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NOVEMBER · DECEMBER 2005 VOLUME XXII NUMBER 6 The Magazine of the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers AlsoAlso InsideInside TheThe BenefitBenefit ofof StudentStudent FieldField TripsTrips CooperationCooperation isis KeyKey toto SuccessSuccess forfor HighlyHighly AcceleratedAccelerated Design-BuildDesign-Build ProjectProject OnOn CapitolCapitol HillHill Table of Contents 2005-2006 Executive Committee Columns President: Harry E. Garman PE, PLS On Capitol Hill .......................................................................... 5 5081 Hanover Drive; Allentown, PA 18106-9450 Risky Business ........................................................................... 9 Phone: (610)481-9289 • [email protected] Political Action Committee Sponsor Update ....................... 19 President Elect: Harvey D. Hnatiuk PE, FNSPE Classified .................................................................................. 20 PO Box 1075; Ft Washington, PA 19034 Cover Story ............................................................................... 22 Phone: (267)252-0166 • [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer: Leonard K. Bernstein PE, FNSPE Features 4140 Orchard Lane; Philadelphia, PA 19154-4418 The Benefit of Student Field Trips ........................................... 2 Phone: (215)824-3570 • [email protected] You May Qualify as an NSPE Fellow ................................... 10 Immediate Past President: Ernest U. Gingrich PE, PLS, FNSPE Green Roofs - A Technology Who’s Time Has Come .......... 11 103 Centerfield Drive; Harrisburg, PA 17112 Phone: (717)545-7020 • [email protected] 2006-07 PSPE Nominating Committee Report ..................... 12 Thank You................................................................................ 24 Vice President Central Region: John F. Bradshaw PE 4431 N. Front Street, 2nd Floor; Harrisburg, PA 17110-1709 Phone: (717)213-6301 • [email protected] Advertisers Barton Associates ................................................................................. 8 Vice President Northeast Region: Walter J. Poplawski PE Boles, Smyth Associates, Inc. ............................................................. 8 90 N Thomas Avenue; Kingston, PA 18704 Buchart-Horn, Inc. ............................................................................... 6 Phone: (570)287-6390 • [email protected] Burns Engineering Inc. ........................................................................ 6 Vice President Northwest Region: David L. McCullough PE C.S. Davidson, Inc. ............................................................................... 6 390 Bradys Ridge Road; Beaver, PA 15009 Carroll Engineering Corp. .................................................................. 8 Phone: (724)774-7349 • [email protected] Cayuga Concrete Pipe ..................................................................... C2 Cumberland Geotechnical Consultants, Inc. ................................... 8 Vice President Southeast Region: Francis J. Stanton Jr. PE Engineering Mechanics, Inc. ............................................................... 6 50 Fir Drive; Richboro, PA 18954 Phone: (215)497-1231 • [email protected] Fenner & Esler Insurance .................................................................... 2 F.T. Kitlinski & Associates ................................................................... 8 Vice President Southwest Region: Michel J. Sadaka PE GAI Consultants Inc. ........................................................................... 6 9318 Marshall Road; Cranberry Township, PA 16066 Gannett Fleming ................................................................................... 4 Phone: (412)771-7701 • [email protected] Garvin Boward Engineering .............................................................. 8 Executive Director: John D. Wanner, CAE Johnston Construction Company ..................................................... 6 908 N. Second Street; Harrisburg, PA 17102 Keddal Aerial Mapping ....................................................................... 4 Phone: (717)441-6051 • [email protected] L. Robert Kimball & Associates ......................................................... 6 MBNA .................................................................................................. C3 Editor: Jennifer A. Summers McMahon Associates, Inc. ................................................................... 8 The PE Reporter is published six times annually by the Pennsylvania Michael Baker Corporation ................................................................ 4 Society of Professional Engineers (PSPE) located at 908 N. Second Modjeski & Masters Inc. ...................................................................... 4 Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102. Phone: (717)441-6051 • www.pspe.org. New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. Inc. ............................................ 4 Opinions expressed by authors herein do not necessarily reflect the Pickering, Corts & Summerson Inc. ................................................. 8 opinion of PSPE. Powell Trachtman Logan Carrle & Lombardo ............................... 2 Senate Engineering Company ........................................................... 6 NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers Tantala Associates ................................................................................ 4 Engineers’ Creed UPS ....................................................................................................... C4 As a Professional Engineer, I dedicate my professional knowledge and skill to the advancement and betterment of human welfare. I pledge: Cover Photo To give the utmost of performance; Due to the harsh Pocono region winters and heavy truck traffic, the To participate in none but honest enterprise; Interstate I-80 and I-380 interchange became a maintenance problem for PennDOT Engineering District 5-0. This section of Interstate was To live and work according to the laws of man and the highest standards originally constructed in 1964 and reconstructed in 1983 using various of professional conduct; pavement designs for the existing conditions. In 2004, Pennsylvania To place service before profit, the honor and standing of the profession Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Engineering District 5-0 before personal advantage, and the public welfare above all other undertook one of their first design-build projects, which involved the considerations. interchange of Interstates 80 and 380 interchange in Monroe County. In humility and with need for Divine Guidance, I make this pledge. See page 22 for more details. Adopted by National Society of Professional Engineers, June 1954 Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers November/December 2005 PE Reporter ■ 1 2 ■ PE Reporter November/December 2005 Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers The Benefit of Student Field Trips Beverly W. Withiam, P.E., Interim Director, Engineering Technology University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Field trip experiences provide an excellent solids at each plant. These sketches reinforce plants will recall the conversations that way for students to see firsthand topics they textbook diagrams and point out similarities occurred during the field trips and hopefully study in classrooms. The purpose of this and differences of the plants. If a plant tour is incorporate some of what they learned. article is to relate the student benefits that I not conducted in a way Frequently have observed for one particular course and that follows the flow students must learn to to encourage all engineers in Pennsylvania to paths, students have to overcome two fears: help facilitate field trips. Senior Civil be able to put the the fear of asking a Engineering Technology students at the operations into proper stranger a question University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ) order. By seeing the and the fear of may select CET 1142, Water Supply and actual unit operations appearing foolish. Wastewater, as one of their technical elective and processes, These fears are always courses. Students enrolled in this class typically students gain an alleviated once the go on six or seven field trips during the term. understanding of the students realize that About half of the field trips are to water size of the footprint the people conducting treatment plants and the other half to required for water and wastewater treatment the tours like to talk about their jobs and that wastewater treatment plants. Most students plants. They start to appreciate the planning no question is considered silly. enrolled in this class have never been to a that must precede the number crunching. By the time students go on their last field treatment plant before going on the field trips. They gain a better grasp of the need to be trip of the term, they know what to expect Because some students are more apt to able to expand a plant, but still keep it and are much better prepared. They gain the learn by observing rather than reading, the operationally manageable. confidence to ask questions and sometimes field trip experience provides a means of Prior to the field trip, students are given even divide the questions among themselves enhancing and expanding the learning a list of questions that they must later be able to make the interview flow more smoothly. experience. By the end of the term, students to answer and write about. This aspect of the They also have honed their writing skills and find that they have learned more than the experience