The Engineers' Extra
The Raleigh Engineer's Club (REC) has been in existence since 1926. The club seeks to promote the Engineering field through monthly technical meetings and support of those pursuing a future in the Engineering discipline. We award an annual scholarship to a Raleigh area graduating high school senior to enter the school of engineering at NC State. Our members have a diverse background of engineering disciplines and represent several companies and government agencies located in the Raleigh area.
Next Meeting: Monday, May 21, 2012
The Raleigh Engineers Club has monthly lunch meetings that cover engineering topics of interest to all types of engineers and people interested in engineering activities regardless of discipline. The Raleigh Engineers Club is a NC Board of Registration for Engineers Certified provider of professional development hours (pdh credits) for licensed engineers. Eleven meetings are held annually but one is set aside for scholarship awards and updates on successes of engineering graduates from NCSU. Thus 10 professional development hours are provided each year. Note that you do not need to be a licensed engineer, or a graduate engineer to be a member!
Meeting dates for 2012:
January 23rd February 27th March 19th April 16th May 21st June 18th July 16th August 20th September 17th October 15th December 3rd
Email us above for the latest complete program or visit http://www.ncsocietyofengineers.org for the latest newsletter.
Lunch
The lunch meetings are held in the Cardinal Club (on the 28th floor of the Wells Fargo Building Downtown)
The cost of the meeting, buffet lunch, including beverages, taxes and tip is $19 (desserts are not included). Note that opting out of the lunch will not reduce the meeting price.
The buffet will include sufficient choices for all diets. Make every effort to be there at 11:30AM to sign in and get your badge.
Remit your cash or check lunch payment to the Club Treasurer at the meeting. Checks are payable to the Raleigh Engineers' Club.
Note: Cardinal Club and Capital City Club dress code requires business casual attire as a minimum (i.e. dress slacks, collared golf/polo shirt and dress shoes).
Downtown Parking
The most convenient parking deck is located on Wilmington Street across Fayetteville Street from the Wachovia Building or across Wilmington Street from the Progress Energy Building. The deck for the Cardinal Club is located between Hargett and Morgan Streets with entrance on the Wilmington Street side. The deck for the Capital City Club is located between Cabarrus and Davie Streets with the entrance on Cabarrus or Wilmington Streets.
Join the Raleigh Engineers Club!
It only costs $35 per year and the meeting costs are lower than any club providing meals! Our goal is to provide great programs to its members, offer licensed members an opportunity for continuing education credits, and award a semester tuition NC State University scholarship to a deserving graduating Raleigh area high school senior choosing engineering as a career. Membership is available to anyone working in support of the engineering profession. You do not have to be an engineer. Contact us at secretary@raleighengineersclub.org today!
The Raleigh Engineers Club
Examples of Recent Raleigh Engineers Club Meetings
Paul Scheidt of Cree brought several LED demonstration devices to show us various colors and intensities of LED light. He gave quite an instruction on lighting technology, with considerable emphasis on spectral lighting. Paul shared with us that the key is to apply the right type of LED fixtures with the lighting application. As LED lights age, the brightness levels dim, over about 10 years of life. They work well in cold weather unlike the CFL counterparts. Very low hazardous materials, if any, are present in LED lamps.
Dr. Nancy Allbritton, Professor and Chair at the UNC/NCSU Department of Biomedical Engineering updated us on the latest developments in biomedical engineering. Dr. Allbritton shared some successes in advanced prosthetics, artificial tissue, interfaces with brain neurology, and nano-technologies. Bioengineering uses talents of electrical, mechanical, structural and other forms of engineering with medicine to address two of the 14 Grand Engineering Challenges: Reverse Engineer the Brain, and Develop New Medicines.
Jon Nance, Chief Engineer of Operations at NCDOT was our guest speaker and he covered the I-40 rock slide that occurred on October 2009 in Western North Carolina. It was located at approximately Mile Marker 3 in Haywood County, and covered both lanes of Interstate 40.The clean-up and stabilization was hampered by the twenty-five inches of snow fell in the area between December 2009 and February 2010, a 150 percent increase over the historic average of 10 inches. Also, seventeen inches of rain fell on the area during the same period, about a 30 percent increase over the historic average of 13 inches. Five other sites were identified and stabilized by clearing loose rock and using over 500 rock bolts and anchor mesh to stabilize the other areas. The rock mass in the road was 60 feet wide, 80 feet tall and 20 feet thick requiring extensive hauling and special equipment to clear the debris.
Our scholarship winner for 2011 was Conor Benson. Connor is a graduate of Wake Forest-Rolesville High School and is planning to enter NC State in Aeronautical Engineering. Pictured here with Conor is Mike Anthony, Director and Scholarship Chair, and Conor's mother, Marie. The scholarship was for $2576.50, which is the cost now for one semester's tuition at NCSU. Conor plans to major in Aeronautical Engineering. Conor ranked 6th in his class of 464.
Overview of the NCDOT 2040 Plan
with
Tyler Bray
Statewide Plan and Operational Strategies Engineer
Come join the discussion about the future of transportation in North Carolina! Tyler Bray, with the N.C. Department of Transportation will present the findings and recommendations of the 2040 Plan – an update of the state’s long-range transportation plan. We will discuss challenges and opportunities to North Carolinas transportation system as well as focusing on our long term transportation needs, strategic finance information, and strategic policies, processes, and programs.
Please RSVP to secretary@raleighengineersclub.org
George Attarian discussed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and the equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, following the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. He also covered some of the lessons learned and how US plants can take steps to prevent such incidents in similar disasters.
May 21st Program
Cardinal Club in Downtown Raleigh (atop the Wells Fargo Building - 11:30AM- 1:00PM)
Upcoming REC Programs
June
Highway 12 and the Technology behind this NCDOT Engineering Effort with Beth Smyre, PE ,Project Planning Engineer, NC Department of Transportation
July
Scholarship Program and Update and Recruiting Trends for New Graduate Engineers with Leslie Rand-Pickett , Assistant Director NC State University Career Development Center
August
High-Speed Rail in North Carolina with Shirley Williams, Director of Environmental & Planning for NCDOT-Rail Division
September
Internet Security and Tips for Protection with John O’Connor, PE principal Engineer Progress Energy