Engineering Innovations Breakfast

College Involved in EPA Study

Retirement Planning

Student Internships

Rockies Alumni Challenge

Homecoming in October

Wood and Concrete Bridge - A Mix of Recycling and Innovation

It happened while driving to work, civil engineering professor and project investigator Richard Gutkowski came up with an idea, which has now turned into a large-scale research project. Professor Gutkowski and graduate student Matthew LeBorgne are utilizing salvaged utility poles, removed as part of road expansion projects, and incorporating them into short (20-30 foot) to medium span (40-50 foot) bridges.

"The idea came to me when I saw them removing the poles as I passed by each day on the way to the ERC," Gutkowski recalled. "It was like a light bulb coming on."

Layering wood and concrete to create a composite bridge, the groundbreaking idea is an economical solution for low tax base communities dependent on agricultural economies and the related freight and shipping industry.

The concrete layer will provide compression strength and a hardwearing surface for vehicle wheels, keeping snow and rain off the wood. The wood layer provides tensile strength by replacing the usual lower non-structural half of the concrete, its steel reinforcement, and external temporary shoring with a structural wood layer that self-shores the concrete during the curing process.

Research and construction is taking place at the Structures Laboratory, part of Colorado State University's Engineering Research Center (ERC). The project is a cooperation of several world-wide researchers in New Zealand, Germany, Italy, and Sweden. Researchers will join forces studying long-term creep, hygrothermal effects such as the flow of moisture between materials, and the effect of humidity changes on deflection over time in composite bridge designs.

Read more about the project and some of its challenges on the College of Engineering website. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation via the Mountain-Plains Consortium within the University Transportation Centers program. Xcel Energy is also providing poles from an ongoing roundabout intersection construction site at Vine Drive and Taft Road in Fort Collins.

As a follow-up to the bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Professor Gutkowski addressed bridge design and structural engineering of the past, present, and future in a recent Denver Post article.

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Engineering Innovations Breakfast Continues this Fall

For those alumni along the Front Range area in Colorado, the COE offers a special opportunity to network. Held on a monthly basis, the college hosts Engineering Innovations Breakfasts, which are a great opportunity to interact with alumni, friends, and former professors, as well as to hear updates on technological trends and innovative research projects.

Make a point to join the college at one or all of the following presentations:

September 19 - CSU Lory Student Center
Speaker: Dr. John W. van de Lindt
Topic: The Effects of Hurricanes and Earthquakes on Woodframe Buildings

October 16 - Dixon’s Restaurant in Denver
Speaker: Dr. Neil S. Grigg
Topic: Colorado’s Water and Economy: The Next Ten Years

November 8 - CSU Lory Student Center
Speaker: Dr. Randy A. Bartels
Topic: Dancing Molecules for Biological Imaging

November 13 - Inverness Hotel in DTC
Speaker: Dr. Kenneth F. Reardon
Topic: Biofuels and CSU's Research Impact

All breakfasts begin at 7: 30 and conclude by 9 a.m. These events are open to alumni, friends of the college, and the general public. Guests are encouraged to come. Cost is $20/person, payable to CSU. Payment accepted at event ($15 for breakfast and a $5 gift to the Dean’s Innovation Fund; cash or check only). For more information or to RSVP, contact the Office of Development at 970-491-7028.

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Like a Vacation, Retirement Requires Some Planning

Summer is the main time of year for those long-awaited vacations.

Retirement, however, is the one vacation that happens year 'round. Hopefully it is the time in which you can relax and enjoy the things you might never have had time for during your working years.

Like planning for a vacation, a successful retirement requires thoughtful planning, research, and sound money management. It requires determining your assets and the savings necessary for a comfortable retirement, as well making some financial adjustments now.

CSU's Office of Planned Giving can assist you with finding the appropriate resources and tools to make your retirement plans a success. Feel free to contact Bill Sheets at 970-491-4679 or Marianne Blackwell at 970-491-7862 with the Office of Planned Giving. They can provide guidance and resources on estate planning, living wills, and more. The COE Office of Development is also available to answer questions.

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Students Take Advantage of Internship Opportunities

Even though campus tends to be quiet over the summer, with students and faculty on vacations, some students continue their studies and enroll in summer internships. Two particular internship projects gave students the opportunity to design and construct models that impact research beyond the classroom.

Mechanical engineering and engineering science students were busy designing and constructing an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), or autonomously flying airplane, as part of Colorado State's summer Space Grant program. A NASA-sponsored program, the ten-week internship provided undergraduate students with valuable research experience in aeronautics and space science.

Seniors Chris Lawhorn, Allison Porter, and Grant Rhoads, under the direction of project director Paul Wilbur and project adviser Hiroshi Sakurai, designed and developed every aspect of a UAV within the constraints of a $1,000 budget. Using a mix of readily-available materials, the airplane was constructed from lightweight carbon fibers, including golf club shafts, fiberglass, and foam core.

One of the goals of the internship was to provide students the independence and creativity of following a project from the drawing board to airfield. "It is great to start a project from scratch," said team member Allison Porter. "Most internships allow involvement in only a small part of a project already underway, but this is something that is completely ours."

To view pictures of the aircraft, read the complete story on the College of Engineering's Student News and Events site.

Another group of summer interns, made up of mechanical and electrical engineering students, was hard at work designing a rover capable of withstanding a parachuted drop from the edge of space.

Equivalent to a two-story free fall, the rover will be deployed from 100,000 feet, the edge of space. During its ascent the rover will be subjected to extreme conditions such as -40C and almost 0 atmospheric pressure. And on its rapid descent, the rover will reach speeds equal to those of sound.

Although working under the direction of project director and Professor Paul Wilbur and Instructor Steven Schaeffer, the students faced a design challenge, centered around a protective foam carrier outfitted with a series of sensors that determined the flight status.

"These are very devoted and capable students," said Professor Paul Wilbur. "I am extremely proud of them and the work they have done."

The DemoSat internship was sponsored by the Colorado Space Grant Consortium and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It was designed to provide students hands-on experience while generating interest in the space field and robotics industry.

For more information on the internship visit the DemoSat and the Colorado Space Grant Consortium website.

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Rams at the Rockies Alumni Challenge

Attention alumni in the Denver area - help fellow Rams win this year's Rockies Alumni Challenge and the Ramsker Cup. Bring your family and your friends to the ballpark on Friday, August 24 for this fun Denver tradition!

CSU will be competing against both CU and the Coloradans for Nebraska for this year's bragging rights.

Colorado Rockies vs. Washington Nationals
Friday, August 24, 2007

5 p.m. - Young Alumni pre-game reception
Whiskey Bar (2203 Larimer Street)

5 p.m. - Family Pre-game Reception
LoDo's Bar and Grill (1946 Market Street)

7:05 p.m. - First Pitch
Coors Field

Tickets are $25 per person, which includes...

- game tickets (face value is $24)
- t-shirts for adults and children,
- pre-game reception,
- and a $10 food and beverage voucher for the game.

To buy tickets, call the Alumni Association at 1-800-286-2586.

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October is Two Months Away!

Homecoming and Family Weekend 2007 is right around the corner and the College of Engineering is hosting several homecoming events for alumni and guests.

Mark your calendars for October 4 - 7, 2007.

Annual 50th and Prior Reunion Dinner
Thursday, October 4 at the Fort Collins Hilton

All College Reunion Breakfast
Friday, October 5 in the Internet Cafe Engineering Building

Academic Village Grand Opening Luncheon
Saturday, October 6 at the Academic Village

Details on these events are available on the COE's events website.

In addition to this year's festivities, the College of Engineering will be represented in the annual Homecoming Parade on Saturday, October 6. The float theme and construction will be organized by a group of engineering students.

University-wide events scheduled for the weekend include the 1957 Reunion, the Alumni Association Pancake Breakfast, and the Homecoming Football Game (CSU vs. San Diego State). Visit the CSU Homecoming site for more information.

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More College of Engineering stories are available on-line
at Engineering News.