CIVIL & CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING

ANNUAL CEF GOLF TOURNAMENT EXCEEDS FUNDRAISING GOALSThis year, CCE faculty members Ben Mason and Andre Barbosa traveled to Nepal as part of an effort to collect data following the devastating earthquake that occurred on April 25, 2015. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake, known as the Gorkha earthquake, was the worst natural disaster for the region in more than 80 years.

During his first visit to Nepal in late May, Mason, along with CCE post-doctoral researcher Deepak Rayamajhi, and Eric Thompson of the United States Geological Survey, investigated liquefaction around the Kathmandu Valley. Liquefaction is a phenomenon in which saturated soil behaves like a liquid in response to a sudden event, such as an earthquake. The goal of the trip was to perform quick reconnaissance

and develop a report outlining the initial liquefaction risks found in the Kathmandu Valley. Mason traveled to Nepal with the GEER team, which is part of the Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance Association. The association coordinates National Science Foundation efforts to capture perishable data immediately following the occurrence of extreme events, such as the recent Nepal earthquake.The goal of Mason’s second visit was to develop more complete case histories, establish valuable local contacts, and form seed ideas for future research and collaborations. Rayamajhi and Domniki Asimaki of Caltech assisted Mason. The team investigated ground failure, topographic

IN THIS ISSUE

FACULTY MEMBERS BARBOSA AND MASON CONDUCT RESEARCH IN NEPAL

CCE NEWSWINTER 2016

FACULTY CONDUCT RESEARCH IN NEPAL Andre Barbosa and Ben Mason lead reconnaissance teams following Nepal’s devastating earthquake.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTSWilliam Mau and Adriana Peimonti share their experiences at OSU.

NEW FACULTY JOIN CCECCE welcomes four new faculty members.

CCE NEWS AND NOTES News briefs from the school.

NSF GRANT ESTABLISHES NATIONAL CENTER O.H. Hinsdale Wave Laboratory selected as natural hazards center.

CCE LAUNCHES DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIESPaul Giroux kicks off new series, presented by Kiewit.

In September, the annual Construction Education Foundation (CEF) golf tournament raised $30,000 for the CEF mission to support scholarships, job-placement assistance programs, professional associations, and faculty support for the Construction Engineering Management program.Thank you to all who participated and supported the CEF and save the date of September 23, 2016 for the next CEF golf tournament. Thank you sponsors: • Go Beavs!: Andersen Construction

Company, Kiewit, Turner of Portland• Tailgate: Knife River• BBQ: Hamilton Construction, Perlo• Golf Cart: Cal Portland, Fortis• Golf Hole: Emerick Construction,

Gerding Companies, L&M Industrial Fabrication, McGuire & Hester, Mod Space, P&C Construction, Robinson Construction, SITECH, Swinerton Builders and W.R. Gamble Engineering

Congratulations winners: • 1st Place (Gross): Cal Portland • 2nd Place (Gross): PCI • 3rd Place (Gross): Lease Crutcher Lewis of

Portland • 1st Place (Net): Fortis Construction • 2nd Place (Net): Turner Construction • 3rd Place (Net): Perlo Construction

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CIVIL & CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

School of Civil & Construction EngineeringSchool of Civil & Construction EngineeringCollege of EngineeringOregon State University101 Kearney HallCorvallis, OR 97331

cce.oregonstate.edu

BIG BEAM TEAM SHINES IN COMPETITION

While it has only been a few months since I began my ‘freshman year’ at

CCE, I have been consistently impressed by the accomplishments of the students, staff, faculty, and alumni. In this newsletter, you’ll find a few of the exciting recent events.

CCE is an active leader in the area of resilience. In this issue you will learn of recent trips to Nepal by faculty members Ben Mason and Andre Barbosa, who conducted post earthquake reconnaissance work to learn lessons from the recent earthquakes. Their research is vital to improving our understanding of earthquakes and enhancing our preparedness for these types of natural disasters. Professors Dan Cox, Chris Higgins, and Pedro Lomonaco have launched an exciting National Science Foundation initiative in which the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Laboratory will serve as part of the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NEHRI) and where researchers from around the country will explore new ways to improve the resilience of coastal communities. We are also fortunate to celebrate the success of faculty in other research areas. This fall, Professor Emeritus Hal Pritchett was inducted into the National Academy of Construction. Also, Professor Chris Higgins was named as the recipient of the 2015 Titanium Applications Development Award for his groundbreaking work in using titanium to repair highway bridges, and Professor Michael Olsen was named editor of the ASCE Journal of Surveying Engineering. These are tremendous accomplishments so please join me in congratulating them for their outstanding work on behalf of OSU.Additionally, undergraduate students continue to perform well at national competitions. Most recently, OSU took second place at the national Big Beam competition. This is an excellent example of how our students have the opportunity to participate in experiential, hands-on learning. CEM also had a great showing at the ASC Competition in Reno, taking first place in the marine category and third place in both the mechanical and Region 7 mixed use categories.

This year, we are also fortunate to welcome five new staff and faculty members to CCE. Amber Berger joins CCE as an instructor who will work with Orange Leap – a new initiative to support first-year engineering students and Johanna Carson now serves as the public information specialist who will lead our outreach and communication efforts. Additionally, Ingrid Arocho has joined as an assistant professor in construction engineering, Jihye Park is a new assistant professor in geomatics, and Judy Liu has joined the school as a professor in structural engineering. On October 5, CCE launched a distinguished lecture series, which received generous support from Kiewit. The inaugural speaker was veteran builder and award-winning historian Paul Giroux who wove together a remarkable overview of historic construction projects and the personal traits of their builders. If you missed this lecture, you missed a good one but save the date now to join us April 28 for the next event, featuring renowned author Henry Petroski. As you can see, there is a lot of great news from CCE. Please let me know when you find yourself in Corvallis and I encourage you to visit Kearney Hall. I am eager to learn more about the rich history of our school and your outstanding accomplishments.

Go Beavs!

Jason WeissHead of the School of Civil and Construction EngineeringThe Miles Lowell and Margaret Watt Edwards Distinguished Chair in EngineeringDirector of the Kiewit Center for Infrastructure and Transportation Research

This summer, the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) announced that OSU earned second place amongst competitors from throughout the nation and North America in the annual Big Beam Contest. The CCE student team was comprised of Karryn Johnsohn, Jason Anderson, and Curtis Blank, and was advised by Keith Kaufman of the Knife River Corporation.The objective of the Big Beam contest is for student teams to fabricate and test a precast/prestressed concrete beam with the help of local PCI members. The beam must be made primarily of concrete without any trusses, arches, or other non-flexural members – and prizes are awarded in consideration of efficient design, highest load capacity, and other categories.

CCE LAUNCHES NEW LECTURE SERIES PRESENTED BY KIEWITOn Monday, Oct. 5, CCE hosted the first lecture in a new Distinguished Lecture Series, presented by Kiewit. The event featured veteran builder and award-winning historian Paul Giroux who gave his talk, Great Builders, to an audience of approximately 600 guests.

In Great Builders, Giroux shared his unique perspective of the great projects including the Brooklyn Bridge, the Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Panama Canal – and the timeless lessons from their builders.

Giroux, who has served as Chairman of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), has led a remarkable career at Kiewit for the past 36 years. At Kiewit, he played a key role in the construction of several heavy civil engineering mega projects throughout the U.S. including the Fort McHenry Tunnel in Baltimore, the Big Dig in Boston, and most recently, the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Giroux is also the author of several bridge design and civil engineering history papers and has presented lectures at nearly 60 engineering schools throughout the U.S. In 2013, Giroux was the recipient of the ASCE’s prestigious Civil Engineering History and Heritage Award and in 2015, he received ASCE’s G. Brooks Earnest Technical Lecture Award.

Thank you to Kiewit for their generous support of the new lecture series and save the date of April 28, 2016 for the next lecture featuring Henry Petroski of Duke University.

FROM THE SCHOOL HEAD

Paul Giroux presents his talk, Great Builders, on October 5. Paul Giroux meets with CCE faculty following the lecture.

SCHOOL OF CIVIL & CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING

GRADUATE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: ADRIANA PIEMONTI STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: WILLIAM MAU

effects, and basin effects and his research will help local efforts to prepare for similar events in the Pacific Northwest.“There are many similarities between the types of expected earthquakes and the types of soil deposits and geologic formations in Nepal and Oregon,” said Mason, “so this earthquake is a particularly important learning opportunity for increasing the seismic resiliency of Oregon.”In July 2015, Barbosa traveled to Nepal as part of a National Science Foundation-Rapid Response Research (NSF-RAPID) team. In addition to Barbosa (principal investigator), the NSF-RAPID team at Oregon State University included faculty members Michael Olsen (co-principal investigator) and Dan Gillins, as well as Rajendra Soti, Patrick Burns, and Matthew Gillins.In Nepal, Barbosa and Dan Gillins assessed the damage of reinforced concrete structures with masonry infills as well as

masonry buildings by acquiring structural data through ambient vibration testing, ground-based lidar, and other traditional methods. Lidar is a technology that calculates distance by analyzing the reflected light from a laser on a particular target. Barbosa also collaborated with other researchers from the US, Italy, Portugal, and Nepal in his research. In collecting the data, Barbosa provided valuable information to assist the local rebuilding efforts in Nepal and also acquired pertinent data that will be used to assess current US guidelines on existing structures.This post-earthquake reconnaissance missions by Mason, Barbosa, Olsen, and Dan Gillins not only allowed them to share their expertise with those in Nepal and to develop international connections, but also allowed them to impart their valuable experiences from the field directly with their students in CCE.

NEPAL CONTINUED...

Originally from Venezuela, Adriana Piemonti is a graduate student in Civil Engineering-Water Resources and is currently completing her Ph.D. After earning her master’s degree at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, she followed her advisor, Dr. Meghna Babbar-Sebens, to Oregon State to continue her research. She recently took the time to answer questions about her experiences at Oregon State in the School of Civil and Construction Engineerng.

Why did you choose Oregon State?First and foremost, it was the academic program. I am doing interdisciplinary research in water planning and management, and OSU has one of the best water resources programs in the nation. It is not confined to one specific area, and you can do research that integrates different subjects.

How did you become interested in water resources engineering?My grandfather was a geomatics engineer, so I think he influenced me. I have always enjoyed mathematics, so I naturally drifted towards an interest in engineering. My bachelor’s degree is in Geophysical Engineering, and after graduation I worked for the oil industry. However, I knew the behavior and management of other resources, such as water, was more significant and interesting. There are many unique aspects related to water, and all of them play a very important role in society development.

What is your current topic of research?I am working on human-computer interaction as it relates to watershed decision support systems for planning and management. We focus on how stakeholders interact with decision-making tools. We developed a web-based system that seeks to support stakeholders on conservation practices designs that aim to improve water quantity and water quality in the watershed. It is an interesting area of research that involves hydrologic modeling, psychological studies, user interface tools, and economics. We study the decision support tools that make watershed planning more efficient and effective; giving stakeholders the opportunity to participate in the design process.

Do you have any plans following graduation?After completing my degree, I will use my Optional Practical Training (known as

OPT) to do consulting work here in the U.S. It will allow me to work on different projects and practice in solving real world scenarios. To me, it is most important to see the application of my job, and how it contributes to societal development.

How has Oregon State helped you prepare for your future career?I have become a better writer since arriving at OSU. The OSU Writing Center has been a tremendous resource and is one I know some graduate students utilize. I like how the graduate program is flexible and how you can take courses outside your main department to help you shape and develop those areas that support your research work. The faculty has been terrific, and they are always eager to help with any hurdle or issue that I faced during my studies. As an international student, I appreciate the support.

What have you enjoyed about Oregon State University and Corvallis?I love the weather here. People complain about the rain but they should spend a winter in Indiana (laughing). There are so many activities you can do in Corvallis, and it is such an easy town to get around. Corvallis is a small town for me; I have lived in big cities my whole life. But, there are an amazing number of cultural activities to take part in, within the university and the community. I love it here; it is beautiful, and there is always something new to do.

Do you have advice for incoming international students?This is a unique and accepting place. Do not be afraid to share your culture, as the community is open-minded and accepting. It is a great place to start your American experience.

Why did you choose Oregon State?I chose Oregon State primarily because of the university’s excellent engineering program, but the beautiful campus atmosphere in Corvallis and ideal distance from my hometown of Eugene helped make OSU the perfect school for me.

How did you choose the field of Construction Engineering Management (CEM)? I chose CEM with help from my advisor Katie Whitehead, and my introductory Fall Term General Engineering course that walks undecided engineering students through the many engineering programs that OSU offers. I had a strong interest in Civil and Construction engineering, and the blend of business, engineering, and project management that CEM provides is exactly what I was looking for.

What projects are you currently working on?I worked this summer as a project engineering intern for Fortis Construction, a general contractor out of Portland that handles a lot of projects for OSU including the ILLC, Tebeau Hall, and most recently the Learning Innovation Center (LInC). This summer, I was involved in the closeout stages of the LInC building, a project that began the month I arrived on campus as a freshman and will be complete and open for classes this fall.

What are some of your future goals? My future career goals are to become a project engineer involved in the construction of buildings in sectors such as higher education, healthcare and data centers. I plan to pursue a Master of Business Administration after getting experience in the industry, in order to one day become a project manager for large contracts like the LInC project that I had the opportunity to be involved in this summer.

Any advice for incoming OSU students? My advice to incoming OSU students is: Don’t be afraid to explore your options when it comes to your major. I came to Corvallis knowing only that I wanted to be an engineer, but had no idea what kind. Use the resources the university provides and discover what you’re passionate about. Once you find the right fit, learning is no longer a task; it becomes a really enjoyable and engaging experience.

CCE NEWS AND NOTESCCE FACULTY MEMBERS RECEIVE UNIVERSITY AWARDSCongratulations to CCE faculty members Shane Brown and Jonathan (Jack) Istok on receiving awards at the 2015 University Day Faculty and Staff Awards Recognition event. Professor Shane Brown received the OSU Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, which honors unusually significant and meritorious achievement in teaching and scholarship which enhances effective instruction.Professor Jonathan Istok received the Richard M. Bressler Senior Faculty Teaching Award, which recognizes full professors who have been at OSU a minimum of 15 years and consistently provide direct instruction to undergraduate students.

CCE HOSTS ASCE MEETINGIn August, CCE hosted the executive committee meeting of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Geomatics Division (GMD). Committee members from CCE included faculty members Dan Gillins and Mike Olsen, and Chris Parrish as well Ph.D. Graduate Student Michael Dennis. The focus of the meeting was to develop a new version of the ASCE Engineering Surveying Manual – last updated in 1984. This manual, to be edited by Prof. Gillins, is intended to provide important concepts for practicing engineering surveyors and will cover significant advances in geomatics over the past few decades and their role in civil engineering.

UPCOMING EVENTSMARCH 1-2: Oregon Stater AwardsMARCH 1: Graduate Research ExpoAPRIL 7: Contractors’ NightAPRIL 28: Distinguished Lecture SeriesMAY 20: Undergraduate Research ExpoJUNE 10: CCE Graduation CelebrationJUNE 11: OSU Commencement

CCE NEWS AND NOTESPROFESSOR CHRISTOPHER HIGGINS RECEIVES HONOR FOR FIRST TITANIUM-REINFORCED CONCRETE BRIDGEIn October, Professor Christopher Higgins received the 2015 Titanium Applications Development Award for his role in designing an innovative titanium application to repair highway infrastructure.The Titanium Applications Development Award is given annually by the International Titanium Association to individuals, teams or organizations from the global titanium industry or academic community that demonstrate significant achievement towards improving and expanding the use of titanium. The award features a prize of $20,000.Higgins was selected for the distinguished award because of his design of a titanium alloy “staple” that was used to strengthen a reinforced concrete bridge. Higgins began the work after Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) inspectors found large and concerning cracks in a reinforced concrete bridge over Interstate 84, near Mosier, Ore. At the time, Higgins and his students were conducting research using non-traditional metallics to strengthen bridges and subsequently presented the concept of using titanium alloy bars to ODOT. To validate the concept, Higgins’ research team built full-size replicas of the damaged bridge girder in the Structural Engineering Research Laboratory at Oregon State University. The tests demonstrated the effectiveness of using the titanium alloy bars bonded to the concrete to restore the strength of the girders. Perryman Co., of Houston, Pa., manufactured the titanium alloy bars and unique surface treatment. ODOT selected the concept because it not only provided advanced strength, ductility, and durability, but it cost 30 percent less than the alternative carbon fiber option. The result of this collaboration produced the first titanium-reinforced concrete bridge in the world, and more are planned for the future.

SCHOOL OF CIVIL & CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING

School Head Jason Weiss (left front), alumnus Tom Skoro (second right, front), and members of the Industry Advisory Board on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015.

Dean Scott Ashford recognizes alumnus Tom Skoro for his upcoming alumni award at the IAB reception on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015.

Dr. Chris Higgins, Dr. Dan Cox, and Dr. Pedro Lomonaco

NSF GRANT ESTABLISHES NATURAL HAZARDS CENTER AT O.H. HINSDALE WAVE LABORATORYIn September, CCE received a $3.8 million award from the National Science Foundation for a facility to increase the resilience of the nation’s coastal communities.

Through the award, two main resources at the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory will become part of a distributed, national program – the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure – that will provide the natural hazards engineering community with access to various research infrastructure, as well as educational and community outreach activities.

The resources at OSU will include the large wave flume and the directional wave basin, both of which simulate waves from hurricanes and tsunamis, and allow for a wide range of testing on both the built and natural environment.

“This award will have a national impact for engineers, to develop innovative solutions to coastal disasters and improve the resilience of coastal communities to extreme events like hurricanes and tsunamis,” said Dan Cox, a civil and construction engineering professor in the College of Engineering, and principal investigator on the project.

The facility will allow researchers to understand hurricane waves and surges, tsunami hazards, and their impacts on roads, bridges, water supplies, and communication systems. It will also allow study of erosion effects, and help researchers develop and evaluate sustainable solutions to coastal hazards.

The research will contribute to broader societal goals of reducing human suffering and economic damages, the scientists said, and speed the socioeconomic recovery following events such as hurricanes and tsunamis.

Co-investigators on the project include Pedro Lomonaco, director of the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory, and Chris Higgins, the Cecil and Sally Drinkward Professor in Civil Engineering.

CCE WELCOMES FOUR NEW FACULTY MEMBERS

Amber Berger, P.E.Instructor

Ingrid Arrocho, Ph.D.Assistant Professor, Construction Engineering ManagementDr. Arocho’s research interests include construction equipment fleet management, pollution production during construction activities, and construction methods improvement to reduce environmental impact. Her previous research included the estimation and forecasting of pollution emissions from construction equipment fleets.

Judy Liu, Ph.D. Professor, Structural EngineeringIn her research, Dr. Liu explores resilient steel buildings, with a focus on seismic and disproportionate collapse resistance. She has interests in behavior and design of structural steel connections and innovative systems for lateral resistance.

Jinye Park Ph.D.Assistant ProfessorDr. Park’s research interests include GNSS positioning/navigation and GNSS remote sensing. She focuses on advanced algorithms in order to improve positioning and navigation performance in harsh environments and detecting geophysical events such as natural hazards or artificial explosions by monitoring ionospheric disturbances via GNSS remote sensing.

A recent CCE master’s of science graduate, Berger has extensive experience in private industry as a structural engineer, designing commercial and nuclear-related structures. This fall, Berger teaches Orange LEAP, an innovative three-semester program aimed at assisting engineering students with the types of math pertinent to their degrees.

CCE NEWS AND NOTESCCE ALUMNUS TOM SKORO NAMED ALUMNI FELLOWAs part of its Homecoming festivities, the Oregon State University Alumni Association recognized CCE alumnus Tom Skoro as an alumni fellow on October 23. Skoro was one of six alumni to receive the distinguished honor.After graduating from Oregon State in 1981 with a bachelor’s in construction engineering management, Skoro worked continuously in the heavy construction industry, primarily with Kiewit Construction Group, Inc. He has varied construction experience but has specialized in bridge construction, including high-tech segmental construction. Skoro resides in Vancouver, Wash., and is a senior vice president of Kiewit Corporation.The OSUAA established the alumni fellows program in 1988 to help OSU colleges recognize their eminent alumni. Honorees have distinguished themselves in their professions and communities.Congratulations to Tom Skoro!

CCE NEWS AND NOTESNATIONAL ACADEMY OF CONSTRUCTION HONORS CCE PROFESSOR EMERITUS HAL PRITCHETTProfessor Emeritus Hal Pritchett was elected into the National Academy of Construction - along with 26 new members - at the Academy’s annual meeting October 24-25, 2015. Including this year’s new members, there will be a total of 211 Academy members out of a pool of approximately 1 million from all sectors of the industry. The Academy is a select organization made up of industry leaders whose present or past professional career demonstrated outstanding contribution to the effectiveness of the engineering and construction industries.

MICHAEL OLSEN NAMED EDITOR OF ASCE JOURNAL OF SURVEYING ENGINEERINGThis summer, Associate Professor of Geomatics Michael Olsen was named editor-in-chief of the ASCE Journal of Surveying Engineering. The Journal of Surveying Engineering is the leading journal in the field and covers the broad spectrum of surveying and mapping activities encountered in modern practice as well the role of surveying engineering professionals in an information society.Olsen’s current areas of research include terrestrial laser scanning, remote sensing, GIS, earthquake engineering, hazard mapping, and 3D visualization. He teaches geomatics engineering courses at OSU where he has developed innovative courses in 3D laser scanning, Digital Terrain Modeling, and Building Information Modeling.

SCHOOL OF CIVIL & CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING