6 th Annual Engineers Day Conference
March 5-7 , 2024 Presented by ASCE-NH & Shea Concrete Products
During the first full week of March , the 6 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 $ 16,000 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 10-year plan . Like everyone , today the DOT has been battling inflation that has resulted in higher project costs , as well as level revenues on the Turnpike with higher maintenance costs . Despite that , they have continued focus on their asset management through planned and sustained investments that meet their performance goals . The day one lunchtime presentation was led by Don LeBlanc , PE , who is the Owner of DLVEWS , Inc . Mr . LeBlanc treated attendees to an inside look into the world of pipe rehabilitation . His experience and expertise were on full display , as he provided insights into many projects throughout the northeast . His pearls included pre-project host pipe assessment , design guidance / selection of the correct liner solution , pre-construction planning / preparation , construction process / procedures , and final results .
Day two of the Conference was kicked-off by Tim Rossignol , who is the Program Engineering Manager at NextEra Energy – Seabrook Station . Mr . Rossignol ’ s presentation highlighted the nuclear fleet that is owned by NextEra Energy throughout the country , with extra focus given on Seabrook Station . His overview included a high-level breakdown of how nuclear power is generated , and details of each of the structures / facilities at Seabrook . For those that were unaware , Seabrook Station , which a single unit site , generates 8 % of the power supply for New England ! The second presentation on day two was given by Nate Maher , Deputy Officer in Charge of Construction ( IOCC ) Portsmouth Naval Shipyard ( Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command ( NAVFAC )). Mr . Maher presented on the history of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and the planning / execution of its recent / on-going projects . Specifically , intimate details were given on the history of Dry Dock # 1 , which is a graving type dry dock . He then moved into the recapitalization of Dry Dock # 1 and the need to increase readiness / capability given a new workload . From that , the FY19 Super Flood Basin Project was discussed , including the extensive design , planning , and execution to construct the basin while maintaining functionality of the Shipyard . Mr . Maher then moved into his current project , Multi-Mission Dry Dock # 1 , which will convert the super flood basin into two , partioned VA Class Docking positions ; said project is scheduled for completion in 2028 .
The breakfast presentation for the last day of the Conference was led by Nathan Hill , Special Operations Supervisor of the Swanton Sector Headquarters of the U . S . Border Patrol . Mr . Hill gave attendees a detailed overview of the Border Patrol sectors throughout the country before focusing in on the Swanton Sector . The Swanton Sector has 295 miles of International Boundary ( 92 Miles Water ) with Canada . Mr . Hill then provided insights into his regional oversight of strategic planning , data integrity , and their wide portfolio of current and emerging technologies . Notably , he demonstrated examples of basic tactical infrastructure and surveillance towers , as well as current use of unmanned aircraft systems and unattended ground sensors . Closing out the Conference was Randall Armor ( Creative Director ) and Caleb Gross ( Mechanical Engineer ), who are part of The Mount Washington Cog Railway . Mr . Armor kicked off the session by providing a fun and in-depth history of The Cog . His passion for the railway and delivery of his content has the writer of this summary ready to book a family trip as soon as his daughter gets a little older ! The