Prof. Robert Gilbert, P.E. discussed the central role of civil engineers in managing risk from natural hazards. Civil engineers need to be involved in establishing goals, mitigating consequences, considering system effects, including physical factors in statistical models, avoiding both too much and too little conservatism, maximizing the value of information, and communicating effectively to decision makers and the public. He cited examples around the world from offshore structures and pipelines to coastal flood control systems. Dr. Gilbert is the Hudson Matlock Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. He holds B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Stress Ribbon & Cable Supported Bridges
February 6, 2007

Professor Jiri Strasky, Ph.D., P.E. of the Technical University of Brno, Czech Republic, one of the leading bridge designers in Europe, spoke about some of the ground breaking work in modern bridge design and special structures. He discussed slender stress ribbon bridges, cable-stayed and suspension structures—all designed by him—in terms of their aesthetic and structural configuration, static and dynamic analyses and the construction process. The lecture also included recent engineering advances in which classical stress ribbon structures are combined with arches, shells or cables. An author of over 100 technical papers, Prof. Strasky is the author of the authoritative text, "Stress Ribbon and Cable-supported Pedestrian Bridges."

Flood Protection and Land Reclamation in the Netherlands
December 11, 2006

Few countries exist in which humans have exerted a greater influence in shaping the landscape than the Netherlands. This lecture addressed the history of Dutch flood protection and land reclamation, including simple dwelling mounds first constructed in 500 BC, windmill and steam powered lake draining schemes of the 17th to 19th centuries, large scale land reclamation activities of the 20th century, and complex flood control barriers built in response to the 1953 North Sea flood. Prof. Robert Hoeksema, Ph.D., P.E. is a professor of engineering at Calvin College and a consultant for Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber. He is also the author of "Designed for Dry Feet," a book that is a result of his work on mapping Dutch soil layers and his extensive experience with both living in the Netherlands and exploring the country with students.

Centennial Bridge - The New Cable Stayed Bridge Across the Panama Canal
October 25, 2006

Rafael Manzanarez, P.E. of T.Y. Lin International gave a presentation on the Centennial Bridge (Puente Centenario), the longest concrete cable-stayed bridge in the Americas with a main span length of 1,400 ft. Designed by T.Y. Lin International of San Francisco and constructed by the contractor Bilfinger Berger of Germany, this elegant concrete box girder bridge suspended with one plane of “harped” stay cables. The six-lane structure features a single cell box girder, towers over 600 ft tall, and is designed to withstand a magnitude 7.7 seismic event. Mr. Rafael Manzanarez is a vice president of T.Y. Lin International and led the design of the New San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Berlin's New Central Railway Station
September 20, 2006

Dr. Ing. Hans Schober of Schlaich Bergermann und Partner discussed one of the last grand projects associated with the reunification of Germany, Berlin’s $850 million Haptbahnhof, the largest and most modern train station in Europe. The central feature of the station is an enormous transparent vaulted glass roof with a span of over 200 ft that is supported on a quadrilateral grid of welded steel t-sections. The project also includes railroad bridge structures, use of cast steel connections, tubular steel members, cable stiffened glass façades - up to 150 x 75 ft, and innovative construction procedures developed to handle live train traffic.

The Rion-Antirion Bridge - World's Longest Cable-Stayed Bridge
February 8, 2006

The Rion-Antirion Bridge in the gulf of Corinth, Greece is known as the world's longest cable stayed bridge. George E. Leventis, P.E. discussed the unique site challenges of weak alluvial soils, 65 meter water depths, heavy seismic activity and large tectonic movements to construct a bridge capable of withstanding 250 km/hr winds and 180,000 ton tanker impacts. Mr. Leventis is a principal in Langan Engineering and Environmental Services and president of Langan International.

NYC2012 – The Summer Olympics in New York
February 17, 2004

Parsons Brinckerhoff was asked by NYC2012, a group of prominent local business leaders and planning professionals comprising the City of New York's Bid Committee, to become a key participant in the planning for the bid by New York City for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Parsons Brinckerhoff provided comprehensive services to this Committee consisting of feasibility assessments for transportation access and infrastructure for Olympic Village, Stadium, practice and competition venue sites, and a transportation master plan for the entire Olympics program. The master plan placed all but one of the 40 venues along two intersecting transportation axes, one water and one rail, right through the heart of New York.

Taipei 101 - Tallest Building in the World
February 10, 2004

Following a ceremony on October 17, 2003 to position a 60 m spire on top of the structure, the Taipei 101 office building laid claim to the title of the world's tallest skyscraper. With the addition of the spire, the building boasts a full height of 508 m, eclipsing Malaysia's Petronas Twin Towers. Mr. Dennis Poon discussed the structural systems concepts, criteria and preliminary designs, performed peer reviews of contract documents and consulted on specific issues during design and construction. Mr. Dennis Poon is a Managing Principal of Thornton-Tomasetti Engineers.

Design and Construction of an Underground River to Service Buenos Aires
December 18, 2002

Aguas Argentinas, a consortium managed by Lyonnaise des Eaux of France and operator of the world's largest privatized water supply and waste collection system for the City of Buenos Aires, a city of 9 million people, was faced with the daunting task of providing new service to 1.6 million more people in the first five years of their 30 year concession. Mr. Bernie W. Martin, P.E. of Parsons Brinckerhoff presented outlines of the innovative contracting procedures, the project organization and the quality control plan for this world class international tunnel project.