Anatomy of an Accident: How Sloppy work and a Lack of Documentation Caused Massive Payouts! May Tech Meeting
IEEE PI2 Austin, May 23rd, 2023, Tech Meeting via WebEx and In-Person 6 PM Central / 7 PM Eastern at Lupe Tortilla off MoPac.
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Lupe Tortilla, 10515 N MoPac Expy, Austin, Texas
Dinner (Fajitas) and soft beverages will be provided for those with reservations. If you do not have a reservation you will not be able to eat.
Cost, to defray the room, dinner and refreshments cost. Thank you in advance:
- All Attendees: In-person Choices:
- IF REGISTERED IN ADVANCE
- $25.00 Paypal from your card when registering - you do not need a Paypal account to use it. Click through to the credit/debit page. Non-memebers - use the IEEE member registration.
- $25.00 credit/debit with Square at the meeting. Please register in advance (skip the payment)
- IF NOT REGISTERED IN ADVANCE
- $30.00 cash at the meeting
- On-Line- $5.00 Paypal (you don’t need to have an account to pay)
- IEEE Student Members - free (must register in advance with your IEEE member number)
- All Attendees: In-person Choices:
In person registration ends on May 19th 2023.
The WebEx information will be emailed to you the day of the event. Contact haleyhirschfield@ieee.org if you have any questions or do not receive the WebEx details.
For PDH hours, please email the PI2 Secretary, Haley Hirschfield at HaleyHirschfeld.org or pi2-secretary@ieee.org.
Abstract
On Thursday morning, January 7, 1999, a woman walking to work in San Antonio TX died on the sidewalk in front of UTSA downtown. The cause was ruled as electrocution from an energized metal lid in the sidewalk. The resultant investigation revealed a lack of final inspection on the original work and many problems with subsequent work. Enough that San Antonio’s Central Power Supply (CPS) and others paid out a combined $6.4M. James Mercier, who was at that time an engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation, will present and discuss the various errors discovered from his investigation for TxDOT and in the court records. Long after the court case was settled, James may have figured out what really happened that day!
Date and Time
Location
Hosts
Registration
- Date: 23 May 2023
- Time: 06:00 PM to 08:30 PM
- All times are (UTC-05:00) Central Time (US & Canada)
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- Lupe Tortilla
- 10515 N MoPac Expy
- Austin, Texas
- United States 78759
- Building: Building R
- Click here for Map
- Starts 10 May 2023 05:16 PM
- Ends 23 May 2023 05:00 PM
- All times are (UTC-05:00) Central Time (US & Canada)
- Admission fee ?
Speakers
James Mercier
Anatomy of an Accident: How Sloppy work and a Lack of Documentation Caused Massive Payouts!
On Thursday morning, January 7, 1999, a woman walking to work in San Antonio Texas died on the sidewalk in front of UTSA downtown. The cause was ruled as electrocution from an energized metal lid in the sidewalk. The resultant investigation revealed a lack of final inspection on the original work and many problems with subsequent work. Enough that San Antonio’s Central Power Supply (CPS) and others paid out a combined $6.4M. James Mercier, who was at that time an engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation, will present and discuss the various errors discovered from his investigation for TxDOT and in the court records. Long after the court case was settled, James may have figured out what really happened that day!
Biography:
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 duties include Membership Development Chair, Sr. Member Upgrade Coordinator, and now Treasurer elect. 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 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 1999, 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!
Address:Austin, United States
Agenda
Mixer/Food-Refreshments/Sign-In: 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM
Program: 6:45 PM to 7:45 PM
Networking: 7:45 PM to 8:00 PM