Participants sought for Women Engineers conference
CHICAGO — The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) seeks participants for the WE10 Annual Conference, Nov. 4-6, 2010, in Orlando, Fla. Workshops and seminars will focus on seven tracks: Career and Life Transitions, Careers in Academia, Careers in Government and Military, Inclusion and Cultural Awareness, Innovation in Technology and Business, Management and Strategy, and Outreach. SWE is looking for individuals and companies to provide session content and presentations and to host technical tours. More information is available at www.swe.org/we10

ASFE appoints officers
SILVER SPRING, MD. – James W. Martin, P.E., is the new president of ASFE/The Geoprofessional Business Association, a not-for-profit association of geoprofessional firms. Welcomed into office at ceremonies during ASFE’s annual meeting in New Orleans, Martin is the 40th individual to serve as ASFE’s president and chair of the group’s board of directors. Martin is a vice president and principal of AMEC’s Earth & Environmental Division (Nashville, Tenn.), where he is part of AMEC’s Infrastructure Sector leading the rail services and levee groups, and one of the principals helping to guide the firm’s geotechnical practice.

IECA launches stormwater training course
DENVER — The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) recently launched the “SWPPP It or Sweat It” online stormwater training course for the Texas Association of Builders (TAB). The training course provides a basic understanding of stormwater management and the common tasks necessary to manage runoff from construction sites for contractors. The course is a collaborative effort between TAB, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The course is approximately one hour long and provides knowledge checks to participants. Completion of the training course is the first step in applying for the TAB’s Yellow Sticker Program — a stormwater self-certification sticker program. This program presents contractors with a yellow sticker to display on construction sites that will inform regulators that they have completed a self-assessment of the site. The course, hosted through IECA, can be found at www.ieca.org/tab

PPI releases HDPE pipe study
IRVING, TEXAS — A study funded by the Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) that evaluated the use of corrugated, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe under heavy railcar loads with shallow cover is now available at www.plasticpipe.org/drainage/cppa_technical.html

The test was conducted by the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST) in Pueblo, Colo., where it operates a railroad track test bed. Tests included repeatedly running a train consisting of four locomotives with eighty, 315,000-pound rail cars over 48-inch corrugated HDPE pipe with just 4 feet of cover from the top of the pipe to the bottom of the rail. In addition to the dynamic performance evaluation, the long-term impact of heavy, static loads on the pipe was assessed by parking the cars for six weeks with one set of wheels on the track directly over the same pipe. The corrugated HDPE pipe used in the test was manufactured by Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.

“The instrumented pipes performed perfectly after 96 million gross tons of heavy axle loading, with measured strains and deflections well below the material limits.” said Michael Plumier, director of engineering for the PPI’s Corrugated Plastic Pipe Division. “The maximum measured combined deflection from construction and dynamic loading was less than 1.5 percent and the maximum deflection due to dynamic loads alone was 0.14 percent. The maximum measured tensile strains were negligible, and the maximum measured compressive strains were less than 1 percent. Operators noted that track ride quality was acceptable, and no track geometry maintenance was required at the conclusion of the test.”

PCI names 2010 Distinguished Educator
CHICAGO — The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) named Tess Ahlborn, Ph.D., associate professor of civil engineering at Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech), its Distinguished Educator for 2010. The award was presented during the Third International fib Congress and 2010 PCI Convention in Washington, D.C., in May. As the director of the Center for Structural Durability with the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute, Ahlborn focuses her research on structural concrete materials and applications related to prestressed concrete bridges. She has conducted experimental and analytical research on full-size bridge girders, statistical evaluation of prestress losses and differential camber, and many other topics. She has revitalized the prestressed concrete research program with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and worked extensively with MDOT to seek solutions for durable highway structures emphasizing prestressed concrete applications. She has been a member of the PCI Research & Development Council for nearly a decade.