Editor’s Note

The Journal of Cold Regions Engineering is administered by the ASCE Technical Council on Cold Regions Engineering, or TCCRE (“ticker”). Established in 1979 to “identify, assess and report on effects of cold region environments upon engineering design, construction and operations,” TCCRE is a small organizational unit within ASCE, but its members are quite active. TCCRE is a unique group since it does not concentrate on a single, traditional branch of civil engineering but instead covers all disciplines as they relate to cold regions (those areas affected by frost or temperatures below $0°\mathrm{C}$ ). The technical structure of TCCRE exemplifies this diversity, with committees on Environmental and Public Health Engineering, Frozen Ground, Hydrology and Hydraulics, Structures and Foundations, and Transportation and Infrastructure. TCCRE has been solicited to become a part of the Construction Institute, the Environmental and Water Resources Institute, and the Geo-Institute. While each offer is greatly appreciated, we feel that some of the existing technical committees would be left out of each of these potential associations.

TCCRE assists the Journal of Cold Regions Engineering by promoting it to prospective authors as an option for professional publication, providing reviewers for potential manuscripts, and setting long term strategic goals for content, quality, and growth. The Journal has been directed to maintain its focus on academic research while also providing outstanding examples of applied engineering, case studies, and forum articles meant to stimulate discussions of issues important to cold regions engineers.

TCCRE conducts technology transfer in a variety of ways, in addition to the Journal of Cold Regions Engineering. The Programs Committee administers a very successful series of specialty conferences that have been conducted since 1978 at venues in Alaska, Washington, Minnesota, and New Hampshire. Our association with the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) has flourished with our conference being hosted by the CSCE in Edmonton, Alberta every 10 years (1984, 1994, and 2004). The 13th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering will be held in Orono, Maine on July 23–26, 2006. Over 75 peer-reviewed papers will be presented and published in a CD-ROM proceedings by authors from the United States, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Australia, England, Japan, China, and Russia. TCCRE has also established a liaison with the International Society on Cold Regions Development (ISCORD), acting as host of their conference that was held in Anchorage, Alaska in 1997 and cohosting the 2007 conference with the Finnish Association of Civil Engineers (RIL) in Tampere, Finland. TCCRE organizes conference sessions at many other venues including ASCE national conventions, conferences of cooperating societies, and, most recently, a Cold Regions Track at the 2005 EWRI Congress.

In addition to conference proceedings, TCCRE also publishes the Cold Regions Engineering Monograph, a state-of-the-practice series of 15 documents aimed at the practicing engineer to address cold regions design issues. Past titles include “Design for Ice Forces” and “Roads and Airfields in Cold Regions,” with upcoming publications of “River Ice Monograph” and “Specialty Foundations in Cold Regions.” These publications are typically developed and written by a team of practicing engineers whose experiences are compiled together in a single volume.

TCCRE administers several awards, including the CAN-AM Civil Engineering Amity Award, the Harold R. Peyton Award, and the Eb Rice Memorial Lecture. The CAN-AM Award is given for outstanding contributions toward the advancement of professional relations between civil engineers in the United States and Canada, while the Peyton Award is given for contributions to cold regions engineering and practice. The Eb Rice Lecture is an endowment of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and is awarded for lifetime service to cold regions engineering education. The recipient presents a lecture at the International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering. TCCRE also presents two Best Paper Awards: one for the best paper and presentation at the International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering and one for the best paper to appear in the Journal of Cold Regions Engineering. While the CAN-AM and Peyton Awards are National Awards and presented every year, the others are presented approximately every 2 years at the International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering. All five awards will be presented in Orono, Maine on July 24th, 2006.

TCCRE is always looking for individuals interested in all aspects of cold regions engineering. Our technical diversity, international membership, and liaisons with many professional societies ensure that we bring the latest information on cold regions research and practice to the engineering profession. If you aren’t already a TCCRE member, please contact the Executive Committee Chair, Rupert “Bucky” Tart, P. E. at [email protected] or our ASCE staff contact, John Segna, P.E. at [email protected]