Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for October
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Astani CEE Department Seminar
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Atty. Jeremiah G. March, Esq., Legislative Analyst, Lecturer and Writer in Los Angeles, CA
Talk Title: Funding Opportunities Under the 2009 Stimulus for Infrastructure Projects of More Than Local Importance
Abstract:
Transportation infrastructure funding is a cornerstone of the Obama Administrationâs strategy to end the recession. The largest grants for California infrastructure projects under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act appear to have been for projects with a regionwide or statewide, as opposed to merely local, impact on congestion or pollution. This policy is consistent with Federal and California law requirements for the past twenty years that transportation infrastructure projects be consistent with regionwide and statewide transportation, economic, and environmental goals before receiving Federal or state funds. After examining the types of California transportation infrastructure projects that received the largest grants under the 2009 stimulus, this presentation outlines long-standing Federal and State transportation planning and funding requirements that favor projects of more than local interest.
Biography: Jeremiah G. March, Esq. is an attorney, legislative analyst, lecturer and writer in Los Angeles, California. From 1993 to 1999, he served as Deputy Legal Counsel for the Southern California Association of Governments, the nationâs largest regional transportation planning agency. From 2000 to 2004, he advised and defended government agencies in private practice. From 2004 through 2011, he worked as a Senior Research Attorney for the Civil and Civil Complex Panels of the Orange County Superior Court. Since 2002, Mr. March has been an Adjunct Lecturer at the Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, teaching classes in transportation infrastructure finance law and government contracting law. His published works include California Transportation Law : A Guide to Federal, State and Regional Requirements, published by Solano Press Books in 2000; and California Public Contract Law : Basic Principles and Special Requirements (Solano Press, 2007); and Interpretation of Laws : A Guide to Understanding and Drafting California Statutes and Regulations (California Administrative Office of the Courts, 2011). Mr. March is currently working on a revised edition of California Transportation Law.
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209 Conference Room
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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Astani CEE Department Seminar - EERI
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 @ 06:30 PM - 07:30 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Farzad Naeim, S.E., Esq., Vice President and General Counsel John A. Martin & Associates, Inc
Talk Title: Realtime Post-Disaster Performance Evaluation and Damage Detection for Buildings
Abstract: This presentation discusses the need for and utility of a new system developed for real-time performance evaluation and damage detection for buildings. First we establish the need for such as system and then proceed with describing the technological breakthroughs that have made development of such a system possible. Finally we wrap up by presenting the results that may be obtained by using such a system.
While the general public usually associates natural disasters with the visual spectacle of fallen buildings, in reality even during most severe disasters in many modern metropolitan areas, most buildings remain standing and relatively a small percentage of buildings collapse. This has been observed in the aftermath of the 1994 Northridge, 1995 Kobe Japan, 1999 Taiwan, 2010 Chile, and 2011 Japan earthquakes. The dificult question, however, is what is the status of these apparently standing buildings? As my friend Dr. Mustafa Erdik has quite ably stated in a recent New York Times article: âTo say that a building is in bad condition is easy. To say that one is safe is hard.â
For building owners and facilities managersâ particularly those responsible for structures such as hospitals, emergency centers, utilities, senior living facilities, universities, and high rise apartments and hotels â the ability to detect and assess building damage in real-time is invaluable.
The technology for real-time post-disaster performance evaluation and damage detection is not a fantasy. It is here and useable today as will be demonstrated in this presentation.
Biography: Dr. Farzad Naeim is the Vice-President and General Counsel for John A Martin & Associates. He is also the past President of Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI). He has won numerous awards and published many journal papers on earthquake engineering. He also taught several classes at his alma mater, USC.
Host: USC-EERI Student Chapter
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209 Conference Room
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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Astani CEE Department Seminar
Thu, Oct 20, 2011 @ 02:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Prof. Cheng Lin, Civil Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, TaichungTaiwan
Talk Title: Study on Two-Phase Velocity Field of a Steady Hydraulic Jump Using PIV and BIV
Abstract:
A hydraulic jump is widely used as an energy dissipator and is commonly seen in channel flows downstream of a spillway or sluice gate. The kinematic structure of a hydraulic jump is very complicated because of the violent turbulent mixing and air entrainments in the jump. It has confronted many investigators for several decades.
By employing both the BIV (Bubble Image Velocimetry) and PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) Professor Lin and his research group have successfully obtained the flow structure in the aerated region of a steady hydraulic jump using BIV and the flow structure outside the aerated region using PIV.
The experimental techniques to be presented will have wide ranging applications for wave breaking studies in coastal engineering as well as investigations on bubble flows for waste water treatment in environmental engineering field.
Host: Prof. J.J. Lee
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209 Conference Room
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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Astani CEE Department Oral Dissertation Defense
Tue, Oct 25, 2011 @ 01:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Sanghee Shin, CEE Ph.D. Candidate
Talk Title: Electroremediation of Offshore Muds Contaminated with Heavy Metals
Abstract:
The electroremediation process requires much needed research work to be optimized for up-scaling and improving economic efficiency. This is particularly true when applying the technology to highly heterogeneous and complex mineralogy materials such as offshore sediments and muds. Laboratory batch tests were performed on field retrieved specimens of contaminated offshore muds near Abu Dhabi Ports of United Arab Emirates. The influence of various process parameters that determine the optimum operating conditions and sustainable enhancement of electrokinetic remediation was investigated. Excellent results of decontamination of seven heavy metals were achieved. The removal of heavy metals by management of the in-situ chlorine gas (Cl2) production was also investigated. The tests showed a high removal efficiency of heavy metals at the cathode end of cores after 24 hours of EK application. Electrokinetics is also proposed to improve acidizing operations, i.e., increase the penetration distance. Aqueous solutions of hydrochloric acid (usually 15%) are pumped into the carbonate formations to enlarge the pores and pre-existing fractures. However, the penetration distance of acid is very short. By applying D.C. current, one can drive the acid for long distances into the formation being acidized.
Advisor: Prof. Najmedin Meshkati
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209 Conference Room
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes