5 th Annual Engineers Day Conference
December 6-8 , 2022 Presented by ASCE-NH & Shea Concrete Products
During the first full week of December , the 5 th Annual Engineers Day Conference took place virtually over a three-day period . Each day was comprised of breakfast and lunch presentations that provided a total of six ( 6 ) professional development hours for licensed professionals . Attendees were treated to a diverse program that was led by excellent speakers , which were handpicked by the ASCE-NH Board of Directors . Most importantly , the Conference was able to continue to give back to the next generation of engineers by raising over $ 12,000 for the ASCE-NH Scholarship Fund !
Day one of the Conference began with a presentation from the Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation ( NHDOT ), Bill Cass , PE . His presentation focused on NHDOT ’ s progress on their cyclical , 10-year plan that they are currently in the middle of . A notable highlight included their focus on the maintenance and preservation of the existing network of roads and bridges ; substantial pavement condition improvements and the removal of 10 bridges from the ‘ Red List ’ were accomplished through these planned and sustained investments . NHDOT continues to be resilient in these times of lean budgets , lower headcounts , supply chain challenges , and inflation . The day one lunchtime presentation was led by Paul Ramsburg , who is a District Manager with Sika Corporation . Mr . Ramsburg treated attendees to a fascinating presentation on the history of concrete ; and for those that missed out , this didn ’ t start in the 1800s , it started around 9500 BC ! One interesting item was that Thomas Edison created the commercial long line rotary cement kiln , which as Paul noted , was far more important than the lightbulb or photograph . With concrete , quality workmanship makes the difference – bad workmanship makes the news , while good workmanship makes the history books .
Day two of the Conference was kicked-off by Christopher Clement , who is the President / CEO of Infraspect . Mr . Clement ’ s presentation highlighted asset management and the role of robotic nondestructive testing for bridges and infrastructure . He was able to demonstrate the many benefits of these services for pole , tendon , cable , bridge , column , and rope scans ; even pole repairs being completed using robots . The robot technology can inspect / repair all these items more closely and in a safer manner . Ultimately , by using technology in an analytical way , owners can use the data to allocate funds and prioritize repairs appropriately . The second presentation on day two was given by Rob Woodman , PE , CPESC , NGICP , who is the National Manager of Urban Green Infrastructure at Ferguson Waterworks . Mr . Woodman highlighted the current happenings in the world of green infrastructure . He noted that collaboration – a purposeful relationship in which all parties strategically choose to cooperate in order to achieve shared or overlapping objectives – is the key to successful green infrastructure projects . Many examples from various cities thoughout the country were displayed due to green infrastrucutre requirements being different from city-to-city . Rob then ran through some results from his GSI designer survey , which brought eveything full circle – collaboration is the key .
The breakfast presentation for the last day of the Conference was led by Tim Kenerson , PE , who is the Vice President of Engineering at AIT Composites . Mr . Kenerson highlighted the technology of composite reinforcements for bridge solutions ; specifically , the use of Fiber Reinforced Polymers ( FRPs ) and their many advantages over traditional materials . In a world that is focusing more on resilient infrastructure , the FRP option can meet the balance of life cycle costs , sustainability , and efficiency . A few project examples were then discussed , including two projects that were completed in Maine . Closing out the Conference was Major Logan Kenney , PE , who currently serves as Design and Construction Branch Chief for the New Hampshire Army National Guard ( NHARNG ). Major Kenney ’ s presentation gave attendees an in depth look at NHARNG ’ s role in the State , as well as some of their current sites / facilities . Focus was then placed on project / program funding and the general soliciting of bid process for A & E / Construction Contracts . Many recently constructed projects were then displayed , as well as some discussion on
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