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

LOUISIANA CIVIL ENGINEER

ACADIANA • BATON ROUGE • NEW ORLEANS • SHREVEPORT

FEATURE:Reorganization and Modifications to the Wind Load Provisions of ASCE 7-10

NEWS:2011 Legislative Fly-In Attended by ASCE Leaders

2011 Spring Conference

Drinking Water SafetyMAy 2011VOLUME 19 • NO 3

ASCE LEAdErS At Spring ConfErEnCE: thomas Smith, M.ASCE, CAE, ASCE national deputy Executive director/general Counsel;

Kathy J. Caldwell, pE, f.ASCE, ASCE national president;

patrick J. Landry, pE, M.ASCE, ASCE Louisiana Section president

2 LOUISIANA CIVIL ENGINEER – MAy 2011

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Inquiries regarding advertisements and professional listings may also be made by email to the Chair of the Publications Committee, Ronald Schumann, Jr., PE [email protected]

B A T O N R O U G E | N E W O R L E A N S | A S H E V I L L E

We work with our clients to achieve the highest standard of building

quality that represents good growth for our community. We provide

a built environment that is respectful of our surroundings and that

represents the quality of the people that reside within.

We would like to thank Orion Instruments for selecting Chenevert

Architects, and wish them continued success. See and learn more at

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B A T O N R O U G E | N E W O R L E A N S | A S H E V I L L E

We work with our clients to achieve the highest standard of building

quality that represents good growth for our community. We provide

a built environment that is respectful of our surroundings and that

represents the quality of the people that reside within.

We would like to thank Orion Instruments for selecting Chenevert

Architects, and wish them continued success. See and learn more at

chenevertarchitects.com

A MagneticPartnership.

B AT O N R O U G E | N E W O R L E A N S | A S H E V I L L E

LOUISIANA CIVIL ENGINEER – MAy 2011 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

May 2011 • Vol. 19 • No. 3

PUBLICaTIONS COMMITTEE:Ronald L. Schumann, Jr., PE, Chair (504) 529-4533Kurt M. Nixon, PE, Vice ChairLuke E. LeBas, PEChristopher P. Knotts, PE, D.WREE.R. DesOrmeaux, PEElizabeth Ann Wills, PEChristopher L. Sanchez, PENedra S. Davis, MA, Editor (225) 381-0093

PUBLISHER:Baton Rouge Printing, Inc., Port Allen, LA

Louisiana Civil Engineer quarterly journal is an official publication of the Louisiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers with an average circulation of approximately 2100. The Section neither guarantees the accuracy of the information provided nor necessarily concurs with opinions expressed. It does not claim the copyrights for the contents in this publication. Please submit letters and articles for consideration to be pub-lished by email to [email protected] or mail to the Publications Committee c/o Nedra S. Davis • 622 Steele Blvd. • Baton Rouge, LA 70806-5742.

The Louisiana Section of the American Society of

Civil Engineers was founded in 1914 and has since

been in continuous operation. The Section consists

of the entire state of Louisiana and is divided into

four branches that directly serve over 2000 members.

They are the Acadiana Branch centered in Lafayette,

the Baton Rouge Branch, the New Orleans Branch,

and the Shreveport Branch.

Section Roster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Reorganization and Modifications to the Wind Load Provisions of aSCE 7-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

2011 Legislative Fly-In attended by aSCE Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2011 Spring Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Save The Date: Louisiana Civil Engineering Conference & Show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Life Members Honored at Spring Conference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Francis C. Turner award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Drinking Water Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Branch News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Student News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

aSCE – SEI New Orleans Chapter News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

aSCE – T&DI Louisiana Chapter News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Calendar of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Professional Listings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Service & Suppliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 32

aSCE NaTIONaL CONTaCT INFORMaTION: Phone: 1-800-548-ASCE E-Mail: [email protected]

http://www.lasce.org


LOUISIaNa SECTION • aMERICaN SOCIETy OF CIVIL ENGINEERSLouisiana Engineering Center • 9643 Brookline Avenue • Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809 • (225) 923-1662

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

SECTION BOaRD OF DIRECTORS President Patrick J. Landry, PE LA Office of Coastal Protection & Restoration President-Elect Ronald L. Schumann, Jr., PE AECOM Vice President Kurt M. Nixon, PE Nixon Engineering Solutions, LLC. Secretary-Treasurer Robert Jacobsen, PE Taylor Engineering Past President Christopher P. Knotts, PE, D.WRE LDNR Technology Assessment Division Directors-at-Large Christopher G. Humphreys, PE Professional Services Industries, Inc. Kimberly Landry, EI City of Lafayette C. Eric Hudson, PE Alliance, Inc. R .J. (Joey) Coco, Jr., MBA, PE Engensus, LLC Branch Directors Shaun R. Simon, PE Eustis Engineering Services, LLC. Adam M. Smith, PE Owen and White, Inc. Matthew D. Redmon, EI Professional Services Industries, Inc. Margaret (Meg) Adams, PE MSA Technical Services assigned Branch Directors Luke E. LeBas, PE Shaw Group Christopher L. Sanchez, PE URS Corporation

SECTION COMMITTEES CHaIRS Transportation and Development Institute Daniel J. Aucutt, PE Terracon Website Kurt M. Nixon, PE Nixon Engineering Solutions, LLC. Publications Ronald L. Schumann, Jr., PE AECOM Diversity Barbara Featherston, PE City of Shreveport Nominations Christopher P. Knotts, PE, D.WRE Technology and Assessment Division, LDNR Student activities & awards Jerome M. (Jerry) Kleir, PE GEC, Inc. Special activities & awards Kurt M. Nixon, PE Nixon Engineering Solutions, LLC. Membership Pamela Gonzales, PE HDR, Inc. Louisiana Report Card Kam Movassaghi, PhD, PE C .H. Fenstermaker & Associates, Inc. R .J. (Joey) Coco, Jr., MBA, PE Engensus, LLC Nedra Davis, MA Atkins, formerly PBS&J

BRaNCH OFFICERSacadiana Branch President Shaun R . Simon, PE Eustis Engineering Services, LLC President-Elect Luke Hebert, PE C .H. Fenstermaker & Associates, Inc. Vice President Randel Badeaux, PE WHC Incorporated Contractors Treasurer Eric T. McClanahan, PE Eustis Engineering Services, LLC. Secretary Past President Joshua P. Stutes, PE Louisiana DOTDBaton Rouge Branch President Adam M. Smith, PE Owen and White, Inc. President-Elect Clinton S. Willson, PhD, PE Louisiana State University Vice President Rudolph A . Simoneaux, III, PE LA Office of Coastal Protection & Restoration Secretary-Treasurer R.J. (Joey) Coco, Jr., MBA, PE Engensus, LLC Past President Jeffrey L. Duplantis, PE MWH Global Director - Programs Jason Manning, PE Ardaman & Associates, Inc. Director of Education & LSU Practitioner advisor Samuel D. Amoroso, PE Engensus, LLC younger Member Committee Chair Danielle R. Welborn, EI ABMB Engineers, Inc. Practitioner advisor Alison Ford, PE, SU EBR DPW Membership Chair Kirk Lowery, PE HNTBNew Orleans Branch President Margaret S. (Meg) Adams, PE MSA Technical Services President-Elect Malay Ghose Hajra, PE Professional Services Industries, Inc. Vice President James R. Martin, PhD, PE GEC, Inc. Treasurer Steve Johns, PE Waldemar Nelson Secretary Lee Alexander, PE Alexander Engineering Director at Large Benjamin M. (Ben) Cody, PE Eustis Engineering Services, LLC. Director at Large Reid L. Dennis, PE Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans

Director at Large Nathan J. Junius, PE, PLS Linfield, Hunter and Junius, Inc. Past President Benjamin M. (Ben) Cody, PE Eustis Engineering Services, LLC.Shreveport Branch President Matthew D. Redmon, EI Professional Services Industries, Inc. President-Elect Scott Hughes, PE Alliance, Inc. Vice-President Dave Rambaran, PE Building and Earth Sciences, Inc. Secretary/Treasurer Patrick Furlong, PE Balar Associates, Inc. Past President & La Tech Practitioner advisor J. Daniel Thompson, EI Aillet, Fenner, Jolly and McClelland

BRaNCH TECHNICaL COMMITTEE CHaIRS New Orleans SEI Chapter Pawan Gupta, PE URS Corporation

STUDENT CHaPTERS Presidents/Faculty Advisors La.Tech Eric Vueleman Rob McKim, PhD, PE LSU Josh Bradley Ayman Okeil, PhD, PE McNeese Jada O’Blanc Janardanan (Jay) O. Uppot, PE Southern Julesa Holland Emmanuel U. Nzewi, PhD, PE ULL Alison Lognion Chris Carroll, PhD, EI UNO Donald Jerolleman Gianna M. Cothern, PE

REGION 5 BOaRD OF GOVERNORS Director Norma Jean Mattei, PhD, PE Louisiana Governor E.R. DesOrmeaux, PE

EDITOR Nedra S. Davis, MA Atkins, formerly PBS&J


President’s MessageBy Patrick J. Landry, PE

TheannualLouisianaSectionSpringConferencewasheldonApril14-15, 2011 in Lafayette at the Cajundome Convention Center.Approximately 200 professionals and students attended the dayandahalfconference,whichaffordedattendeestheopportunitytoearnupto11professionaldevelopmenthours.I’vereceivedmanyfavorable comments regarding the conference, and AcadianaBranchPresident,ShaunSimon,andhisorganizingcommitteearetobecommendedforhostingoneofthebestSpringConferencesinrecentmemory. TheSectionwashonoredtohaveASCENationalPresident,Ms.KathyCaldwell,attendtheconferenceanddeliveraninspiringmessageduring theThursday luncheon.Thehighlightofthe lunch program was the presentation of the ASCE NationalFrancisC.TurnerAwardtoDr.KamMovassaghi. TheSectionwasalso honored to have ASCE’s National Deputy Executive DirectorandGeneralCounsel,Mr.TomSmithpresenttwointerestingtechni-cal topics on “Ethics and Professionalism” and “ASCE’s Role inEnhancing theQuality of Life through SustainableDevelopment”.Friday’s luncheon included the presentation of the LifeMemberAwardsandtheOutstandingSeniorStudentAwards.

Manythanksareextendedtothetechnicalpresenterswhohelpedmaketheconferenceinformativeforallwhoattended.Also,thankyoutoallofourexhibitorsandsponsorswhohelpedunderwriteaportion of the expenses to help keep the cost of the conferenceaffordableforallattendees.

DuringtheGeneralMembershipMeeting,heldattheconclusionofthe Spring Conference, the officers and board of directors wereelectedforthe2011-2012administrativeyear.Congratulationsareextended to next year’s officers: President, Ronald Schumann;President Elect, KurtNixon;VicePresident, Robert Jacobsen; andSecretary-Treasurer,PamGonzales,alongwithallof the incomingboardofdirectors.

Significant progress is being made on the development of theLouisianaSectionReportCard.Eachoftheninecommittees(roads,bridges,dams,ports, levees,aviation,drinkingwater,wastewaterand solid waste) has assembled the necessary data and will beassigninggradesandproducingdraft reportsby theendof June.TheSectionhasenlistedtheservicesofLambertMediatohelpwiththepromotionofour efforts andhavebegunmeetingwith stateand federal administrators to brief themonour progress.Duringthe months of July and August; peer reviews, ASCE Nationalreviews,completionofthefinalreportsandprintingofallmaterialwilltakeplacewiththegoaltounveiltheReportCardatthebegin-ningof September. Currently, there are approximately 60 volun-teersworking toensure thatwewillproducea successfulReportCard. Thank you to all of the volunteers, and in particular, ourExecutiveDirector,Dr.KamMovassaghi;DeputyDirector,Mr.JoeyCocoandCommunicationsDirector,Ms.NedraDavis.

IntheFebruary issueofthe journal, IreportedthattheLouisianaSection was recognized as the winners of the 2010 OutstandingNewsletterAward for largeSectionsandBranches. Recently, theSection received another award whenwewere notified that wewonthe2011MembershipRenewalcompetitionforlargeSections.

The competition isbased on the greatestpercentageofmembersrenewingearlyandalsoby having the highestrenewal rates of alllarge Sections in thenation.Thankstoallofour Section membersforrealizingandunder-standing the impor-tance of being amem-berofASCE.

TheLouisianaSectionChapteroftheTransportationandDevelopmentInstitute (T&DI)was formed almost three years ago to provide anavenueforthoseindividualsinterestedincontinuingeducationinthetransportationfield.Ourchapterisoneofonlyeightinthenationandprovidesseveralseminarseveryyear,either intheNewOrleansorBatonRougearea. Pleaserefer to theT&DIarticleonpage27 formoreinformationregardingupcomingseminars.

Withhuge federalbudgetbattlesongoing inWashingtonDC,ournation’sinfrastructureremainsintheforefrontofdiscussionsasitpertains to funding priorities. Our ASCE National leadership hasbeenmeetingregularlywithmembersofthe112thCongressstress-ingtheimportanceoftheapprovalofamulti-yearsurfacetranspor-tation authorization, as well as, other important pieces of infra-structure legislation. Seven members of the Louisiana SectionparticipatedintheannualLegislativeFly-Inin lateMarchandhadtheopportunitytodiscussthestatusoflegislativebillswithmem-bersoftheLouisianaCongressionaldelegation.LookforadetailedreportonthesuccessoftheirtriptoWashingtonDConpage10.

Forthoseofyouwhoparticipateintheuseofsocialmedia,ASCENationalhasmadeaconcertedefforttobuildonlinecommunitiesutilizing some of the more popular social networks. Currently,there are more than 17,000 members in ASCE’s LinkedIn group.ASCE’sofficialFacebookpagecurrentlyhas2,500fansandtherearemorethan2,000followersonTwitter.

Finally,April20thmarkedthefirstyearanniversaryoftheDeepwaterHorizonoilspillwhichresultedinthedeathof11oilfieldworkersanddumped4.9millionbarrelsofcrudeoilintotheGulfofMexico.Civilengineershavebeencalledupontohelpwiththecleanupandrestorationeffortsofourbeaches,shorelineandmarshes.Currently,civil engineers are leading the effort to control floodwaters, notseenin40years,alongtheMississippiRiverandintheAtchafalayaBasin.Aswithotherrecentdisasters likeHurricanesKatrina,Rita,GustavandIkeandtheearthquakesinHaitiandJapan,thegeneralpubliclookstousandourprofessionalexpertisetohelpreturntheirlivestosomesortofnormalcy.Weshouldallbeproudoftheworkthatwedoandnevertakeforgrantedourrolesinsociety.

On behalf of the entire Louisiana Section Board, I hope you andyourfamilyhaveahappyandsafesummer.

Patrick J. Landry, PE


introduCtionTheAmericanSocietyofCivilEngineers(ASCE)publicationMinimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, also known asASCE 7, is a consensus standard that “provides minimum loadrequirementsforthedesignofbuildingsandotherstructuresthataresubjecttobuildingcoderequirements.”Sincethe1992editionof the Standard Building Code (SBC), ASCE 7 has been the code-referencedstandardforthedeterminationofwindloads.The2009editionoftheInternationalBuildingCode(IBC)states“WindLoadsoneverybuildingor structure shallbedetermined inaccordancewith…ASCE7.”

Thewindloadprovisionsofthe2010editionofASCE7(ASCE7-10)havebeensubstantiallyrevisedfromthe2005edition. Themostnotablechangesare:

1. Changesinbuildingclassification2. Reorganizationofthewindloadprovisions3. ReintroductionofExposureD4. Changestothebasicwindspeedmap5. Changestothewindbornedebrisregion6. IntroductionofnewsimplifiedmethodsfordeterminingMain

Wind Force Resisting System (MWFRS) and Component andCladding(C&C)loads

As an AssociateMember of the ASCE 7 Subcommittee onWindLoads for the 2010 revision cycle, I have had the opportunity toattendandparticipate inallof the subcommitteemeetingsand Iwouldliketotakethisopportunitytopresentthechangessothatusersofthestandardgetthemostbenefitoutofthereorganizationby understanding the reasons behind them and learning how toimplementthechangesintheiranalysisanddesign.

Changes in Building Classification (Chapter 1)In previous editions of ASCE 7, structures were assigned anOccupancy Category (I, II, III, or IV) based on very specific occu-pancy descriptions. Structures that were classified as eitherOccupancyCategoryIIIorIVfacilitieswereassignedanImportanceFactor(I)of1.15forthedeterminationofwindloads.

InASCE7-10,structuresareassignedaRiskCategory(I,II,III,orIV)basedonmoregeneralizedoccupancydescriptions. This reducesthepotentialforconflictbetweenthestandardandlocallyadoptedcodesandreflectsthefactthatacceptableriskisanissueofpublicpolicy that depends on more than just the building occupancy.Realizingthatusersmaybeunsureoftheappropriateriskcategory,additional information has been provided in the Commentary ofASCE 7-10 to assist in the determination of the appropriate RiskCategory.

Additionally, theImportanceFactorisnolonger used in ASCE7-10. The applicabledesignwindspeedmapisselectedbasedontheRiskCategory. Thiswillbediscussedmorelater.

reorganization of the Wind Load provisionsUsers of ASCE 7 havelong complained of alackof user-friendliness of thewind loadprovisionsof the stan-dard. Therewere a number of legitimate criticisms of previouseditions.

1. PoorOrganization–Generalcriteria(designwindspeed,expo-sure,enclosure,windloadfactors,etc,)arepresentedafterthedesignprocedures

2. Mistake-Prone Presentation – The grouping of the variousdesignprocedures fordeterminingMWFRSandC&C loads inone chapter, followed by the grouping of all figures/tablestogether increases the likelihood of mixing and matchingdesignproceduresandtheassociatedfigures/tables

3. Poor presentation of the applicability and limitations of thevariousdesignprocedures

4. Lackofusernotes

In response tousercomplaints, thewind loadprovisionsofASCE7-10havebeenrearrangedandbrokenintosixchapters,asshownbelow.Abriefdescriptionofeachchapterfollows.

• Chapter26–WindLoads:GeneralRequirements• Chapter27–WindLoadsonBuildings–MWFRS (Directional

Procedure)• Chapter 28 – Wind Loads on Buildings – MWFRS (Envelope

Procedure)• Chapter 29 – Wind Loads on Other Structures and Building

Appurtenances–MWFRS• Chapter30–WindLoads–C&C• Chapter31–WindTunnelProcedure

Chapter 26 – Wind Loads: general requirementsChapter26 is the first step in thecalculationofwind loads. Thischaptercontainsanoverviewtoguidetheuserthroughtheremain-ingwind loadchaptersofASCE7dependingon the typeofwindloadsbeingdetermined.Figure1isareproductionoftheprocessflowchartinChapter26.

Joffrey Easley, PE

Reorganization and Modifications to the Wind Load Provisions of aSCE 7-10By Joffrey Easley, PE, Engensus, LLC


Chapter26alsocontainsthefollowinggeneralinformationregard-ingthecalculationofwindforces:

• Definitions,Symbols,andNotation• OutlineofProcessforDeterminingWindLoads• BasicWindSpeedMaps• Exposure(B,C,orD)• Enclosure(Enclosed,PartiallyEnclosed,orOpen)• WindDirectionalityFactor,Kd• Gust-EffectFactor,G• TopographicFactor,Kz

Chapter 27 – Wind Loads on Buildings – MWfrS (directional procedure)Chapter 27 contains provisions for the determination ofMWFRSloadsonbuildingsbasedontheDirectionalProcedure,whichwasreferredtobymanyusersasthe“allheights”methodinpreviouseditions of the standard. Chapter 27 contains two parts, asdescribedbelow:

part 1“appliestobuildings of all heights…toseparatewindloadsontothewindward,leeward,andsidewallstoproperlyassesstheinternalforcesintheMWFRS.”TheprocedureinPart1isapplicableforenclosed,partiallyenclosed,andopenbuildingswithgable,hip,monoslope,andmansardroofsofanyslope.TheExternalPressureCoefficients (Cp) used in this procedure are the same as thosefoundinFigure6-6inASCE7-05.

part 2 isanewtabularmethodthat“applies to…enclosedsimplediaphragmbuildingswithh≤160ft.”Thisprocedureisasimplifica-tionofPart1.Basedonthewindspeedandexposureforthebuild-ing site, aswell as the building roof type andmean roof height,MWFRS pressures forwall and roof surfaces are selected from aseriesoftables.

Chapter 28 – Wind Loads on Buildings – MWfrS (Envelope procedure)Chapter28containsprovisionstodeterminetheMWFRSloadson

low-risebuildingsONLY (h≤60 ft)using theEnvelopeProcedure.Chapter28containstwoparts,asdescribedbelow:

part 1“appliestolow-rise buildings…toseparatewindloadsontothe windward, leeward, and side walls to properly assess theinternalforcesintheMWFRS.”TheprocedureinPart1isappli-cable to enclosed, partially enclosed, oropen low-risebuildingswithagable,hip,orflatroof.TheExternalPressureCoefficients(GCp)usedinthisprocedurecorrespondtothoseinFigure6-10inASCE7-05.AnimportantitemtonoteisthatthepresentationofFigure6-10fromASCE7-05hasbeenmodifiedinASCE7-10dueto user confusion regarding the proper application of the windpressures.

part 2 “applies to…enclosed simple diaphragm buildings”. Thisprocedureprovidesdesignwindpressuresintabularformandwaspreviouslyknownasthe“Low-RiseSimplifiedMethod”.ThedesignwindpressuresareunchangedfromFigure6-2inASCE7-05.

Chapter 29 – Wind Loads on other Structures and Building Appurtenances – MWfrSChapter29isapplicableforthedeterminationofMWFRSloadsforbuildingappurtenancesandotherstructures.Separatefiguresareprovided forwalls and signs; chimneys, tanks, and rooftop struc-tures; open signs and lattice frameworks; and trussed towers.ThesefigureshavenotchangedfromASCE7-05.

Chapter 30 – Wind Loads – C&CChapter30containsprovisionsforthedeterminationofC&Cloadsand includes six procedures. The beginning of the chapter pro-videsasummaryoftheapplicabilityofeachprocedureinregardstoenclosure,height,rooftype,etc.Thenameofeachprocedureand the corresponding ASCE 7-05 figure numbers are providedbelow:• part 1–EnvelopeMethodforLow-RiseBuildings–corresponds

toASCE7-05Figures6-11through6-16• part 2 – Simplified Method for Low-Rise Buildings – corre-

spondstoASCE7-05Figure6-3• part 3–DirectionalMethodforBuildingswithh>60ft–cor-

respondstoASCE7-05Figure6-17• part 4–SimplifiedMethodforBuildingswithh≤160ft–new

tabularmethod• part 5–OpenBuildings–correspondstoASCE7-05Figure6-19• part 6 –BuildingAppurtenancesandRooftopStructuresand

Equipment – provides additional information and figures forcalculatingparapetandoverhangloads

Chapter 31 – Wind tunnel procedureWhere desired or required by the standard,wind loads (MWFRSandC&C)aretobedeterminedbywindtunnelstudies.Thismeth-od isconsideredtoproducethemostaccuratewindpressuresofanymethod contained in the standard. Requirements related totestconditions,dynamicresponse,andloadeffectsarepresentedinChapter31.

Figure 1. Outline of Process for Determining Wind Loads (Reproduced from ASCE 7-10)


reintroduction of Exposure dTheexposurecategoriesinASCE7arerelatedtothesurfacerough-nessofthesurroundingland.ExposureDisassociatedwithasur-faceroughnessdefinedas“flat,unobstructedareasandwatersur-faces.”Formanyyears,itwasbelievedthatasthewindspeedofahurricaneincreased,theroughnessofthewatersurfacewassuchthat Exposure D was not applicable along the hurricane coast.More recent research suggests that thewater surface turns intosomethingresemblinga“froth”,whichisthoughttobeconsistentwithExposureD,andmustbeusedalongthehurricanecoastline.

Changes to the Basic Wind Speed MapForthelargemajorityoftheinterioroftheUS,thewindspeedsinFigure6-1inASCE7-05correspondtoawindeventwithanominal50yearmeanrecurrence interval (MRI). Whenmultipliedbythe1.6windloadfactor,theresultingwindpressurescorrespondtoanevent with approximately a 700 yearMRI, which represents theultimate limit state. For critical facilities, multiplying wind pres-suresbytheImportanceFactorof1.15andthewindloadfactorof1.6 results pressures corresponding to an event with an MRI ofapproximately 1700 years. For regions where the design windspeediscontrolledbyhurricaneevents,however,thewindspeedsinFigure6-1correspondtoanMRIthatvariesbetween50and100years. This discrepancy and variation resulted in designs withinconsistentlevelsofreliabilityacrosstheU.S.

ToprovideforasimilarlevelofreliabilityacrosstheU.S.,thewindspeedmapinASCE7-05wasreplacedwithaseriesofmapsshow-ing ultimate wind speeds for various structure Risk Categories.ThreeseparateBasicWindSpeedmapsareprovided:

1. Figure26.5-1A–700yearMRI–RiskCategoryIIstructures2. Figure26.5-1B–1700yearMRI–RiskCategoryIIIandIVstruc-

tures3. Figure26.5-1C–300yearMRI–RiskCategoryIstructures

Thewindloadfactorandimportancefactorarenowincorporatedintothebasicwindspeedmaps.Forstrengthdesignloadcombina-tionsmaximizingwindeffects,thewindloadfactorisnow1.0.ForthecorrespondingASDcombinations,thewindloadfactoris0.6.

Inadditiontothechangetoultimatewindspeeds,themapsincor-poratedatafromanewhurricanesimulationmodeldevelopedbyAppliedResearchAssociates(ARA).Thenewmodelincludesaddi-tional hurricane data from more recent events, finer resolutionalongthecoast,100,000yearsofsimulation,andanewmodelforhowstormsweakenafter landfall. Thenewwind speedmap forRiskCategoryIIstructuresisshowninFigure2.

TocompareASCE7-05andASCE7-10designwindspeeds,theloadfactor that is “built in” to the ASCE 7-10 wind speeds must beremoved.Sincewindpressuresareproportionaltothewindspeedsquared, this requires dividing theASCE 7-10wind speeds by thesquarerootofthewindloadfactorof1.6. ThetransformedASCE

7-10 wind speeds are typically slightly lower than the ASCE 7-05wind speeds. Even for locationsalong thehurricanecoast,whichmustnowbedesignedforExposureD,thewindspeedsaretypicallythesameorslightlyless.AcomparisonofASCE7-05andASCE7-10windspeedsforseverallocationsinLouisianaisshowninTable1.

Changes to the Wind-Borne debris regionASCE7 requires theprotectionof glazedopenings inwind-bornedebris regions. In ASCE 7-05, the wind-borne debris region isdefined as locations with a Basic Wind Speed ≥ 120 mph, or, ifwithin1mileofthecoastalmeanhighwaterline,withaBasicWindSpeedof≥110mph. There isnodifferentiationbetweencriticalstructures(OccupancyCategoryIIIandIV)andOccupancyCategoryIIstructures.

Since the wind-borne debris region is associated with the BasicWindSpeed,anewdefinitionbasedontheultimatelevelmapsinASCE7-10isrequired.Thewind-bornedebrisregioninASCE7-10isdefinedas locationswithaBasicWindSpeed≥140mph,or, if

Figure 2. – Basic Wind Speed Map for Risk Category II Structures (Reproduced from ASCE 7-10)

Figure 3. – Sample User Notes Provided in ASCE 7-10

Table 1. – Wind Speed Comparison Between ASCE 7-05 and ASCE 7-10


within1mileofthecoastalmeanhighwaterline,withaBasicWindSpeed≥130mph. ForRiskCategory II and III structures (excepthealthcarefacilities),the700yrMRIwindspeedmapisused. Toaccount for the increased level of protection required for morecritical structures, for Risk Category IV structures and healthcarefacilities, the 1700 yearMRIwind speedmap is used. Formoststructure types, the geographic extent of the windborne debrisregionhasbeenreducedinASCE7-10.

Additional ChangesA number of additional changes aimed at making the standardmoreuser-friendlyhavebeenmadetothe2010editionofASCE7.Usernotes,asshowninFigure3,havebeenprovidedthroughoutthedocument.Also,astep-by-stepprocessforeachdesignproce-dureisprovided,asshowninFigure4.

Someotherchangesthathavebeenmadeare:• Improveddefinitionsforsurfaceroughness• Reductionintheminimumloadtobeappliedtotheprojected

roofarea• Crossreferenceoffigures inASCE7-05andASCE7-10ispro-

vided• Commentaryhasbeenreorganizedtofollownewchapterlay-

out• Many other minor changes intended to make interpretation

anduseofthestandardeasierhavebeenmade

Additional ConsiderationsThe changes inmethodology and layout in ASCE 7-10will havefar-reaching effects on building codes, reference manuals, anddesignaids.ThelimitsofapplicabilityforprescriptivedesignsinIBC and IRCwill have to bemodified. Also, allmaterial designguides (e.g.Wood Frame ConstructionManual) will have to bemodified.Localordinancesregardingdebrisimpactrequirementsand any other requirements related towind speed triggerswillalsohavetobeinvestigatedandmodifiedasrequired.Therearecertainlymanymore issuesthanhavebeenpresentedherethatwill have to be considered to maintain compliance with ASCE7-10.

When Will these Changes take Effect?ItisanticipatedthatASCE7-10willbereferencedbythenextedi-tionofIBC,whichwillbepublishedin2012.OnceIBC2012ispub-lished, itwillhavetoberatifiedbythestatebefore it isadopted.Thatprocesshastypicallytakenaboutayeartocomplete,soitcanbeexpectedthatitwillbe2013beforeASCE7-10isthereferencedstandardforthecalculationofwind(andother)loadsforthestateofLouisiana.

ConclusionsAlthough therewill certainly be some heartburn associatedwiththechangetomultipleultimatewindspeedmaps,theotherchang-eswillhopefullymake theuseofASCE7-10easier thanpreviouseditionsofthestandard.Infact,sincemanyofthechangesinvolvechangesinformatratherthansubstance,itmaybeconvenient(anditisacceptable)tousethedesignprovisionsandproceduresinthe2010editionwith thewind speedsand load combinations in the2005edition.

Figure 4. – Step-by-Step Design Procedure

Joffrey EasleyisaprofessionalengineerlicensedinLouisianawithseveralyearsofstructuralengineeringdesignexperience,servingboththeprivateandpublicsectors.HegraduatedfromLSU,withBSandMSdegreesincivilengineering,focusingonstructuralengineeringandhurricaneengineering.Hismaster’sthesiswasentitled“DevelopmentofaPerformance-BasedDesignApproachandRelatedLoadsforFacilitiesDesignatedasEssentialDuringaHurricaneEvent.”JoffreyrecentlyservedontheASCE7SubcommitteeonWindLoadsforthe 2010 revision cycle of the standard and is currently serving a two-year term on the IBC Technical Advisory Subcommittee forLouisiana. Hisexperience includesthedesignofawiderangeof infrastructureandtransportationstructures; includingbridges, lightcommercialfacilities,andindustrialfacilities.Additionally,hehasconsultedwithseveralclientsregardinghurricaneriskandmitigationoptions.HeisalsoamemberoftheAmericanSocietyofCivilEngineers.


2011 Legislative Fly-In attended by aSCE LeadersBy Kirk Lowery, PE

Arecord220participantsfromacross47statestookpartinASCE’sannualWashingtonLegislativeFly-Infor2011.Duringthefourdaysofthisyearlyefforttohelpourmembershipengagewiththeirfed-erallawmakers,theyvisitedtheofficesof340membersofCongresstotalkaboutASCElegislativeprioritiesincludingsurfacetransporta-tionauthorization,establishmentofanationalinfrastructurebank,damsafetyand rehabilitation,and the3percentwithholding tax.ASCEalsohonoredRepresentativeStevenLaTourette(R-Ohio)asanHonoraryFellowoftheSocietyforhisleadershipeffortstosupportinvestmentinournation’sinfrastructure.

SevenASCEmembersrepresentedLouisianaattheFly-Inincluding:Dr. Norma Jean Mattei, PE, Dr. Kam Movassaghi, PE, Mr. BoBolourchi, PE,Mr. KurtNixon, PE,Mr. Ronald Schumann, PE,Ms.NedraDavis,andMr.KirkLowery,PE.hadtheopportunitytovisitasa groupwith SenatorDavidVitter and staff,Representative SteveScaliseandstaff,andthesenatorialstaffofSenatorMaryLandrieu.Individualmemberswere also able tomeetwithRepresentativesDr.BillCassidy,Dr.JohnFleming,CharlesBoustanyandtheirstaff.

AllofthedelegatesattheconferencespentpartsofTuesday,March29,andWednesday,March30,intrainingwithASCE’sWashington,D.C.stafflearningaboutanddiscussingthefollowingfiveitemsofinterestforthe112thCongress:

1. national infrastructure Bank (S.652 and H.r.402)Senator JohnKerryofMassachusetts introducedabill thathasbipartisan support in theSenate to createabank tohelp kick-startinfrastructureprojects.Hisbillwouldrequire$10billionayearandwouldbeusedwithotherfundingsources(privateandpublic)tofundaminimumof$100millionworthofprojects inurbanareasand$25millioninruralareas.Themaximumloanfortheindividualprojectsis50%whichmeansotherfundingsourcesare required to finance theprojects. Thisbankwouldoperatesimilar to private enterprise banks where a loan would befinancedwithasmallinterestrepaymentprocess.Thetypesofprojectsthatwouldbefinancedincludetransportationinfrastruc-ture,waterinfrastructureandelectricalinfrastructure.Thehousebill was introduced by Representative DeLauro of Connecticutandithassomedifferentprovisionsincludinggrants,$5billionayear,andfundingforbroadbanddevelopment.

2. Surface transportation AuthorizationASCE strongly supports the timely enactmentof amulti-yearsurfacetransportationbill.Thesix-yearsurfacetransportationbill expired September 30, 2009 and stop-gap appropriationshavebeen enacted ever since. The latest appropriation, theseventhsuchmeasure,willexpireonSeptember30,2011.TheHouse Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chair,RepresentativeMica of Florida, has developed a $250 billionauthorizationoversixyearstobepaidwiththecurrentgasolinetax.TheObamaAdministrationincludedintheU.S.DepartmentofTransportation’sfiscalyear2012budgetproposalanoutlineforanew$556billion,multi-yearsurfacetransportationautho-rization.Despitetheproposedsurgefortransportationspend-

Louisiana delegation visits Representative Steve Scalise: Left to right: Bo Bolourchi, Dr. Kam Movassaghi, Ronald Schumann, Rep. Scalise, Kirk Lowery, Nedra Davis, and Dr. Norma Jean Mattei

Left to right: Dr. Kam Movassaghi, Nedra Davis, Representative Charles Boustany, and Dr. Norma Jean Mattei


ing,therearenospecificrecommendationsforincreasingrev-enuestopayforinfrastructure.

3. national dam Safety ActASCEsupportsafullreauthorizationoftheNationalDamSafetyAct,at$13.1millionannually.TheNationalDamSafetyProgramprovides federal leadership and assistance to the state-levelprogramsthatshoulderthemajorityofthedamsafetyburden.The National Dam Safety Program is a vital safety programadministered by FEMA to improve the safety of the nation’sdamsthroughassistancetostateprograms.Theprogramwaslast reauthorized in 2006 and has been fully-funded the lastfewCongresseswiththemostrecentallocationreaching$11million.WiththeprogramsettoexpireonSeptember30,2011areauthorizationisneededtoensurethissmall,butvitalsafetyprogramcontinues.

4. dam rehabilitation and repairTherearea significantnumberofdams in the country thatneedrehab and repair. To address dam deficiencies, the DamRehabilitation and Repair Act was introduced in both theHouse and the Senate in the 111th Congress to provide $200million over five years for the repair, rehabilitation, and remov-al of publicly owned dams. The proposed legislation woulddistribute funds to state dam safety agencies based on thenumber of high-hazard (loss of life if the dam fails), publicly-owned non-federal dams in the state, with the federal govern-ment’s shareofanygrantnotexceeding65percentof the totalcost of repairs. In Louisiana, there are 557 dams,with 31 con-sideredhighhazarddams.

5. three percent WithholdingSection511oftheTaxIncreasePreventionandReconciliationActof2005 mandates a three percent withholding on payments tocompanies for any contract with a federal, state, or localgovernment agency. Specifically, theAct requireswithholdingofthree percent of the contract on all government payments forproductsandservicesmadebythefederalgovernment,aswellasstate and local governments, with contracting expenditures of$100millionormore.Thiswasanattempt to get companies topaytheir taxes before releasing 3%withholding.AtthetimetheCBOestimated $7 billion in savingsoverafiveyearperiod.However,thiswouldnotincreaseanymoneyto the government, itwould justacceleratepaymentsanditwouldcost mote than it would savecreating more spending inTreasury and the Department ofDefense to have people verifycompliance. On the privatesector side, cash flow would bereduced because of the 3%

withholding andpeoplewould have to be hired to complywiththislaw.

Thursday’s March 31st breakfast honored Representative StevenLaTourette(R-OH)asanHonoraryFellowoftheSociety,recognizinghis leadershipefforts to support investment inournation’s infra-structure.RepresentativeLaTourettesharedhisperspectiveonthestruggleinthe112thCongresstoadvancebadlyneededlegislationtoimproveourroads,bridges,dams,watersystemsandothervitalinfrastructure. Besidesbeingengaging, thecongressman insistedthattheengineersacrossthecountryneedtoget“tough”withourrepresentativesandmakethemawareofthestateofourinfrastruc-tureandwhatwillbeneededjusttomaintain.

DuringtheLouisianadelegation’svisits,themembersechoedthatmessage and Dr. Kam Movassaghi exhibited the type of leadersrequested by Representative LaTourette. Overall, the Louisianadelegationwevisitedwithsupportseliminatingthreepercentwith-holding,andgettingatransportationbillagreedupon.TheFly-Inisanexcellentopportunity forASCEandSection leaders todeveloprelationships with our elected members of Congress and theLouisianaSectionwillcontinuetosupportthisworthwhileprogram.

Kurt Nixon and Representative Dr. John Fleming

Left to right: Nedra Davis, Dr. Norma Jean Mattei, Kurt Nixon, Senator David Vitter, Dr. Kam Movassaghi, Ronald Schumann, Kirk Lowery, and Bo Bolourchi


The Annual Louisiana Section Spring conferencewas held at theCajundome Convention Center in Lafayette, Louisiana over threedays fromWednesday, April 13th through Friday, April 15th. Theconferencewasagreatsuccessdrawingover200attendees,mem-bersandstudentmembers.Theconferenceincludedtwofulldaysof seminars and provided an opportunity for members to earnProfessionalDevelopmentHours(PDHs).

This year’s conference was hosted by the Acadiana Branch. TheconferencekickedoffwithacrawfishboilonWednesdaynightattheHiltonGardenInnacrossthestreetfromtheCajundome.Thiswasatimeformemberstogettogether,relaxandenjoyeachoth-er’scompanywhiledowningalargenumberofcrawfishandotherlibations.Agoodtimewashadbyall.

ThetechnicalsessionsbeganThursdaymorningcontinuingthroughFriday and included 20 sessions covering topics from CoastalEngineering, Hydraulics, Flood Control, Structural Engineering,Transportation Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering to ProjectManagementandEthics.

The Louisiana Section was also honored to have in attendanceKathy Caldwell, the National President of ASCE along with TomSmith, the National DeputyExecutive Director and GeneralCounsel of ASCE. Kathy Caldwellwas the keynote speaker for theThursday luncheon giving anupdate on ASCE activities at theNational level. She spoke aboutASCE’sinvolvementinsupportoflegislation working throughCongressincludingtheauthoriza-tionofanewtransportationbill,thedamsafetybillandtheestab-lishment of an infrastructurebankforthefundingofinfrastruc-ture projects. She spoke aboutthe importance of becoming aKeyContactforASCEandgettinginvolvedinsupportingthelegisla-tion before Congress. She alsospoke about the ASCE StrategicInitiatives - Infrastructure,Sustainability and Competency.OnthetopicofSustainabilityMs.CaldwelldiscussedASCE’sinvolve-ment in establishing a certifica-tion program for sustainable

designforinfrastructureprojects.TomSmithspokeonASCE’sinte-grated role in enhancing the quality of life through sustainabledesign.Healsopresentedasessiononengineeringethicsandpro-fessionalism.

TheannualgeneralmembershipmeetingandawardspresentationwasheldinconjunctionwiththeluncheononFriday.Presentationsweremade to those in attendance thatwere receivingASCE LifeMemberAwards(articleandphotosonpage15)andOutstandingSeniorStudentAwards(photosbelow).

Inaddition,Dr.KamMovassaghiwaspresentedthe2011NationalTurner Award (article and photos on page 16), which recognizescontributionstotheadvancementoftheknowledgeandpracticeoftransportationengineering.TheawardwaspresentedbyJonathanC. Esslinger, National Director of the Transportation andDevelopmentInstitute(T&DI)ofASCE.

Overalltheconferencewasagreatsuccess,receivingmanycompli-ments from those in attendance.Credit goes toAcadianaBranchPresidentShaunSimonandhisorganizingcommittee’shardworkandajobwelldoneinhostingtheconference.

2011 Louisiana Section Spring Conference

Julesa C. Holland, SouthernDistinguished Civil Engineer Senior

Jada O'Blanc, McNeeseDistinguished Civil Engineer Senior

Donald Jerolleman, UNODistinguished Civil Engineer Senior

Eric Veuleman, LA TechDistinguished Civil Engineer Senior

Alison Lognion, ULLDistinguished Civil Engineer Senior

Melissa R. Young, LSUDistinguished Civil Engineer Senior


Left: Larry Cramer, Right back: Steven Tate, wife, wife of Beau Tate, Beau Tate, Darrel Pontiff, Todd Vincent, and wife

Left to right: Nedra Davis, Patrick Landry, Ronald Schumann, and Christopher Knotts

Left front: Tom Smith, ASCE National and ARK-LA-TEX Helical Distributors Left to right: Jon Esslinger, Dr. Kam Movassaghi, and wife

Left to right: Jon Esslinger, Dr. Norma Jean Mattei, E.Ray DesOrmeaux, and Nedra Davis

Left to right: Patrick Landry, Ronald Schumann, Nedra Davis, and Christopher Knotts

Technical sessions well attended Luncheon well attended


National ASCE President Kathy Caldwell gives luncheon presentation Speaker Secretary Sheri LeBas, DOTD

Speaker Stephen Chustz, DNR Atchafalaya Basin Program Ronald Schumann and Jon Esslinger

SAVE tHE dAtE!

We are proud to announce the dates for the 21st Annual Louisiana Civil Engineering Conference and Show. this event, a joint effort from the new orleans Branches of ASCE and ACi, is the premiere gathering for the Civil Engineering community in the greater new orleans Area. We are in the process of soliciting sponsors and exhibitors and establishing the technical program for the fall conference which will be held on September 21-22, 2011, at the pontchartrain Center in Kenner, Louisiana.

for additional information on the conference, please visit our web site at www.LCECS.org.


Daniel James Aucutt, PE Rodney J. Gannuch, PE Jerry Grooms, PE

Ronald E. Hebert, PE Subhash V. Kulkarni, PE Lester J. LeBlanc, PE Richard A. Murley, PE

Life Members Honored at Spring Conference

Seventeen Louisiana Section members were honored with LifeMembershipattherecentSpringConferenceheldattheCajundomeinLafayette.AchievingLifeMembershipinASCErequiresacareerofservicetoboththeSocietyandthecivilengineeringprofession.TobeeligibleforLifeMembership, individuals inthemembershipof Fellow, Member, Associate Member or Affiliate a) shall havereachedtheageof65andb)shallhavepaiddues forat least30years and c) shall have had 10 years of continuousmembershipimmediatelyprecedingtheattainmentofLifeMembership.

TheseventeenLifeMembersandthebranchwheretheyresideinare as follows: Mr. Robert McDonald, PE (Acadiana), Mr. AlbertHeikamp, PE (Acadiana), Mr. Jerry Grooms, PE (Acadiana), Mr.

LesterLeBlanc,PE (Acadiana),Mr.GeorgeVoyiadjis,D.Eng (BatonRouge),Mr.MichaelCullen,PE(BatonRouge),Mr.RonaldHebert,PE(BatonRouge),Mr.Oliver“Gene”Wager,Affiliate(BatonRouge),Mr. Dan Aucutt, PE (Baton Rouge),Mr. RichardMurley, PE (NewOrleans),Mr.SubhashKulkarni,PE(NewOrleans),Mr.DavidPeters,PE(NewOrleans),Mr.AshviniPandit,PE(NewOrleans),Mr.RodneyGannuch,PE(NewOrleans),Mr.BillieBrown,PE(Shreveport),Mr.BenAtchley,PE(Shreveport),andMr.RonNorwood,PE(Shreveport).

SevenofthehonoreeswerepresentattheFridayawardsluncheonat the Spring Conference and received their plaques from ASCENational President,Ms. KathyCaldwell, PE and their pictures areshownbelow.


Francis C. Turner award

TheFrancisC.TurnerAwardrec-ognizes contributions to theadvancement of the knowledgeand practice of transportationengineering.

The lectureship was establishedby the Transportation andDevelopment Institute (formerlythe Highway and UrbanTransportation Divisions) of theSocietyby the solicitationof giftsfromthemanyfriendsandadmir-ers of Francis C. Turner, Hon. M.ASCE,formerChiefEngineeroftheBureauofPublicRoads,andretiredFederalHighwayAdministrator.

FrancisC.TurnerwasbornonDecember28,1908, inDallas,Texasand spent his childhood in Texas. He graduated twice from TexasA&M, once with an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering in1928,thesecondtimewithagraduatedegreeinCivilEngineeringin1940. Turner was appointed by President Eisenhower to be theExecutive Secretary of the Clay Commission President’s AdvisoryCommittee on the National Highway Program in 1954. He thenworked as the deputy commissioner, chief engineer, and FederalHighwayAdministrator.Turner’sresumecanbereadinthelandscapeofthecountry.HebeganhiscareerasayoungareaengineerintheBureauofPublicRoadsArkansasDivision.AtthattimemostAmericanroadsweredirtandgravel.Asof1999,Americaoffered42,000milesofInterstate;thesemileshadbeendevelopedatacostof$130bil-lion,muchof that capital personally overseenby Turner. Turner iscredited with being the “Father of the United States InterstateHighwaySystem”.ThemagazineAmericanHeritagenotedthatthese

paved roads “changed the coun-try subtly as much as the trans-continental railroad did overtly”.The Federal Highway ResearchCenter, in McLean, Virginia, wasnamed inMr. Turner’shonor.Hedied on October 6, 1999, at theage90,atahospiceinGoldsboro,NorthCarolina.

TheFrancisC.TurnerAwardwasinstituted by the Board ofDirection of ASCE in October1988. Income from the awardfundisusedtopayforhonoraria,plaques, and administrativeexpensesincidentaltotheaward.

I. SocietymembersofanygradeormembersofT&DIareeligible.

II. The award is based on the nominee’s contributions to theadvancementoftheknowledgeandpracticeoftransportationengineering.

TheAwardsCommitteeof T&DI reviewsnominationspresentedby theHonorsandAwardsprogramandrecommends to theBoardofGovernorsofT&DItherecipient,ifany,forfinalactionbytheExecutiveCommitteeoftheASCEBoardofDirection.

III.Theawardconsistsofaplaqueandcashprizedeterminedannually by and subject to the approval of the ASCEExecutiveCommitteebasedontheincomefromtheawardendowment.

IV. The winner may be invited to deliver a “Francis C. TurnerLecture”atanappropriatemeetingoftheSociety.

In Memoriam

Dr.Louis J.Capozzoli,acivilengineer inBatonRouge,diedMonday,May16,2011.Hewas82,anativeofNewYork.Heearnedabachelor'sdegreefromNewYorkUniversity,master'sdegreefromHarvardUniversityanddoctoratefromMIT.HeservedintheArmyduringtheKoreanWar,returningtoNewYorkwhereheobtainedhispilot's license. In1956,hisprofessionbroughthim toBatonRouge, where he met and married his wife of 52 years, Laura. In 1965, they founded Louis J.CapozzoliandAssociatesInc.,aleadinggeotechnicalengineeringfirm.Thecompanyspecializedinconsultingworkonsoilsandfoundation jobs in theUnitedStatesand inmanyforeigncountries.Duringhiscareerheearnedtheprofessionalengineeringlicenseinseveralstatesandbelongedtothe Louisiana Engineering Society, American Society of Civil Engineers and American Society forProfessionalEngineers. Dr. Louis J. Capozzoli, PE

Dr. Kam Movassaghi accepting the Transportation Award from Kathy Caldwell, ASCE National President and Jonathan C. (Jon) Esslinger, PE, F.ASCE, CAE, Director, National ASCE Transportation & Development Institute


EditorialBy Deborah Ducote Keller, PE

Itisoftensaidthatifyoudon’tknowwhereyouaregoing,anypathwilldo. WhenPresidentKennedyannounced in1961thegoalofsending an American safely to the Moon within the decade, itsounded quite lofty. It was achieved because it set in motion agrandvisionofwheretheUnitedStateswantedtobeandadead-linetoreachit.Butwhenitcomestothecriticalresourceofenergy,itseemsthatournationstilldoesn’tknowwhatourlong-termstra-tegicnationalgoalsshouldbe.

NottheassassinationofapresidentortheVietnamWarcoulddeterthenation’squesttoreachouterspace.Evenafterthetragedyofthevery firstApollomission, the focus remainedon the strategicgoal.Canwesaythesameaboutourenergygoals?

PerhapsamissiontotheMoonwaseasiertodefineandattainthanagoalforenergy.Afterall,whenoursightsweresetontheMoon,therewas no precedent. Butmost importantly, Americans didn’thavetochangetheirpersonalhabitsormakepersonalsacrificestoachieve the goal.Going to themoonwas new, adventurous, andgaveusbraggingrightsifwediditbeforetheSovietUnion.Suchisnotthecasewithenergy.

Whenever gas prices have skyrocketed, as they are doing now,energy catches our attention. Despite numerous legislative actsaboutenergy,wehaven’treallystrayedfromasocietybasedonoil

and petroleum. Americaconsumes 25 percent ofthe world’s oil and hasonly 2 percent of theworld’soilreserves.Butevenourthirst foroilcanwanewhenbadthingshappen,suchaslastyear’sBritish Petroleum (BP)Mocandooilspill.Thefed-eral reaction was a quickhalttoissuingdrillingper-mitsintheGulfofMexico,whichisonlynowbeingrestarted.

Likewise,thisyear’simagesoftheFukushimanuclearpowerplantonthevergeofmeltdowntriggeredfederalconcernsaboutissuingpermitsfornewnuclearpowerreactors.Thisisakintotheknee-jerkreactionofthedrillingmoratoriumintheGulfofMexicofollowingtheBPspill.Thisseemsshort-sightedgiventhatwealreadydependuponnuclearpower toprovide9percentofourenergyneedsasshowninFigure1.

As civil engineers, we need to lend our expertise not only toAmerica’s aging infrastructure, but also to the lack of long-term

strategicenergygoalsthatsetusonasustainablepath.Energyisacomplex,globalissue.It’sastechnical,asitispolitical.Ithashugeeconomicandsocialimplications.Soherearesomepointstoconsider.

Ournation first reliedon timber, thencoal,andby the1950s,petroleumandnaturalgasforfuel.Afterdeplet-ing much of our forests, we started riding the rollercoasterofsupplyanddemandwithfossilfuels.Estimatesare that83percentof theU.S.domesticenergycomesfromfossil fuels,withpetroleumaloneprovidingabout37percent,naturalgasabout25percent,andcoalabout21percent.Thesethreefossil fuelsplusnuclearenergyarethenon-renewableenergysources.

Butwhataboutallthatoilthegovernmentstoresasaback-up supply? President Carter’s Energy Policy andConservationActof1975wasaresponsetothe1973oilembargo.TheDepartmentofEnergy, created in1977,operatestheStrategicPetroleumReserve(SPR),whichis headquartered in Jefferson Parish. The SPR has acapacitytostore727millionbarrelsofoilin62under-groundcavernscarvedoutofsaltdomesatfacilitiesinLouisiana and Texas. Upon presidential order, the oil

Deborah Ducote Keller, PE

Figure 1. – U.S. Energy Supply and Demand


canbesenttorefinerieswithintwoweeks.Thepurposeistocon-tinuetosupplyoiltostrategicusers,includingtheAmericanmili-tary.Themaximumdrawndownrateis4.4millionbarrelsperdayfor90days,howeveritcanextendforanother90daysatalesserrateofwithdrawal.

Consider that the U. S. consumes about 21million barrels of oildaily.AbouthalfisimportedfromvariousplacesincludingCanada,the North Sea, and countries in the Middle East and South andCentralAmerica.Asoveralldemandhasrisen,importsrepresentalargerportionofoursupply.Conversely,asourconsumptionrises,theSPR’ssupplybecomesasmallerpercentageofthenation’stotaldailydemand.Someestimatethatduringpeakusage,theU.S.dailysupplyisonly2millionbarrelsmorethanitsdemand.

TheSPRwasdesignedtoplugasuddeninterruptioninthesupplychainforalimitedtimetocontinuethenation’smostcriticalopera-tions.Sinceitsinception,theSPRhasmadeafewdrawdownsandminorexchanges,suchasduringDesertStormandafterHurricaneKatrina.

Whenever there is talk of rising gas prices, Americans want thereservereleasedinordertolowerthepriceatthelocalgaspump.Ifweusethisstrategicreservesupplysothatwedon’thavetoalterourdrivinghabits,whathappenswhenit’sgoneandournationalsecurityoradisasterresponse iscompromisedandweneedthatreserve?

Naturalgasisreturningtotheforefrontasnewhorizontaldrillingandfrackingmethodsareproducingnaturalgasatrecord levelswithintheU.S.Ourliquidnaturalgasimportsaredecreasing,asis the price of natural gas. But concerns about a correlationbetween frackingandearthquakes, thedischargeof radioactiveparticles from the natural gaswells, and contamination ofwellwaterneardrillingsitesare increasingconcerns. Becauseof itsnew found abundance and efficiency, the use of natural gas isforecasted to extend beyond the back yard barbecue pit andresidentialappliances.

Approximately8percentofdomesticprimarypowercomesfromrenewable energy resources: hydropower, biomass, ethanol,biodiesel,wind,geothermal,andsolar.Buttechnologyhasnotyetdevelopedtothepointofcreatingawidespreaddemandbecausethese aren’t practicable and affordable alternatives for mostAmericans. Using bio-fuels, such as ethanol, is controversial. Isburningafoodsupplyawisechoicewhentheresultishigherfoodprices and even food shortages in lesser developed parts of theworld?

Evensomeoftherelativelyeasychanges,suchasthephasedcon-versionofincandescentlightingtothemoreenergyefficientcom-

pact fluorescent lights (CFL)haveadownside.HaveyoureadthelabelaboutleavingtheroomifyoubreakaCFLbulbbecauseoftherelease ofmercury? Do you know how to properly dispose of aCFL?WillAmericanssupportthemoreexpensiveCFLandtheevenmoreexpensive LEDbulbs, even if the life cycle cost is less thanincandescentbulbs?Or,willpublicresistancesimilartothemetricsystemandthedollarcoinbetheirdemise?

Anenergypolicyshouldaddressproduction,distribution,andcon-sumption and can include legislation, international treaties, gov-ernment subsidies, and taxation as incentives. In 2008 theDepartmentofEnergyannouncedfourgoals:short-termrelief toAmericanfamilies,eliminationofimportsfromtheMiddleEastandVenezuelawithin10years,creationofjobs,and80percentreduc-tion in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. But are these reallylong-term strategies that set a path to a goal thatwe can focusuponinordertosustainourenergyresources?

Energy goals should be comprehensive, proactive, effective, anddiverse. A long-term energy policy needs to be more thanPresidentNixon’s“gasolinewillneverexceedadollarpergallon”andCarter’s“theU.S.willneveragainimportasmuchoilasitdidin 1977." What we have witnessed in the past 30 years are aplethora of federal energy policies that are too short in vision.Whatweneedareachievable,focusedenergygoalsthatAmericanscanunderstandandsupport throughgood timesandbad,aswedid with the space program. It has to be a sustainable path toincreaseourdomesticproductionofoiluntilwehaveviablealter-natives inrenewableenergysourceswhilecontinuingto improveenergyefficiencythroughtechnologicaladvancements.

IwrotethiseditorialbeforePresidentObamaaddressedstudentsatGeorgetownUniversityonMarch30,2011regarding“America’sEnergySecurity.”ThePresidentstated,“Therearenoquick fixes.Andwewillkeeponbeingavictimtoshiftsintheoilmarketuntilwe finally get serious about a long-term policy for a secure,affordableenergyfuture.Sotoday,myadministrationisreleasingaBlueprintforaSecureEnergyFuturethatoutlinesacomprehensivenationalenergypolicy.”

Iencourageyou to readhis full remarkspostedat: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/30/remarks-president-americas-energy-security


Drinking Water SafetyBy Mitchell J. LeBas, PE

Asengineers,wearegenerallyconcernedwithdesignandconstruc-tionissuesonourengineeredprojects,withlittlefeedbackontheiroperations-unlessthereareproblems!Inessence,ourprojectmaybecomea“oneanddone”eventnevertobeseenorthoughtaboutagain.Inthespiritofprotectingthepublichealth,letusconsiderthesafetyofthepotablewatersupply.Regulationsareinplacetoensurethedeliveryofcleandrinkingwatertoallcustomersofpub-lic water systems. It is the responsibility of the water purveyor(supplier) to abide by these regulations. Operational proceduresareinplaceforwatersystemoperatorstomonitorthewaterqual-ity. However, once the potablewater exits thewater purveyor’sdistribution system, water quality monitoring is essentially non-existent.Typically,thewaterpurveyor’sdistributionsystemtermi-nates at the customer’s water meter where the purveyor lossescontrol of the water quality. Protection of the water supplybecomestheresponsibilityofthecustomeroncethepotablewaterhaspassedthroughthewatermeterand,istherefore,nolongertheresponsibilityofthewaterpurveyor.Well…thatmaynotnecessar-ilybethecase!

Considerforamomentthatacrossconnection1existsonthecus-tomer’spropertyandthereisalossofpressureonthesupplyside(purveyor’ssupply).AnexampleofacrossconnectionisshowninFigure1.Asanexample,watermaybesuppliedtocustomersat70psi;however,actualpressureonthecustomer’spropertymaybeat55psi(duetolosses).Basichydraulicprinciplesstatethatwaterwillalwaysflowfromhighpressuretolowpressure.Withsupplysidepressurefailure,thecustomer’splumbingessentiallybecomesthe

1 across connectionisdefinedas“anyphysicalconnectionorar-rangementbetweentwoseparatepipingsystems,oneofwhichcontains potable water and the other, water of unknown orquestionablesafety,wherebywatermayflowfromonesystemtotheother,thedirectionofflowdependingonthepressuredif-ferentialbetweenthetwosystems.”

supply side forcing thepotable water to back-flow2 into the purveyor’swatersystem.Ifanactivecross connection is inplace at the time of thepurveyor system failure,thenthelikelihoodofcon-taminants entering thepublicdrinkingwater sys-temisveryrealandcouldbe hazardous – or evendeadly. Numerous casehistories exist that docu-mentbackflowincidents.(AGooglesearchof“backflowincidents”yieldsapproximately120,000results).

Backflowisclassifiedintotwotypes:backsiphonageandbackpressure.Backsiphonageoccurswhenthereisalossofsupplysidepressure.

Examplesofbacksiphonageareabrokenwaterlineoradrawonafirehydrantwhenfirefightingactivitiesareinplace.Whenwaterisremovedfromahydrantwithapump,avacuummaybecreatedonthe system and backsiphonage backflow may occur – much likesucking on a straw! Backpressure backflowmayoccurwhen thecustomersidepressureexceedsthesupplysidepressure.Typicallythisoccurswithapumponthecustomer’spremises.

Asengineers,wemaybe familiarwith the regulationofTheSafeDrinkingWater Act of 1974. The regulations establish themaxi-mumcontaminantlevels(MCL’s)inthepotablewatersupply.Theseregulations which stipulate the amount of various biological andradiologicalchemicalsandbyproductsthatcanbepresentinpota-ble water are under seemingly constant revision and expansion.Watersystemownersandoperatorsarewelltrainedintheopera-tion of their systems and the vastmajority provides outstandingwatertotheircustomers.Samplingatvariouslocationsthroughoutthewatersystemensuresthataqualityproductisbeingproducedanddeliveredtothecustomer,all inaccordancewithFederalandStateregulations. InLouisiana,theStateregulatoryagency istheLouisianaDepartmentofHealthandHospitals(DHH).DHHregula-tions on cross connection control and backflow prevention havebeeninplaceformanydecades;however,enforcementeffortshaverecentlyintensifiedtorequirewatersystemstoimplementaback-flowpreventionprogram.

DHH monitors a system’s backflow prevention program throughsanitarysurveys–periodicevaluationofasystemsconformanceto

2 Backflowisdefinedas“theflowofwaterorotherliquids,mix-tures,orsubstancesintothedistributionpipesofapotablesup-plyofwaterfromanysourceorsourcesotherthanitsintendedsource.”

Mitchell J. LeBas, PE

Figure 1


therulesandregulations. Asystemfound innon-compliancewilllikelybe sitedwith a “deficiency” thatmustbeaddressedby thepurveyorofthewatersystemwithinaspecifiedtimeframe.DHHnowconsidersthesedeficiencies“significantdeficiencies”andfail-uretocorrectthesewillfirstresultina“treatmenttechnique”viola-tionthatrequirespublicnotice!Shouldthesystemstillnotcomply,thenultimatelyanAdministrativeOrderwillbeissuedandthesys-temsubjecttoafineof$3,000perdayperviolation. ThegoalofDHHisnottobeoverregulatorybuttoinsurethesafetyofwatersystemcustomers.Itislikelythatveryfewindividualsworkingout-sideof thewater industry ever consider thequality of thewatertheydrink.Customersexpectclean,safewaterfromthepurveyorandthatresponsibilityfallsonthemunicipalengineers,regulatoryofficials,andoperatorsofthesystem.

Sothequestionbecomes,“Whyisitsodifficultforwatersystemstocomplywiththisregulation?”Perhapsit isbecausetheansweriscomplex.Regulationsregardingcrossconnectioncontrolandback-flowpreventioncanbefoundintheLouisianaAdministrativeCode,Title51,Part12andtheLouisianaStatePlumbingCodeinChapter6andAppendixD.Additionalissuesthatpreventcomplianceareanincomplete understanding of the scope of a program, politicalramifications (this is not a popular program), a general lack ofknowledgeduetotherelativenewnessoftheindustry,andfinan-cial constraints. While the backflow industry is not technicallycomplicated, it is complex due to the “issues” previously men-tioned. Many communities in the United States have separatedepartments that oversee their backflow prevention program -much likethereareseparatewater,sewer,gas,humanresources,purchasing,etc.departments.Mostofthesedepartmentsarenotmanagedbyengineersbutbypersonneltrainedincrossconnectioncontrolandbackflowprevention.

Lookingattheseissuesseparately,itisofcoursevitaltounderstandtheregulations. Manymunicipalengineers inLouisianawill likelybechargedwithbringingtheirclient’ssystemintocompliance.TheAdministrativeCode regulationsessentially requirewater systemstoprotectthepotablewatersupplybyprovidingcontainmentpro-tection (in the event of an incident, contain the incident to thepremisewheretheincidentoccurredsoasnottoaffectallcustom-ersconnectedtothewatersystem).Itisimportanttounderstandthat theregulationsnotonlycall forcrossconnectionstobepro-tected,but thatpotential crossconnectionsbeprotectedaswell.Thisisaccomplishedbydeterminingthedegreeofhazard3associ-ated with each cross connection or potential cross connection.Once the degree of hazard is determined, regulationswithin theLouisianaStatePlumbingCodecanbeusedasaguidetodetermin-ingwhattype(ifany)backflowpreventerisrequiredataparticularserviceconnection.Specifically,TableD104oftheStatePlumbingCodeprovidesaguidetotheselectionofbackflowpreventers;how-ever,thecodespecificallystatesthatTableD104isnotallinclusive.Otherreferencesourcesfortheguidetoselectionofbackflowpre-venters, relative to the degree of hazard, are available in thePlumbingCode.

3 thedegree of hazardisatermderivedfromanevaluationofthepotentialrisktopublichealthandtheadverseeffectofthehazarduponthepotablewater.

Experience shows that purveyors generally have an incompleteunderstandingoftheworkeffortinvolvedinsettingupacompleteand comprehensive backflow prevention program. The industryaverageisthat5percentto10percent,typicallyaround7percent,of allwater systemcustomerswill require some sort of backflowprevention,regardlessofwhetherthesystemisruralorurban.Thegeneral procedures for implementing a backflow prevention pro-gramareas follows: awrittenprogram is established– completewithanordinance,areviewofwatersystemrecordsisperformed,acrossconnectioncontrolsurveyisperformedoncertaincustom-ers to determine degree of hazard, a determination of who isrequiredtohavebackflowpreventersismade,apermittingsystemispreparedandimplemented(forqualitycontrol),plumbermoni-toring is performed (not all plumbers are allowed to work withbackflowpreventers), letters arepreparedand sent to customersrequiring the installation of backflow preventers, and follow-upinspectionsareperformed.Inordertoimplementacomprehensiveprogram,eachwaterservicemustbeevaluatedinordertodeter-mine if hazards exist. Most service connections will not requirebackflowpreventionassembliesdue to the fact that state regula-tions targethighhazard locations. Inmany cases, theevaluationmaysimplybeareviewofwatersystemcustomerrecords.Inothercases,a cross connection control surveymustbeperformedbyaqualifiedindividual.Fortheoperatororengineerchargedwiththisresponsibility, theworkeffort canbeextensive, ifonly forabriefperiodoftime.Thedifficultyingettingtheprogramimplementedcanbefurthercomplicatedbythegenerallackofunderstandingofthebackflowindustry.

Perhaps thebiggest issue in implementingabackflowpreventionprogramisthepoliticalramifications.Asstatedpreviously,thiscanbeaveryunpopularprogram,primarilyduetothelackofeducationandthecosttothecustomers.Backflowpreventionisgenerallyanewconcept that is not easily grasped,particularly inmore ruralareas.

However,themostrecentdocumentedcasesofbackflowincidentsinLouisianahaveprimarilyoccurred inruralareas! Nevertheless,the resultof implementingaprogrammayhaveconsequences tothelocalelectorate.

Financialcommitmentsbywatersystemstowardgettingaprogramimplementedaredifficulttoobtainduetoagenerallackofknowl-edge about the backflow industry. Elected officials and boardpresidentshaveadifficulttimeappropriatingfundingforaprogramthattheycannotcomprehendandisoftenviewedasunnecessary.Inaddition,thefinancialcomponentofimplementingtheprogramisveryrealtothosecustomersrequiringbackflowpreventers.Itisdifficult for a customer that may have operated a business fordecadestounderstandwhyitisnownecessarytoinstallabackflowpreventer.Thetruthistheregulationmayhavebeeninplacelon-gerthanthebusinesshasbeeninexistence;however,enforcementactionsbyDHHarenecessitating that the installationand testingoccur to bring the water system into compliance. Furthermore,state regulations require backflow preventers be tested annuallyandthat thecostofallbackflowpreventerworkbebornebytheownerofthepremisewherethehazardexists.


Mitchell LeBas is a Registered Professional Civil Engineering and is the President of Capitol Engineering, LLC and Backflow PreventionServices,LLC.Hehasbeenactivelyinvolvedinthebackflowpreventionindustrysince2002andiscertifiedasaBackflowPreventerAssemblyTesterwithfurthercertificationsinMaintenanceandRepair,SurveyandInspection,OrdinanceandOrganization,andProgramManager.HeestablishedBackflowPreventionServices,LLCasabackflowpreventionconsultingandtrainingcompany.

Mr.LeBas’officeislocatedinBatonRouge,LAwhereheteachesa40-hourtestercertificationcourseandtraininginthebackflowpreventionindustry.Mr.LeBasalsoofferscontinuingeducationcourseinstructiontoplumbersandwaterandsewersystemoperatorsstatewide.Hehasassistedmanywatersystemswiththedevelopment,implementation,andmanagementofcrossconnectioncontrolandbackflowpre-ventionprograms.Mr.LeBasregularlyspeaksatvariousstatewideconferenceswithinthewaterindustryonthetopicofbackflowpreven-tionandhasspokenatnationalconferencesaswell.

Mr.LeBas isa1984graduateofLouisianaStateUniversityand isamemberofAmericanSocietyofCivilEngineers,AmericanSocietyofSanitaryEngineers,AmericanWaterWorksAssociation,AmericanBackflowPreventionAssociation,FoundationforCrossConnectionControlandHydraulicResearch,LouisianaConferenceonWater,Sewer,andIndustrialWaste,andLouisianaRuralWaterAssociation.

Protectionofthepotablewatersupplyisthemaingoaloftheregula-tionsandtheburdenofmaintainingthatprotectionisplacedonthewaterpurveyor.Oneoftheprimarymeansofprotectingthesystemisthrougheducation.Anexplanationtocustomers,alongwithexam-ples,aboutwhatcrossconnectionsarecaneducatethegeneralpublicofthedangersofcrossconnectionsandcanaideinpreventingcon-taminationofthepublicwatersystem. The installationofbackflowpreventersisanotherveryusefultoolinhelpingprotectthewatersystem.

Variousmakesandmodelsofbackflowpreventersexistforthepurposeofpro-tectingthewatersupplyandeachservesits own purpose; however, only three“types” of testable (acceptable) back-flowpreventers are recognized as pro-vidingtherequiredprotectionbasedonthedegreeofhazard.Thethreetypesofapproved backflow preventers are thereduced pressure (zone) commonlyreferred toas anRPorRPZ (Figure2),the double check (DC) (Figure 3), andthe pressure vacuum breaker (PVB)(Figure4).TheRPandDCbackflowpre-venters are also available in detectortypeassemblies.Thedetectorassemblyisusedwhencontinuouswatersupplyisrequired to a facility (hospital, dialysiscenter, etc) and thewater can not beturned off for testing purposes. Thedetectorassembly consistsof thehostbackflowpreventerwithasmaller(5/8”or ¾”) assembly and low flow meterinstalled in parallel to the host. Detectorassembliesmust be purchased as a completeunitandcannotbefabricatedbytheplumber.

Manywatersystemscurrently installdualcheckvalvesonallcustomerwatermeterstoaideintheprotectionofthewatersystem. While this approach is well intentioned, dual checks (adevice with two spring loaded check valves) are not consideredadequateprotectionprimarilybecausethedualcheckisnotrecog-nizedasanapprovedbackflowpreventer.Inorderforanassemblytobeapproved, itmusthave twoshutoff valves, test cocks, and

internallyloadedspringcheckvalves. Thedualcheckhasnoshutoffvalvesortestcocksandisnottestable.

Stateregulationsspecifythattheinstallationofbackflowpreventerscan only be accomplished by Water Supply Protection Specialist(WSPS)endorsedplumbers.Inordertoobtaintheendorsement,amaster or journeyman plumber must successfully complete an

approved 40-hour course of instruction.Managersofbackflowpreventionprogramswouldbewisetoensurethatthoseplumb-ersworkingwithintheirsystempossesstheendorsementtoinsurethattheworkisbeingperformedproperly.Experiencerevealsthatimproperly managed programs that havenon-endorsed plumbers performing back-flowworkwithintheirsystemcontaininstal-lationsthatdonotmeetindustrystandardsand state regulations. In somecases,non-endorsedplumber installationsare sopoorthattheymayactuallybecontributingtothecontaminationofthewatersystem!

DHH is actively enforcing the regulationsregarding cross connection control andbackflow prevention. Several water sys-tems currentlyhaveAdministrativeOrdersrequiring that backflow prevention pro-

grams be implemented in order to protect the safety ofthedrinkingwater. A thorough, complete, and compre-hensive backflow prevention program will provideincreased protection of a water system from accidentalcontamination.Regulationsareavailable intheLouisianaAdministrativeCodeandthePlumbingCode;however,thescopeofworkinvolvedingettingaprogramimplementedextends beyond the regulations. Additionally, severalissues must be overcome to successfully implement abackflowprogram,namely–anincompleteunderstandingofthescopeofaprogram,potentialpoliticalconsequenc-

es,education,andfinancialconstraints.Whilemanyoftheseissuesarenotentirelyforeigntotheengineeringcommunity,thebackflowindustrypresentsnewterritoryformanyengineersinthecommu-nity.Itisourresponsibilityasengineerstodoourpartinhelpingtoprotectthepublicwatersupplyand,inturn,thepublichealthofthecitizensofLouisiana.

Figure 4

Figure 3

Figure 2


TheNewOrleansChapterhashadabusyyearsofar!Wefollowedour well-attended eWeekwork day/field trip (photos of the CityParkworkdayandthefieldtriptotheUSACESurgeBarrier inSt.BernardParishbelow),wehadanotherbiggroupatourMarchlun-cheon at Ralph’s on the Park.Our speakerwas ColRobertSinkler,Commanderwhopresented,“GreaterNewOrleansAreaHurricane& StormDamageRiskReduction System.” This was sponsored by theGeotechnicalCommitteeoftheNewOrleansBranch,chairedbyGwenSandersofEustisEngineering.

The April meeting was held at Five HappinessRestaurant, featuring speaker, Don Blanchard. Thisevent was sponsored by the Environmental/WaterCommittee of the NewOrleans Branch, chaired byTonjaKoob.

Ourmembershavebeenbusywithseveraloutreachprogramsinthecityaswell.BenCodyofEustispar-ticipatedintheMathcountscompetition,monitoringandcoaching.HeandNathanJuniusofLinfieldHunterand Junius judged theGreaterNewOrleansScienceand Engineering Fair, and the New Orleans Branchawardedcashprizestothetopthreecivilprojectsinbothmiddleandupperschoollevels,aswellastotheteachers of the winning students. The Branch alsoprovidedfundsfortheUNOConcreteCanoeandSteelBridgeteamstotraveltothecompetition.

TheNewOrleansBranch isstartingtogearuponanewendeavor–aHistoricalEngineeringLandmarksproject which we hope will document our many

interesting and historically significant engineering projects in theNewOrleansregion.Plansincludedocumentationandmappingofthesesites,withtheultimategoalofanaudiotouravailableonCDsothesitescanbevisitedbycar.

Branch News

NEw OrLEaNs BraNChBy Meg adams, PE, Branch President

Wearealmostatthehalfwaymarkof2011,andithasbeenabusyandsuccessfulyearso far. Wehaveenjoyedpresentationsaboutnewproductsimpactingtheengineeringworldaswellasinforma-tionpertainingtoconstructionlaw.

In March, Erin Rourke spoke to our group about “TreatmentMechanisms, Detention and LIDOptions for Evolving StormwaterManagementMethodsofferedbyCONTECH.”Itwasaninterestingandinformativepresentation.

OnApril13,2011,theBranchhosteditsannualSpringClassicGolfTournament atOldeOaksGolf Club. Everyone had an enjoyable

time socializing and playing golf. Special thanks go to DaveRambaranforplanningandorganizingasuccessfultournament.OnbehalfoftheBranch,Iwouldliketothankallthosewhosponsoredandparticipatedinthisyear’stournament.Thankstothissupport,the Branch is able to continue awarding annual scholarships toLouisianaTechstudents.Thankyouforyourcontinuedsupportinourendeavors.

Currently,wearetakingabreakforthesummer,andourtechnicalsessionswillresumeinSeptember.IwouldliketothankeveryonefortheirparticipationintheBranchthisyearandhaveasafe,funfilledsummer.

shrEVEPOrT BraNChBy Matthew redmon, EI, Branch President

City Park work day

Field trip to the USACE Surge Barrier in St. Bernard Parish


OnApril 14 and 15th, the Acadiana Branch hosted the LouisianaSection’s Spring Conference. The Spring Conference serves as avenuefornetworkingwithpeersthroughoutthestateaswellasanopportunityforcontinuingeducation.TheAcadianaBranchwouldliketothankalloftheregistrants,exhibitors,sponsors,andspeak-ersformakingthisoneofthemostsuccessfulSpringConferencesthattheAcadianaBranchhaseverhosted.Weworkedreallyhardtofindgoodspeakerstopresentoninterestingtopics.Wearemostthankful to our ASCE National President, Kathy Caldwell, for herlunchpresentationandconferenceattendance.Weappreciatehertakingthetimefromherbusyscheduletoattendourconference.Special thanks toMr.TomSmith,ASCENationalDeputyExecutiveDirectorandGeneralCounsel,forhistwopresentationsandconfer-enceattendance.Wewerecertainlypleasedandwanttothankallthespeakersforajobwelldone.WewouldalsoliketocongratulateallthestatestudentawardandLifeMemberrecipients.Thesearespecial honors and those individuals were most deserving. TheAcadianaBranchwould like to send a special thanks toour statesectionPresident,PatLandry,ourASCERegion5Governor,E.RayDesOrmeaux,andtooneofourpastpresidents,JoeKolwe,forallofyourhelpinprocuringspeakersfortheconferenceandforyourtime and effort in assisting the branch. We would like to also

acknowledgethestudentsfromMcNeeseStateUniversityandtheUniversityofLouisianaatLafayettefortheirattendance.

We would like to congratulate the following recipients for beingrecognizedandawardedourSpring2011ASCEAcademicScholasticAward:

Mcneese State university:SeniorAward:JadaR.O’Blanc;JuniorAward:HaliHabetz

university of Louisiana at Lafayette:SeniorAward:AlisonLognion;JuniorAward:NeilSchneider

All of these recipients submitted applications after being recom-mendedandverifiedbytheirpeers.Theeachdemonstratedscho-lasticachievementaswellasleadershipandinvolvementwiththeirrespectivecommunitiesandASCEStudentChapters.

OuryearlyjointCrawfishBoilwasheldFriday,May13,2011attheGirardParkPavilioninLafayette,LA.ThisfreeeventissharedwithIEEEandLESandtherespectivestudentchaptersandtheirfaculty.Weweregladtoseeeveryonethere.

aCaDIaNa BraNChBy shaun r. simon, PE, Branch President

TheBoardmembersof theBatonRougeBranchareworkingdili-gentlytoachievethegoalssetatthebeginningsofourterms.WehaveprovidedseveralPDHopportunitiestoourmembersandwearecontinuingouroutreachprogramsinthelocalcommunity.

The Baton Rouge Branch celebrated the 60th anniversary ofEngineersWeekwithseveralactivities.ThefirstwasapresentationtoaChemistryclassatIstroumaHighSchool.IalongwithDirectorofEducationSamAmorosoandLSUCivilEngineeringstudentsJoshBradleyandBrittanyAlexanderdiscussedthevariousdisciplines of Civil Engineering. The Istrouma stu-dents then asked questions about projects in theircommunity.WereceivedinspiringfeedbackfromthePrincipalandteachersatIstroumaHighSchool.Sincethis visit was so successful we are planning futurevisitstolocalschoolsthroughouttheyear.TheBatonRougeBranchcontinuedthecelebrationofEngineersWeekbyjoiningtheBatonRougeChapterofLESattheirannualbanquetwhereweawardedtwo$500scholarships.

TheMarchluncheonfeaturedanethicsPDHprovid-ed by LAPELS Staff and Board members. DonnaSentellandVictoriaHattonpresented“TheLifecycleofaComplaint”.ThepresentationwasfollowedbyaquestionandanswersessionwiththeBranchmem-bersinattendance.

TheAprilluncheonofferedanotherPDHopportunitywithapresen-tationtitled“TheUseofLimetoImproveSoilProblems”.Thispre-sentationwasgivenbyEricBerger,PEofLhoistNorthAmerica.Hediscussedtheapplication,designandconstructionofsoilstabiliza-tionprojectsusinglime.

AswemoveintothesummermonthswelookforwardtothejointluncheonwithLESandAPWAinMayandourannualPastPresidentsandAwardsluncheoninJune.Wehopetoseeyouthere.

BaTON rOugE BraNChBy adam M. smith, PE, Branch President

Sam Amoroso, Josh Bradley, and Brittany Alexander speak at Istrouma High School during Engineers Week


Multiplemeetings,activities,andcompeti-tionsfilledtheSpring2011semesterfortheUL Lafayette Student Chapter. Over thirtystudents attended each meeting and pre-sentation from Darrell Elliot with theConcrete and Aggregates Association ofLouisiana on performance concrete, fromPamelaMillerwithHDR,Inc.onherexperi-ence in coastal and environmental engi-neering, from Dax Douet with C.H.FenstermakerandAssociates,Inc.ontrans-portation engineering, and from Bill Kingand Don Weathers with the LouisianaAsphalt Pavement Association on “AsphaltSustainabilityinLouisiana.”Otherthanjusthosting meetings, the chapter cleaned upthe campus of Scott Middle School oneFriday afternoon. Twenty-eight freshmento senior students, along with our facultyadvisor,Dr.ChrisCarroll,participatedinthe

Deep South ConferenceMarch 24-27th atMississippi State University. UL Lafayettecompetedinthesurvey,thetechnicalpaper,the concrete bowling ball, the mysterydesign, and the steel bridge competitions.The concrete bowling ball team, namelyJacobBenton,ReedBoudreaux,andRachelFradella, placed third overall. Right uponthe chapter’s return, Engineering andTechnologyWeekactivitiesstartedup.ThechapterdecoratedourdepartmentTuesdaynight in preparation for Engineering andTechnology Day on March 30th and thengavepresentations in the various labs andtoursaroundthecollegeforthe800middleschoolandhighschoolstudentsfromboththe surrounding and outlying areas. April2nd to April 6th, Alison Lognion, AndrewJuneau, and Michelle Campbell competedin the Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP)

Composite Competition at the AmericanConcreteInstituteConventioninTampa,FL.ThestructurecontainedtwoFRPrebarcom-posedof60%glassandof40% fibers; theteam’sstructureheldthethirdhighestloadoutofallofthe36structuresfromtheinter-nationalteams.FortheApril14thand15thASCEStateConference, thechaptervolun-teered to help register participants andintroduce speakers. Aside from competi-tions, the chapter enjoyed playing basket-ball and soccer this semester against theother departments in the college. Thechapter,inconjunctionwiththeChi-EpsilonHonor Society, hosted the end-of-the yearbanquet on April 29th to celebrate themanyaccomplishmentsandtowrapupthesuccessfulyear.

uNIVErsITy Of LOuIsIaNa aT LafayETTEBy alison Lognion, student Chapter President

Student Chapter News

Jacob Benton, Reed Boudreaux, and Rachel Fradella placed third overall

Deep South Conference Steel Bridge competition

Alison Lognion, Andrew Juneau, and Michelle Campbell compete in the Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite Competition


TheSpringQuarterhasbeenaverybusytime for the ASCE Student Chapter atLouisiana Tech University. At the DeepSouth Regional Conference, LouisianaTechplaced first inboth theSteelBridgeandConcreteCanoecompetitions.Withthisperformance,bothteamsqualifiedtocompeteintheirrespectivenationalcom-petitions. This isthethirdyear inschoolhistory and the second consecutive yearfor Louisiana Tech’s Concrete Canoe andSteel Bridge teams to both qualify fortheir national competitions in the sameyear.

The Louisiana Tech Steel Bridge teamwilltraveltoTexasA&MUniversityinlateMayto compete at theNational Student SteelBridgeCompetition.Inpreparationforthiscompetition, the team has spentmost ofthe springmaking improvements to theirbridge and practicing assembling thebridgeinordertoimprovetheirscoresforthenationalcompetition.

LouisianaTech’sConcreteCanoeteamhasspentthespringpreparingfortheNationalConcreteCanoeCompetition,whichwillbeheldinmidJuneinEvansville, Indiana. Inorder toprepare for the competition, the

teamhasspenttheirtimeperfectingtheirpaddlingtechniquesandmaking improve-mentstotheiroralpresentationanddesignpaper. In addition to these preparations,theteamalsohadtorepairminordamagetothecanoefromacollisionwithanotherteamattheregionalcompetition.

The Louisiana TechASCE StudentChapterisveryproudof theiraccomplishmentsattheDeepSouthRegionalConference,andthe students are looking forward to theopportunity to compete at the nationalleverwiththeirConcreteCanoeandSteelBridgeprojects.

LOuIsIaNa TEChBy Eric Veuleman, student Chapter President

TheLouisianaStateUniversitystudentchap-ter began the Spring semester by sendingofficers Josh Bradley andMelissa Young toattendthe2011ASCEWorkshopforStudentChapter Leaders in Portland, Maine inJanuary. Despite braving the freezing coldweather,bothofficerscameawaywithmanyideas on improving the chapter for thefuture.JoshandMelissawereabletomeetalotofstudentleadersfromdifferentschoolsacross the Eastern region. The workshopallowedstudentleadersfromeachschooltoshare ideas and receive input on chapterleadership.

During the annual Engineering week inFebruarythechapterwasabletoparticipatebygoingtolocalschoolstopromotethefieldofcivilengineering.OfficersJoshBradleyandBrittney Alexander along with Dr. SamuelAmoroso, Adam Smith visited Ms. Green’schemistryclassatIstroumaHighSchool.

In late March, the student chapter partici-pated in the 2011 Deep South RegionalCompetition,whichwashostedthisyearbyMississippi StateUniversity. LSUASCE SteelBridge and Concrete Canoe teams partici-patedinthisyear’sevents,withpreparationsbeginninginearlyJanuary.

At the competition, the team competedagainstnineschoolsincludingLouisianaTechUniversity, Mississippi State University, OleMiss, University of Memphis, UT Martin,Christian Brothers University, JacksonvilleStateUniversity,UniversityofNewOrleans,and Arkansas State University. Teams werejudgedonthefinalproduct(aesthetics,abil-itytofloat,etc.),coedraces(5total),presen-tations,andadesignpaper.TheLSUConcreteCanoeteamplaced2ndoverall,1stplaceinthemen’sendurancerace,2ndplace is thewomen’s endurance race, 3rd place in themen’ssprint,1stplaceinthewomen’ssprint,

and4thplace in the coed sprint. Theyalsoreceived2ndplace in the finalproductdis-play. Participating members includedAleksandraSimicevic(captain),JamesParker(co-captain),DonovanDuffy,JoeOry,LesleyCates,KristinaGalindo,andSarahCochrane.Thesteelbridgeteamplaced3rdoveralland1stplaceforthelightestbridge.Participatingmembers included David Ziegler (captain),AdamMilling,MarkGenre,MorganHidalgo,ChristopherSciortino,JacobTrowbridge,andJoshuaBrown.

The ASCE Student Chapter was also privi-leged with several guest speakers at theirannual chaptermeetings. Speakers thus farfor this semester have included: SamAmoroso-Engensus-Feb7th,BrantRichard- Stanley Consultants Feb 21st, Lee Forbes-KBR-March21st,BrandonHays-Concreteand Aggregate Association of Louisiana(CAAL)-April.Meetingswerewellattended.

LOuIsIaNa sTaTE uNIVErsITyBy Josh Bradley, student Chapter President

Deep South Conference Steel Bridge competition Deep South Conference Concrete Canoe competition


aSCE-SEI New Orleans Chapter NewsBy Om Dixit, PE, fasCE, Newsletter Editor

SinceourreportinNovember2010issueofthismagazine,ASCESEINew Orleans Chapter hosted two seminars and has planned thefollowingfutureseminarsinNewOrleans:

January20,2011 AASHTO LRFD BRIDGE DESIGN – OBSERVATIONS ON THE CODE DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION AND FUTURE - Dr. John Kulicki, (Modjeski and Masters,Mechanicsburg,PA)gaveaveryknowledgeablepresenta-tion about the “how” and “why” of the AASHTO LRFDBridge Design Specifications, lessons learned from theexperienceofdesignersinapplyingthespecifications,andwhatadesignershouldexpectastypicallycontrollingpro-visions. Probable new directions that will affect futuredesignswerediscussedincludingtheevolvingemphasisonthe service limit states.. The seminar was attended byabout60members.

March4,2010 MSJC Masonry Code Changes for 2011 Edition -DennisGraber,PE(NationalConcreteMasonryAssociation)and David Pitre, PE (Hardscaps USA, Theodore, AL)presented many technical advances in the TMS 420/ACI530/ASCE 5-11Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures(MSJC) Itwasattendedbyabout40members.

April20,2011 The Case for Improvements in Concrete Repair, Protection, and Rehabilitation Projects (Annual David Hunter Lecture) Peter Emmons, PE, (Structural Group,Baltimore,MD)will present a lecture on first repair andrehabilitationcodewhichisnearingcompletion.

future Seminars: Thefollowingdatesaretheprojectedseminardatesfor2011.TheexactdatesmaychangeduetotheavailabilityofthespeakersandUNOLectureroom.

June9,2011 Performance of Continuous Prestressed Girder Bridges: A Structural Health Monitoring Approach -

Ayman Okeil,Ph.D., PE,LSU,BatonRouge,LAAugust4,2011 Tips for Designing Constructible Structures -

Cliff Schwinger, PE, TheHartmanGroup,Pennsylvania

MoredetailsabouttheseseminarswillbepostedontheASCENewOrleans Branch website as soon as they are finalized. Thecommittee is looking for good topics and speakers for futurepresentations. Memberswith expertise in the field of structuralengineeringwould bewelcome to join the Executive Committee.For any suggestion and information on joining the ExecutiveCommittee,contactChairmanPawanGupta,PE,[email protected].

OneofourlongtimeExecutiveCommitteemember,JohnJ.Housey,Jr.,PE,hasdecidedtostepdownfromthecommitteeasheisbusymaking preparations for his retired life. John has provided hisvaluableguidanceandenergytoASCESEINewOrleansChapterandservedastheCommitteeChairmanfor2separateoneyearterms.ASCE SEI New Orleans Chapter will thank and will honor JohnHousey for his services during the April 20 seminar. Dr. AymanOkeil,PEfromLSUBatonRougehasjoinedtheExecutiveCommitteerecently.Dr.Okeilwillbegoodadditiontothecommitteewithhisresearchandteachingbackground.

ASCESEINewOrleansChaptersponsoredthefoodattheCoachesLoungeattheRegionalMathcountscompetitionheldatUniversityofNewOrleans.

TheASCE SEINewOrleansChapter sponsored awards atGreater New Orleans Regional Science Fair held in February 2010. Theawardwinnerswere:

Junior divisionThe First Place ($150) award was given to Simran gandhi ofHaynesAcademyforAdvancedStudiesforherproject “How Can a More Efficient Structure Be Built with A Finite Amount of Material?”TheSecondPlace($100)awardwenttoColin Gillen

John Kulicki, Modjeski and Masters presenting the SEI Seminar on January 20

Mathcount Coaches at the Coaches’ Lounge sponsored by ASCE SEI New Orleans Chapter on February 12, 2011 for Greater New Orleans Mathcount Competition


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

Those of us that have lived up northtypically experience a post-Holidayrespite because things are fairly quietbetweenNewYearsandEaster.NotsoinLouisiana! Activitiesabound:MardiGras, St. Patrick’s Day, Crawfish Boils,the LES Awards Banquet, the ASCESpring Conference combine to quicklycrowdyourcalendarlikeazaleasinfullbloom. The ASCE T&DI LouisianaChapter squeezed in an interestingseminar on February 23rd at the LSU-TTEC Auditorium presented by JeffreyShelden, PE, Senior Coastal Engineerwith Moffatt & Nichol (Raleigh, NC).The topicwas a case study of the I-10 Twin Span Elevation Determination. Thehurricanedamagetothetwinspanhasfocusedattentiononimprovingmethodstopredictwaveforcesexperiencedbythebridgestructures.Wavecompres-sion of the air space between the girders caused massive upliftforcesthatoverwhelmedthegirdertofoundationgravityconnec-tions. The discussion continued with a review of the Guide Specifications for Bridges Vulnerable to Coastal Stormspublishedbythe American Association of State Highway and TransportationOfficials(AASHTO)in2008.Thesespecificationsarecomprehensiveandembodynewconceptswhichhavetypicallynotbeenincludedinpreviousdesignprovisions.

DuringtheASCESpringConferenceinLafayette,T&DINewsletterEditorDan Aucutt was recognized alongwith 16 other civil engineers whohaveattainedLifeMemberstatus.AchievingLifeMembershipinASCErequiresacareerofservicetoboththeSocietyandthecivilengineeringprofession.TobeeligibleforLifeMembership,individualsinthegradeofFellow,MemberorAffiliateshallhavereachedtheageof65,shallhavepaidduesforatleast30years,andshallhavehad10yearscon-tinuousmembershipprecedingtheattainmentofLifeMembership.

TheMay11thT&DISeminarwasalsoheldattheLSU-TTECfacilityand was hosted by Dr. Louay Mohammad and Chris Abadie, PE

(Materials Research Administrator forDOTDandLTRC)asapartofpavementengineering seminar series. This semi-narfocusedonasphaltmixturedesignand analysis. It drew upon the 2006Edition of the Louisiana Standard Specifications for Roads and Bridgesandfocusedoncriteriaforaggregates,asphalt cement binders, and asphaltmixture design, including analysis andcharacterization of Superpave asphaltmixture designs. Our thanks to Dr.MohammadandMr.Abadieforamostinformative lecture. Futurepavementengineering seminars are planed forconcrete mixture design and analysis,

andearthworkandunboundaggregatematerials.

TheLouisianaChapterwillcontinuetocrowdyourcalendarwithitsseminarseriesthroughout2011.Trainingseminarsaretwohoursin lengthandare typicallypresented from5:30-7:30pm ineitherthe NewOrleans or Baton Rouge area. We are open to hostingseminars inadditionalcities intheState, ifrequested. InkeepingwiththeintentoftheInstitutetoprovidetrainingandnetworkingopportunities forall professionals involved in transportationproj-ects,theChapterisplanningthefollowingfutureseminars:

• Toll Road Feasibility for the LA1/I-10 Connector inWestBatonRougeParish

• HurricaneEvacuation

• ProgramManagement

• HistoryoftheNewOrleansStreetCarsystem.

If you would like a seminar on any special topic, please contactKarenHoldenatkarenholden@[email protected].

of ChristianBrothersSchoolforhisproject“Concrete, Juice, and Milk – A Recipe For Disaster?.”

Senior divisionTheFirstPlace($150)awardwasgiventoJosh HanberryofJohnCurtis Christian School for his project “Which Truss Should You Trust???” TheSecondPlace ($100)awardwasgiven toDalton DuvioofJohn Curtis Christian School forhisproject“To Coat or Not to Coat the Levee Pilings?”

Thisyeartheawardsof$50werealsogiventotheTeachersofthefirstplaceproject’s school for encouraging their students todoaStructural Engineering project. These teachers were Ms. Susan

Stephens ofHaynes Academy for Advanced Studies and Ms. Cathy BoucvaltofJohn Curtis Christian School.Lastyear’sscienceteacherawardtoMs.Boucvaltmayhaveencouragedherstudentenoughtowin 1st and 2nd place awards in Senior Division. Way to Ms.Boucvalt.

All seminars areheld at theUniversity ofNewOrleans. Seminardates,pertinentinformation,andregistrationcanbefoundontheNewOrleansBranchwebsiteatwww.asceneworleans.org.Toaddyour name to our mailing list, e-mail Om P. Dixit [email protected].

Speaker Jeff Shelden, PE (left) with T&DI seminar organizer Dennis Lambert, PE


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