Speakers:
1)  Floyd Williams, PE, Project Manager, Duke University
2)  Damian Hamlin, DBIA, Project Executive / Associate Principal, Beck Architecture
3)  Carl Anderson, Senior Superintendent, Beck Group  

Date: Friday, April 15, 2016

Topic: Site Visit - Duke University Athletic Construction

Presentation: None.

Overview: The group toured the athletics projects at Duke University. These three projects include enhancements to Wallace Wade Stadium (the new Press Box Tower Construction), Cameron Indoor Stadium extension, and the Murray Building expansion (which supports "Olympic" sports). These projects include 164,000 SF of new construction and 9,000 SF of renovation. This site visit gave attendees the chance to hear about the construction projects, as well as interact with students from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Duke.

About the speakers/tour guides:

Floyd Williams, PE, Project Manager, Duke University - Floyd graduated from NC State University in 1979 with a BS in Civil Engineering. He spent 5 years as a construction engineer on the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant project, and another 5 years on large construction projects in Saudi Arabia with Fluor-Daniel Construction Company.   Floyd worked as a Project Manager for 15 years at UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University before coming to Duke University. While at NCSU and UNC he managed new building projects, renovations of several old buildings and upgrades to utility infrastructures. He has been at Duke University for 8 years, and has completed the renovation of three major projects, Smith Warehouse, East Campus Steam Plant, and West Campus Steam Plant. Floyd is now managing the design and construction of the Wallace Wade Stadium Upgrades, Scott Family Pavilion and Cameron Indoor Stadium Expansion projects for Duke Athletics.

Damian Hamlin, DBIA, Project Executive / Associate Principal, Beck Architecture - Originally from Silver Spring, Maryland, Damian graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor's of Architecture in 2001, spending the summer of 2000 as a construction management intern with Beck. His passion for both design and construction was a perfect fit for a career at Beck. Over the course of his fifteen years with Beck, he has contributed or led both third-party design, third-party construction and design-build projects. His projects have ranged from sports venues, retail, hospitality, federal government, higher education, religious and office space. Many of these projects were complex renovations. He is currently the Integrated Project Leader for the various projects Beck is completing for Duke including the Wallace Wade Stadium Upgrades, Scott Family Pavilion and Murray Renovation, Cameron Indoor Stadium Expansion and Blue Devil Plaza.

Carl Anderson, Senior Superintendent, Beck Group - After growing up in Fairfax, Virginia, Carl graduated from Auburn University in 1980 with a degree in Construction Management. His affinity for the construction industry was a family tradition. His father was a construction superintendent and his eight brothers were all somehow affiliated with the industry. With thirty-five years of experience in the industry, all with Beck, he has grown into one of Beck's most experienced Senior Superintendents. Much of the last ten years have been spent leading the field operations for construction projects on Duke's campus including the Nasher Museum of Art, Brooks Football Halftime House, Pascal Football Practice Facility, Basketball Practice Facility and Center for Academic Excellence, and the current portfolio of athletic precinct projects including the Wallace Wade Stadium Upgrades, Scott Family Pavilion and Murray Renovation, Cameron Indoor Stadium Expansion and Blue Devil Plaza

Speaker: JD Solomon, Vice President with CH2M

Date: Thursday, March 17, 2016

Topic: Clean Power, Clean Water, and NC Environmental Rules Re-Adoption: What Engineers Should Know and How They Can Help

Presentation: Not Available

Summary: Mr. Solomon discussed Clean Power, Clean Water, and NC Environmental Rules Re-Adoption: What Engineers Should Know and How They Can Help. The presentation touched on key issues at the Federal level like the litigation related to Waters of the United States and the proposed USEPA Clean Power Plan.

Speaker: Tom Caldwell with Atlas Engineering

Date: Thursday, February 18, 2016

Topic: Structural Investigation Following the Farmville Silo Fire

Presentation: Download PDF

Summary: In December of 2015, NC Emergency Management (NCEM) retained Atlas Engineers to assess a steel silo in Farmville, North Carolina.  The 120' silo held millions of pounds of sweet potato pellets that had caught fire five weeks prior, and had burned continuously despite all efforts and 2.5 million gallons of water.  NCEM and local officials were worried that the fire had structurally compromised the silo, which threatened a lane of Highway 264 and a large industrial plant.  The forensic/structural engineers had an interesting time accessing and assessing this large, compromised structure.  Tom Caldwell, Chief Engineer with Atlas Engineering, discussed his experience leading this investigation and structural evaluation.

Tom Caldwell is a Raleigh native who completed his undergraduate studies in civil engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, and subsequently earned his Masters degree at NCSU.  He is a structural engineer who specializes in investigating and designing the repairs for damaged buildings.  Tom has been a practicing engineer in Raleigh for 30 years and started Atlas Engineering 20 years ago.  He regularly deploys to disaster sites with government agencies and serves on collapse rescue teams, and is active with Engineers Without Borders.

Sponsor:  MBP

Speaker: David J. Evans, NC Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors

Date: Thursday, January 21, 2016

Topic: NCBELS Overview of Board Enforcement Efforts, Rules of Professional Conduct and CPC

Presentation: Download PDF 

Summary: The presentation provided an overview of the Board's enforcement efforts, Rules of Professional Conduct, and CPC.

David joined the staff of the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors in 1998. As the Board's Assistant Executive Director he supervises investigations of engineers, surveyors, and corporations as well as non-licensed practice. David also oversees business licensure and compliance, continuing professional competency, license renewals, and the Board's regular program of enforcement and education.

David previously conducted criminal investigations in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Investigator. He is a past Chairman of the Committee on Law Enforcement for the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. David has a B.A. in History and Social Science from Eastern Connecticut State University.

Speaker: Paul C. Worley, CPM, Rail Division Director, NCDOT

Date: Thursday, November 19, 2015

Topic: 2015 Comprehensive State Rail Plan

Presentation:  PDF

Summary: The presentation will discuss the 2015 Comprehensive State Rail Plan:

• Satisfies Federal Requirements of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA), and State Rail Plan Guidance (FRA, September 2013).
• Achieves desired outcomes & program effects of NC's vision for rail and transportation.
• Integrates the Governor McCrory's 25-Year Vision.
• Works with the Strategic Transportation Investments P3.0.
• Can be used as guide to develop partnerships and projects for next round of STI P4.0.

Paul Worley is Rail Division Director at NCDOT and leads a multi-faceted modal division that is key to North Carolina's transportation, economic development and job creation needs through providing customer services, building infrastructure, and improving safety. Duties of the Rail Division include state-supported passenger service operations and facilities, rail freight and passenger planning and project development, administration of rail freight and industrial access programs, rail-highway at-grade crossing safety improvements, safety oversight programs, and the design and construction of rail freight and passenger track projects to improve speed, capacity, and efficiency.

 
As director, Paul leads North Carolina's Piedmont Improvement Program - an ongoing, multi-million dollar series of projects making incremental track, facility and equipment improvements to enable higher speeds, improved safety, and additional capacity on the North Carolina Railroad between Raleigh and Charlotte. Serving on numerous national transportation and rail committees, Paul is a graduate of Campbell University and is going on 28 years of experience with NCDOT.

Sponsor:  Falcon Engineering

Speaker: Cyrus Parker, L.G., P.E., North Carolina Department of Transportation

Date: Thursday, October 15, 2015

Topic: Managing Contaminated Sites of Concern on Transportation Projects

Presentation:  Not available

Summary: The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s mission is to connect people and places in North Carolina safely and efficiently, with accountability and environmental sensitivity.   Planned transportation projects are often in the path of gas stations, dry cleaners, landfills and other sites of concern.  These sites pose potential hazards, expense and delays to the Department’s projects. The Department’s GeoEnvironmental Section is tasked with managing these sites during planning, design, construction and maintenance of transportation projects to ensure due diligence, tolerable risk, and appropriate waste management.  An overview of the lifecycle of transportation projects will be used to illustrate how these sites of concern are identified, communicated to the stakeholders, and addressed prior to and during construction. 
 
Speaker Bio
Cyrus is the GeoEnvironmental Supervisor for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.  He has over 18 years of geoenvironmental engineering experience in both the public and private sector.  He has a bachelor’s degree in Geology from North Carolina State University and is a Licensed Geologist and Professional Engineer.

Sponsor:  Duke University

Speaker: Mohammad Pour-Ghaz, Ph.D., North Carolina State University

Date: Thursday, August 20, 2015

Topic: Advanced Imaging Techniques for Structural Health Monitoring

Presentation: PDF 

Summary:  Dr. Pour-Ghaz discussed applications of an emerging imaging technology for monitoring civil infrastructure. He described the development of a large-area sensing-skin for damage detection in concrete structures. The developed sensing-skin consists of a thin layer of electrically conductive paint that is applied to the surface of the concrete. Cracking of the concrete structure results in the rupture of the sensing-skin, decreasing its electrical conductivity locally. The decrease in conductivity is detected with electrical impedance tomography (EIT) imaging. He then described the use of EIT for monitoring water ingress in concrete and compare the results of EIT with neutron radiography measurements. He demonstrated the potential of EIT imaging modality for nondestructive testing and structural health monitoring of concrete structures.

Mohammad Pour-Ghaz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University. Pour-Ghaz studies the durability of reinforced concrete materials and structures with the goal of better understanding the deterioration mechanisms and distress factors affecting the concrete infrastructure. His studies aim at developing mechanistic models for accurate service life prediction of concrete infrastructure and developing test methods for fundamental material characterization. Pour-Ghaz also performs research in the area of Nondestructive Testing (NDT) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). Specifically, he investigates the use of electrical, ultrasonic, acoustic, and hybrid imaging for monitoring damage development and moisture ingress in concrete.

Sponsor:  Kimley-Horn

Speaker: Jennifer Banks, VP of Operations, Southeastern Wind Coalition

Date: Thursday, July 16, 2015

Topic: Wind Energy in NC and the Southeast

Presentation: Unavailable

Summary: The presentation provided an update on the latest activities in both land-based and offshore wind in NC and the Southeast.  In addition, she discussed technology trends affecting the industry in our region and the policy and planning work being done to enable large-scale opportunities in the future.

Jennifer Banks has a depth of experience in efforts to advance the U.S. wind industry. In her role as the VP of Operations at the Southeastern Wind Coalition, Jen works to address barriers to wind energy development in the Southeast, advance stakeholder knowledge of wind energy and increase the wind industry's engagement in the region. Jen also oversees the activities of the Department of Energy funded Southeast Wind Energy Resource Center led by SEWC, which covers 11 Southeast states. Prior to joining the Coalition full time, Jen worked as the Wind Energy Project Manager at the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center and as the staff lead for offshore wind at the American Wind Energy Association.  
 
Jennifer holds a B.S. in Environmental Technology from North Carolina State University and a Master of City and Regional Planning degree, with an environmental planning focus, from Clemson University.

Sponsor:  Element Analytical, PLLC

Speaker: Alex Rutledge, PE, PG, and Gerald Robblee, PE, GE with Schnabel Engineering

Date: Thursday, June 18, 2015

Topic: The Rehabilitation of a 100-Year-Old Reservoir at Williams Water Treatment Plant, Durham, NC

Presentation: PDF

Summary:  The Williams Water Treatment Plant in Durham, NC was built in the early 1900s, and will undergo major renovations and upgrades over the next several years. One component of the plant that will be rehabilitated is the Terminal Reservoir, which is a 60 million gallon regulating reservoir and backwash basin for the water treatment plant. The slopes of the reservoir are lined with concrete that has been in service since original construction, and the concrete has severely deteriorated over the last 100 years. Schnabel Engineering of Greensboro, NC was retained by the City of Durham to evaluate alternatives for repair or replacement of the reservoir slope lining system, and to design the selected alternative.
 
Prior to construction of the new slope lining system, approximately 100,000 cubic yards of normally consolidated backwash sediment will be removed from the reservoir. Schnabel also evaluated alternatives for dredging the backwash sediment and prepare construction bid documents for the selected alternative. The primary dredging alternatives considered for this project were hydraulic dredging with a full reservoir and mechanical dredging after the reservoir is drained.

At this month's ASCE dinner meeting, Alex Rutledge, PE, PG, and Jerry Robblee, PE, GE, will present an overview of the alternatives analyses performed by Schnabel for the reservoir lining and the sediment removal portions of the project. They will also discuss the many constraints that affected alternatives selection and design, including plant operational constraints and coordination with other plant upgrade projects. Finally, the selected alternatives will be presented with the City's rationale for making their selection.
 
About the speakers:
 
Alex Rutledge, PE, PG, Schnabel Engineering, Greensboro, NC, ASCE Member
Alex Rutledge is a Senior Engineer and Geologist at Schnabel Engineering in Greensboro, NC. Mr. Rutledge has worked on over 50 dam projects including investigations, inspections, evaluations, rehabilitation designs, new dam designs, and construction phase services. His diverse background in geology, geophysics, and geotechnical engineering has allowed him to work on and manage many different aspects of dam projects, including geophysical, geologic, and geotechnical investigations; seepage modeling; rock and soil slope stability analyses; seismic and liquefaction evaluations; grouting and foundation improvement; earthwork; concrete and asphalt repairs; reservoir dredging; rock anchors; karst evaluations; seepage cutoff and controls; drain and filter design; and scour and erosion studies.
 
Mr. Rutledge received a BS in Geology from West Virginia University in 2002, a MS in Geophysics from the University of Kentucky in 2004, and a MS in Geotechnical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 2006. He is currently serving as the Chair of the Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists (AEG) - Carolinas Section, and on the national AEG Board of Directors and Governance Committee.
 
Gerald Robblee, PE, GE, Schnabel Engineering, Greensboro NC, ASCE Member
Mr. Robblee is a professional engineer with an emphasis in geotechnical engineering and has 27 years of experience in a wide range of dam and infrastructure projects. He is a registered Civil Engineer in six states, a registered Geotechnical Engineer in CA, and a FERC-approved Independent Consultant. He received both his MSCE and BSCE from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA. Mr. Robblee was responsible for the geotechnical investigations, evaluations, and design aspects of the Lake Townsend Dam Project in Greensboro, NC which was awarded the 2012 ASDSO Rehabilitation Project of the Year award. He is currently serving as Schnabel's Project Manager for the rehabilitation of Lower Longview Lake Dam in Raleigh, NC which is part of the City of Raleigh's Stormwater Utility's Lake Preservation Program. Mr. Robblee is also Schnabel's Project Manager for the proposed enlargement of the West Fork of Eno Reservoir owned by the Town of Hillsborough.

Sponsor:  Smith+Gardner

Speaker: Mr. Michael Marasa, Senior Engineer, Hayward Baker

Date: Thursday, May 21, 2015

Topic: Investigation and Repair of the Sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum

Presentation: PDF (Many of these images in the presentation have been copyrighted. Please do not reproduce any of the images or content without written permission.)

Summary: This one hour presentation discussed various aspects of the sinkhole collapse at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It gave due respect to the historical significance of the vehicles impacted by the collapse and includes bits of geology, history, engineering, anecdotes, photos, comedy, lore, and an infatuation with America's sports car.
 
At 5:38 am on the morning of February 12, 2014, security cameras recorded the collapse of the display floor and development of a sizeable sinkhole inside the museum.  Eight treasured and unique corvettes sank into the cavity. Within 24 hours, a team had been assembled to stabilize the area, assess the short term risk, evaluate procedures to safely remove the automobiles, and develop a plan for exploration and permanent repair.
 
Team members represented a wide range of professionals representing construction, engineering, surveying, geology, environmental consultants, academic experts, and state geotechnical and safety officials. Data acquisition included large diameter drilled holes, laser surveys, micro gravity study, physical cave exploration, borehole cameras, and literature research.
 
The team executed all of these aspects amidst worldwide attention and media chaos.  The team employed live webcams, hourly Facebook postings, and YouTube videos to show the world the progress as the project progressed.
 
Every aspect of study and repair entailed moderate to very high degrees of risk in all categories. The expertise and determination of the team conquered all of the obstacles in as timely a manner as possible attempting to maintain economical approaches whenever possible.
 
About the speaker:
Mr. Marasa is a graduate of the University of Louisville with advanced studies in the geosciences. He has been a practicing geotechnical engineer over 35 years and had registrations in multiple states. He joined Hayward Baker, Inc. in early 2005 as Senior Engineer and Regional Business Development Manager.
Other highlights:

Past-President ASCE Nashville Branch
Founder, Past Chairman and board member ASCE TN Section Geotechnical Group
Founder and board member Charlotte Geotechnical Group
Founder and board member Raleigh Geotechnical Group
Former Member ASCE National Committee on Construction Quality Management & Inspection
Member ASDSO, Geo-Institute, ABC, US Society on Dams, HBI Vibro Committee
Member ASFE/GBA Geotechnical Committee
Author of several technical papers

Sponsor:  Terracon

Speaker: Eldon Gath with Earth Consultants International in Santa Ana, California.  He's the 2014-2015 Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer in Engineering Geology

Date: Thursday, April 16, 2015

Topic:  Tectonic Geomorphic and Paleoseismic Investigations for the Panama Canal

Presentation: Not available

Summary:  The talk started with an overview of the Panama Canal and the Canal Expansion Project.  This talk then summarized five years of geological exploration in Panama to quantify the fault hazards to the Panama Canal and the Canal Expansion Project, using tectonic geomorphic mapping and analysis, paleoseismic trenching, and seismic hazard analysis. Faults that were investigated include the Gatún, Limón, Azota, Pedro Miguel, Miraflores, and Agua Blanca. The talk illustrated techniques of field reconnaissance, trench-site selection, 3-D trenching of strike slip faults, and how to assemble data into a seismic hazard model.

Speaker: Kyle Snyder, NextGen Air Transportation (NGAT) Program Director

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2015

Topic: Unmanned Aircraft Systems Use and Application to NCDOT

Presentation: Download

Summary: Not only is North Carolina "First in Flight", but we are also preparing to be "Next in Flight" with a statewide plan for integrating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).   This presentation will cover the current UAS integration activities in the state including NCDOT research with NC State, policy development, and future plans.  The NextGen Air Transportation Program at NC State (NGAT) has been flying UAS since 2013 under the FAA's Certificate of Authorization program and is working tightly with state government agencies to ensure the safety of the national airspace system.

About the speaker:
In 2012 Kyle returned home to North Carolina to lead the development of an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Ecosystem as part of an effort to transition the state to a modern air transportation system.   Through his experiences in industry, academia, government, and the non-profit sector, Kyle has developed a unique perspective and skill set for transitioning new aviation technologies from research laboratories and prototype phases into operational products. In the role as the NGAT Program Director, Kyle is reaching across North Carolina to connect researchers and educators with industry and government offices that are preparing for future aviation capabilities. Having seen the initial Space Shuttle launches from his backyard as kid, to standing on the flight line for a couple of the last SR-71 flights at NASA Dryden, to being a driving force in the domestic integration of UAS for civil and commercial operations, Kyle continues to be inspired by science of flight and seeks to share those moments with those around him (especially his wife and young son!).

Sponsor:  Schnabel

Speaker: Dave Charters, Triangle Transit

Date: Thursday, February 19, 2015

Topic: Orange Light Rail Line

Presentation: Download PDF, view the Alignment Map, view the 2014 Newsletter, view the 2015 Meeting Schedule, view the Fast Facts, and visit the project website at OurTransitFuture.com.

Summary: Dave Charters from Triangle Transit spoke about the design challenges behind the  proposed Durham-Orange Rail Line.

Sponsor:  Simpson & Associates

Speaker: Don Voelker, NCDOT

Date: Thursday, January 15, 2015

Topic: NCDOT’s Strategic Project Prioritization – Outcomes and Next Steps

Presentation: PDF

Summary:  Don is the Director of the Strategic Prioritization Office of Transportation (SPOT) for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).  He started his NCDOT career in January, 2008.   NCDOT created SPOT because the NCDOT needed a strategic planning process that is more transparent and holds NCDOT accountable to deliver projects, programs, services, and initiatives that improve performance. 

The outputs of prioritization are the inputs to the draft State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).  Currently, there are 3100 transportation projects in the database having over 90,0000 data points which are the responsibility of SPOT. 

Prior to January 2008, Don’s career spanned 34 years with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).   He served in multiple positions in various levels of the FHWA and completed his FHWA career as Assistant Division Administrator in the North Carolina Division

Don is a civil engineering graduate of the Catholic University of America.

Sponsor:  MBP

Speaker: Mr. Mark McIntire @ Duke Energy, Environmental and Energy Policy Affairs Director

Date: Thursday, November 20, 2014

Topic: A Fleet in Transition

Presentation: Forthcoming...

Summary: Mark is the Director of Environment and Energy Policy and Affairs for Duke Energy in North Carolina. He has nearly 20 years of environmental engineering and regulatory affairs experience that spans state government, consulting, and industry. He joined Progress Energy in April of 2012 as an air pollution control engineer and transitioned into his current role in May of 2013. Mark is a registered Professional Engineer, an American Academy Board Certified Environmental Engineer and a Certified Carbon Reduction Manager. A graduate of North Carolina State University, Mark lives in Raleigh with his wife and two children.

The presentation discussed:

• How to continue to provide reliable services to a populace that does not fully appreciate the value, and understand the complexities of the work we do?
• How do we continue to provide affordable electricity under the weight of emerging state and federal regulations, calls to adapt to a changing climate, and the need to react to emergent natural and human-induced threats?
• Can we innovate our way to the development and delivery of affordable, resilient electricity in a sustainable manner?
• We will explore the current state of electricity generation in North Carolina, the use of technology to meet environmental obligations, and the challenges of integrating renewables into the generation portfolio.

Sponsor:  Dewberry

Speaker: Dr. Tarek Aziz, NCSU

Date: Thursday, October 16, 2014

Topic: "Sustainable Anaerobic Co-Digestion in Wastewater Treatment"

Presentation: No presentation

image via NCSU.edu

Summary: Dr. Aziz is a faculty member in the NC State Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering. He is interested in the interface of environmental process engineering and energy. This includes topics such as the conversion of waste materials to fuel (anaerobic digestion, biofuels, waste incineration, gasification, etc), and sustainability considerations of these, and more traditional, processes. To help explore these research questions he makes use of experimentation, computational fluid dynamics, and life-cycle assessment tools.

About the Topic:  Anaerobic digestion at wastewater treatment facilities, if operated appropriately, can serve as a net energy producer. Despite this fact, as of 2011 the US EPA estimated that less than 10% of wastewater treatment facilities currently with anaerobic digesters utilized biogas for combined heat and power (CHP). Biogas production levels, infrastructure cost, and process stability are commonly cited as reasons why anaerobic digestion is not more widely used. 

One way to enhance biogas and generate revenue at these facilities is through tipping fees received for the co-digestion of high-strength, low-value waste streams. The aim of our research at NC State is to develop co-substrate loading approaches that can sustainably enhance biogas production and to elucidate the favorable microbial community shifts that enable those biogas enhancements.

This presentation will summarize some of the exciting advances our team has made in the sustainable co-digestion of GIW and discuss the techno-economic tool we are developing to explore the feasibility of infrastructure upgrades for further energy recovery from wastewater.

Sponsor:  Duke University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Speaker: Mr. David Evans, NCBELS

Date: Thursday, September 18, 2014

Topic: NCBELS

Presentation: Download

Summary:  David joined the staff of the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors in 1998.  As the Board's Assistant Executive Director, he supervises investigations of engineers, surveyors, corporations, and non-licensed practices.  David also oversees business licensure and compliance, continuing professional competency, license renewals, and the Board's regular program of enforcement and education.  
 
David previously conducted criminal investigations in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Investigator.  He is a past Chairman of the Committee on Law Enforcement for the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying.  David has a B.A. in History and Social Science from Eastern Connecticut State University.

Attendees will be engaged to test their knowledge and application of the Rules of Professional Conduct given various scenarios faced by Professional Engineers.  This will be followed by a discussion of common factors in violation cases as well ethical considerations in professional practice.

Speaker: Dr. Vikram Rao, Executive Director, Research Triangle Energy Consortium

Date: Thursday, August 21, 2014

Topic: Sustainable Energy for North Carolina

Presentation:  Download

Summary:  Two new sources of energy in North Carolina are shale gas and liquid fuels from woody biomass.  Sustainable development of shale gas will be facilitated by rules currently being formulated by the North Carolina Mining and Energy Commission.  We will discuss in particular the environmental risks and the measures to minimize these.  The controversial chemicals disclosure issue will also be examined.
 
North Carolina is one of the largest producers of woody biomass.  Much of this is a byproduct of logging.  Catalytic pyrolysis holds promise for the conversion of this material to liquid fuels.  Recent advances will be discussed and in particular the one ton per day pilot plant at RTI International.

via The News and Observer

Vikram Rao is Executive Director, Research Triangle Energy Consortium, www.rtec-rtp.org, a non-profit in energy founded by Duke University, North Carolina State University, RTI International and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Its mission is to illuminate national energy priorities, and those of the world by extension, and to catalyze research to address these priorities.
 
Dr. Rao advises the non-profit research institute RTI International, venture capitalist Energy Ventures AS, and firms BioLargo Inc., Global Energy Talent Ltd. and Integro Earth Fuels Inc. and serves on the Science Council of Royal Dutch Shell plc.  He retired as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Halliburton Company in 2008 and followed his wife to Chapel Hill, NC, where she is on the UNC faculty.  Later that year he took his current position.  He also serves on the North Carolina Mining and Energy Commission and chairs the Water and Waste Management Committee.

Dr. Rao’s book, Shale Gas: The Promise and the Peril was released in 2012 by RTI Press and can be found at www.rti.org/shalegasbook.  It is written for general audiences and is intended to inform on the heated debate on fracturing for shale gas. The Second Edition is slated for release in August, 2014.
 
Dr. Rao holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras in Chennai, India, along with a master’s degree and a doctorate in engineering from Stanford University.  He is the author of more than 50 publications and has been awarded 40 US patents and foreign analogs.

Speaker: Majed Al-Ghandour, PhD, PE, CPM, Assistant Branch Manager - Program Development at NCDOT

Date: Thursday, July 17, 2014

Topic: Using Earned Value Management (EVM) in Project Management

Presentation: Download

Summary: The Project Management Unit (PMU) is part of the Program Development Branch of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. PMU is responsible for the authorization of federal and state for various State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Projects which include Preliminary Engineering, Right-of-Way Acquisition, Utility Relocation, Construction, Mitigation and Landscape Development Phases. The PMU utilizes state of the art of the project management concepts that monitor and control the successful delivery of STIP Projects. Applying the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) standards enables us to track the life cycle through the Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring, Controlling and Closing Process. This presentation will quickly demonstrate how PMU uses PMBOK on STIP Projects and we can provide project performance measurement such as an Earned Value Management (EVM).

Majed received a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the North Carolina State University. Dr. Al-Ghandour currently serves as the Assistant Branch Manager with the Program Development Branch, NCDOT.  In this role, he oversees and directs program activities of the program management, the state and federal policies, and the projects funding (not limited to the latest  State Law House Bill 817- Strategic Transportation Investments) for all projects modes. His 20 years work experience with the department include the areas of transportation planning, regional transportation modeling, traffic forecasting, travel demand modeling, traffic studies analysis, and project management and scheduling. Dr. Al-Ghandour published 18 papers in published journal and conference proceedings and as an adjunct Professor teaches Information Technology.

Speaker: Mr. Mike Holder, NCDOT

Date: Thursday, June 19, 2014

Topic: NC Transportation Updates and the Future

Presentation: None

Summary: Chief Engineer of NCDOT, Mike Holder, oversees all 14 Transportation Divisions. Since 2000, Holder has been the Division Engineer for Division 12, which includes Gaston, Cleveland, Iredell, Alexander, Catawba, and Lincoln counties. He manages construction projects, maintenance, operations customer service for the division.

He discussed the current state of transportation in North Carolina and NCDOT's plan for the future.