work and leader-

ship they are

demonstrating to

make our 2013

National Confer-

ence a success. The National Con-

ference committee in Texas has

been meeting on a monthly basis to

ensure a successful conference and

good time for all. It must be noted

that the Saturday program will in-

clude the comedian Amer Zaher

among other segments.

Most of the National Committees

are moving forward and some com-

pleted their work. Reports will be

combined and provided to dele-

gates during the AAAEA National

Conference.

I hope that all AAAEA members

will enjoy the remaining sunny days.

I once again wish all a healthy and

happy summer.

Until we meet again, I wish you all

the best.

Together we can go further!

Dear AAAEA Member,

AAAEA members in many states

are still making the best of sum-

mer by enjoying local AAAEA pic-

nics. AAAEA picnics provide op-

portunities for members and their

families and guests to have a good

time while networking.

By attending AAAEA picnics,

members can establish profession-

al and social relationships, visit

with old friends and make new

friends, and provide their families

and guests with social interaction

in a community atmosphere.

With all work moving forward on

schedule, we can look ahead to

the second National Conference

after the formation of our national

association. Preparations for the

Conference are underway. The

Conference will be held in Dallas-

TX starting Friday November

15,2013. I would like to express

my thanks and appreciation to our

colleagues in Texas for the hard

From the President’s Desk...

AlMuhandes J U L Y 2 0 1 3 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

PUBLICATION

COMMITTEE:

Ayman Alamy (Chair) Saed Elahmad

(Editor) Mohamad Alsharbini Bilal Almasri Ghadir Haikal Maha Alsadi Mohamed Zaher Reema Albahri

Monthly Publication of the National Arab American Association of Engineers and Architects

املهندس

CONTACT

AAAEA:

aaaea@aaaea.org

312.409.8560

www.aaaea.org

P.O. BOX 1536

Chicago, IL 60690

P A G E 2 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

In This Issue

A L M U H A N D E S

SECTION TITLE PAGE

1 President Message President Message 1

2 Content In This Issue 2

3 Publications Publication Message 3

4 Education Safety Inspection of In-Service Bridges 4

5 Note Notes from AlMuhandes 7

6 Activities AAAEA- Wisconsin annual summer picnic flyer 8

7 Activities Deputy Mayor Khalil Zaied Visits AAAEA-Chicago 9

8 Education PE Exam Review with ASCE YMG & AAAEA 10

9 Activities Chicago Fire Soccer Game 11

10 News Sink Holes: When the Earth Opens Up 12

11 Activities Chicago Picnic #3 & 4 14

12 Activities Pictures from AAAEA-Chicago Picnic 2– July 6, 2013 15

13 Activities AAAEA- Capital Area Internship 16

14 Membership What's in it for me? AAAEA 18

15 Membership Membership Card 19

16 Outdoor AAAEA– Capital Area Picnic Report 20

17 Networking DFW-Texas AAEAA Networking Dinner 22

18 Interview Interview of the Month 23

19 Technical Article How does the Global Positioning System work ? 24

20 Education AAAEA Online EIT Review Course 28

21 Publications National AAAEA Identity Brochure 2013 29

22 Note Notes from AlMuhandes 31

23 Picture of the Month Grand Lisboa 32

P A G E 3 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

Dear Friends,

These days we are blessed with both beautiful, not so hot summer

days and the month of Ramadan. To all our Muslim friends, I wish you

Ramadan mubarak and may all your good deeds be accepted. I

know you all have busy schedules, but I would like to encourage you

to go out and enjoy the beautiful summer sun, after putting your sun

screen and drinking enough water. Summer has always been the time

when we try to get ourselves back in shape after the cold winter and the rainy spring

days. So get your physical exercise motivation off the shelf and get active. And for

those of you who have done so already or are travelling, please remember to send us

your best photos so that the rest of us know where to go in the future.

As we appreciate your feedback, we as always encourage you to email us your opin-

ions and suggestion at our almuhandes@aaaea.org so that we can bring you all that is

new and wondrous. After all, we are all engineers and eager for something new to

learn and read. So if you have a suggestion or something you would like to see or

share with us, please don't think twice and send us an email. We would love to hear

from you. We are here to do our best to make this reading experience enjoyable and

informative. So if you can keep a secret, we need your help!

We would like to remind our different chapters to send us their updates, articles and

announcements so that we can incorporate them for all to see. And for those few

members who are reading these words but have not yet gone out and joined us in our

many activities or got involved in one of their local chapters committees, yes I am talk-

ing to you, don't be shy and shake of the laziness. I promise, you will have fun and it will

be good for you on so many levels.

We thank you all for being such faithful readers and members to the organization and

we hope that you continue your never ending support to both the organization and

the publication.

Thank you,

Mohamed Zaher, Publication Committee Member.

Publication Message

A L M U H A N D E S

Mohamed Zaher

P A G E 4 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

SAFETY INSPECTION OF IN-SERVICE BRIDGES A National Highway Institute Training Program

HBM Engineering Group, LLC, The University of Illinois at Chicago and The National Arab American Association of Engineers and Architects are proud to sponsor the NHI 10-Day Training Course #130055 entitled "Safety In-spection of In-Service Bridges”. Due to recent changes in the Federal Regulations, this training is becoming a must in order to be qualified to inspect local and state bridges. Class size is limited to 20 attendees.

Date: August 5 thru August 16, 2013 Time: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. M-F each day Location: University of Illinois at Chicago

Engineering Research Facility, Room 1043 (ERF1043) 842 W. Taylor Street Chicago, IL 60612 (List of area hotels also attached for your use)

Cost: $1990/person (Registration fee includes all education materials, continental breakfasts

and refreshments.) Lunch is on your own.

Registration deadline is Friday, August 2, 2013. Satisfactory completion of this course will fulfill the training requirements of the National Bridge Inspection Stand-ards (NBIS) for a comprehensive training course. Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

Evaluate a variety of bridges and determine the critical areas for inspection including fracture-prone details and common points of deterioration and/or distress.

Review as-built plans and previous inspection reports and, based on this review, plan and conduct an effective safety inspection for common bridge types and bridge-length culverts.

Provide documentation of defects in various materials and of bridge configurations. For registration and more course description and objectives, visit NHI’s website: http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/training/course_search.aspx?tab=0&key=130055&sf=0&course_no=130055 Attendees will be awarded 6.7 Continuing Education Units (1 CEU = 10 PDHs)

Cancellation policy: Cancellations, with full refund, will be accepted until July 29th. No refunds will be given after July 29th. Registrations are transferable.

Safety Inspection of In-Service Bridges

A L M U H A N D E S

P A G E 5 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

DIRECTIONS TO: University of Illinois at Chicago 842. W Taylor Street Chicago IL 60612 Take exit 52A for Taylor Street, if you are coming I90E/I94E. Turn right on Taylor Street. Take exit 52B for Roosevelt Road toward Taylor Street, if you are coming I90W/I94W. Turn left on

Taylor Street. Take exit 292A to I90W/I94W, if you are coming I55N. Then take exit 52B for Roosevelt Road to-

ward Taylor Street. Turn left on Taylor Street. Take the I90E/I90E/Ryan Expy exit toward Indiana, if you are coming I290E. Then take exit 52A for

Taylor Street. Turn right on Taylor Street. *The Parking Garage will be to your right, on the Northeast corner of Taylor Street and Halsted Street.

CHICAGO AREA HOTELS (The University of Illinois at Chicago is easily accessible from these hotels.) Chicago Marriott at Medical District/UIC 625 S Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL (312) 491-1234

Holiday Inn-Chicago 506 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL (312) 957-9100

Palmer House® a Hilton Hotel E Monroe St, Chicago, IL (312) 726-7500

Hotel Burnham 1 W Washington St, Chicago, IL (312) 782-1111

W Chicago City Center 172 W Adams St, Chicago, IL (312) 332-1200

Hard Rock Hotel Chicago 230 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL (312) 345-1000

JW Marriott Chicago 151 W Adams St, Chicago, IL (312) 660-8200

These hotels are located approximately 1.5 miles from UIC.

Safety Inspection of In-Service Bridges– Continue

A L M U H A N D E S

P A G E 6 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

Safety Inspection of In-Service Bridges– Continue

A L M U H A N D E S

P A G E 7 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

Our AAAEA Members,

Please share with us any careers, job fairs,

scholarships, internships, opportunities either

within the USA or the Middle East. We

would like to share it with our members.

Please email the Career Committee at:

career.center@aaaea.org

Thank you very much.

Hosam Salman

A L M U H A N D E S

AAAEA -National Career Center

NOTES from AlMuhandes Please send your News, Articles, Pictures,

Events, Announcements, Advertisements, Fly-

ers, Elections, Activities, feedback to almu-

handes@aaaea.org

P A G E 8 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

A L M U H A N D E S

P A G E 9 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

A L M U H A N D E S

Deputy Mayor Khalil Zaied Visits AAAEA-Chicago

By Khaled Hasiba

Building on its strong relationships with its colleague chapters, the Arab American As-sociation of Engineers and Architects (AAAEA-Chicago) was happy to meet Mr. Khalil Zaied, member of the board of trustees at AAAEA-Capital Area and deputy mayor of infrastructure in the City of Baltimore. This friendly meeting took place during the AAAEA-Chicago second annual picnic, which was held on July 6th, 2013. Mr. Zaied had the chance to meet the executive board members from Chicago and discussed some of the future plans of the organization including the National Conference, which will be held in November 2013. He also talked about the challenges in the Capital Ar-ea to collect data about pavement conditions, and the available solutions to manage future rehabilitation projects.

“The growth of AAAEA over the years acknowledges the importance of the organiza-tion activities to the members” Mr. Zaied said. Mr. Bilal Al-Masri, member of the board of trustees at AAAEA-Chicago emphasized on the importance of strengthening rela-tionships among members and the leadership in different AAAEA chapters. The estab-lishment, development, and maintenance of these connections provide the right envi-ronment to flourish in the future.

P A G E 1 0 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

PE Exam Review with ASCE YMG & AAAEA

A L M U H A N D E S

ASCE YMG (Younger Member Group) & AAAEA (The Arab American Association of Engineers and Architects) are once again offering their PE Exam Review Course for the October 25th, 2013 IL Professional Engineer Exam. Our revamped PE Review Course features live instruction as well as focused problem-solving sessions, to best pre-pare you for this important step in your career. Our course has received very favorable reviews from past attendees and is the best value available for PE Exam preparation.

Location: Parsons Brinckerhoff Office at 230 W. Monroe Street, Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60606

Cost: $545 (does not include any books)

Course Schedule (TBD): Classes will be held 6:00pm-9:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays

*Dinner will be provided on study group nights.

To Register:

Please email your name and contact info (address, email, and telephone number) to Hussam Alkhatib at alkhatib@pbworld.com

For all other information or questions please contact:

Hussam Alkhatib

AAAEA PE Exam Review Director

(312) 803-6486

alkhatib@pbworld.com

Topic Instructor

Introduction to class and the exam Dr. Soliman Khudeira, PE, SE

Surveying/ Construction/Economics Dr. Soliman Khudeira, PE, SE

Surveying/ Construction/Economics Study Group *

Geotechnical Dr. Krishna R. Reddy, PE

Geotechnical Study Group *

Transportation Dr. Zongzhi Li, PE

Transportation Study Group *

Water Resources and Environmental Paul M. Kanellopoulos, PE

Water Resources and Environmental Study Group *

Structural Dr. Soliman Khudeira, PE, SE

Structural Study Group *

PE Exam

P A G E 1 1 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

A L M U H A N D E S

P A G E 1 2 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

Sink Holes: When the Earth Opens Up

A L M U H A N D E S

Jul 12, 2013- The Atlantic The ground beneath our feet, our cars, our buildings, appears to be incredibly solid. But, rarely, that solid ground can simply

opens up without warning, dropping whatever was above into an unpredictably deep hole. Sinkholes can be anywhere from

a few feet wide and deep, to two thousand feet in diameter and depth. An undiscovered cavern or deep mine can collapse,

allowing the ground above to crater, or a broken water main or heavy storm can erode a hole from below, until the surface

becomes a thin shell that collapses at once. Communities built atop karst formations are very susceptible, where a layer of

bedrock is water-soluble, like limestone, and natural processes can wear away caves and fissures, weakening support of the

ground above. Gathered here are images of some of these sinkholes, both man-made and natural, around the world.

Some of the examples you see in the urban areas are mostly due to broken pipes, or stormwater washing away soil and

sand used to backfill around pipes, etc. The Guatemalan examples are from the natural process known as “karst”. It hap-

pens in rock like limestone and salt. Again, these happen all the time in nature. It can be scary in dense urban

environments as it is more likely someone can get killed.

P A G E 1 3 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

Sink Holes: When the Earth Opens Up– Continue

A L M U H A N D E S

Picture—A giant sinkhole in Guatemala City, on May 31, 2010. More than 94,000 were evacuated as the storm buried

homes under mud, swept away a highway bridge near Guatemala City and opened up several sinkholes in the capital.

(Reuters/Casa Presidencial)

In June of 1994, a huge hole, 106 ft. wide by 185 ft. deep,

opened in the center of an IMC-Agrico waste stack near Mul-

berry, Florida. The sinkhole, shown in this July 13, 1994 photo,

released 20.8 million pounds of liquid phosphoric acid into the

ground below, and into the Floridan aquifer, which provides 90

percent of the state's drinking water. The company voluntarily

spent $6.8 million to plug the sinkhole and control the spread

of contaminants in the ground water. (AP Photo/Selbypic)

A bus, after falling into a pit created by an underground

explosion in Rui'an, Zhejiang province, on January 16, 2011. An

explosion on a road in east China's Zhejiang Province tossed a

bus without passengers four meters into the air, injuring the

driver and a 6-year-old boy on the roadside, local fire fighters

said on Sunday. The cause of the explosion was under investiga-

tion, Xinhua News Agency reported. (Reuters/China Daily)

A large crater that appeared in the early hours in the

German town of Schmalkalden, on November 1, 2010.

(Reuters/Alex Domanski)

Aerial view of a huge hole caused after a collapse in the sewage system in the neighborhood of San Anto-nio, north of Guatemala city, on February 23, 2007. Three people were killed in the collapse, as twelve homes were swallowed up. (Orlando Sierra/AFP/Getty

P A G E 1 4 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

Chicago Picnic #3 & 4

A L M U H A N D E S

Picnic #3 Date: August 18, 2013 10:00 am to 8:00 pm Picnic #4 Date: September 07, 2013 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Cost: Free Organizer: Issam Rayyan Phone: 312-409-8560 Email: activity@aaaea.org Venue: Ty Warner Park Address: Ty Warner Park, Westmont, IL, 60559 Google Map

The Arab American Association of Engineers and Architects of Illi-nois (AAAEA-IL), invites you to our 2013 3rd summer picnic to cel-

ebrate the beginning of warm summer of Illinois.

The Picnic includes Fun and games for children and adults!! It pro-vides quality time to enjoy among friends and colleagues and simp-ly to make new friends. There are water games for children (water park is $4 for non-residents). We suggest that families bring extra clothes and towels so they enjoy the water park. Bring your favorite dish to Share with others!

Grilled burgers and hot dogs will be provided!

Picnic #3 Link ; Picnic #4 Link

P A G E 1 5 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

A L M U H A N D E S

Pictures from AAAEA-Chicago Picnic #2– July 6, 2013

P A G E 1 6 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

Internship in Civil Engineering area in Washington, D.C.

Dear AAAEA Friend,

The Washington Center is looking for a host organization to wel-come and mentor a fantastic civil engineering student, Ahmed Youssef, from Concordia Universi- ty in Canada as an intern for the summer semester 2013. The Washington Center for Intern- ships and Academic Seminars is an independent, nonprofit organi- zation serving hundreds of col-leges and universities in the Unit- ed States and other countries by providing selected students chal- lenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington, D.C. for academic credit. The largest program of its kind, The Washington Center has 80 full-time staff and more than 50,000 alumni, many of whom are in leadership positions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. During their semester in Washington, students take part in the following academic compo-nents: 1. Internships in Washington, D.C.: Students intern four to four and a half days per week in organizations that help to frame global outlook of the D.C. policy arena. They are involved in tasks, projects, and assignments that are guaranteed to be 80 percent substan-tive work. This allows them not only to develop professional habits, but also to transfer their academic skills to understanding the operations of complex organizations with global hori-zons. 2. Academic Course: All participants in this program must complete an academ-

ic course. Classes, taught by TWC faculty members, meet one evening per week for three hours, with additional independent work required. The courses help students understand de-velopment theories, business and trade models as well as relevant policy-making processes. 3. Leadership Forum & Monday Programming: The hallmark of TWC's program-ming is its Leadership Forum, which includes the Alan K. Simpson-Norman Y. Mineta Lead-ers Series, Public Policy Dialogues on Capitol Hill, and the Roundtable on Civil Society and Social Responsibility. The Leadership Forum is designed to engage with leaders from a vari-ety of settings and to help students reflect on their professional leadership development. 4. Civic Engagement/Social Responsibility Project: Each student is required to

complete a Civic Engagement Project in which they become informed about an issue they care about and then take civic action in partnership with others to make a positive difference at the local, national or global level.

5. Portfolio: Over the course of the semester, students build a portfolio of docu-ments that reflect their development through the various learning activities described above. The Washington Center is a designated J-1 visa sponsor by the State Department. Moreover, we provide

AAAEA – Capital Area Internship

A L M U H A N D E S

P A G E 1 7 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

housing for all our students.

Here is a link to pictures of one of our Residential and Academic Facilities (RAF): http://

www.flickr.com/photos/twcedu/sets/72157624665172495/

Finally, we have agreements with more than 500 universities around the world as well as many federal and state/provincial governments. Our students either get academic credits for their internship in D.C. or this will count as their co-op term. Therefore, although the students can receive a stipend, they do not expect it (it is up to the host organization).

Our summer semester is from June 3 to August 9 (10 weeks). The fall semester is from September 3 to December 14 (15 week)

The spring semester is from January 30 to May 10 (15 weeks) At this time, the center is looking for an engineering firm to host a student, Ahmed Youssef. For Ahmed, due to the visa process (which is pretty quick since he is traveling with a Canadi-an passport and will receive his visa at the border on his way to D.C.), the ideal would be to conduct phone interviews with him this week so we can finalize his paperwork next week. If you are satisfied after the phone interview, you can make an offer to Ahmed directly. We will then need the contact information of his internship supervisor for the next steps. Please check out the following documents about our center and the student:

Resource Guide: Internship Site Supervisor Reference on Hosting Interns

Program Guide Ahmed Youssef's Profile

If you have any questions, please contact:

Sonia Ziadé, M.A. Senior Manager, International Development and Advanced Leadership Programs The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars 1333 16th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20036 Direct Number: (202) 238-7955 Main: (202) 238-7900 Toll Free: (800) 486-8921 Fax: (202) 238-7700 E-mail: sonia.ziade@twc.edu

Thank you! AAAEA - Capital Area

AAAEA - Capital Area is not currently a partner with the Washington Center and cannot provide any additional information to the above. Please contact the Washington Center

AAAEA – Capital Area Internship– Continue

A L M U H A N D E S

P A G E 1 8 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

Networking: Nationwide Professional & Social networking of fellow

Arab Professionals.

Professional Courses Assistance: Professional Engineer Exam

Review Course, Fundamentals of Engineering Exam Review Course

& ACT Review Course.

Job Opportunity: Special job opportunities offers exclusive to

members.

ALMUHANDES Publication: Free Monthly Publication.

Career Assistance/ National Career Committee: Assists our

members by sending out job notifications and helping our members

with finding jobs.

Scholarships: Annual Scholarship award program.

Professional Seminars: Free or reduced cost

Social Events: Free or reduced cost.

A L M U H A N D E S

AAAEA

P A G E 1 9 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

New AAAEA Membership Card Is ready for you at your chapter

A L M U H A N D E S

Renew Your Membership

Today

P A G E 2 0 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

AAAEA– Capital Area Picnic Report

A L M U H A N D E S

If you went to AAAEA 2013 Annual Picnic at Savage Park in MD on Saturday June 15, then you know what a spe-cial event it was. Thanks to all members, families and guests who joined our picnic. The picnic had great attend-ance, with almost 150 people gathering to munch goodies and entertain. It was filled with great food, nice company and lots of entertainment and fun. There were BBQ food like halal beef and chicken, burgers, and hotdogs along with father's day cakes, fine Mid-dle Eastern deserts and watermelons to cool down. On the other hand, there were games and contests for eve-rybody. Playing cards was fun but Volleyball on sand was a big hit, with as many as eleven in a team. Of course, there were those inevitable discussions on line calls. We joked, laughed and argued to agree on whether the ball was in; as a matter of fact, we had trouble seeing on where the line is. It was a lot of FUN. Did I mention that we had an amazing time listening to super star Johny Abudayeh singing and playing Oud. We sang with him and had a blast. Beside to all the fun we had, AAAEA gave away gifts to raffle ticket winners. Some people had a chance to win Dunkin Donuts gift cards and others had a chance to win AAAEA mugs. All who missed the picnic really missed a good time. The weather was wonderful and we all had fun and en-joyed it to the max. All in all, it was amazing. We hope that those of you who didn't make it this year will join us next year.

Special thanks to our picnic sponsors; Alpha Corporation and Sabra, Wang and Associates, and many thanks to AAAEA-Capital Area members of picnic committee and volunteers who planned and helped to make this a suc-cessful event; Walid Halboni, Nawras Taffal, Farah Masoud and Eissa Haj-Hamad. See you next year. Respectfully submitted, Nawras Taffal Member of 2013 Picnic Committee. Full report with pictures from the picnic can be downloaded using here!

P A G E 2 1 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

AAAEA– Capital Area Picnic Report - Continue

A L M U H A N D E S

P A G E 2 2 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

DFW-Texas AAEAA Networking Dinner

A L M U H A N D E S

Dear All, The Arab American Association of Engineers & Architects (AAEAA-TX) had a great turnout for the networking dinner last Sunday June 23, 2013 at Andalous Mediterranean Grill in Irving Texas. Many of the attendees appreciated the opportunity of the professional networking. Various top-ics were discussed among the attendees

AAEAA-TX (National AAAEA)

P. O. BOX 421341

Dallas, Texas 75342-1341

http://aaaea.org/td/ (DFW Chapter) http://aaaea.org/th/ (Houston Chapter) http://www.aaaea.org (National AAAEA)

P A G E 2 3

Interview of the Month By Maha Alsadi

Please introduce yourself; education, background

and family.

My Name is Ahmad Khammash. I am fifty five years

old. I grew up in Jordan, came to the US to go to the

University of Texas at Arlington. I have a Bachelor in

Civil Engineering and a Masters of Science in Civil En-

gineering from UTA. I grew up around the Engineering

profession environment, since my father was an Engi-

neer and always had an affinity for Science and Engineering. I mar-

ried my wife Theresa, a native of New York, I had met at college. We

still reside in Arlington, Texas and we have four grown children. I

worked in the Engineering profession after completing my education

and still working in this capacity. I am a licensed Engineer, and own

an Engineering firm.

How did you learn about AAAEA? Please elaborate on your ser-

vice as an officer this year and the prior years.

I became aware of the AAAEA existence when the Houston, Texas

chapter was established, through my friend, and ex-classmate, Dr,

Moussa Issa, who traveled from Chicago to Houston to help establish

the Houston chapter. In 2009 the North Texas, Dallas Fort Worth

Chapter was established. I have been an officer of this chapter since it

was first established. This is the second year that I serve as a presi-

dent.

What is the latest in Dallas section, and how the leadership is sus-

taining the section under your presidency?

Under the current leadership, Dallas membership remains constant

since it’s establishment, and did not meet my expectations in terms of

growth. In Texas, both Dallas and Houston sections, have had chal-

lenges in meeting the anticipated growth since both are large metro-

A L M U H A N D E S

Ah

mad

Kh

amm

ash

P A G E 2 4

Interview of the Month– continue

politan areas. The Dallas Fort Worth section has been active in terms

of providing successful activities, such as free expert technical semi-

nars, and networking events, that have proven to provide valuable

professional knowledge, contracting, and employment opportunities.

Our association has been very open in terms of who benefits from

these activities, even for non-members perhaps too open to the extent

that some of the same people attending do not feel the need to be-

come members.

You attended prior National Conferences, how do you see the pro-

gress over the years?

I have attended the New Jersey, Chicago and Wisconsin National

Conferences, and have seen the positive progression of AAAEA, and

its becoming a National Association. I am very proud of the progress

being made. I believe that there are much work still to be done in or-

der to expand our mission and increase our membership base.

AAAEA-Dallas will be the host for the 2013 National Conference,

how is the preparation going?

We have been active in preparing for the upcoming National Confer-

ence in Dallas. We signed an agreement with the Hotel where the con-

ference and lodging will take place. And transportation from and to

Dallas Fort Worth International and Dallas Love Field have been ar-

ranged. We have the entertainment event already planned. We will

communicate more with local members and businesses in both Dallas

– Fort Worth and Houston and request participation and contribution

to making this event a success.

What do you think of ALMUHANDES and would you contribute

articles in the future?

I believe ALMUHANDES is a great publication, to which I will be

honored to be able to contribute articles. I greatly appreciate the dedi-

cation, and volunteerism of its publisher Ms. Maha Alsadi.

I am looking forward to our National Conference.

A L M U H A N D E S

Ah

mad

Kh

amm

ash

P A G E 2 5 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

Article by Darren Griffin

Introduction When I first wrote this article back in 2002, consum-

er grade GPS was very new, very expensive and very

rare! Consequently most of those who chose to in-vest in GPS hardware had a vested interest in discov-

ering how this marvel of technology worked. Back in

2001 when map based GPS navigation first arrived, new users could not believe that the system was fee

free with no service plan and no contract, what was

the catch they all asked? And so the seed of an idea

that became this explanation was born.

6+ years on GPS is mainstream, a commodity item that is no longer amazing or to be

marveled at. We just open the box, switch on and use it with little thought to the tech-nology that drives it. But it is still worth explaining how a small black box sat on your

dashboard or held in your hand can know where you are anywhere on the surface of the

planet to an accuracy of about 10m for consumer grade and 10mm for survey grade de-

vices! That device on your dash is receiving a signal from a satellite orbiting above you at an altitude of over 11,000 miles! Not bad for a device that is not connected to a 2m dish!

Background - Navstar The Global Positioning System (GPS) network we all use is called Navstar and is paid for

and operated by the US Department of Defence (DoD). This Global Navigation Satellite

System (GNSS) is currently the only fully operational system but Russia has GLONASS, China has COMPASS and the EU has GALILEO each at varying stages of development or

testing.

As a military system, Navstar was originally designed and reserved for the sole use of the military but civilian users were allowed access in 1983. Back then, accuracy for civilian

users was intentionally degraded to +/- 100m using a system known as Selective Availa-

bility (SA) but this was eliminated in May 2000.

The Satellite Network

The GPS satellites transmit signals to a GPS receiver. These receivers passively receive satellite signals; they do not transmit and require an unobstructed view of the sky, so

they can only be used effectively outdoors. Early receivers did not perform well within

forested areas or near tall buildings but later receiver designs such as SiRFStarIII, MTK

etc have overcome this and improved performance and sensitivity markedly. GPS opera-tions depend on a very accurate time reference, which is provided by atomic clocks on

How does the Global Positioning

System work ?

A L M U H A N D E S

P A G E 2 6 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

board the satellites.

The Navstar GPS Constellation

Each GPS satellite transmits data that indicates its location and the current time. All GPS

satellites synchronize operations so that these repeating signals are transmitted at the same instant. The signals, moving at the speed of light, arrive at a GPS receiver at

slightly different times because some satellites are further away than others. The dis-

tance to the GPS satellites can be determined by estimating the amount of time it takes for their signals to reach the receiver. When the receiver estimates the distance to at

least four GPS satellites, it can calculate its position in three dimensions.

There are at least 24 operational GPS satellites at all times plus a number of

spares. The satellites, operated by the US DoD, orbit with a period of 12 hours (two or-bits per day) at a height of about 11,500 miles traveling at 9,000mph (3.9km/s or

14,000kph). Ground stations are used to precisely track each satellite's orbit.

Here is an interesting comparison. The GPS signals are transmitted at a power equiva-

lent to a 50 watt domestic light bulb. Those signal have to pass through space and our

atmosphere before reaching your satnav after a journey of 11,500 miles. Compare that

with a TV signal, transmitted from a large tower 10 - 20 miles away at most, at a power level of 5-10,000 watts. And compare the size of your TV's roof mounted antenna with

that of your GPS, often hidden inside the case itself. A wonder then that it works as well

as it does and when the occasional hiccup occurs you will at least understand the rea-sons why.

How does the Global Positioning System work?- Continue

A L M U H A N D E S

P A G E 2 7 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

Signals from multiple satellites are required to calculate a position

How Position is Determined

A GPS receiver "knows" the location of the satellites because that information is included in the transmitted Ephemeris data (see below). By estimating how far away a satellite is,

the receiver also "knows" it is located somewhere on the surface of an imaginary sphere

centred at the satellite. It then determines the sizes of several spheres, one for each satellite and therefore knows the receiver is located where these spheres intersect.

GPS Accuracy

The accuracy of a position determined with GPS depends on the type of receiver. Most consumer GPS units have an accuracy of about +/-10m. Other types of receivers use a

method called Differential GPS (DGPS) to obtain much higher accuracy. DGPS requires

an additional receiver fixed at a known location nearby. Observations made by the sta-tionary receiver are used to correct positions recorded by the roving units, producing an

accuracy greater than 1 meter.

How Is The Signal Timed?

All GPS satellites have several atomic clocks. The signal that is sent out is a random se-

quence, each part of which is different from every other, called pseudo-random code.

This random sequence is repeated continuously. All GPS receivers know this sequence and repeat it internally. Therefore, satellites and the receivers must be in synch. The re-

ceiver picks up the satellite's transmission and compares the incoming signal to its own

internal signal. By comparing how much the satellite signal is lagging, the travel time becomes known.

How does the Global Positioning System work?- Continue

A L M U H A N D E S

P A G E 2 8 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

AAAEA Online EIT Review Course

A L M U H A N D E S

Are you planning to take the EIT Exam?

AAAEA-Chicago offers online EIT/FE Preparation Videos.

The videos were previously recorded at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) campus. The lectures

taught by highly knowledgeable professionals and experts in their fields. The classes are designed to

help you prepare for the EIT/FE Exam and concentrate on in depth reviews and problem solving of

each of the topics listed below.

The videos are streamed online and can be accessed from any computer with an internet connection.

Study, learn, and review at your own pace around your own schedule.

The EIT (or FE) Exam is offered twice a year – in April and October. Registration for the EIT exam is

done through NCEES. Please referrer to ncees.org for exam dates and registration methods.

Price:

Members: $100

Non-Members: $200

For More Information Email: education@aaaea.org

Video Topics: Instructor

Mechanics of Materials I Dr. Khudeira, PE, SE

Mechanics of Materials II Dr. Khudeira, PE, SE

Mathematics I Dr. Shuaibi

Mathematics II Dr. Shuaibi

Thermodynamics Mr. Ashraf Al Hayek

Probability & Statistics Dr. Shuaibi

Chemistry Dr. Aheda Saber

Statics Mr. Grainawi, PE, SE

Engineering Economics Mr. Bou-Saab, PE

Computer Science & Mr. Baha Al-Abed

Electrical Engineering Dr. Elqaq, PE

Dynamics- I Dr. Mahamid, PE

Dynamics- II Dr. Mahamid, PE

Fluid Mech. Dr. Mahmoud Issa, PE

P A G E 2 9 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

A L M U H A N D E S

National AAAEA

Identity Brochure 2013 - Front

Click to download your PDF copy

P A G E 3 0 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

A L M U H A N D E S

National AAAEA

Identity Brochure 2013 - Back

Click to download your PDF copy

P A G E 3 1 V O L U M E V I I I S S U E V I I

All news and articles must be e-mailed to al-

muhandes@aaaea.org by the Friday prior to

the publishing day in order to be published by

the last Tuesday of the month.

All chapters must update their e-mail list in

order to ensure the distribution of AlMu-

handes to all their members.

Please send your feedback about AlMu-

handes to almuhandes@aaaea.org

When sending articles, please send the arti-

cles in word document instead of PDF.

Send any pictures in any original picture for-

mat, and do not place in a document or PDF.

When forwarding e-mails from “Constant

Contact” , try to forward using the Constant

Contact forward button instead of your e-

mail button.

When sending announcements and letter of

any kind, use the Word document instead of

the e-mail itself.

Thank you for your cooperation.

A L M U H A N D E S

NOTES from AlMuhandes

AAAEA is a non-profit organization working to help it's members as well as the communi-

ty as a whole.

Any content in this newsletter is used for informative or educational purposes only.

Any questions , concerns or feedback regarding ALMUHANDES should be forwarded to

almuhandes@aaaea.org

All news and articled must be e-mailed to almuhandes@aaaea.org by the Friday prior

to the publishing day in order to be published by the last Tuesday of the month.

Grand Lisboa

(Macao) is a 58-floor,

261-metre-tall (856

ft) hotel in Macau,

owned by Sociedade

de Turismo e Di-

versões de Macau

and designed by

Hong Kong architects

Dennis Lau and Ng

Chun Man. Its casino

and restaurants were

opened on February

11, 2007, while the

hotel was opened in

December 2008. The

casino offers 800

mass gaming tables

and 1000 slot ma-

chines. The hotel

contains 430 hotel

rooms and suites.

The Grand Lisboa is

the tallest building in

Macau and the 118th

Tallest Building in the

World (by architec-

tural structure).

Picture of the Month