsibilities. TCHH will make revisions to schedules and/or publication responsibilities as needed to ensure the best and most logical production of technical guidance and standards for the Association.

Research assistance for developing or updating technical publications may be available through NCHRP Project 20-7, which is administered by the Standing Committee on Highways. These funds are very limited and are reserved for high-priority projects. When this appears to be an appropriate course of action, the Technical Committee Chair shall develop a research proposal for submission to the NCHRP 20-7 Chair.

Publications produced by the Subcommittee on Design or its technical committees may become official AASHTO guides through a balloting process consisting of approval by at least two-thirds of the membership of the appropriate technical committee, the Subcommittee on Design, the Standing Committee on Highways, and, where appropriate, the AASHTO Board of Directors. Comments received as part of this balloting process must be addressed and responded to by the developing committee before proceeding to the next stage of balloting.

Newsletter

A newsletter will be published up to two times a year. The newsletter editorial board will be made up of the AASHTO liaison and 3-4 TCHH members. The TCHH chapter chair will be kept informed of newsletter activities. The AASHTO liaison will maintain a newsletter distribution list, send out notification emails and post the newsletter on the TCHH web site.

Research

TCHH members will develop or review research needs statements for NCHRP projects. TCHH members will rank the proposed research statements and the top ranked statement(s) will be submitted to SCOD through the AASHTO Liaison. TCHH members are encouraged to submit their or co-worker names fornomination to NCHRP research panels. TCHH members who are serving on panels may be asked to report on research status at TCHH meetings.

Member Recognition

Upon resignation TCHH members and associated members who have been active should be recognized for their work on the technical committee.

  • To receive recognition the member must have attended at least one meeting and have been actively participating in TCHH for at least one year.
  • Letter of recognitionis presented to members who have been actively participating for at least one year.
  • Plaque is presented to members who have actively served for at least five years and have attended at least 7 meetings.

Plaques and certificates will be arranged by the TCHH Chair through the AASHTO liaison. Example wording for plaques and certificates:

THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON

HYDROLOGY AND HYDRAULICS

AWARDS TO

NAME OF RECIPIENT

IN RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION OF HIS

CONTRIBUTIONS AND SERVICE FROM

YEARSTARTED –YEAR ENDED

AND SERVED AS CHAIR FROM

YEARSTARTED –YEAR ENDED

TO THE

TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON HYDROLOGY AND

HYDRAULICS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON DESIGN

IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL GUIDANCE

ON HIGHWAY DRAINAGE DESIGN

Voting

When representation varies between regions, the voting method used will maintain equity between regions. For regions with either fewer or more than 4 members, votes will be pro-rated.

Amendments

Amendments to these operating guidelines may be proposed by any TCHH member and, if agreed to at any regular TCHH meeting by at least two-thirds of those present or by electronic ballot.

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