Kansas Professional Engineer
eNews
June 2006, Issue 2
In this Issue:
NATIONAL MATHCOUNTS COMPETITION
by Don Taylor, P.E., MATHCOUNTS Chair
On May 11 – 14, 2006, 228 6th, 7th,
and 8th grade students convened at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City
for the Lockheed Martin National MATHCOUNTS Competition. Coach Betsy Wiens
and team members Jason Hoffman, David Ke, Stephen Rong, and David Wang went
up against the best of the nearly 500,000 students in the 23rd
annual MATHCOUNTS program this year. For you math challenged, that is only
0.046 percent of the 500,000 starters at the National Competition.
Working in the scoring room, I got to learn some
very interesting statistics: 50 percent is an average score (46 is a perfect
individual score and no one got it); Every question had at least one
competitor get it right; For Sprint Round Question 28 only 16 students had
the correct response; For Target Round 8 only 33 students had the correct
response;
For Team Round 8 only 33 teams had the correct
response; and For Team Round 10 only 1 tam had the correct response.
At the end of it all, Kansas finished 35th
overall as a team. Next year, the Lockheed Martin National MATHCOUNTS
Competition will be held in Fort Worth, Texas, home of the largest Lockheed
Martin assembly plant.
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 |
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| Kansas Team Touring in Washington,
DC |
Kansas Team Following Awards
Banquet |
Kansas Team at the Hyatt in
Washington, DC |
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FOR FUTURE CITY MENTORS, A REFRESHER ON THE JOYS OF ENGINEERING
The word rejuvenate
comes from the Latin "young again." Appropriately enough, that is precisely
the word Jane Sternemann uses to describe the benefits of volunteering as an
engineer mentor in the National Engineers Week Future City Competition(TM).
Mentors say the experience provides them with a fresh perspective on their
profession, a perspective only the young can offer.
"Future City rejuvenates
me," says Sternemann, when asked why she takes time from her job as
engineering group manager at General Motors' Vehicle Safety and
Crashworthiness Integration program in Warren, Michigan. "When you've been
in engineering a long time – I've been in the crash area for 17 years – it
can get a little old. My interaction and connection with these kids
rejuvenates me."
Stefan Gantert, PE, a
civil engineer with the Rice County, Minnesota, highway department, has a
similar take on the power of seventh- and eighth-graders. "Too often we get
stuck in a rut of doing things the same way over and over," he says, "when a
little creativity might lead to great things. These students remind me that
it's good to dream as long as you base the ideas in reality."
Sternemann and Gantert
are among hundreds of engineers who volunteer in the annual Future City
Competition, the nation's largest and most successful not-for-profit
engineering education program. Students work with a teacher and mentor as
they create cities of tomorrow using SimCity 3000, build a large, 3-D
tabletop model, write an essay, and create an oral presentation. More than
30,000 students from 1,100 schools participated in Future City in 2006.
Winning teams from 38 regional competitions receive an all-expense-paid trip
to the National Finals in Washington, D.C., February 19-21, 2007, during
Engineers Week, co-chaired by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)
and Tyco Electronics Corporation.
The efforts of engineer
mentors such as Sternemann and Gantert have clearly paid off for their
Future City students. Gantert's team from Chippewa Middle School in
Shoreview, Minnesota, won the 2006 national championship and Sternemann's
team from St. John's Lutheran School in Rochester, Michigan, finished in
third place. But, they stress that the rewards extend further.
Sternemann points out
that, as a manager, she sometimes deals with people who "think they know
everything," an attitude she says commonly strays from reality. "You might
think you're thinking outside the box," she explains, "but your mind is
closed. In Future City, your mind is open. You're free to think. With
kids you get a lot of 'what if?'"
Professional engineers
too often hold themselves back, she says, because they mistakenly believe
they've pushed the envelope as far as it will go. "Sometimes the perceived
limitations are not really there, but people think they are."
That broader frame of
reference is also good for the companies where mentors work, says Gantert.
"Companies enrich their workforce by encouraging employees to mentor," he
says. "By sharing their career experiences, mentors' passion for their work
is renewed."
In turn, he says,
"Employees bring Future City back to the office and put it to good use.
These students may be the graduates we will hire in the future. It's a
win-win for everyone."
"Once engineers
volunteer as mentors, they're convinced of the program's tremendous value,
and they come back year after year," says Future City National Director
Carol Rieg. "Companies encourage them to return because of the advantages
it offers their workers, their community and their corporate interests."
There's also a dividend
for engineering itself: a new generation becomes familiar with a profession
that is often a mystery to them, says Bill Brooks of Brooks Fire Protection
Engineering, Inc, who mentored the 2004 National Champs, Riverview
Junior/Senior High School in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. "Students learn that
society benefits from engineering in so many ways," he says. "Prior to
Future City I doubt any of the students had an appreciation for engineering,
particularly how each of the varied disciplines fits into everything we do.
They learn teamwork skills that engineers need to complete projects, since
no one is able to make something happen individually. Successful teams get
things done by working together with common goals."
While acknowledging the
advantages Future City brings to students, and how it advances the interests
of the profession and strengthens the character of engineers and their
companies, Sternemann adds another, even bigger issue. "You're
benefiting
society," she says. "You're making a better world."
For more information on
how to mentor a Future City team in one of 38 regions nationwide, contact
Future City National Director Carol Rieg at (877) 636-9578 or CRieg@futurecity.org,
or visit
www.futurecity.org and click on "Register / Register as an Engineer."
Engineers will be contacted by their area's regional coordinator.
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2006 KSPE Annual Conference: “Professional Engineers:
Making America Safe”
The KSPE Annual Conference is
only a month away and you don't want to miss the outstanding speakers,
continuing education, and networking opportunities planned.
The Conference begins
Wednesday, June 28th with the annual KSPE Golf Tournament and Ice
Breaker Reception at Deer Creek Golf Course in Overland Park.
On Thursday, June 29th,
speakers will address topics dealing with disaster experiences and solutions
such as what we’ve learned from Katrina, how the threat of terrorism has
changed the design of buildings and what local communities in Kansas are
doing to prepare for natural disasters. You won’t want to miss
presentations by the Corps of Engineers, Department of Homeland Security and
the National Weather Service. In addition, the conference will also provide
an update on I-35, the Sprint Arena and energy alternatives such as wind and
fuel cells.
Thursday’s program will also
feature the Engineer of the Year Luncheon, President’s Reception and Order
of the Engineer Ceremony. Vendor exhibits will be on display during
the day as well.
On Friday, June 30th,
the agenda will feature presentations on the Global Flyer and the Tuttle
Creek Dam Project. A special tour of the GM Fairfax Plant is also planned
for the final day.
Registration for KSPE Members
is $225 which includes all food functions, education sessions and all PDH
documentation. Participation in the golf tournament is a separate fee. For
additional information and to register online, please go to
KSPE Annual Conference.
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 PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
by Shawn O'Leary, P.E.
As we come to the end of this KSPE year, I will
ask your indulgence with the proverbial question: Is KSPE better today
than we were at this time last year?
At the risk of sounding overly optimistic, let
me offer some thoughts for you to gauge your perspective:
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Our four largest chapters remain strong and
healthy; our sixth smaller chapters are still hanging on thanks to the
dedication of a few.
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Statewide membership is stable and trending
upwards in some chapters after several years of modest decline.
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KSPE has more money in the bank than we did
last year.
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We have one of the finest association
management teams in the region under the direction of Ron Gaches.
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KSPE leadership is stable and diverse, all
have agreed to advance through the chairs and our newest member, Brian
Armstrong from the Topeka Chapter, will bring continued strength.
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The Kansas Legislature had minimal negative
impact on the engineering profession this session, partially thanks to
GBBA.
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NSPE continues in their efforts to reinvent
the national association to become more state-centric, with some success.
Much more improvement needed.
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The new, leaner NSPE governance structure will
have three Kansas representatives, Tim Austin – Board of Directors; Shawn
O’Leary, House of Delegates and Chris Bohm, State President.
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Annual KSPE programs including MATHCOUNTS,
Engineer’s Week, Awards, Legislative Affairs, Membership, Annual
Conference and Environmental Resources have all been well implemented.
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Under the leadership of Stacey Lamer, we are
very close to launching our first PE Recognition Ceremony for new PEs in
Kansas.
Thanks so much for your continued support of our
important mission of KSPE. Thanks also for the opportunity to serve you
this year. Best wishes to incoming KSPE President Chris Bohm and the new
Executive Committee.
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WICHITA
CHAPTER MEMBER CONTINUES STUDENT MENTORING
As reported in the April issue of the KSPE newsletter, several members of the Wichita chapter gave a presentation to
Goddard high and middle school math and science students on the potential
careers in engineering.
As a follow up to the Goddard high school
presentation, Jon Callen, P.E. from the Wichita Chapter has hosted two of
the freshman students in his office to shadow for a day. He explained the
process of exploring for and producing oil and natural gas. Each student
spent approximately four hours with Mr. Callen, including lunch.
White visiting his office, the students watched
a video on petroleum careers, which emphasized engineering, but promoted
geology, geophysics, accounting and other professions related to the oil and
gas business. They were then showed how to spot well locations on a map,
given the opportunity to try contouring, then the drilling process. Their
days were finished with an interactive game Mr. Callen found on the
internet that gave them a two million dollar budget to shoot seismic, pick a
location and try to drill a well.
Doing this for half a day is not difficult. The
most difficult part is finding the students. Goddard High School has an
outstanding counselor helping expose their students to many careers.
KSPE members are encouraged to seek similar opportunities in their
communities. Anyone with questions on the presentation and the availability
of material can contact Tim Austin, Tom Roberts or Jon Callen.
2006 SESSION ADDRESSES
KEY BUSINESS ISSUES
by Ron Gaches
Like most election years, the 2006 Legislative
Session was filled with political posturing and roll call votes intended to
put incumbents on the line on difficult issues. Controversial topics like
abortion clinic inspections, Taxpayer Bill of Rights, stem cell research,
concealed carry of handguns, confidentiality of patient health records and
others made reading the front page of the newspaper a daily lesson in
election year politics.
Together with the contentious school finance
issue, these topics divide the legislature and voters into conservatives,
moderates and liberals. Early in the legislative session there is a certain
degree of cordiality shared by most legislators. By the end of the Veto
Session, that cordiality has been knocked aside be the sharp elbows of
partisan politics and the desire to create a voting record to support your
friends and embarrass your enemies.
Somehow, in this caldron of political mischief,
the Kansas Legislature found its way to make a few major changes in the
business climate that should dramatically improve the prospects for future
Kansas job growth and prosperity.
Business Machinery and Equipment Property Taxes
– After nearly two decades of legislative discussion, the business community
finally found a constitutional way to provide relief from the high property
tax burden on machinery and equipment that makes Kansas an expensive place
to locate a manufacturing or processing facility. Somewhat surprisingly, it
was Governor Sebelius who came up with the winning solution; provide a 100%
exemption for all new property purchased, leased or put into service after
January 1, 2007.
Kansas Estate Tax – Capitalizing on the reform
momentum at the federal level, the legislature approved a three-year phase
out of the Kansas Estate Tax. Family owned businesses, farms and livestock
operations will receive the benefits.
Energy Industry Incentives – An innovative
package of income tax incentives and property tax abatements was approved
for refineries, two major pipeline projects and emerging energy generation
technologies. Put off by high energy prices, legislators provided oil and
gas producers nothing new in this package.
Paperclip Exemption – As part of the same bill
that provided the M & E property tax break, the legislature also increased
from the current $500 up to $1500 the property tax exemption for all
business property purchases. Small businesses, particularly those that are
not manufacturers, should see a significant reduction in their property tax
burden as more and more purchases will fall under the $1500 taxable
threshold.
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METROPOLITAN KANSAS CITY CHAPTER ICC EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS
October 9-10,
2006
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Registration 8:30 am - 9:00 am
Best Western Inn and
Convention Center
501 Southwest Blvd
Kansas City, Kansas 66103
2006 International Building
Code Significant Changes -
Monday, October 9, 2006.
This
seminar familiarizes participants with many of the important changes in the
2006 International Building Code (IBC).
Assists code users in identifying the specific code changes that have
occurred and, more importantly, understanding the reason behind the change.
Focuses on those code changes selected due to their frequency of
application, special significance or change in application. Discusses over
120 changes, with a major emphasis on those provisions addressing fire and
life safety. Presents a number of significant changes to the structural and
material provisions of Chapter 16 through 23 as well. Overviews the changes
from the 2003 to the 2006 International Fire Code. Identifies
changes in organization and code requirements to design, plan review and
inspection. Participants will receive a comprehensive
textbook with over 350 pages of analysis of the impact of the
changes to the IBC-Codes.
2006 International
Residential Code Significant Changes –
Tuesday, October 10, 2006.
This seminar overviews selected
significant changes in the building provisions, chapters one through eleven,
and the mechanical, fuel gas, plumbing and electrical provisions of the
2006 International Residential Code (IRC). Identifies changes in
organization and code requirements and the applicability of these
requirements to design, plan review and inspection. Assists code
users in identifying the specific code changes that have occurred,
understanding the reason behind the changes and their impact.
Participants will receive a comprehensive textbook with over
250 pages of analysis of the impact of the changes to the
IRC-Codes.
Upon completion, participants will be better
able to describe the reasons for the significant changes, their impact and
applicability to building design, plan review and inspections.
These seminars are applicable to the
regulatory/construction community, including design professionals, building
officials, plans examiners, inspectors and contractors.
Continuing Education Credit:
Participants will earn .6 CEUs for each seminar they
attend. This is equal to 6 Professional Development Hours (PDH), 6 Learning
Units (LU) or 6 Health Safety Welfare Hours (HSW). Certificates will be
presented upon completion of each seminar.
Fees:
Include instruction course materials, break refreshments in morning and
afternoon. Lunch is not included. Preregistered participants will receive
course materials at the seminars. All late registrations will receive
course materials on a first come, first serve basis.
For additional information, please visit
http://www.buildasitefactory.com/index.php?id=807.
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STREETPAVE SOFTWARE - CONCRETE PAVEMENT THICKNESS DESIGN SEMINAR
Kansas Ready Mixed
Concrete Association, MO/KS ACPA and South Central Cement Promotion
Association are sponsoring a StreetPave Software – Concrete Pavement
Thickness Design Seminar on Thursday June 8, 2006 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in
Salina. The $45 reservation fee includes: handouts, software (you keep –
over $100 value) and lunch.
The seminar is
designed for engineers, architects, contractors, concrete industry or
city/county personnel that work in city/streets pavement design and street
construction.
StreetPave is the
latest in thickness design technology for streets and local road pavements.
This software utilizes new engineering analyses to produce optimized
concrete pavement thicknesses for city, municipal, county, and state
roadways. It includes an asphalt cross-section design process (based on the
Asphalt Institute method) to create an equivalent asphalt design for the
load carrying capacity requirement. A “Life Cycle Cost Analysis” module
allows you to perform a detailed cost/benefit analysis and make informed
decisions on your pavement design project. With one pavement design tool,
you can design equivalent concrete and asphalt sections and evaluate the
best possible solution(s) for your pavement needs. As an added bonus, we
will give you an introduction to Pervious pavements. Plan to attend!! You
will need to bring your laptop as this is a hands-on-learning opportunity.
4.0 Professional
Development Hours for Engineers will be available.
To reserve your
spot or if you have any questions, please contact Wendy Harms, Kansas Ready
Mixed Concrete Association at 785-235-1188 or email
karma@ink.org.
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INDUSTRY LEADERS SHOW SUPPORT FOR ENGINEERING STUDENT COMPETITION
Annual Event Helps Develop Creativity and Teamwork Skills for Future
Engineering Workforce
Civil engineering graduates
are among the most sought after students by employment recruiters. Talented
young men and women will always be needed to design and build the roads,
bridges, power generation plants and school buildings that directly affect
our economy and quality of life. As such, students competing in the American
Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) National Concrete Canoe
Competition--June 15-17, in Stillwater, Okla.- -not only represent the
future of the civil engineering profession, but also the future of the
infrastructure systems that support our society.
It would seem logical then,
for the construction community to support these students and encourage their
achievement. These young men and women may just be starting their careers,
but 20 years from now they will be the ones leading the profession. By
investing in their success today, industry leaders are building a solid
foundation for the future. The Concrete Canoe Competition has been an
exceptional example of this mindset, having received unprecedented support
from such industry leaders as Degussa Admixtures, Inc., Baker Concrete
Construction, CEMEX, PENETRON, Pennoni Associates Inc., 3M Specialty
Materials Division, Bentley Systems Incorporated, Propex Concrete Systems
and U.S. Silica Company. These companies see the value in the competition's
challenge to test the limits of the student's engineering and project
management abilities, as well as gain hands-on experience working with
concrete mix designs, and believe the program provides the kind of
well-rounded knowledge they look for in new hires.
"Our support of the
Concrete Canoe Competition is an investment in the future," remarked Mike
Shydlowski, President and CEO of Degussa Admixtures, Inc. "The opportunity
to work with various products and technologies, and to push the envelope of
innovation with these materials, is beneficial for the students and the
industry."
Oklahoma State University
will host this year's competition, where winners from 18 regional events
will meet to test their skills. In addition to competing for scholarship
prizes, all of which is made possible by the sponsors' generous support,
students will also have the opportunity to participate in a Corporate
Career/Product Fair, where national sponsors and local engineering firms
will be on hand to demonstrate their new products and discuss employment
opportunities.
For more information on the
2006 Concrete Canoe Competition, contact Joan Buhrman at (703) 295-6406 or
jbuhrman@asce.org. Information is
also available online at http://www.asce.org/inside/nccc2006/index.cfm.
Founded in 1852, the
American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 139,000 civil
engineers worldwide and is
America's
oldest national engineering society. For more information on ASCE, please
visit
www.asce.org.
Founded in 1909, Degussa
Admixtures, Inc. is a leading provider of innovative chemical admixtures
and silica fume used in the production of specialty and high quality
concrete used in the ready mix, precast, manufactured concrete products,
paving and underground markets. Located in
Cleveland,
Ohio.
Baker Concrete
Construction, Inc. - "A great company to work with and a great place to
work." Baker Concrete Construction was founded in 1968 in
Oxford, Ohio. Baker
presently operates throughout the continental United States and is committed
to building upon a tradition of creating concrete solutions from concept to
completion into the 21st century.
CEMEX - Building the
Future" CEMEX is celebrating 100 years as a leading producer of cement,
concrete, aggregates, and concrete products. The people of CEMEX are
committed to delivering high quality products, unsurpassed customer service
and technical expertise. For more information on CEMEX, please visit
www.cemexusa.com.
PENETRON - ICS Penetron
International is a recognized leader in the field of integral crystalline
capillary systems for the waterproofing, protection and repair of concrete.
Pennoni Associates Inc. -
Pennoni Associates Inc., established in 1966, is a multi-disciplined
consulting engineering firm which provides personalized services and
solutions to meet the needs of our diverse clients. Services include:
Construction and Fabrication Inspection, Materials Testing, Civil/Municipal,
Water/Wastewater, Transportation, Underwater Inspections,
Environmental, Land
Surveying, Site Design and Landscape Architecture, Building Systems,
Geotechnical, and Structural Engineering.
Bentley Systems
Incorporated - Bentley Systems, Incorporated provides software for the
lifecycle of the world's infrastructure. The company's comprehensive
portfolio for the building, plant, civil, and geospatial verticals spans
architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. With
2004 revenues exceeding
$300 million, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software to the
Engineering News-Record Design 500 and major owner- operators.
Propex Concrete Systems -
Propex® Concrete Systems (formerly SI Concrete Systems) is the exclusive
manufacturer of Fibermesh® synthetic fibers, Novomesh® engineered blended
fiber systems, and Novocon® steel fibers for secondary reinforcement in
concrete.
U.S. Silica Company - U.S.
Silica Company provides silica sand, ground silica, fine ground silica,
calcined and hydrous kaolin, and aplite to the building products, cement,
and other markets. Visit us at
www.ussilica.com. U.S. Silica sands conforming to ASTM C-778 are
utilized worldwide to test hydraulic and masonry cement compressive strength
and air content.
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WIN BIG - NSPE WANTS
TO HEAR FROM YOU
By Ron Gaches
NSPE is rolling out a completely new membership survey to ALL members this
month. Please take the time to participate in the survey. All members
should receive either an email invitation with a link to the survey web site
or a postcard with instructions directing them to the survey web site.
What’s in it for you? Numerous prizes will be awarded to randomly selected
survey participants, including a grand prize $1,000 American Express Gift
Cheque.
Also, the more Kansas Society members who participate in the survey the
better data we will have about the needs and priorities of our Kansas
members. You input is greatly valued and will help determine the programs
and services offered by NSPE and KSPE.
To ensure you receive all important email notices from NSPE and KSPE, please
keep your email address current at
memserv@nspe.org or by calling Member Services at 1-888-285-NSPE.
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