ACADIANA • bATON ROUGE • NEW ORLEANS • SHREVEPORT · acadiana • baton rouge • new orleans...

FEATURE:

East Marsh Island Marsh

Creation Project

NEWS:

Louisiana Section Installation

& Awards Luncheon

Leadership Development for

Engineers

Louisiana Report Card on

Infrastructure

Journal of the Louisiana Section http://www.lasce.org

LOUISIANA CIVIL ENGINEER

NOVEMbER 2010VOLUME 19 • NO 1

ACADIANA • bATON ROUGE • NEW ORLEANS • SHREVEPORT

Patrick J. Landry, PE 2010-2011 ASCE LA Section President

2 LOUISIANA CIVIL ENGINEER – NOVEmbER 2010

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TAbLE OF CONTENTS

November 2010 • vol. 19 • No. 1

PUbLICATIoNS CommITTee:

Ronald L. Schumann, Jr., PE, Chair (504) 529-4533

Kurt m. Nixon, PE, Vice Chair

Luke E. Lebas, PE

Christopher P. Knotts, PE, D.WRE

Elizabeth Ann Wills, PE

Christopher L. Sanchez, PE

Nedra S. Davis, mA, Editor (225) 381-0093

PUbLISHer:

baton Rouge Printing, Inc., Port Allen, LA

Louisiana Civil Engineer quarterly journal is an official

publication of the Louisiana Section of the American

Society of Civil Engineers with an average circulation of

approximately 1900. The Section neither guarantees

the accuracy of the information provided nor necessarily

concurs with opinions expressed. It does not claim the

copyrights for the contents in this publication. Please

submit letters and articles for consideration to be pub-

lished by email to [email protected] or mail to

the Publications Committee c/o Nedra S. Davis • 622

Steele blvd. • baton Rouge, LA 70806-5742.

The Louisiana Section of the American Society of

Civil Engineers was founded in 1914 and has since

been in continuous operation. The Section consists

of the entire state of Louisiana and is divided into

four branches that directly serve over 2000 members.

They are the Acadiana Branch centered in Lafayette,

the Baton Rouge Branch, the New Orleans Branch,

and the Shreveport Branch.

Section roster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

President’s message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Louisiana report Card on Infrastructure and organization Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

east marsh Island marsh Creation Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Section News: Louisiana Section Installation & Awards Luncheon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

editorial: Who Knew? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Leadership Development for engineers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

branch News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Student Chapter News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

ASCe – T&DI Louisiana Chapter News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

ASCe – SeI New orleans Chapter News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Calendar of events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Professional Listings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Service & Suppliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 28

ASCe NATIoNAL CoNTACT INformATIoN: Phone: 1-800-548-ASCE e-mail: [email protected]


LoUISIANA SeCTIoN • AmerICAN SoCIeTY of CIvIL eNGINeerSLouisiana Engineering Center • 9643 brookline Avenue • baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809 • (225) 923-1662

The Louisiana Section is located in ASCE Region 5 that consists of the Louisiana, mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida Sections.

SeCTIoN boArD of DIreCTorS President Patrick J. Landry, PE LA Office of Coastal Protection & Restoration President-elect Ronald L. Schumann, Jr., PE AECOm vice President Kurt m. Nixon, PE Nixon Engineering Solutions, LLC Secretary-Treasurer Robert Jacobsen, PE Taylor Engineering Past President Christopher P. Knotts, PE, D.WRE LDNR Technology Assessment Division Directors-at-Large Christopher G. Humphreys, PE Professional Services Industries, Inc Kimberly Landry, EI City of Lafayette C. Eric Hudson, PE Alliance, Inc R.J. (Joey) Coco, Jr., mbA, PE Engensus, LLC branch Directors Shaun R. Simon, PE Eustis Engineering Services, LLC Adam m. Smith, PE Owen and White, Inc matthew D. Redmon, EI Professional Services Industries, Inc margaret (meg) Adams, PE mSA Technical Services Assigned branch Directors Luke E. Lebas, PE Shaw Group Christopher L. Sanchez, PE URS Corporation

SeCTIoN CommITTeeS CHAIrS Transportation and Development Institute Karen Holden, PE Providence Website Kurt m. Nixon, PE Nixon Engineering Solutions, LLC Publications Ronald L. Schumann, Jr., PE AECOm Diversity barbara Featherston, PE City of Shreveport Nominations Christopher P. Knotts, PE, D.WRE LDNR Technology Assessement Division Student Activities & Awards Jerome m. (Jerry) Kleir, PE GEC, Inc Special Activities & Awards Kurt m. Nixon, PE Nixon Engineering Solutions, LLC membership Pamela Gonzales, PE HDR, Inc Louisiana report Card Kam movassaghi, PhD, PE C.H. Fenstermaker & Associates, Inc R.J. (Joey) Coco, Jr., mbA, PE Engensus, LLC

brANCH offICerSAcadiana branch President Shaun R. Simon, PE Eustis Engineering Services, LLC President-elect Luke Hebert, PE C.H. Fenstermaker & Associates, Inc Treasurer Randel badeaux, PE WHC Incorporated Contractors Secretary Eric T. mcClanahan, PE Eustis Engineering Services, LLC Past President Joshua P. Stutes, PE Louisiana DOTDbaton rouge branch President Adam m. Smith, PE Owen and White, Inc President-elect Clinton S. Willson, PhD, PE Louisiana State University vice President Rudolph A. Simoneaux, III, PE LA Office of Coastal Protection & Restoration Secretary-Treasurer R.J. (Joey) Coco, Jr., mbA, PE Engensus, LLC Past President Jeffrey L. Duplantis, PE mWH Global Director - Programs Jason manning, PE Ardaman & Associates, Inc Director of education & LSU Practitioner Advisor Samuel D. Amoroso, PE Engensus, LLC Younger member Committee Chair Danielle R. Welborn, EI Abmb Engineers, Inc Practitioner Advisor Alison Ford, PE, SU EbR DPW membership Chair Kirk Lowrey, PE HNTbNew orleans branch President margaret S. (meg) Adams, PE mSA Technical Services President-elect malay Ghose Hajra, PE Professional Services Industries, Inc vice President James R. martin, PhD, PE GEC, Inc Treasurer Steve Johns, PE Waldemar Nelson Secretary Lee Alexander, PE Alexander Engineering Director at Large benjamin m. (ben) Cody, PE Eustis Engineering Services, LLC Director at Large Reid L. Dennis, PE Sewerage & Water board of New Orleans

Director at Large Nathan J. Junius, PE, PLS Linfield, Hunter and Junius, Inc Past President benjamin m. (ben) Cody, PE Eustis Engineering Services, LLCShreveport branch President matthew D. Redmon, EI Professional Services Industries, Inc President-elect Scott Hughes, PE Alliance, Inc vice-President Dave Rambaran, PE building and Earth Sciences, Inc Secretary/Treasurer Patrick Furlong, PE balar Associates, Inc Past President & LA Tech Practitioner Advisor J. Daniel Thompson, EI Aillet, Fenner, Jolly and mcClelland

brANCH TeCHNICAL CommITTee CHAIrS New orleans SeI Chapter Pawan Gupta, PE URS Corporation

STUDeNT CHAPTerS Presidents/Faculty Advisors La.Tech Eric Vueleman Rob mcKim, PhD, PE LSU melissa Young Ayman Okeil, PhD, PE mcNeese Jada O’blanc Janardanan (Jay) O. Uppot, PE Southern Hak-cul Shin, PhD ULL Alison Lognion Chris Carroll, PhD, EI UNo Donald Jerolleman Gianna m. Cothern, PE

reGIoN 5 boArD of GoverNorS Director Norma Jean mattei, PhD, PE Louisiana Governor E.R. DesOrmeaux, PE

JoUrNAL eDITor Nedra S. Davis, mA PbS&J / Atkins


President’s messageBy Patrick J. Landry, PE

Itisanhonorandprivilegetoserveasthe2010-2011PresidentoftheLouisianaSectionofASCE. I lookforwardtoworkingwithanoutstandinggroupofmenandwomenwhohaveagreedtoservewithmeasofficersandboardmembersoftheSection.Iamhon-ored to follow E. Ray DesOrmeaux, PE, Ali Mustapha, PE andChristopherKnotts,PE,DWREwhoservedadmirablyasLouisianaSectionPresidentsprecedingmyterm.AsaPastPresidentoftheAcadianaBranch,IamalsoproudtofollowinthefootstepsoffiveAcadianaBranchPresidentswhohaveservedasLouisianaSectionPresident. All five individuals are highly respected leaders in theAcadianaengineeringcommunity.ThoseformerSectionPresidentsare: PaulMiers, PE (1991),Dr. KamMovassaghi, PE (1993),MarkDubroc,PE(1997),ToddVincent,PE(1998)andE.RayDesOrmeaux,PE(2008).

On September 17, 2010, theAcadiana Branch hosted the annualSectionOfficers InstallationBanquetandSectionAwardsProgramat A La Carte Restaurant in Lafayette. Approximately 65 peopleattendedthebanquetwhichannuallyhonorssomeoftheoutstand-ingcivilengineersacrossthestate.Inthelastfewyears,theSectionhasmadeanextraefforttoseekoutandidentifythemostdeserv-ingawardrecipientsandhonorthemattheannualbanquet.Civilengineersare,forthemostpart,aconservativegroupofindividualswhotendtoavoidthespotlight,ifatallpossible.Thisawardscer-emony is the Section’swayof saying “Thank you” for all of theireffortsthroughouttheyears.ManythanksareextendedtoSectionAwardsChairmanRonaldSchumannforpresentingtheawardsandtothebranchesfornominatinganoutstandingslateofcandidates.LookformoreinformationabouttheinstallationofofficersandtheSectionawardrecipientsonpages12-15.

The Louisiana Section has always prided itself in publishing theLouisiana Civil Engineer Journal, a quarterly publication that hasgarneredseveralnationalawards.Infact,sinceASCENationalinsti-tutedtheNationalOutstandingNewsletterAwardforlargesectionsandbranches,ourSectionhaswonsixtimes inthefourteenyearhistoryoftheaward.TheonlyothermultipleyearawardwinnersweretheTexasandSanDiegoSections,bothhavingwontheawardtwice.TheLouisianaSectionwontheawardin2001,2002,2005,2006, 2008 and 2009 and is once again nominated for the 2010award.Aslastyear’sPublicationChairman,Ihadtheopportunitytoworkwithoureditor,Ms.NedraDavis,whoisbeginningherthirdyearwith theSection,andamproud to report thatsize-wise,wepublishedthelargestcollectionofjournalsintheSection’shistory.Threeofthejournalsfeaturedsomeofthelargest,mostcostlyandhighlytechnicalcivilengineeringprojectsinourstate’srichhistory.OurFebruaryissuefeaturedtheJohnJamesAudubonBridge,whichwillbethelongestcablestayspanintheUnitedStatesoncecom-pleted in2011. Thewideningof theHueyP.LongBridge inNewOrleanswasfeaturedinourMayissueandhasbeennominatedforaNational Historic Landmark designation. Our August issue fea-

tured the constructionof the Inner HarborNavigation Canal SurgeBarrier,oneofthelarg-est hurricane protec-tion projects ever con-structed in the NewOrleans area. Look formore interesting arti-clesthisyearasRonaldSchumanntakesoverasPublicationChairman.

The Section’s website, which can be located at www.lasce.org,underwent significant upgrades over the last two years and isanother source of valuable information formembers. Kurt Nixonwill be thewebsite chairman for the upcoming year andwill bemakingperiodicupdates.

Themajoremphasisofouradministrationwillbethedevelopmentof the Louisiana Section Report Card. ASCE National released anational report card in 1988 and another in 2005 which gradedsignificantinfrastructurecategoriesacrossthecountry.Thereportcardwasupdatedin2009andthusfar,over30statesectionsandbrancheshaveproducedtheirownreportcards.During thesum-mer, the Louisiana Section initiated discussion to begin prepara-tionsforourreportcardtobepublishedsometimeinthelatesum-merorearlyfallof2011.Todate,overfortycivilengineersacrossourstatehavevolunteeredtobeapartofthishugeendeavorwhichwill produce grades in nine infrastructure categories. The goal ofthisprojectistoincreasepublicawarenessofthecriticalneedsofourstate’sinfrastructureandtoprovideguidancetolocalandstatepolicymakersregardingfundingpriorities.Thereportcardeffortisbeing led by our ExecutiveDirector,Dr. KamMovassaghi, PE andDeputyDirector,Mr.JoeyCoco,PE.FormoreinformationregardingtheLouisianaSectionReportCard,seepage6.

The annual Spring Conference will be hosted by the AcadianaBranchonApril14-15,2011attheCajundomeConventionCenterinLafayette.ASCENationalPresidentKathyCaldwell,PEhasagreedtobethekeynotespeaker.More informationregardingtheeventwillbeforthcoming.

Inclosing,Iamexcitedabouttheimportantanduniquechallengesthe Louisiana Sectionhas undertaken for theupcoming year.Wewill strive to update you on the progress of the report card andcontinue to inform our membership through the Louisiana CivilEngineerJournalandourwebsite.Ifyouhavecommentsorsugges-tionsonhowtheSectionBoardcanbetter serveyou,please feelfreetocontactanyboardmember.

Patrick J. Landry, PE


TheLouisianaSectionofASCEismovingforwardtojoinonly22otherstatesthathavepublishedinfrastructure report cards. The report cardis intended to raise the public’s awarenesson Louisiana’s infrastructure. The LouisianaReport Card Committee is comprised of over40 volunteers from both public and privatesectors with many different technical andadministrativebackgrounds. KamMovassaghi,PhD,PE,willserveastheexecutivedirectorofthereportcard.

Thereare9majorinfrastructurecategoriesthatwillbeconsideredintheLouisianaReportCard:Roads, Bridges, Dams, Hazardous and SolidWaste, Drinking Water, Wastewater, Levees,Aviation,andPorts.Dataoneachofthesetopicswillbecollectedovertheupcomingmonthsandgradesassignedtoeachareabasedon factorssuch as the infrastructure’s overall condition,capacity, funding,operationandmaintenance,publicsafety,andresilience.Recommendationswill bemade,where applicable, to advise keydecision makers on ways to sustain positivegradesorwaystoimproveuponpoorgrades.

It is anticipated that the Report Card forLouisiana’s Infrastructurewill be completed inthesummerof2011.WeaskforyoursupportofthevolunteerswhoareworkingdiligentlyonthisimportantASCEprojectforLouisiana.

making the GradeBy Russell J. “Joey” Coco, Jr., MBA, PE

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Christopher Knotts Patrick Landry Ronald Schumann Ali Mustapha E.R. DesOrmeaux

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Kam Movassaghi

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Nedra Davis

COMMITTEES

AVIATION

Gerald Babin, ChairSherwood Bailey

BRIDGES

John Wilkes, ChairAdam Lancaster

Jared Allen Gill Gautrau

DAMS

Pamela Gonzales, ChairBo Bolourchi

HAZARDOUS WASTE & SOLID WASTE

Jeffery Duplantis, ChairYolunda M. Righteous

Paul Miers

DRINKING WATER

Adam Smith, ChairChris SanchezJulie Comeaux

ROADS

Ken Perret, Co-ChairGordon Nelson, Co-Chair

Jason ManningJan Evans Bill Hickey

Ara Araman

LEVEES

Chris Humphreys, ChairMalay Ghose Hajra

Kierstyn Harvey Pete Cali

Rickey BrouilletteJohn MonzonLarry Ardoin

Robert A Turner, Jr.

PORTS

Kirk Lowery, ChairDon Ator

George C. White David Wagner

WASTEWATER

Ann Trappey, Chair Corey GreenBijan Sharafkhani

Jonathan McFarlandJake Causey

LOUISIANA REPORT CARD COMMITTEE

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Joey Coco


IntroductionLouisianacontainsoneofthe largestcoastalwetlandareas intheworld.Becauseofavarietyofmostlyman-madealterationstothenatural system, the Louisianawetlands are also one of themostrapidlydeterioratingecologicalsystemsintheworld.

A variety of practices to combat the problem have been utilizedunder the CoastalWetlands Planning Protection and RestorationAct of 1990 (CWPPRA) and other fundingmechanisms. The EastMarsh Island Project (TV-21) was selected for engineering anddesignin2004aspartofCWPPRA’s14thProjectPriorityList.

Site DescriptionMarshIslandisanislandofapproximately70,000acreslocatedoffthe coastof IberiaParishbetweenVermilionBayand theGulfofMexico.TheislandisaremnantofoneofthefirstdeltalobesoftheMississippi River formed after the Pleistocene era 5,000 – 7,500years ago. The island has suffered interior wetland loss due toexcess tidal exchange through oil and gas canals and scour fromhurricanes,particularlyHurricaneLili.Thenortheastern tipof theislandisparticularlyinperilbecauseoftheriskofbecominghydro-logicallydisconnectedfromtherestoftheisland.

The goal of the project is to restore the northeastern tip of theislandwithhydraulicallydredgedmaterialfromEastCoteBlancheBay,filling inopenwaterareasandeliminatingthemechanismofexcesstidalexchange.

Project DesignApprovaloftheprojectaspartofthe14thProjectPriorityListwasfol-lowedbyakickoffmeetingandsitevisitin2006.Basedonthatmeet-ing,aplanwasdevelopedtoproceedwithengineeringanddesign

Tides and Water LevelsDeterminingtypicaltiderangesandwaterlevelelevationsisoneofthefirststepsindeterminingplacementheightsoffillmaterialina

marsh creation project.It ispreferred tocreatemarsh platforms thatare in the intertidalrangeforthesupportofnativemarshplantspe-cies such as Spartinathatexistinthishabitat.

Tides were calculatedusing 6½ years of datafrom a nearby gaugeand correlated to agauge at Grand Isle tocoveranentire19-yeartidalepoch,asrecommendedbytheNOAARange-Ratiomethod.Thefollowingwaterlevelswerecalculated:

SurveysTopographic, bathymetric, and magnetometer surveys were per-formedwithinthemarshfillareatofacilitatethedesignoftheproj-ect. Inaddition,geophysical,bathymetric,andmagnetometersur-veyswereperformedoffshoretodelineateasuitableborrowarea.

C.H. Fenstermaker and Associates performed topographic andbathymetric surveys of the fill area, shooting transects on a 500foot spacing to be used for volume requirement calculations. Astypicalwithmost projects requiring excavation in themarsh andotherareaswithalargenetworkofundergroundoilandgaspipe-lines, a magnetometer survey was performed. No unexpectedanomalieswerefound.

Fenstermakeralsotook“healthymarshelevation”shotsinthesurround-ingmarsh.Theseelevationsweretakeninnearbyareasofthemarshthatwere determined by project biologists to be healthy, and were usedalongwiththetidallevelstodeterminetargetmarshfillheight.

Surroundinghealthymarshwasdeterminedtobe+1.72’onaver-age*.Althoughthiselevationwasabovethecalculatedmeanhighwater level, healthy vegetation existed in these locations. This

*AllelevationslistedarereferencedtotheNorthAmericanVerticalDatumof1988(NAVD88).

Dain Gillen, PE

east marsh Island marsh Creation ProjectBy Dain Gillen, PE

C AL C UL ATE D V AR IAB L E S E L E V (F T)

MEAN HIGH WATER 1.29

MEAN TIDE LEVEL 0.54

MEAN LOW WATER -0.22

MEAN TIDE RANGE 1.51

Figure 1. Project location map.

Table 1. Calculated tidal values.


observation, alongwith the knowledge that the projectwas in adeterioratingstate,ledtotheselectionof+1.8’asthetargetmarshelevation.

An investigation to determine the location and characteristics oftheborrowareawascompletedbyCoastalPlanningandEngineering,Inc. (CP&E). Unlike inland marsh creation projects, TV-21 had alarge area to choose from to dredgematerial. Because of this, atieredsedimentsearchwascompletedtoobtainthebestavailablesediment, freeofanydredging impediments,withinareasonabledistanceoftheisland.

A search area, shown below,was delineated andmagnetometer,bathymetry,andsidescansonarwereutilizedtoidentify2potentialborrow areas. Each of the potential borrow areas were furtherinvestigatedwiththeabovetechniquesaswellasvibracoresoilbor-ingsandsub-bottomprofiling.Basedonthisinformation,thenorth-ernmostofthetwopotentialborrowareaswasselected.

Geotechnical InvestigationUponselectionofaborrowarea,furthergeotechnicalinvestigationwasnecessarytocharacterizethesedimentsintheborrowandfillareasandpredictsettlementofdredgedmaterialplacedinthefillarea.

AquaterraEngineering, LLC collectedeight (8)onshoreborings inthevicinityofthefillareaandobtainedten(10)vibracoresamplesfromCP&Ethatweretakenfromtheborrowareafor testingandanalysis.Thesoilsamplesweretestedinthelaboratoryforclassifi-cation, strength, and compressibility. Testing included: field orminiature vane, unconfined compression, unconsolidated und-rainedtriaxialcompression,Atterberglimits,grainsizedistribution,andconsolidation. Inadditiontothesestandardlaboratorytests,settlingcolumntestsandself-weightconsolidationtestswerecom-pletedtofurtheranalyzematerialbehavior.

Marsh Fill Settlement AnalysisMarshfillsettlementanalysiswasnecessarytodeterminethecon-structionfillheightrequiredtoachievethefinaltargetmarsheleva-tionof+1.8’.Todeterminetheconstructionfillheight,settlementandself-weightconsolidationtestswereperformedusingsamplescollectedfromthemarshfillandborrowareas.Totalsettlementofthemarsh fill was calculated using the Army Corps of Engineers

(USACE)program,PrimaryConsolidation,SecondaryCompression,and Desiccation of Dredged Fill (PSDDF). To accurately quantifycumulative settlement, the program considers settlement of theunderlyingsoilsfromplacementofthefillmaterialaboveitandtheselfweightconsolidationthatoccurswithinthefillmaterial itself.PropertiesoftheunderlyingsoilswereobtainedfromtheresultsofthelaboratorytestsconductedontheboringstakenbyAquaterra.Propertiesofthefillmaterialwereobtainedfromself-weightcon-solidationtestingandindextestingonthevibracorescollectedbyCP&E. In addition, climatic data was considered and input intoPSDDF.

Timerateofsettlementwasanalyzedforfillheightsof+2.0’,+2.5’,+3.0’,+3.5’,and+4.0’.Thesesettlementcurvesareshownon thefollowingfigure.Basedontheseanalyses,atargetfillelevationof+3.5’wasselected.Atthisfillelevation,1.8feetoftotalsettlementisestimatedoverthe20yearlifeoftheproject.Ofthistotalsettle-ment, approximately 0.5 feet is foundation settlement, with theremaining1.3feetofsettlementduetoselfweightconsolidation.Themajorityofthissettlementoccurswithinthefirstonetotwoyearsafterconstruction,resultinginamarshthatisatornearthetargetmarshelevationduringtheprojectlife.

Containment Dike DesignAquaterraperformedglobalslopestabilityanalysesfortheearthencontainmentdikesusingtheModifiedBishopMethodwiththepro-gramSTEDwin©Release2.8.Circulararcsweredividedintoverti-calslicestodelineatethefailureplanes,andthefactorofsafetywasdeterminedbysummingforcesandmoments. Aminimumsafetyfactorof1.3wasusedfortheanalyses.

Forthecontainmentdikes,engineeringsoilpropertiesfromboringstakeninthealignmentofthecontainmentdikeswereusedtocon-ducttheslopestabilityanalyses.Fortheanalyses,eachleveesec-tion beganwith a crest height of +6.0’NAVD88. If theminimumfactorofsafetycouldnotbeachieved,theembankmentheightwasreducedbyonefoot.Itwasdeterminedthatacrestheightof+4.0’NAVD88,acrownwidthoffive(5)feetandsideslopesof1(V):5(H)wererequiredforacontainmentdikewithafactorofsafetyof1.3.

Topreventlossesofdredgedmaterial,OCPRtypicallydesignsonefootoffreeboardabovetheanticipatedmarshfillelevation.Inthis

Figure 2. Geophysical Investigation map.

Figure 3. Marsh fill settlement curves.


case,+3.5’NAVD88wasusedasthefillelevation.Becauseofthis,OCPRrequestedastabilityanalysisberunonacrestheightof+4.5’NAVD88withsideslopesof1(V):5(H)and1(V):4(H).Theseanalysesresultedinfactorsofsafetyrangingfrom1.14to1.21.Forthepur-poses of containment ofmarsh fill, a value of 1.1 or abovewasdeterminedtobeadequatebecausedikescanbecontinuallymain-tained during construction. Because of this, a final side slope of1(V):4(H)wasselected.Acontainmentdiketypicalsectionisshowninthefollowingfigure.

Marsh Creation DesignOncethetargetfillelevationwasdetermined,themarshfillvolumewascalculated.Cross-sectionalareasofthetransectsineachfillsitewerecalculatedusingthedataproducedbytheFillAreaSurvey.Fillsite volumes were then computed using these areas. Followingthese computations, the results were verified in AutoCAD. Theresultsofthevolumecalculationsareshownbelow.

Theprojectwasspecifiedtobeconstructedinaminimumoftwolifts.ThisdeterminationwasmadebasedonthesuccessofrecentOCPRprojectsthathavebeenconstructedusingthismethod.Theprojectareawassplitintotwocells,asillustratedinFigure1,sothatthe fillmaterial fromonecell candewaterwhile theothercell isbeing pumped to the required height. This constructionmethodallows the bulk of the initial consolidation to occur and allows a“firmer” foundation on which to pump subsequent lifts. This, inturn,allowsthecontractortoobservethesettlingpropertiesofthematerialandmoreeasilyreachthefinaltargetelevation.A28-daydewateringperiodwasspecifiedbetweenlifts.Thistimeperiodislongenoughtoallowsignificantconsolidationbutnotsolongastopreventthecontractorfrompumpingadjacentcells.

Itmustbenotedthatthesettlementcurvesarebasedononeliftconstruction and some variation to the curvesmay occur for atwo lift scenario. Because most of the settlement that occurswithin the first 28 days is self-weight consolidation, it can beanticipated that the previously illustrated curvewill be slightlyhigher for up to a year before slowly approaching the initial(singlelift)curve.

Thefinalstepincalculatingnecessaryvolumeswastodetermineanestimatedcuttofillratioforthequantityofmaterialnecessarytobe dredgedhydraulically andplaced in the fill areas tomeet thetargetelevation.Thecuttofillratiodependsonavarietyoffactorsthat are difficult to quantify including expected transport losses,“bulking”ofmaterialimmediatelyafterplacement,foundationandconsolidation settlement, and construction losses. Consideringthesefactors,Aquaterra’srecommendationwasfrom2:1to3.3:1.Basedon a reviewof previousprojects, a cut to fill in this rangeseemedexcessive.Afinalcuttofillof1.5:1wasselectedbyobserv-ing soil properties, cut to fill ratios, and performance of recentlydesignedandconstructedprojects.Two-liftconstructionsequenc-ingwasalsoconsideredwhenselectingthecuttofill.Atthetimeofthiswriting,preliminarynumbersfromconstructionareindicatingacuttofilljustabove1:1,indicatingtheinherentdifficultyinpre-dictingthisparameter.

Borrow Area DesignOCPRrequestedthattheborrowareabeat least3,000,000cubicyards,theinitialestimateoffillrequired.TheborrowsiteselectionanddesignforTV-21wasconductedbyCP&Easpartofthesedi-mentsearchdiscussedpreviously.Fromtheseresults,CP&Edelin-eated the recommended borrow area, including boundaries andcut depths, shown in the figure below. The CP&E recommendedborrowarea,whichwasapproximately4,000,000cubicyards,wasultimatelyadoptedbyOCPR,butwithauniformbottomdepthof-20.0’. This was more than the necessary quantity of 2,821,000cubicyards(determinedbysimplymultiplyingtheCADfillvolumebytheselectedcuttofillratioof1.5).Theadditionalvolumewasincludedasafactorofsafetyforpermittingandtoensureadequatematerialwouldbeavailableintheeventofanyunforeseencircum-stances.

Wave AnalysisASWAN two-dimensionalwavemodelwas run to determine theimpactoftheborrowareaonthelocalwaveclimate.Thebathym-etryoftheGulfofMexicoandEastCoteBlancheBaywererepre-sentedbyagridsystem.Offshorewavedatawas inputusinghis-torical data fromUSACEWave Information Studies (WIS) data. AGumbelanalysiswascompletedonthedatatodeterminethewaveheightassociatedwitha100yearstormevent.Oncethiswasdeter-

Figure 4 Typical marsh creation section.

Figure 5. Borrow area delineated by CP&E.

Area (acres)

Volume (calculated)

Volume (CAD) Difference

362 1,880,039 yd3 1,744,097 yd3 7.2%

Table 2. Fill quantities.


mined,runsweremadeusingthiswaveheightfromthreedifferentdirectionswithandwithoutadditionalwindinputs.Modeloutputwas visually analyzed using the Surface water Modeling System(SMA)softwaretodetermineifanyfocusingofenergyhasoccurredon the shore. After reviewing the SMS results, itwas concludedthat the borrow area would have a minimal effect on the waveheights.Nowaveheightchangeswerefoundattheshorelineandthemaximumobserved change inwaveheightwas insideof theborrowareaandwasapproximately6inches.

Construction ProgressThe project was advertised in December 2009. The low bid of$13,164,375wasplacedbyWeeksMarineofCovington, LA. TheNotice toProceedwas issued inMarch2010andmobilizationofequipmentbeganshortlythereafter.

The first item under construction was containment dikes.Marshbuggy mounted backhoes were used to place several “lifts” ofmaterialuntilthecrosssectionofthedikemettherequiredspeci-fication. Several liftswere necessary to allow for settlement anddesiccationofthedikeanditsfoundation.

Of the 23,000 linear feet of containment dike constructed, therewastroublegettingthedikestotherequiredgradeintwolocations.This isnotuncommon inmarsh creation jobsand is indicativeofsoilsthatareofpoorerqualitythanshownbyanyoftheborings.Atthese locations, the contractorwasallowed touseanalternativecontainment method, which in this case consisted of hay balesboundtogetherandplacedasa“core”tothedike,andthencappedwithmaterialtoreachtherequireddimensions.

Inonelocation,thehaybalecoreworkedwellandheldupthrough-outconstruction.Intheotherlocation,thehaybalesfailedwhenalow tide created a large head difference between the inside andoutsideofthefillarea.Inthislocation,anotheralternativemethodwasusedconsistingofdriving timbermats into the soil and sup-portingbothsideswithspoil.Thismethodheldupwellthroughoutconstruction.

Placement of Dredged MaterialAfter completion of containment dikes, placement of materialbegan.Fillwasplacedinanalternatingsequence.Itwasfirstplacedinthenorthernareatothemaximumfirst liftheightof+2.5’andthentothesameheightinthesouthernfillareawhilethenorthernareaunderwenttherequired28-daydewateringperiod.

Theplanwastorepeattheprocessaftercompletionofthefirstliftinbothcells,butafterplacementofthefirstliftofmaterialinthenortherncell, itbecameclearthatthenecessary2,821,000cubicyardsofmaterialestimatedwaswell inexcessofwhatwasactu-allyneededtofillthecells.Inaddition,pumpingwascompleteinthesoutherncellpriortotheendofthe28-daydewateringperiodin the northern cell. At this point, it was decided to dischargematerialsouthofthesoutherncellintothebrokenmarshoutsideof the project area using only limited containment in locationswhere it appeared dredgematerial may enter historic ponds orbayous.Thiswascontinueduntiltherewasadequatetimetobeginpumpingbackintotheprojectfillcellswithouthavingtowaitonthe dewatering periods for the respective cells. Both project fill

Figure 6. Marsh buggy constructing containment dikes.

Figure 8. Using timber mats to close a containment dike breach.

Figure 9. Additional fill areas added to the original project.Figure 7. Using hay bales to bring a containment dike up to grade.


cellswerepumpedtoafinalfillelevationof+3.5’withatoleranceof±0.3’.

Asanaddedbonustotheproject,theprojectbidscameinapprox-imately$5millionunderbudget.Duringconstruction,theCWPPRAprogramapproveduseofthesesurplusfundstoexpandtheproj-ect.Inanticipationofthis,andtoaccommodatetheexcessmate-rial discussed previously, additional fill areas totaling 665 acreswereincludedinapermitmodification.

StatusAs of October 15, 2010, both lifts have been completed for theoriginal project area. Approximately 832,000 cubic yards wereplacedinFillArea1and796,000cubicyardsplacedinFillArea2.

Approximately1,369,000cubicyardshavebeenplacedintheaddi-tional fill areas for a total to date of 2,966,000 cubic yards. The800,000cubicyardsofdredgingremainingisexpectedtobecom-pletebyDecember2010.Atotalof1,027acreswillbeeithercre-atedornourishedbytheproject.

Future Work

Vegetative PlantingsVegetativeplantingswillbeincludedaspartoftheprojectandwilltakeplaceintwophases.Thefirstphasewilltakeplaceimmediatelyfollowingconstructionandwillconsistofplantingupto60,000unitsofsmoothcordgrass(Spartinaalterniflora)andapproximately9,600unitseachofmarshhay cordgrass (Spartinapatens) and salt grass(Distichlisspicata)aroundtheperimeterandotherhighneedareasoftheproject.Thisplantingwillhelpcontrollossofthenewlyplacedmaterial. An evaluationwill bemadeof theproject area approxi-matelysixmonthsafterthefirstplantingtoassesstheresultsandtoobserve natural recruitment of native vegetation. Following thisevaluation,asecondplantingwillbeconductedtoaddressareasofcriticalneedorlargeinteriorareasthathavenotyetvegetated.

Dike DegradationApproximately sixmonths after project construction is complete,theexteriorcontainmentdikeswillbedegradedtoanelevationof+1.8’tobeconsistentwiththerestofthenewlycreatedmarsh.

Engineering MonitoringProjectfundshavebeenallocatedtoengineeringmonitoringoftheproject.Surveysareplannedforthemarshfillareaandtheborrowareaforyears1,3,and5post-construction.Thefillareatopograph-ic/bathymetric surveys will help assess actual settlement versuspredictedsettlementoverthelifeoftheproject.Theborrowareasurveyswillassesstherefillrateoftheborrowarea.Dissolvedoxy-genintheborrowareawillalsobemonitoredatthesameintervaltoensureanoxicconditionsdonotexist.

AcknowledgementsAlthough the names of individuals are too numerous to list, theguidanceoftheprojectteamsatOCPR,EPA,NRCS,andLDWFmadetheprojectpossible.

References

Aquaterra Engineering, LLC. Geotechnical Investigation – East Marsh Island Marsh Creation Project (TV-21). Baton Rouge, LA. July 2008.

C.H. Fenstermaker and Associates, Inc. Survey Report for Topographic, Bathymetric, and Magnetometer Surveying Services for the East Marsh Island Marsh Creation Project. Lafayette, LA. August 2007.

Coastal Planning and Engineering, Inc. Geophysical and Geotechnical Investigations Conducted for the East Marsh Island Marsh Creation Project, Louisiana. Boca Raton, FL. March 2008.

Cole, George, M. Water Boundaries. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 24-27, 1997.

Herbich, John B. Handbook of Dredging Engineering, 2nd Edition., McGraw HilMartin, Summer. 2008. East Marsh Island Marsh Creation Project (TV-21), Ecological Review. Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/refuge/marsh-island-wildlife-refuge

Dain Gillen, PEisarecentadditiontothedesignstaffoftheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture–NaturalResourcesConservationService(NRCS). Mr.GillenearnedaB.S.degreeinBiologicalEngineeringfromLouisianaStateUniversity in2000andaM.E.degreeinBiologicalandAgriculturalEngineeringfromTexasA&MUniversityin2002.PriortoworkingwithNRCShewasemployedwiththeStateofLouisiana’sOfficeofCoastalProtectionandRestoration.Hehassevenyearsofexperienceincoastalrestorationincludingmarshcre-ation,shorelineprotection,hydrologicrestoration,hydrodynamicmodeling,andfreshwaterdiversions.

Figure 10. Project area during containment dike construction and prior to fill operations (April 2010).

Figure 11. Project area during construction (August 2010).


The 2010 Louisiana Section Awards and Officers InstallationLuncheonwasheldonSeptember17,2010,atALaCarteRestaurantin Lafayette, Louisiana and was hosted by the Acadiana Branch.Acadiana Branch President, Shaun Simon, called the meeting toorder andwelcomed everyone to the luncheon. Acadiana Branchmember, Joshua Stutes led the invocationwhichwas followed byopening remarks from Section President Christopher Knotts.PresidentKnotts cited themanyaccomplishmentsduring thepastyearandthankedtheSectionBoardfortheirhardworkandsupport.

PresidentKnottsthencalleduponLouisiana’sRegion5Governor,E.Ray DesOrmeaux, standing in for Region 5 Director Norma JeanMattei, to update the luncheon attendees on the latest newsregarding the ASCE region which is comprised of Louisiana,Mississippi,Alabama,GeorgiaandFlorida.TheRegion5BoardofGovernorsreportsdirectlytotheASCENationalBoardofDirectors.After Mr. DesOrmeaux’s remarks, Section Awards CommitteeChairman, Ronald Schumann, opened the awards ceremony andresumedthepresentationoftheSectionAwardsafteranexcellentlunchenjoyedbyall.

The ASCE Louisiana Section Awardswere instituted to recognizetheoutstandingcontributionsofLouisianacivilengineersforser-vice to their profession and ASCE. Section Awards Chairman,Ronald Schumann, thanked the branches for nominating an out-standingslateofcandidatesforconsiderationforeachaward.Thequalityofthenomineesforthevariousawardsmadetheawardscommittee’s task to determine this year’s award recipients verydifficult.RonaldSchumannthankedtheawardscommitteewhichincludedPatLandry,LukeLeBasandKurtNixonfortheireffortsinreviewing the numerous nominations and selecting this year’srecipients.

This year’s Section Award recipients were:E. Raymond DesOrmeaux, PE, PLS OutstandingCivilEngineerNathan Junius, PE, PLS OutstandingYoungCivilEngineerBijan Sharafkhani, PE OutstandingGovernmentEngineerChris Carroll, PhD, EI OutstandingYoungGovernmentEngineerRussell J. Coco, Jr., MBA, PE OutreachAwardAziz Saber, PhD, PE EducatoroftheYearAwardDavid S. Huval, PE, PLS LifetimeAchievementAward

Thisyear’sawardrecipientsrepresentingeveryregioninthestateandwithworkexperiencesvaryingfromconsultingtogovernmentto academia were honored during the ceremony. Each of theseawardrecipientssharesacommonbond–theyarealldedicatedto

their civil engineering profession, ASCE, their communities andtheirfamilies.

Thehighlightoftheceremonywasthepresentationofthe2010WallofFameinductees.Eachbranchcanselectuptoonenomi-neeforinclusiontotheWall.Itisthehighesthonorthatcanbebestowed upon a Louisiana Civil Engineer by the LouisianaSection.

This year’s four inductees include:Eugene Sellers, PE, PLS AcadianaBranchCharles W. Hair, Jr., PE,(posthumously) BatonRougeBranchG. Joseph Sullivan, PE, PLS NewOrleansBranchRobert R. Aillet, PE ShreveportBranch

AfterRonaldSchumannpresentedthefirstelevenSectionAwards,SectionPresidentChristopherKnottsannouncedthefinalawardoftheceremony,thePresident’sMedal,toNormaJeanMattei,PhD,PE for her dedicated service to ASCE both on the National andSectionlevel.SheservesontheNationalBoardofDirectorsofASCEandasChairforRegion5BoardofGovernors.DrMatteialsoserveson the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land SurveyingBoard and continues to support the Louisiana Section supportingASCEandthecivilengineeringprofession.

E.RayDesOrmeauxwascalledupontoinstalltheincomingSectionOfficers and Board of Directors for the Louisiana Section for the2010-2011administrativeyear.

The 2010-2011 Section Officers are:Patrick J. Landry, PE PresidentRonald L. Schumann, Jr., PE President-ElectKurt M. Nixon, PE Vice-PresidentRobert Jacobsen, PE Secretary-TreasurerChristopher P. Knotts, PE PastPresident

The Board of Directors are:R. J. (Joey) Coco Jr., MBA, PE C. Eric Hudson, PEChristopher G. Humphreys, PE Kimberly Landry, EIShaun R. Simon, PE Adam M. Smith, PEMargaret S. Adams, PE Christopher L. Sanchez, PELuke E. LeBas, PE Matt D. Redmon, EI

ThemeetingconcludedwithoutgoingPresidentKnottspresentingincomingPresidentLandrywithhisPresident’sPlaquefollowedbyhisclosingremarks.

2010-2011 ASCe Louisiana Section Installation Luncheon


Ronald L. Schumann, Jr., PEPresident-Elect

Patrick J. Landry, PEPresident

Robert Jacobsen, PESecretary-Treasurer

Kurt M. Nixon, PEVice-President

2010-2011 ASCe Louisiana Section officers

2010-11 ASCE Louisiana Section LeadershipLeft to right top row: Christopher P. Knotts, Patrick J. Landry, Adam M. Smith, Luke E. LeBas,

Shaun R. Simon, and Christopher L. Sanchez.Left to right bottom row: Ronald L. Schumann, Robert Jacobsen, Kurt M. Nixon, R.J. (Joey) Coco Jr.,

Kimberly Landry, Christopher G. Humphreys, and Matthew D. Redmon.

Journal Chairman Patrick Landry, Editor Nedra Davis, and Section President Christopher Knotts. Patrick Landry accepts the Presidential gavel from Christopher Knotts.

Christopher P. Knotts, PEPast President


R.J. (Joey) Coco, Jr., PEDirector-at-Large

Matt D. Redmon, EIBranch Director

Christopher G. Humphreys, PEDirector-at-Large

Adam M. Smith, PEBranch Director

C. Eric Hudson, PEDirector-at-Large

Luke E. LeBas, PEAssigned Branch Director

Shaun R. Simon, PEBranch Director

Christopher L. Sanchez, PEAssigned Branch Director

Kimberly Landry, EIDirector-at-Large

Margaret (Meg) Adams, PEBranch Director

2010-2011 ASCe Louisiana Section board of Directors


Robert Aillet, PEWall of Fame

Charles Hair, PE (1919 - 2009)Wall of Fame

Bijan Sharafkhani, PEOutstanding Government Civil Engineer

G. Joseph Sullivan, PEWall of Fame

Aziz Saber, PhD, PEEducator of the Year

E.R. DesOrmeaux, PEOutstanding Civil Engineer

R.J. (Joey) Coco, Jr., PEOutreach

Eugene Sellers, PEWall of Fame

Nathan Junius, PEOutstanding Young Civil Engineer

Norma Jean Mattei, PhD, PEPresident’s Medal

David Huval, PELifetime Achievement

Chris Carroll, EIOutstanding Young Government Civil Engineer

2010 Louisiana Section Awards


Who Knew?Editorial By Deborah Ducote Keller, PE

Onceagain,amongthetopnewsstoriesinLouisianathisyearwerethe numerous violations of state and local laws regarding ethicalbusinesspractices,conflictsofinterest,andimproperuseofpublicassets by elected officials and heads of public entities. Whetherdiscovered by internal auditors, external investigators, orwhistleblowers, the reaction of the offenders was often one ofsurprisethattherewasanywrongdoing.Theoldadage,“Ignoranceof the law is no excuse,” certainly holds true, both for thoseincriminated, aswell as thosewhomayhavebenefitted from theimpropriety.Asprofessionals,wecivilengineerscan’thidebehind,“Whoknew?”

MembersoftheAmericanSocietyofCivilEngineersareheldtotheASCE Code of Ethics to preserve the standards of the profession.ASCEseekstoeducatebothitsmembersandthepubliconethicalissues,andprovidesenforcement,too.Detailsareprovidedatwww.asce.orgunderEthics.

Although those who are licensed by the Louisiana ProfessionalEngineeringandLandSurveyorsBoard(LAPELS)arerequiredtoearnatleastoneprofessionaldevelopmenthourinethicstrainingeverytwoyears,onewouldbenefitfromreviewingtherulesmoreoften.Amongthemanybindingregulationsaretherestrictionsregardinggifts, both giving and receiving, as stated in the LouisianaAdministrativeCodeTitle46PartLXI(RulesoftheBoard)underLaR.S. 37:681-703 (Licensure Law). Go to www.lapels.com underRegulationsforareview.Testyourknowledgebydownloadingandcompletingthe“ProfessionalismandEthicsPresentationandQuiz”andsendyourtestsheettoLAPELSforscoring.

WhatyoumaynotbeawareofistheLouisianaCodeofGovernmentalEthics(LACodeofEthics)forpublicservants(electedandappointedofficialsandpublicemployees)andtheirimmediatefamilymembers,aswell as companies andbusinesses thatdobusinesswith them.Engineers,whether employedby a stateentityorwhohave stateentitiesforclients,shouldvisitwww.ethics.state.la.us/trainingforatutorialoftheseethicsrules.Anon-linetestcanbetaken,whichwillgenerateacertificateofcompletionforobtainingapassingscore.

Someofthemorenoteworthyrulesare:

• Public servants and their immediate family members cannotreceiveanythingofeconomicvaluefromthepublicorevenaprivatesource for theperformanceof thepublic servants’ jobduties andresponsibilities. It is prohibited whether received directly orindirectly, and whether it was solicited or not. It also applies toanyonewhoisseekingtoobtainanybusinessorfinancialrelationshipwith the public servant’s state entity. This also applies to anybusinessthatthepublicservantandspouseexercisecontroloverorownmore than 25 percent interest. The definition of immediatefamilyiswiderthanyoumaythink.

• Athingofeconomicvaluecanbetangibleorintangible,regardlessof how little its value. A promotional item has no value if it is

imprintedwiththelogoofabusinessororganizationand has minimal value.Recipientsarerequiredtoreturnthingsofeconomicvaluetothesender.

• A public servant mayreceive food and drink ifconsumedinthepresenceoftheprovider,butitmustnot exceed the currentallowabledollarvalue.

• Therearerulesregardingpublicservantsreceivingcomplimentaryadmission, lodging, and transportation to educational andprofessional development seminars related to thepublic servant’sjobduties.Whenitdoubt,checkthewebsite.

Federal lawsapply to federalagenciesandtheiremployees. Itwilldifferfromstateregulations,sofederalemployeesandthosewhodobusinesswiththefederalgovernmentshouldknowthoseregulations,aswell.

Another saying is, “Ignorance is bliss.” But ignorance of codes ofconductandethicscancostengineerstheirjobs,theirprofessionallicenses,andtheirreputations.

Deborah Ducote Keller, PE

beCome AN ASSoCIATe member of ALbL

TheAssociationofLeveeBoardsofLouisiana(ALBL)represents25+LeveeandFloodControlDistricts.BenefitsofbecominganAssociateMember:

• Receiveallpositionpapersprovidinginformationaboutcurrentissues

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“Without Flood Control, Nothing Else Matters.”SteveWilson-President,ALBL


Here’sadisconcertingfactoflifeforallengineerstocontemplate–manyofthenaturalaptitudesandskillsthatmakethefieldofengi-neeringattractive toaspiringprofessionalsarenot the sameskillsneeded to successfully move into organizational leadership roles.Whilethisseemsunfair, it isalsotrue.Scientists,physicians,engi-neersandaccountantstypicallylikeassignmentsthatinvolvedetail,precision,andfacts;whichcanthenproducedata-baseddecisions.Intheseoccupations,formulasareessentialtosuccess.However,asindividualsmoveupthecareerladderintoprojectmanagementandleadershiproles,newskillsetsareneededtoremainsuccessful.

Atthelowestlevelsofanorganization,peopleoftenutilizetechnicalskills.Astheymoveintomiddlemanagementinterpersonalandcon-ceptualskillsbecomeincreasinglyimportant.Atthehighestlevelofanorganization,conceptualandstrategicskillsareparamount.Itistheseskills (moresothantechnicalskills)thatmakeandsometimesbreakthepromisingcareersofthosewhomoveintoleadershippositions.

ARE LEADERS BORN OR MADE?Althoughmanyofuscanthinkofindividualswhoappeartobebornleaders,therealityisthatleadershipskillscanactuallybelearned.Leadership is theability tobuildandmaintaina teamovera sus-tainedperiodoftimetoaccomplishbusinessresults.Throughourworkindevelopingleadersacrossmanyprivateandpublicorganiza-tionswehavenoticed that themainbarrier to personal develop-ment is lackof feedback focusedonwhat elementsof leadershipneedtobelearnedanddeveloped.

Often,firmswillnotseetheneedtoencourageleadershipdevelop-mentuntilitistoolate.Asanexamplebaseduponourexperience,our client’s executive team had been in place for over 20 years.Young engineers would be hired into the firm and after workingthere forsevento10yearswouldbe luredawaybyacompetitor.This“churn”atthelowerleveleventuallytookitstoll. Astopandmiddlemanagementbegantolookforthenextleaderswithinthefirm,theyrealizedthattheyhadfewcandidateswhowerereadytostepupintotheorganization’snow-availableleadershiproles.

The lossofgood leaderscoupledwiththe lackofleadership bench strength has the potential toquickly devastate an organization. Most studiesthatfocusonpredictingturnoverduetoineffectiveleadershiputilizethefollowingmodel(Figure1).

Aprivately-heldconsultingengineeringfirmrecent-ly experienced such a situation. SSA Consultantswascalledinwhenaconcretefoundationforafast-foodclientwaspartiallypouredonthewrongprop-erty. The founder/ownerwasappalledandaskedtheconsultantstodeterminehowsuchanerrorinqualityassurancecouldhaveoccurred.Aftersomeinterviewsandprocessobservations,itwasdiscov-ered that three senior PE’s had left in a three-monthperiod, taking75 yearsof experiencewiththem.Sincetheyhadpreviouslybeenthereview-ersoffinalplansandtheorganizationhadnotsub-stitutedanewprocess,severalothersmallerquali-ty problems had also occurred with less visibleproblematicoutcomes.

It was discovered thatthese three experiencedPE’s had left due to thepromotionofan inexperi-encedmanagerwithpoorleadership skills. Thismanager’s inability tocommunicate and lack ofinterest in allowing orencouraging employeeinput created significantfrustrations within thatdepartment. The firmabsorbed significantexpenses in order toaddresstheissuesandarestilldealingwithadamagedreputation.

BARRIERS TO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: LACK OF MOTIVATION AND LACK OF FEEDBACKHumannaturepushesustowardtheprojectsandtasksthatofferusthebestchancesforsuccess,andawayfromareaswhereourskillsareweakandourfearsoffailurearehigh.Asaresult,weoftenlackthemotivationtostretchourskillsets.

Good leaders are able tomotivate their workgroup towork as ateam to achieve goals.According toRedAuerbach, the legendarycoachoftheBostonCeltics,onemotivatesateambyengagingoneplayeratatimeuntilthewholeteamhas“boughtin.”Understandingmotivationrequiresanunderstandingofhumanneeds,andleadersmustlearntoidentifytheirownpersonalmotivatorswhileexploringtechniquestomotivateothers.

A2005reportbytheCorporateLeadershipCouncilshowstwothings–theretentionof highpotential leaders is crucial for the future andengage-ment is essential to thisprocess. Smartorganizations realize that theirfortunes rise and fallwith thequalityof their teamsand team leaders;therefore,investinleadershipdevelopmenttohelpsecurethefuture.

Even the most introverted, pocket-protector-wearingstereotypeofanengineercandevelopgoodcommunicationand leadershipskills ifheorsheismotivatedtochange.Thetransforma-tion takes “will” and “skill” – and both can bedeveloped. In the recent bestselling bookOutliers,MalcolmGladwellsaysthebestwaytoachieveinternationalstardomistospend10,000hours honing your skills. In fact, the greatestathletes, entrepreneurs, musicians, and scien-tists emergeonly after spending at least threehoursadayforadecademasteringtheirchosenfield.Excellentleadershipisnodifferent.

Probably themostsignificantbarrier to leader-shipdevelopmentisthelackofqualityfeedback.Thinkofthemanagersthatyouhaveobservedinyour career and how they view themselves asleaders.Aremanyunawareofthelackofskillsorleadership“derailers”thatinhibittheirabilityto be more successful at building a team and

Leadership Development for engineersBy Christel Slaughter, PhD

Christel Slaughter, PhD

Figure 1. Predicting turnover due to inef-fective leadership.

Intrinsic Job Features

• Low pay, role conflict, role ambiguity• Poor leadership, lack of support

Lead to• Dissa�sfac�on

Contribu�ng to thoughts of leaving

Resul�ng in withdrawal behaviors such asabsenteeism, tardiness, and lower quality work

Leading to inten�ons to leaveand job search behaviors

• Low commitment


achievingexcellent results throughothers?Thatscenarioistypical.

TheHogan Leadership Forecast Series is arelativelynewtoolforleadersto“seethem-selves as others see them.” Participantswhocompletetheseriesaregivenfeedbackontheirabilitytohandleadversityinworksituations, communicatewith others, han-dle decisions that involve risk, and manyotherkeyleadershipskillsandthemes.

On a leadership scale such as “prudence,”which is an area measured by the HoganLeadership Forecast Series, engineers tend score high. Prudence isregardedasanaturalstrengthofengineers.Ashigh-prudenceemploy-ees,strongengineersaretypicallywell-organizedandorientedtowardsplanning. Those same individuals at times, however, tend tomicro-manageandgetboggeddownunproductivelyinthedetails.Asmanag-ers,whenthoseverysuccessful,technicalengineersaremicromanag-ingtheiremployees,theyarenotprovidingthedevelopmentaloppor-tunitiesforemployeeempowermentandautonomythatwelookforineffectiveleaders.Astheoldsayinggoes,“whatgotyoutowhereyouaretodaymaynotgetyoutowhereyouwanttobetomorrow.”

Accordingtoresearch,thebaserateofbadmanagersinthecorporateworldisestimatedtobebetweenawhopping50%and75%.Theeffectsareclear–thehiringandpromotionofbadmanagersmeansalienatedemployees and negative business outcomes. Badmanagers typicallyinterviewwellandarehiredbasedontechnicalskillandbusinessknowl-edge–notforleadershiptalent.Top-qualityleadershipdevelopmentisakeystrategythatdifferentiatesorganizationsfromtheircompetition.

Recently,alarge,publicly-tradedengineeringcompanyutilizedtheseleadership assessments to provide leadership development andexecutive coaching for the top 35 engineers within one division.Collectively, these senior-level managers were responsible for themanagementofseveralsubdivisionsandover12,000employees.

Theresultswereastoundingaskeystaffmembersrealizedthattheirbehaviorshadsuchincredibleimpact(positiveandnegative)ontheresultsoftheirteam.Forthisgroupofsenior-levelengineers,manyofthebehaviorsthathadcontributedtotheirrapidriseintheorga-nizationwerethesamebehaviorsthatwerenowcreatingthemostseriousproblemsforthemintheirnewleadershippositions.Forthisgroup,itwasnotjustaboutdevelopinganunderstandingandaware-nessoftheirpersonalitiesandbehavioraltendencies.Theylearnedto target problem tendencies and internalize change – ultimatelyimprovingtheirreputationsaseffectiveandsuccessfulleaders.

The concept of leadership development isbasedupondevelopingasenseofstrategicself-awareness.Thisisaprocessbestdem-onstratedbythefollowingmodel(Figure2).

Successfulleadersbuildteamsthatbeatthecompetition, and a leader’s behavior isdirectly tied to theoverallperformanceofhisorherteam.

Leadershipmatters–theperson(orpeople)in charge of an organization can make orbreak it. Good leadership is a function ofpersonality,andsoisbadleadership.Whatis

important is to recognize personality tendencies, and target thosederailingbehaviorsforpositivechange. Whenunderpressure,mostpeoplewilldisplaycertaintendencies,or“riskfactors”,thatarecoun-terproductive to leadingeffectively. Forexample,an individualwhotendstoscorehighinaderailingbehaviorsuchas“cautious”meansthat he or she, under pressure, may fear being criticized, shamed,blamed, or somehow disgraced. From the outside looking in, thissameindividualmaybeanunpopularmanagerbecauseheorsheissocautious, indecisive, and controlling. For another individual whosepersonalitytraitsindicateheorsherespondstothesesamesituationswithdiligence,itmayseemasthoughthisindividualisconcernedwithdoingagoodjob,beinggoodcitizens,andpleasingauthority(alltraitsgenerally viewed as good things). Privately, however, they live bytheserulesofbeingcareful,planful,meticulous,andhavinghighstan-dards of performance for themselves and others. The behavior ofthese individuals may exude professionalism, and they are oftenregardedashighlydependablebytheirbosses.However,inaleader-shiprole,thesameindividualcanbecomefussy,micro-managing,nit-picky,andruntheriskofalienatingstaffandteammembers.Stressfulenvironmentsbecomecompoundedbythisbehavior,andautonomyisoftenabsent fromthemindsetof subordinatesbecauseof the indi-vidual’s inability to delegate. Like many personality traits, thestrengthsrepresentedbyahighdiligencescorecanturnintoaweak-ness,impedingproductivityallthewayfrompoordelegationskillstoadesiretoserveasthejudgeforeachteammemberhavingmetper-formancestandards(expectationsthataresometimesunfairlyhigh).

Derailingbehaviorsexistineveryone–theyareafundamentalcompo-nenttohoweachofusiswiredandareadirectresultofourdistortedbeliefsabouthowotherswilltreatusduringperiodsofstress. Howonerecognizesthesechallengingbehaviorsandisabletoconsciouslymanagethemdetermineshoweffectiveheorshecanultimatelylead.

Therearetwokeyprinciplestorememberaboutleadershipdevelop-ment:youownit,anditisaprocess,notanevent.

Dr. Christel SlaughterjoinedSSAConsultantsin1983afterspendingsevenyearsasafacultymemberatLouisianaStateUniversity.Sincethen,shehasbeeninstrumentalinguidingandimplementingstrategicdirectionforhundredsoforganizations,bothregionallyandnationwide.

Christel’sexpertiseisrootedinchangemanagement,performanceimprovement,strategicplanning,trainingdesignanddelivery,facilitationservices,andexecutivecoachingandcounseling.Additionally,shehashelpednumerousBoardsofDirectors,executivemanagementteams,andnonprofitlead-ershipcommitteeswithtrainingandfacilitatedgroupsessionsinvolvingleadershiptraining,teambuilding,problemsolving,andconflictresolution.

Someofherworkincludesguidingtheculturalandorganizationaltransformationofapublicly-tradedcommunitybank,designingandimplementinganaward-winning customer service program for a large healthcare institution, developing and conducting a diversity awareness program for amulti-nationalchemicalplant,anddesigningintegrationstrategiesforthestateofLouisiana’smulti-billiondollarcoastalprotectionandrestorationefforts.

ShecurrentlyservesasaBoardmember(andformerChairman)oftheNewOrleansBranchBoardofDirectorsoftheFederalReserveBank,aBoardmemberoftheBatonRougeAreaFoundation,ChairmanofAdvanceBatonRouge,memberoftheForeverLSUcampaign,andaBoardmemberofthePenningtonMedicalFoundation.Sheisalsoapast-PresidentoftheRotaryClubofBatonRouge,formerChairmanoftheBatonRougeAreaChamber,andtheformerChairmanofSwinePalace.

ChristelearnedaBachelor’sdegreeinMarketing,andreceivedherdoctoratefromLouisianaStateUniversityinSystemsManagementandOrganizationalDesign.

Figure 2. Development cycle of leadership.


branch News

OnSeptember22-23,theNewOrleansBranchco-hostedthe20thAnnualLouisianaCivilEngineeringConferenceandShowwiththeNewOrleansChapterofACI.Thekeynotespeaker,GarretGraves,theExecutiveAssistanttotheGovernoronCoastalActivities,gaveaveryinterestingoverviewofthecurrentstateofthecoast,andtherecenteffortstoalleviatetheoilspilldamageandcoastalero-sion.Over550professionalsfromaroundthestateattendedtheshow, enjoying presentations on subjects including structures,geotechnical, transportation, project management, waterresources,materials,andethics.Almostsixtyexhibitorsalsopar-ticipated.

The following members will serve for the ASCE New OrleansBranchBoardforthe2010/2011year:

President-Meg Adams, PE

PresidentElect- Malay Ghose Hajra, PhD, PE

VicePresident-Jim Martin, PhD, PE

Treasurer-Steve Johns, PE

Secretary-Lee Alexander, PE

Directors-Reid Dennis, PE, Nathan Junius, PE, and Benjamin Cody, PE

TheNewOrleansBranchStructuresCommitteehostedaseminaronCodesforWoodConstructionandUpcomingChangesinWoodFrames Standards and Specifications. The speaker was VijayaGopu, PhD, PE, Professor and Endowed Chair at UNO, andCatherine Kaake, PE, CFM, of the Southern Forest ProductsAssociation.TheHerbRousselMarineSeminarwashostedbytheSEIOctober14thatUNO.

OurmostrecentYoungerMemberseventwasheldatZephyrFieldwherethegroupenjoyedabaseballgame,hostedbytheYoungerMemberChair,JennaAddis.

Please visit www.asceneworleans.org for upcoming events andnews.

As always the board is interested in hearing fromourmembersandencouragesyourinput.Youcanalwayscontactmeatmegad-ams@cox.netwithanyquestions,commentsorideashowwecanbetterserveourmembers.

NEw ORLEANS BRANChBy Meg Adams, PE, Branch President

Afteranenjoyablesummer,theShreveportBranchbeganthe2010-2011yearwithourSeptembermembershipmeeting.WesWychewith the City of Shreveport explained the city’s new EnergyManagementProgram. Thepresentationwaswellpresentedandproducedalotofquestionsfromourmembers.Inadditiontothepresentation,weheldourofficer installation. Theofficersof theShreveportBranchforthe2001-11yearare:

President-Matthew Redmon, EIPresidentElect-Scott Hughes, PEVicePresident-Dave Rambaran, PESecretary/Treasurer-Patrick Furlong, PE

Additionally, Iwould liketocongratulatethe2010ASCELouisianaSectionAwardRecipientsfromtheShreveportBranch.AzizSaber,PhD,PEofLouisianaTechwaspresentedtheEducatoroftheYearAwardandRobertAillet,PEwasinductedintotheLouisianaSectionWallofFame.

WeheldajointOctobermeetingwiththeShreveportLESchapter.Our speakers were Donna Sentell and Victoria Hatton from theLAPELS office in Baton Rouge. They work in the enforcementbranchofLAPELSandspoketoourgroupaboutethics.

In addition to our monthly meetings, we have several eventsplanned for this year. Our annual youngermember food drive isunderway. Donations will be given to the Providence House inShreveporttosupportthelessfortunatearoundtheholidays.WelookforwardtoagreatyearandifyouareintheShreveport/Bossierarea, please join us for our monthly meetings held on the thirdThursdayeachmonthattheUniversityClub.

ShREVEPORT BRANChBy Matt Redmon, EI, Branch President

Left to right: Dave Rambaran, PE, Patrick Furlong PE, Matt Redmon, EI, and Scott Hughes, PE.


Letmestartoutbysaying–GOTIGERS!–GOSAINTS!NowthatIgotthatoutofthewaylet’sseewhat’sbeengoingonaroundtheBatonRougeBranch.Iguessofmostsignificancetomeisthatthisis unfortunately my last President’sMessage. In September theBatonRougeBranch installed the newBoard ofDirectors for the2010-2011term.OurnewBoardisasfollows:

Board of Directors for 2010-2011 President–Adam Smith, PE PresidentElect–Clint Willson, PhD, PE VicePresident–Rudy Simoneaux, PE SecretaryTreasurer–Joey Coco, PE Director–Jason Manning, PE Director–Sam Amoroso, PhD, PE

Committee/Advisory Chairs LSUPractionerAdvisor–Sam Amoroso, PhD, PE

SUPractionerAdvisor–Alison Ford, PE YoungerMemberChair–Danielle Welborn, EI MembershipChair–Kirk Lowrey, PE

IwouldliketothankalloftheBranchofficersthathavecomebeforeme, especially Brant Richard, Bob Jacobsen and BillyWall. Theirtutelageandguidanceweredefinitelyhelpfulduringmyyearsonthe board. I would obviously like to thank themembers of theboard that have served with me over the past several years.Withoutthededicatedsupportofeachofthemthispastyeardefi-nitelywouldn’thavebeensosuccessful.

Here are just a few highlights:•WehostedthefirstfieldtriptotheJohnJamesAudubonBridgenearSt.Francisville,LA

• TheBranchreceivedaSPAGgranttohelpsupporttheScotlandville

BATON ROuGE BRANChBy Jeffrey L. Duplantis, PE, Branch President

continued on next page

TheBranchbeganthe2010-2011termwithourinstallationofofficersonAugust18th,2010atDon’sSeafood&SteakhouseinLafayette,LA.TheinstallationwasperformedbyE.RayDesormeaux,PE.TheBoardofDirectorsforthe2010–2011termare:

President–Shaun R. Simon, PEPresidentElect–Luke Hebert, PETreasurer–Randel Badeaux, PESecretary–Eric T. McClanahan, PEDirectoratLarge–Kimberly Landry, EI

Branch awardswere alsopresentedduring the luncheon. AwardRecipientswere:OutstandingCivilEngineer–E. R. DesOrmeaux, PE, PLSOutstandingYoungCivilEngineer–Shaun R. Simon, PEOutstandingYoungGovernmentCivilEngineer–Chris Carroll, PhD, EIWallofFameAward–Eugene M. Sellers, PE, PLSLifetimeAchievementAward–David S. Huval, PE, PLSEducatoroftheYear–Donald Hayes, PhD

The Acadiana Branch was honored to host the State SectionInstallationandAwardsmeetingonSeptember17th,2010atA laCarterestaurant inLafayette,Louisiana. Wewould liketoextendourappreciationtotheAcadianaBranchandStateSectionforyourgreatattendance.

WehavebeguntoplantheSpringConferencetobehostedApril14and 15, 2011 at the Cajundome Convention Center in Lafayette,Louisiana.WewillforwardinformationtotheSectionasitbecomesavailable. We are currently updating our website with the newboard,lookingtoaddpicturesofevents,andascheduleofourpro-posedyearly luncheon layoutwith locations,dates,speakers,andtopics.Weareintheprocessofpreparingour2010-11budgetandourAnnualReport.

WemetwiththeULLafayetteStudentChapteronSeptember7th.Theypreparedandpresentedabudget for theirneeds this FiscalYearandwearecurrentlyindiscussiononhowwecanbestassistthem.Thestudentchapterheldtheirannual“WelcomeBackBBQ”on September 13th for the students and alumni which was wellattended.

The ULL student chapter intends on attending the Deep SouthConferencenextspringatMississippiStateUniversitytoparticipatein the steel bridge competition and other activities. They havedeveloped a detailed plan for renovation of the “ASCE” roomoncampusandhavebegunthoserenovations.

We are going to meet with the McNeese Student Chapter inOctoberorNovember to review theirbudgetandofferourassis-tanceintheupcomingyear.WewouldliketobemoreinvolvedwithMcNeeseandfindawaytobridgethedistancebetweenus.

Finally, we look forward to awarding well-deserving Junior andSeniorstudentsfromboththeUniversityofLouisianaatLafayetteand McNeese State University for our ASCE Acadiana BranchAcademicScholasticAward&Scholarship.

ACADIANA BRANChBy Shaun R. Simon, PE, Branch President

Left to right: Randel Badeaux, PE, Luke Hebert, PE, Eric T. McClanahan, PE, and Shaun R. Simon, PE.


Student Chapter News

The 2009-2010 academic year was a busyonefortheMcNeeseStateUniversityASCEchapter. After participating in campus

homecoming activities and preparing fortheFEexaminthefall,membersstartedtofocus on conference in New Orleans and

otherspringevents.Inaddi-tion to constructing theannual concrete canoe, thechapter also competed inthesteelbridgecompetitionfor the first time in chapterhistory. McNeese was alsorepresented in the survey-ing, environmental, andmystery events. SeniorJennifer Hobbs also wonfirstplaceinthemeadpapercompetition. Inall, thecon-ference was an enjoyableexperience and memberslookforwardtoparticipatingagainnextspring.

TheMcNeese Chapter also participated intheannualEngineering WeekopenhouseinFebruary.Chaptermembersdemonstrat-ed several civil engineering concepts aspeople of the community, including hun-dredsofareahighschoolstudents,cametolearnmoreaboutthedepartmentandengi-neering ingeneral.Demonstrations includ-ed a presentation of various surveyinginstruments, fluid flowoverweirs, soil liq-uefaction,anddesignconceptsforthesteelbridge.

New officers were also elected for the 2010-2011 year. Officers include:President-Jada O’BlancVicePresident-Ben ClarkSecretary-Bridget VasquezTreasurer-Kris KellySenator-Milo Correa

MCNEESE STATE uNIVERSITYBy Ben Clark, Student Chapter Vice President

MiddlePre-EngineeringProgramEngineeringDesignChallenge• OurveryownYoungerMemberChair,DanielleWelborn,madeitintothe2010Engineer’sWeeknationaladvertisement(seepage24oftheFebruary2010issueofCivilEngineeringmagazine)

• TheBranchrevisedtheConstitutionandBylaws(thanksagaintoBillyWallforheadingupthiseffort)

Inconclusion,IwanttothankalloftheBatonRougemembershipforattendingourmonthlyluncheons.Yourinterest,interactionandfeedbackarealwaysgreatlyappreciated.Forthoseofyouwhoareinterestedinservingyourprofession,agreatfirststepisparticipa-tiononyourlocalASCEBoard.Iwouldliketoencourageeveryonetogetinvolvedandparticipateintheactivitieswehaveplannedandtobecomeactiveintheengineeringcommunity.Thanksagainforeveryonewhosupportedmeoverthepastyear, itwasafantasticexperience.

BATON ROuGE BRANCh continued

Left to right back: Jeff Duplantis, Sam Amoroso, Jason Manning, Clint Willson, and Adam Smith.Left to right front: Charlie Eustis, Rudy Simoneaux, and Joey Coco.

The McNeese ASCE chapter at the 2010 Deep South conference in New Orleans.

The Louisiana State University StudentChapter of American Society of CivilEngineers has been very busy holding bi-monthlymeetings. Theywill be participat-inginafooddrivefortheircommunityser-viceproject for the year. The fooddrive ispart of LSU homecoming week November8th-11th. They will construct a structurewith all of the donated items. All of thedonatedgoodswillgototheGreaterBaton

RougeFoodBank.ASCEatLSUisalsoplan-ningafieldtriptotheJohnJamesAudubonBridge before the end of the semester.Electionsforthenewofficersof2011willbeheld on November 11th at the last bi-monthlymeeting.

TheConcreteCanoeandSteelBridgeteamsarehardatworkdoingpreliminarydesigns.The Concrete Canoe is working with the

Louisiana Transportation Research Centerto develop amore workablemixture. TheSteelBridgeishardatworkdesigningtheirbridge tomeet the new rules and regula-tions.ASCEatLSUwouldliketothankoursupportersandsponsors.

LOuISIANA STATE uNIVERSITYBy Melissa Young, Student Chapter President


The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’sStudent Chapter kicked off its 2010-2011school yearwith the annual fall barbequeby welcoming 45 new members andannouncingitsnewlyelectedofficers:

President-Alison LognionVicePresident-Garrett NoelSecretary-Mallory ComeauxTreasurer-Heath MichelFundraisingChair-Andrew JuneauOutreachCoordinator-Harrison Hymel

There was a great turnout with over 110students, faculty, alumni, and local profes-sionalscomingtogethertomeetandsocial-ize. A50/50rafflewasheldtoraisefundsforthespringDeepSouthConference.Thechapterhostsbiweeklymeetings invit-ing local professionals, who recentlyreceived their professional license, to givepresentations on their experience in thecivil sub-disciplines. For thesecondmeet-

ing, Colby Guidry, PE, Huval & Associates,Inc. presented his work on numerous ofLouisiana bridges. Both Randel Badeaux,PE, WHC Incorporated Contractors, andShaun Simon, PE, Eustis Engineering, planto speak on construction methods andmanagementandgeotechnicalengineering,respectively. OnNovember8th, thechap-ter welcomed Chris Ursery, PE, FIGG

EngineeringGroup,whopresentedhisworkontheJohnJamesAudubonBridgeProject.

Withcommunityserviceasamaingoalforthis semester, a group of ASCE studentshave been visiting local middle schools tohelpwithmaintenanceandrepairs,aswellas constructing balsa wood bridges to beusedindemonstrationsforthehighschooland middle school Outreach Program,which isaimedatpromotingthechoiceofcollegeafterhighschooland the fieldcivilengineering.

Additionaleffortsofthechapterincludetheundergoing ASCE on-campus lounge reno-vations of freshly painted and additionallockers,asetofnewchairs,andanewcon-ferencetableandthefocusing itsprepara-tionsforthespringDeepSouthConference,especiallywiththediligentworkofthesteelbridgeteam,andanewfundraisingendeav-orofanon-campusbakesale.

uNIVERSITY Of LOuISIANA AT LAfAYETTEBy Alison Lognion, Student Chapter President

Alison Lognion, Student Chapter President and Colby Guidry.

Thisyearourchapter isexcitedtohaveanlarge increase in studentenrollment. Twoofthemainareasinwhichwearefocusingarecommunityservice,andguestspeakers.Currentlywe have a guest speaker set foreachschoolmonthand thus far theyhaveprovideduswithveryinsightfulandpracti-calinformation.Someofthecriteriaweareaskingofourspeakersistoensurethattheinformationwillnotbe“overtheheads”ofthe students, if they could include a littleinformationonhowtofindajob/internship,adviceontheFEandPE,andwhattoexpectwhenworkingasanengineer.

Hostinglastyear’sDeepSouthregionalcon-ference was a great experience for ourchapterandeveryoneinvolvedhadalotoffundoing it. Thisyearweare looking for-wardtobeingabletoinvestallofourtimeon the steel bridge and concrete canoecompetitionsandofcoursesettingthebarhighforourcompetition.

The 2010 - 2001 Officers and Staff members are as follows:President-Donald JerollemanVicePresident-Amy RobardsSecretary-Meagan Williams

Treasurer-Matt ZeringueDirectorofStudentAffairs-Jessica TitusWebmaster-Derek A. WoodsSGArep-Kadidia Diane Emmanuelle DayatoSteelBridgeCo-captain-Dustin RichardsSteelBridgeCo-captain-Chad LarkinsMediaTechnician-Mujahed Shalabi “MJ”WebMaster-Hung TranESLCrep-Kiet Vo

Formore information, please visit: http://orgs.uno.edu/asce/ or contact DonaldJerollemanat (504)606-5599orviaemail:[email protected].

uNIVERSITY Of NEw ORLEANSBy Donald Jerolleman, Student Chapter President

A 50/50 raffle was held to raise funds for the spring Deep South Conference. Annual fall barbeque.


ASCe-SeI New orleans Chapter NewsBy Om Dixit, PE, fASCE

ASCe-T&DI Louisiana Chapter NewsBy Karen holden, PE

SinceourreportinSeptember2010issueofthismagazine,ASCESEINewOrleansChapterhostedoneseminarandhasplannedthefol-lowingfutureseminarsinNewOrleans:

August 26, 2010 - ASD AND LRFD CODE FORWOOD CONSTRUC-TIONANDUPCOMINGCHANGESINWOOD-FRAMECONSTRUCTIONSTANDARDS/SPECIFICATIONS, Dr. Vijaya Gopu, PE and Catherine Marx Kaake, PE presentedthewooddesignseminar.Dr.Gopustart-edtheseminarwithgivingthebriefdescriptionofeachchapterofLRFDandASDWoodDesignCode(NationalDesignSpecificationsforWoodConstruction)code.

Future Seminars: Thefollowingdatesaretheprojectedseminardatesfor2010.TheexactdatesmaychangeduetotheavailabilityofthespeakersandUNOLectureroom.• November18-MarineDesignSeminar(SpeakerandTitletobedecided)• December9-MasonryCodeforWindDesign(Tentative)• January20-BridgeDesign(JohnKulicki,Modjeski&Masters)

ASCESEINewOrleansChapterhadachangeofofficers for2010-10. Mr.PawanGupta.,PE (URSCorporation)hasbeenelectedasChairmanandZolanPrucz,PE(Modjeski&Masters)isappointedasViceChairmanfor2010-11.JamesDanner,PEcontinuestoserveasTreasurerandOmDixit,PEcontinuestoserveasNewsletterEditor.TheoutgoingChairmanBillrushing,Jr.,PEdidgreatjobofleadingtheChapterduringthepastyear. Thechapterhosted6seminarsandprovidedpartial funding toUniversityofNewOrleans (UNO)StudentsforhostingtheSteelBridgeCompetition.ASCESEINewOr-leansChapteralsosponsoredtheACI2009FallConventioninNewOrleans (Nov.8-12,2009). Amongotheractivitiesof thechaptersponsoredawardsattheRegionalScienceFair,providedvolunteersupporttotheASCESponsoredKidTentatNewOrleansJazzFest.

The Chapter also sponsored New Orleans Regional Math CountcompetitionhostedbyLouisianaEngineeringSocietyeveryyear.

MoredetailsabouttheseseminarswillbepostedontheASCENewOrleansBranchwebsiteassoonastheyarefinalized.Thecommit-teeislookingforgoodtopicsandspeakersforfuturepresentations.MemberswithexpertiseinaboveareaswouldbewelcometojointheExecutiveCommittee. Foranysuggestionand informationonjoiningtheExecutiveCommittee,contactChairmanPawanGupta,PE,[email protected].

AllseminarsareheldattheUniversityofNewOrleans.Seminardates,pertinentinformation,andregistrationcanbefoundontheNewOr-leansBranchwebsiteatwww.asceneworleans.org.Toaddyournametoourmailinglist,[email protected].

September30,2010markedtheendofthefirstyearofoperationfor the ASCE-T&DI Louisiana Chapter. The Chapterwould like tothankour2009-2010officers: Mr.OmDixitwhoservedasChair-man,Ms.GayKnipperwhoservedasViceChairman,Mr.MilesBing-hamwhoservedasTreasurer,andMs.KarenHoldenwhoservedasourNewsletterEditor.

Officersforthe2010-2011yearwillbe:Ms.KarenHoldenwhowillserveasChairman,Ms.GayKnipperwhowill serveasViceChair-man,Mr.MilesBinghamwhowillserveasTreasurer,andMr.DanAucuttwhowillserveasourNewsletterEditor.

Theintentoftheinstituteistoprovidetrainingandnetworkingoppor-tunitiesforallprofessionalsinvolvedintransportationprojects.Train-ingseminarsaretwohoursinlengthandaretypicallypresentedfrom5:30-7:30pmineithertheNewOrleansorBatonRougearea.WeareopentohostingseminarsinadditionalcitiesintheStateifrequested.

Accomplishmentsinourfirstyearincludedplanningandpresenta-tionoftenprofessionaldevelopmentseminarscoveringthefollow-ingtopics:

• Design–BuildDelivery• NEPA:WhatDoIWishIhadKnownSooner?• DOTDProjectDeliveryStages:HighwayConstructionfromStarttoFinish• NewOrleansTransportationCenterandITS• DOTDTrafficImpactStudyPolicies• GreenHighwaysandGreenStreets:America’s21stCenturyInfra-structure

• LinkingRailSystemsinSELouisiana• AcceleratedConstructionProjectDeliveryMethods• HueyP.LongBridgeWideningProject• RoundaboutIntersectionSafetyandDesign

ASCET&DILouisianaChapterisplanningthefollowingfutureseminars:• Toll Road Feasibility for the LA1/I-10 Connector inWest BatonRougeParish

• HurricaneEvacuation• I-10TwinSpanStructure–ElevationDetermination

Ifyouwouldlikeaseminaronanyspecialtopic,pleasecontactKar-enHoldenatkarenholden@[email protected].

Speakers Dr. Vijaya (V.J.) Gopu (left), Catherine Marx Kaake (center) and the moderator Mike Choudhry at the SEI New Orleans Chapter seminar on Wood Design.


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December 3, 2010 Notification of status of SPAG applicationsDecember 3, 2010 Louisiana Section Board Meeting; 10:30am; Baton Rouge - Location TBADecember 3, 2010 Baton Rouge Branch Christmas Party; Bocage Country Club; TBADecember 31, 2010 ASCE National Dues payment deadline

JANuARy 2011January 3, 2011 Article deadline for February issue of Louisiana Civil Engineer JournalJanuary 14-15, 2011 Region 5 Leadership Conference; Portland, MaineJanuary 20-21, 2011 Joint Engineers Societies Conference; Holidome; Lafayette

FEBRuARy 2011February 4, 2011 Louisiana Section Board Meeting; New Orleans; Location - TBAFebruary 20-25, 2011 Engineer’s Week

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