Dear Rotarians,

 

A big thank you to Roseanne Apyan and her golf committee for kicking off this years' tournament preparation last week. It looks like we are well on our way to meet our goals for the year!

 

This week our speaker is Alex Rollins. Mr. Rollins' bio:

Mr. Alex Brent Rollins joined UTC in March 2010. His research interests include maximizing material properties of Portland cement concrete, evaluating the performance of Portland cement concrete containing high volumes of recycled material, and pursuing innovative, sustainable infrastructure protection solutions.

Most of Mr. Rollins' efforts at UTC are dedicated to research, but he also typically teaches at least one class per semester, working hard to ensure that graduating civil engineers have a sound foundation in materials science, sustainability, and awareness of the profession's role in a global and societal context. 

Mr. Rollins also owns his own consulting company that specializes in all aspects of Portland cement concrete construction and sustainable infrastructure.  He regularly consults on large infrastructure projects such as ports, airports, dams, and nuclear power facilities in the U.S. and abroad.

Topic:

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has stated that 1 in 6 bridges in the United States need to be replaced.  A study at UTC completed last year evaluated the current construction practices of concrete bridge decks in all 50 states in terms of expected life cycle.  The findings are astounding, underlining the need for immediate action to ensure sustainability of our transportation infrastructure for future generations.

Hope to see everyone Wednesday!  Stan Russell