Based on the popularity of our last Blue Jackets outing, we are planning a group outing to the Blue Jackets-Flames game. Tickets are $10 per member and $15 per guests. We're accepting pre-payment using PayPal. As these tickets usually sell for $50 face value, it's a great deal.

Before the game, we’ll have a social put on by the Younger Members group at Brother’s, so even if you don’t want to go to the hockey game, please come out for drinks, food and fellowship!

• Offered for free to Central Ohio Section ASCE Members
• Seating is limited to the first 25 people
• Bring your own lunch

Purpose and Background
Geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) are very thin layers of bentonite sandwiched between two geotextiles and then needle-punched or stitch-bonded together to form a barrier to liquids and gases. They first appeared in 1986 to absorb leakage through overlying geomembranes in landfill liner systems. Currently, they are being used for both liner and cover systems in myriad environmental, transportation, hydraulic and private development applications. There are approximately twenty manufacturers and the worldwide annual usage is about 150 million square meters. That said, the acceptance and use of GCL's by geotechnical engineers has not progressed nearly as rapidly as it has with other geosynthetic materials like geomembranes, geogrids, etc. Perhaps the main reasons are that compacted clay liners (CCLs) are deeply entrenched in the academic backgrounds of geotechs and also subsequent field experience over the years. This is reflected in current environmental regulations, few of which allow for GCLs to replace or even augment CCLs. This webinar presents the most relevant topics/aspects involving GCLs, including cases of inadequacies in the areas of shear strength and hydraulic conductivity. The webinar also covers the most current GCL testing protocols. In that light, the webinar offers a point-and-counterpoint of GCLs vs. CCLs in both liners and covers. It describes a generic specification with not only suggested limiting test values but also recommendations on quality control and quality assurance.

Topic: Autonomous Vehicle Operation

(Online registration and payment available, see bottom of page.)

This presentation will discuss the recent developments, ongoing trends, and future implications of automated/connected heavy duty vehicles. Various factors driving the development of vehicle automation will be discussed, including safety and efficiency. Different levels of automation, possible technologies, and an overview of cost versus benefits will be outlined. The talk will include research and implementation examples from around the world, and comparisons with corresponding automation technologies in passenger vehicles will be used to emphasize the importance of automated fleet/commercial traffic.

The Central Ohio STEM Expo is a free educational outreach event for students grades K through 8 to explore the world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. At the 2015 event, the ASCE Central Ohio Section welcomed 367 students to participate in over 30 STEM related interactive activities and exhibits. The ASCE Central Ohio Section is pleased to announce the 3rd Annual Central Ohio STEM Expo will be held on Saturday, March 5, 2016 at Thomas Worthington High School from 9 AM to 1 PM.

The November 2015 newsletter is now available for download.

Topic: Dam Safety Program for City of Columbus, Ohio, Department of Public Utilities Division of Water

(Online registration and payment available, see bottom of page.)

Dams have been constructed, operated and maintained by societies for millennia for a multitude of beneficial purposes. However, the fluid nature of the materials stored behind dams poses hazards to people and structures downstream ranging from engulfment to damage from the sudden release of potential energy stored in the material should the dam fail. Because of the risks associated with these hazards Owners of dams bear great responsibility for the careful construction, operation and maintenance of the structures. And because the consequence of failure can be devastating, organizations such as ASCE, ASDSO*, and ODSO* have developed standards and best practices, and governments have established laws and agencies (FERC*, ODNR etc.) to regulate these activities.

The City of Columbus, Department of Public Utilities, Division of Water owns and operates a portfolio of 10 dams associated with various aspects of the storage and/or treatment of the community’s drinking water. To manage the intricacies inherent with these tasks in a systematic fashion the Division has developed this Program.

• Offered for free to Central Ohio Section ASCE Members
• Seating is limited to the first 25 people
• Bring your own lunch

Purpose and Background
Are you interested in new materials that can revolutionize structural design, architecture and sustainability of infrastructure? Have you ever wondered about applications of 3-D printing to Civil Engineering, and sought out approaches to make this technology scalable for large-scale applications? This webinar provides a glimpse into exciting new technologies that address the demand for high-performance materials with superior properties, flexibility, and durability, as a new design paradigm from the molecular scale upwards fundamentally transforms our ability to create novel materials. This webinar covers basic tools and applications in multiscale modeling, synthesis and characterization of structural materials with features at multiple length-scale, including the application of additive manufacturing (3-D printing) and its link to computer optimization. This webinar presents a case study to cover modeling, design, 3-D printing and material characterization of hierarchical bio-inspired composites. It discusses new concepts in autonomous construction through automated 3-D printing of complex material systems. The webinar, accessible to a broad audience, concludes with an outlook to future challenges and opportunities for the Civil Engineering profession in the context of material innovation.

The October 2015 newsletter is now available for download.

Walk across the street, have a drink and chat with your peers and colleagues after the first day of the 2015 OTEC Conference.
Drink Tickets will be provided

Sponsored by: WTS, ASHE, ABCD, Engineers Club & ASCE

Please contact Zach Stolarsky with any questions. Zach.stolarsky@korda.com

Joint meeting with ACI & SEAoO

Topic: I-270/23 Interchange a.k.a "The Trench"

(Online registration and payment available, see bottom of page.)

"The Trench" carries two northbound express lanes that bypass traffic lights at Campus View and Flint Road, spitting cars out near North Woods Boulevard. It is 25 feet deep, about 4,000 feet long and 40 feet wide. Increased population and development in Delaware County have left the I-270/Rt. 23 interchange over capacity. About 150,000 vehicles travel through the interchange each day. ODOT had to either add lanes or give drivers an alternate route. The recently completed trench does both.