American Society of Civil Engineers - Los Angeles Section: 100 Years of Civil Engineering Excellence 1913- 2013

By American Society of Civil Engineers

In 2013, the Los Angeles Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers celebrated its 100th anniversary. The Centennial year is highlighted herein with photos of the many celebratory activities held by the ASCE Los Angeles Section, its Branches, Younger Member Forums, Life Member Forums and Student Branches from Oct. 2012 through December 2013. Articles authored by various civil engineering leaders are included as posted on the Section website throughout the 2013 year describing various forms of civil engineering infrastructure in the region. Additionally, as the second largest Section in the ASCE Society and covering most of the Southern California, southern San Joaquin valley and much of the eastern portion of California, the founding of this remarkable organization is described including profiles of many of the civil engineering leaders who supported ASCE and civil engineering projects that provide the quality of life so many enjoy in Southern California today. A Section Timeline and Civil Engineering Landmarks Review is also included that provides important historical reference for how far we have come over the past century. Together, the remarkable Centennial year for the Section highlights the extraordinary contributions that civil engineers have made, and will continue to make, for generations to come.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496920089

American Society of Civil Engineers

Andrew Machen, P.E. M.ASCE Andrew Machen is a registered Civil Engineer in California and Alaska. A Life Member of ASCE and a member of the History & Heritage Committee of the Los Angeles Section, Machen earned a BS in Civil Engineering from Penn State, and certificates in Cold Regions Engineering from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks; Project Management, Engineering Management, and Management of Technical Projects from Caltech; Design of Communications Systems from UCLA; Intelligent Transportation Systems from MIT; and Geographic Information Systems from UC Riverside. He is currently Vice-Chair of the Region 9 History & Heritage Committee. Joseph R. Buley, P.E., F.ASCE, CA “A” Mr. Buley holds a bachelor of science from the University of Vermont, a master of science from Stanford University, attended Western States University College of Law, is a registered civil-structural engineer, maintains a California Contractor's "A" license and is a Fellow in the American Society of Civil Engineers. Mr. Buley retired from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 2010. AuthorHouse published his Memoir, "In The Shadows" in 2013. John Morris P.E., F.ASCE D.WRE John Morris has done planning, design, regulatory assistance and construction for both water and wastewater facilities domestically and internationally for his entire career which spans nearly 50 years. He has served as staff and management with large consultants as well as with public agencies prior to starting his own consulting practice in 1994. His professional experience has been overlain with 30 years in public policy positions. He is currently the Secretary of the Board of the Metropolitan Water District. Over his career, he has been very active in the industry having served on and led technical committees as well as in leadership roles for numerous professional and trade associations. Mr. Morris is a Board Certified Civil Engineer, Honorary Diplomate Water Resources Engineer, WEF Fellow, Fellow ASCE, Fellow Institute for the Advancement of Engineering and is a Past President of the Los Angeles Section ASCE as was his grandfather. John Hogan, P.E., LEED AP, M.ASCE John Hogan is the President and CEO of Hall & Foreman, Inc. (HFI), a civil engineering, surveying and land planning firm based in Tustin, California. John has been active in ASCE throughout his 40+ year career. He served as the 2011-12 ASCE Los Angeles Section President and as the 2005-6 ASCE Orange County Branch President. John was recognized by ASCE Region 9 as the 2012 Outstanding Section Officer. In 2011, the Orange County Branch named John its Engineer of the Year. John also serves on the Board of Directors of the Orange County Building Industry Association and is a member of the CSU Long Beach Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Management Advisory Council. Charles H. Adams, JR., P.E., M.ASCE Charles Adams has spent most of his Civil Engineering career with the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports, as a project manager at Los Angeles International, Ontario International and Van Nuys Airports. He also has had seven years of employment with Jacobs Engineering where he was a member of construction management teams at Sacramento International, San Antonio International and St. George Municipal Airports. Charles graduated from California State University Los Angeles with a MS degree in Civil Engineering. He served in the United States Navy as a commissioned officer for three years of active duty. He is a registered Professional Civil Engineer in the State of California. He is active with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and is currently the Los Angeles Section, Vice President for Technical Groups, and also Past Chair of the Air Transport Technical Group. Doug Serrano (Bio already shown at end of article) Rodrix Jennings III, MPA Rodrix Jennings III is an administrative lead and assistant project manager for the City of Los Angeles’ Los Angeles Environmental Learning Center at the Hyperion Treatment Plant. He also recently served as the budget and administrative manager of Hyperion Treatment Plant’s $80 million annual budget. He graduated from California State University, Northridge in 2002 with a B.S. in Business Administration, and in 2010 with an M.S. in Public Administration. In addition to his commitment to the City of Los Angeles, he is also a licensed Real Estate Broker. He currently resides in Inglewood, CA with his wife Danielle, and their dog Sonja. MARK R. NORTON PE, F.ASCE, LEED AP Mr. Norton is the Water Resources and Planning Department Manager for the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA). He holds a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado and a Masters in Public Administration from BYU. He is a registered civil engineer in California and Colorado and accredited LEED BD&C (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) professional under the US Green Building Council. Mr. Norton’s background includes 30 years of engineering experience in a broad range of civil engineering projects with primary expertise in water resources. His titles include Past President of the Inland Empire Council of Engineers and Scientists, Past President of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) San Bernardino/Riverside Branch and Los Angeles Section, 2004-05 ASCE Civil Engineer of the Year and the currently serves as a ASCE Region 9 (California) Governor and Chair of the ASCE Region 9 Water & Environment Committee. Yazdan (Yaz) Emrani, P.E. M.ASCE Yazdan (Yaz) Emrani is Senior Vice President and a Principal at Hall & Foreman Inc., an Orange County based Civil and Environmental Consulting Engineering firm. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Syracuse University and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from University of Maryland at College Park. Yaz Emrani's 27 years of experience has focused on planning, design, and construction management of infrastructure improvements around the country. Yaz was ASCE Orange County Branch's President in 2006-2007 and is the current President of the ASCE Los Angeles Section. Yaz is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) in California, Texas, Virginia, Maryland, and Louisiana.

Book preview

AuthorHouse™ LLC

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers. All rights reserved.

Cover design by: MBI

Book editor: Mark R. Norton

with additional editing support by Andy Machen and Joe Buley of ASCE Los Angeles Section Centennial Committee.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 9/30/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-2006-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-2008-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014911645

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

45651.png

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Foreword

2. ASCE News Article

3. ASCE Los Angeles Section Centennial Year Highlights

• Oct 12, 2012 ASCE LA Section Annual Meeting, Installation of Officers, & Awards Luncheon

• Feb. 16, 2013 Popsicle Bridge Contest Younger Member Forum Union Station

• Feb. 20, 2013 City of Los Angeles Resolution presentation

• Mar. 2, 2013 Life Member Forum Brunch

• Mar. 6, 2013 ASCE Annual California Infrastructure Symposium and Los Angeles Section Centennial Celebration

• Sep. 6-8, 2013 Los Angeles Aqueduct Centennial Tour

• Oct. 7, 2013 ASCE LA Section Annual Meeting, Installation of Officers, & Awards Luncheon

• Oct. 9-12, 2013 ASCE Society Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina, Centennial Booth

• Oct. 29, 2013 County of Los Angeles Proclamation

• Dec. 7, 2013 Colorado Street Bridge, Centennial Exhibition, Pasadena Museum of History

4. ASCE Los Angeles Section Landmarks

5. ASCE Los Angeles Section Timeline

6. Founding of the Section

7. Past Leaders

8. Transportation – Past, Present, and Future

9. A Century of Water Resources Development

10. 100 Years of Runoff Management in Southern California

11. Development of Commercial Aviation Infrastructure

12. Long Beach & Los Angeles Harbors Infrastructure

13. Wastewater Treatment, Collection and Recycling

14. Urban Development and Sustainable Infrastructure

15. Infrastructure Report Card History

16. Centennial Sponsors

17. Photo Credits and References

Foreword

CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE

Bob Bein, P.E.

Honorary Chair,

Section President 1992,

Society President 2001

Don Sepulveda, P.E.

Chair

Pres. 2008-2009

Shahnawaz Ahmad, P.E.

Pres. 2004-2005

Rich Haller, P.E.

Pres. 2005-2006

John Morris, P.E.

Pres. 2006-2007

Mark Norton, P.E.

Pres. 2007-2008

Jay Higgins, P.E.

Pres. 2009-2010

Greg Heiertz, P.E.

Pres. 2010-2011

John Hogan, P.E.

Pres. 2011-2012

Michael Thornton, P.E.

Pres. 2012-2013

Joe Buley, P.E.

Life Members

Andy Machen, P.E.

History & Heritage

Mary McCormick

MBI

Marketing Consultant

The ASCE Los Angeles Section celebrated its one hundredth anniversary in 2013. The year represented a monumental milestone that many will look back upon fondly for years to come. It has been our honor to serve as your chair and honorary chair of the Centennial Committee.

Our 2013 Centennial year was a year of spectacular celebration. Our activities recognized the contributions civil engineers have made and will continue to make in the development of Southern California. Our premier event was the joint ASCE Region 9 Infrastructure Symposium and Awards Dinner and Los Angeles Section Centennial Celebration held at the Union Station in Los Angeles in March 2013. Other events and activities included the production of a Centennial video; a commemorative coin medallion; K-12 Outreach; Engineers Week; the History and Heritage programs; Younger Member Forum events; and Student Chapter events.

As with any great organization, the Los Angeles Section relied on an outstanding team of ASCE past leaders and members to accomplish our goals. So many members of the Section joined together to make our Centennial Celebration a tremendous success. But it was the advance planning of the Centennial Committee that really made the difference over the 2013 year. Their many hours of volunteer support created a legacy of memories shared by all. A heartfelt thank-you goes out to each and every one of them.

To document the of the Centennial year activities as well as to highlight civil engineers and civil engineering accomplishments in the Los Angeles Section over the past century, this commemorative Centennial book has been produced. It highlights the historical significance of these legendary individuals and their work. The book serves as a testament and legacy for future generations, showing what we can accomplish together. We hope it will stimulate your interest and imagination in recognizing the outstanding accomplishments in the great profession of civil engineering in providing the quality of life that we have today.

Let it be our hope that those of us in practice today leave the same legacy of accomplishments as those who have gone before us, so that the next one hundred years will provide the same inspiration for celebration as the one we honor today.

In closing, we also wish to recognize the book editor and contributor, Mark R. Norton, PE, F.ASCE, without whose valiant efforts to pull the necessary resources and volunteers together, this book would not have been possible.

Warmest regards,

53569.png

LA Section’s One Hundredth Year Celebration Promotes the Values of the Society and Celebrates the History of the Section, August 10, 2013

BY DOUG SCOTT (Reprinted from ASCE News 2013-08-30)

The LA Section, which held its first official meeting on October 14, 1913, celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in fine fashion by producing a professionally designed eighty-page pamphlet, by hosting a special fiftieth anniversary meeting and luncheon, and by receiving a resolution from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and a proclamation from the mayor of Los Angeles.

1.tif

Michael Antonovich, Los Angeles County Supervisor with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Building on its past experience, the Los Angeles Section celebrated its one hundredth with a series of events and activities that began in 2012 and continued throughout 2013. The celebration recognized the contributions that civil engineers in Southern California have made in the past and present, and that they expect to make in the future. Aside from producing a Centennial medallion, lapel pin, logo, and banner, the Section developed a series of three videos, produced a Section historical timeline, and organized the Infrastructure Symposium, the Centennial Celebration Awards Dinner, a high school Popsicle stick bridge contest during Engineers Week, and special Life Member Forum programs and Younger Member Forum events.

Also, joint anniversary events are scheduled with the Los Angeles Aqueduct and Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena, which are both celebrating their one hundredth anniversaries this year. In addition, the Section has been publishing a series of articles in its newsletter, focusing on a different civil engineering infrastructure theme each month. The Section hopes to compile these articles into either a book or an online product in the future.

The anniversary celebration is a great opportunity to showcase those contributions people in the civil engineering community achieve—[often sacrificing] a great deal—to make a difference in the quality of life for future generations, explained Mark Norton, PE, LEED AP, F.ASCE, chair of the Centennial Committee’s Public Outreach Committee, ASCE Region 9 governor, and past president of the LA Section.

It’s interesting that fifty years ago there was a pamphlet and a luncheon put together by another LA Centennial Committee, which provided us with a guide on how to develop a program of events this year. Andy Machen, co-chair of the LA Section’s History and Heritage Committee, did quite a bit of research and provided a lot of good resources. That is part of the reason we had infrastructure-themed articles highlighted every month [in our newsletter]; these will eventually be compiled and look very similar to what they did [with the pamphlet] fifty years ago.

Jay Higgins, chair of the Centennial Committee’s Fundraising Committee, Region 9 governor, and past president of the LA Section, added, "Civil engineers have made a significant contribution to people’s everyday lives in the Los Angeles area, from the time they get up in the morning and turn on their tap and get clean water, to going down to their car and driving to work on highways and over bridges. And when it rains, all the storm water is captured and flooding is prevented, but the public just assumes that those things are there and they take it for granted.

The idea behind our anniversary celebration and the development of the three videos is to let people know what civil engineers do and how it affects their everyday lives by highlighting our accomplishments over the past one hundred years and also looking to the future; especially when you are talking about things like the development of a high-speed rail system here in LA.

LA Section Gets Organized Early

To accomplish all of their planned events, Norton and Higgins said, the Centennial Committee was first convened in April 2011. The committee, which was chaired by Don Sepulveda, PE, F.ASCE, was made up of the past ten presidents of the LA Section plus Machen and Mary McCormick, president and CEO of MBI, a Los Angeles-area marketing firm. Past ASCE president and LA Section president Bob Bein, PE, L.S., Pres.01.ASCE, was named honorary chair.

The first step was to decide what we wanted to do and then prepare a budget and schedule for these things, recalled Norton, who is a water resources and planning manager for the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority. "We envisioned a commemorative coin, development of a new logo, a banner, a commemorative medallion, a Section historical timeline, some marketing flyers, and a number of videos. We decided to hire the marketing firm of MBI for our celebration, which helped a lot with developing these tools in a very cost-effective way. And we also decided to hire the Baker Group as our event planner.

The first video was a very powerful one-minute introduction video about civil engineering; the second video a two-minute sponsorship video to encourage people to volunteer; and the third video was ten minutes, encompassing civil engineering and our Centennial Celebration. All three videos and the Section timeline are posted on our website and ASCE’s YouTube channel.

Celebration Events Kick Off

The anniversary celebration actually began on October 6, 2012, with the ASCE LA Section Annual Event and Centennial Celebration Kickoff at the Mission Inn, Riverside, which was followed by a Life Member Brunch Centennial Celebration in March.

The main Centennial event of the year was a combined event with ASCE Region 9 for the 2013 Infrastructure Symposium and Awards Dinner, both taking place at historic Union Station in Los Angeles on March 6. The Infrastructure Symposium featured two infrastructure tracks: water and transportation. Among the day’s distinguished keynote speakers was ASCE President Gregory E. DiLoreto, PE, PLS, D.WRE, F.ASCE; Jeff Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; Michael Antonovich, Los Angeles County supervisor with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority; and Dan Richard, chair of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

The Awards Dinner, which presented the project and individual awards for Region 9, featured speakers Camilla Saviz, PhD, PE, M.ASCE, ASCE Region 9 governor, and awards committee chair; Jennifer B. Epp, PE, M.ASCE, director and chair of Region 9; DiLoreto; and Sepulveda, who also serves as executive officer of the Regional Rail Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Winning the Project of the Year award was the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge in San Diego, designed by Centre City Development Corporation.

A significant part of our Centennial celebration was our Awards Dinner, which honored individuals and projects not only in the Los Angeles area but throughout Region 9, says Higgins, who is the senior project manager in the Los Angeles office of the URS Corporation.

2.tif

The yearlong LA Section anniversary celebration included an infrastructure symposium, a Centennial Celebration awards dinner, a high school Popsicle stick bridge contest, and special Life Member Forum programs and Younger Member Forum events. The Section also produced a celebration medallion, lapel pin, logo, and banner, a series of three Centennial videos, and a Section historical timeline. ASCE LA Section

E-Week Events

During Engineers Week in February, the Los Angeles Younger Member Forum held its 19th Annual Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition at Union Station. This year a total of 75 teams, representing over 170 students from high schools throughout the Los Angeles area, showed up at the competition. Plaques, medals, and awards totaling $1,000 were presented for the overall combined winner of best bridge design, best presentation, best poster, and best technical paper. The full-day event was not confined to building a Popsicle stick bridge and testing its strength, but included a poster competition, technical reports, student presentations, a tour of Union Station, and impromptu events.

Higgins says that they raised approximately $99,000 for the Infrastructure Symposium and the Awards Dinner and about $58,000 for the remainder of the events and materials. Among the many sponsors was the ASCE Foundation. HDR was the overall Symposium Presenting Sponsor, with CH2M Hill sponsoring the water track and AECOM sponsoring the transportation track.

Lessons Learned

We got a lot of positive feedback from the infrastructure symposium, notes Higgins. One of the outcomes is that we want to have everyone in Region 9 be able to participate in this kind of symposium. So Region 9 is going to try and rotate the location of its annual infrastructure symposium, spreading it around to the other Sections and tying it to other future anniversary celebrations. For instance, next year’s symposium is going to be held in San Francisco and then in 2015 it is going to be down in San Diego, which will celebrating its one hundredth anniversary.

"I really do feel