DLSU faculty and students at the TSSP Conference - Bohol

 Dr. Alexis Fillone, head of the DLSU Civil Engineering Transportation Division, along with Dr. Grace Padayhag-Gueta and Engr. Cheryl Lyne Capiz-Roxas attended the 20^th Annual Conference of the Transportation Science Society of the Philippines (TSSP) last 28 September 2012 at Alona Kew White Beach Resort, Panglao Island, Bohol. PhD student Engr. Nicanor Roxas Jr.  and four  BS/MS students Raymund Abad, Katrina Ganzon, Kryster Ian Roquel and Paul Bidol also attended the conference. 

This year’s theme is “Taking the Sustainable Path: Convergence of Transport, Energy and Land Use”. The conference highlighted the keynote lecture of Dr. Hirohito Kuse, a professor at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology. He is also the President of Japan Logistics Society and member of the City Planning Institute of Japan and the Eastern Asia Society on Transport Studies. Dr. Kuse discussed the Logistics Management and experience of Japan during the earthquake triggered by a tsunami on 11 March 2011.

There were also presentations by other stakeholders, including  Director Rebecca Garsuta, PMO-BOT about DPWH Sustainable Road Development Program; Atty. Glynda Bathan-Baterina, Deputy Executive Director of CAI-Asia Center about GIZ Clean Air and Climate Change Mitigation for Smaller Cities in the ASEAN Region; and Mr. Paul Lazaro, First Vice President of DBP about DBP Logistics Infrastructure Development Project. 

The paper entitled “Proposed Traffic Management Schemes for the Old Calle Real de Iloilo” was presented by Mr. Adrian Alarcon, an undergraduate student and co-authored by Dr. Alexis Fillone, Mr. Hector Macapagal, Mr. Juanito Dator and Ms. Angelica Ongkingco. Dr. Grace Padayhag-Gueta also presented her research entitled “ Does Number Coding Scheme Really Facilitate to Decongest the Vehicular Traffic in Metro Manila?”

The TSSP annual conference serves as a venue where transportation experts, university professors, students and other professionals can exchange ideas for the development of transportation science and systems in the Philippines. TSSP is an organization of experts in various fields of transportation formed to address the multi-disciplinary nature of transportation and allow a comprehensive approach to transportation planning, policy formulation, design and implementation.

Write-up by Cheryl Capiz-Roxas

DLSU - Chula U Student Exchange Program 2012

Chulalongkorn University

The DLSU Undergraduate Students Exchange Visit at Chulalongkorn University (CU) proposed in February 2012 was realized last Sept. 2 - 7, 2012 when Irene Ubay, Asst. Professor of the CE Department and seven undergraduate senior students who are undergoing OJT visited CU. The seven  students are Mervy Jan Malvar, Ivan MIguel Lim, Svend Ezer Young, Justin Victor Angeles, Harold Torres, Marcus Kyle Baron and Ismael Concepcion, Jr.

The visit was a mix of cultural tours, research exchange and technical visits. The CU faculty conducted lectures for the DLSU students on the 2nd day. These lectures were about the on-going researches in the master’s level of civil engineering. The specializations in the department were structural, geotechnical, transportation and construction technology management. They showcased several researches which the students may be interested in joining in the future if they apply for a master’s degree in CU. After the lectures, the DLSU participants presented the following for the Student Research Forum:

•  “Influence of Seawater Curing to Reinforced Fly Ash Mortar Mixed with Seawater” by Mervyn Jan Malvar
•  “Influence of Various Replacement Ratios of Fly Ash to Reinforced Mortar Mixed with Seawater” by Ivan Miguel Lim
• “Durability and Structural Stability of Ferrocement Garbage Disposal Barge” by Svend Ezer Young
• “Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems: An Effective Flood Mitigation Technique” by Justin Victor Angeles and Harold Torres
• “Application of the Bus Rapid Transit along Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue” by Marcus Kyle Baron
• “Shallow Foundation Design Reference for Metro Manila” by Ismael Concepcion Jr.

The Chulalongkorn University students also presented their thesis and there was an exchange of comments and suggestions to improve the thesis.

The Virtual Reality Tour of a Building

A tour of the CU laboratory was held on the 3rd day. The CU tour showcased the different equipment and tools used to enhance the learning of civil engineering. The CTM lab faculty presented their virtual reality software and hardware. They would model the structure using Autodesk BIM software and then generate it onto the 3D screen which would allow clients or engineers to walkthrough and have a better idea of the structure. The laboratory equipment was incredibly high-tech! The next laboratory visit was for the geotechnical division which was similar to the laboratory in De La Salle University. It had the same testing equipment. As for the full-scale structural laboratory, they had a whole warehouse with several footings, columns, beams and slabs which they would test.

The MRTA site visit

A technical tour was also organized by CU. The site visit was held at a fire laboratory and a construction site. The fire laboratory tests the capability and characteristics of certain objects against fire. For the demonstration, they tested a hotel door and observed at what parts burning would occur during an actual fire. The results showed that it would burn on the upper left part of the door. They did not continue the test until the whole door burned but only until the data which they needed was obtained (example: highest temperature of door and average 10-15 minutes to burn door). After the laboratory testing, we headed to the MRTA or Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand. They showed  the sites wherein they were building the bridges and passages of the MRT for future use. They were building several new lines to create transport for people faraway from Bangkok.

The King's Summer Palace

To complete the visit, cultural tours were also held. They visited Chatuchak Market, summer palace of king of Thailand, several Buddha temples and Samphran Elephant Zoo. The group was joined by the DLSU Alumni (Jamiel Jayme, Daniel Valerio, Erica Uy, and Emilia Sevilla) who are now taking their Master’s Degree in Chulalongkorn University under the AUN/SEED-Net Scholarship.

Street food at Chatuchak Market.
At right is Justin Victor Angeles (the writerof this report)

"I would definitely come back to Thailand after this trip. It’s a place worth visiting again because of its sophistication and food!" remarked Justin Angeles.

Write-up based on the report

by Justin Victor Angeles

The 18th Congress of IABSE 2012 Seoul, Korea



DLSU alumni civil engineers - Bertrand Teodosio, Iris Malabatuan, Analyn Yee Concepcion and Dr. Andy Oreta

Dr. Andres Oreta attended the 18th IABSE Congress-Seoul, Korea 2012 last September 19-21, 2012 at the Sheraton, Walker Hill, Seoul, Korea. The paper on “Deriving Optimum Mix Designs For High Strength Concrete Using Genetic Algorithms” co-authored with Alden Paul Balili and former students Iris Malabatuan, Bertrand Teodosio and Analyn Yee Concepcion was presented in a poster session and the extended abstract included in the 18th Congress of IABSE Seoul 2012 Report on Innovative Infrastructures – Toward Human Urbanism (ISBN 978-3-85748-127-7). Joining Dr. Oreta at Seoul, Korea were his co-authors and former undergraduate students.

A total of 446 papers were submitted from 44 countries but only 278 papers were accepted for oral and poster presentations. Only two papers came from the Philippines. The conference highlighted keynote lectures on “Towards Humanism of  Cities”, “Sustainable Conceptual Design of Strucures," :The Integration of Engineering and Architecture,” “Lessons learned from collapse” and “Seismic performance of tall buildings.”  Oreta also attended IABSE2012 social functions and tours such as the welcome reception on Sept. 19 and the cultural tour on Sept. 20. The DLSU alumni attended the Young Engineers Program on Sept 19.

With IABSE Secretariat

Philippine membership to IABSE increased since the DLSU former students and now alumni who also attended the conference joined as new members. Eventually the Philippine Group of IABSE will be formed by this Philippine IABSE members with DLSU faculty and alumni as core members.

With bridge engineer, Peter Mulqueen of New Zealand - awardee of the outstanding paper in the IABSE quarterly Journal Structural Engineering International (SEI)

Dr. Grace is now "Dr. Grace Padayhag - Gueta"



Mr. and Mrs. Lounell and Grace Gueta with the principal sponsors (male)
(Photo by Susan Gallardo)

The happy couple with CE Dept. faculty
(Photo by Jocelyn Lejano)

The  DLSU Department of Civil Engineering congratulates Dr. Grace Padayhag who tied the knot with Dr. Lounell Gueta on Sept. 8. 2012. Engr. Ronaldo Gallardo, chair of the department and Dr. Alexis Fillone, TRE division head were principal sponsors of the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony.

Cheers for a blissful marriage!

 

Dr. Padayhag presents paper at Toronto

Dr. Grace Padayhag presented her paper co-authored with Dr. Lounell Gueta (University of Tokyo), "The Effect of Number Coding Scheme on Trip Pattern in Metro Manila, Philippines" at 13th International Conference on Travel Behaviour Research held at Toronto, Canada last 15-20 July 2012.

Abstract of Paper:

Travel demand management (TMD) is an application of areas. In Metro Manila, the number coding scheme is created by MMDA as a TDM measure  to decongest the busy and major thoroughfares. This study investigates the effects of the scheme on weekday trips of commuters who are employed in the  non-government entities. The study revealed that during number coding day when their car is banned from plying the streets, commuter would still use their car in expense of extending their total activity hours, meaning they would go to work early and go home late using their car to avoid the ban period. The result implies the scheme could be a key element to encourage people to use public transport.  However, public transport to become attractive to commuters, who are car dependent, must provide the quality and service on a par with having a car.