Eye On Albany

While the press often focuses on gridlock in Albany, engineers should be aware that a number of the bills introduced in the New York State Legislature this year could have a significant impact on the practice of engineering. This article summarizes the most noteworthy.

Dr. Michael Constantinou presented the 17th Annual Mueser Rutledge lecture to the Geotechnical Group at the General Society for Mechanics and Tradesmen in Manhattan on November 15, 2007. The lecture provided an overview of the various seismic protective systems and their application in mitigating the damaging effects of earthquakes on structures.

The Met Section has proposed to work with other ASCE sections in our region to institute a Legislative Fellowship Program (the “Program”) with the main objective of providing technical assistance to the New York State Legislature. The Program, which is modeled after the highly successful Congressional Fellowship Program and Legislative Fellowship Program of the Boston Society of Engineers, is a means for members of the New York State Assembly and Senate to gain high level technical assistance in addressing the complex issues involved in maintaining and investing in New York State’s infrastructure.

The Geotechnical Group held its first lecture of the 2007/2008 season in a new venue for the Group at the General Society for Mechanics and Tradesmen in Manhattan on October 23, 2007. The lecture focused on the corrosion potential and engineering design of steel piles buried in the ground and in the marine environment.

When an interstate bridge collapses during rush hour or broken levees destroy a major city, Americans are again reminded of the vulnerability of the nation’s infrastructure, but few people feel empowered to do anything about it. Beginning this fall, however, thousands of middle school students will tackle the issue of safety for the country’s vast network of utilities, transportation, structures, and communications systems in the 2008 National Engineers Week Future City Competition™.