Howard E. Hill Outstanding CEE Faculty of the Year Award – Dr. Tess Ahlborn was awarded the 2013 Howard E. Hill award for Outstanding Faculty of the Year by the students of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Dr. Ahlborn teaches classes in the area of structural engineering. Congratulation Tess!

Graduate Teaching Award – This award is made annually to a graduate student in civil or environmental engineering to recognize excellence in laboratory instruction. This award is voted upon by the CEE undergraduate students.

This year’s recipient is Rachael Barlock who is an MS student in civil engineering working with Dr. Brian Barkdoll.

Graduate Research Excellence Award – This award is made annually to a graduate student in civil or environmental engineering to recognize outstanding student scholarship and research contributions. This award is determined by graduate research committee. This award is accompanied by a $ 1,500 departmental fellowship.

This year’s recipient is Rosa Flores Rangel who is a PhD candidate in Environmental Engineering working with Dr. Paul Doskey.

The Danielle Ladwig Award for Graduate Excellence – This award is made annually to a graduate student in civil or environmental engineering in recognition of outstanding achievement in academics, research, and service, in memory of our former friend and colleague, Danielle Ladwig. This award is determined by the graduate research committee. This award is accompanied by the Pati and Soumitri Reddy $ 1,500 annual fellowship.

This year’s recipient is Hamed Pouryousef, who is a PhD candidate in civil engineering working with Dr. Pasi Lautala.

The Nicole Bloom Award For Environmental Sustainability – This award is made annually to an undergraduate civil or environmental engineering student who has demonstrated leadership, passion, and activism for affecting environmental sustainability at the local, national and global level. This award is determined by the graduate research committee. This award is accompanied by the Pati and Soumitri Reddy $ 1,500 annual fellowship.

This year’s recipients were Breanna Cornell (ENVE undergraduate) nominated by Dr. Judith Perlinger, and Christa Meingast (ENVE undergraduate) nominated by Dr. Jennifer Becker and Dr. Eric Seagren.

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For more information see the Rail Transportation Program website

Speaker: Aaron Mazeika, PE, SE, AIA, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP

Topic: Design / Construction of a 413 meter highrise building at Kuwait City Sculpted High-Rise – The Al Hamra Tower

Abstract: With a roof height of 413m, the Al Hamra Tower in Kuwait City is amongst the tallest buildings in the world. Setting it apart from other super high-rise buildings is its unique sculpted form. An example of architectural expression through structural form on a grand scale, the structural system and exterior form were developed in a symbiotic digital design process. The building geometry is generated by a spiraling slice subtracted from a simple prismatic volume. The resultant spiraling building form generates a dramatic cantilevered office wing that wraps around an exterior coutyard. The two resultant cut surfaces are hyperbolic paraboloid reinforced-concrete walls, which extend the full height of the tower and participate in the lateral and gravity force resisting systems. Other noteable features include a Nervi inspired lamella structure bracing the tower columns which curve 24m throught the lobby space, and a spiralling roof geometry that extends 90m from low point to high point and encloses a 40m tall skygarden space.

The design of the Al Hamra Tower required consideration of challenging engineering issues complicated by both the height and form of the structure. Long-term creep and shrinkage of concrete was carefully studied to account for force redistributions and to develop an extensive program of displacement pre-corrections to be made during construction. The spiraling hyperbolic paraboloid ‘flared walls’ required for gravity load support of the cantilevered wing apply a torsional gravity load to the building core that necessitates consideration of both the long-term vertical and torsional deformations of the building structure.

Opened in late 2011, the Al Hamra Tower is a dramatic addition to the skyline of Kuwait City and is set to become a major destination for the city. This presentation will focus on both the technical design and construction challenges in the accomplishment of this complex project.

Abstract: Under a cooperative project between MTRI and the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, the MOREV tool was developed in order to effectively assess and communicate the value of mineral occurrences within regions of interest in Alaska, Yukon, and British Columbia. Intermodal optimal routing and carbon accounting modules help assess anticipated mineral development logistics and costs.

2013 Michigan Tech Center for Water and Society Award Winners
Original Research Category:
1st – Miles Corcoran
2nd – Julie A. Padilla
3rd – Jade E. Ortiz and Martin Hobmeier (Tie)

Coursework/Informational:
1st – Nancy Auer’s BL4465 Biological Oceanography class:

Photos of the award winners and all other presenters

Cerminaro, a senior majoring in civil engineering, is working to identify quake damage without setting foot in the danger zone, or even on the same continent.

Read more from the Michigan Tech Research Magazine 2013 article by Marcia Goodrich