Volume 15 • Number 4 August 2007 THE LOUISIANA CIVIL ENGINEER ACADIANA BRANCH • BATON ROUGE BRANCH NEW ORLEANS BRANCH • SHREVEPORT BRANCH Journal of The Louisiana Section On line at http://www.lasce.org FEATURES: Hurricane protection in New Orleans: Historical perspective Access management NEWS: Ray DesOrmeaux honored Section considers workshop Body of knowledge Tulane Announcements: Louisiana Civil Engineering Conference and Show in Kenner September 13-14, 2007 Annual Meeting in New Orleans September 14, 2007
PUBLISHER:Franklin Press, Inc., Baton Rouge, LAThe Louisiana Civil Engineer quarterly journal is an official publication ofthe Louisiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers with anaverage circulation of approximately 1800. The Section neither guaranteesthe accuracy of the information provided nor necessarily concurs with opin-ions expressed. It does not claim the copyrights for the contents in this pub-lication. Please submit letters and articles to James C. Porter, PE, for con-sideration to be published by e-mail to [email protected], facsimile to(225) 379-1797 or mail to the Publications Committee c/o James C. Porter,PE • 2608 Terrace Avenue • Baton Rouge, LA 70806-6868.
Baton Rouge BranchPresident
Brant B. Richard, PEStanley Consultants, Inc.
President-ElectRobert W. Jacobsen, PE
URS CorporationVice President
William H. Wall, PENTB Associates, Inc.
Secretary-TreasurerJeffrey L. Duplantis, PE
SJB GroupDirector
Clinton S. Willson, PELouisiana State University
DirectorAdam M. Smith, EI
Owen and WhiteAssociate Director
Rudolph A. Simoneaux, III, EILouisiana DNR
New Orleans BranchPresident
Christopher L. Sanchez, PEStuart Consulting Group
President-ElectRonald L. Schumann, Jr., PE
DMJM HARRIS|AECOMVice President
Nathan J. Junius, PELinfield, Hunter and Junius, Inc.
TreasurerBenjamin M. (Ben) Cody, PE
Eustis Engineering Company, Inc.Secretary
Johann L. Palacios, PEZehner and Associates
DirectorMargaret S. (Meg) Adams, PE
MSA Technical ServicesDirector
Reid L. Dennis, PESewerage and Water Board of New Orleans
Past PresidentWilliam H. Sewell, Jr., PE
Sewell EngineeringShreveport Branch
PresidentElba U. Hamilton, EI
Aillet, Fenner, Jolly and McClellandPresident-Elect
Rusty L. Cooper, EIAlliance, Inc.
SecretaryJ. Cody Goodwin, EI
Alliance, Inc.Treasurer
Jarred C. Corbell, EIAillet, Fenner, Jolly and McClelland
Younger MemberSairam V. Eddanapudi, EI
Professional Services Industries, Inc.Past President
Ashley T. Sears, EIAillet, Fenner, Jolly and McClelland
Dr. Martin Luther King warned us, “Nothingin the world is more dangerous than sincere igno-rance and conscientious stupidity.” How true.We know there are people who will plow aheadwith ill-fated determination no matter what thefacts or evidence counsel. I am sure we all knowpeople who are glad to applaud the wisdom ofscience when it supports their opinions, but willquickly and off-handedly dismiss it when it runscounter to their beliefs. For some, custom andcomfort trump all other concerns.
Almost since day one, we in the floodedcrescent of New Orleans have suffered the bur-den of incorrect perceptions about who we are,why we are here, and how this happened. Andalmost since day one, sullen masses of criticsnear and far have refused to listen to any evi-dence that these popular perceptions are not true.
I could write a whole series of articles on thetheme of Popular Myths and Potent Lies aboutthis experience. Topics would include• New Orleans is below 20 feet sea level• We have already sent $110 billion to New
Orleans• Hundreds of miles of marsh historically pro-
tected New Orleans• The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet is a hurri-
cane super highway and• many more.
But thankfully ASCE is on the forefront ofmyth-busting. A recent letter highlighting thefindings of the ASCE External Review Panelimplores us to “move beyond sound-bites andarmchair theories.” We must let science guide
national policy decisions and avoid making irra-tional decisions based on sensation-seekingheadlines.
We must let science guidenational policy decisions andavoid making irrational deci-sions based on sensation-seek-ing headlines.
This is vital for 2 potent reasons. First,because America is investing an awful lot ofmoney into projects in coastal Louisiana and wedo not want that money to be wasted on ineffec-tual, ill-conceived projects. If the protections weconstruct cannot do the job, then the cities andthe people here will continue to be in grave dan-ger. That is morally unconscionable.
Second, because the next time it might beYOU. This issue reaches well beyond hurricaneprotection. Americans must learn or relearn totrust scientists and engineers to do their job andto provide the rational answers that we need.Today it is hurricane protection, but tomorrow itmight be communicable diseases, or air quality,or global warming.
It seems to me that many people in theUnited States have lately taken on a nearly anti-science attitude. Our most learned citizens areviewed with skepticism when their researchresults in unpopular or inconvenient conclusions.It has become quite popular to deride scientistsas eggheads who reside in ivory towers.
Somewhere along the way, the validity andsuperiority of the scientific method has escapedmany Americans. Somehow faith, convenienceand the warm fuzzies have ascended above rigor-ous, rational observation and analysis.
“The findings from the research efforts conduct-ed after Hurricane Katrina in some cases chal-lenge conventional wisdom.” And as it couldhave been predicted, there have been someunfriendly responses to those conclusions.
Contrary to the popular saying, ignorance isnot bliss in this instance. Self-imposed igno-rance will lead to repetitive misery and suffering.As Dr. King warned, this is a dangerous path totravel.
We should be proud that ASCE has steppedforward in this matter. The ASCE ExternalReview Panel has been honest and sharp in itscritique of the hurricane protection system, but ithas always proceeded with the solid foundationof science and sound engineering practice.
The ASCE External Review Panel pressrelease is online at: http://www.asce.org/press-room/news/ display_press.cfm?uid=3390
About the cover: The photograph is Figure 5and the inset (bottom right) is Figure 6, bothfrom the feature article “Access Management.”It demonstrates uncontrolled access along anurban principal arterial and through a signal-ized intersection with an urban collector. Theinset demonstrates controlled or managedaccess at a similar intersection. Outside of justlooking cleaner and less busy, the intersectionwith controlled access offers important safetyand capacity enhancements that are particular-ly compatible with the geometric design featuresand signal timing for the urban principal arteri-al and provided in both examples.
- Observation -Global competition:
ASCE President Bill Marcuson in his 2006inaugural address emphasized preparing the civilengineer for the future. He explains an axiomthat success happens when preparation andopportunity meet and that we are only in chargeof our preparation. The trends he identifies in theglobal market• engineering is perceived as a commodity —
not a profession• U.S. civil engineers earn 5 to 10 times more
than those in developing countries• the population of civil engineers in develop-
ing countries is large and growing, and• engineers in developing countries are
becoming more capable and accessibleindicate that U.S. civil engineers cannot competeas technicians in the future. They must differen-tiate their qualifications and services throughpreparation to justify a difference in their highercompensation.
Marcuson identifies leadership — a traitgained by preparation (education and training)— as the differentiating asset to move the U.S.civil engineer up the food chain in global prac-tice while conceding the rote technical engineer-ing work to the engineers offshore. Otherwise,
the declining role of the U.S. civil engineer maysignal the loss of their unique infrastructure andenvironmental competence and their tradition ofplacing the highest priority on public safety,health, and welfare.
Concerns that immediately come to my mindare:• there is no monopoly on leadership and eth-
ical traits• local experience and values are dismissed by
the ASCE et al in support of indiscriminateprivatization of government engineeringservices
• like the rarity of a professor who is proficientin both research and teaching probably thereis a similar rarity of an engineer proficient inboth leadership and technology.I strongly agree with Marcuson in a general
way that the value added through site-specificservices and serving local values in the engineer-ing services should be a competitive advantagein a global market for both the leadership andtechnical roles. However, this may be trumpedby the perception already espoused by the civilengineers in the United States that — when itserves their purposes — engineering is a com-modity. - Editor
Alfred C. Naomi, PE, is a branch chief in the Protection and Restoration Office for the New Orleans District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He iscurrently in charge of the construction efforts for all floodwalls, the West Bank and Vicinity Hurricane Protection project, and the New Orleans Districtefforts on the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration project (Cat 5). Prior to this assignment, Naomi was a project manager in the Planning,Programs and Project Management Division for over 15 years. Naomi earned his BS degree in civil engineering from the University of Louisiana atLafayette in 1971 and his MS degree in engineering from Tulane University in 1975. He is a licensed engineer in Louisiana. During Naomi’s career,that began with the Corps in 1971, he has worked on most of the major projects in the New Orleans District some of which include the management ofthe Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project, the Mississippi River Ship Channel Project and the Davis Pond Freshwater DiversionProject.
THE LOUISIANA CIVIL ENGINEER / AUGUST 2007 5
Hurricane protection in New Orleans:Historical perspectiveBy Alfred C. Naomi, PE
IntroductionIn the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, there
have been renewed calls for higher levels of pro-tection for communities in coastal Louisiana.These higher protection levels could includeprotection against category 5 hurricanes.Construction of these projects will likely be on ascale that will dwarf previous efforts. Beforeproceeding with the planning, design, and con-struction of such massive projects, it is prudentto reflect on the existing hurricane protectionprojects to learn what factors influenced theirdevelopment and how they evolved over time.
Such an investigation could provide valu-able insight into future problems that engineersmay encounter again and may choose to avoid asthese new more complex projects are formulatedand constructed over time. The purpose of thiskind of historical perspective is to describe thebroader decision-making environment thatevolved throughout the development and con-struction of the existing project. This will fosterunderstanding of why critical decisions weremade and how those decisions impacted ongo-ing project development.
In preparing this historical perspective, thedesign adequacy of particular elements of theproject is considered a separate issue that is nei-ther developmental nor evolutionary in characterand therefore not addressed here. This issue isbeing addressed by the Interagency PerformanceEvaluation Team and others and the results arethe subject of intense discussions by engineersand scientists both inside and outside of the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers.
Early historyLevee construction in southern Louisiana
began shortly after the establishment of settle-ments along the Mississippi River. Experiencewith annual river flooding events resulted inhigher and stronger levees constructed by locallevee districts and private citizens prior to thegreat flood of 1927. That flooding event causedCongress to create the Mississippi RiverCommission and to authorize the construction ofmiles of levees, floodwalls, and structures tocontrol future Mississippi River floods. Thegoal was to establish consistent and coherentflood protection for the entire lower MississippiRiver. Although construction of this projectcontinues into the 21st century, to a great extent,the goal has been accomplished. The earlier sys-tem of diverse local protection levees has beenreplaced with a regional system of protective
works with consistent design and functional cri-teria. However, none of these efforts address thevery real threat of flooding from hurricanes incoastal Louisiana and in particular the NewOrleans area.
Hurricanes were once considered infrequentevents and the flooding they caused generallyoccurred in the uninhabited, flat marshy groundin the northern part of the city along LakePontchartrain. Residential and commercialdevelopment in New Orleans was initially con-centrated along high ground next to theMississippi River for most of its history. A crosssection of the city taken in 1828 shows the highground near the river gradually decreasing to aflat, coastal plain interrupted only by theGentilly Ridge. The Gentilly Ridge was a for-mer distributary of the Mississippi River andyears of sediment deposition had caused its pathto be raised several feet above sea level. Thearea between the ridge and Lake Pontchartainwas flat, marshy and not conducive to habita-tion.
As the city continued to develop, mostdevelopment was limited to the high groundnear the river and along the Gentilly andMetairie Ridges. In the late 1800s, however, thedevelopment of mechanical pumping systemsbegan to change the face of the city. Themechanical pumps were highly desired becausethey enabled the city to reliably remove rainwa-ter from developed areas instead of relying ongravity drainage. They also helped to addressthe problem of mosquitoes that spread yellowfever that afflicted the city’s residents everysummer. Draining the marshy wetlands betweenLake Pontchartrain and the city helped to elimi-nate the mosquitoes, improve drainage and ulti-mately open additional land for development.
The success of the pumping efforts can bereadily seen in the map of the city in 1936 shownin Figure 1. Large areas that were formerlyuninhabited were being developed. Theseinclude the Lakeview, Gentilly, Lakeshore andEastern New Orleans neighborhoods. Similardevelopment was occurring in Jefferson and St.Bernard Parish. So the first half of the 20thCentury resulted in rapid growth of the city intoareas where little or no hurricane protectionexisted. The Orleans Levee District and LakeBorgne Levee District constructed local protec-tion levees in their jurisdictions but there was nocomprehensive protection system similar to theMississippi River levees.
Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity projectAfter the Hurricane of 1947, local officials
began efforts to secure federal funding for a hur-ricane protection project. Congress authorizedthe Corps of Engineers to study the problem.The Corps in turn enlisted the services of theNational Weather Service (NWS) to develop thecriteria for a design storm. In 1959, the NWSestablished standards for the Standard ProjectHurricane (SPH) that defined a hurricane thatmay be expected from the most severe combina-tion of meteorological conditions that are con-sidered reasonably characteristic of the regioninvolved.
The NWS defined the SPH as having a windspeed of 100 miles per hour at a radius of 30nautical miles with a central pressure of 27.6inches1. This storm was used as the basis ofdesigns for the proposed hurricane protectionproject.
Using the NWS criteria, the Corps prepareda report describing a plan consisting of combi-nations of levees, floodwalls and structures andsubmitted it to Congress for authorization.Most notably, the Corps’ proposal included mas-sive structures at the Rigolets and Chef Passesthat would keep storm surges out of LakePontchartrain. Also included were levees andfloodwalls in the Inner Harbor NavigationCanal, St. Bernard Parish and Eastern NewOrleans. Lower levees were proposed along theNew Orleans lakefront and on the St. CharlesParish lakefront. The existing levee on theJefferson Parish lakefront was considered suffi-cient and no work was planned for that location.Further, the levees existing along the 17th Street,Orleans, and London Outfall Canals, which hadbeen constructed by local interests, were alsodeemed to provide sufficient protection underthe proposed plan. Ultimately, in 1965,
Congress authorized construction of the Corpsplan as depicted in Figure 2.
One other aspect of the project was ratherunique at the time. Local sponsors were requiredto provide financing of 30% of the project costs.This 30% could include real estate, relocations,cash and work-in-kind. Work-in-kind is thedesign and construction of portions of the projectby the sponsor to meet the 30% requirement.Most Federal projects at that time only requiredthat local sponsors provide the real estate, relo-cations and in some cases assume operations andmaintenance once the project was completed.This cost sharing provision led to the executionof agreements between the Corps and local spon-sors. The sponsors included the• Orleans Levee District in Orleans Parish• East Jefferson Levee District in Jefferson
Parish• Pontchartrain Levee District in St. Charles
Parish• Lake Borgne Levee District and• St. Bernard Parish Government in St.
Bernard Parish.Each of the sponsors had their own sources
of income and their ability to pay their share of
project costs would vary widely over the life ofthe project.
Project developmentConstruction of the project got under way in
1967 and major design efforts began on the 2proposed barrier structures. Initial constructioncontracts for the Chef Pass barrier were underway when a lawsuit was filed in Federal Court in1975 by Save Our Wetlands and others seeking tohalt construction based on concerns about theadequacy of the project Environmental ImpactStatement. In 1977, the Federal court enjoinedconstruction of the barriers and the work ceased.
To address the injunction, the Corps pre-pared a reevaluation report for the project, alongwith a revised EIS. In these documents, whichwere approved by the Chief of Engineers in1985, the Corps recommended that the barriersnot be constructed. Instead, an alternative solu-tion called the High Level Plan was proposed.This proposal provided for the construction ofmuch higher levees along the lakefront ofJefferson and Orleans Parishes and a levee alongAirline Highway in St. Charles Parish. Underthis proposal, storm surges would no longer be
blocked at the Rigolets and Chef Passes, butwould be allowed to enter Lake Pontchartrain.The surge would then be controlled by higherlakefront levees. The report also acknowledgedthat higher surges would be directed to the 3 out-fall canals and that action to address this problemwould be required. The new environmentalimpact statement was acceptable to the FederalCourt and the plaintiffs and construction of thealternate plan was allowed to proceed 8 yearsafter the initial injunction.
Since the Corps had gone to a great deal oftrouble to reevaluate the project, one would thinkthat it was an opportune time to incorporate newSPH designs by the NWS into the project. But tobetter understand the situation, one must stepback and look at what was happening nationallyand locally to impact the decisions made at thattime. The late 1970s and early 1980s were a timeof double digit inflation. Costs were rising rap-idly and the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinityproject cost estimates had grown from $65 mil-lion in 1965, to $645 million by 1983. The ris-ing costs were placing tremendous pressure onlocal sponsors to provide their share of the proj-ect costs.
Figure 1. Map of New Orleans (circa 1936) demonstrates the rapid development north of the river ridge in low-lying areas made feasible for real estatedevelopment by the mechanical pumping systems that effectively drained the rain water out of the area.
In 1974, Congress enacted the Hebert billthat allowed local sponsors to delay payments forup to 10 years. First, St. Bernard Parish and theLake Borgne Levee District took advantage ofthe legislation and stopped sharing in the projectcosts. Second, the Orleans Levee District lost acourt case that resulted in the requirement thatthey return land in the Bohemia Spillway to theoriginal landowners. The land was providing oilrevenues to the Levee District and its loss meantthat a major source of income was lost. Third, in1978, the Orleans Levee District, in a letter to theLouisiana Department of Transportation andDevelopment, expressed concern that it wouldnot be able to cost share in the project if costscontinued to escalate.2 The Levee District alsodescribed similar financial difficulties experi-enced by the Pontchartrain Levee District, LakeBorgne Levee District, and St. Tammany Parish.Fourth and finally, a report by the GovernmentAccountability Office3 (GAO) in 1982 was criti-cal of the slow pace of project construction andexpressed concerns about the ability of the localsponsors to fund their share of the project. TheGAO report also observed that one local sponsor“believed that the Corps’ standards were too highto attain adequate, affordable and speedy protec-tion.”
Based on all of these concerns, if the Corpswould have implemented the new SPH stormdesign criteria of the NWS, it would have meantthat the many miles of floodwalls that hadalready been constructed in Orleans and St.Bernard Parishes would become substandard andwould have to be rebuilt to higher elevations.This would delay the project completion bymany years and increase escalating costs evenfurther. These concerns resulted in efforts by the
Corps and local sponsors to move ahead with theproject based on original designs modified onlyas needed to eliminate the originally plannedbarrier structures.
Outfall canalsWork proceeded on the lakefront levees and
structures but the problem associated with the 3outfall canals persisted. The Corps evaluatedseveral alternatives and ultimately recommendedthat gated structures be installed where thecanals entered Lake Pontchartrain. The struc-tures would be closed when storm surges enteredthe lake. This would prevent the surge from trav-eling up the outfall canals thereby eliminatingthe need for floodwall or levee protection alongthese canals.
Local officials did not support this planbecause they were concerned that the largepumping stations located along the canals wouldnot be able to pump rain water out of the city ifthe gates were closed. In the Corps’ estimate, ifhigh storm surges were allowed in the canals, thepumping stations would lose their ability topump against the increased head. The resultwould be that rainfall flooding would occur inthe city regardless. Further, the Corps believedthat the Congressional authorization languagedid not permit the Corps to assist local govern-ments with any resulting internal drainage issues.
The advantages of the gate structures at themouths of the outfall canals were significant.First, the gate structures were far less expensivethan the miles of floodwalls that would otherwisehave to be constructed along the outfall canals.Estimates at the time indicated that the gatestructures could be constructed for approximate-ly $45 million. The floodwall option was esti-
mated to cost approximately $108 million.Second, construction of the floodwalls wouldrequire that the 10 bridges that cross the canalswould have to be replaced and 4 pumping sta-tions would require large fronting protectionstructures. Third and finally, the gate structuresat the mouth of the canals could be constructedmore quickly than the miles of floodwalls,bridges, and fronting protection structures.
Local officials, however, were adamant intheir objections to the gate structures. So theCorps and local officials were at a stalemate untilCongress acted. Language in the Energy andWater Appropriations Act of 1992 directed theCorps to construct floodwalls along the Orleansand London Canals. For the 17th Street Canal,the Corps agreed to construct the locally pre-ferred floodwalls since for that canal, the costswere equal to that of the gated structure.
Although directed by Congress to constructthe floodwalls along the canals, the Corps did notrequest funds for this construction in the annualbudget submissions to Congress since the highercosts did not comply with the policies of theCorps or the Administration. However, Congressadded funding in the annual appropriation billsto pay for the construction. So the floodwallsalong the canals were constructed through acombination of Corps and local sponsor con-tracts using designs developed by the Corps, itscontract architect-engineers, and local sponsorengineering contractors. It should be noted thatconcerns about the length of time required toconstruct the floodwalls along the outfall canalswere prophetic. When Hurricane Katrina struck,3 contracts still needed to be built along theOrleans and London Canals.
By 2005, the project had evolved into thehigh level plan including the banks of the 3 out-fall canals as shown in Figure 3. The projectlooked quite different than it did when it was firstauthorized by Congress in 1965.
Budgetary pressuresAs work on the project moved into the
1990s, the Corps budget came under increasingpressure. Appropriations did not keep pace withinflation or the increased number of projectsaround the nation needing funds. Annual appro-priations declined from $39.9 million in 1990, to$5.7 million in 2005 for the Lake Pontchartrainand Vicinity project. The decreased fundingmeant that the completion of the project was fur-ther delayed. As of 2005, it was estimated thatthe project would not be completed until 2015.The 2005 budget allowed for the funding of con-tinuing construction contracts but it was not suf-ficient to award any of the new contracts plannedfor the project.
Budgetary pressures were not solely aFederal problem. As previously noted, St.Bernard Parish and the Lake Borgne LeveeDistrict stopped making contributions to theproject based on the provisions of the Hebert bill.That bill required the payment of the balanceowed at the end of 10 years. The sponsors didnot have the funds to pay this balance and in theWater Resources Development Act of 1996,Congress granted forgiveness of this debt.
Figure 2. Map of New Orleans reflects the Corps’ hurricane surge protection project plan thatreflects the NWS Standard Project Hurricane criteria. It was authorized for construction by theCongress in 1965. It notably included massive structures at Rigolets Pass and Chef Pass to keep hur-ricane storm surges out of Lake Pontchartrain.
IntroductionA recent report, issued by a national trans-
portation research group, presented a dismalview of the condition and safety of the publicroad infrastructure in Louisiana. The researchfound 22 percent of the major roads in Louisianato be in poor condition with an additional 25 per-cent in mediocre condition. On Louisiana’surban Interstates and freeways, 28 percent areconsidered congested and the traffic fatality rateof the state is 40 percent higher than the nationalaverage.1
Obtaining the funds to address the $14 bil-lion backlog of work that would correct the roadcondition and capacity problems in Louisianawould seem problematic at best. There are effec-tive strategies that must also be considered thatcan avoid large conventional capital improve-ments and yet substantially improve the capacityand performance of the existing road system.Access management is one such strategy that agrowing number of states are using to bettermanage and utilize their existing highway trans-portation network.
DefinitionAccording to the Federal Highway
Administration and the Transportation ResearchBoard, access management is the systematic con-trol of the location, spacing, design and operationof driveways, median openings, interchanges,and street connections to a roadway. The pur-pose of access management is to provide accessto land development while simultaneously pre-serving the flow of traffic on the surroundingroad system in terms of safety, capacity, andspeed.2
Access management is a process by whichlocal, State and Federal governments maintainthe functional classification of a roadway net-work. This process is all encompassing withinand between sovereign jurisdictions and includesthe following business functions:• planning• engineering• permitting• real estate• legal• management and• others
While the fundamental principles associatedwith access management have been in existencesince the early 20th century, the modern accessmanagement initiative began in Colorado duringthe 1980s. Under an FHWA demonstration proj-ect authorized by the 1978 HighwayTransportation Act, the Colorado Department ofTransportation tested access design standards on
several arterials in the metropolitan Denver area.Based on the positive impact on capacity andsafety from that project, the State of Coloradopursued a comprehensive Access Managementprogram that encompassed the entire State.3
Since then, the program has grown steadilyacross the nation.
More information is available through theTRB Subcommittee on Access Management(AHB70) that maintains a website atwww.accessmanagement.gov. Presently, over 25states have implemented some form of accessmanagement and it is increasingly seen as a com-petitive advantage in serving and attracting busi-ness and industry.
Functional classificationThe basic framework of access management
is the functional classification of roadways.Roadways are generally grouped into three broadcategories distinguished by function and includearterials, collectors and local roads. Figure 1gives a visual representation of these functionalclasses. While it is generally understood thateach classification has unique road design stan-dards, it is less understood that each classifica-tion has access standards that must be maintainedin order to function as intended.
Functional systemsThe functional classification of a roadway is
directly related to its intended function or pur-pose. If the purpose of a roadway is to facilitatehigh-speed, interstate or intercity travel, then thatroadway is classified as an arterial. At the otherend of the spectrum, if the purpose of a roadwayis to strictly serve local land use and facilitateaccess to property, then the roadway is classifiedas a local road.
If the purpose of a roadway is to facilitateintra-parish or intra-city travel, then the roadwayis classified as a collector. Along with facilitat-ing inter-city travel, a collector functions as agateway between high speed arterials and lowspeed local roads. As its name implies, this typeof road collects traffic from the local road systemand carries it to defined connections on an arteri-al. An equally important function of a collectoris to facilitate the smooth deceleration of highspeed arterial traffic before it accesses propertyvia local roads.
When the functional classification of a road-way is assigned, the associated design speeddetermines the specific physical parameters ofthe design such as• vertical/horizontal alignment• lane width• shoulder width/type
• median width• drainage and• other factors
However, there are corresponding access stan-dards that must also be maintained to achieve thetarget design speed.
Access standardsThe appropriate relationship between mobil-
ity, access density and functional classification isshown in Figure 2. Mobility in this instance ismeasured as average speed, while access densityis measured as access points per mile of roadway.The shape of the curve varies based on the designfeatures of the roadway and operational factorssuch as the characteristics of individual accesspoints.
Based on typical state access managementstandards, the access densities for an arterialshould range from less than 1 access point permile for principal arterials to between 8 and 12access points per mile for a minor arterial. Bycomparison, it is very common in Louisiana forprincipal arterials to have access densitiesbetween 60 and 80 per mile. Collector accessdensities can vary widely but typically rangebetween 12 and 40 access points per mile. Alocal road is intended to provide full access toproperty so access density limitations do not usu-ally apply. The variations in access density arerelated to a variety of factors including the designof a particular roadway, volumes generated byaccess points, and the rural or urban environ-ment.
Control of accessOne of the most important implications of
the curve shown in Figure 2 is that the relation-ship between access density and roadway speedis a continuous function. Small changes inaccess density result in small changes in average
8 THE LOUISIANA CIVIL ENGINEER / AUGUST 2007
Access managementBy John M. Broemmelsiek, PE
John M. Broemmelsiek, PE serves as the Intelligent Systems and Traffic Operations Engineer for the Federal Highway Administration in the LouisianaDivision. He is a licensed engineer in Louisiana and he earned his BS in Electrical Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration, both fromLouisiana State University at Baton Rouge. Broemmelsiek has been with FHWA for over 6 years and was previously employed by the Louisiana DOTDfor 10 years with experience in the areas of traffic and emergency operations, information systems, network and communications engineering, systemsand operational planning, electrical engineering, access management and economic analysis. For the 2006 Hurricane Season, he was the team leaderfor the Federal Transportation Evacuation (ESF-1) group at the DHS/FEMA Gulf Coast Joint Field Office in Baton Rouge. In November, 2006,Broemmelsiek won the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary’s Team Award as a member of the Office of the Secretary’s Evacuation Event Team.
speed. Access need not be restricted to Interstatestandards to have an impact on mobility. Evenminor reductions in access density can have apositive impact on average speed and safety.Unfortunately, access is too often considered tobe discrete – either there is access control orthere is not. The challenge is to manage trans-portation and development processes such thatthe different degrees of access controls appropri-ate to the function of the roadway are main-tained.
If the physical design standards of an arteri-al are not matched with the corresponding accessstandards, the result is a roadway that the driverexpects to function at higher speeds but in factmust be driven at a lower speed. This is decep-tive to the driver and thereby results in anincrease in crashes. Figure 3 is an example of aroadway designed as an arterial, but with noapparent access standards. The failure to ade-quately plan, build and maintain all three func-tional classifications in a transportation networkhas serious negative consequences in terms of
safety, road capacity and the economic perform-ance of the communities that are served.
Effects of access management
SafetyVehicle crashes have a devastating impact on
society. The latest average cost figures for acrash in Louisiana include property damage at$7,900, injuries at $63,000 and fatalities at$3,000,000.4 Studies have consistently shownthat access problems are a likely culprit in manycrashes. The State of Colorado estimates that 57percent of the total annual cost of vehicle crash-es is access-related, not counting additionalupstream rear-end crashes caused by accessproblems. In 1994, this cost equaled $900 mil-lion.5 Also not included are the opportunity coststo law-enforcement and first responders associat-ed with having to spend valuable time tending tovehicle crashes as opposed to other more pro-ductive activities.
According to the FHWA, the most important
geometric design feature in reducing crashes isaccess control.6 Over 4 decades of research,much of which is documented in the NCHRPReport 420: Impacts of Access ManagementTechniques, have concluded that access manage-ment techniques provide clear and long-lastingsafety benefits.7 The reasons are intuitive andthey include• reduced vehicle and pedestrian conflict
points• reduced speed differentials• greater driver awareness of potential con-
flicts• fewer distractions to drivers and• fewer decision points on higher speed roads.
A synthesis of research has led to the devel-opment of an access density-crash relationship.From a baseline of 10 access points per mile,vehicle crash rates increase 30% with an addi-tional 10 access points per mile as shown inFigure 4. Also vehicle crash rates increase 310%with an additional 60 access points per mile.This is a non-linear, continuous relationship thatdemonstrates the benefits that can be accrued bylimiting, though not necessarily eliminatingaccess points.
To show how access management techniquescan result in lower crash rates, two intersectionsare presented — one in Louisiana and the otherin a state with an active access management pro-gram. A typical, commercially developed, sig-nalized intersection in Louisiana is shown inFigure 5. The 2 driveways shown on the north-east side of the intersection present a safety haz-ard to the driver. A lengthy green phase on themain thoroughfare provides an opportunity fordrivers to proceed through the intersection athigh speed. However, after quickly passingthrough the intersection, a driver immediatelyenters an area of slow and turning traffic associ-ated with the driveways on the corner lot. Evendrivers from the opposite direction can use theleft turn lane to enter the business. Drivers arelured through this signalized intersection at ahigh rate of speed only to enter an area with 2access points that place both slow speed and left-
(Above) Figure 1. An illustration of the urban functional systems thatdemonstrates the mobility and access that is provided by arterials, collec-tors and locals as it is related to land use.
(Right) Figure 2. The schematic continuous function demonstrates therelationship between the access and mobility provided by the functionalsystems. (Koepke and Levinson, Transportation Research Board, AccessManagement Guidelines for Activity Centers (Report No. 348, 1992))
Figure 3. A roadway designed to principal arterial standards but without any apparent access stan-dards applied. (FHWA Louisiana Division)
Spring ClassicThe Branch hosted its traditional golf tour-
nament, The Spring Classic, at Southern TraceCountry Club on May 14th. Throughout theafternoon, Branch members and guests enjoyed agreat time of visiting, dining at the buffet, andplaying golf. The winners this year includedRaley and Associates (first place), Tetra Tech(second place), and Aillet, Fenner, Jolly andMcClelland (third place). On behalf of theBranch, I would like to thank all those who spon-sored and participated in this year’s tournament.
Special thanks goes to Rusty Cooper forplanning and organizing this outstanding tourna-ment and Branch event for the second consecu-
tive year. I would also like to thank all the com-panies that sponsor our Tournament. Thanks tothis vital support the Branch is able to continueawarding annual scholarships to Louisiana Techstudents. If you have any suggestions or com-ments on how to improve this event in futureyears, please email Jarred Corbell [email protected]. Jarred, who did a great jobas the Treasurer of the Branch, will be thePresident-Elect of the Branch for the next admin-istrative year and he will be organizing the nexttournament.
Bobby PriceOn behalf of the Board and membership of
the Branch, I would like to congratulate BobbyE. Price, PE, on his most recent honor. TheASCE Board of Direction elected him to themembership grade of Honorary Member. Hewas among the 10 individuals that were electedto Honorary Member in April 2007. This is adistinguished membership grade to which only565 members have been elected since 1853.Congratulations Dr. Price. We are honored tohave you as one of our Branch membership. Fora list of ASCE Honorary Members, informationabout the selection process, and a link to thenomination form and worksheet to guide you
SHREVEPORTBy Elba U. Hamilton, EI, President
Second place Tetra Tech team members await tee-off time. From left theyare Eric McClanahan, Gerald Adams and Lloyd Hoover. Logan Hooveris not shown.
From left are Daniel Thompson, Scott Hughes, Eric Hudson, Keith Northwood, Beth Schatz and CodyGoodwin enjoying the buffet before the tournament. Happiness is… Gary Clark teeing off.
(Continued on Page 11)
The first place Raely and Associates team with their awards are from leftBill Mayfield, Dean Mayfield, Jeff Raley and Reggie Lewis.
Bob Wang presents his portion of the Branch outreach presentation devel-oped for high school students titled “What is Civil Engineering?”
Dax Douet makes his part of the Branch outreach presentation to highschool students.
through the nomination process, visit the ASCEwebsite at http://www.asce.org/pressroom/hon-ors/honors_details.cfm?hdlid=2.
The Branch is planning to host a reception tocelebrate Bobby Price’s distinguished career andservice, and the event of his elevation toHonorary Member. We will keep you informedduring the summer as plans are developed andthe details of the reception become available. Weencourage all of you to attend and celebrate withus.
Branch businessI am pleased to announce that J. Daniel
Thompson, EI, has been nominated by a Branchmember and recommended by the Branch Boardto serve as the Treasurer of the Branch. TheBoard is also recommending Eric T.McClanahan, EI, to serve as the Secretary of theBranch. Daniel and Eric along with their fellowBranch officers will be installed in Septemberduring the first Branch membership meeting inthe next administrative year.
On a personal note, I would like to thank allof you who so generously helped me throughoutthis administrative year. It has been truly a pleas-
ure and honor to lead and serve the Branch dur-ing the year. There is no doubt that — at a pro-fessional level — leading the Shreveport Branchhas been the highlight of this past year for me. Iwould have never thought that my extendedmaternity leave would double as a time for me —time to be at home with my firstborn baby girland to truly dedicate my efforts to serving theBranch. I am truly humbled that I was given thisopportunity.
May I wish you a great summer and I hopeto see everyone in attendance during the nextBranch membership meeting scheduled forSeptember 20. Please refer to your newsletter formore detailed information about the next Branchmeeting and late breaking news.
Leadership notesAs you who have served know — and you
who will serve will learn — leading the Branchis not an individual effort but a joint effort ofyour elected leadership to whom I am trulyindebted. We excelled as a leadership team serv-ing in our elected offices. I believe that it notonly made my job easier — it made my job pos-sible. I have no doubt that the Shreveport Branch
will continue its successful operations next yearwith the leadership of Rusty Cooper, yourincoming President. I am also grateful for thehelp and leadership that the Branch receivedfrom Region 5 Director, Steven C. McCutcheon,PE, and the Section Board under the leadershipof Section President, Tim Ruppert.
In closing, I wish to encourage each Branchmember to consider volunteering your time inservice to the ASCE and not just those who havenever served previously. I know that many of ourmembers have already served as officers for theBranch and the Section and/or they are serving orhave served in other professional organizations.I would like to encourage those who have previ-ous service to not count themselves out. I knowthat our experienced leaders are considered andknown to be among the greatest leadership assetsin the Branch and their continued service andsupport is greatly appreciated. The Branchremains in need of committed volunteers —experienced and inexperienced — who willmaintain our legacy of service in and to theBranch, and lead us in the years to come.
(Continued from Page 10)
Representative Donald Mark "Don" Trahanwas a guest speaker for the April Branch mem-bership meeting and luncheon. He discussed theplans of the Lafayette Chamber of Commercecampaign for seeking additional transportationfunding. The Chamber is calling for “all high-way user fees to be dedicated to building andmaintaining our highways.” To accomplish thisgoal, a number of bills have to be introduced.
Representative Trahan led the formation of acoalition of legislators to introduce and facilitatethe passage of the necessary legislation toaccomplish the goal. Kam K. Movassaghi,President of C.H. Fenstermaker & Associate andformerly the Secretary of the Louisiana DOTDalso made an excellent presentation to furtherinform the Branch members present about the
aforementioned issue. The Branch Board and themembership present strongly supported thiscampaign.
Recognizing the importance of improvingmembership meeting attendance, the Boardimplemented the following plan:• mail the newsletter 2 weeks before a meeting• send a mass email reminder 3 days before a
meeting and• telephone companies/members the day
before a meeting.This plan improved the attendance of the lastmeeting and the Board will continue with theplan.
The Branch unveiled part of its outreach pro-gram presentation, What is Civil Engineering?The first presentation was made to the senior
class of the Northside High School EngineeringAcademy on April 20th. The presentation,intended for high school students, is to encour-age their interest in civil engineering as a career.It is a Powerpoint presentation developed to bemade by volunteer Branch members to a highschool student audience. Its first presentationwas made by Dax A. Douet, PE and Robert S.Wang, PE, and it was well received by the stu-dents, who were very attentive and asked severalfollowup questions about civil engineering.Special thanks to Dax Douet and Bob Wang forvolunteering their time and effort to promotecivil engineering and the Branch.
As a part of the Branch commitment to pro-vide continuing education to the local civil engi-
NEW ORLEANSBy Christopher L. Sanchez, PE, President
BATON ROUGEBy Brant B. Richard, PE, President
Membership eventsThere was a Branch general membership
meeting and luncheon held May 17. It was ajoint meeting with the Baton Rouge Chapter ofthe Louisiana Engineering Society. The guestspeaker was Johnny B. Bradberry, Secretary ofthe Louisiana Department of Transportation andDevelopment. His topic was “The Future ofTransportation in Louisiana.” The presentationwas very interesting. He discussed the chal-lenges facing the Department with the largebacklog of transportation needs and the insuffi-cient funding sources and mechanisms in place.Secretary Bradberry detailed the revenue streamsin place along with a discussion of the upcominglegislation that could be beneficial to theLouisiana DOTD. We appreciate SecretaryBradberry taking time out of his busy schedule tomeet with us. There was standing room onlyattendance for his presentation.
Want better roads?During the 2007 Annual Spring Meeting and
Conference in Shreveport, Kam K. Movassaghi,PE, who is a past Secretary of the LouisianaDOTD, presented a session titled “Trans -portation issues facing Louisiana and the USA.”This presentation really brought to our attentionthe lack of funding for transportation not only forLouisiana but for the entire United States. It hasbecome a national problem.
Here at home, the Louisiana DOTD current-ly has a growing backlog of nearly $14 billion inunfunded highway needs. To get our desperate-ly deteriorated and needed highway infrastruc-
ture built throughout the state, we as ASCEmembers must be prepared to do what we canabout this dilemma. That is why the BranchBoard endorsed House Bill 722 and Senate Bill258, giving them its full support. These 2 com-panion bills would shift existing transportation-related tax and user fee revenues from being dis-bursed to the general fund to being disbursed tothe state highway trust fund that is dedicatedexclusively to transportation funding. It is a sim-ple but powerful concept to dedicate the moneycollected by the state for transportation taxes anduser fees to the state highway trust fund to buildand maintain the highways. Our general mem-bership was urged to actively support these billsby contacting their respective legislative delega-tions.
President’s messageAs I complete my term as President of the
Branch, It occurs to me that this has been truly awonderful experience for me personally. It hasallowed me to meet so many interesting civilengineers throughout this great state of Louisianaand to push our Branch membership to getinvolved and help make our small part of theASCE a better organization to serve all of us.
When I set out to do anything, I like to setgoals and measure myself based on the accom-plishment of the tasks defined to achieve thegoals. When I became President of the Branchback in September 2006, my goals were to be aneffective voice and representative for the Branchthroughout the year based on various activitiesand the positive exposure of our profession.
Some of the measurements of success include thefollowing:• A new, updated Branch website
http://www.ascebr.org• A complete web-based communication sys-
tem • A state of the art mass email system to alert
Branch members about membership meet-ings and other activities
• Exposure for the Branch through the WAFB-TV Channel 9 morning program promotingawareness of engineers and engineering dur-ing Engineers Week 2007
• Interstate billboard advertisements promot-ing the Branch and Engineers Week
• Challenging Branch members to beinvolved.An image from the WAFB-TV Channel 9
morning program broadcast with an accompany-ing article made the ASCE News. It was used asan example to encourage other branches and sec-tions throughout the nation to consider similaractivities in the future.
Thank you for your vote of confidence thisadministrative year to allow me to serve as yourpresident. I challenge every member of theBranch to continue or expand their involvementwith the ASCE. Remember, you only get out ofan organization what you are willing to con-tribute. It is the gift from giving.
Always continue to think, say and believethat Engineers turn ideas into reality and we canand do make a difference. Thanks for a greatjourney.
The Branch recently elected its officers forthe 2007-2008 administrative year and recog-nized its award recipients during its last mem-bership meeting and luncheon scheduled for thisadministrative year. As the last Branch member-ship meeting and luncheon I will preside over asBranch President, it was a bittersweet event.
The officers and elected leadership of theBranch who are diligently serving our member-ship on its Board of Directors will be moving upas I will be moving aside. While I have servedon the Board for the past 6 years, the past 2 yearshave been particularly challenging. It has beenour lot to lead the Branch in the throes of therecovery from the hurricane devastation and torebuild and continue to provide the services toour membership and the community that theyhave come to expect and appreciate. All of thisis being accomplished with a reduced number ofBoard members, and with each of us serving onthe Board having a reduced number of volunteerhours available away from our increased work-load.
The next Board will have to continue to carrythis extra burden toward completing what hasbeen started. I plan to continue to support theBoard in its efforts in my role of Past President.
I will be assisting in identifying prospective can-didates to fill committee vacancies that have hadto be assigned to Board members doing doubleduty. Having stated this problem, it would be agreat service and greatly appreciated in this diffi-cult time for a few members to step forward andvolunteer their services to our fellow membersand the community and their leadership to helpshape and pursue the plans and programs of theBranch.
Recent graduates and younger members ingeneral can easily find there way into the Branchleadership by volunteering to help with ourefforts to update the Branch website and main-tain its membership list. At this time it is diffi-cult to imagine our Branch with an up-to-datemembership email and addresses database.
The experience of our seasoned Branchmembers is definitely needed at this time andthey cannot be left out of the mix. Their servic-es would be greatly appreciated in facilitating thereestablishment the Branch’s foundering techni-cal committee activities that have yet to recoverand are effectively out of service at this time.The Branch Geotechnical Committee activitiescontinue to stall due to a lack of supporting lead-ership and participation. Its Environmental and
Water Resources Committee is a one-man com-mittee chair. The Transportation Committeeexists only as a reference on the Branch website.
The Branch Structures Committee has trulybeen a bright spot. It has continued in servicewith great success. As you may be aware andfrom its report presented herein, during the lastyear the Committee aligned itself with the ASCEStructural Engineering Institute and is now theNew Orleans Branch SEI Chapter.
The newly elected Branch Board ofDirectors for the 2007-2008 administrative yearare:• Ronald L. Schumann, PE, President • Nathan J. Junius, PE, President Elect• Benjamin M. Cody, PE, Vice President • Johann L. Palacios, PE, Treasurer • Margaret S. Adams, PE, Secretary • Reid L. Dennis, PE, Director • Malay Ghose Hajra, PE, Director • Christopher L. Sanchez, PE, Past President
These officers will be installed during theSection Annual Meeting. To be hosted by theBranch at Bacco Restaurant in the FrenchQuarter, this Section membership meeting and
neering community, the Branch organized aspring seminar held May 9th at the HiltonGardens Inn in Lafayette. The seminar was acomprehensive one-day event worth 8 profes-sional development hours. It focused on 4 majortechnical areas in civil engineering that included• transportation• geotechnical• structural and• hydraulic/hydrology
engineering. The Branch procured 4 session
leaders who are experts in the aforementionedtechnical areas and recognized nationwide fortheir professional, academic, and scholarly activ-ities. They were• William Fitzgerald, PE• Gordon Boutwell, PE• Robert S. Wang, PE, SE and• Ehab Meselhe, PE.
The seminar was a great success and theBoard received an excellent response and feed-back from those who attended.
Finally, the closing spring membershipsocial function for the Branch took place May17th. The annual crawfish boil was organizedand hosted in cooperation with the LafayetteChapter of the Louisiana Engineering Societyand the Lafayette Section of the Institute ofElectrical and Electronics Engineers. TheBranch Board plans to get back to normal busi-ness activities in August.
John Housey (left) receives Past Chair’s commemorative plaque from cur-rent Branch SEI Chair Jim Danner during the Annual David HunterLecture.
Robert Ratay (right), presenter of the 2007 Annual David Hunter Lecture,receives a plaque commemorating the occasion from Branch SEI ChairJim Danner.
Branch SEI 2006 Annual ReportBy Om P. Dixit, PE
Seminars hostedSince last reported in this journal, the Branch
SEI (Structural Engineering Institute Chapter ofthe New Orleans Branch) hosted the followingseminars in New Orleans:
10 May, 2007 Professional practice and businessof forensic engineering by Robert Ratay fromManhasset, NY. He specializes in the analysis ofstructural failures. This was the 2007 DavidHunter Annual Lecture. According to Ratayforensic engineering is the analyses of the failedand damaged structures. He discussed the pit-falls of practicing forensic engineering alone andin a group. Ratay gave tips about testifying incourt and encouraged engineers to express thefacts within their expertise. This seminar wasattended by approximately 80 members.
7 June 2007 Underwater inspection of structuresby Ken LeBry with C.H. Fenstermaker &Associates of Lafayette, LA. He demonstratedthe equipment and techniques used to perform anunderwater acoustic survey. He provided casestudies showing amazingly clear images whichcan even recognize fish in the water. This semi-nar was attended by approximately 30 members.
Future seminars planned9 August 2007 What should structural engineersknow about a geotechnical report? by WilliamW. Gwyn, PE, with Eustis Engineering, Metairie,LA and David E. Lourie, PE, with LourieConsultants, Metairie, LA
4 October, 2007 Seminar on Marine Design(Details and speaker to be announced)
8 November 2007 Seminar on Seismic Designby Ronald Hamburger, SE (Details to beannounced)
All Branch SEI sponsored seminars are heldat the University of New Orleans. Seminar dates,pertinent information, and registration can befound on the New Orleans Branch website atwww.asceneworleans.org. To add your name tothe Branch SEI mailing list, email Om Dixit [email protected]. The Branch SEI isalways interested in new topics and speakers andrecommendations can be forwarded to [email protected].
Executive CommitteeExecutive Committee member, Brian
Metrovic, previously an Assistant Professor in
the Department of Civil and EnvironmentalEngineering at Tulane University, has moved onto a new challenge. As you are aware TulanePresident Scott McGowen decided to eliminatethe Department from the University. TheExecutive Committee wishes Metrovic the bestin his future endeavors and we will miss him.The Executive Committee removed the TulaneUniversity representative position from its mem-bership.
The Branch SEI has continued its sponsor-ship of the Kids Tent at New Orleans Jazz andHeritage Festival by providing the funds for teeshirts and Norma Jean Mattei, PE, arranged forthe volunteers to work in the Kids Tent. It was alot of fun for the volunteers to work with the chil-dren for a couple of hours and then enjoy theJazzfest for remainder of the day. Anyone inter-ested in volunteering next year may contactNorma Jean Mattei. We owe a debt of gratitudeto all those who volunteered and to Norma JenaMattei for their contributions to this worthycause.
banquet is scheduled for the evening ofSeptember 14 following the conclusion of TheLouisiana Civil Engineering Conference andShow. Details about — and registration infor-mation for — this event are provided in thisissue.
The volunteer work we provide to the com-munity is for the most part unnoticed, however itis very self-gratifying. As our Section President,Tim Ruppert, observed during the ceremonies ofthe last Branch membership meeting, one of thegreatest things that can happen to us in our pro-fession is to be recognized by our peers. In con-junction with Tim’s observation, one of the mostinspiring duties that I performed as BranchPresident was presenting the 2007 Branchawards to its outstanding members. A coinci-dence of this year’s award ceremonies for me isthat I personally know many of the recipients.As a younger member, many of the recipientshave guided my career as professors, mentorsand/or supervisors. I would hope that theiraccomplishments and example will be recog-nized and emulated in the future by our younger
members. The Branch award recipients are• Catherine C. Dunn, PE, Outreach Award
for Community Service• Benjamin M. Cody, PE, Outstanding Young
Civil Engineer• Walter O. Baumy Jr., PE, Outstanding
Government Civil Engineer • Norma Jean Mattei, PE, Outstanding Civil
Engineer• James C. Webb, PE, Lifetime Achievement• Donald E. Barbé, PE, President’s Medal
The new Life Members of the Branch are• Eugene A. Brian, PE• Leo W. Gagnon Jr., PE• John C. Gribar, PE• Lloyd A. Held Jr., PE• Larry R. Heston, PE• Enrique J. La Motta, PE• Ronald J. Shaw, PE• Harry W. Stinchcomb Jr., PE
As my term as your president comes to a close, Iparticularly want to thank the Branch Board ofDirectors and Branch membership for their
unfailing and continuing support. We have con-tinued to sponsor Branch membership meetingsand luncheons with opportunities for members inattendance to earn professional developmenthours to maintain their engineering licenses; rec-ognized our outstanding members; continued tosupport the civil engineering students in theBranch; and pledged over a $1000 to outreachprograms that facilitate younger students findingthere way into science and engineering.
Again, seasoned members, please continueor begin again to support our Branch. Encouragerecent graduates and younger members tobecome involved in the Branch leadership andparticipate in its sponsored activities such as theLouisiana Civil Engineering Conference andShow. It is scheduled for September 13th and14th at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner. Theagenda, technical sessions and registration infor-mation for the Conference are or will be avail-able on the Branch website at http://www.asce-neworleans.org that is also available through thehome page of the Section website athttp://www.lasce.org.
STUDENT CHAPTER NEWS
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT LAFAYETTEBy Amy Henschke, Secretary
The Chapter brought the Spring 2007 semes-ter to a close with the election of its new officersfor the coming academic year. The followingChapter members were elected during the AprilChapter membership meeting:• Debra Hunter, President• William Cenac, Vice President• Nicholas Clark, Treasurer• Amy Henschke, Secretary• Reid Romero, Parliamentarian• Michael Ronkartz, Senior Representative• Jacob Vollmer, Junior Representative• Chris Giglio, Sophomore Representative• Jacob Whitmore, Sophomore Representative• Alison Lognion, Freshman Representative
The first goal set by the newly elected offi-cers was to form working committees and toappoint the committee chairs. Several of theChapter’s committees plan activities for theChapter that include field trips, speaker and stu-dent presentations, and community service proj-
ects. Other committees organize and prepare forimportant Chapter events such as the Fall barbe-cue and its participation in the Deep SouthConference.
Chapter members, and the civil engineeringdepartment faculty and professionals in the com-munity gathered to celebrate the conclusion ofanother year during the Chapter’s annual springbanquet. Several students were recognized withscholarships and honored with awards for theirachievements. Our guest speaker was Kam K.Movassaghi, PE, with C.H. Fenstermaker andAssociates, Inc. Kenneth L. McManis, PE, theHead of the Civil Engineering Department, alsopresented the state of the civil engineering pro-gram.
The Chapter leadership looks forward to theFall semester and the opportunities it will offer toimprove on the successes of the past academicyear. It plans to continually strive to improve thecharacter of the Chapter by
• increasing its value to its members• increasing the number of members• increasing member participation• competing in the Steel Bridge and Concrete
Canoe competitions during the Deep SouthConference and
• becoming the “Most Improved StudentGroup” for the term.Plans have already begun for the first major
Chapter event of the Fall semester, the AnnualFall Barbecue. This barbecue will be planned fora day in September 2007. It is a time whenChapter members will join with the civil engi-neering department faculty and the professionalsin the community to share food and fun at a near-by park. This event is a great opportunity for stu-dents of all academic levels to become involvedin the Chapter and to meet fellow civil engineer-ing students as well as the engineering facultyand the professionals is the community.
-Observation-Management:
By its nature management effectiveness par-ticularly requires an effective human connectionbetween manager and others in organization.Poor connection — poor organizational effec-tiveness. In discussing his experience with themigration of seasoned government employedinformation technology managers to employ-ment in industry, Michael Lisagor observes somebasic problems they and their prospectiveemployers may face in his article published in
Federal Computer Week (5/17/04). The transi-tion is not always smooth, particularly for thosewho are placed in central leadership roles in anew culture. It is important that a realistic andsomewhat flexible adjustment period be expect-ed. To reasonably set these expectations, it isimportant that a prospective incoming managerexpresses his values well and attempts to under-stand the organization’s culture to achieve a goodmatch between his values and its culture. Andfrom this effort, inasmuch as it is possible, rea-
sonably and mutually assure that the organiza-tion’s culture will allow the effective use of theprospective manager’s strengths. Even thoughgovernment managers migrating into industryoften consider their first industry employment an“experiment” where failure is a possibility, whyincrease the risk of failure when simple but effec-tive communication can substantially minimizethe risk and potential for waste? - Editor
The Board acted to support HR 2067 — abill that will provide immunity from profession-al practice liability to engineers who volunteertheir services in an area declared a national emer-gency. Steven C. McCutcheon, PE, Region 5Board of Governors Chair encouraged theSection leadership to support this Federal GoodSamaritan bill now being considered. This com-pares to the Louisiana Good Samaritan Law thatgives immunity from professional practice liabil-ity to engineers who volunteer their services atthe invitation by a public entity. The federal lawwould offer broader liability immunity than engi-neers have in Louisiana.
The letter received from ASCE PresidentW.F. “Bill” Marcuson, III, PE, that reported the
ASCE Board of Direction considered the propos-al to establish a parallel ASCE 501(c)6 organiza-tion without losing its 501(c)3 tax exempt non-profit status was discussed at length. This pro-posal that the Section Board had voted previous-ly to oppose narrowly failed by 2 votes. TheASCE 501(c)6 organization proposal is consid-ered to be very much alive with the strong sup-port of the elected leadership in the upcomingnational ASCE administration.
The Section’s Disaster Recovery Committeeacted to disburse $1000 of the Section’sHurricane Relief Fund to the McNeese StateUniversity Student Chapter that has been operat-ing heroically as has the University’s faculty andstaff under exceptionally adverse conditions.
The University’s engineering school facilitieshave yet to be brought back into service sinceHurricane Rita. Its engineering program hasbeen operating out of inadequate, temporaryfacilities. It is believed that this modest financialsupport will appropriately ease what is and willcontinue to be a very difficult journey for our stu-dent members in this Chapter.
Delivered to each civil engineering depart-ment supporting a student chapter was a new per-manent wall plaque to be displayed in the depart-ments. It commemorates the recipients of theSection’s Distinguished Civil EngineeringStudent Award beginning with the year 2000 for-ward. The plaques will be updated as new recip-ients are named.
Section News and Information
Highlights of the May Board of Directors meeting
Ray DesOrmeaux honoredE.R. (Ray) DesOrmeaux is selected by the
national ASCE Committee on Student Activitiesas the 2007 ASCE Region 5 Student ChapterPractitioner Advisor of the Year. This recogni-tion is “...for exemplary service and dedicationto the University of Louisiana at LafayetteASCE Student Chapter.” What makes thisrecognition so poignant to Ray is that it was ini-tiated by the nomination of the Student Chaptermembers.
The Student Chapter members easily recog-nized and described Ray’s attentive and dedicat-ed service in his role as their PractitionerAdvisor in the nomination. Scott R. Hamilton,PE, Chair of the Committee on StudentActivities, noted that the selection was based onRay’s “outstanding work and dedication... to theChapter” and further that “the enthusiasm andcommitment” like his “...produce excellent stu-dent organizations” like the Chapter.
Ray’s “exemplary” services have alsoextended to the College of Engineering and theDepartment of Civil Engineering of theUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette — his almamater. His efforts on behalf of the civil engi-neering students at the University not onlyinclude his Student Chapter advisory service —he also serves as an adjunct professor.
The Section also has the benefit of Ray’sdedicated service in its elected leadership wherehe has served on the Board of Directors over thelast several years. The Section was dependenton Ray’s trademark initiative and exemplaryleadership when the remainder of the Board’smembership was mostly caught up in the in theaftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Hemaintained the continuity for the Section thatwas so desperately needed at the time. Ray, whois currently the Section’s President Elect and theChair of its Publications Committee, will suc-ceed to the office of Section President for the2007-2008 administrative year.
TulaneThe Elimination of Civil Engineering
This old building (Walter E. Blessey Hall)opened for classes in 1894. The civil engineer-ing program started in 1894. The marriage last-ed for 113 years. Today, it is finished.
Generations of civil engineering studentshave passed through these portals bringing joyand enthusiasm and hard work. Now the stu-dents are gone and the faculty and staff havedeparted. Today, there is only silence.
One retired professor (Robert N. Bruce, Jr.,
PE) remains to close the doors observed only bya security camera. What is left are shadows,memories and accomplishments.
This moment in time demands to be noticed.Editor’s note: I received this poignant note
dated June 30, 2007 from Bob Bruce, TheCatherine and Henry Boh Chair Emeritus inCivil Engineering — Tulane. This sad note ofpassage for many in the Tulane community ofengineering alumni will surely be observed withthe hope that it is not the final chapter.
Body of knowledgeIn pursuing the ASCE Policy Statement 465
that states “the ASCE supports the attainment ofa body of knowledge for entry into the practice ofcivil engineering at the professional level” theASCE Committee on the Academic Prerequisitesfor Professional Practice developed a Body ofKnowledge that was published in 2004.
The BOK is defined as the “depth andbreadth of knowledge, skills and attributesrequired of an individual entering the profession-al practice of civil engineering. The first editionof the BOK has stimulated serious debate aboutthe relevance of the education and practice ofengineers. The BOK has been described as aproductive forum for educators and practitionersto proactively determine how tomorrow’s civilengineers will be prepared.
ASCE Policy Statement 465 — AcademicPrerequisites for Licensure and ProfessionalPractice — is currently available on the ASCEwebsite at www.asce.org/pressroom/news/poli-cy.cfm. The draft of the second edition of theBOK will be made available on the ASCE web-site July 15, 2007 at www.asce.org/raisethebar.We will have the chance to review it and provideour feedback to the Committee by October 1,2007 at [email protected]. TheCommittee’s final report, the Civil EngineeringBody of Knowledge for the 21st Century
(Second Edition), is scheduled to be published inSeptember of 2008.
Editor’s note: While I am sure that all inputis certainly encouraged and valued, from my per-sonal experience may I particularly encouragethe practitioners in the spectrum of licensed civilengineers approaching 5 to 10 years of experi-ence to respond. Those who are still close totheir undergraduate education roots and mayfreshly sense its specific value and deficiency inlaunching them into their practice should con-sider this an opportunity. I believe that this canprovide a valuable exercise in assessing one’sprofessional development and at the same timesignificantly serve the future development of ourprofession.
❖ Quote ❖Continuing Education: ...we have what we
need in the law with the requirement that theengineer practice within his area of competen-cy... It is the age of political correctness... It isceremony over substance... It (mandatory con-tinuing education) is more about the engineer(engineering profession) trying to promote animage, and I am personally more concernedabout substance than ceremony...
-Harold Williamson, PE, MemberWashington Board of Registrationfor Professional Engineers...
Section member Norman E. Kramer, PE,recently earned his professional engineeringlicense in Louisiana. If you are in contact withhim, please offer your congratulations on hisaccomplishment.
Louisiana residents Melanie B. Caillouet,PE, Warren H. Constant, PE, Lee E. Davis, PE,Angela G. Eymard, PE, Jonathan E. Fourrier,PE, and Michelle L. Mahoney, PE, recentlyearned their professional engineering license inLouisiana. They are civil engineers or in a relat-ed discipline and they are not members of theASCE. A copy of this issue of the journal is sentto them as an informal introduction to theSection. If any of them wish to join and/or findout more about the ASCE, they are hereby invit-ed to visit the ASCE national website,http://www.asce.org. If you are in contact withany of these engineers, please consider formallyintroducing them to the Section by inviting themto attend a branch membership meeting as yourguest.
Section member and representative to theASCE Region 5 Board of Governors, and pastpresident Norma Jean Mattei, PE, was recentlyappointed by Governor Kathleen Blanco to serveon the Louisiana Professional Engineering andLand Surveying Board. She joins fellow Sectionmembers Kerry M. Hawkins, PE, Richard I.Durrett, PE, Rhaoul A. Guillaume, PE, Mark A.Jusselin, PE, and Ali M. Mustapha, PE, who alsoserve on the Board.
Section member and past president BobbyE. Price, PE, was elected to the ASCE member-ship grade of Honorary Member by the ASCEBoard of Direction in April of 2007. This honorwas predicated on his over 40 years of serviceand leadership in engineering education and inthe profession. He has been a leader in the ASCEinitiative to reform the future professional engi-neering education and licensure model in the
United States. Price has served in key leadershiproles including either president or chairman ofthe National Society of Professional Engineers,the Louisiana Engineering Society, the LouisianaEngineering Foundation, the American WaterWorks Association Southwest Section; ViceChairman and member of the UniversitiesCouncil on Water Resources Committee onResearch and Education in Water ResourcesEngineering; and member of the LouisianaProfessional Engineering and Land SurveyingBoard. Price has a record of extensive commu-nity service and he has received numerousawards during his career recognizing his out-standing character and service.
Announced June 18, 2007, Section memberDavid P. Sauls, PE, a principal engineer in theBaton Rouge firm of Louis J. Capozzoli andAssociates was named a principal and the BatonRouge Office Manager as the firm joinedGeoengineers, Inc. as a subsidiary. Also namedas principals of Geoengineers, Inc. were Sectionmembers James M. Aronstein, PE and CharlesL. Eustis, PE. Capozzoli, specializing in geot-echnical, transportation; water and naturalresources, becomes the 16th office of theRedmond, Washington based firm in its nation-wide operations and its base of operations in theGulf South. The firms have a history of workingclosely and successfully on previous projects._______________________________________
Editor’s note: There are three disciplinesthat are licensed by the Louisiana ProfessionalEngineering and Land Surveying Board and thatmay be considered closely related to civil engi-neering. They are the environmental, structuraland architectural engineering disciplines. As ofJune 2007, the active engineering licenses con-ferred by the Board were approximately 5054 incivil, 725 in environmental, 87 in structural and12 in architectural.
Norma Jean Mattei
Bobby E. Price
Membership: Recruiting !#?@*
The Section has not had an active member-ship committee function in recent memory and itis reflected in the Section’s performance in thenationally conducted annual membership recruit-ing contest between sections/branches — some-where below also ran. It would seem to appeal tothe intuition that personal recruiting — eyeball-to-eyeball — in itself is a good thing. This isbecause it actively makes an opportunity for —and evokes a conscious decision by — theprospective member who is approached. This isno small event because someone who caresenough about the ASCE and the prospectivemember makes the effort to personally approachand ask. The hard part is apparently making thecommitment to do this. The easy part has to bethe sale of the very apparent benefits of ASCEmembership in terms of the substantial profes-sional development support it provides bothlocally and nationally and that we experience asmembers.
As we are often reminded of the truth, thereturns we gain from our various relationships
including memberships is directly related to howmuch we are willing to invest in them. The sig-nificant benefits of membership are not annuallybestowed on a member by the organization forthe price of the dues, they are earned by themember through participation. One’s dues sim-ply pay for the privilege of the membership andthe many opportunities it offers for professionaldevelopment that otherwise may not be available.
Whether the prospective member accepts orrejects a personal solicitation to join the ASCE, itwill not pass as just another event or just anotherday. This will particularly be true of our signifi-cant others that place a great value in themselvesas professional engineers and on their career as aprofessional endeavor. The weight of the respon-sibility on the individual to grow as a profession-al is no less as an insider or as an outsider to theASCE and surely there are alternative ways toaccomplish professional growth. Recruitingexpedites getting these options weighed for boththe prospective member and the recruiter.
It may be that many find recruiting similar to
ordinary sales — distasteful. It is uncomfortablebecause there is a tendency to take the rejectionof our sales pitch as a personal rejection/failure.Giving this a little more thought, recruiting aprospective member to share our professionaljourney in the ASCE is actually a personal serv-ice to the prospective member whether our offeris accepted or rejected. Even if the opportunityfor ASCE membership is summarily rejected, ifthe prospective member is the thoughtful andconcerned professional we want to attract,important seeds have been sowed.
❖ Quote ❖Ethics: The most permanent lessons in moralsare those which come, not of book teaching, butof experience.
-Mark TwainExperience: Experience is the name everyonegives to their mistakes.
Section considers workshopThe Section leadership was approached by
representatives of the ASCE Committee onCritical Infrastructure and ASCE Headquarters toconsider jointly sponsoring a one-day workshop,webinar, training seminar and/or other function.It is anticipated that this event would attract theparticipation of an estimated 500 ASCE mem-bers from around the recent hurricane-affectedareas of the Gulf Coast. The theme being con-sidered at this time would encompass subjects
such as disaster resilience and best practices inthe long-term recovery of critical infrastructurefollowing a disaster.
The schedule for this event is tentativelybeing considered for sometime in mid-August inadvance of — and to avoid conflict with — theLouisiana Civil Engineering Conference andShow sponsored by the New Orleans Branch inmid-September. The proposed location tenta-tively being considered is the Baton Rouge area
though the New Orleans area is not being ruledout. In response to the May 1, 2007 inquirymade by Section President Timothy M. Ruppert,the elected leadership of the Section expressedits strong interest in supporting the one-day eventin either the Baton Rouge area or New Orleansarea. The elected leadership of the Baton RougeBranch expressed its interest in supporting andparticipating in hosting the event if it is sched-uled for the Baton Rouge area.
Financial self-defense: the most common investment scams and how to avoid themSubmitted by Thomas R. Thurmond
Every year, scams are becoming increasing-ly complex as con artists discover new, sophisti-cated ways to fleece the public. Unfortunately,even the well-known deceptions still fool vic-tims. Whether new or old, con artists prey uponthe same vulnerabilities in our human nature. Wecan better protect ourselves by first knowingwhat kind of fraudulent operations exist and howthey function.
Affinity fraudAccording to the Securities and Exchange
Commission*, affinity fraud is an investmentscam that preys upon members of groups, such asreligious or ethnic communities, professionalgroups or the elderly, by exploiting the trust andfriendships that exist within the group. Victimsabandon their natural sense of caution and goodjudgment because the swindler pretends to be, ormay be, one of the group. The most commonaffinity scams are pyramid schemes, which cre-ate the false illusion that an investment programis successful by taking money from a newinvestor and using it to make payments to previ-ous investors.
Prime bank schemesVictims are taken in by the lure of a very
high-yield, tax-free return that, supposedly, isonly available to extremely wealthy individualsthrough off-shore trades of bank notes. You arerequired to execute confidentiality agreementsand not consult an attorney, accountant or finan-cial planner. The secrecy is exciting and makesyou feel exclusive and important. There are nosuch legitimate programs. Once your money isturned over, it is gone — the only person enjoy-ing a high-yield, tax-free return is the con artist.
Personal information scamsWe have all heard of identity theft: thieves
steal your private financial information and use itto open credit cards in your name, buy a car, geta driver’s license, open bank accounts and writebad checks. They can steal your informationdirectly by taking your wallet, checks, financialstatements or credit card receipts from your mail-box or trash can. Thieves can get the same infor-mation indirectly by hacking into computers,stealing client data while on the job or divertingyour mail with a change-of-address form.
Frequently, victims will give an unscrupu-lous person their private financial informationsimply because they need help. The paperwork
that senior citizens must deal with for medicalinsurance claims and prescription benefits isoverwhelming. Con artists may use the phone oremail to pose as the agent of a legitimate healthor life insurance company. They may offer to fillout forms, file claims, facilitate payments orstraighten out a fake problem with your account,meanwhile asking to verify your social securitynumber or your bank account number.
Ways to protect yourself• Discuss with others. Many investors have
been spared tragedy because they had thegood sense to ask an accountant, an attorneyor a financial planner to review and evaluatean investment before getting into it. Alicensed financial advisor can help youdetermine if the investment is suitable foryou and your personal financial goals, and anattorney may see warning signs that youhave missed regarding its legitimacy.
• Insist on written information on an invest-ment product—and read it carefully. Asktough questions and check out everything.Be very skeptical of an investment that youmust keep confidential and is not in writing.
• Never let someone pressure you to make animmediate decision. Do not feel like you aremissing an opportunity if you do not rushinto an investment. Wise financial decisionstake time to investigate and evaluate.
• Beware of strangers who guarantee spectac-ular profits and quick returns. These are hol-low lures to encourage you to relinquishyour money. Successful con artists cansound very professional and make the riski-est and strangest deal sound safe and legiti-mate.
• Never give out your personal financial infor-mation unless you have initiated the contact.Invest in a shredder to destroy credit cardoffers and any other papers you discard thatcontain private information.
• Report fraud. Do not let fear or embarrass-ment keep you from telling the authoritiesabout abuse. Frequently, victims keep quietbecause they feel humiliated for falling forthe scam and do not want their family orfriends to find out. Reporting a scheme willhelp others to not fall prey.
For more informationThe web sites for the Federal Trade
Commission, the Securities and Exchange
Commission and the North American SecuritiesAdministrators Association contain updatedinformation about financial scams. If youwould like to learn more, please feel free to con-tact the author.______________________________________* U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,“Affinity Fraud: How To Avoid InvestmentScams That Target Groups,” March 11, 2005,http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/affinity.htm.
______________________________________Thomas R. Thurmond, Senior Vice President,Wealth Advisor with Morgan Stanley in NewOrleans, Louisiana. He may be contacted by e-mail at [email protected] by telephone at (504)587-9669 or (800)659-0009. Any particular investment should be ana-lyzed based on its terms and risks as they mayrelate to your specific circumstances and objec-tives. Information and data in this article wereobtained from sources considered reliable andpublished for general information and educa-tional purposes only. Morgan Stanley makes norepresentation or warranty with respect to theaccuracy or completeness of this material andthe giving of the same is not an offer or solicita-tion to buy or sell any security or other financialinstrument or participate in any trading strategy.It was prepared by Morgan Stanley sales, tradingor other non-research personnel. MorganStanley does not render advice on tax or tax-accounting matters. This material was notintended or written to be used, and it cannot beused by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoidingpenalties that may be imposed on the taxpayerunder U. S. federal tax laws. Consult your tax orlegal advisers before making any tax- or law-related investment decisions. Investments andservices are offered through Morgan Stanley DWInc., member SIPC.
❖ Quote ❖Professional liability: As long as indemnity pay-ments — those payments to rectify damage orreimburse loss — continue to be high, so will thecost of professional liability insurance. Riskmanagement efforts and adequate compensationfor appropriate services are the keys to bringingdown the cost of claims, and subsequently, insur-ance costs.
- Frank Musica (risk management attorney)Victor O. Schinnerer and Company, Inc.Structural Engineer 1/05
Ethical responsibilityIn her Engineering News Record sponsored
blog article titled, “Should Engineers BecomeInvolved in Politics?” ASCE past president PatGalloway is concerned that civil engineers do notrecognize the link between public policy andtheir ethical responsibility to protect the safety,health and welfare of the public. Further, thatcivil engineers are under the misconception thatthey are banned from some political activities asmembers of the profession and the ASCE.Galloway believes that the ASCE 501(c)3 taxexempt, nonprofit organization status either pro-hibits or inhibits the effective participation of theASCE in the political arena. She advocates thatthe ASCE establishes a parallel 501(c)6 organi-zation without losing its 501(c)3 status. Shebelieves that this will facilitate its participation inthe political processes by gaining the ability tolegally form a PAC so the ASCE can becomemore effective in politics.
I believe that the ASCE acts with a biastoward the interest of its business owner minori-ty — its most influential members — and usual-ly but not always in the best interest of the pro-fession or the public. (If you question this, readany of the various editions of the ASCE codes ofethics imposed by the business owner minorityon the majority — primarily their own employ-ees — for decades before the ASCE accepted aU.S. Department of Justice consent decree in the1970s to cease certain antitrust practices.) The
American Council of Engineering Companiesand the National Society of ProfessionalEngineers both operate as 501(c)6 organizationseffectively serving the engineering businesslobby. Could it be that Galloway is in the wrongorganization if political action is her principalinterest? In my belief, it is neither necessary norappropriate for the ASCE to change its characterto accommodate the political appetite of some ofits members.
Call to actionA recent appeal by Section President Tim
Ruppert hit a resonant chord in my personalsense of ethical responsibility as a professionalengineer. The appeal was for his fellow ASCEmembers to consider participating in the politicalprocess as a necessary part of their ethical obli-gations and more particularly to attempt in a non-partisan way to influence lawmaking that mayotherwise adversely affect public safety, healthor welfare.
We as engineers are often necessarily, sub-stantively and intimately knowledgeable of —and involved in — public policy implementation.This gives our profession a natural opportunity toplay a significant role in developing public poli-cy. How can we consider ourselves a professionand be content with little or no service to thepublic we are obligated to serve by encouragingthe development of effective public policy relat-ed to engineering?
I am regularly astonished by the effective-ness of celebrities with no apparent credentialscashing in on their celebrity. They often pursuepolitical agendas that involve complex engineer-ing and scientific issues for which they appear tobring nothing of substance to the table other thancelebrity. I do not question the right of a citizento legally use any personal asset that giveshis/her cause traction in the political arena. Thefact that movie/television/music stars, war herosand star athletes have such traction in influencinglawmaking that affects engineering in public pol-icy is not something to be resented. However, itshould be seriously regretted if engineers do noteffectively participate in the lawmaking andthereby leave a vacuum for those of questionablecompetence to be more effective advocates.
ASCE 501(c)6=PACWhew! The ASCE Board of Direction
rejected the proposal to establish the parallelASCE 501(c)6 organization. I once inappropri-ately referred to the proposed ASCE 501(c)6organization as the evil twin of the NationalSociety of Professional Engineers when it wouldessentially be of the same character. It seemsmore appropriate for me to think of the ASCE501(c)6 organization intended to gain politicalinfluence and support for the ASCE politicalagenda as the evil twin of our existing and more
(Continued on Page 21)
Moral certitudeAs an avid reader of the opinion and editori-
al page, I sometime get hypnotized by the rhythmof the regular political discourse from the liberaland conservative pundits especially in the runupto — and aftermath of — something like anational election. In the midst of all this, twopundits caught me off guard as they waxed andwaned philosophically about something besidespolitics.
One article was on the subject of toleranceand being respectful of other’s opinions. This issomething that the pundits to varying degrees donot appear to me to practice that well amongthemselves. However, the concern centeredmore around the shouting heads on televisionnews. A particular concern was the practice ofarbitrarily and unreasonably stereotyping one’sopponents to excuse their wrongheadedness bydiscounting and disrespecting their views.
The other article was about moral certitudethat one may assume as part of his/her presumedmoral fiber. There was concern expressed thatout of moral certitude those who exercise somemeasure of power over others make decisionsand policies that would appear to help the pure— those with whom they agree — and harm theevil — those with whom they disagree. If con-fronted, one with a posture of moral certitude isreassured that his decisions are unbiased andhonest, and will aver — never doubting his own
sincerity — that any disadvantage to those affect-ed by his decision could never be intentional.Never say never.
Perception if anything can be everything.After reading these surprising philosophicalexcursions with interest, a later newspaperaccount of an interview with retiring LouisianaSenator John Breaux discussed some of his per-sonal philosophy. One important exercise hebelieves in is to have regular civil discussionswith those with whom he disagrees about the dif-ferences they have. This says a lot about JohnBreaux. It may explain in part how or why hewas able to stay above much of the destructivepartisan bickering and wrangling in the Senateand witnessed almost daily in the news. It fur-ther explains how he was able to maintain hisfocus on the important business and his effec-tiveness as a deal maker in a highly charged, par-tisan political environment.
From a long and poor personal experience, Ibelieve that there is great wisdom in JohnBreaux’s expressed belief and past practice.Being intentionally face-to-face and eyeball-to-eyeball with someone I disagree with has a mod-erating affect on my sometimes less than civiltemperament. It tends to open me up to be morereceptive to the ideas of another that are outsideof the independent pursuit of my own.
The effect if not purpose of such a civil,
frank and open discussion would seem to be togain a deeper appreciation of the differences, tofind where there is mutual agreement and possi-bly to find new agreement where none existedbefore through a mutual, better understanding ofthe issues. This is not agreement by compromis-ing one’s principles or beliefs. It is agreementthrough growing and applying one’s principlesand beliefs in the light of a better understandingof one’s self and others. This can be accom-plished in part — I believe — by critically andhonestly assessing my personal values comparedto those of another through genuinely trying tounderstand and appreciate our differences. AsBreaux points out, this will not eliminate all dif-ferences but improve understanding. Vive la dif-ference!
I believe that my failure to develop and exer-cise strong civil relationships with subordinate,superior and peer alike leaves voids in me and inmy — our — effectiveness like a jigsaw puzzlewith a few pieces missing. There are few experi-ences I can compare with cultivating and exer-cising civil relationships, particularly with dis-cussing differences, where I have one of thoseAha! moments of clarity by better understandingmyself and another — another piece of the puz-zle found.
The long standing and continually activecontroversy regularly reported in the news mediaconcerning the horror expressed by the environ-mentalists community concerning the relaxationof federal environmental regulations continues.The news media appears to side closely with theenvironmental community and together they areportrayed and discounted by their opponents assurrogates of the liberal political spectrum ingeneral. Blame for the horrifying relaxation ofthe environmental regulations is abundantlyheaped on the business community and itsalleged attempts through the Republican admin-istration to avoid meeting the environmental reg-ulations. Together the business community andthe administration are portrayed and discountedby their opponents as surrogates of the conserva-tive political spectrum in general.
The environmentalist community is allegedto prefer the regulation of each individual sourceof pollution to the same environmental cleanupstandards irrelevant of the cost to do so. This isportrayed by their opponents as arbitrary andintentionally punitive toward business interests.The business community prefers flexible envi-ronmental regulations it alleges are equally effec-tive and economically more viable. Such flexi-ble regulations allow the removal of pollutantsfrom the sources where they are least costly toremove while allegedly meeting the same overalltotal environmental cleanup goals. As an exam-ple, businesses may buy and sell environmentalcleanup credits. The businesses with costly envi-ronmental cleanup obligations can buy thesecredits at a lesser cost from the businesses withless costly environmental cleanup obligationswhich accumulate environmental cleanup credits
by exceeding the environmental cleanup stan-dards at their source and at their lower cost. Thisis a macrocosm of the similar argument for eachindividual source of emission on an industrialsite having to meet the same environmentalcleanup standards rather than placing the entiresite under a bubble and meeting the total envi-ronmental cleanup standards allowing theremoval of pollutants from the individual sourceswhere it is least costly.
A similar flexibility issue occurred in theenvironmental engineering community related toenvironmental cleanup contracts. The engineer-ing for environmental cleanup projects is con-ventionally accomplished in advance of the con-tracts for the cleanup process being specified inthe contract and followed by the contractor.More recently the same efficiency and effective-ness realized in the design/build contracts usedfor the construction of large complex facilitieswas sought in environmental contracts by fol-lowing a similar process referred to as perform-ance-based restoration. In performance-basedrestoration, the goals and performance-basedobjectives are specified based on “...a wellthought-out plan; clearly defined and achievableobjectives; and teaming between the contractor,the... (client) and the regulatory community.”(CE News, April 2005, pp. 27-30)
It appears that it was easy enough for theenvironmental engineering community to recog-nize the problem, draw a logical conclusion andthen facilitate a change in the paradigm for envi-ronmental cleanup projects. This led from thepre-engineered environmental cleanup contractsspecifying the process to be performed by thecontractor to the performance-based environ-
mental cleanup contracts requiring the contractorto provide the engineering to develop and speci-fy the process necessary to meet specified goalsand objectives and then perform the resultingenvironmental cleanup process. This gives thecontractor the opportunity to effectively use theinherent in-house experience and resources avail-able, and the incentive of ownership to success-fully execute the environmental cleanup process.
The services of the environmental engineer-ing community are strategically in the imple-mentation stage of the environmental regulationswhether they are inspired and controlled by theenvironmentalist or the business community.Even if it was not that easy to change the para-digm for environmental cleanup contracts, itappears that there is an equally important oppor-tunity for the perennial and generally apoliticalenvironmental engineering community to quellwhat appears to be chronic and corrosive politi-cal hysteria that surrounds its services. Theremay be an opportunity to act in the role of anunbiased expert facilitator by objectively study-ing the value and impact of the technical and eco-nomic issues raised by the politically contentiousalternatives in regulation. This may move thediscourse away from what appears to be littlemore than political wrangling fueled by the tech-nical assessments of the experts whose conclu-sions often appear to be predictable and compro-mised by their alliance with the political inter-ests. Unbiased technical assessments wouldappear to have a better chance to found a morethoughtful discourse that may lead to more sta-ble, win-win policy solutions.
Flexibility, innovation and effectiveness
(Continued from Page 20)
benign ASCE 501(c)3 tax exempt, nonprofitorganization. I believe the constraints placed onthe political activities of the ASCE 501(c)3organization result in more appropriate relianceon influence derived from its integrity as a com-petent and trustworthy ally of federal statutes andrules that support good engineering. This is ahealthy separation as opposed to a special inter-est PAC supporting politicians.
I am opposed to enlarging the ASCE politi-cal footprint in Washington as a more influentialcomponent of the existing special interestsknown for professional featherbedding likemandatory qualifications based selection for pro-fessional engineering services on federal proj-ects? Some lucky recipients of these non cost-competitive, negotiated contracts have acted witha lack of regard for the only value claimed to beprovided by the QBS process. They did this bydemonstrating incredibly poor judgment inselecting their professional engineering subcon-tractors using indiscriminate, cutthroat, cost-competitive means. This serves to raise ques-tions about the validity of QBS and the integrityof our profession.
The current ASCE 501(c)3 organization withless raw purchasing power than an ASCE501(c)6 organization still has its multipliers suchas the good name of the ASCE that I view assomewhat tarnished by claims that its agenda is
supported by 1000s of its members who may beeither unaware of — or actually disagree with —it. I believe this lobbying tactic, also used by theNSPE and its state chapter, the LouisianaEngineering Society, is an abuse of my member-ship in them. The claim that a committee activi-ty represents the whole organization, noting thesize of its membership and thereby insinuatinggeneral support (including mine) without per-mission or consultation, is much more offensiveto me than is the use of my dues for lobbying.
Splitting hairsI believe that I have been appropriately cor-
rected when I aver that a PAC contribution to anelection campaign fund is tantamount to pur-chasing political influence. I was admonishedthat PAC contributions are not the purchase ofpolitical influence such as a vote in the U.S.Congress — such a purchase is illegal. However,in most of the debate and discussion that I haveobserved, the justification of a PAC appears tocenter around the quid pro quo political influencean organization expects to gain from a substantialenough PAC contribution to an election cam-paign fund. Little energy seems expended ondiscussing the value of what appears to be thelegitimate purpose of a PAC — supporting theelection of candidates that appear to share thevalues and interest of the organization. Making
contributions to a election campaign fund after afavorable vote and after a discreet period of time— of course — and the common practice ofmaking contributions to both friend and foepoliticians alike indicates to me, that there maybe a quid pro quo. PAC contributions to meappear to be the same as gaming in Louisianawith some unknown, hair-splitting differencebetween it and gambling that is illegal inLouisiana. This fine art of political subtlety vio-lates my personal sense of ethics, and worse, itgives me a headache.
Did you know . . ....that one project being envisioned is a
trans-Atlantic — New York-to-London — neu-trally buoyant, vacuum tunnel submerged 150 to300 feet below the surface and anchored to theseabed. It would provide the means for a mag-netically levitated train to reach speeds upwardof 4000 mph and traversing the Atlantic in a lit-tle less than an hour. Its estimated cost isbetween $25 million to $50 million per mile, andsafety is an issue. Given is the premise thathumans are driven to build on a grand scalerequiring substantial resources and organizationand provided the technology is available. Whensuch extreme engineering projects are visualizedthey often give insight into the cultures thatcome up with them. - Popular Science 4/04
In 2005, the year that Hurricane Katrinastruck, the project was under severe budgetarypressure at the Federal and local level.Significant construction still needed to beaccomplished to achieve completion of the proj-ect by 2015.
System evaluationProject engineers recognized that many
changes had occurred since the project wasauthorized. In the early 1990s, they were look-ing for tools to help them evaluate how thesechanges may impact project performance. Oneof the tools selected was the AdvancedCirculation Model (ADCIRC) which was a com-plex hydrodynamic model that could be used toestimate storm surge at various locations alongthe coast. In 1994, the Corps began to work withthe developers of the model to refine the modelso that it could more accurately estimate stormsurge effects. This began a long and technicallydifficult process that concluded in 2004 when themodel was subjected to external review by apanel of experts.
After extensive review, the ADCIRC modelwas deemed sufficiently accurate to allow theengineers to use it to estimate storm surge poten-tial in coastal Louisiana. The goal was to evalu-ate the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity project todetermine how it would perform under thedesign parameters. This effort was under waywhen Katrina struck. Ultimately, this effortwould have likely resulted in recommendationsof significant changes to the project to accountfor the many changes that had occurred since theproject was first authorized. These changeswould include impacts of• coastal land loss• datum changes
• sea level rise• subsidence and• increasing strength of hurricanes
that would have redefined the characteristics ofthe SPH.
One other effort was under way. In 1999,Congress authorized a study to determine ifCategory 4 and 5 protection projects were feasi-ble in southeastern Louisiana. The Corps com-pleted a reconnaissance study in 2002 that rec-ommended proceeding with a detailed feasibilitystudy. In 2002, Corps representatives met withstate and local officials to discuss proceedingwith the detailed studies. This was importantbecause under Federal guidelines, such a studywould have to be cost shared on a 50-50 basis.Local officials maintained that they did not havefunds to support such a study and further empha-sized that it was more important to continue withthe existing projects and try to complete them asquickly as possible. So by 2005, the feasibilitystudy had not yet started and questions existedabout its future.
In considering the history of the LakePontchartrain and Vicinity project, it is attemptedherein to provide a synopsis of how the projectevolved since its inception and the reasons forthe changes that have occurred. A much moredetailed report comprehensively documentingthe evolution of the project has been prepared byindependent investigators who were retained bythe Corps. The report titled HurricaneProtection Decision Chronology was preparedby Leonard Shabman and Douglas Wolley and itwas released July 11, 2007. For this more com-prehensive analysis of the project evolution, thereport is available at http://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/inside/products/pub/hpdc/hpdc.cfm
Lessons for the futureIf the project as it was originally envisioned
by engineers in the 1950s is compared to theproject as it existed at the time Hurricane Katrinaoccurred, one will see some remarkable changes.The concept of stopping the storm surge from
entering Lake Pontchartrain was transformedinto stopping the storm surge at the lakefront ofthe city and ultimately evolved to allowing thestorm surge into the outfall canals. Thesechanges and others resulted from many differentforces. These include• environmental concerns• social and political pressure• budgetary constraints• schedule pressures and• engineering decisions.
All played a significant role in how the projectevolved over time. It is reasonable to expect thatthese same pressures will impact almost anyproject that has a size and scope similar to theLake Pontchartrain and Vicinity project. Onesuch project has recently started as a direct resultof the damages inflicted by the hurricanes of2005.
In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,Congress directed that the Corps to prepare areport that will address Category 5 equivalenthurricane protection that will look at a full rangeof measures to address• flood protection• coastal restoration and• hurricane protection
for the entire length of coastal Louisiana. Thatdirection resulted in the Louisiana CoastalProtection and Restoration (LACPR) projectwhich was initiated in January 2006. At the sametime, the State of Louisiana began work on aMaster Plan for the Louisiana coast that encom-passes many of the same initiatives as theLACPR. Work on the LACPR report and theState Master Plan has resulted in unprecedentedlevels of cooperation between the Corps and theState of Louisiana. The State Master Plan pro-ceeded on a somewhat faster track and has beenapproved by the Legislature. The Corps LACPRreport is due to Congress in December 2007.The team that is preparing the report includesengineers and scientists from the Corps and fromaround the world. The report will address bothstructural and non-structural alternatives, coastalrestoration measures and internal drainageissues. In addition, the report will be reviewedby an external review panel prior to being sub-mitted to Congress.
It is possible that projects could be proposedthat would dwarf the size and scope of the exist-ing projects. It is certain that any project that isauthorized as a result of this report will be sub-jected to many of the same pressures that facedthe designers of the Lake Pontchartrain andVicinity project. Will there be environmentalconcerns? Any large project in coastal Louisianahas environmental issues and concerns. Toaddress these concerns, an environmental impactstatement is being prepared and is scheduled for
22 THE LOUISIANA CIVIL ENGINEER / AUGUST 2007
(Continued from Page 7)
Figure 3. Map of New Orleans reflects the hurricane surge protection plan in 2005 near whenHurricane Katrina occurred. It evolved out of the Corps’ plan originally approved by Congress in1965 and that was substantially modified because of environmental concerns and local social andpolitical issues. (Continued on Page 23)
completion in July 2008. Will there be budget-ary constraints? While project costs are stillbeing developed, it is likely that one of the great-est challenges will be finding the resources topay for projects that could be proposed.Engineering and design of such large projectswill present new and difficult challenges to theengineering community. The founding of largestructures in soft soils, design of unique struc-tures to handle the largest surge events, and thelarge scale restoration of coastal wetlands aresome of the technical issues/challenges that willhave to be addressed. Will there be social andpolitical pressures? It is hard to imagine thatprojects of such large scope and impact wouldnot face these pressures.
Invariably, engineers will lead the effort toimplement these future projects. Certainlysound engineering and science are the basicfoundation for any project, but many of theissues that engineers will face involve problemsthat cannot be solved independently with techni-cal solutions. To be successful, engineers mustunderstand and adapt to the complex issues theyface, and formulate the responsive means thatare necessary to effectively address them. Whenit is observed how the Lake Pontchartrain andVicinity project evolved over time, the reasonsfor the changes that occurred must be under-stood in an attempt to anticipate and possiblyavoid similar impacts on future projects.
References1 National Hurricane Research Project
Report #33, November 1959.2 Letter dated January 4, 1978 from Orleans
Levee District to Louisiana Department ofTransportation and Development.
3 Government Accountability Office reportdated August 17, 1982.
— Calendar of Events —September 13-14, 2007 New Orleans Branch Louisiana Civil Engineering
Conference and Show, Kenner
September 13-14, 2007 ASCE Seminar * Design and Evaluation of HighwayBridge Superstructures Using LRFD, Dallas, Texas.
September 13-14, 2007 ASCE Seminar * Geotextile Tube Designs. Applicationsand Case Histories, Houston, Texas.
September 13-14, 2007 ASCE Seminar * Seismic Repair and Rehabilitation ofConcrete and Masonry Structures Using FRPComposites.
September 13-14, 2007 ASCE Seminar * Environmental Bootcamp for Engineers
September 14, 2007 Louisiana Section Annual Meeting, New Orleans
September 14, 2007 ASCE Seminar * Seismic Design of Liquid Storage Tanks,New Orleans.
September 16-19, 2007 ASCE Conference * International Symposium on FluidControl, Measurement and Visualization, Tallahassee,Florida.
September 19-21, 2007 ASCE Seminar * Structural Design of Buildings andIndustrial Facilities for Blast Loads and AccidentalChemical Explosions, Atlanta, Georgia.
September 20-21, 2007 ASCE Seminar * Structural Design of ResidentialBuildings Using the 2006 Residential Building Code, NewOrleans.
September 20-21, 2007 ASCE Seminar * Design of Cold Formed Steel Structures,Dallas, Texas.
September 20-21, 2007 ASCE Seminar * Earth Retaining Structures Selection,Design, Construction and Inspection, Dallas, Texas.
September 20-21, 2007 ASCE Seminar * Water Hammer in Transmission andDistribution Systems, Houston, Texas.
November 1-2, 2007 ASCE Seminar * HEC-HMS Computer Workshop, Austin,Texas.
November 8-9, 2007 ASCE Seminar * Progressive Collapse Mitigation:Practical Analysis Methods and Proven Solutions, Dallas,Texas.
November 15-16, 2007 ASCE Seminar * Wetlands and 404 Permitting, NewOrleans.
November 16, 2007 Deep Foundations Institute Specialty Seminar — HelicalFoundations and Tiebacks, New Orleans. For more infor-mation visit http://www.dfi.org.
November 28-29, 2007 ASCE Seminar * Design of Foundations for DynamicLoads, Dallas, Texas.
November 28-29, 2007 ASCE Seminar * Design, Construction and Renovation ofMasonry Structures, Atlanta, Georgia.
March 9-12, 2008 ASCE Conference * Geocongress 2008, New Orleans.
*For more information, call ASCE toll free at (800)548-2723 or visit the ASCE web-site: www.asce.org.
For the schedule and registration for the ASCE web seminar continuing educa-tion regularly offered: Visit the ASCE website / continuing education / distancelearning / live interactive web seminars.
(Continued from Page 23)
Did you know......that a method was developed for traffic
signals to independently configure themselves toimprove traffic flow? It is modeled after princi-ples found in the self-organization behavior ofsocial insects. The technique, developed at theFree University of Brussels by CarlosGershenson, builds on a method developed in theUnited Kingdom to coordinate traffic at remotesignalized intersections. The number of vehiclesapproaching the traffic signal installation isdetected and multiplied by time increments. Thesignal timing is programmed to change once acertain threshold is reached so that the portion ofgreen time is increased as the number of vehiclesapproaching or waiting at the signal increases.Gershenson adapted the technique to work inheavy traffic by adding a minimum green time tothe program. Rather than have the traffic signalsat a series of intersections communicating witheach other, this method facilitates indirect coor-dination as each traffic signal, like social insects,responds to local traffic conditions to independ-ently and efficiently organize their individualtiming in this environment.
turning vehicles in their path. There is littledoubt that these access points are a design defi-ciency that contributes to Louisiana’s high crashrate.
As an alternative, many states now require acorner design similar to that shown in Figure 6.In this example, driveways are only allowed onthe lower functional roadway. All traffic seekingaccess to the corner business, including theopposing traffic, is required to use the signalizedintersection. Once drivers pass through the inter-section there are no access conflicts encounteredand speeds can safely increase. Along with beingsignificantly safer, this design is aestheticallypleasing and can provide the corner businesswith greater visibility to the higher volume oftraffic that can use the arterial. The claim that
corner businesses suffer economically if access isnot provided to the adjacent higher classificationroadway has not been substantiated. Better oper-ational performance of the arterial leads toreduced travel delay, greater vehicle throughputand reduced crashes. These factors will exposethe business to higher traffic volumes, resultingin a larger potential market area.
An arterial is normally designed with thephysical characteristics that lead the driver toperceive that it is a road that can be driven at highspeed. If access control does not match this driv-er perception, high speed inter-city traffic mixeswith low speed, turning traffic. This creates largespeed differentials that result in an increase incrash rates and severity. This same conditionleads to driver frustration, lower average speeds,
higher travel times and poor overall operationalperformance of the arterial.
Traffic operationsAs with safety, research and field data cover-
ing several decades point to the conclusion thatthe flow of traffic is impacted by the degree thataccess is controlled and managed. As traffic vol-umes and speeds on a roadway increase, turningvehicles cause disturbances to traffic flow thatlower average speed and break up platoons ofvehicles. This in turn reduces the gaps availableto entering vehicles and reduces the effectivenessof signal coordination. Consequently, overalldelay increases for all drivers.
Figure 4. Bar chart showing the relationship between access density andthe percent increase in vehicle crashes. (NCHRP Report 420: Impacts ofAccess Management Techniques. TRB, National Research Council,Washington, D.C., 1999.
Figure 5. Typical urban arterial system roadway in Louisiana with drive-ways located on the arterial and near the intersection. (FHWA LouisianaDivision.)
(Continued from Page 9)
Figure 6. An intersection with driveways located on the lower functionalsystem roadway and consistent with the principles of access management.(Phil Demosthenes, Parametrix Consulting)
Figure 7. Bar chart showing the relationship between access density andthe reduction in free-flow speed. (Table 7-5; 1994 Highway CapacityManual)
Derived from the Highway CapacityManual, Figure 7 provides access density adjust-ment factors for level-of-service determinations.It demonstrates that average free-flow speeds arereduced approximately 2.5 percent for every 10access points up to 40 access points per mile inone direction. As the number of full medianopenings increases, turning interference willincrease and speeds can be expected to decreasesignificantly.
The density of signalized intersections alsoimpacts traffic operations. The aforementionedColorado demonstration project compared sig-nalized intersections spaced at ¼ mile intervalswith one single full median opening betweeneach intersection, to signalized intersectionsspaced at ½ mile intervals with only right turnaccess between intersections. The corridor withsignals spaced at ½ mile intervals had a reduc-tion in vehicle-hours of delay of over 60 percentand vehicle-hours of travel of over 50 percent ascompared to the other roadway. This was in spiteof having higher entering volumes at the ½ milespaced signalized intersections.8
Several studies conclude that a 4-lane divid-ed roadway having signals installed at a uniform½ mile spacing can carry the same traffic volumeas a 6-lane divided roadway having signalsinstalled at a uniform ¼ mile spacing. In eithercase, as signal placement becomes less uniform,road capacity is significantly reduced.9
Signals typically proliferate on a developingcorridor with unmanaged access because averagespeeds are reduced, natural platoons dissipateand gaps are no longer available. Signal place-ment then becomes a matter of interrupting traf-fic flow simply to create a gap for turning vehi-cles in to and out of adjacent properties. In thisenvironment, placement often becomes arbitrarywith non-engineering factors playing a role indetermining signal location. This often results inunplanned, non-uniform signal spacing whichfurther reduces speed and capacity.
For Louisiana, the ability to quickly andsafely evacuate populations in its at-risk coastalparishes is vitally important to the safety andwelfare of its citizens. Often, the principal arte-rials that have the potential to move large vol-umes of traffic cannot be relied on to performthis function because access has not been prop-erly managed. This not only applies to longstretches of intra-state roadways but to key arte-rials that may be short in length but play a vitalrole in connecting Interstates and other express-ways. Arterials with access densities approach-ing 60 to 80 access points per mile cannot beproperly controlled by law enforcement duringan evacuation. There are simply not enough lawofficers and national guardsmen to control everyaccess point when access densities are this high.
The geographic and ecological features of acoast line often place their own limits on thealignment and interconnectivity of the roadwaysystem. Coastal states that are prone to hurri-canes and other disasters cannot afford to limitoptions that would otherwise allow emergencymanagers to utilize the full capacity of a state’stransportation network when developing andexecuting mass evacuation plans.
EconomicUnlike the known effects on safety and traf-
fic operations, the research and field data on theeconomic impact resulting from poorly managedaccess is not as mature. The economic perform-ance resulting from the access management proj-ects implemented in the 1980s and 1990s isbeing evaluated and studied. The preliminaryconclusion is that access management and thebenefits that accrue have a significant impact onthe economic performance of local communitiesand the states. In fact, it is likely that the eco-nomic benefits that have been previously report-ed are too conservative because a number of indi-rect economic benefits have not been fully con-sidered. Research in this area is very active andbetter information should be available over thenext few years.
The strongest relationship between accessmanagement and economic performance is theimpact that travel times have on the market areaof a business. Generally, it has been found thatas average speed is reduced by 1 percent, thetrade area of a business is roughly reduced by 2percent.10 Given that each access point on a cor-ridor reduces average speed by at least 0.25 per-cent, it is estimated that each access pointreduces the trade area of businesses in the corri-dor by at least 0.5 percent. The impact is muchgreater if other negative features are located onthe roadway such as full median openings,excessive and poorly spaced signalized intersec-tions, and poor access management on otherroadways in the trade area.
Along with the direct impact on businessesin a corridor, there is a large indirect impact onthe economy of the state. With an abundance ofvery large ports and railroad terminals, theLouisiana highway transportation system sup-ports one of the largest multimodal movementsof freight in the Nation. There is likely a largeopportunity cost associated with unpredictabletravel times associated with poor access manage-ment on these arterials and intermodal connec-tors. Unfortunately, these related costs probablyimpact Louisiana’s economy far more than theywould in states with similar access managementproblems.
Access management techniques appear tohave a positive impact on reducing sprawl.Maintaining appropriate access density on highspeed/volume arterials has the effect of reducingor eliminating strip development, improving theconnectivity of land uses and encouraging theclustering of land uses around the lower speedintersecting collectors.11 Pedestrian, bicycle andtransit mobility are better facilitated because thesupporting infrastructure can be integrated in thelower vehicle speed environment. It is difficultto imagine how other anti-sprawl and aestheticinitiatives such as smart growth and strict archi-tectural standards can be successful in an envi-ronment where access is not managed.
Access management and governanceAnother implication of the roadway func-
tional hierarchy shown in Figure 2 is that in order
(Continued on Page 26)
(Continued from Page 24) Did you know......that structural engineers and researchers
have been working on security for decadesthrough experimental research, vulnerabilityassessment software, site layout criteria, andother efforts? Most of the information is gov-ernment-funded, unpublished, and may be ofenormous use to practicing engineers, but mostsecure design guidance is relatively inaccessibleand often classified or given limited distribution.There are mature software tools developed byfederal agencies for protective design, but use isrestricted. Design standards would be improvedby the dissemination of procedures for thedesign of structures to resist attack.
- Structural Engineer 4/04
...that graduate engineering enrollmentaccording to a National Science Foundationreport reached its all time high — approximate-ly 0.5 million — in 2001? U.S. citizens and per-manent residents increased first-time graduateenrollment nearly 14 percent while foreign first-time graduate enrollment declined 7.9 percent in2002. The decline in foreign graduate studentscontinued in 2003. They may be discouraged bythe post-9/11/01 visa restrictions and may beopting to study in Europe and Canada wheregraduate schools are seeing an up-tick in enroll-ment commensurate with the approximate 2,000student drop in the U.S.
- EE Times 7/19/04
...that women are earning 20 percent of theengineering undergraduate degrees — the lowestpercentage of women graduates in any profes-sion — and they make up 11 percent of the engi-neering workforce?
- EEE Spectrum 10/04
...that building information modeling (BIM)software that replaces the conventional 2-dimen-sional building construction contract documentswith 3-dimensional documents is gaining groundin the fields of architecture and building design.One of the greatest benefits of BIM is the incor-poration of real-world data to enhance the accu-racy, quality and speed of a building project, andthe facilitation of the operations and mainte-nance management of buildings so constructed.It has been used for complex projects that couldnot otherwise have been constructed. The adop-tion of BIM in conventional building projectswill be predicated on the willingness of the dis-jointed building construction industry to stan-dardize around 3-dimensional modeling and therelated technologies. BIM is expected to resultin more accurate as-built documentation by cen-tralizing the building process on a digital docu-ment that is reworked throughout design andconstruction. The use of BIM will requiredesigners to take back their responsibilities andthe commensurate liability exposure that hasbeen deliberately fragmented and disbursed tocontractors and other building professionals inthe past.
to maintain the access-mobility relationship,access should only be granted to adjacent inter-secting roads with a lower functional classifica-tion. Arterials should only connect to theInterstate highway system and collectors shouldonly connect to arterial systems. Generally,property should be accessed via local roads andto a lesser extent the collector road system.12
Except in rural environments where access spac-ing is large and generating volumes are minimal,direct access to property from the arterial roadsystem should not occur.
Given that different functional systems servethe unique needs of different government juris-dictions, a comprehensive access managementpolicy also defines the relationship between andamong sovereigns and private entities. Forexample, if the arterial system that serves theState’s need for intra-state travel is only accessedby the Interstate and local collector systems, thenthe State would limit its interaction to Federaland local governments. Private entities wouldnormally interact exclusively with local govern-ments since the connections to property wouldoccur by way of collector or local road systems.Since local jurisdictions in Louisiana managemost aspects of land use including propertydevelopment and infrastructure planning, it ismore efficient and effective if the local govern-ment also manages access to the transportationsystem.
In order to build and maintain an optimizedtransportation system, local land use decisionsand the transportation needs of all levels of gov-ernment must be addressed. These needs are bestaccommodated by properly managing the accessconnections between functional road systemsthrough a federal, state and local integrated plan-ning process. This provides for a division ofresponsibility that best aligns with the gover-nance and taxing authority of these jurisdictions.
It is acknowledged that there are importantlimitations to managing access such that thefunctional hierarchy of roadways is maintained.A chief obstacle is the limited ability of localgovernments to properly construct their collectorroad system. Since local authorities in Louisianagenerally use sales tax from developments tofund road improvements, the current financingstructure is not conducive to developing well-planned collector systems before the construc-tion of large, traffic-generating developments.Bonding of potential revenue to build a support-ive local road system based on anticipated devel-opment requires a very complex risk analysis and
decision-making process.While allowing unfettered access to arterial
systems will damage the economic vitality of acommunity, the immediate and localized risk-return calculation supporting an individualaccess point is a rational economic decision.This economic incongruence is a fundamentalreason why access management programs aredifficult to implement and may have organizedopposition. Leadership and participation fromgovernment and the private sector are required toensure that the broader economic benefits ofaccess management are not entirely subordinatedto short-term decision making. States that havesuccessfully implemented access managementprograms have been multi-jurisdictional in scopeand inclusive of a broad range of business func-tions and private organizations.
Implementing an access management programDeveloping and implementing an access
management program is very similar to a busi-ness process reengineering effort. There is abroad scope of organizational functions that mustbe documented, evaluated and changed. For thisreason, most states and local governments havefound that a formal process is necessary to man-age the changes in the diverse business functionsthat are inevitably required. Important issuesthat touch all parts of state and local governmentsinclude• engineering design standards• the state’s legal framework• real estate policy• state and local permitting• traffic impact studies• planning processes• appeals and variances• enforcement• coordination with local jurisdictions and• other areas depending on the unique charac-
teristics of a state.However, there are elements of an access
management program that are common to thoseStates with active programs. A key element isthe development of access categories withdefined standards based on the characteristics ofthe roadway. These categories form the basis ofan access classification system that is usuallyimplemented through an access managementcode. Once implemented, the process of over-laying access categories over the current Stateroad system is performed. Given the impact onland use and development, this is typically donewith intensive local involvement. Once an
access classification system has been developedand roadways have been classified, current busi-ness processes must be reviewed and usuallychanged or refined to ensure access standards areproperly and uniformly applied.
Given the breadth of business functions andactivities that must be addressed, state and localgovernments typically form steering and adviso-ry committees that can manage the implementa-tion of process and policy changes. Guidanceand oversight from the executive levels of man-agement are required. Without such support, it isunrealistic to expect the obstacles that willappear from across organizational functions canbe overcome. However, the benefits of such aneffort are well worth the costs.
References1 Making the Grade in Louisiana: An Analysis of
the Ability of Louisiana’s TransportationSystem to Meet the State’s Need for Safe andEfficient Mobility. TRIP, a transportationresearch group, website: www.tripnet.org
2 Access Management Manual. TransportationResearch Board of the National Academies,Committee on Access Management, website:www.accessmanagement.gov
3 The Access Control Demonstration Project.Colorado Department of Transportation, 1985.
4 Data provided by Louisiana Department ofTransportation and Development.
5 Kristine Williams & J. Richards Forester, LandDevelopment Regulations That Promote AccessManagement: A Synthesis of Highway Practice15 (NCHRP Synthesis 233, 1996).
6 Julie Anna Cirillo, Federal HighwayAdministration. Safety Effectiveness HighwayDesign Features Vol. 1: Access Control 6(1992).
7 Gluck, J., H.S. Levinson, and V. Stover.NCHRP Report 420: Impacts of AccessManagement Techniques. TRB, NationalResearch Council, Washington, D.C., 1999.
8 Access Control Demonstration Project, supranote 3.
9 Access Management Manual, supra note 2.10 Stover, V.G. and F.J. Koepke. Transportation
and Land Development. Institute ofTransportation Engineers, Washington, D.C.1988.
11 Kristine Williams & J. Richards Forester,supra note 5.
For ASCE member address corrections, visit http://www.asce.org or call (800) 548-2723 or For listing and advertisement revisions contact E.R. DesOrmeaux, PE,
The listing of your business card or larger advertisement here with our other supporters to help subsidize The Louisiana Civil Engineer, the journalof the Louisiana Section is greatly appreciated. For information about listing rates and requirements, please visit http://www,lasce.org
and/or direct inquiries to E. R. (Ray) DesOrmeaux, email: [email protected] or telephone: (337) 237-0404.
