89645 nov04 civil eng rev - lascekimberly d. landry, ei lafayette consolidated government...

Volume 13 • Number 1 November 2004

THE LOUISIANACIVIL ENGINEER

ACADIANA BRANCH • BATON ROUGE BRANCHNEW ORLEANS BRANCH • SHREVEPORT BRANCH

Journal of The Louisiana Section

LO

UIS

IANA SECTION

1914

Norma Jean Mattei, PESection President 2004-2005

INSIDE:Highlights of the Section

Annual Meeting and theLouisiana Civil EngineeringConference and Show

FEATURE:Municipal solid waste landfills

past, present and future

FINANCIAL:Save for college with

a 529 Plan

LAGNIAPPE:Community air monitoring

network

2 THE LOUISIANA CIVIL ENGINEER / NOVEMBER 2004

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PROFESSIONAL LISTINGS

The listing of your business card or larger presentation here with our other supporters to help subsidize The Louisiana Civil Engineer,the journal of the Louisiana Section, would be greatly appreciated. For information about listing rates and requirements,please direct inquiries to Kim E. Martindale, Telephone: (225) 379-1345 or e-mail: [email protected].

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THE LOUISIANA CIVIL ENGINEER / NOVEMBER 2004 3

THE LOUISIANA CIVIL ENGINEERCONTENTSPresident’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Municipal solid waste landfills past,

present and future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5News from the Branches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Highlights of the Section Annual Meeting

and the Louisiana Civil EngineeringConference and Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Student Chapter News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Save for college with a 529 Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Section News and Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Community air monitoring network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Editor’s Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Professional Listings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2, 26-27Services and Suppliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 28

LOUISIANA SECTION • AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

Louisiana Engineering Center • 9643 Brookline Avenue • Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809 • (225) 923-1662SECTION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PresidentNorma Jean Mattei, PE

University of New OrleansPresident-Elect

Kim E. Martindale, PELouisiana DOTD

Vice PresidentTimothy M. Ruppert, PE

U.S. Army Corps of EngineersSecretary-Treasurer

E.R. DesOrmeaux, PEE.R. DesOrmeaux, Inc.

Past PresidentBarbara E. Featherston, PE

Camp Dresser & McKeeDirectors-at-Large

J. Keith Shackelford, PEChenevert Songy Rodi Soderberg, Inc.

Ali M. Mustafa, PECity of Shreveport

Patrick J. Landry, PELouisiana DNR

Christopher G. Humphreys, PEProfessional Services Industries, Inc.

Assigned Branch DirectorsDaniel L. Bolinger, PE

DMJM+Harris, Inc.Thomas A. Stephens, PE

Stephens EngineeringBranch Directors

Kimberly Landry, EILafayette Consolidated Government

André M. Rodrigue, PEABMB Engineers, Inc.

Deborah D. Keller, PEPort of New Orleans

Kurt M. Nixon, PESmith and Raley, Inc.

SECTION TECHNICAL COMMITTEE CHAIRSGeotechnical

David P. Sauls, PELouis J. Capozzoli & Associates

StructuresAnthony F. Goodgion, PE

Linfield, Hunter & Junius, Inc.Environmental

Brant B. Richard, PEC-K Associates, Inc.

BRANCH OFFICERSAcadiana Branch

PresidentKimberly D. Landry, EI

Lafayette Consolidated GovernmentPresident-Elect

Dax A. Douet, PEC. H. Fenstermaker & Associates, Inc.

Vice PresidentM. Jamal Khattak

University of Louisiana – Lafayette

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE:Kim E. Martindale, PE, Chair (225) 379-1345Branch Presidents, MembersJames C. Porter, PE, Editor (225) 242-4556Yvette Weatherton, PE, Student Chapter News (225) 771-5870

PUBLISHER:Franklin Press, Inc., Baton Rouge, LAThe Louisiana Civil Engineer quarterly journal is an official publication ofthe Louisiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers with anaverage circulation of approximately 1900. The Section does not guaranteethe accuracy of the information provided, does not necessarily concur withopinions expressed, and does not claim the copyrights for the contents in thispublication. Please submit letters and articles for consideration to be pub-lished by facsimile to (225) 242-4552, by e-mail to [email protected], or by mail to the Publications Committee c/o James C. Porter,PE • 2608 Terrace Avenue • Baton Rouge, LA 70806-6868.

SecretaryJoseph P. Kolwe, Jr., EI

Huval and Associates, Inc.Treasurer

Clint S. McDowell, PESellers & Associates, Inc.

Past PresidentJohn E. Bosch, Jr., PE

Maritime International, Inc.Baton Rouge Branch

PresidentAndré M. Rodrigue, PE

ABMB Engineers, Inc.President-Elect

Thomas T. Roberts, PEWaskey Bridges, Inc.

Vice PresidentBrant B. Richard, PE

Shaw GroupSecretary-Treasurer

Robert W. Jacobson, PEURS Greiner Woodward Cycle

DirectorsGregory P. Sepeda, PE

Sigma Consulting Group, Inc.Adam M. Smith, EI

Owen and White, Inc.Stephen M. Meunier, PE

Louisiana DOTDPast President

David M. Burkholder, PELouisiana DNR

New Orleans BranchPresident

Deborah D. Keller, PEPort of New Orleans

President-ElectWilliam H. Sewell, Jr., PE

DPW City of New OrleansVice PresidentChristopher L. Sanchez, EI

Consoer Townsend Envirodyne Engrs., Inc.Secretary

Nathan J. Junius, EILinfield, Hunter & Junius, Inc.

TreasurerRonald L. Schumann, Jr., PE

DMJM+Harris, Inc.Directors

Benjamin M. Cody, PEEustis Engineering Company, Inc.

Mohammed Tavassoli, PEProfessional Services Industries, Inc.

Past PresidentChristopher G. Humphreys, PE

Professional Services Industries, Inc.Shreveport Branch

PresidentKurt M. Nixon, PE

Owen and White, Inc.

President-ElectAshley T. Sears, EI

Aillet, Fenner, Jolly and McClellandSecretary

Rusty L. Cooper, EIAlliance, Inc.

TreasurerElba U. Hamilton, EI

Aillet, Fenner, Jolly and McClellandPast President

C. Eric Hudson, PEAlliance, Inc.

BRANCH TECHNICAL COMMITTEE CHAIRSBaton Rouge

StructuresDanny J. Deville, PE

McKee & Deville Consulting Engineers, Inc.Geotechnical

Gavin P. Gautreau, PELouisiana Transportation Research Center

EnvironmentalStephen D. Fields, PE

Compliance Consultants, Inc.Water Resources

Morris SadeMiraj Envirotek, Inc.

ManagementMichael N. Dooley, PE

Sigma Consulting Group, Inc.Pipeline

Roy A. Waggenspack, PEOwen and White, Inc.

TransportationP. Brian Wolshon, PE

LSU Baton RougeNew Orleans

StructuresMark H. Gronski, PE

U.S. Army Corps of EngineersGeotechnical

William W. Gwyn, PEEustis Engineering Company, Inc.

Environmental and Water ResourcesDavid A. Cole, PE

Montgomery Watson Harza, Inc.STUDENT CHAPTERS IN THE LOUISIANA SECTION

Presidents/Faculty AdvisorsLSU Jason Duhon

P. Brian Wolshon, PELa. Tech Daniel Hill

Aziz Saber, PEMcNeese Nick Pestello

Janardanan (Jay) O. Uppot, PESouthern Kevin Cowan

Yvette P. Weatherton, PETulane Joe Simpson

John H. (Jack) Grubbs, PEULL Justin Peltier

Paul A. Richards, PEUNO Eric Dallimore

Gianna M. Cothern, PE

The Louisiana Section is located in ASCE Zone II, District 14.Zone II consists of Districts 6, 7, 9, 10 and 14. District 14 consistsof the Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia Sections.

Section Delegates to District 14 CouncilMiles B. Bingham, PE Timothy M. Ruppert, PE Ralph W. Junius, PEURS Greiner U.S. Army Corps Linfield, Hunter & Junius, Inc.Woodward Clyde of Engineers


President’s MessageNorma Jean Mattei, PE

It is an honor to assume the office ofPresident of the Section. As your President, Ican assure you that the new Section Board ofDirectors will strive to serve you well. I amexcited and confident to be leading our sectionand its board and committees to carry out itsday-to-day business. The new Board follows inthe tradition of many previous successfulboards.

I wish to thank the past Section and branchofficers and committee chairs for their service.It is because of them and their many volunteerhours devoted to the management of Section andbranch operations that the Section so vibrant andsuccessful today. These folks have given ofthemselves to better our profession without anythought of personal gain. I know that during mymore than 10-year association with the NewOrleans Branch and its Structures Committeeand my more recent involvement at the Sectionlevel, I have benefitted greatly. It is throughthese associations that I have come to meet andestablish long-term relationships with some veryfine individuals. I look forward to having thesevalued friends long after my tenure is over.

Now to the business of the Section... Youmay be wondering: Just what is this year’sBoard going to do? Let me outline the plannedfocus for this year’s Board for you. The Boardhas a primary responsibility to the Section’smembers to act as a liaison between them andthe ASCE National. Through this liaison, theSection is your collective voice, and this voicehas been pretty loud and clear (effective) con-cerning the issues of interest in the past. TheSection can boast that 2 National ASCEPresidents have come from its ranks - WalterBlessey and, more recently, Tom Jackson.

The Section’s voice is transmitted to thenational level via its representatives serving onthe District 14 Council and the District 14Director who represents the District and serveson the ASCE National Board. As you may beaware, the ASCE Constitution was amended inthe area of governance during the most recentnational election. The ASCE will no longer bepolitically subdivided into districts and theNational Board will no longer have districtdirectors. The National Board will be smaller,with representation from new, much largerregions that will replace the districts, the insti-tutes, and others. You can check out the make-up of the new board online at www.asce.org.However, many of the details have yet to besolidified, such as• How will the representatives from the

regions be selected for service on theNational Board?

• How long will their terms be?• How will these positions rotate within a

region?• What are the regions?

Let me assure you that the Section plans to havea voice in ironing out these details.

Another ongoing area of interest to theSection is the ASCE’s activities toward imple-menting its Policy Statement 465. This policy

states that the ASCE supports the concept of themaster’s degree or equivalent as a prerequisitefor licensure and the practice of civil engineer-ing at a professional level. Professional levelmeans practice as a licensed professional engi-neer. According to the policy, professional engi-neering licensure requires• a body of specialized knowledge (BOK) as

reflected by a combination of a baccalaure-ate degree and a master’s degree or equiva-lent

• appropriate experience and• a commitment to lifelong learning

This policy came into being several yearsago when I was serving on the New OrleansBranch Board. I still remember that this policystirred up heated debate among our membership.But today, I hear very little discussion in regardto the policy. Most people appear to have losttheir intense interest when it was discovered thatall current licensees will be grandfathered in.Some are just keeping an occasional eye on thisissue, because they expect that changes in licen-sure will take years and perhaps decades tocome to fruition. One reason is that state licens-ing boards will have to buy into the BOK andadopt the changes into theirs laws and rules.

When or if these changes occur, they willsurely affect the future of our profession. Theywill particularly impact the future character ofthe professional civil engineers who will becharged with serving the public welfare — ofcourse this is important. So the Section Boardwill serve as your watchdog. If changes aremade to the BOK or if substantial inroads madein expediting the policy’s implementation aheadof expectations, you will be kept informedthrough the Section and the branch leadership.Conversely, your opinions expressed on this andother matters will be communicated to theASCE National leadership through your Sectionand branch leadership.

On the Section level, the LegislativeCommittee has been very active. I am pleasedthat Thomas A. Stephens, PE, has agreed to con-tinue to serve as its Chair through this adminis-trative year. During the last session of theLouisiana Legislature, the Committee, in tan-dem with its counterparts in the LouisianaEngineering Society and the American Councilof Engineering Companies of Louisiana, waskey in killing several bills that would have neg-atively impacted our profession. For instance,House Bill 1342 attempted to remove engineersfrom the list of professions, whereby engineer-ing services would be awarded by competitivebidding rather than qualification-based selec-tion. Engineering services are in fact profes-sional services. As such, the quality of engi-neering services based on low price engineerselection would likely be compromised. This isnot in the public’s best interest because engi-neering services are intimately connected topublic health, safety and welfare. With theLouisiana DOTD experimenting with design-build contracting for several projects, thisCommittee’s work no doubt will remain an

important service.In the next few months, it is planned that the

Section’s website will be once again up and run-ning. This endeavor has had a series of unantic-ipated roadblocks that have decidedly stalledefforts to provide current Section news andinformation via the Internet. However, we arevery close once again to providing this service.Soon you will be able to access the Section’swebsite, www.lasce.com, and find current newsand information about the Section and branches,along with a listing of future events and severalother informative features. Please check thiswebsite out once it is operational. Your sugges-tions for improvements will be appreciated.

This year, I would particularly like to focuson outreach. Each branch has been very activewith various outreach efforts. Some of theseefforts focus on aiding civil engineering under-graduates, while others attempt to increase theawareness of K-12 students about civil engineer-ing as a career choice. For example, each yearthe Acadiana Branch purchases and distributesBuilding Big books to elementary and highschools in the Branch area. The Baton RougeBranch has often supported the LSU andSouthern ASCE Student Chapters and providedfunding for a summer program held annually atSouthern. For the past five years, the NewOrleans Branch has sponsored Box City in thechildren’s area at the Jazz and Heritage Festival.The Shreveport Branch has funded scholarshipsfor civil engineering students at Louisiana Tech.I would like to see this work continued andexpanded. The Board will continue to help fundthese efforts and encourage pursuing new ideas.

My last focus area is public awareness.Civil engineering is typically not a personalservice but a public, or business and industry,service. Consequently, I think it is safe to saythat individuals seldom if ever directly acquirecivil engineering services as the customer. Theydo not seek civil engineering services every fewyears like they do a physician’s for a check up.They cannot turn the television on and watch adrama series, New Orleans Engineer, or a reali-ty show, Engineer Swap. You can find plenty oftelevision drama about lawyers, doctors, police,and politicians. These venues give the generalpublic a perspective and a heightened awareness

(Continued on Page 11)


IntroductionEach day approximately 10,000 tons of

municipal waste are generated and thrown awayin Louisiana and must be disposed of safely. TheUnited States Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) and the Louisiana Department ofEnvironmental Quality use the term municipalsolid waste to refer to this large volume ofunwanted waste material that is thrown away.

Today civil engineers are responsible for sit-ing and designing the facilities to dispose ofmunicipal solid waste in a manner that is protec-tive of human health and the environment. Partof this challenge is the complication of dealingeffectively with the geology typical of a largeportion of the state of Louisiana — high ground-water and soft soils.

There is another complication to the dispos-al of municipal solid waste that can be far morechallenging than dealing with the geology ofLouisiana. Nobody in Louisiana wants a munic-ipal solid waste landfill in their community. Thispublic opposition has created an immense diffi-culty in obtaining the permits required formunicipal solid waste landfill sites. Those whoare old enough to remember the typical towndump where the waste was disposed of as late as20 years ago would not want one of these publicnuisances in the community today. It is on thisbasis that a poor public reception can be easilyexplained. Let us look at why this distant butstrong memory persists.

The pastPrior to the 1980s there were very simple,

and often neglected, regulations — inadequateby current standards — that specified how sitesthat were to receive municipal solid waste shouldhave been selected, designed and maintained.The consequences of inadequate regulation com-pounded by inadequate enforcement becomesobvious. Town dump sites were selected withconvenience and least cost as the main consider-ations with few regulatory constraints. Manymay recall an old abandoned gravel pit that wasbeing filled with waste, or the river-side lowlands just outside of town. They were simplyreferred to as the dump.

When the river flooded, our river-side low-land dump site would be improved with addi-tional space. The deposited waste was removedbecause the flood waters would lift it and the cur-rent would then convey a large volume of itdownstream. Those who can remember, vividlyrecall the overwhelming stench, the rodents, thefoul liquids, and the other undesirable aspects of

these dump sites. In more recent memory, thereis the knowledge gained from the frequent andoften disturbing news reporting contamination ofthe soil, ground water and surface waterresources caused by inappropriately locatedand/or managed dump sites. All of these awfulmemories and experiences are the unfortunateconsequences of the lack of adequate regulationscompounded by inadequate enforcement that ledto dump site selections in what often may havebeen the worst possible locations.

Gravel pits or depressions that result frommining sand and/or gravel, or borrow pits forexcavating select soils that are cut to a depthwhere more permeable soil conditions will notallow deeper excavation are examples of the poorchoices for dump site locations. They are sitesthat are typically abandoned and remain an eye-sore resulting in low property values. If theywere also conveniently located, they were strongcandidates for a waste dump site based on theprevious inadequate regulations and the lack oftheir enforcement. This practice resulted inmany dump sites being located within permeablesoils all across America. The resulting seriousconsequence was the conveyance of the contam-inants from the dump sites through the perme-able soils that led to the contamination of potableground water — often a source of drinking water.Another example is the location of dump sites inthe lowland areas along rivers and streams caus-ing surface water contamination that often ren-dered scenic rivers as little more than open sewerditches.

Also once lacking the standards that regulat-ed the type of industrial wastes and the methodsby which they could be disposed, many industri-al waste dumps in Louisiana were sited and oper-ated in a manner that provided an even greaterpotential for contamination than the municipalwaste dumps. Many of these industrial wastedumps were sited in the same indiscriminatemanner as were the municipal waste dumps.These dump sites accommodated the disposal ofchemical wastes that eventually reached the sur-face and/or the ground water resources in thearea adjacent to them. The results have beendevastating.

In Louisiana alone, millions of dollars havebeen spent just defining the extent of the con-tamination around the industrial and municipalwaste dump sites and beginning to clean up someof these sites. Unfortunately, due to the difficul-ties associated with the anticipated cleanup,many of these sites will be difficult to clean up inour lifetime.

The general public has become awareof the problems associated with industrial wastecontamination much in the same way it hasbecome aware of municipal waste contamination— through the media coverage of the past prac-tices and their consequences. This awareness isthe reason why the mere suggestion of siting amunicipal solid waste or chemical waste landfillin a new area brings out intense public apprehen-sion and opposition. It has been said that if youwant to replace community apathy with activism,try getting a landfill permitted.

AwarenessIn the 1970s there was a gathering awareness

in America of the potential for serious environ-mental degradation as the consequence of poorlandfill siting, design and management. Theresult of this gathering awareness was the initia-tive for corrective regulations that can be attrib-uted to many different origins. However, themost compelling origin for the corrective regula-tions can be attributed to the clichéd expression,Necessity is the mother of invention.

Louisiana led the way in the development ofthe regulations that were the precursor of thepresent-day regulations. Like many of the otherheavily industrialized states, Louisiana wasamong the first states to become aware of theserious negative consequences of indiscriminatewaste disposal. As a result, in the 1970s theEnvironmental Control Commission, a part ofthe Department of Natural Resources, was creat-ed to develop standards for — among otherthings — solid and hazardous waste disposal.This was a forward-thinking effort on the part ofLouisiana’s leadership to provide specific regula-tions that required low permeability soil linersbelow all areas of solid waste storage and dis-posal.

Regulatory interventionBy the 1970s, America’s post-World War II

Municipal solid waste landfillspast, present and futureBy Victor R. Donald, PE

Victor R. Donald earned his BS in civil engineering from LSU in 1979 and his MS in civil engineering from LSU in 1982. Donald became a licensedcivil engineer in Louisiana in 1984 and has since become a licensed environmental engineer in Louisiana and a licensed professional engineer inMississippi. He has practiced geotechnical engineering for over 25 years in private practice and he is currently a principal with the firm AquaterraEngineering, LLC. Donald is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Louisiana Engineering Society and the American Council ofEngineering Companies of Louisiana.

Editor’s note: This article is based on the presentation Donald made during the 2004 Louisiana Civil Engineering Conference and Show by the sametitle.


population had grown tremendously to over 200million souls. For the cities, this explosivegrowth in population was further exacerbated bythe migration of the population from the ruralfarming communities to the urban areas. Thiscaused exponential growth concentrated in theurban areas with greater population density.America was a prosperous nation, and as such,its citizens had long become accustomed to theconvenience of disposable products, containers,etc. to the extent that we dubbed ourselves thedisposable society. The result of these trendswas a huge increase in — and concentration of— waste that had to be disposed of in the rela-tively small urban setting.

Also, post-World War II prosperity inAmerica resulted in huge growth in chemicalproduction and petroleum refining capacity.With this increased capacity, industrialized areaswere generating record volumes of waste prod-uct. The essentially free disposal of industrialwaste created no incentive to minimize the wastegenerated. The public began to appreciate theconsequences of unbridled industrial waste gen-eration and disposal and to anticipate exposure toeven greater problems in the future. These con-ditions combined to create obvious and serioushealth risks and environmental contaminationleading to the outcry for more stringent regula-tions. This was closely followed by new regula-tions with restrictions to better protect our healthand environment — land, air and water.

Federal regulationThe Federal government began to set similar

standards with the Resource Conservation andRecovery Act, that was originally established in1976. This legislation called for a cradle-to-grave methodology to control environmentaldegradation caused by land disposal of wastes.The initial priority of the Resource Conservationand Recovery Agency (RCRA) included indus-trial and hazardous wastes. In 1980, the RCRA• established methods to minimize waste

• introduced standards for land disposal and• reduced the effects of existing environmental

impact caused by previous hazardous wastedisposal.In 1991, Subtitle D of the Resource

Conservation and Recovery Act regulationsaddressed municipal solid waste landfills.Although these regulations gave specific author-ity to the individual states, they set• minimum criteria for landfill location• design standards• management and closure standards, and• financial assurance.

These regulations required Louisiana toupdate existing solid waste landfill regulations,and in 1994 the regulations that are now beingused in Louisiana were introduced. A significantresult of these new regulations is the reduction inthe number of landfills and an increase in theirsize. The town dumps have been replaced byregional landfills.

The PresentThe locations of today’s municipal waste

landfills are the result of careful siting studiesand they are carefully engineered with• excavations• liners• leachate collection and treatment systems,

and• interim and final cover systems

that are designed to be consistent with theirplanned use and management. A concept ofcomposite (clay and synthetic) liners, combinedwith a leachate collection system designed toprevent the buildup of hydrostatic head on theliner system is an example of the redundant —belt and suspenders — system approach to envi-ronmental protection. These measures are incombination with an elaborate waste screeningand handling program that includes• the strict restriction of liquid and hazardous

wastes• the placement of daily cover and

• the construction of an impermeable finalcap.

Together, they create a system of preventativemeasures that are consistent with the plannedmanagement of the typical waste landfill. Thesemeasures essentially eliminate the potential forthe contamination of the ground and surfacewater that was common and that many in thepublic experienced and remember prior to the1980s.

Landfill constructionToday’s landfill cell is a unit of a waste land-

fill constructed to receive and safely contain andstore waste. It is typically about 5 to 10 acres inarea and connected to previously constructedcells by carefully connecting each component ofthe adjacent liners and leachate collection sys-tems. Landfill cells of this size are typically andcommonly constructed as needed every 1 to 2years at landfills that receive waste at a rate ofapproximately 500 to 1000 tons per day.

Landfill linerThe design requirements for a landfill liner

typically includes a recompacted clay liner that isoverlain with high density polyethylene (HDPE)geomembrane liner that is placed in intimatecontact with the clay liner. The clay liners areconstructed as shown in Figure 1 with carefullyselected clay soils placed and compacted toachieve low permeability conditions. This isaccomplished by placing the clay soils in 6" liftsand compacting them under stringent qualitycontrol conditions to verify an effective barrier tothe movement of liquids is achieved.

The quality control process associated withclay liner construction always includes continu-ous observation of its construction and extensivelaboratory and field testing of its completed sec-tions such as the nuclear density test being per-formed by an engineering technician as shown inFigure 2 to verify compliance of the clay with thespecified density and its related permeability

Figure 2. Engineering technician performs a nuclear density test on thecompacted clay liner as part of the quality control program for its perme-ability.

Figure 1. The clay liner is being compacted for a landfill cell.


requirements that are specified in the landfillpermit.

The completed clay liner is immediatelyoverlain with a carefully placed HDPE liner thatis welded to the adjacent liner as shown in Figure3. Together the clay and the HDPE liners form acomposite liner system. Each panel of HDPEonce carefully placed on the clay liner and weld-ed to the adjacent HDPE liners form an imper-meable barrier.

The HDPE geomembrane installation pro-gram also includes a stringent quality controlprogram to reasonably assure that the installedmembrane materials used meet the minimumspecifications that include• the methods of placing• welding to form a good bond, and• the liner condition (undamaged) during and

subsequent to installation.The quality control test for the liner seam weld isshown being performed in Figure 4 where theseam is subjected to pressurized air. The seam iscarefully observed to make sure that it sustains

the specified air pressure that otherwise wouldindicate an inferior seam weld.

Leachate collection systemA leachate collection system is installed over

the composite liner system to provide a meansfor the rapid collection and removal of the liq-uids that may percolate through the waste massplaced on the composite liner and that may con-tain constituents harmful to the environment.These liquids are referred to as leachate. Theleachate collection system is usually a combina-tion of a sand layer that is placed on and coversthe entire composite liner system that is slopeddownward toward a leachate collection trenchwhich contains a perforated, HDPE pipe sur-rounded by a gravel field. The leachate collec-tion trench itself also slopes downward to a sumpwhere a pump is installed to remove the leachatecollected.

A typical leachate collection sump design isshown in the drawing in Figure 5. A completedmunicipal solid waste landfill cell that is ready to

receive waste is shown in Figure 6 with theleachate collection sand placed on the compositeliner system that is sloped downward to theleachate collection trench that is also slopeddownward to the sump in the background.

The regulations require the leachate drainageand collection system to be designed such that ahead of no more than 30 cm of leachate canoccur over the composite liner system. Thisdesign head is estimated by using the local rain-fall records and evaporation information, esti-mates of the anticipated permeability of thewaste material to be deposited and the specificgeometric design of the leachate drainage andcollection system.

Landfill management and closureWaste placement is a carefully regulated

process. Its placement activities are confined toas small an area as it is possible, and it isrequired that the waste deposited must be cov-

Figure 4. Once the seams of the adjacent HDPE liners are welded, thequality control test being performed on the welded seam includes theseam successfully sustaining a specified air pressure.

Figure 3. High density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane liner is imme-diately placed over the completed clay liner to form the composite linersystem.


Figure 6. A nearly completed landfill cell with the sand layer placed ontop of its composite liner system. The composite liner system drains tothe leachate collection trench (left foreground) that in turn drains to thesump located in the background.

Figure 5. A drawing showing typical leachate collection sump details.


News from the Branches

BATON ROUGEBy André M. Rodrigue, PE, President

As we head into the fall months of 2004, theBranch leadership is excited about the upcomingevents planned. In October, the Branch willjointly host a membership meeting and luncheonwith the Baton Rouge Chapter of the LouisianaEngineering Society. The featured topic for thismeeting will be ethics that has always been a hotitem of discussion in the past. Moving intoNovember, we will welcome Fred Raiford, EastBaton Rouge Parish Public Works Director, asour keynote speaker. His presence is guaranteedto draw a large attendance of members becauseour local DPW plays such a crucial role not onlyon our professional lives but also our personallives. Immediately following this meeting aGeotechnical seminar will be offered worth 1PDH.

At the end of the calendar year, the Branchwill host its annual Christmas Party at the

Bocage Racquet Club on the night of December3. Unlike the monthly luncheons, this function ispurely social and festive. It is a time for mem-bers to bring their significant others with them tointermingle with fellow members as we celebratethe holidays. The younger members are espe-cially encouraged to attend this event and takeadvantage of the networking experience withother members.

The expeditious planning of these futureevents was made possible by the smooth transi-tion from the previous and current Branch Board.I am very grateful for the guidance provided andthe efforts made by David Burkholder, ourBranch president for the past year. David’s termas Branch president was epitomized by the suc-cess of the last two Branch membership meet-ings. One was the Mayoral Candidate Forumheld in August — a major effort that involved

months of planning and participation with otherprofessional and technical societies. Theseefforts led by David came to fruition with all themajor candidates in the race for East BatonRouge City-Parish Mayor-President attendingthe meeting to discuss the issues presented. Atour last scheduled luncheon in September, BlaiseM. Carriere, PE, Assistant to the LouisianaDOTD Secretary for Policy, discussed new busi-ness practices at the DOTD and sparked numer-ous questions from the large crowd of memberswho attended.

Beyond the new year the Branch plans tobecome more involved with the local universities— LSU and Southern. It also plans to continueto offer outstanding speakers and subjects duringthe membership meeting luncheons and a chanceto earn PDHs through technical seminars.

André M. Rodrigue Tommy Roberts Brant Richard

Greg Sepeda Steve Meunier David BurkholderAdam Smith



ACADIANABy Kimberly Landry, EI, President

The Branch kicked off the 2004-2005administrative year a little early this year by co-hosting a 4-hour seminar in partnership withCoastal Culvert & Supply, Inc. of Eunice,Louisiana. The seminar, held September 8, 2004at the Best Western Hotel Acadiana, presentedinformation pertaining to storm drainage prod-ucts, bridge solutions, and erosion control mate-rials. Both Coastal Culvert & Supply and theBranch were overwhelmed by the fantasticresponse and would like to jointly thank all those

who were in attendance for their participation.The 2004-2005 Branch Board of Directors

was installed during the Branch membershipmeeting on September 22nd. The officers on theBoard of Directors are• Kimberly D. Landry, EI, President• Dax Douet, PE, President-Elect• M. Jamal Khattak, PE, Vice President• Joseph P. Kolwe, Jr., EI, Secretary• Clint S. McDowell, PE, Treasurer• John E. Bosch, Jr., PE, Past President

The new officers welcomed to the Boardwere Joe Kolwe and Clint McDowell. On behalfof the Board of Directors, I would like to thankPatrick J. Landry, PE, Director at Large, for per-forming the installation ceremony.

The Branch is looking forward to hosting the2005 ASCE Louisiana Section Annual SpringMeeting and Conference. Details are still beingworked out. Please periodically check out ourwebsite www.asceacadiana.net and this maga-

Kim Landry Dax Douet Jamall Khattak Clint McDowell

The September Branch membership meet-ing marked the beginning of the new term inactive service for our branch officers who wereinstalled during the Branch’s Annual SpringGolf Tournament held in June. The Branch offi-cers for the 2004-2005 administrative year are• Kurt M. Nixon, PE, President• Ashley T. Sears, EI, President-Elect

• Elba U. Hamilton, EI, Treasurer• Rusty L. Cooper, EI, Secretary and• C. Eric Hudson, PE, Past President

The Branch’s Annual Spring GolfTournament was a success again this year and itwas enjoyed by all who participated. As in pastyears the Branch was able to raise enoughmoney from the net proceeds to make available

two scholarships to Louisiana Tech civil engi-neering students. These scholarships will beawarded during the Winter Banquet of theLouisiana Tech ASCE Student Chapter.

On behalf of the Branch, I would like tooffer a very special thanks to Ben Humphries

SHREVEPORTBy Kurt M. Nixon, PE, President

Kurt Nixon Ashley Sears Elba Hamilton Rusty Cooper




NEW ORLEANSBy Deborah Ducote Keller, PE, President

The Branch began its new administrativeyear this fall with the launch of a promotionalvideo production to be aired in the New Orleansarea on WWL television, Channel 15. The com-mercial will be repeated several times a day overa period of several months. It features localASCE members demonstrating what civil engi-neers do.

The elected officers and directors of theBranch were installed during the Section AnnualMeeting and Awards Banquet hosted by theBranch. The following are the Branch officersand directors who will serve on the BranchBoard of Directors for the 2004-2005 adminis-trative year.• Deborah Ducote Keller, PE, President• William H. Sewell, Jr., PE, President-Elect• Christopher L. Sanchez, EI, Vice President• Ronald L. Schumann, PE, Treasurer• Nathan J. Junius, EI, Secretary• Benjamin M. Cody, EI, Director• Mohammmad Tavassoli, PE, Director• Christopher G. Humphreys, PE, Director and

Past President

The members of the Branch who volunteerto serve their fellow Branch members as its offi-cers, directors, and committee chairs are trulydedicated to our profession and committed toproviding quality volunteer service. Their ser-vices actually go well beyond the Branch and theSection membership since they extend to — andare used by — many other civil engineers in ourcommunity who attend the Branch-sponsoredseminars and conferences. Theirs is no smalleffort considering the quality technical seminarsconducted throughout the year that are organizedand presented by the technical committees, thesupport provided to the University of NewOrleans and Tulane University ASCE studentchapters, the community outreach efforts that areextended throughout the year, and, in particular,the outstanding Louisiana Civil EngineeringConference and Show that provides a significantcontinuing education and professional develop-ment opportunity for civil engineers at a veryaffordable price.

The Louisiana Civil Engineering Conferenceand Show is produced annually as a joint effort

by the Branch and the Louisiana Chapter of theAmerican Concrete Institute. The Branch ASCEco-chair for the 2005 Conference is RonaldSchumann. The wide array of excellent technicalseminars presented during this 2-day conferenceallows licensed engineers the opportunity to earnup to 12 professional development units towardthe requirement to maintain their Louisiana engi-neering license. The host committee for theConference meets monthly for a year to plan andorganize this event. The net proceeds from theConference provide funds to the Branch that sup-port its programs such as the previously dis-cussed television commercial, radio commer-cials, a children’s booth at JazzFest, and partici-pation in New Orleans science fairs and othercommunity outreach projects that promote civilengineering.

The 2004 Conference held September 9thand 10th and housed in the facilities of thePontchartrain Center in Kenner exceeded ourexpectations in both attendance and the qualityof the technical presentations and vendor

Deborah Keller William Sewell Chris Sanchez Nathan Junius

Ronald Schumann Ben Cody Chris Humphreys



The Structures Committee had anotheractive year, presenting seminars, supporting localengineering fairs and projects, and co-producinga video aired on WWL Channel 15 News. Thecommittee sponsored 6 seminars during the2003-2004 administrative year. A brief descrip-tion of these seminars follows:• Vortex induced vibrations VIV. (2003Offshore Seminar) presented by Dale Ramsey,PE, of New Orleans and Bala Padmanabhan ofHouston, Texas on October 9, 2003. The semi-nar informed participants of a relatively newconsideration of a phenomenon that affectsfloating structures in the Gulf of Mexico andother offshore areas. “VIV” is a significantdesign load condition caused by loop/eddy cur-rents, that when not addressed during the designphase has forced platform operators to resort toexpensive, remedial measures. The presentersdiscussed design methods and solutions.Tendons on existing tension leg platforms andmooring systems for SPARS where used asexamples.• Liquid containing concrete structures pre-sented by David Kittridge, PE, of Maitland,Florida on December 3, 2003. The basis of thisseminar was the new ACI publication, CodeRequirements for Environmental EngineeringConcrete Structures, ACI 350-01. The 3 mainingredients for a properly designed concretetank; material specifications, reinforcing steeldesign and the details were presented. The dif-ference in criteria between concrete tanks andbuildings was stressed. The importance of lim-iting cracks and the methods to do so were dis-cussed as was the proper detailing.• International Building Code (IBC) withapplicable foundation amendments, presentedby Subhash Kulkarni, PE of Metairie on January29, 2004. The City of New Orleans now usesthe IBC as the basis for the City Building Code.The City amended the IBC to address regionalconditions mostly concerning its unique founda-tion issues. The presenter — a member of thecommittee that developed the amendments —concentrated on the foundation aspects of theCity Building Code and specifically addressedthe variances made in the IBC for it.• Legal responsibilities of structural engineers(Annual David Hunter Lecture), presented byThomas L. Jackson, PE, and Richard E. King ofNew Orleans on March 31, 2004. Theyaddressed the responsibilities of the structuralengineer from the perspective of an engineerand a lawyer. Case histories such as the KansasCity Hyatt disaster were used to support theirtheses. The huge responsibility of structuralengineers for property and human life that maybe lost in the event of a structural failure wasstressed throughout the presentation.• Finite element analysis and modeling, pre-sented by Kenneth Will of Georgia Tech;Atlanta, Georgia on April 29, 2004. A basicunderstanding of finite element theory was pre-sented followed by a discussion of many of thebasic assumptions that are made. Examples ofproblems that are often encountered duringmodeling were provided and the interpretation

of the results of finite element analysis was dis-cussed. Common modeling errors were dis-cussed as were the future trends in finite ele-ment software.• What’s new in wind loading codes and stan-dards presented by Marc Levitan of LSU; BatonRouge on May 20, 2004. His presentation cen-tered on ASCE 7 and major revisions made to itsince 1995. He reviewed and attempted to sim-plify recent changes in wind loading codes anddiscussed the wind provisions of ASCE 7 andthe International Building Code. He explainedthe relationship between code-specified windspeed and the wind speed associated with theSaffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale. He also dis-cussed the future proposed changes in windloads that are expected in the next few years andhow they will impact design codes.

The Structures Committee currently has twoseminars scheduled for the 2004-2005 adminis-trative year:• 2004 Offshore Seminar, November 17, 2004• Post Tensioned Slabs, December 9, 2004

All seminars sponsored by the Committeeare held on the campus of the University of NewOrleans. Their dates and other pertinent infor-mation including credit card registration can befound on the New Orleans Branch website atwww.ascceno.org. To add your name to theStructures Committee mailing list, e-mail MarkGonski, [email protected] Committee is always interested in proposednew topics and speakers. Please forward anyrecommendations you may have to Om Dixit,[email protected].

The Structures Committee joined with theNew Orleans Branch to develop a televisioncommercial that is airing on WWL Channel 15Newswatch in the Greater New Orleans area.The commercial promotes civil engineering andencourages young students to consider civilengineering as a viable career opportunity.WWL produced the video for which Branchmembers furnished the input. WWL has provid-ed the viewing schedule and it is available by e-mail request to Mark Gonski. The video willeventually be loaded onto the Branch website,asceno.org, next month.

The Branch Structures Committee plans tocontinue its support of MATHCOUNTS and theregional science fairs to which the committeeprovides judges, monetary awards and donationsto both. Committee member Norma Jean Mattei,PE, organized the annual ASCE involvement atthe New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival heldat the Fairgrounds. The activity attempts to fos-ter an understanding of civil engineering inyoung students. The Structures Committee isnow considering joining the StructuralEngineering Institute (SEI) while retaining affil-iation with the New Orleans Branch.

The Committee elected its new leadership.The officers for 2004-2005 are:• Om Dixit, PE, Chairman• James Danner, PE, Treasurer• Tom Smith, PE, Vice-Chairman• Mark Gonski, PE, Editor

The Structures Committee has 14 members

New Orleans Branch Structures Committee 2004 Annual ReportBy Mark Gonski, PE

(Continued from Page 4)

of these professions, albeit often a skewed one.A few years ago the Acadiana Branch had a

30-second commercial about civil engineeringprofessionally produced and ran it in publicservice slots on local television. Their objectivewas to increase public awareness of civil engi-neering as a great career choice, so it targetedkids. The New Orleans Branch and itsStructures Committee together have recentlycreated a commercial targeting adults. MarkGonski chaired the committee that diligentlyworked on developing this commercial. It ispresently running in the metro New Orleans areaon Cox Cable’s WWL Channel 15 rebroadcast.Please view it if you get the chance and let meknow what you think by email [email protected].


The following are the Branch officers anddirectors who will serve on the Branch Board ofDirectors for the 2004-2005 administrative year:• André M. Rodrigue, PE, President• Thomas T. Roberts, PE, President-Elect• Brant B. Richard, PE, Vice President• Robert W. Jacobsen, PE, Secretary-

Treasurer• Gregory P. Sepeda, PE, Director• Adam M. Smith, EI, Director• Stephen M. Meunier, PE, Director• David M. Burkholder, PE, Past President


zine in the upcoming months for more informa-tion as the plans are developed.

The Branch is pleased to note that theUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette ASCEStudent Chapter plans to host the 2005 DeepSouth Conference April 7-9, 2005. The DeepSouth Conference — a regional organization ofstudent chapters — has expanded over the yearsto include 13 student chapters representing all ofthe universities in Louisiana with student chap-ters and some of the universities with studentchapters from 3 adjacent states. Activitiesplanned for the Conference include concretecanoe, steel bridge, environmental engineering,asphalt pigeon and land surveying competitions.

We would like to encourage all Sectionmembers to consider lending a helping hand tothis enthusiastic group of students by volunteer-ing as an event judge or by becoming aConference sponsor. Please contact Paul A.Richards, PE, at [email protected] and seethe Chapter’s news entry in this issue for moreinformation.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

and recently added a new member, MikeChoudhry, PE. Mike is an accomplished con-sultant and very active in the AmericanConcrete Institute.


District 14 Director Dennis Truax installs Section and New Orleans Branch officers during theSection Annual Meeting in New Orleans. From the left the New Orleans Branch officers areMohammad Tavassoli, Nathan Junius, Ronald Schumann, Chris Sanchez, Bill Sewell and DeborahKeller; and the Section officers are Norma Jean Mattei, Kim Martindale, Tim Ruppert, RayDesOrmeaux, Chris Humphreys and Daniel Bolinger.

President Barbara Featherston presents a com-memorative plaque to Chris Sanchez for theSection Outstanding Young Civil Engineeraward.

President Featherston receives a plaque com-memorating her service as Section Presidentfrom incoming Section President Norma JeanMattei.

President Featherston receives a past presi-dent’s pin from incoming president NormaJean Mattei.

Highlights of the Section Annual Meeting and the Louisiana Civil EngineeringConference and Show

The 2004 Louisiana Civil EngineeringConference and Show was held September 9thand 10th in the facilities of the PontchartrainCenter in Kenner. This annual event is spon-sored jointly by the New Orleans Branch andthe Louisiana Chapter of the AmericanConcrete Institute.

The 2004 Conference surpassed all previ-ous conferences with an attendance exceeding600 registered participants. It was deemed ahuge success that is attributed to the interestdemonstrated by the engineering communityand the Conference sponsors in response to theopportunities provided by the large variety ofexhibitors and the quality technical sessions.There were approximately 35 exhibitors and 25local engineering firms that sponsored theConference.

Though a Branch-sponsored event, theConference has become a Section-wide eventwith registrants from New Orleans, BatonRouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Shreveport.The technical sessions presented during theConference that are attended by licensed engi-neers in Louisiana qualify for professionaldevelopment units required by the LouisianaProfessional Engineering and Land SurveyingBoard for them to earn to maintain their licen-sure in Louisiana. The 2-day Conference pro-vided the opportunity for them to earn up to 12professional development hours at a very rea-sonable cost. The technical session topics cov-ered a broad spectrum of technical and profes-sional interests including civil, structural, envi-ronmental and geotechnical engineering, designcodes, surveying, and ethics.

The Conference continues to be a successbecause of the efforts of a dedicated committeethat was chaired this year by William H. Sewell,Jr., PE. This committee meets regularly for 11months and collectively contributes hundreds ofhours of work to produce the high quality con-

ference that we have come to expect over thepast 14 years. Members of the 2004Conference committee included• Gustave S. Cantrell, PE

Exhibitors/Accounting• Stephen C. Bourg, PE

Registration• Norman Jean Mattei, PE

Exhibitors and Door Prizes• Frank C. McCaskell, PE

Website and Publicity• Christopher L. Sanchez, EI

Treasurer• Harry Stinchcomb, Jr.

Catering and Banquet• William W. Gwyn, PE

Sponsors

• Thomas M. Smith, PEACI Co-Chair

• Ryan C. KoenigTechnical Program and SpeakersPlanning for the 2005 Louisiana Civil

Engineering Conference and Show will beginsoon. The Conference committee that has donesuch a great job over the past several years willlargely remain intact under the leadership of the2005 Chairman, Christopher L. Sanchez, EI.

The evening of September 10, 2004 follow-ing the Conference, the New Orleans Branchhosted the Section Annual Meeting and AwardsBanquet that features the installation of Sectionand New Orleans Branch officers. The eventwas held in the facilities of the New OrleansCountry Club and it was attended by approxi-


Ralph Junius accepts the Section OutstandingCivil Engineer award.


mately 75 members and their guests. The offi-cers and directors of the New Orleans Branchwho were previously elected were installed withthe Section’s officers and directors by District 14Director, Dennis D. Truax, PE. The installationceremonies are a required part of the agenda ofthe Section Annual Meeting.

Several members of the New OrleansBranch received Section awards during the

Annual Meeting. They include Ralph W.Junius, Jr., PE, who received the Section awardfor Outstanding Civil Engineer, Herbert J.Roussel, Jr., PE, who received the Section awardfor Lifetime Achievement, Christopher L.Sanchez, EI, who received the Section award forOutstanding Young Civil Engineer and David A.Wagner, PE, who received the Section award forOutstanding Government Civil Engineer.

exhibits. The evening following the conclusionof the Conference, the Branch hosted theSection’s Annual Meeting and Awards Banquetin the facilities of the New Orleans CountryClub. It was well attended by Branch membersand Section members visiting from otherbranches and their guests. The Section andBranch officers and directors who will serve ontheir respective boards during the administrativeyear that began at the conclusion of the AnnualMeeting were installed as part of the business ofthe Annual Meeting.

As part of the service to its members, theBranch will continue to host membership meet-ing luncheons with featured speakers and pro-grams throughout the year to provide an oppor-tunity for its members to network and, mostimportantly, to get updated with timely profes-sional, technical and community issues that canbe presented within the time constraints of theluncheon meeting format. In addition, theBranch Structures Committee that has been his-torically composed of a very active group ofmembers who are keenly interested in structuralengineering will continue to share their enthusi-asm with other structural engineers in the com-munity by organizing and hosting in-depth tech-nical seminars held in the evenings during theyear. (The Committee’s 2004 annual report is inthis issue.) Om Dixit will be leading this effort.

The Branch Younger Members Committee,chaired this year by Jonathan E. Hobbs, EI, plansseveral events geared toward its constituents, the

members under 35 years old. The Committee’splanned events include socials, community out-reach activities and mentoring programs with theparticipation of the Branch’s more experiencedmembers.

Information about — and registration for —the many Branch activities planned this year willbe posted on the Branch website —www.asceno.org — as they are scheduled. TheWebsite Chair is Frank C. McCaskell, PE. Linksfor the Branch officers, directors, and committeechairs are provided on the website for easy con-tact.

I am looking forward to another great yearworking with the officers, directors, committeechairs and the membership of the Branch. As weshare and continue to build a common vision ofthe potential of the civil engineering professionthrough our ASCE membership and active par-ticipation, my goal this year is to solidify thisvision in part. I hope to encouraging our mem-bers to focus on developing their leadershipskills so that our role as civil engineers in thecommunity is transformed. How? We wouldseek to become proactive community leaderswho can, and do, effectively contribute toimproving the quality of life in our communitiesthrough effective participation and sound engi-neering practice. I believe that only when we ascivil engineers become effective participants inour communities will we be truly appreciated forthe problem-solving talents we possess andapply to better our communities.


with Delta Process Equipment who was the fea-tured speaker for the September membershipmeeting. Ben came over from Ruston on a veryshort notice to substitute for the original fea-tured speaker who was unable to attend as aresult of Hurricane Ivan. Ben presented anexcellent technical session for those of us inattendance. It was titled Sewer Pump StationDesign & Application.

The October Branch membership meeting isscheduled to be held in the facilities of thePetroleum Club and it will be a joint meetingwith Shreveport Chapter of the LouisianaEngineering Society. The featured speaker willbe State Representative Mike Powell, whoserves on the House Transportation, Highwaysand Public Works Committee. He will presentan update on state transportation projects.

In conclusion and on behalf of the Branch, Iwould like to thank C. Eric Hudson, PE, for hisefforts during the last administrative year in ser-vice as the President of the Branch. Eric did agreat job in coordinating the Section AnnualSpring Conference hosted by the Branch. Healso planned some of the informative technicalpresentations for the Branch membership meet-ings and recruited a couple of dedicated newBranch officers.

Lifeline Engineering:Thomas Sowell in his op-ed column appear-

ing in the Baton Rouge The Advocate (12/31/03)observes that

“Within a week of each other... an earth-quake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale inCalifornia and a 6.6 earthquake in Iran... thehuman costs were enormously different....

“The deaths in Iran have been counted in thetens of thousands. In California, the deaths didnot reach double digits....”

Based on this observation, he cobbles astrong thesis that

“Wealth enables homes, buildings and otherstructures to be built to withstand greater stress.Wealth permits the creation of modern trans-portation that can quickly carry people to med-ical facilities. It enables those facilities to beequipped with more advanced medical apparatusand supplies...

“...Hurricane Andrew in 1998... took fewerthat 50 lives. Yet another hurricane, back in1900, took at least 6,000 lives in Galveston,Texas.

“The difference was that the United Stateswas a much richer country in 1998. It had earli-er warning from more advanced weather-track-

- Oberservation -ing equipment... better roads... more cars... moreand better (rescue) equipment... better medicaltreatment....”

As an engineer who has been fed andbelieves the party line from the ASCE to theNational Society of Professional Engineersabout the almost singular importance of engi-neering in the advancement of public health andsafety, I suppose I should be offended bySowell’s thesis replacing the presumed preemi-nent role of engineering with wealth.

His thesis should legitimately raise ques-tions by which to seek balance. Does technolo-gy through engineering create wealth? Doeswealth create technology? It seems to raise theage-old question about which came first, thechicken or the egg? Or does it really matter? Ibelieve that a review of history will reveal that asynergistic relationship exists between the cre-ation of wealth and the advancement of technol-ogy and that it has existed throughout history.

- Editor


UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT LAFAYETTEBy Justin Peltier

The Chapter is the host chapter for the 2004-2005 ASCE Deep South Conference. TheConference is a regional conference of memberASCE student chapters that includes all of theASCE student chapters in Louisiana and somefrom the adjacent states. The dates and place forthe Conference that is in the early planningstages have been scheduled for April 7-9, 2005and it will be staged in Lafayette.

The Chapter is planning to host severalchapter competitions during the Conference

including• concrete canoe• steel bridge• surveying• environmental/geotechnical and• asphalt pigeon.

The concrete canoe and steel bridge compe-titions are official regional competitions wherethe winning teams are eligible to advance to anational competition.

The Chapter held its first membership meet-ing of the academic school year September 15,2004. The topic of this meeting was“Opportunities in Civil Engineering.” In prepa-ration for the meeting, chapter members paradedaround the campus and posted flyers encourag-ing and inviting freshmen students and otherswho may be interested in considering or learningabout a career in civil engineering to attend. Theeffort led to 23 students in attendance for thismembership meeting which is quite impressiveconsidering that on average there were fewerthan 10 students attending the membership meet-ings held the previous year.

The Chapter’s plans for the coming yearwere discussed. One is to participate in the DeepSouth Conference of ASCE student chapters todefend the Chapter’s regional concrete canoecompetition championship and its first place fin-ish in the surveying competition earned duringthe previous Conference. Another is a field tripto the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers WaterwaysExperiment Station in Vicksburg, Mississippi.We Chapter members are enthusiastic about allof our upcoming planned events that we believewill allow us to expand our knowledge of engi-neering beyond the classroom, and we have oth-erwise dedicated ourselves to a successful year.

Engineering faculty member Bruce Savage,PE, a professor in water resources, was our guestspeaker during the membership meeting. Hemade a presentation that acquainted the studentsin attendance with what the civil engineeringprofession has to offer its practitioners. His pres-entation was also beneficial to the senior civilengineering students because it exposed many ofthem to the diverse opportunities in the civil

engineering profession of which some were notentirely aware.

The Chapter suffered a very disappointingexperience last year following the concrete canoecompetition win. On the return trip from Oxford,Mississippi the competition canoe developed

cracks that could not be repaired if the Chapterwere to have entered it in the national competi-tion. There are plans to make improvements onlast year’s design in an attempt to avoid this han-dling problem.

Student Chapter News

McNEESE STATE UNIVERSITYBy Clayton Cormier

Pictured are the McNeese State University ASCE Student Chapter leaders for 2004-05. They are,from the left, Luke Lanier, Secretary; Tyson Thevis, Senator; Justin Durosseau, Public Relations;Steven Hollier, Public Relations; Leigh Rush, Vice President; Mike Hollier, Treasurer; ClaytonCormier, President. Not pictured are Chris Cabaniss, Senator; and Jay Uppot, PE, Faculty Advisor.

TULANE UNIVERSITYThe Chapter is planning to participate in

numerous community service activities this yearincluding our first planned Habitat for Humanitywork scheduled for October 30th. Several par-ties are being planned for this year including theHalloween party on October 29th. The Chapteris planning to reinstitute its mentoring programto help the underclassmen become a little more

familiar with the Civil Engineering Departmentand the curriculum.

The Chapter has formed intramural teamsto compete in the university-wide sports compe-tition. Currently the Chapter is fielding teamsunder the name Strike Force in the co-ed intra-mural sports programs for volleyball and indoor

soccer.The next Chapter general membership meet-

ing was scheduled to be held on October 19th at5:30 pm. The Deep South Conference for stu-dent chapters in our region is scheduled to beheld in Lafayette in the Spring. This will be thefocus of several of the Chapter’s committeechairs starting in late November.

The current Chapter officers are:• Joe Simpson, President• Steve Shira, Vice President• Kristin Moan, Internal Secretary• Jenna Addis, External Secretary• Rachel Hoffman, Treasurer• Bart Grasso, Canoe Chair• Ben D’Arensbourg, Bridge Chair• Joel Dixon, Senior Representative• Evan Yost, Junior Representative• Michael Johnson, Sophomore

Representative• Reilly Thompson, ESC Representative


LSUBy Jason Duhon

The Chapter is already off to a great start forthe 2004-2005 academic year. It started thingsoff with a kickoff meeting in September, with themembership competing in a marshmallow towerbuilding competition. After hosting speakersfrom ExxonMobil and Applied ResearchAssociates for LSU Career Day, the next plannedChapter meetings are scheduled for October 13thand then every other Wednesday for the remain-der of the semester.

The chapter officers for the 2004-2005 aca-demic year include• Jason Duhon, Vice President and acting

President• Liz Holloway, Secretary• Misty Daigle, Treasurer• Garrret Sutley, Fundraising Chair• Anna Wheeler, Community Service

Coordinator• Eric Colwart, Meeting Coordinator• Duy Nguyen, Concrete Canoe Chair

• Dennis Hymel, Steel Bridge Co-Chair• Samantha Stroder, Steel Bridge Co-Chair,and• Todd Hymel, Intramural Sports

Coordinator.These officers along with the roughly 70

other chapter members are working hard toactively represent LSU and the Louisiana ASCEcommunity on the local and national levels.

The Chapter is currently developing plansthroughout the year to interact with the commu-nity through community service projects and tointroduce engineering students to job opportuni-ties. Anyone interested in becoming moreinvolved in the Chapter’s activities by making apresentation during a membership meeting orhelping sponsor an event is encouraged to con-tact us at [email protected]. Please look forfuture news and announcements for Chapterevents in this newsletter or feel free to contact usfor more information.

Employment opportunity:Lafayette-based engineering firm is

seeking a project manager who is a Louisianaregistered professional engineer. The dutiesand responsibilities include client, scheduleand resource management. Applicant musthave experience in at least one or more of thefollowing: road design, drainage design, andland development with construction experi-ence as a plus. Qualified applicants shouldsend résumé to C. H. Fenstermaker andAssociates, Attn: Engineering Division, PostOffice Box 52106, Lafayette, LA 70505.

Save for college with a 529 PlanBy Thomas R. Thurmond

It has never been more important for thechildren in your life to receive a college educa-tion. Studies show that over a lifetime, the earn-ing gap between a person with a high schooleducation and one who has a college degreemay exceed $1 million.1

According to The College Board — a not-for-profit educational association — for 2003-2004, average costs for one year at a state uni-versity totaled $4,656 (+14.1%) and $27,410(+6.0%) for a private university.2 Should youalso be thinking about graduate or professionalschool, the costs will really skyrocket.

A 529 Plan can helpAlthough funding a child’s way through

college will never be easy, some help is avail-able through 529 College Savings Plans (alsocalled qualified tuition programs). These planswere created under section 529 of the InternalRevenue Code to help U.S. citizens and perma-nent residents meet higher education expensesand offer considerable financial benefits, suchas:• Tax advantages. Your plan can grow feder-

al income tax deferred. Withdrawals arealso free of federal income taxes and insome cases state income taxes3 when usedfor qualified educational expenses. If with-drawals are used for non-qualified purpos-es, it may be subject to taxes and a 10% fed-eral penalty.

• Gift and estate tax benefits. Your planallows you certain gift tax exclusions andoffers special estate planning advantages,without triggering federal gift taxes.

• Flexibility. You can use your plan’s funds atany accredited institution of higher educa-tion in the U.S.

• Additional contributors. Parents are not theonly ones who can contribute to a 529 plan.

Grandparents, other relatives and evenfriends can make contributions.

• Investment choices. You can choose from avariety of investment strategies best suited toyour individual circumstances and risk toler-ance. You will also benefit from the profes-sional investment management skills ofmajor mutual fund companies.

Types of plansPrior to 1996, prepaid tuition plans allowed

you to purchase tomorrow’s in-state college edu-cation at today’s prices. This was an attractiveadvantage, since you were assured that your billwas prepaid, but this type of plan required thatyour child attend a school in your state.

Under a 529 Savings Plan, you maycreate an account in your name and choose abeneficiary — your child, a grandchild, the childof a friend or even yourself. Your regular contri-butions to the plan can grow tax-deferred untilwithdrawn and, if spent on qualified higher edu-cation expenses, will be tax-free when with-drawn.4 In most cases, this can result in consid-erable savings. Best of all, the money can bespent at any eligible college or other postsec-ondary educational institution in the country.

Nearly 529 Reasons to SaveBut the reasons to consider section 529

Plans do not stop there. They also feature highcontribution limits, often in excess of $200,000per beneficiary — which can be used by anothermember of your family in case the original ben-eficiary does not attend college. Check the pro-gram guidelines for eligible family members.

To Learn MoreAlthough Section 529 Plans make saving for

college considerably easier, they may not be for

everyone. If your child is very young and youare comfortable making your own investmentdecisions, you might prefer to invest these fundsyourself. But whatever route you take, be sureto begin early. To learn more about how you canbetter invest for your child’s education, pleasecontact the author.

1 Source: 2002 Trends in College Pricing2000, The College Board.

2 Figures shown include tuition, fees, room,board, books, supplies, transportation and otherexpenses for residential students.

3 Some states provide state income tax advan-tages such as tax-free withdrawals and deduc-tions for contributions to residents or other tax-payers who enroll in a 529 plan sponsored bythat state. State tax advantages are generallynot available to state residents who enroll inanother state’s 529 plan.

4 Under current federal tax law the tax-freenature of Section 529 Plans will be automati-cally repealed at the end of 2010. Thereafter,unless Congress renews or extends the law,earnings withdrawn from a 529 plan will be tax-able income of the beneficiary if used for quali-fied higher education purposes and taxableincome of the contributor if used for non-quali-fied.

Thomas R. Thurmond, Senior VicePresident, Financial Advisor with MorganStanley in New Orleans, Louisiana. He may becontacted by e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (504)587-9669 or (800)659-0009. This article does notconstitute tax or legal advice. Consult your taxor legal advisers before making any tax- or law-related investment decisions. Any particularinvestment should be analyzed based on theterms and risks as they may relate to your cir-cumstances and objectives. Information anddata in this article were obtained from sourcesconsidered reliable and published for generalinformation purposes. Their accuracy or com-pleteness is not guaranteed and the giving of thesame is not to be deemed a solicitation on thepart of Morgan Stanley with respect to purchaseor sale of securities or commodities.


In recent times, the accounting practices andprocesses of the Section have been dependent onspecialized software to facilitate entering finan-cial data and generate financial reports. Becausenot everyone who will serve on the Board as itsSecretary-Treasurer will have individually pur-chased the necessary software, nor should theyhave to, the Board decided to purchase a laptopcomputer with the licensed software installed.The laptop computer with this installed softwarewill then be passed from one Secretary-Treasurerto the next in the succession. This is expected tosubstantially ease the burden experienced in thepast by the Board members in making the transi-tion in this office with the change in Sectionadministration.

President Featherston encouraged the Boardto anticipate and plan to be proactive in identify-ing and solving the problems that would lead tothe effective implementation of the new nationalgovernance rules that were adopted by the ASCEmembership via the recent election. Her concernwas based on recent articles written by nationalASCE figures that expressed a concern thatwould lead one to speculate that a large amountof political capital was expended in the effort andthe controversy that led to the adoption of theserules. She suggested that now, since the majori-ty of the ASCE members voting (approximately6 percent of the total) have spoken, it is appro-priate for the Section to move forward on thismatter insofar as it is appropriate in the relation-ship that exists between it and the national organ-ization. The Board formed the skeleton of an ad

hoc committee to pursue this matter.The status of the nominations received from

the branches for the Section awards was dis-cussed. Other issues in the awards process werealso discussed including the biographies of therecipients gathered by Younger MemberCommittee members in the nominating branchesand the documentation of the ceremony duringthe Section Annual meeting. The SpecialActivities and Awards Committee was appointedin anticipation that it will deliberate and recom-mend candidates for the Section’s awards andthat its report will be submitted individually tothe Section Board Members for their approvalwell enough in advance of the Section AnnualMeeting when it is planned that the award recip-ients will be recognized.

The planned reimplementation the Section’snow dormant website that had been discussed indetail during a previous Board meeting wasrevisited. Part of the previously discussed reim-plementation of the website included the displayof the business card listings and advertisementsin The Louisiana Civil Engineer, the Sectionjournal. This display would include a click-onfeature to provide links to the advertisers thathave websites. It was anticipated that the adver-tising rates for the journal would be raised $10 to$20 a year to cover the cost of the website.

Further discussion revealed that the revenuesfrom the current listings and advertisements inthe Section journal nominally cover the currentcost of its publication. The current advertisingrates are essentially the same as they were 12

years ago when the Section began publishing thejournal. The reason there has been no need toraise the advertising rates were a combination of• the number of advertisements have nominal-

ly increased over the years• the printing/publishing costs have been care-

fully monitored and the competitive print-ing/publishing market in the Baton Rougearea has been exploited and

• most importantly, the current printer/publish-er has routinely implemented new technolo-gies and processes that have kept the print-ing/publishing costs of the journal relativelyflat over the last 3 years.The roster of the Section and branch officers

and committees that is distributed to the Boardwith contact information for its operations hasbeen historically maintained as a Word documentby the Section President. It is being redevelopedas an Excel document where it is anticipated thatit will solve the problems with updating the

Highlights of the August Board of Directors meeting

Section members Kenneth Boagni, III, PE,Brent J. Duet, PE, Betty S. Ellzey, PE, KristenC. Cancienne, PE, Ricardo C. De Abreu, PE,Mohammad J. Khattak, PE, LeAnn E. Lucas,PE, James R. Martin, Jr., PE, Ryan G. Nesbit,PE, Kurt M. Nixon, PE, Johann L. Palacios,PE, and William R. Rossignol, II, PE, recentlyearned their civil and/or environmental engineer-ing license in Louisiana. If you are in contactwith any of them, please offer them your con-gratulations on their accomplishment.

Louisiana residents Boby W. Aboesono, PE,Mark A. Arceneaux, II, PE, Andre C. Barrios,PE, Mark D. Bucci, PE, Timothy G. Burdette,PE, Krishna S. Chandra, PE, Russell JosephCoco, Jr., PE, Dane S. Coke, PE, Steve E.Conravey, PE, Jeremy W. DeVille, PE,Jennifer F. Duhe, PE, Benjamin A. Fernandez,PE, Thomas J. Foshee, III, PE, Ben P. Fritsche,PE, James A. Geihsler, PE, Colby J. Guidry,PE, Daniel R. Haggerty, Jr., PE, James J.Hance, PE, Anna S. Hanks, PE, Stephen P.Heraty, PE, Joseph B. Johnson, PE, Misty D.Lopez, PE, Robert L. Lott, Jr., PE, Jeffrey J.Loup, PE, Janet L. Manuel, PE, Odigwe M.Mokogwu, PE, Sinyale W. Morrison, PE,

Matthew K. Newchurch, PE, Joseph C. Picou,PE, Chad M. Rachel, PE, Daniel R. Roth, PE,Kenneth R. Solis, PE, Joshua P. Stutes, PE,Khalid T. A. Talaat, PE, Kristi L. Trail, PE, andNong Yuan, PE recently earned their civil and/orenvironmental engineering license in Louisianaand are not members of the ASCE. A copy ofthis issue of the journal is sent to them as aninformal introduction to the Section. If they wishto join and/or find out more about the ASCE,they are hereby encouraged to visit the ASCEnational website, http://www.asce.org. If you arein contact with any of these engineers, pleaseconsider formally introducing them to theSection by inviting them to attend a branch meet-ing as your guest.

Editor’s note: As a matter of interest, thereare two other disciplines that are now licensedby the Louisiana Professional Engineering andLand Surveying Board and that may be consid-ered closely related to civil engineering as is theenvironmental engineering discipline. They arethe architectural and structural engineering dis-ciplines. As of August 2004, there were 1 and 54licensees registered with the Board in these twoengineering disciplines respectively.

- Career Benchmarks -

— net surfing—ASCE national organization:

http://www.asce.org

Note: Most ASCE-related pages can also beaddressed through links at this website. Allsection and branch officers are listed at:

http://www.asce.org/gsd/localofficers

ASCE Acadiana Branch:http://www.asceacadiana.net

ASCE Baton Rouge Branch:http://branches.asce.org/batonrouge/index.htm

ASCE New Orleans Branch:http://www.asceno.org

Louisiana Tech ASCE Student Chapter:http://www.latech.edu/tech/orgs/asce/

UNO ASCE Student Chapter:http://www.uno/~engr/asce/asce.html

ULL ASCE Student Chapter:http://www.engr.usl.edu/cive

Tulane ASCE Student Chapter:http://www.tulane.edu/~asce

LSU ASCE Student Chapter:http://www.ce.lsu.edu/~asce

ASCE Louisiana Section:http://www.lasce.com

Louisiana Engineering Society:http://www.les-state.org

Louisiana Professional Engineering andLand Surveying Board:

http://www.lapels.com


Sections News and Information


According to the Constitution and Bylaws ofthe Section, the Board of Directors was electedduring the Annual Spring Meeting andConference in Shreveport. It was installed duringthe Annual Meeting hosted by the New OrleansBranch September 10, 2004. The members ofthe Board of Directors areOfficers:

• Norma Jean Mattei, PE, President• Kim E. Martindale, PE, President-Elect• Timothy M. Ruppert, PE, Vice President• E. R. DesOrmeaux, PE, Secretary-Treasurer• Barbara E. Featherston, PE, Past President

Directors-at-Large:• J. Keith Shackelford, PE

• Ali M. Mustafa, PE• Patrick J. Landry, PE• Christopher G. Humphreys, PEAssigned Branch Directors:• Daniel L. Bolinger, PE• Thomas A. Stephens, PE

Board of Directors Installed

Norma Jean Mattei Kim E. Martindale Tim Ruppert

Barbara Featherston Keith Shackelford Ali Mustafa Pat Landry

Chris Humphreys Daniel Bolinger

Ray DesOrmeaux

Tom Stephens



Branch Directors:• Kimberly Landry, EI• André M. Rodrigue, PE• Deborah D. Keller, PE• Kurt M. Nixon, PE

The photographs of the Board providedexclude the Branch Directors who are also serv-ing as the branch presidents and their photo-graph is shown in this issue in conjunction withtheir branch officers.


The October 2004 meeting of the District 14Council offered much discussion and someinsight into the restructuring of the ASCE gover-nance that is beginning in earnest now that theenabling constitutional revisions were adoptedby the ASCE membership in the most recentnational election. The national ASCE Board ofDirection is beginning the process of implemen-tation by developing revised bylaws, new rulesand a transition plan.

E. Walter LeFevre, PE, Chair of the ASCEGoverning Documents Committee, attended theDistrict 14 Council meeting and provided itsmembers an overview of the planned changesthus far. Part of the current plan that immediate-ly affects the Louisiana Section is that District 14and District 10 (the Florida Section) will bemerged into the new entity - Region 5. TheBoard of Direction will vote to adopt the new

regional boundaries during its October 2004meeting. The new Region 5 will contain 5 sec-tions• the Louisiana Section• the Mississippi Section• the Alabama Section• the Georgia Section and• the Florida Section.

There will be no changes to the politicalboundaries or functions of any of the sections.Though it is entirely up to the District 14 Councilwhether to continue in service and for how long,the governing body of Region 5 will become itssections’ official governing body and District 14and District 10 and their directors will cease toexist in this capacity by late 2006. At this timeall of the District Councils and the DistrictDirectors that represent them and all of theZones and the Vice Presidents that represent

them also will cease to exist in the governancestructure.

Under the new governance structure, Region5 will be represented by one Director on theBoard of Direction. There will be a minimum of5 Governors — conveniently one governor persection — who will staff the many national com-mittees and they will be the more direct liaisonbetween membership and the national organiza-tion.

It is up to the individual Regions to createtheir own governing bodies and processes toappoint and/or elect their representatives. ARegion 5 Implementation Task Force to work outthe details will be forming in the near future.Each Section will be asked to provide represen-tatives to the Task Force.

ASCE reorganization

— Calendar of Events —

December 2-3, 2004 ASCE Seminar * on Design of Shallow Foundations,Houston, Texas.

December 7-9, 2004 ASCE Seminar * on Introduction to StreambankInvestigation, Stabilization and Restoration, Houston,Texas.

December 9, 2004 Tulane Engineering Forum “Advanced Technologies forHomeland Security” in New Orleans. For more informa-tion visit www.eng.tulane.edu/tef or contact JennyKottler at (504) 891-1044 or [email protected].

December 9-10, 2004 ASCE Seminar * on Introduction to StreambankInvestigation, Stabilization and Restoration, Houston,Texas.

February 2-4, 2005 ASCE Seminar * on HEC-RAS Computer Workshop forUnsteady Flow Applications, New Orleans, Louisiana.

February 24-25, 2005 ASCE Seminar * on Highway Bridge Design, Evaluationand Strengthening Using LRFD, Houston, Texas.

*For more information, call ASCE toll free at(800)548-2723 or visit the ASCE web page www.asce.org.

Distance Education: The amount of timespent in a live seminar is not a measure of learn-ing. We all know that. It is a measure of theamount of time spent in continuing educationactivities and does ensure exposure to the con-tent of the course. For our DE courses, in orderto verify that the person spent the requiredamount of time, we test them with questions thatascertain that they watched the entire videotape.Since we grant continuing education units, wealso test their knowledge and understandingbased on the course objectives. The testing isdone outside the time requirement. Does thismean our DE courses set a higher standard forcompletion than live seminars? I think so. Isthis fair to the registrant? It does ascertain thatlearning took place.

- Greg Ruff, ManagerEngineering Professional DevelopmentEngineering Extension ServiceCollege of Engineering, Auburn University

❖ Quote ❖Did You Know . . ....that engineers in construction are using

digital cameras to maintain records, improvecommunication, and resolve legal issues?Digital cameras recommended for this purposecost about $500 with at least 3 megapixel reso-lution. Some use 5 megapixel digital cameraspriced at $1,000. A digital camera can be partof system software designed to monitor theprogress of a project. In one instance digitalpictures are merged with project managementsoftware to send weekly e-mails. Potential dig-ital camera users should be aware of the resolu-tion (megapixels), boot-up time, wide anglecapabilities, and interval between shots desired.Engineering News Record 12/29/03

...that the only operational maglev train in theworld began passenger service 2/4/04 inShanghai to Pudong International Airport on a 30km track. Wheels and rails are replaced by mag-nets that suspend the train 10 millimeters above aflat track as it travels at a top speed of 430 km/hsustained for 30 seconds during the trip as thetrain moves smoothly, with little noise or jolting.A magnetic field of traveling waves on the trackpropels the train along controlling the speed bythe intensity and frequency of the driving current.This $1.2 billion venture had a planned exten-sion, the Beijing-Shanghai line, but it wasscrapped by China’s State Council as the result ofrecent changes in its top leadership. - IEEESpectrum on line 3/04


information that are innate to a Word documentpresented in the current and preferred format.

In other business• The Board acted to replace Charles L.

Eustis, PE, Director-at-Large, withChristopher G. Humphreys, PE.

• The status of the Section’s application for anational State Public Affairs Grant was dis-cussed.

• The deadline and process for submitting theSection’s annual report was discussed.


Community air monitoring networkBy Yvette P. Weatherton, PE

IntroductionThe Town of Norco, Louisiana is a small

community with a population of approximately3,600 and located approximately 25 miles westof New Orleans along the Mississippi River. It issurrounded by the production facilities of thevarious chemical, oil and gas industries depend-ent on the River. Consequently, this communityis exposed to the attendant air pollution problemsassociated with industrial emissions.

Air Monitoring... Norco began in 2002 as acomponent of the Good Neighbor Initiative(GNI) of Shell Chemicals and MotivaEnterprises. The GNI was implemented with 3primary goals in mind• improve environmental performance of the

Norco facilities• assess the health and safety of the Norco

community, and• enhance the quality of life in the Norco

community.A component to assessing the extent of the airpollution in Norco and solving any problems sodiscovered was to establish a community airmonitoring program — Air Monitoring... Norco.Using this program as a case study, it is present-ed to demonstrate some of the basic considera-tions for establishing an effective community airmonitoring program.

ParticipantsTwo teams of representatives from industry,

government, academia and the community wereformed to carry out distinct, but interrelatedroles. One team was the Technical Team respon-sible for designing the air monitoring networkand it included environmental engineers and sci-entists from Motiva Enterprises, an air monitor-ing expert from the Louisiana Department ofEnvironmental Quality (DEQ), an environmentalengineering professor from Southern Universityand representatives from the Norco community.

The other team was the CommunicationsTeam responsible for informing the citizens inthe Norco community of the status of the projectand conveying the air monitoring programresults. It was comprised of public relations spe-cialists from Shell Chemicals and MotivaEnterprises, a toxicology professor from TulaneUniversity and citizens from the Norco commu-nity.

The process began with joint team meetingsthat enabled them as a group to identify the spe-cific community concerns, establish the air mon-itoring objectives and determine an overall planof action for implementing the project. A factorthat makes this project unique is the high level ofcommunity participation. The team membersfrom the community were present at all teammeetings and played a significant role in thedecision-making process. Care was taken toensure that all of the community concernsexpressed would be addressed satisfactorily.

Network designThe project was divided into two phases:

• Phase I - Preliminary Assessment and Sitingand

• Phase II - Long-Term Monitoring.For Phase I, 6 monitor sites were selected basedon criteria and committee deliberations that willbe presented in more detail. They were used toconduct a short-term air monitoring effort thatspanned 2 months. This effort was to determinewhich air pollutant compounds were present inthe ambient air and to measure their concentra-tions and variation throughout the community.This information was to be used directly todesign the Phase II long-term air monitoringeffort. More specifically it was used to deter-mine the number of monitor sites that were need-ed and which pollutants would be targeted forthe long-term air monitoring effort for which aminimum of 2 years of data will be collected.

Site selectionThe Technical Team selected an independent

contractor to identify and evaluate potentialmonitor sites. Alternate monitor sites wereselected and evaluated based on the requirementsthat are set forth by the United StatesEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 40CFR Part 581 Some of the more important con-siderations for locating monitor sites were:• Spacing from obstructions. The monitorinlet must be placed at a distance from an obsta-cle of at least 2 times the height that the obstruc-tion protrudes above the probe. There must alsobe an unrestricted air flow arc of at least 270ºthat includes the predominant wind directionhaving the highest concentration potential. Thisis because the probe is the inlet through whichair passes from the atmosphere to the samplingdevice. Obstructions such as buildings canblock the flow of air between the source and themonitor, resulting in a non-representative air

sample.• Spacing from roadways. To minimize inter-ference from vehicular traffic, a minimum dis-tance from roadways is specified as shown inTable 1 based on the distance from the edge ofthe nearest lane and the number of vehicles perday that use the road. In this study, the mini-mum distance required was 10 m.

• Spacing from trees. To minimize the possi-bility of adsorption, monitor sites must be locat-ed a minimum of 20 m from the drip line. Treesalso obstruct wind flow.• Additional considerations. The distancefrom stationary air pollution sources and theprevailing wind direction from those sources tothe community are determined if the communi-ty is located upwind or downwind of them. Themonitor sites had to have electrical power andbe secure from vandalism yet accessible to airmonitoring personnel. The type of facilitywhere a monitor site is located was also a majorconsideration. Schools, hospitals and elderlycare facilities took precedence over general

Figure 1. Phase I short-term study monitor site locations in Norco.3



community locations because they allow assess-ment of air pollutant concentrations to whichthe most susceptible populations — children,elderly and ill— may be exposed.

The monitor sites were evaluated using asystem that ranked each prospect based on howwell it met the EPA and other criteria. The num-ber of monitor sites for the Phase I short-termstudy was determined by the Technical Teamwith a great deal of community involvement.Although the experts felt that one or two siteswould be adequate because of the size and geog-raphy of the community, the residents wanted abroader picture of the air pollutant concentra-tions in several areas of the community.Therefore, the 6 monitor sites as shown in Figure1 were selected and located.

The data from the Phase I short-term studydemonstrated that the air pollutant concentra-tions as shown in Figure 2 were essentially uni-form at all the monitor sites with the exception ofthe site near Airline Highway (state route US61). Therefore, it was indicative of only one cen-trally located monitor site required for the PhaseII long-term study. Because of the concernsexpressed by the community and the elevated airpollutant concentrations discovered at the AirlineHighway monitor site, the Technical Teamdecided to use the VFW Hall as the primarymonitor site location with supplemental monitorsites at the Airline Highway, Bethune andMarino locations for the Phase II long-termstudy.

Sampling and analysisThe Technical Team prepared a request for

bids and interviewed the independent contractorsthat submitted proposals to conduct the air mon-itoring and analysis. As a part of the interviewprocess, the contractors had to specify their qual-ifications and their proposed approach to thestudy, and identify the laboratory and its capabil-ities that they proposed to use for air sampleanalysis.

During Phase I, the Technical Team assem-bled a list of 148 volatile organic compounds(VOCs) that were typical of industrial, mobileand natural sources in the community and thatare regulated as toxic air pollutants (TAPs) by

the DEQ. Using the EPA national schedule, a24-hour sample was planned to be taken at eachmonitor site beginning at 9:00 am on every 6thday according to the EPA calendar for samplingdates.5 This schedule allows samples to be takenon each day of the week over time, and providesconsistency with the data for air monitoring net-works throughout the country. The EPA guide-lines were strictly followed during canisterpreparation, sampling and analysis. The air sam-ples were collected in evacuated stainless steelcanisters and were analyzed using Method TO-15 Determination of Volatile OrganicCompounds in Air Collected in Specially-Prepared Canisters and Analyzed by GasChromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS).

Upon completion of the Phase I short-termstudy, the air monitoring data was used to com-plete the preliminary assessment and to designthe Phase II long-term study. The data wasspecifically used to• identify target compounds. From the list of148 compounds measured during Phase I, theTechnical Team selected 51 for the Phase IIstudy. The target compounds were those identi-fied as the most abundant species — making upapproximately 85 percent of the total VOCsmeasured — and those compounds classified asTAPs that consequently have ambient air con-

centration standards in Louisiana.• compare the measurements at each site todetermine whether or not the air pollutant con-centrations were consistent across the commu-nity. As stated previously, this helped theTechnical Team to determine the number andlocation of the monitor sites required to obtainan accurate Phase II study assessment of the airquality in the community.• compare Norco’s air quality to ambientstandards to other cities. The air pollutant con-centrations obtained during Phase I were com-pared to the DEQ standards and to the annualaverages in other cities as presented in Figures 3and 4. It must be noted that the short-termmeasurements from Phase I are not adequate formaking comparisons to the other locales or tothe ambient air standards both of which arebased on long-term annual averages. This com-parison was done solely to provide a prelimi-nary view of how the long-term air pollutantconcentration measurements may compare.

During Phase II, the air monitoring schedulewas modified such that data is collected at theVFW Hall site on every 6th day, and at the sup-plemental sites every 12th day. Further, a non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) analyzer wasadded at the VFW Hall site to provide continu-ous air monitoring for these compounds. It isconfigured such that if a specified threshold con-centration is exceeded, it will trigger a canister totake a 1-hour sample. These samples are ana-lyzed to help determine the sources of spikes inNMHC concentrations and when they occur.

Meteorological data collection is an integralcomponent of both phases. During Phase I, his-toric annual wind roses — graphical representa-tions of wind speed, direction and frequencymeasured at a given location — were used todetermine the predominant wind directions forsiting purposes. Wind data collected duringPhase I proved to be representative of typicalwinds in the community. There are two meteor-ological stations currently in use. One is locatedon the Motiva Enterprises property, the other isinstalled at the VFW Hall site for the Phase IIlong-term study.

Figure 2. Average total VOC concentrations measured during the Phase I study.4

Figure 3. Comparison of the Phase I data with the DEQ Louisiana TAP standards.6



SummaryOne complete year of data from the Phase II

study has been collected and analyzed. In gener-al, the findings are consistent with those fromPhase I. Air pollutant concentrations are lowerthan TAP standards and the air quality in Norcois comparable to cities throughout the country.The only exceptions were two compounds —methylethylketone and acetaldehyde — whichwere measured at higher concentrations in Norcothan in the other cities to which comparisonswere made. Communication with Norco citizensis continuing through community meetings,newsletter websites and the information line thatwas established at Tulane University for the proj-

ect. Future plans include having an independentexternal review of the process and the data. Oneof the anticipated outcomes of the review will becomprehensive risk assessment studies.

References1 United States Environmental Protection

Agency, CFR Title 40: Protection of theEnvironment Part 58: Ambient Air QualitySurveillance, online, available fromhttp://www.epa.gov/epahome/cfr40.htm

2 Ibid.3 URS Corporation4 Motiva Norco Refinery, “Air Monitoring...Norco Newsletter”, April 2003, online, available

from http://www.norcorefinery.com5 United States Environmental ProtectionAgency, online, available fromhttp://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/files/ambient/pm25/calendar02.pdf6 Motiva Norco Refinery, “Air Monitoring...Norco Newsletter”, April 2003, online, availablefrom http://www.norcorefinery.com7 Ibid.______________________________________

Yvette P. Weatherton, PE, earned her BSdegree in civil engineering from SouthernUniversity in 1993, her MS degree in environ-mental chemistry from Southern University in1995 and her PhD in engineering and appliedscience (environmental engineering) from theUniversity of New Orleans in 2000. In 2002,Weatherton became a licensed professional engi-neer (environmental) in Louisiana. She has beenemployed by Southern University at BatonRouge since 1995 (including 2 years of academ-ic leave) and is currently an assistant professorof civil engineering. She was employed from1999 to 2000 as a graduate research assistant inthe Department of Civil and EnvironmentalEngineering at the UNO. Weatherton has sever-al honors and awards, most recent of which arethe Southern University 2003 College ofEngineering Teacher of the Year and the 2002-2003 Most Outstanding Civil EngineeringFaculty Member.

Figure 4. Comparison of the Phase I study data for 1,3 butydiene concentrations in other locations.7

- Observations -Engineering Trends:

It would seem that the applications of muchof the conventional civil engineering theorytaught have been developed into ubiquitouslibraries of proprietary software. Graduatingcivil engineers 2 to 3 decades ago were expectedto manually apply the theory to obtain conven-tional solutions. The time-consuming and some-times tedious computations and processes werenecessary to manually solve a problem and theyconsumed much of the engineer’s early careereffort. It was not uncommon to select a prelimi-nary design that was reasonably conservative toassure that the time-consuming and tedious solu-tions worked the first time. There were — and tosome degree still are — typically clear divisionsof labor in engineering between the administra-tion and the technology practiced by senior andjunior engineers respectively. The most impor-tant opportunities application software providetoday are• More efficient and different design options

can be subject to comprehensive, rapid andcomplete analysis with a little up-front effortand none of the old manual grind.

• More time is available for junior engineersto become involved earlier in administrativeduties and for senior engineers to continue toexpand their experience and exercise theirpreviously honed engineering skills in prob-lem-solving.

Through the added time available, the mostsignificant opportunity is for junior and seniorengineers to work toward the important goal ofbecoming more involved in the humanisticaspects of the profession. The understandingand importance of effective relationships can becultivated during education and practiced earlierin one’s career. They may include team partici-pation, team leadership, client relations andpolitical activities. - Editor

Technology and Evolution:Columnist Joan Ryan conjectures in an op-

ed piece (Baton Rouge Advocate, 8/19/03) aboutthe notion that “Different environments driveevolution” by the way the successful mutationsof the species adapting to the ambient condi-tions. She noted that:

“We (humans) make the environment adaptto us... If the climate is too hot, we flip on the airconditioner. Too cold, we fire up the heater. Weturn deserts into lush landscapes. We fix whatMother Nature is too slow to fix. We have...glasses to correct our vision, artificial hips, kneesand hearts to replace body parts... We seem tohave shrugged off nature’s delicate touch andtaken matters into our own hands. Won’t ourartificial tinkering eventually interfere with thenatural course of human evolution?”

In response to her concerns, David DeGustaat the Laboratory for Human Evolutionary

Studies at the University of California atBerkeley observes:

“Being able to alter the environment andadapt through behavior don’t really run counterto evolution. Those abilities are just, themselves,evolutionary adaptations.”

Greg Niemeyer, a professor of art, technolo-gy and culture at the same institution adds,“Evolution is no longer limited to nature. It hasto include technological adaptation.” I don’tknow if I share Ryan’s conclusion that

“...our technological adaptation is nature,driven by the primal instincts shared by... everyliving thing: To endure and to push the bound-aries of possibility.”

It is my belief as a civil engineer that evolu-tion for all species — at least in part — is drivenby natural selection that is purely the survival andreproduction of those mutations and behaviorsthat by chance are most successful in adapting tothe environment. Technology is a consciousbehavioral adaptation that creates an environmentwithin an environment that changes the groundrules for successful behavior and/or mutation.Technology is less typically developed by allindividuals in the human species and more typi-cally developed by a specialized, often cooperat-ing segment within — such as engineers.Successful technological evolution is measuredby successful implementation of a technology bya broad segment of our species. -Editor


Editor’s JournalBy James C. Porter, PEMembership retention

The ASCE Strategic Plan

I responded to the ASCE’s invitation to itsmembers to review the June 2, 2000 version of itsproposed strategic plan (vision, mission andgoals statements) and to provide comments to thecommittee responsible for developing it. It isposted on the ASCE website and is otherwiseavailable in a booklet on request from the ASCEheadquarters. My critique is shared here becauseit is suspected that there are many significantideas and opinions among us that should beshared with the committee. It is hoped that mythoughts herein will act a catalyst to inspire yourunique ideas and response. Though the ASCEstrategic plan is intended to be a “living” docu-ment regularly revisited to best serve the ASCEmembership, it is a 5-year strategic plan due fora major review and rework in 2005. Please con-sider sharing your thoughts with the [email protected] and possibly withyour fellow members as it is done here.

The Vision: Engineers as global leaders buildinga better quality of life.

In reality, I believe that the ASCE buzz word“global” applies only to some of the immediatenational leadership that probably represents theactive interests of a very small portion of themembership. If this is true, then this visionstatement does not apply to the vast majority ofthe ASCE membership who do not participate inglobal markets, politics, or other socioeconomicissues any more than they participate in globalweather patterns. Most individual engineers sim-ply work in — and are affected by — the global-izing socioeconomic environment. As an indi-vidual, they do not and will not exercise globalleadership in an environment where they areincidentally its beneficiaries or victims and littleelse.

The focus on the global marketplace andinvestments planned by the ASCE in this areamay reflect a version of corporate welfare inusing Society resources to promote and supportthe global business interests of its national lead-ership. This is not to imply that the ASCE does

not have a legitimate organizational leadershiprole. The ASCE should be assessing the globalmarketplace in the context of the career interestof its general membership. Consider the follow-ing if it is desirable to include the majority of themembership now excluded in the vision state-ment and to keep the focus on the individualmembers, what they do and over what they actu-ally exercise control:

Engineers as leaders and stewards buildingand preserving a better quality of life.

This recognizes the most prominent, historicalrole of engineers in the United States as lead-ers/builders and their emerging and equallyprominent role as stewards/preservers of existingfacilities (the infrastructure) and the environ-ment. Leadership is without reference to thestage on which it is played out; locally, national-ly, internationally, globally, intergalacticly oruniversally. Relegate global issues to the goalsstatements as they have already been included.

The Mission: To provide essential value to ourmembers, their careers, our partners, and thepublic through:• Developing leadership• Advancing technology• Advocating lifelong learning, and• Promoting the profession

It does not appear that their careers reason-ably go in a series with members, partners andthe public. It would appear that if essential valueis provided to our members, it would cover theircareers as one of several issues. In the bulletitems stewardship is not expressed. However, ifit is included in the vision statement as proposedit would be effectively covered. The ASCE ismore than advocating lifelong learning it is sup-porting it. Actually lifelong learning is but oneissue in professional growth or developmentthough individually a recent high profile issue. Iwould recommend revising the mission state-ment as follows:

To provide essential value to our members, ourpartners and the public through:• Developing leadership and stewardship• Advancing technology• Supporting professional development, and• Promoting the profession

The Goals: (Notation: Words added and wordsdeleted)

Develop leadership and stewardship throughopportunity and encouragement to broaden ourmembers’ perspectives and participation, and toinfluence public policy to enhance their careergrowth. (...to influence public policy was movedfrom Promote the profession...)

1. Position our members for success by provid-ing leadership opportunities, training andtools.

2. Encourage members to participate as leadersin society.

3. Champion responsible infrastructure, envi-ronmental and socioeconomic programs andprojects such as sustainable development.(Move to support professional development.)

4. Promote sustainable development in projectplanning and implementation activities.(Covered in item 3.)

5. Provide governance that encourages the par-ticipation of the profession’s leaders andfacilitates the development of future leaders.

6. Promote greater public awareness of engi-neering issues relative to public health andsafety, including natural disasters. (Move topromote the profession.)

7. Help members successfully compete in theglobal economy. (Move to promote the pro-fession.)

Advance technology to enhance infrastructureand environmental stewardship through compe-tent, competitive, high quality civil engineeringservices quality, knowledge, competitiveness,

I was recently reading an excerpt in theSection Informant (9/1/04), the online newsletterfor the section and branch leadership, where Iwas impressed by the obviousness of the state-ment, “Remember — members will not automat-ically renew their membership each year — theyneed to see the value of being an ASCE Sectionor Branch member.” Though this was writtenaround concerns about retaining members whohave recently joined the ASCE, it should be clearthat it really applies to all ASCE members —even those of us who do seem to automaticallyrenew our membership each year without con-sciously measuring the value we receive. Iwould further suggest another obvious point that

measured or perceived value applies to allaspects of the ASCE — not just the actions orservices of its sections and branches.

Over the years, as an ASCE member, I havemostly measured the value of my membership— when I think about it — based almost exclu-sively on the quality of the services I receivefrom my fellow branch and section members andthe satisfaction I have gained from the substan-tive opportunities I had to serve my fellowbranch and section members. This is not to sug-gest that I discount my previous service onnational committees and technical panels, andmy opportunities to publish in the ASCE techni-cal journals over the years. It is to suggest that I

uniquely do not consider these events as a sub-stantial or ongoing measure of the perceivedvalue of my ASCE membership.

I am reminded of how blind-sided I waswhen informed that not all ASCE members sharemy motives and more particularly my standardsof measuring the value in their membership. Iwas informed that there are many ASCE mem-bers who are typically but not exclusively in aca-demia that see little value in the services andactivities of their assigned section or branch tothe extent they seldom join or participate. Theirmotive and interest in ASCE membership is




often participation in national technical activities— particularly those centered around the pub-lishing in the various ASCE technical journals toavoid perishing on the job. As such, they areinterested in networking with their peers on thetechnical committees and not particularly inter-ested in networking among the practicing engi-neers in their section and branch communities.

A significant issue concerning membershipretention in the ASCE may be a reflection of theprecipitously dwindling membership in theNational Society of Professional Engineersrecently reported. I believe that this speaks vol-umes to membership retention related to per-ceived value and what may be a shared problembecause the growth rate of the membership in theASCE has stalled nationally. There are strongsimilarities that I perceive between the gover-nance of the ASCE and the NSPE. The mostsubstantial of which is the historic and similarcharacter and content of their national leader-ship, and the consequences relative to member-ship retention from the resulting similar nationalactions and policies they enact.

The considerable commitment of time andresources required to effectively participate inthe volunteer service of the national ASCE elect-ed leadership is such that national office is gen-erally confined to those who can play. They arethe principals and high level executives in privatepractice. They are among the few who haveunfettered access to the perquisites, the financialresources, the time away from work allowed andthe administrative services to avail themselves ofthe opportunity to effectively participate in suchvolunteer activities. Their resulting profoundinfluence on the policy and the actions of theASCE ultimately serves the profession fromtheir unique perspective that is necessarily intheir best interest and can be perceived to thedetriment of some.

Confirmation of this observation came to meas a cub engineer employed in government. Itwas crystal clear at that time because I actuallyread the ASCE Code of Ethics when I joined in1971 to discover that it was little more than puni-tive rules directed toward engineers employed inprivate practice. When I discussed this with sen-ior engineers in government, they confirmed myobservation and further explained their percep-tion of the biases at the time in the ASCE and theNSPE against engineers in government.

Confirmation of their perceptions camewhen, more recently, the ASCE quickly, clearlyand decisively with substantial resources sup-ported the engineers in private practice when theengineers in California state government spon-sored a referendum that would favor governmentengineering services to the state over privatepractice services. Though I personally and vehe-mently disagreed with the effrontery of the refer-endum, I was also clearly aware of the strugglebetween the engineers in government and privatepractice over the division of engineering servic-es long before this. In Louisiana — and I suspectmost other states including California — theresult of this struggle is preordained if based onnothing more than the sum of the political con-tributions made by each faction to their electedrepresentatives. In my estimate, the ASCE clear-ly committed an act in this event that in football

was once the infraction, piling on.Why is there an inordinate under-representa-

tion of engineers in government and industry andany other engineering employment situationother than those in private practice whose firmstypically pay their expenses and otherwise facil-itate their participation in the ASCE? The notedexception is those in academia who are not usu-ally perceived to compete with engineers in pri-vate practice to provide services. They desper-ately need and support the refereed paper envi-ronment of ASCE technical journals as an almostexclusive publishing outlet and the technicalinstitutes to network with their peers usually attheir university’s expense.

The question posed is apparently a conun-drum unique to the deaf, dumb and blind act ofthe ASCE and NSPE leadership and it gives mecause for great cynicism. To claim not to see theclear connection between the policies andactions of the societies and their membershipretention among the engineers in employmentsituations that are perceived to compete withthose in private practice in providing engineeringservices is clearly disingenuous. For the ASCE,it is somewhat like hitting yourself over the headwith a hammer and then wondering why youhave a headache. No one in our community canclaim to be this stupid and expect anyone else tobelieve it.

I believe that the NSPE and its affiliatedstate societies have the same problem except thatthey create a more hostile environment demon-strating much more bias and callousness. Theyessentially have no tolerance for dissent in con-nection with their private practice agenda. I donot understand why either the ASCE or theNSPE should expect a subsidy through member-ship dues naively paid by their undeclared ene-mies in the engineering profession. On thisbasis, I guess you can consider me — a govern-ment-employed engineer — a naive member.But not entirely.

In Louisiana, I may have a unique opportu-nity. State-employed engineer members of theLES experienced a history of serious practiceissues that were brought in good faith to the LES— the NSPE affiliate — seeking support. If aresponse required budgeting monetary resourcesto which they had substantially contributed, itwas routinely denied. They formed theLouisiana Society of Professional Engineers inCivil Service to effectively address their issues.As a dues-paying member of the LSPECS andone of its past elected leaders, I believe itbehaves more like a union than a professionalsociety. However, I also believe that this 400-member society significantly contributes to andis responsible for the professional environmentin state government service where engineers canpractice much more effectively than before. It isan environment that I believe would otherwisenot exist if it had been left up to the LES.

I believe that poor membership retention inthe NSPE and its affiliate state societies is seri-ously exacerbated by their strong private practiceagenda bias, and the inordinate power and intol-erance of dissent exercised by their private prac-tice-dominated leadership. The extent of thisbehavior appears to foster a hostile environmentthat preempts most if not all of the limited attrib-

utes these societies claim offer their rank-and-file member.

Luckily, the ASCE offers more diversemembership attributes, particularly in the techni-cal area, that are not politically connected to eco-nomic competition with the engineers in privatepractice. This somewhat insulates it from thedecay the NSPE is experiencing. Nonetheless, Iam personally disappointed by the recent crosspollenation between the NSPE and the ASCE inthe hired leadership of the ASCE and the result-ing attitude shift that I sense and suspect comeswith it.

The LES experienced a substantial decline inmembership during an economic downturn in the1980s. As a cost-cutting measure, many employ-ers ceased to subsidize their employees and tofacilitate their participation as members of theLES. In the aftermath, the question was prophet-ically framed by a thoughtful and well-respectedmember employed in private practice. The ques-tion defined the issue long before it was on myhorizon. He suggested that the LES was con-sciously or unconsciously in the process ofdeciding whether to be a large, somewhat chaot-ic, membership society attempting to representthe breadth of the engineering profession inLouisiana or a small more harmonious member-ship society representing only the narrower inter-est of a few dedicated members.

It did not occur to me then but his referenceto dedicated members was probably synonymousin his thoughts with engineers in private practice.It appears this decision may have been madeconsciously or unconsciously by both the LESand the NSPE. Based on its recent actions, theASCE could and probably will attempt — con-sciously or unconsciously — to do as badly.

Commentator Jim Hoagland (9/9/04) offersthis insight:

Nations survive from the bottom up. Anti-guerrilla campaigns, learned commissionstudies or new cabinet-level departments donot save countries in crisis. What saves themis social cohesion, and the awareness of acommon determination of people to protecttheir shared future... (This) provides themthe ability to overcome the anger, hatred andfear that are the terrorists’ primary weapons.

I believe that a simple conclusion applicable tothis discussion can be drawn directly fromHoagland’s observations aside from the terroristthreat focus. The ASCE and the NSPE may haveconsciously or unconsciously chosen theircourse based on the social cohesion and a com-mon determination to protect the shared future ofthe engineers in private practice to the detrimentof all other engineers perceived to be their com-petitors. I believe that both societies can surviveeasily from the bottom up as they are or as theymay be becoming if they openly acknowledgetheir real goals, cut their losses and get on withlife recognizing what is already becoming clear.They do not truly intend to equally represent allengineers because some are more equal than oth-ers. I maintain the lame hope as a member of allof these societies that they would consciouslychoose to be bigger and better than this from thebottom up.



and environmental stewardship.1. Identify future needs of the marketplace.

(Move to promote the profession.)2. Foster research for the development of new

technologies, capabilities, and efficiencies.3. Facilitate the transition movement of innova-

tion into practice.4. Be the primary source of technical informa-

tion.5. Enhance the understanding, delivery and

exchange of technical information.6. Facilitate the development and responsible

application of new technologies and process-es.

7. Stimulate cooperation on technical issueswith other industries.

8. Lead the development and promotion oftechnical standards for worldwide applica-tion.

9. Promote quality in engineering practice.(Move to support professional development.)

Support professional development Advocatelifelong learning to aid our members’continuedgrowth throughout their careers.

1. Broaden the learning experience.2. Provide access to comprehensive education-

al programs that enhance opportunities forprofessional growth.

3. Provide access to new learning technologies.4. Refine the educational requirements for civil

engineers and technologists.5. Set standards for continuing professional

development.

Promote the profession throughout society toenhance its stature and to influence public poli-cy.1. Celebrate members’ achievements and publi-

cize their contributions to society.2. Expand the Society’s global network

through partnerships and coalitions.3. Promote diversity within the profession.

(Covered in item 4.)4. Attract to and retain in the profession talent-

ed and diverse individuals to the profession.5. Increase the public’s awareness and appreci-

ation of the profession’s contributions tosociety. (Partially covered in item 1 and arestatement of the goal.)

6. Be recognized as the leader on issues of pub-lic policy affecting the profession. (Move todevelop leadership.)

7. Promote increased political involvement bycivil engineers engineering professionals.(Move to develop leadership.)

8. Participate in strategic alliances to influencelegislative and regulatory issues. (Move todevelop leadership.)

Some of the several items above appear to beonly vaguely related to the main goal underwhich they were listed and may have been indis-criminately inserted to justify existing and preor-dained ASCE programs rather than evolved as alogical and legitimate outgrowth of the statedmain goals. It is disappointing that directly pro-moting the tangible professional licensure andincreased compensation in salaries and fees con-sistent with the perceived value of civil engineer-ing services that appeared in previous strategicplans is replaced by the intangible global thisand global that.


ered with soil or an acceptable substitute on adaily basis to reduce the accumulation of exces-sive leachate, the odors and the attraction ofbirds and rodents.

Final capThe waste is placed in the landfill to speci-

fied slopes and heights that are designed to pre-vent slope instability. Once the specified heightand slope is reached, the waste is capped with afinal cap system that somewhat resembles theliner system, only upside down in orientation.The first layer of the final cap system over thewaste is a granular medium that allows for the

flow and collection of the methane gas that isgenerated by the waste as it degrades. Similar tothe leachate collection system, the gas collectionsystem provides an upward gradient collectionsystem to allow the methane gas to rise to a col-lection point at the peak of the landfill where the


Engineering isn’t what it used to be

Are civil engineers prepared to be engineers?...The most difficult part of professionalengineering practice entails mastering thereal-life issues, issues that generally do notfigure in formal civil engineering educationand have more to do with areas such ashuman resources, personnel management,communications, negotiations, culturalissues and leadership.

(CE News, October 2002)There is a key subject common to these inde-

pendent topics. It is relationships. If relation-ships are the most difficult part of an engineer’spractice, I do not believe that attending a fewnifty how to... sessions during some engineeringconference or reading a book on the subject isgoing to cure the problem. Yes... I said — and Imeant — cure.

The inability to function well in relation-ships, if it exists, is usually pervasive in all areasof one’s life and not just limited to the work-place. I believe that this condition is an acquiredhabit brought on by the randomness in living lifeand an individual’s predilections driven by tem-perament and experience. To concisely put habitin perspective, consider the adage

Sow a thought, and you reap an act;Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

Sow a habit, and you reap a character;Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.Habits appropriate and inappropriate — as

they may be perceived — are embedded in one’scharacter and for this reason they are not easilyeliminated or changed by simple recognition fol-lowed by some whimsical intention to change.From my own experience, changing anyingrained habit is an excruciatingly difficult andlong journey that often requires more motivation,and discipline than I can usually muster aloneand it takes less than a minute to fall into relapse.

I am convinced that dysfunctional peopletend to be attracted to mathematics/science-based curricula like engineering because theirprocesses require more undivided attention anddiscipline to assimilate than most. And the atten-tion of those not suffering from the joy of func-tional relationships is usually not that divided tobegin with. For them, it is easier to focus on acurriculum that features dysfunctional instruc-tors — research wonks — and the prospect ofentry level employment opportunities generallydevoid of complicated relationships such aswould be expected up front in practicing law,medicine and politics, for instance.

The inevitability of climbing the career lad-der in civil engineering to project manager, to

program manager, ad infinitum... will quicklyreveal the character flaws (inappropriate habits)for this work that are associated with dysfunc-tional relationships. With the extensive library ofproprietary engineering technology softwareavailable today, there is less opportunity for acareer-long refuge serving as someone’s numbercruncher in a design office. The number crunch-ing is computerized. It is all but instantaneousand, frighteningly, it seems to require little com-petence in the basic engineering principles toexecute the software — if not to execute it cor-rectly. With no refuge, early career advancementwill leave a lot of leisure time for important rela-tionship roles for which engineers may not havethe assets by predilection or by education to play.

Sadly, or maybe happily, depending on yourperspective, there appears to be less room in thecivil engineering profession for the dysfunction-al, master technologist that in many respects hasbeen effectively replaced by the ubiquitous per-sonal computer and its proprietary software someyears ago. Maybe beefing up the civil engineer-ing curriculum with humanities that supportunderstanding and pursuing functional relation-ships will drive off dysfunctional students. Butthere is no guarantee that it will attract function-al students to replace them.



gas is typically routed to a flare system.A HDPE geomembrane followed by a clay

liner is constructed over the granular medium toform an impermeable composite liner systemand a barrier for the gas collection system. Thisbarrier is also constructed to prevent the percola-tion of stormwater into the waste mass after theclosure of the landfill. A final layer of topsoilplaced over the liner system to establish a vege-tative cover that is prepared and seeded to mini-mize erosion.

MonitoringEvery completed municipal solid waste

landfill must be provided with a series of wells tomonitor for the release of the methane gas andleachate from the landfill. The gas wells areinstalled in the unsaturated soil horizon that sur-rounds the landfill, and the groundwater monitorwells are installed to monitor the water in theshallowest permeable unit below the landfill.Samples drawn from these wells on a routinebasis and analyzed for any indications of arelease from the landfill. In the event a release isdetected, the regulations provide for an aggres-sive program of corrective action that includessource delineation and correction.

The result of these stringent landfill design,operation and monitoring standards has beenexcellent. There have been no observed releasesfrom any of these landfills documented in theirmore than 10-year history of operation. Ofcourse, only the test of time will lead to the dis-covery of any inadequacy or unintended conse-quences — positive or negative — concerningthe design standards intended to provide a per-petually safe disposal system. All of the moni-toring information that has been collected to dateappears consistent with performance expecta-tions.

The FutureEngineers did not stop learning or thinking

after the promulgation of the sound, specific andsomewhat prescriptive regulations for municipalsolid waste landfills. There has been and contin-ues to be a great deal more learned about landfilldesign, construction and management throughthe experience gained by applying the regula-tions and observing the results. This improvedpractical knowledge and understanding of land-fills through the practice of engineering design,construction and management has led to changesin the thought processes, the discovery of signif-icant opportunities and the implementation ofmore effective and practical applications thatremain consistent with the spirit and the intent ofthe regulations.

Geosynthetic materialsThe technological advancements in the prod-

ucts manufactured by the geosynthetics industrynow allow the replacement of the typical imper-meable earthen components previously specifiedin landfill construction with the various imper-meable geosynthetic materials available. As anexample, if a landfill site is located where little orno clay is available to construct a liner, a geosyn-

thetic product referred to as a geocomposite clayliner (GCL) is a viable alternative. The GCL isa manufactured product with powdered bentoniteclay sandwiched between two non-woven geot-extile liners. The GCL can simply be rolled outon a prepared subgrade and overlapped to form alow permeability barrier to replace or to enhancethe recompacted clay liner component. Thepowdered bentonite can be uniformly attached to— and contained inside — the HDPE liners, cre-ating a composite liner system with the oneproduct.

Sands and gravels used for conventionalleachate collection layers can also be replacedwith a geosynthetic product referred to as ageonet. The geonet is a highly permeable syn-thetic matrix that can facilitate the planar flowrequired for leachate collection when placedabove the impermeable HDPE liner. The geonetcan be manufactured fastened to — and compos-ite with — the HDPE liner. The geonet in con-junction with the HDPE liner forms a very goodfiltration system that can hold out the solids fromthe waste and the subgrade and allow the fluidsto rapidly pass to the leachate collection sump.

In recent years, there has been a pronouncedgrowth in the use of these innovative geosynthet-ic products in solid waste landfill constructionand landfill construction in Louisiana has beenpart of this futuristic trend. The geosyntheticproducts, the impermeable GCL system and thehighly permeable geonet leachate collection sys-tem are commonly used in Louisiana to replaceor enhance the recompacted clay liner andreplace the sand and gravel layer leachate collec-tion respectively. The regulations set a verystringent acceptance criterion that requires adesigner to demonstrate that the proposed alter-native geosynthetic systems will be as protectiveof human health and the environment as the con-ventional liner and leachate collection systems.The variation from conventional systemsrequires permit modifications that include publicawareness and participation in the decision-mak-ing process.

Bioreactor landfillsPerhaps the most exciting change that the

future appears to hold is the transition in thethinking of the method of waste storage and dis-posal from the dry tomb to the wet tomb concept.All prior regulation and the design standards arefor dry tomb landfills. They prevent the ongoingexposure of the waste mass to liquids. This reg-ulatory criterion is based on the reasoning thatthe most toxic of the wastes would be renderedsafely disposed in place if there is no medium —liquid — to possibly transport their constituentsinto the environment. As a result, the provisionsfor daily cover and for the final cap that is asimpermeable as the liner system to minimize theintroduction of liquids have always been a part ofthe regulations for municipal solid waste land-fills.

The problem with this approach is thatwastes are being stored in what are consideredand intended to be perpetual landfill sites and yetthere is a continuing unending waste stream that

will result in a growing and unending need formore land for future perpetual landfills. Over thepast decade, a significant amount of research hasbeen dedicated to the evaluation of wastebiodegradation in both aerobic and anaerobicenvironments. However, effective biologicaldegradation requires the introduction of waterinto the waste mass — contrary to the dry tombregulations for landfill design that prohibit orminimize the introduction of liquids into thelandfills.

In response to the promise this researchappears to offer, the EPA has very recently pro-posed to add a new section to the Criteria forMunicipal Solid Waste Landfills. It will allowthe states to issue research, development anddemonstration (RD&D) permits for wet tomblandfill operations that are at variance with por-tions of the dry tomb criteria. This is providedthe landfill operators can demonstrate that theproposed wet tomb operations will not result inan increased risk to human health and the envi-ronment.

The wet tomb alternative is to promote inno-vative technologies for municipal solid wastelandfills. The reason for the RD&D permits is toallow the reintroduction of the leachate from theleachate collection system into the waste mass toaccelerate its biodegradation. The wet tomblandfill concept has been coined the bioreactorlandfill.

It is anticipated that there will be an increasein the use of bioreactor landfills in the futurebecause they provide a very efficient means tomanage the leachate, and the biodegradationprocess causes a substantial reduction in the vol-ume of the waste mass in time. There is also theprospect that long-range reduction or neutraliza-tion of the toxic qualities of the waste mass maylead to the feasible recycling of the municipalsolid waste landfill sites.

It is anticipated that much more attentionwill have to be placed on the design and con-struction of the leachate collection system for thebioreactor landfill because of the increased vol-ume of liquid that will be transported through alandfill cell. Daily cover placement will requiregreater scrutiny to allow for the proper flow offluids through the waste mass. More elaboratemethane gas collection systems will be necessarybecause the bioreactor landfill will generatemuch higher volumes of gas.

Waste to energyAnother innovation associated with the

municipal solid waste landfill and related to thebioreactor landfill is the methane gas emissionsbeing collected and used for power generation ofelectricity. This waste-to-energy concept isanother practical sense trend that makes benefi-cial use of the otherwise troublesome methanegas that will be generated in much greater quan-tities. The methane gas generation from manyhigh capacity landfills can provide a fuel sourceto generate large amounts of electricity. Theconversion of landfill gas to electricity requires alarge capital investment. However, the bioreac-




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tor landfill with its long-term prospect of gener-ating large volumes of gas redefines the econom-ics for this capital investment making electricpower generation more feasible.

SummaryOnly 30 years ago, municipal waste dumps

were a large and growing liability for environ-mental degradation. Now well-regulated, munic-ipal solid waste landfills are a source of con-trolled preservation of human health and theenvironment. The future appears to hold therealistic expectation of feasible electric powergeneration from the methane gas generated and

the potential to reduce or neutralize the toxiccontents of the waste mass and the possibility ofrecycling the landfill sites. This is certainly anexample of how engineers have teamed withcommunities and with the regulators, using inno-vation and the entrepreneurial spirit to take theproverbial lemon and make lemonade.



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