March 27th Joint Society Luncheon

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Engineers Club of Hampton Roads (ECHR), and the Virginia Society of Professional Engineers (VSPE) cordially invite you to the
Joint Societies Luncheon to be held on Wednesday, March 27^th, 2013.

Topic:  Gilmerton Bridge Replacement Project, VDOT

Guest Speakers: Marc E. Papini & Jim Holtje, P.E.    

The $134 million Gilmerton Bridge Replacement Project in Chesapeake, Va. will provide a new state-of-the-art vertical-lift span bridge over the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River and replace the existing double-leaf bascule bridge that was constructed in 1938. Slated for completion in early 2014, the new 1,908-foot, four-lane bridge will have a vertical clearance of 35 feet in the closed position, compared to the existing 11-foot clearance, and will provide a bridge width of 85 feet to accommodate future expansion of Military Highway. Ultimately, the new bridge will provide taller clearance for enhanced maritime access, thereby leading to fewer annual bridge lifts and easing traffic congestion for the 35,000 vehicles that use the bridge daily.  

 Marc Papini serves as project manager with Parsons Brinckerhoff and currently provides project management, construction engineering and inspection services for the Virginia Department of Transportation's Gilmerton Bridge Replacement Project.

Jim Holtje, P.E. currently manages contractor-related activities on the Gilmerton Bridge Replacement Project which involves the removal of the existing double-leaf bascule bridge and complete replacement with a new vertical lift bridge.

Host:           VSPE – Tidewater Chapter

Time:           11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon (Sign-In); 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. (Lunch & Presentation)

Location:     The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center (Located at 4535 Commerce St., Virginia Beach, VA 23462)
Cost:             $20.00 – VSPE members, $25.00 – all others. Credit cards accepted online. Cash and checks accepted at the door.

Seating is limited, so please email or visit to http://march2013jsl.eventbrite.com register today. Registration ends on Monday, March 24^th. For additional information, contact Jonida Hendricks by e-mail at TidewaterVSPE@gmail.com  

If you have any special needs (dietary, disability, etc.), please specify them with your reservation. Changes to reservations and cancellations will be accepted until Monday, March 24^th. Sorry, but no shows will be billed.

Happy Pi Day

We have created this blog in an effort to stay stay connected with our members, and what better day to start than Pi Day.

Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159.
Pi has been calculated to over one trillion digits beyond its decimal point. As an irrational and transcendental number, it will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern. While only a handful of digits are needed for typical calculations, Pi’s infinite nature makes it a fun challenge to memorize, and to computationally calculate more and more digits.

Have a great Pi Day!

Tidewater VSPE Board