For our October meeting, we are happy to welcome James Mercier from Region 5 leadership to come speak on Engineer Errors.
Presentation:
Engineers have an ethical obligation to assure that their designs are reasonable and safe. While Engineers like to think that their designs are not only technically correct but perfect, the truth is that errors are often made because the engineers either didn’t understand construction practices, hadn’t thought through the design, got sloppy, or were lazy. James will cover some examples of actual design errors that created unnecessary but costly construction difficulties, put innocent people at risk, or caused deadly, life-altering injuries. Some of these stories are from James’ own experience; others have been related by engineers who were involved.
Speaker Bio:
James Mercier is licensed as a professional engineer in Texas and five other states, and a Texas licensed Master Electrician. He is an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Life Member and an IEEE Life Senior Member, having joined both in college. In the Central Texas Section, his past duties included Membership Development Chair, Sr. Member Upgrade Coordinator, and Treasurer. He also is a Past-Chair of the IEEE joint chapter (PI)² (PES/PELS/IES/IAS/PSES). His nickname is “Honeybadger”. James was a 2020 George F. McClure Citation of Honor recipient for his dedication to IEEE and to his Chapter.
James has an eclectic history. After serving 4-years in the Air Force, he worked and completed a four-year Apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in 1979, making him a qualified construction electrician. The training specialized in industrial and commercial wiring. Then, in 1986, he graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a BS in Civil Engineering and worked as an Environmental Engineer in the private sector. In 1994, James was hired into the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to work in the Roadway Illumination and Traffic Signals Sections where he specialized in reviewing electrical plans, specifying grounding practices, inspecting installations for code compliance, improving design practices, and lightning protection.
In 2001, James transferred to the TxDOT Bridge Division Hydraulics where he specialized in river and stream flows through culverts and bridges. James used his multiple and varied experiences to design a collapse detection and motorist warning system for the Queen Isabella Causeway Bridge in south Texas. James also was a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) and an instructor for the Texas Floodplain Management Association.
He retired from TxDOT in 2015 so that he can enjoy doing what he wants to do!
As with all of our meetings, we will be providing lunch. If you do not pay online beforehand, we will not be purchasing lunch for you. Please reach out if there are any issues with payment and we will try to figure it out prior to the meeting. In my experience, Paypal is the easiest and has had the least issues in the past.
We are changing things up, attendance will be in person only. James is making the trip up from Austin to speak so let's show him support!
Excited to see everyone on the 20th!
Bldg: 777 Main, 777 Main St, Suite 2500, Fort Worth, Texas, United States, 76102