the bi-monthly newsletter of the New York Chapterchartered 1928 www.nychapter.org

Volunteer for Your Charitable Affi liate!

Mathcounts is a nationwide program that promotes math excellence in middle schools. Mathcounts was founded by NSPE in 1983and has grown to reach over a half million students. We strive to raise the math education bar by providing students who are inter-ested in improving their math skills, a friendly club environment and quality preparation and testing materials. Mathcounts is the perfect platform for success in high school, college and eventually as a professional engineer.

Mathcounts Manhattan was started 21 years ago by NYSSPE - NY Chapter member Bill Gross, PE and has grown steadily. The NYSSPE - NY Chapter, the Trevor Day School and the Columbia University Math Department are sponsoring this year’s event.

If the expressions on the faces of the engineer volunteers present at the competition are any indication, the performance of theseyoung scholars is amazing. It is an inspiration to see the students perform during the competition; they quickly solve some very challenging problems. We need your help to staff the competition on February 6th, 2010 from 9 am until 2 pm at Columbia Univer-sity. As a volunteer, you will have fun with your fellow engineers investing in the profession’s future! Please sign up at www.mathm.org by February 1.

New York NotesJanuary/February 2009

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ERICH R. ARCEMENT, P.E., PTOE

p 3p 5HolidayParty

WindEnergyToday

p 6Why be a P.E?

MATHCOUNTS MANHATTAN 2010

Jeremy Edmunds, PE, LEED AP

There are two important events in February that I’d like to bring your attention. Firstly, the an-nual Mathcounts Manhattan program will take place on February 6th (see article below). This event, founded by our very own member Bill Gross, assists in promoting math to middle school students. Please sign up to volunteer if you can. And secondly, February 14th to 20th marks this year’s Engineers Week. There will be a celebration sponsored by the Metropolitan Engineering Societies Council on Wednesday, February 10th at the Polytechnic Institute of NYU (see adver-tisement inside). We encourage your participation and presence at both of these events.

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New York Chapter

New York State Societyof Professional Engineers

Erich R. Arcement, P.E.President

Gerard Hillenbrand, P.E.First Vice-President

Lester Karstadt, P.E.Second Vice-President

Ivan Ramirez, P.E.Secretary

Mark Schiff man, P.E.Financial Secretary

Alfred H. Brand, P.E.Treasurer

Marc A. Chiff ert, P.E.Past President

DIRECTORS

2008-2010

Jeremy Edmunds, P.E.Edward Finfer, P.E.

Robert W. Luoma, P.E.Lloyd Merkelson, P.E.

Daniel McLoughlin, P.E.Alonzo C. Rand, P.E.

David Reyes-Guerra, PhD., P.E.

DIRECTORS

2009-2011

Karen C. Armfi eld, P.E.Howard N. Blitman, P.E.

Marc Chiff ert, P.EIrving M. Fogel, P.E.James F. Freer, P.E.

William L. Gross, P.E.Alvin Rohssler, P.E.

Thomas Szekeley, P.E.Paul B. Wood, P.E.

UPCOMING EVENTSNYSSPE NY CHAPTER TOWN HALL MEETING

Please join fellow NYSSPE members to discuss issues and concerns relating to profes-sional engineering and the society. This is a unique opportunity to speak with State

leaders and be heard.

With NYSSPE President Dr. James J. Yarmus, P.E, Ph.D.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010Annie Moore’s

East 43rd StreetFREE Three-course buff et dinner with cash bar

RSVP EARLY! Space limited to 40!

To register or inquire about the available sponsorship opportunities, contact Nora Schaff er at nschaff er@samschwartz.com

ENGINEERS WEEK CELBRATION

sponsored byTHE METROPOLITAN ENGINEERING SOCIETIES COUNCIL

Wednesday, February 10, 2010Registration 5:30pm, Light Buff et 6:00pm, Program: 7:00pm-9:00pm

Polytechnic Institute of NYUDibner Library

Brooklyn, NY 11201(Enter from Main Campus)

With Charles J. Camarda, Ph.D. NASA Space Shuttle Astronaut, Sr. Advisor for

Innovation for the Offi ce of Chief Engineer at NASA

“You Can’t Do That... Inovative Conceptual Design....and Why and How You Can!”

The Mayor’s Proclamation on Engineers Weeks will be presented.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED Cost of $50.00

1 PDH credit (expected) can be earned for this meetingPlease mail your check made payable to MESC with attendee’s name and contact

information to MESC, PO Box 1981, Church Street Station, New York, NY 10008-1981. All reservations and checks must be recieved by February 5, 2010. For additional infor-

mation, contact Wasyl Kinach at info@mescnyc.org or (212) 669-2203.

NYSSPE NY CHAPTER DINNER LECTURE

with NYC Department of Design and Construction Deputy Commissioner Eric C. Macfarlane, P.E.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

1 PDH credit can be earned for this meeting

Time, Location, and Cost TBASponsorship opportunities will be available.

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WIND ENERGY TODAY The typical wind turbine generates electrical energy at relatively low voltages (490 to 600 volts). Transformers mounted on the base of the towers step up this generated voltage to distribution level. The transformer outputs are connected to a sub-station where the output energy is stepped up to transmission line level for trans-port over long distances. Voltages greater than 600 volts (usually caused by abnormally high wins) frequently cause problems such as excessive stress on the structural and rotating component. Au-tomatic controls are employed to isolate the wind turbine and generated from the grid system under these conditions and shutdown the unit. Electronic controls are also employed to regulate power factor and voltage variation inherent in the electrical en-ergy generated by the wind turbines.

The Nobel Organization has completed eight wind farms so far in New York State and projects a 32% expansion each year for the next four years. The United States leads the world in wind farm

installations with Germany second and with sig-nifi cant wind capacity generated in countries such as Spain and China. In 2009, American wind farms generated 31,000 megawatts of electrical energy; enough to power 9,000,000 homes. This converts to 1.5% of all electrical power generated in our nation. Texas leads the country with 2,691 megawatts generated annually. New York sites generate about 700 megawatts currently per

year. Government and industry projection anticipate that by 2030, 20% of all electrical generation will result from wind power. There are eight companies manufacturing wind turbines currently, with General Electric producing 43% of the total. G.E. has also sub-con-tracted turbine manufacture to the Mitsubishi Organization.

The Noble Organization currently has 1,900 megawatts of energy generation under development, which is a sizeable portion of the $17 billion invested in wind power in our country. The wind power industry has created 85,000 jobs in our nation. Locations having good prospects for wind power development include Northern Texas and the Oklahoma Panhandle as well as upstate and west-ern New York where communities are anxious to lease farm land with its lower tax rates, good schools and existing infrastructure, and contribute to economic wellbeing. Wind power installations are non-polluting, require no water, generate no mercury, occupy a small land footprint, gave a low rate of bird mortality, and re-quire no expensive costs to transport fuels, all byproducts of con-ventional power generation. For example, electrical generating power plants generate 40% of all the carbon dioxide produced in the United States – 44,000,000 tons per year. One wind turbine can replace 1,800 tons of this total.

The United States government contributes substantially to the development of wind power. The federal government has contrib-uted no money directly for construction, but off ers a production tax credit of one cent per kilowatt hour of electrical power genera-tion. Also off ered is a 30% investment tax credit, as well as a grant tax reduction of 30% of a project’s cost after certifi ed completion of a project. In these diffi cult economic times, the long-term fed-

That was the interesting subject presented at the New York Chap-ter’s November 18, 2009 technical dinner meeting held at AnnieMoore’s restaurant on East 43rd Street in Manhattan. In the UnitedStates today wind power has developed into a leading source of new electrical power generation. Wind power uses an environ-mentally natural and renewable energy source. It provides a guar-anteed alternative to the unstable and depleting sources of fossilfuels. Licensed professional engineers attending this presentationqualifi ed for one credit hour of professional development towardthe periodic requirements recently mandated by the N.Y. State De-partment of Education.

The technical portion of this meeting was opened by N.Y. Chap-ter President Erich R. Arcement, P.E., who welcomed all guests andsummarized our chapter’s programs for the remainder of 2009.These programs included a December holiday celebration and con-tinuing eff orts to organize more completely our group of youngengineers. The president also thanked ourcorporate sponsor, the AECOM Engineering Organization, for its support of our chapter’s meeting agenda. The President introduced the evening’s speaker, Dr. Walter Q. Howard, P.E., Chief Executive Offi cer of the Noble Envi-ronmental Power Company, founded in 2004 and owned by the J.P. Morgan Partners Fund. This company has headquarters in Essex, New Jersey, with sub-divisions in New York, Connecticut, Texas,and New Hampshire. Dr. Howard is an engineering graduate of Cornell University and earned a MBA degree from Harvard. His in-dustrial experience includes service with General Electric, Bechtel,and Public Service Gas and Electric Organizations. Dr. Howard was assisted by Engineer Dan Boyd who specialized in certain techni-cal aspects of the presentation.

The Noble Organization has 484 wind turbines located in seven locations and generating 726 megawatts of power on line today.These turbines are several versions manufactured by GeneralElectric and the several versions provide varying response to theturbulence conditions existing at the diff ering fi eld sites. Basically,the power generating eff ort of wind turbine is proportional tothe product of the local air density, the area swept by the turbinerotor, and the tube of the air velocity causing the rotor rotation,as well as several effi ciency factors. A typical wind turbine unitconsists of a foundation of reinforced concrete and anchor bars(determined by varying site geology and weather), an octagonal-shaped base supporting a 250 foot tall tower (weighing as muchas 100 tons) and the rotor assembly (usually pre-assembled on theground before installation). The rotor assembly consists of a three-bladed orientation (blade rotation radius of 50 feet) mechanicallyconnected to the shaft of an electrical generator. There are inde-pendent electrical controls for the orientation of the rotor assem-bly relative to the wind direction, and the pitch of the rotor bladesadjusted symmetrically to obtain maximum effi ciency. Each windturbine assembly has its own independent control system. Typicalrotor speeds are 20-25 RPM.

The wind power industry has created

85,000 jobs in our nation.

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for 25-30 megawatt output. Another fi gure agreed upon is $2000per kilowatt of energy generated. This compares to $7,000-$8,000per kilowatt of energy produced by a natural gas power facility. The corresponding fi gure for the multi-faceted energy produc-tion consumed in New York City is $1,500/kw. Industry researcheff orts are concentrated on increasing energy storage capacityvia advanced battery development and such exotic techniquesas compressed air storage and heat-based retention systems.

This meeting covering wind energy developments is typical of the cutting edge technical seminars presented at our chaptermeetings. We urge all our members and guests to take advan-tage of our programs in future months. We look forward to greet-ing you next time.

eral government commitment to wind power development isessential. Diff erent rules and regulations exist in the variousstates, although uniform codifi cation eff orts are underway. Basi-cally high wind areas have low populations, whereas low windlocations have maximum populations. This means that windpower installations have inherently higher transmission coststhan conventional power plants. Other diffi culties existing fromstate to state including varying site prospecting rules, survey-ing regulations, transmission line mapping, permit applicationrules, and just old-fashioned nimbyism, as well as of course cy-clical wind conditions.

The question and answer period was particularly revealing. Totalcosts or a wind power installation average about $50,000,000

Gerard Hillenbrand, P.E.

WIND ENERGY TODAY CONTINUED...

The G.E. 1.5sle MW Turbine

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New York Chapter celebrated the arrival of the joyous holidayseason with a reception at the beautiful Ivy Room of the CornellUniversity Club on Tuesday, December 15, 2009. This celebrationcontinued our chapter’s tradition of hosting a special festive socialgathering for its members and their guests at this time of year.This celebration was opened by Chapter President Erich R. Arce-ment, P.E., who welcomed our guests and briefl y summarizedour organization’s programs, among which are promotion of thestatus of the professional engineering license, creation of severalchapter engineering of the year awards, facilitating networkingeff orts among engineers, and a full series of technical meetingsscheduled for the Spring of 2010. Our president also thanked theAECOM Engineering fi rm for their sponsorship of the evening’sprogram. One sad note did dampen the holiday spirit and thatwas an announcement of the passing of one of our chapter’s mostdistinguished members, Elies Elvove, P.E., on November 3rd, at theage of 92. Elies served two separate terms as our chapter’s presi-dent and also served our state society in various capacities since1948. His more than 50 year engineering career included serviceas a retired Air Force offi cer, development of electronics based ra-dar systems, and the design and construction of mass transportsystems all over the world. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, fi ve sons and six grandchildren. His service to our society will be sorelymissed.

Despite all the festivities, a meeting of engineers would not becomplete without a discussion of technical issues. New York Chap-ter was fortunate to secure the services of Phil Eng, Regional Di-rector of the New York State Department of Transportation, to ful-fi ll our cravings for engineering news. Mr. Eng, a graduate of theCooper Union School of Engineering, has spent 26 years in servicewith the state department of transportation and is currently re-sponsible for $1 billion of transportation projects all over the state. Because of the current economic downturn, state spending for in-frastructure projects is limited. But the federal government recent-ly passed the recovery act which authorized expenditures of morethan $70 billion for engineering projects throughout the nation.These projects will be 80% funded by the federal government with20% provided by state governments. If one state does not qualifyfor this funding, the monies involved are transferred to the states that qualify for federally approved projects. N.Y. State has qualifi ed for $1.12 billion o federal aid for highway and bridge repairs withconstruction scheduled to begin March 2010.

In New York City more than $500 million worth of contracts havebeen negotiated covering infrastructure repairs, including paintingof fi ve bridges, 45 miles of highway upgrades (including the StatenIsland Expressway, repairs to the Brooklyn Bridge and the BatteryFerry Terminal, and landscaping improvements throughout thesystem. In N.Y. State, his department’s capital plan schedules theexpenditure of $25.8 billion in the next fi ve years. This representsa 40% increase in funding over the last fi ve year plan. The new fi ve year plan will feature the latest safety provisions, preservation of existing structures, investment in the new construction capableof handling increased traffi c, and expansion of the environmen-tally sensitive public transportation systems. In all this activity,

conditions of the N.Y. State bridges will receive the highest prior-ity. Emphasis will be placed most urgently on bridges in upstateNew York where relatively severe weather conditions contribute tostructural deterioration. Typical of these eff orts is the Crown PointBridge across Lake Champlain 80 miles south of the Canadian bor-der. This bridge, originally constructed in 1929, connects New York and Vermont and technically was scheduled for obsolescence in2012. The critical aspect of this bridge is that the closest alterna-tive bridge crossing Lake Champlain is 100 miles away. Transpor-tation department bridge inspection standards rate structures ona scale of one (near failure) to seven (brand new and 100% func-tional). Frequent inspections of the Crown Point Bridge had deter-mined it was in critical condition. Several years of emergency re-pairs, including new and reinforced concrete additions, attemptedto reverse the deterioration, but even after imposing severe loadrestrictions (40 tons maximum) the bridge was declared unsafeand closed to traffi c on October 14, 2009 (before freezing). At thetime of closure, corrosion had weakened several steel post tensionbeams and eroded the concrete piers at the water line to a depthof 18 inches. A temporary water level bridge is under constructionand increased ferry service across the lake has been instituted. Re-placement bridge designs are now being developed and a deci-sion on the recommended design is expected in 2011.

The New York State and City transportation departments are co-operating on ten projects in New York City including upgradingthe Kosciusko Bridge, de-pollution of the Gowanus Canal, andmajor highway repairs on the Bronx River Parkway, cross BronxExpressway, Major Deegan Expressway, Bruckner Boulevard, andthe Belt Parkway in Brooklyn and Queens. Mr. Eng’s Departmenthas budgeted $750 million for panning future projects up to theyear 2018, with emphasis on fast and effi cient construction pos-sibly employing the latest design-build procedures. Mr. Eng con-cluded his excellent presentation (featuring vivid pictures of theCrown Point Bridge corrosion) by thanking the NY Chapter for theopportunity to explain his department’s programs and wishing ahappy holiday to all.

P.S. As an update to Mr. Eng’s presentation, we reproduce belownewspapers photographs showing the demise of the Crown PointBridge on Monday, December 28, 2009. Progress marches on!!

Our Holiday Party!

Gerard Hillenbrand, P.E.

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The title of Professional Engineer is one that many engineersstrive to achieve. As a young engineer that has just completedtheir undergraduate degree, and possibly just recently passedthe E.I.T., the Professional Engineer Exam is probably one of thefurthest things from your mind. After all, your next priority is tobegin your career as a civil engineer so you can start accumu-lating and documenting the four years worth of professional de-sign experience (three years with a masters degree), in order tobe eligible to sit for the Professional Engineering Exam. But onequestion remains: Why go through the long, arduous ordeal of applying for a Professional Engineering License at all?

There are many good reasons that an engineer, especially a youngengineer, should apply for this prestigious license as soon as theyare eligible to take it. First and foremost, it grants you a greaterlevel of respect among your fellow colleagues and engineers inyour fi eld. You’ve proven to everyone that you have taken thesteps to gain extensive experience in your fi eld and that you area profi cient and capable engineer. As a Professional Engineer inthe civil engineering fi eld, it is an almost mandatory achievementthat you must have in order for your career to progress. Much of the design work that civil engineers do will aff ect many peopleon a daily basis, such as bridges, buildings, sewers, and roadways,just to name a few. Every design plan must have a P.E. stamp andsignature when it is fi nally approved. That stamp is the engineer’sproof that they have studied the design and are ensuring that thesafety of the general public will not be placed at risk.

There are some other advantages that a Professional Engineerhas over non-Professional Engineers in their fi eld. A P.E. may bemore likely promoted and take on greater roles in managing largecomplicated projects which require a great deal of responsibility.He/she tends to earn more over the course of his/her career, typi-cally about 15% more than non-Professional Engineers.

Finally, it makes sense for you to apply for your P.E. License as soonas you are eligible (and not just to minimize the eff ort of detailingyour experience which grows as you wait). The P.E. exam coversseveral topics, not just the one you work in now. As a young en-gineer just out of college, odds are good that with a little practiceyou will be able to refresh your memory on these topics, whichwill greatly improve your chances of passing. You will have a tre-mendous leg up over those who have likely been out of collegefor a much longer time than you.

What makes being a P.E. so

special?

Tom Pagano, E.I.T. Rob Nadramia, E.I.T.

Young PROfessionals‛ News

Holiday Party Photos

NYSSPE NY Chapter President Erich Arcement andNYSDOT Regional Director Phil Eng

Morgan Whitcomb, E.I.T. and Larry Kalman, P.E.Sam Schwartz Engineering

Engineers enjoy mingling over dinner at this festive event!

Photos by Tom Pagano, E.I.T

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Contribute Articles and Announcements for NY Notes

We welcome members to submit information for publication. Anyone interested in contributing can send the information via email to our editor, Karen Armfi eld, at karen.armfi eld@dmjmharris.com or via mail at:

DMJM Harris, 20 Exchange Place, 12th fl oor, NY, NY 10005 Attn: Karen Armfi eld

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Sponsorship Opportunity for Monthly Dinner Meetings

Sponsorship opportunities for upcoming NYSSPE NY Chapter Monthly Dinner Meetings are currently available. Cost of Sponsorship is $500.

Benefi ts for Sponsor Company:5 tickets to the sponsored dinner meeting Signage at each table indicating sponsorshipAnnouncement recognizing sponsor at the dinner meeting

•••

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Ads can be in black & white or color. Please provide the ad copy in .jpg format. Ad copy should be provided via email by the 20th of the month for inclusion in the following month’s edition. Please email ad copy to NY Notes Editor, Karen Armfi eld, P.E. at karen.armfi eld@dmjmharris.com Ad content subject to Board approval. Proceeds from the advertisement help support our scholarship fund. Payment should be mailed to our treasurer, Al Brand, P.E. at the following address:

Mueser Rutledge Con. Engrs.attn: Al Brand, P.E.

14 Penn Plaza225 West 34th Street 2nd Floor

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Check should be made payable to “NYSSPE New York Chapter”