President's Letter

Dear Members, Colleagues, and Sponsors,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to discuss the recent tragedy at the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. On March 26th, the bridge was struck by a cargo ship. The three main truss spans collapsed, causing significant damage, potentially multiple fatalities, and impacting the transportation of thousands of people. While the factors that led to the vessel collision are still being investigated, it serves as a stark reminder of the importance of our profession.

As structural engineers, we play a critical role in ensuring the safety and stability of buildings, bridges, and other structures. Our work is essential to the safety of the public, and we must always prioritize safety in our designs and assessments. Although there are no indications of structural deficiencies in the bridge that contributed to the collapse, in the wake of the Key Bridge disaster, it is more important than ever to educate the public about the role of structural engineers and the importance of our work.

I would like to extend my sincere condolences to all of those impacted by this tragedy.

There is a volunteer opportunity for the upcoming UNH-ASCE Northeast Student Symposium. The event takes place from Friday, April 19^th to Sunday, April 21^st. UNH is hosting the Northeast Regional Competitions for both Student Steel Bridge and Concrete Canoe. This is a great opportunity to interact with engineering students from schools across the Northeast. A Google doc has been created to sign up and identifies volunteer options with detailed information and time frames: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUtIliYWg872a5QYFGDFVV3C9RQ2JINYr-7c6QLc-15tMtFg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Please reach out to SENH member Dustin Wells ([email protected]) if you have any specific questions about this volunteer opportunity.

Thanks to the generosity of our members and sponsors, SENH was able to award two scholarships to college students pursuing structural engineering. Mr. Daniel Bartus was awarded the SENH Arthur W. Rose, Jr. Memorial Scholarship and Ms. Paige Hornbeck was awarded the SENH Younger Member Group Scholarship. Both students are currently Juniors at UNH and were recognized at the E-Week Banquet in February.

Also during the E-Week Banquet, Katie Welch was recognized with the honor of the New Hampshire Engineering Society's 2024 Young Engineer of the Year Award!

This May will mark the end of Jeff Karam and my service on the SENH Board of Directors. Jeff and I have now each served 3 terms (six years), the maximum allowed by our bylaws. Jeff has been an invaluable resource to the board, I have been very fortunate to serve with him and many other talented engineers in my six years. I am very excited to announce the two candidates that have been nominated to fill the two upcoming vacancies: Rebecca Lubrano, PE and Jonathan Sproul, PE. Please see further down in the newsletter for bios for both candidates. I am excited to see the energy that both Rebecca and Jonathan will bring to the board! A vote to confirm Rebecca and Jonathan as new members of the board will take place during our May meeting, please be sure to attend to show your support!

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me directly if you have any questions or comments [email protected].

Tim Polson, PE
President, SENH

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Announcements

SENH Announces 2024 Scholarship Winners!

Structural Engineers of New Hampshire is very pleased to announce that two University of New Hampshire (UNH) Civil Engineering students have been selected for the 2024 SENH Scholarships of $1,000 each. This year, Mr. Daniel Bartus was awarded the Arthur W. Rose, Jr. Memorial Scholarship and Ms. Paige Hornbeck was awarded the SENH Younger Member's Group Scholarship. These scholarship winners were announced at the Engineer's Week Banquet which was hosted by NSPE-NH and at the March membership meeting.

SENH is proud to support these students as they pursue their undergraduate degrees, the first step in becoming tomorrow's engineers and problem solvers. Congratulations Daniel and Paige! And a very big thank you to everyone who participated in our scholarship raffle at the January membership meeting. Your support made it possible for us to offer two scholarships this year.

Lastly, our scholarship recipients have agreed to share their interest statements which were a part of the application. The prompt was "Provide a brief statement presenting your interest in structural engineering and the occupation you would pursue upon graduation." Please see below for their responses.

Mr. Daniel Bartus: 

I am very interested in structural engineering. I believe the most fascinating aspect regarding the design work of structural engineering is how the structure will be built as the designer designed it. This is fascinating to me because designers can see and follow the construction of the building and watch it come to life. I aspire to design and build my own house one day.

While this is fascinating to me this would involve a lot of work behind the desk. Currently, I am looking more for field-oriented positions. I aspire to become a bridge inspector because I have some experience doing arborist work and I enjoy working at heights. I would love the opportunity to work in a harness up on a bridge. Another position I aspire to become is a forensic structural engineer because they also work outside the office and do field work by inspecting collapsed structures and figuring out if a structure was built according to the plans to assess any damage. I want to take the PE exam and hopefully earn my PE license. I plan on taking the FE my spring semester of senior year.

Currently, I am trying to work an internship as a field engineer this summer to hopefully gain more field experience and connect with a company that I could move into a full-time career with. I am very excited to work in the field as a civil engineer and hope to make an impression on the public with the structures I inspect or help design.

Ms. Paige Hornbeck:

I am interested in pursuing a career in engineering because I love to see tangible projects being solutions for today's modern issues. I am very passionate about structural engineering particularly because I believed there is always so much diversity in that career path. When I was younger, I watched lots of HGTV with my mom, and always joked how I would love to build a snazzy beach house, or a cozy log cabin one day. As I got older, I realized that I wasn't really joking. I did want to build homes for people. I wanted to create a community where people could feel safe and happy to live with. Any structure, not just a house, can be called a home. Providing that welcoming feeling to people, and incorporating that sense of belonging, connection, and interaction into communities that are lacking that, is something that inspires me to do well in my academics.

After college, I plan on pursuing a career in the field before heading straight to get my Masters. I fully intent on taking the FE Exam, and the PE exam in the future. I plan to go to graduate school, but would like to get out and explore the world more before coming back to school. I am extremely interested in the classrooms the entire world has to offer, and an eager to expand my perspectives across the globe. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to study abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland this Spring, and would be very honored and appreciative if more trips abroad are in my future. Seeing into the dynamics of other communities can help cultivate creative ideas to bring back to your own community. Inclusion and consideration of different perspectives is very important to engineers because they are building for the wellbeing of the people.

I am particularly passionate about sustainability, and would really love to focus on green building design and ways to incorporate energy efficiency and sustainability into modern day designs that will last for generations. A structure today can be someone's home tomorrow, and a city of structures today, can be a community's home forever.

Board of Directors Nominees

There are two Board of Director terms expiring this year, Jeff Karam and Tim Polson. Jeff and Tim have served three consecutive two-year terms and can no longer run for these positions. The SENH Nomination Committee has nominated Rebecca Lubrano and Jonathan Sproul for the vacant positions. No additional nominations were submitted to the Board of Directors. The nominees will be considered, and voting shall be by a hand vote at the annual May meeting.

Jonathan Sproul, PE

Jonathan Sproul is a Senior Structural Engineer at PROCON where he performs structural design for various commercial, residential, aviation, medical and hospitality building developments across the Northeast. Jonathan earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, with an emphasis on Structures, from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech). In addition to his work at PROCON, he has been with Massachusetts Task Force 1 (MA-TF1) as a Structures Specialist for the past 5 years. In this time, he has deployed to Hurricane Ida (2021), Hurricane Ian (2022) and the 2023 Vermont Floods to assist the team with search and rescue operations. Jonathan has also been on SENH's Professional Development Committee for the past 5 years. Jonathan lives in Litchfield with his wife, Stephanie, his daughter, Ayla and their dog, Yarra. He enjoys being outside and spending summer weekends at the lake with family.

Rebecca Lubrano, PE

Rebecca Lubrano is a Senior Project Manager with Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH). Rebecca got her Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics and her Master of Engineering in Structural Engineering, both from Cornell University. At SGH, Rebecca gets to work on a variety of project types, including sculptures, historic renovations, and new building designs. The diversity of these project types has exposed Rebecca to a range of material design experiences, from more typical concrete, steel, wood, and masonry to less typical materials such as structural stone, glass, and carbon fiber. When looking for a home in 2012, Rebecca and her husband fell in love with the state of New Hampshire. They soon bought a house on 30 acres of land in Goffstown, where they still reside with their three children, Zeke, Micah, and Leah. Rebecca has been a member of SENH's Professional Development Committee since 2020, currently serving as co-chair.

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Calendar of Events

SENH Meeting Announcement

Next Meeting: Thursday, May 16, 2024
Presentation:

Sumner Tunnel Project

Speaker:

Joe Ridney, PE - Principal at Delve Underground

Place:

Puritan Conference & Event Center
245 Hooksett Road
Manchester, NH 03104
(603) 666-9893

Agenda:

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm  Registration/Social Hour/Review Posters
6:30 pm - 7:15 pm  Dinner
7:15 pm - 7:30 pm  Business Meeting
7:30 pm - 8:00 pm  Awards Program
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm  Presentation

Dinner:

Buffet with a choice of fried chicken tenders, broiled haddock in special sauce, and barbequed kababs. Served with greek salad, homemade mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, warm rolls, and mudslide ice cream.

If you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions, please email Katie at [email protected]

Cost:

Member: $65.00
Non-Member: $95.00
Government Employee: $20.00
Student: $15.00

"No-shows" will be billed at full amount. Refunds will not be issued.

RSVP:

By noon on Thursday, May 9, 2024. There will be a $10.00 late fee for anyone wishing to RSVP past this date.

Registration and payments can be completed online at https://senh.org/meetinginfo.php. Please contact Julia Chartier ([email protected]) with questions about registration and payments.

Note:

2.0 PDHs have been assigned for attendance. Attendees are responsible for ensuring their check-in on the attendance list upon arrival at the meeting.

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Committee Updates

Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards Committee

Chair: Bob Durfee; Co-Chair: Bob Champaign; Members: Fred Emanuel, Josif Bicja

The Call For Entries for the 2024 SENH Structural Engineering Excellence Awards Program was published in the January newsletter. The deadline for entries was March 1^st, extended to March 8^th. Submittal of entries is now closed. The Board received five (5) entries. The Board will appoint a Jury to review projects and evaluate for awards. Award winners will be announced at the May membership meeting.

Membership Awards Committee

Co-Chair: Bob Durfee; Co-Chair: Sean James; Board Liason: Tim Polson

Member Katie Welch was awarded the 2024 New Hampshire Young Engineer of the Year. Katie received her award at the Engineers Week banquet at the Grappone Center in Concord on February 22^nd. SENH had nominated Katie for this year's award.

National Council of Structural Engineer Associations (NCSEA) Delegates

Delegate: Bob Durfee; Alternate Delegates: Tom Lamb, Kayla Hampe; Board Liason:

2023 Structural Summit

Delegate Bob Durfee and Associate Delegates Tom Lamb and Kayla Hampe represented SEnH at the annual NCSEA Structural Summit that was held in 2023 in Anaheim, California at the Disney Resport from November 7^th to 10^th.

Delegates Durfee, Lamb, and Hampe submitted a report to the Board on their attendance and activities at the summit. The 2023 NCSEA Summit Report is posted on the website.

2024 Leadership Retreat

NCSEA has announced the date and location for the 2024 SEA Leadership Retreat. This year's 3^rd annual retreat will be held on June 5-6 in Chicago, Illinois. The retreat is hosted by NCSEA and invites all SEA Delegates and Alternate Delegates to attend. The retreat provides resources and tools to assist SEA's in the management of their state organizations.

NCSEA covers the cost (travel, hotel, and registration) for the delegate to attend, and provides discounted cost (hotel and registration) for Alternate Delegates to attend. At the past two retreats, SENH has sent our Delegate and one Alternate Delegate to the retreat.

Code Advisory Committee

The Code Advisory Committee has been busy this winter opposing Senate Bill 438, a legislature that would have inaccurately equated Spruce-Pine-Fir and Spruce-Pine-FIr (south) wood groups.

Understandably, the bill proponents are frustrated that SPF(s) wood (by definition grown in New Hampshire) is graded differently than SPF (by definition grown in Canada), even if the wood is of equal type and quality. SPF is ubiquitous in wood-frame construction, and slightly stronger in most categories, therefore it is specified much more often. There are some species of wood grown in New Hampshire that are comparable to the quality of SPF, but because of the grading processes, they are included in the SPFs group.

To increase the use of New Hampshire grown wood, Senate Bill 438 essentially said the SPFs could be used interchangeably with SPF and without question, which SENH strongly disputed in a position letter authored by Tom Lamb. Following our submission of the letter to the Senate Committee, we were able to talk directly with the NH Retail Lumber Association, who convinced the sponsors to send the bill to study.

The Code Advisory Committee and other SENH members continue our talks with the NHRLA, fortunately outside any legislative process. They intend to provide us with data that will help us understand the benefits of specifying SSPFs in our designs, such as: 

• Providing business for NH lumber farms mills - a boost to the NH economy,
• Reducing emissions compared to trucking lumber from Canada, and
• Contributing to project Buy America requirements.

We are happy to be engaged in productive talks with the NHRLA, and you are welcome to become involved in the conversation. Stay tuned for more information, including possible presentations from experts on wood grading.

Thanks to Tom Lamb for continuing to volunteer his time and expertise to SENH. He's led the charge on this effort, and it's been successful because of him.

Thanks also to Alex Katroubas, ACEC Executive Director, for providing his support in our efforts to respond to the bill.

Young Members Group

Joint SENH and SEAMASS YMG Ski Day

Due to warm weather of the past few weeks, the joint ski day between two neighboring Young Member Groups at Pat's Peak was canceled. Our intent is to host this earlier next year.

Looking to Join the YMG?

If you are interested in joining the Young Member Group, please send me an email ([email protected]). I will be sure to include you on all future Young Member emails.

Additionally, for those who do receive the YMG emails and no longer would like to be included on the list, please let me know as well.

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Last Meeting Attendance List & Meeting Minutes

January 25, 2024 Meeting

Common Man Restaurant, Concord, NH

Business Portion:

• • President's Report - Tim Polson
    • The raffle to benefit the UNH scholarship fund is tonight. Raffle tickets (and general donations) can also be purchased on the SENH website. Please support the students! We hope to give two $1,000 scholarships this spring.
    • Thank you to all of the organization sponsors - please consider sponsoring again in 2024.
    • The PDC is organizing an upcoming webinar, the subject will be Simpson Strong-Tie Composite Strengthening Systems.
    • The Board of Directors will have two vacancies as Tim and Jeff's terms expire in May. The nominating committee is accepting candidates - reach out to Tim or Tom Lamb.
    • A join SENH-WTS ski and tubing outing at Gunstock is forthcoming - stay tuned for details.
    • A membership survey will be sent soon regarding professional development offerings, including meeting times and formats.
    • Katie Welch of Hoyle Tanner was recently named Young Engineer of the Year!
      
      
  • Bob Durfee announced the 2024 Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards. All details and forms are on the SENH website."

NHDOT Bridge Program Update - Jennifer Reczek, PE, Bureau of Bridge Design Administrator

• Administrator Reczek provided updates on state and federal funding, current bridge department staffing shortages, and significant bridge projects. Her presentation slides will be made available to membership.

Commonwealth Avenue Superstructure Replacement - Nicholas Caron, PE & Patric McAlpine, PE, HDR, Inc.

• The superstructure replacement project was noteworthy for:
  • Its location in downtown Boston means lots of traffic and utilities to contend with. Including spanning over I-90, and carrying MBTA trains.
  • Its use of accelerated bridge construction techniques (including heaving lifts and precast deck panels) to minimize construction impacts.

List of Attendees:

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