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InterACTION The National Academy of Forensic Engineers • 1420 King Street • Alexandria, VA 22314

Fall/Winter 2015

SEE YOU IN TAMPA, FLORIDA!

JANUARY 22-24, 2016 SHERATON TAMPA RIVERWALK HOTEL You will find the NAFE conference schedule and

registration forms on the NAFE website,

www.nafe.org. The schedule is included at the end

of this newsletter.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE By JEFF ARMSTRONG

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE DECEMBER 2015 As I approach the end of my term as President of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, I want to thank each of you for granting me this honor. It has been a privilege to serve you and to serve the Academy in this role, and I look

forward to my remaining three years on the Board as Past President. I am thankful to have worked with such an outstanding Board. The engineers that serve on your Board put in many hours of volunteer time on your behalf to ensure that this Academy continues to represent us and serve us well as Forensic Engineers. I extend my thanks to retiring Board Member Richard Ziernicki for his eight years of service on the Board of Directors, and especially for the year he served as President in 2012. Richard played a key role in our management transition that has occurred over the past three years, and the success of this transition is largely due to his efforts. It has been an honor to serve with him, and I look forward to his continued activity in the Academy. I also extend my thanks to retiring Board Member Bill Bracken. As many of you know Bill serves as Chairman of the Florida Board of Professional Engineers, and the demands of this assignment did not allow him to continue as a member of our Board. I have known Bill for a long time, and I enjoyed serving with him on the Board the last few years. He played a key role in some of the recent changes in our membership requirements and in the forthcoming updating of our logo.

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I extend my thanks to Marvin Specter for his long service as Editor of the Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers. The final issue of The Journal under his editorship will be distributed to the members in the near future. I have a shelf in my office with every issue of The Journal that has been printed, and these Journals are a valuable technical resource in my engineering practice. When you see Marvin at our January meeting, be sure to take a minute to express gratitude to him for his service in this role. We enjoyed a successful summer meeting in Seattle, which was highlighted by a riveting presentation by guest speaker, Mr. Allan J. McDonald. Mr. McDonald is the author of Truth, Lies, and O-Rings: Inside the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. He spoke of his role in the design of the solid rocket motors for the space shuttle, his role in the events leading up to the January 1986 launch of the Challenger, and his role in the subsequent investigation of the Challenger Disaster. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an NAFE audience so riveted on a presentation as it was during his. At our Summer Board Meeting, the Board voted to amend its Articles of Incorporation to allow the inclusion of engineers with a Canadian P.Eng. registration to apply for membership in the Academy. While additional action needs to be taken, I look forward to welcoming Canadian engineers as Board Certified Members of the Academy in the near future. The Board also elected to enhance the requirements for the Fellow Grade which will make this a more prestigious achievement for Academy members. Details of the new requirements to apply as a Fellow are

available on the NAFE website. All actions taken by the Board were ratified by the membership at our general business meeting. Those who were at the summer meeting saw drafts of various logos for future use by the Academy. We listened carefully to comments and input from the members at the meeting, and have continued working on this. We will have updated information to present at the January meeting in Tampa. I am excited to invite all of you to attend our January 2016 meeting in my home town of Tampa, Florida on January 21 – 24. The basic schedule of the meeting is as follows, and detailed information is on the NAFE website at www.nafe.org :

Thursday, January 21 (Afternoon) Behind-the-Scenes Engineering Tour of Busch Gardens Theme Park in Tampa, followed by dinner at the historic Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City (Limit 20 participants) Friday, January 22 Committee Meetings and Board Meeting ASTM E-58 Meeting Dinner Cruise on the Yacht StarShip II Saturday, January 23 Regular Seminar, with split-sessions in the afternoon NAFE Dinner at the conference hotel Sunday, January 24 NAFE Special Seminar

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I was once asked in a deposition, “How much of your engineering work is real engineering?” Without hesitation I responded, “All of my engineering work is real engineering.” Now, I think that what this attorney really wanted to know was how much of my work is related to traditional engineering design work, and he clearly did not consider forensic engineering to be “real” engineering. I contend that as Forensic Engineers, many of us do more “real” engineering than those engaged in more traditional engineering roles. When there is a failure within an engineering system, one must perform a full engineering analysis to determine the cause of that failure. Our analyses require a deep understanding of engineering concepts and principles. I encourage each of you to remember the high standards and expectations that are placed on us as forensic engineers. As I embarked on my engineering career a quarter century ago, my father, also engineer, gave me the following advice as to how to be successful in my career. He said, “Remember the lessons you learned in Sunday School, and apply those lessons to your professional life.” In Sunday School we learned the Golden Rule; Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In Sunday School we learned to tell the truth and to treat others with respect. We learned about honesty and integrity. While these principles may not necessarily make you wealthy, they will indeed make you successful. I wish all of you happiness and success in your forensic engineering practices. See you next month in Tampa!

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE By ARTHUR SCHWARTZ, J.D., CAE

Following on the heels of the very successful 2015 NAFE Summer Meeting in Seattle with great participation and excellent attendance, NAFE is looking forward to another very successful January 2016 NAFE Winter Meeting in Tampa, Florida. As always, the NAFE leadership is doing a phenomenal job assembling a superb and stimulating program on current issues in forensic engineering practice as well as a variety of very exciting social events. A special Busch Gardens Engineering Tour is scheduled for Thursday, January 21st, followed by a dinner at the historic Columbia Restaurant. On Friday, January 22nd, the NAFE Board of Directors will convene, followed by a meeting of the ASTM E-58 Forensic Engineering Technical Committee. That evening, NAFE members will enjoy a combined dinner and river cruise. Outstanding technical and professional seminars are planned for Saturday and Sunday January 23-24th with excellent speakers for NAFE’s Regular and Special Seminars. A collegial reception and dinner is planned for Saturday evening. In addition to general morning sessions each day, for the first time ever, NAFE will conduct two tracks during each afternoon session. A special effort has also been made to encourage “first

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timers” as well as Florida professional engineers with an interest in forensic engineering to attend the conference.

NAFE headquarters continues to be very busy with membership renewal, CPD and other activities. We continue to explore opportunities for improvements and enhancements as we seek better and more efficient ways to serve you. The survey conducted following the 2015 NAFE Summer Meeting attendee gathered extremely important in assisting NAFE in planning future NAFE Meetings and programs. The NAFE leadership also continues to press forward on the development of a refreshed NAFE logo with more information announced in the coming months.

Inquiries for various NAFE membership categories and affiliation continue to come to NAFE headquarters on a daily basis. With the NAFE membership category modifications earlier this year, questions have been coming in from existing and potential members both in the US and abroad. NAFE headquarters filed necessary amendments to the NAFE Articles of Incorporation with the Virginia State Corporation Commission to facilitate the membership changes. Recent heightened interest in the NAFE Journal is clearly apparent now that the NAFE Journal is accessible online and been granted an ISSN number by the United States Library of Congress Office of Copyright. A NAFE Journal indexing process is being considered for action in Tampa by the NAFE Board. I continue to receive many inquiries from engineering students, young engineers and mid-level practitioners with a growing interest in forensic engineering practice, and in their efforts to seek guidance in their career paths, have been contacting NAFE

seeking mentors through the NAFE Mentorship Program. NAFE headquarters staff responds on a daily basis to inquiries from the media, public officials and members of the public regarding forensic engineering practice issues. NAFE Membership Certificates for new members have been designed, are being processed at NAFE headquarters and should available shortly.

I continue to be extremely impressed with NAFE members use of and access to the NAFE website, updating their personal and professional information, using the NAFE membership directory and the NAFE document library. The NAFE Yahoo Group List Serve continues to be very active on a variety of professional practice and related issues, with NAFE members generously sharing their expertise and experience with their peers.

Please feel free to contact me at any time at 703-684-2845 or aschwartz@nafe.org

Hope to see you in Tampa and Dallas!

EDITOR’S MESSAGE Pamela Curtis, InterACTION Editor

The wives of ten NAFE members are pictured above—an impressive group,

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isn’t it? Over the years, we have enjoyed meeting at NAFE conferences to explore the various cities, shop, and catch up. The size of the group varies depending on the demands of our lives, but there’s always someone willing to attend a cooking lesson, or find a bead or bookstore, visit a museum, take a boat tour, learn a new craft, and/or find the best sales. We’re a friendly bunch—additions to the group are very welcome! You’ll usually find us around 9 a.m. at the Starbucks (or other coffee provider) in whatever hotel lobby planning the day over breakfast. On a separate topic, Mary Jo Stephens and I popped into a NAFE session in Seattle and were delighted to hear her husband, Past President Paul Stephens announce, “Behind every successful man stands a woman rolling her eyes.” So true… Please send me your articles, milestones, anecdotes, etc. Pecurtis2@frontier.com

LinkENGINEERING; IMPLEMENTING PRE-K-12 ENGINEERING EDUCATION The National Academy of Engineering has launched LinkEngineering, a new website to support implementation of preK–12 engineering education in the United States. LinkEngineering aims to provide high-quality resources and build a professional community for three groups: educators working in pre-K–12 classrooms and out of school settings; those engaged in pre-service teacher education and professional development; and school, district, and state administrators. The website responds to

recent efforts, including the Next Generation Science Standards, to introduce pre-K–12 students to engineering concepts and practices. The LinkEngineering project was made possible by the generous support of Chevron. Visit the site. Join the community. Comment on and submit resources. Get feedback on your own ideas for teaching engineering. Share this information with colleagues who might be interested in the website.

NAFE WEBSITE AND DATABASE UPDATE Mike Leshner, Website Committee Chair

If you have not logged into www.nafe.org lately, come on in and explore. You can edit your profile, upload a photo, and search for members by location, specialty or other search terms. Your username is your email (unless you have changed it), and your password can be retrieved using “forgot my password”. Both can be changed when you edit your profile. Once you have logged in, the Member Landing Page has links to the NAFE Document Library, with copies of all the NAFE documents you received when you joined. There are also links to renew your dues, submit CPDs, register for meetings, and more. One of the most valuable features of the nafe.org website is the search box at the upper right corner of each page. Type in a member’s name, and the search returns all citations to the member’s Journal articles, seminars, and any other citation containing the name. Search for a keyword, and all the relevant Journal articles will come up. Each web page has a menu on the left, with links to return to the Member

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Landing Page or go to the shopping cart. The NAFE shopping cart is another way to search for NAFE Journal articles by author, title, or keyword. Individual articles may be downloaded, and your 50% member discount code is “members only”. If you have comments and suggestions for website improvements, please send me a message. (mike@leshner.com)

NAFE MENTORING PROGRAM Paul Stephens, Mentorship Committee Chair John Murdock, Co-Chair

The mentorship program was conceived and developed to assist those new to the forensic engineering field with the transition from their former vocations. It was evident that many experienced engineers who joined NAFE had limited or no experience with the ethical standards of forensic engineering practice, self-employment, running a business, consulting contracts, dealing with attorneys, and with appropriate responses to the adversarial aspects of an expert witness vocation. Dues payers’ profiles in NAFE’s confidential, members-only accessible membership directory are used to identify those engineers who either would like to have a mentor or are willing to be one. All dues payers are encouraged to update their profiles regularly. The Mentorship Program Committee monitors the membership directory periodically for mentor requests. The Committee then searches the database for an appropriate mentor. Once a match is made, the Committee asks the mentor

to contact the individual that requested a mentor. The program is informal and frequency of future contact is left up to the individuals. Additional information is available in the FAQ section of NAFE.org. You may also contact the writers for further information. We encourage new or less experienced forensic engineers to take advantage of this new program.

PUT THE BRAKES ON FATALITIES NAFE, in conjunction with NSPE, the Institute of Transportation Engineers Expert Witness Council, and a coalition of Pennsylvania governmental agencies, was recognized in a House Resolution for its successful efforts to reduce highway deaths on Pennsylvania roads. The number of highway deaths declined to 1195, the lowest number since record keeping began in 1928. October 10, 2015, was designated “Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day” in Pennsylvania to focus national attention on the necessity for safe driving.

BRACKEN RESIGNS FROM BOARD Bill Bracken writes, “Due to numerous commitments, not the least of which is serving a second year as chair of Florida’s engineering licensure board, I find that I am unable to devote the time to NAFE that it deserves. For this reason I have chosen to resign my position as an officer within NAFE effective immediately. I do intend to remain a member of the organization but in a far less active role.

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Please convey my thanks to the members for the opportunity to have served.” Most Respectfully, William C. Bracken, PE, SI, CFM

A QUESTION FROM HAL SCHWARTZ, PE Hal Schwartz writes that he has been notified by the State of Maryland that as a corporation offering professional engineering services in Maryland, he must register his firm and pay a fee in addition to registering as a PE. He does not live in Maryland nor does he do much work in that state. He understands that other states have the same requirement, and adds that Maryland does not specifically mention forensics. Hal wants to know if there are other engineers who are registered in several states who have encountered this situation and what their reactions are.

A FORENSIC EXPERIENCE FROM MAURICE CUEVA-EGUIGUREN, PE, CFEI May 17, 2015 Generator Step-up Transformer (GST) Failure. Over the past winter when the Northeast section of the country experienced extended periods of sub-freeze temperatures with record snow precipitation, an electric utility in this region experienced a GST failure. A GST transforms the voltage produced by the generator (typically 13,800 volts) to higher voltages in order to transmit the power over the high voltage transmission lines.

The GST failure in this case was a three (3) winding transformer. The two (2) secondary windings are connected to Generator “A” and Generator “B” via copper bars inside a metal enclosure. The primary winding of the GST is connected to the 115,000 Volts transmission substation via overhead transmission cables. At the time of the GST failure, both generators were not operating since they are normally on standby mode. The electrical connection between the GST winding with the Generator “B” also connects to the plant auxiliary transformer in order to provide power for the electrical loads in the plant. As such, the three (3) windings of the GST are always energized. The GST transformer failure occurred when a short circuit developed on the connection (Non-segregated bus “A”) between the secondary winding of the GST and the Generator “A” which runs partially outdoors and exposed to the environment. The other connection (Non-segregated bus “B”) of the secondary winding to Generator “B” and the auxiliary loads was not affected. A forensic investigation was requested by the insurance company to determine the origin and cause of the GST failure. The forensic investigation involved obtaining operational data from the utility for Generators “A” and “B” over the past four (4) years, and climatology data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the past four winter seasons. The electric utility provided photographs of the failed connection bars (Non-segregated bus “A”) since they were removed prior to the forensic engineer performing a visual inspection of the accident scene.

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The forensic investigation revealed that the failure in the connection bars (Non-segregated bus “A”) between the secondary winding of the transformer and the Generator “A” were due to freeze and thaw cycles resulting in condensation in the connection bar enclosure (Non-segregated bus “A” enclosure) since these connection bars were energized with 13,800 Volts without power flow through them which generates heat inside the enclosure (lack of I2R) and prevent condensation in the enclosure. In addition, the forensic investigation revealed that the short circuit occurred very close to the transformer winding (within 2 feet from the transformer bushings) and as such, the protective devices designed to protect the transformer from such failures did not have sufficient time to operate.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE REPORT Ross Curtis, Legislative Committee Chair

From ASCE Government Relations This Week in Washington, November 20, 2015 Surface Transportation Conference Committee Makes Progress and Gets More Time This week the Surface Transportation Bill Conference Committee met in what will likely be its only public meeting to finalize work on a compromise bill. Congress moved the November 20 deadline to December 4 to give conferees additional time to complete their work. The conference committee chairman, Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) kicked-off the meeting by stating, “There is plenty of common ground between the [House & Senate] proposals to allow us to reach an

agreement that both [chambers] can willingly support.” The lead House Democrat on the committee, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), underscored the importance of achieving an increase in overall funding in the final bill. “I'm hopeful to get higher levels of spending on an annual basis and if funds are so limited that we have to reduce the term of the bill, it's an option I think should be looked at,” said DeFazio. The committee announced a timeline which includes finalizing the conference agreement by November 30 and having a House vote on the bill by the December 4 deadline. It remains to be seen whether the Senate will be able to act before that date. They may need a week extension to approve the legislation before it can be sent to President Obama for his signature. Many members of the committee seem hopeful that a final agreement will be reached very soon and that they can craft a measure that will receive the necessary votes in both the House and Senate to be signed by the president. In a letter sent to conferees this week, ASCE stated that a five-year program which includes significant funding increases should be the goal of the committee. Otherwise the country could begin to see the job losses and reduction in GDP identified by ASCE’s Failure to Act Economic Report. Congress Takes First Step to Develop New Water Resources Bill Several members of Congress from the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee gathered in New Orleans last Friday to listen to stakeholders offer their policy wish list for

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the new water resources bill the Committee pledged to introduce in 2016. Spearheaded by freshman Congressman Garrett Graves (R-La.), T&I Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) and Water Resources Subcommittee Chairman Bob Gibbs (R-OH) joined a roundtable discussion focused mainly on flood control and dredging projects sponsored by the Army Corps of Engineers. The Committee’s goal is get the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) back on a two year authorization cycle, after letting the legislation lie fallow for seven years before finally passing a bill in 2014. ASCE enthusiastically supported the 2014 bill and will work closely with the Committee developing the forthcoming legislation. From NSPE Daily Designs, November 23, 2015 DOT’s Foxx Looks To Transportation Bill For Help With Gridlocks.

The Washington Post (11/23, Halsey) reports on the deteriorating state of roads throughout the US and the traffic that results from the lack of transit systems and walkable communities. The article details some of the nation’s biggest bottlenecks, a large number of which are in Los Angeles, but also in Seattle, Boston, New York, Washington, DC, and Chicago. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in remarks prepared for Monday’s delivery of the Alliance report, “Unclogging America’s Arteries 2015,” that the new transportation bill now in conference committee on Capitol Hill might make a difference. “The good news is that this problem is solvable, and Congress can be part of the solution,” Foxx said. “As a long-term surface transportation bill moves through conference, I urge our elected leaders to

provide the funding growth and policies that are necessary to improve commutes, to raise the bar for safety, and to keep the country moving in the 21st century,” he added. Obama Signs Two-Week Extension Of Highway Funding. The Hill (11/20, Laing) reported that President Obama on Friday, a day after the Senate approved the measure, signed an extension of “federal transportation funding through Dec. 4.” According to the White House, Obama signed the legislation using an autopen, “given the need for this extension and given the fact that the President is on the other side of the Pacific Ocean” for an official visit to Asia. The temporary measure “does not include any new money” but continues funding from “the three-month transportation bill that was approved in July.” Volkswagen Presents Plan To Correct Emissions In US Cars.

The New York Times (11/21, Ewing, Mouawad, Subscription Publication) reported on the initial proposal submitted Friday by Volkswagen to the Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board on how the automaker plans to correct its emissions-cheating devices illegally installed in hundreds of thousands of cars in the US. Nevada Says Yucca Mountain Would Threaten Nearby Farmers.

The AP (11/20, Ritter) reported Friday that the state of Nevada submitted a 53-page report to the NRC saying the proposed Yucca Mountain facility could threaten farmers in the Amargosa Valley. According to the AP, Nevada called

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environmental studies on the facility “legally inadequate,” as they fail to “properly address the danger” to farmers or the “cultural and spiritual effect” construction could have on Native Americans. On its website, KSNV-TV Las Vegas (11/20) quoted Bob Halstead, one of the authors of the report with the State Agency for Nuclear Projects. “It’s not a question of whether radioactive contamination would come out of the repository. It’s a matter of when it would come out. How much would come out? How far it would travel. How quickly it would travel the groundwater gradient through Amargosa. Valley,” Halstead said. Cheap Crude Adds To Pressure On US Producers.

The Wall Street Journal (11/21, Olson, Ailworth, Subscription Publication) reported that as US crude drops closer to $40 a barrel, American producers are increasingly faced with mounting cost pressures as they seek to continue pumping. Over the past six weeks, most major producers have been discussing worst-case scenarios with investors that involved a $50-a-barrel price. This now appears to have been overly bullish, the Journal said, particularly as Saudi Arabia continues with its near-record production levels and major exporters such as Iraq continue to boost production. The Energy Department now expects oil prices to average $50 per barrel throughout 2017. From ASCE SmartBrief, November 23, 2015 Report: Lower technology costs encourage renewables growth Declining technology costs have made the widespread use of renewables in the

US a real possibility, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The report said that when the social cost of carbon is factored in, renewables like wind, geothermal and biomass become economically feasible in many parts of the country. In the future, as renewable energy technology costs decline, renewable generation is expected to increase, it said. ReNews.biz (U.K.) From NSPE Daily Designs, November 24, 2015 FAA Releases Proposed Drone Regulations.

The New York Times (11/24, B1, Kang, Subscription Publication) reports that proposed drone regulations outlined by a Federal Aviation Administration-appointed task force are “widely expected” to be approved in a few weeks. The task force recommends that owners with drones weighing between a half-pound and 55 pounds be required to register their unmanned aircraft with the FAA and have their names and addresses entered into a national database. Owners would also have to display a government-issued registration number on their drones. However, owners wouldn’t be required to submit any information about their drones, nor would drone users have to be US citizens or legal permanent residents. Task force members “stressed that many compromises were made” in coming up with the proposal, the Times says. USA Today (11/23, Jansen) reports that registration would be free and aircraft would have to be marked in a way that identified the owner, but not necessarily by serial number. “I do want to highlight that we do have unanimity,” said Earl Lawrence, who was co-chairman of the

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task force as director of drone integration at FAA. “Some decisions were simply compromises.” FAA Administrator Michael Huerta thanked members of the task force for their quick work. USA Today points out that “Huerta and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx have said they would like to create a registry by Dec. 20 under a proposed rule that is still under development, based on the recommendations and comments they’ve received about drone regulations.” Administration Offers Aid To Help Communities Dependent On Coal Industry.

The Washington Times (11/24, Wolfgang) reports on “the coal business” which has been in a “steep decline,” having “lost about 50,000 jobs,” from 2008 to 2012 due to “both Obama administration environmental regulations and the rise of cheaper, cleaner natural gas.” Altogether, “fewer than 70,000 people now work in the coal-mining industry.” The industry is expected to continue to lose jobs “as the administration moves ahead,” on its Clean Power Plan. In response to concerns about regional unemployment, the Administration has developed the “POWER + Plan” that would “pour billions of dollars into coal communities for job training, infrastructure investments and other efforts.” Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton “has embraced” the idea with her own “detailed plan to keep coal communities from sinking into an economic abyss.” Federal Government To Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions Nearly 42 Percent.

Reuters (11/23, Volcovici) reports that the White House on Monday announced that the Federal government will cut

greenhouse gas emission from its operations to 41.8 percent below 2008 levels by 2025. Solar projects by NASA and DHS will be among the efforts which cover the government’s 360,000 buildings, 650,000 vehicles, and extensive supply chain. Researchers Devise Safer “Water-In-Salt” Alternative To Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Phys (UK) (11/24) reports that researchers at the University of Maryland and the US Army Research Laboratory “have devised a groundbreaking ‘Water-in-Salt’ aqueous Lithium ion battery technology that could provide power, efficiency and longevity comparable to today’s Lithium-ion batteries, but without the fire risk, poisonous chemicals and environmental hazards of current Lithium batteries.” The researchers said that their work “demonstrates a major advance in the long history of water-based (aqueous) batteries by doubling the voltage, or power, of an aqueous battery.” Forbes (11/21, Hicks) reports that such a battery that is safer and “can still power our disposable device lifestyle will have a long-term impact on the environment and consumers.” Green Car Congress (11/24) reports that the researchers said the breakthrough “holds great promise, particularly in applications that involve large energies at kilowatt or megawatt levels, such as electric vehicles, or grid-storage devices for energy harvest systems, and in applications where battery safety and toxicity are primary concerns.” Manufacturers have been slow to adopt current lithium-ion batteries for “strategically important applications such as vehicle electrification and grid storage” due to safety risks.

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From ASCE SmartBrief, November 24, 2015 Civil engineer says feds should leave transportation funding to states Individual states are more familiar with their transportation infrastructure needs and have more motivation to deal with local issues, so fuel taxes should be set by states and those funds used as they see fit, contends Henry Petroski, a civil engineering professor at Duke University. He notes that some states have already acted on their own to raise fuel taxes to compensate for the lack of a federal-funding solution. The New York Times (free-article access for SmartBrief readers) (11/24) University pairs empathy and engineering Engineering students at the University of Georgia are being challenged to actively incorporate empathy into their conceptualizations. The coursework is the joint product of the school's College of Engineering and School of Social Work and is designed to develop students' empathic skills as applied to future work. "Just because a project may be expertly crafted on a technical level doesn't mean it will be the right solution in the context of a community and its needs," said Shari Miller, an associate dean in the School of Social Work. PhysOrg.com (11/23) From NSPE Daily Designs, November 25, 2015 Traffic Fatalities On The Rise This Year.

Several major national news outlets report that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a report,

which indicates that traffic fatalities rose 8.1% in the first half of this year. Reports highlight the fact that this new estimate contrasts with last year’s record low traffic fatality count. News sources, including the ABC News (11/24, Cook, Brown) website, heavily cite comments made by NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind, who said Tuesday, “These numbers are troubling.” Rosekind added, “It really is time for our nation to get serious about the epidemic of death that is on our roadways.” The AP (11/24, Krisher) reports that NHTSA released a final tally of deadly crashes for 2014, “which showed a decline of 0.1 percent.” People are driving more this year due to lower gas prices and an improving economy. However, Rosekind said the spike in traffic fatalities cannot entirely be “attributed to people driving more miles,” the article reports. According to the AP, Rosekind “suspects that texting and other distractions while using smartphones was part of the cause, as well as drunken, drugged and drowsy driving, and increased driving by teenagers.” The AP (11/25) similarly reports on the story in another article. From ASCE SmartBrief, November 25, 2015 Florida budget strong on construction, infrastructure Florida Gov. Rick Scott has proposed a budget with strong construction allocations. The budget calls for $3.3 billion of highway construction and $963.4 million for infrastructure maintenance. It proposes spending $731.9 million to repair 48 bridges and replace 21 others. "We are making critical infrastructure investments in our highways, bridges,

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seaports, airports, transit and trails," Scott said. Transport Topics Online Offshore turbines could replace coal, gas in N.Y., says Deepwater exec As old power plants in the Northeast near the end of their lives, New York is provided with a unique opportunity to replace coal- and natural gas-fired power plants with offshore wind farms, according to Deepwater Wind Vice President of Development Clint Plummer. Deepwater is in the early stages of developing an offshore wind farm off the coast of New York that could feature up to 500 turbines. It's also building the Block Island wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island. Crain's New York Business.

LEFFLER SPEAKS

JOHN LEFFLER addresses the NSPE House of Delegates’ annual assembly, July 18,2015, in Seattle, Washington.

NEWSBRIEFS--NAFE

MEMBERS ARE ACHIEVERS!

LAURA LIPTAI, PHD Laura Liptai, PhD, was featured in a Cambridge Text on Biomedical Engineering: Bridging Medicine and Technology.

Laura also attended the European Academy of Forensic Science conference in Prague and presented at the 2015 World Aquatic Health Conference (WAHC) on Cervical Spine Trauma Prevention in Aquatics with Retired General William Rowley, PhD. In celebration of WAHC’s anniversary, both Laura and Bill were treated to a hot air balloon ride.

In addition, she was honored at the UC Davis College of Engineering’s celebration, “Honors 2015 Innovators.” She was one of five individuals so honored at the Innovators Exhibit in March, 2015. JONATHAN MILTON, PE Jonathan W. Milton, P.E. has been elected as Chairman of ASTM’s Committee E58 on Forensic Engineering. The next meeting of the E58 Committee will be on Friday, January 22, 2016 from 4 pm – 5 pm at the Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel in Tampa, Florida, which coincides with the NAFE Winter Meeting. For those interested in finding out about the activities of E58, please plan on attending.

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JERRY OGDEN, PE NAFE Treasurer, Jerry Ogden, has successfully defended his doctoral dissertation, “Generalized Deformation and Total Velocity Change Analysis System of Equations (G-DaTADeltaV).” Jerry’s Ph.D., in an Engineering and Applied Sciences dual-track program with primary focus in Civil Engineering and secondary focus in Mechanical Engineering, will be conferred by the University of Colorado, Denver, on December 12, 2015. DREW PEAKE, (F460),PE,DEE,CIH,CSP Retired Navy Captain Drew Peake serves as a mentor in Cobb County Veterans Accountability and Treatment Court (VTC), which seeks to divert eligible veteran defendants with substance dependency and/or mental illness who are charged with felony criminal offenses, to a specialized criminal court. The court substitutes a treatment problem-solving model for traditional court processing. BEN RAILSBACK, MS, PE Ben Railsback was elected the Central Chapter President of the State of Colorado’s NSPE Chapter and the alternate to the National NSPE House of Delegates for the State of Colorado’s NSPE Chapter. He was interviewed by KMGH 7 News Nov. 6, 2015 regarding the hazards posed by corded window coverings and by Fox 31 News on November 11, 2015 regarding occupant motion and kinematics in the back of a police transport van about an situation similar to the Freddie Gray incident.

THOMAS P. SHEFCHICK, PE Tom Shefchick was awarded the Founders Award of the Engineering Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences at its annual meeting in February, 2015. RICHARD ZIERNICKI, PHD Richard Ziernicki’s firm, Knott Laboratory, celebrates 15,000 cases in 33 years. Richard’s recent papers, presentations, and honors include: “Stand-Up Forklift Egress Times as a Function of Operator Compartment Guarding.” Speaker. 2014 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Nov. 19, 2014 “The Forensic Engineer in State and Federal Court.” Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers. (Dec. 2014) “Forensic Engineering Investigation of Workplace Incidents Involving Machinery.” Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers. (June 2015) Richard M. Ziernicki and William H. Pierce. “Forensic Engineering Investigation of Above-Ground Pool Submersion Accidents.” Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers. (In Print) Richard M. Ziernicki and Ben T. Railsback. “Forensic Engineering Evaluation and Testing of Horizontal Intrusion Protection Equipment for Stand-Up Forklifts.” Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers. (In Print)

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“Forensic Engineering Investigation of Above-Ground Pool Submersion Accidents.” Speaker. National Academy of Forensic Engineers Annual Meeting (NAFE). Seattle, WA. 18 Jul. 2015

“Forensic Engineering Evaluation and Testing of Horizontal Intrusion Protection Equipment for Stand-Up Forklifts.” Speaker. National Academy of Forensic Engineers Annual Meeting (NAFE). Seattle, WA. 18 Jul. 2015

“An Insight into Knott Laboratory with Dr. Ziernicki, Forensic Engineering & Animation Experts.” The Lawyer’s Logbook. Fall Issue 2015. Accident reconstruction involving tanker and multiple vehicles featured on Fox 31 Denver. KDVR. 10 Mar. 2015

“Minimizing Liability Risk in Engineering Product Design.” IHS Engineering 360. By Winn Hardin featuring Richard M. Ziernicki. 23 Jul. 2015. Knott Laboratory’s history, capabilities and new technology, CNTV Interview by CNTV Consumer Network Television. 18 Oct. 2015

Richard M. Ziernicki, Ph.D., P.E. receives award for Manager of the Year from National Society of Professional Engineers-Colorado (NSPE-CO) 20 Jul. 2015.

SEE CONFERENCE SCHEDULE ON FOLLOWING PAGES.

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NAFE 2016 Winter Meeting

January 22 –24, 2016

Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel

Register online at NAFE.ORG

Program and Schedule

Thursday, January 21

Special behind-the-scenes Engineering Tour of Busch Gardens theme park, hosted by

the park’s Vice President of Operations and designer of many of the park’s attractions.

Join us afterward for dinner at the famous Columbia Restaurant in the historic Ybor City

area of Tampa.

· _Tour cost is $25 per person, including bus transportation (no park admission) - limited

to 20 people!

· _Private dining at Columbia Restaurant (www.columbiarestaurant.com) after the tour

(dinner costs on your own)

Friday, January 22

8:00 NAFE Committee Meetings

9:15 NAFE Board of Directors Meeting - Morning Session (including Committee

Reports)

11:30 NAFE Board of Directors Meeting - Lunch break (on your own)

1:00 NAFE Board of Directors Meeting - Afternoon Session (Board Business)

4:00 ASTM E58 Forensic Engineering Technical Committee meeting - adjourns by

5:00pm

6:30 Dinner Cruise (see menu below) and see www.yachtstarship.com

Saturday, January 23 - NAFE Regular Seminar (8 PDHs)

7:30 Round Table Discussion (includes breakfast)

8:15 Opening Remarks and Introductions: Jeffrey Armstrong, PE – 2015 NAFE

President

9:00 Morning Session: Five 30-minute Technical Presentations - General Topics, Part A

· _BioMedical Engineering Analysis of Pedestrian Trauma Including

Acceleration/Deceleration, Contact Trauma, and Cranial Crush Due to Run-Over –

Laura Liptai

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· _Software System Failures and Tort Liability – John Cosgrove and Michael Krieger

· _Forensic Engineering Analysis of a Sequence of Power Infrastructure Failures atop

an Office Building – Maurice Cueva-Eguiguren

· _Forensic Engineering of Personal Watercraft Off-Throttle Steering Accidents – Paul

Kamen

· _Forensic Engineering Investigation of PVC Piping Failures in Multistory Condominium

Building – John Certuse

11:30 Membership Meeting, Report on NAFE Activities, and Installation of 2016

Officers: Jeffrey Armstrong, PE

12:15 Round Table Discussion (includes lunch)

2:00 Afternoon Session: Two Tracks of Five 30-minute Technical Presentations

Track 1 – General Topics, Part B

· _Forensic Engineering Analysis of a Shopping Mall Explosion – Jerry Tindal

· _Gas Well Integrity and Associated Gas Migration Investigations in the Marcellus

Shale - Dan Arthur

· _Forensic Engineering Analysis of the Instability of a Wheeled Cart Used to Move a

Large Sculpture – Mark Webster

· _Forensic Engineering Analysis of Failed UTV Roll Cages - Allen Molitoris and Mark

Kittel

· _FE Analysis of Unvented Gas Appliances in High Altitudes – Jim Petersen

Track 2 – Vehicle-Related Topics

· _Advanced Forensic Engineering Analysis of a School Bus/Tractor Trailer Crash –

Richard Ziernicki and William Pierce

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· _Injury Biomechanics – An Engineering Discipline? – Bill Lee

· _Forensic Engineering Technology Solutions For Highway Work Zone Temporary

Traffic Control Investigations – Daniel Melcher & Rachel Keller

· _Highway Accident Rates for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Drivers: Forensic Engineering

Application – Martin Gordon

· _Forensic Engineering Analyses of Trailer Sway-Induced Vehicle Crashes — Donn

Peterson

4:30 Open Discussion on Forensic Engineering Practice

5:00 Adjourn

6:00 Cocktails (Cash Bar)

7:00 Dinner

Sunday, January 24 - NAFE Special Seminar (8 PDHs)

7:30 Round Table Discussion (includes breakfast)

8:15 Opening Remarks and Introductions: John Leffler, PE – 2016 NAFE President

9:00 “Ethics for Engineers”: Arthur Schwartz, Esq., CAE – NAFE Executive Director

10:45 “The Intersection of Law, Forensic Engineering, and the Insurance Industry”:

Rebecca

Levy-Sachs, Esq.

12:00 Round Table Discussion (includes lunch)

1:30 Afternoon Session: Two Tracks of Educational Presentations

Track 1 – Accident Reconstruction

1:30 “The Sequence of Event Analysis for Accident Reconstruction Computer

Assisted - Practical Applications to Road Accidents and Follow up on Italian Train

Accident and Trial Outcome - Prof. Fabrizio D’Errico, Maurizio Dalla Casa, Esq.2:30

2:30 “Forensic Engineering Analysis of Video-Captured Pedestrian Collisions” – Rachel

Keller, PE

3:30 Special Technical Presentation: Landfill Operations and Bulldozer Visibility

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Impairment Defects Result in a Serious Injury: A Case Study – Harold Josephs

Track 2 – Developing and Maintaining a Forensic Engineering Practice

1:30 “Ten Cardinal Rules for Forensic Engineers” – David Icove, PhD, PE

2:45 “Practical Advice for Resolving Problems That Occur in Forensic Engineering

Practice”

– panel discussion: Michael Leshner facilitator. Panel members: Smith Reed, Paul

Swanson, Jeffrey Armstrong, Jerry Ogden.

4:00 Q&A - All Speakers – All Topics

4:30 Adjourn