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Next Meeting:

2019 ASCE Baton Rouge Branch November Luncheon & Site Visit

Thursday, November 21, 2019 | 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM

Room #1245 | Patrick F. Taylor Hall (PFT) | Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Chris Melson

Speaker: Christopher Melson

Topic: Tour of laboratories at the Bert S. Turner Department of Construction Management at the Louisiana State University (LSU).

Bio:

Mr. Christopher Melson is the Program Manager of Tran-SET – and is responsible for and oversees its research, technology transfer, education, and workforce development programs. He previously worked for the Federal Highway Administration at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, where he developed and managed their Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) research program area. Mr. Melson received his Master’s Degree in Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wyoming.

Agenda:

Agenda for site visit

(See a detailed description of the labs that will be toured below the sponsors)

Location:

Free parking spaces are available for this event: fifty spaces will be reserved near Patrick F. Taylor Hall. The specific parking location of the spaces will be determined at a later date (nearer to the event). If necessary, additional metered parking is also available at $1.50/hour. When traveling to LSU, please use the “main” surrounding roadways (such as Nicholson Drive, Highland Road, and Nicholson Drive Extension) as some internal streets on campus are closed to vehicular traffic. Please see Figure 1 for the location of Patrick F. Taylor Hall and the reserved room.Please contact Mr. Christopher Melson (307-389-6590) if you have trouble finding the venue or parking – or with any other general questions.

general map of LSU with Patrick F. Taylor located on it

Figure 1. General map of LSU campus (left) and close-up of Patrick F. Taylor Hall and location of the room (right).

Sponsors for November Luncheon & Site Visit:

Ardaman & Associates

The Baton Rouge office has provided geotechnical expertise in Louisiana since 1974. Ardaman’s local staff of engineers, technicians and drillers conducts field investigations, laboratory tests and engineering evaluations which span the entire spectrum of geotechnical engineering. With the expertise of its multidisciplinary staff, the Baton Rouge office's capabilities allow it to meet most project needs in house, without using specialty sub-consultants. The engineers in this office have particular experience in construction over soft ground conditions. The onsite geotechnical laboratory is accredited by AASHTO and the LA Department of Environmental Quality and also validated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. https://www.ardaman.com/locations/baton-rouge

PEC

Since 1969, PEC has provided consulting civil engineering services for a broad range of clientele, including local, state, and federal governments, as well as private entities. Our multi-disciplined staff of engineers, landscape architects, designers, administrators, and other specialists provide infrastructure and design expertise. http://www.pecla.com/.

PEC logo - november sponsor

Laboratories:

Building Information Modeling (BIM) Cave: Laboratory using the latest virtual reality, 3-D technology to create an immersive learning environment where one can see a building or structure before it is built. Its application provides designers and contractors the ability to thoroughly investigate the building’s design and make changes to the structure prior to construction at little to no expense.

Advanced Materials and Methods Laboratory: State-of-the-art laboratory where researchers are developing groundbreaking techniques to improve concrete and asphalt durability and sustainability. This includes studying the use of microcapsules and their ability to heal concrete upon cracking.

Equipment Simulator: Consists of two CAT® Simulator Hydraulic Excavators with a motion system that allows users to feel vibration and movement when the simulated machine is running. The Simulator creates a virtual world where operators can choose from different training exercises, such as: trenching, bucket placement, truck loading, backfilling, and more.