The 36^th Annual International Bridge Conference (IBC) was held June 10-12, 2019 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD.

The IBC brought together more than 1,000 bridge owners, engineers, government officials, bridge designers, construction executives and more from the US and abroad. We had more than 20 different countries represented this year, as well as more than 40 states from the United States. Our furthest traveled attendees came all the way from Australia.

We started the conference off on Monday, June 10^th with three Special Sessions at 8:00 AM. These Special Sessions included Construction, New Technology and Bridge Asset Management.

The official start and welcome happened during our Keynote Session. Our Keynote Speakers did an excellent job kicking off the start of the 2019 IBC!

We were pleased to welcome our Featured State, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). WSDOT organized a Session for Monday afternoon, which included 6 presentations on some of their ongoing projects, as well as a large display in our Exhibit Hall.

The 3-day conference had over 80 presentations and 13 continuing education workshops that were conducted. Not to mention, we had 10 Posters and 5 Bridging the Gap Theatre Presentations. The Posters and Bridging the Gap Theatre were new additions to this year’s conference, along with the Outdoor Demonstrations in our Outdoor Exhibit space.

The Exhibit Hall is one of the main attractions at the IBC and was a great opportunity to network with the various vendors and fellow attendees. We would like to thank our 2019 Exhibitors for their continued support as IBC attendees always enjoy strolling through the Exhibit Hall learning about the latest technologies, products, and services the bridge industry has to offer.

In addition to all the other excitement, the IBC Attendees were able to get an exclusive sneak peak of the Arlington Memorial Bridge Rehabilitation on Tuesday, June 11^th. We couldn’t have asked for better weather for this outdoor tour! The tour began with a brief project introduction and overview, which was presented by the Kiewit Construction team and Federal Highway Administration in the Kiewit Field Office. This introduction was then followed by the guided walking tour on the Arlington Memorial Bridge.

We also held our Annual IBC Awards Dinner on Tuesday, where the winning projects were recognized and presented with an Award. We were pleased to have Dr. Karl Frank, P.E., our 2019 IBC Roebling Award winner, attend the dinner and provide us with a brief presentation of his outstanding achievements.

We want to thank all the IBC attendees, sponsors, presenters, exhibitors, and committee members for contributing to another successful conference.

We hope to see everyone for our 37^th Annual IBC in Pittsburgh, PA June 8-11, 2020.

“A Climate for Change” was the theme at this year’s Engineering Sustainability conference,

hosted by the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation (MCSI) at the University of Pittsburgh with the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education & Research at Carnegie Mellon University. The conference dealt with something unique for a technical conference: It spent time talking about not only the “what” of sustainable innovations, but the “how.” How do you get people to actually change their perspective about sustainability? How do you create a climate where such changes can be successful?  Read the full article here…..

On behalf of the Executive Committee of the International Water Conference®, it is our pleasure to announce that William Kennedy from Duke Energy Corporation has been selected to receive the 2019 Annual Merit Award.

Each year, the International Water Conference® presents the Annual Merit Award to honor outstanding individuals in the field of industrial water technology. William Kennedy was selected because he is recognized as a leader in a water-related field of activity and his contributions to the IWC and industrial water industry are considered to be outstanding achievements.

We also acknowledge his efforts to inspire others to make major contributions in pertinent water-related technology or its application and his active contribution to the advancement of the International Water Conference® in the form of committee papers, discussions, and committee participation.

Attendees are invited to join us during the Opening Session on Monday, November 11 at the Hilton in Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL at 11:15 am during this year’s conference to see William Kennedy receive this award. Congratulations, William Kennedy!

Congratulations to Ivan Morales from Integrated Sustainability, Inc. and Randy Turner from SWAN Analytical USA on their election on the International Water Conference (IWC) Executive Committee.

Mr. Morales is the Water Manager at Integrated Sustainability Inc in their Houston, TX office. Mr. Morales is currently managing the operation in the USA, focus on the oil shale market (Produced Water). He has over 22 years’ experience consulting in water treatment services for different industries: Oil Refinery, Upstream Oil Extraction, Power Generation, Chemical Process Industry, Pulp and Paper, Food and Beverage, and worked in four different countries: Venezuela, Mexico, Canada and most recently in the USA.

Mr. Turner was a plant & corporate chemist for Southern Company for 33+ years. He became Technical Director for Swan Analytical USA in January 2012. Randy was chairman of EPRI’s Cycle Chemistry Program and awarded the Technology Transfer Award in 2010.  He was awarded the Paul Cohen award for the best technical paper at the International Water Conference in 2017. He is past chairman of the Power Plant and Environmental Chemistry Committee. He is Chairman of ASME PTC 19.11 Committee, International Properties of Water and Steam Committee, International Water Conference Advisory Council, AWWA Online Monitoring Committee, and Water and Environment Federation.

Both Ivan and Randy were on the IWC Advisory Council for more than more than five years before being elected to the IWC Executive Committee. The IWC Advisory Council is supported by over 60-member companies. These companies represent the leading water treatment service companies, OEMs, engineering firms, consultants, and chemical suppliers in the industry.  For a complete list of IWC Advisory Council companies, visit here: https://eswp.com/water/leadership/.

We are pleased to welcome each of these candidates to IWC Executive Committee and we look forward to their assistance in the planning for the 80^th Anniversary of the International Water Conference, which takes place on November 10-14, 2019 at the Hilton at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL, USA. For more information on the event visit, https://eswp.com/water/overview/.

On behalf of the Executive Committee of the International Water Conference® (IWC),

it is our pleasure to announce that Kevin Brown of U.S. Water has been selected as the winner of our 2018 Paul Cohen Award for his presentation IWC 18-32: Decreasing Filterable Iron Levels in an Air-cooled Condenser at a Combined Cycle Power Plant.

As a memorial to Paul Cohen and his contributions to the power generation industry, the IWC recognizes the author of the most precise and innovative presentation in the field of power systems water technology that was presented at the most recent IWC.

We hope that you will be able to join us during the Opening Session at the 2019 International Water Conference taking place on Monday, November 11 at the Hilton at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL, USA to see Kevin Brown receive his award. To view a complete list of past award recipients, visit, https://eswp.com/water/awards/

Congratulations to William Detwiler, P.E., T.Y. Lin International, Liji Huang, Ph.D., CCCC Highway Consultants Co., Ltd., Jennifer Laning, P.E., Pennoni, and Frank Russo, P.E., Michael Baker International on their election on the International Bridge Conference Executive Committee.

Mr. Detwiler is a Senior Bridge Engineer & Principal Project Manager at T.Y. Lin International in their Coral Gables, FL office.  Mr. Detwiler is currently managing the Design Review of the $800M I395/SR836/I95 Design/Build project for the Florida Department of Transportation.  He has over 25 years of experience in bridge engineering including inspection, preservation, repair and rehabilitation projects and design experience in both concrete and structural steel, including box girder bridges and segmental construction.

Mr. Huang began the study Civil Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. After nine years of study, he received a Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering, and joined CCCC Highway Consultants Co., Ltd. He has devoted his career to bridge design, consulting and research ever since he joined CCCC. CCCC was founded in 1954. The company undertakes the survey, design, construction, inspection, and maintenance of large bridges and tunnels in China and overseas. Mr. Huang will be the first International Bridge Conference representative from China.

Ms. Laning is an Associate Vice President in the Transportation Division with a primary focus in bridge inspections and project management. She serves Pennoni as a Bridge Inspection Practice Leader, headquartered in the Baltimore, Maryland office. Her responsibilities include project management and quality management of NBIS Bridge and underwater inspection projects and coordination of relevant project requirements for local, state and federal clients.

Mr. Russo is the Vice President and Technical Director at Michael Baker International. As a member of the Baker Technical Services Group for bridges, he is responsible for the design, design oversight, quality control, and marketing support of complex bridge engineering projects nationwide. He has an extensive teaching background in academia and for professional clients. He also has experience in forensic engineering and expert witness report preparation.

We are pleased to welcome each of these candidates to IBC Executive Committee and we look forward to their assistance in the planning for the 2019 International Bridge Conference, which takes place on June 10-12, 2019 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD, USA. For more information on the event visit, https://eswp.com/bridge/bridge-home/.

Scottsdale, Arizona was the new destination for the 79^th Annual International Water Conference that took place on November 4-8, 2018. It brought together almost 900 end users, researchers, practicing engineers, educators, suppliers and contractors from more than 15 countries to learn unbiased details about the latest applications available in the industry, get educated on current technology and hold wide ranging discussions with their peers active in water treatment.

The conference opened on Sunday at 10:00 AM local time with an IWC Golf Outing at the Talking Stick Golf Club. It was followed by Continuing Education Workshops, Outdoor Exhibit Hall, and Get Acquainted Reception. The Golf Outing and Outdoor Exhibit Hall are a new addition to the conference, pleasantly surprising attendees.

To continue the excitement, the IWC introduced a H20 Theatre on Monday and Tuesday. The H20 Theatre offered a chance for companies to present information about their company that they could not present in the technical sessions. In addition, an Idea Board was added for attendees to communicate their thoughts in real time! The final addition to the conference was a TopGolf Outing hosting over 50 attendees on Wednesday evening located less than a mile from the venue.

Over the 5-day conference, 75 technical papers and 18 Continuing Education Workshops were conducted. All are carefully peer reviewed for quality and to ensure they are non-commercial. Each paper presentation at the IWC is followed by a prepared discussion-a thoroughly considered, different perspective on the topic. This was followed by an open floor discussion when all audience members and presenters can fully interact-ask questions, seek clarification, and raise alternative viewpoints.

Overall, we want to thank all the attendees, sponsors, and committee members for contributing to a successful conference and we hope to see you for the 80^th Anniversary of the International Water Conference taking place on November 10-14, 2019 at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista in Orlando, FL, USA.

Over the course of 3 days, over 400 attendees joined us in Bethlehem, PA for the 2018 PA Brownfields Conference.  With over 20+ educational sessions and networking opportunities with more than 45 exhibitors the conference was a success.

The conference opened on Monday with two mobile workshops (Brewing Brownfields Back to Life and Big Machines, Big Industry) followed by a “Get Acquainted Reception” at the Musikfest Café at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, that gave attendees a birds-eye view of the historic Bethlehem Steel Blast Furnaces.

Tuesday morning the conference started with a “Brownfields 101” session providing attendees an opportunity to learn the basics of Pennsylvania’s brownfields program before the start of the conference. Following this introductory session, we were welcomed to the conference by the Mayor of Bethlehem’s staff and opening remarks by PA Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell and U.S. EPA, Office of Land and Emergency Management Deputy Assistant Administrator, Steven Cook. Day two offered more than 12 different sessions for attendees to choose from, plus a full exhibit hall providing attendees the opportunity to lunch and learn, as they visit with vendors.

Wednesday continued with 10 more sessions and an “Economic Forecast” by Don Cunningham from Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC). The conference concluded with a workshop “Winning EPA Brownfield Grants – Tips and Tricks for Success” as experts presented way to write a successful proposal.

Overall, we want to thank all the attendees, sponsors, and committee members for contributing to a successful conference. Stay tuned for information on when the next PA Brownfields Conference will occur. The Conference is planned in collaboration between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP).

Over the course of 3 days, over 400 attendees joined us in Bethlehem, PA for the 2018 PA Brownfields Conference.  With over 20+ educational sessions and networking opportunities with more than 45 exhibitors the conference was a success.

The conference opened on Monday with two mobile workshops (Brewing Brownfields Back to Life and Big Machines, Big Industry) followed by a “Get Acquainted Reception” at the Musikfest Café at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, that gave attendees a birds-eye view of the historic Bethlehem Steel Blast Furnaces.

Tuesday morning the conference started with a “Brownfields 101” session providing attendees an opportunity to learn the basics of Pennsylvania’s brownfields program before the start of the conference. Following this introductory session, we were welcomed to the conference by the Mayor of Bethlehem’s staff and opening remarks by PA Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell and U.S. EPA, Office of Land and Emergency Management Deputy Assistant Administrator, Steven Cook. Day two offered more than 12 different sessions for attendees to choose from, plus a full exhibit hall providing attendees the opportunity to lunch and learn, as they visit with vendors.

Wednesday continued with 10 more sessions and an “Economic Forecast” by Don Cunningham from Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC). The conference concluded with a workshop “Winning EPA Brownfield Grants – Tips and Tricks for Success” as experts presented way to write a successful proposal.

Overall, we want to thank all the attendees, sponsors, and committee members for contributing to a successful conference. Stay tuned for information on when the next PA Brownfields Conference will occur. The Conference is planned in collaboration between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP).