SAE Newsletter – January 2020, Volume 10, Issue 1, Jadi 1398

A Quarterly Update From The Society Of Afghan Engineers

Dear Colleagues:

On behalf of the Editorial Board members of the SAE eNewsletter, I am wishing you, your respected families, friends, and colleagues a Happy New Year 2020. We are looking forward to the prosperity and peace in Afghanistan and the entire world.

It is a pleasure to provide you the first issue of the 2020 SAE eNewsletter (newsletter) with latest information about the activities of the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE).

This is the tenth year of the quarterly update from the SAE through the publication of this newsletter.

Thanks to the readers of the newsletter who have sent us technical articles, comments, suggestions, and news.

This issue of the newsletter features an article by Dr. Said Sharif Hossainy about the Condition of Dar-ul-Aman Palace prior to its rehabilitation. There is an informative and educational article by Mr. Jim Olshefsky, Director of External Relations- ASTM International, about ASTM roles in the development of standards and communication between ASTM International and worldwide national standards bodies, including the Afghanistan National Standardization Authority (ANSA).

We are looking forward to the receipt of your technical news, articles, comments, suggestions, questions, and opinions about SAE activities, especially this publication.

As always, we welcome your feedback, questions, technical news, and articles about Afghanistan.

Very Truly Yours,

G. Mujtaba, MS- CE, P.E., CPM;
Editor-In-Chief, SAE eNewsletter.

Inside This Issue

• Greetings from the SAE President
• The Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE) Annual General Membership Meeting
• The SAE 2019 Income & Expense Report
• The Condition of Dar-ul-Aman Palace Prior to its Rehabilitation
• ASTM International – Helping Our World Work Better
• Membership News
• Announcements
• The Year 2019 Membership Renewal Fee and Donations Paid in Earlier Years
• Membership Renewal Fee and Donations in Year 2019
• Comments and Suggestions
• The Society of Afghan Engineers Organization

Greetings from the SAE President

Dear SAE Colleagues Salaam:

I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year 2020. Today marks the beginning of the last year of my second term as President of the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE). It has been an honor and privilege of mine to serve as the President of this Society for the past five years. I’ve had the privilege and honor of working together with a group of extraordinary professionals on the Board of Directors as well as the Executive Committee.

I express my sincere gratitude for their support over the last five years. Over the last quarter of 2019, we’ve had several constructive meetings with the College of Engineering at Herat University, mostly focused on providing short-term technical educational training classes to students and faculty. We’ve already had several volunteer members of the Society step forward and agree to provide such trainings in a few weeks.

On Saturday, December 21, 2019, as required by SAE by-laws, the Society held its Annual General Membership meeting that was well attended by members. The meeting was held via teleconference and started at 2 PM EST with opening remarks from the President and Chairperson of the Board, followed by a financial report and the committees report. The meeting was productive and engaging. Members provided their constructive comments and shared ideas on the future of the Society. The meeting was extended for an additional half hour because of our members’ active participation in the Q & A session. I want to thank every member for their participation. The Year 2020 is going to be an exciting year for the Society, as we enter an election year to nominate and elect not only a new President for the Society, but also several Directors for the Board, whose two three-year terms end on December 31, 2020. Shortly, I will ask some of you to volunteer to serve as election committee officials for this important task. I hope your time allows you to accept the call to be a member of the election committee.

As the Society enters a new decade, this coincides with the election of new leadership to continue the Society’s important work in aiding in the development of our beloved Afghanistan. We are hopeful that SAE will be able to take a more active role in Afghanistan’s development through the experience of our seasoned professionals and the passion of younger Afghan professionals taking a greater leadership role at SAE. I am excited about the prospects of creating a stronger professional environment that helps cultivate ideas, innovation, and progress. We need to build on the Society’s past successes and continue to move forward. We must eliminate barriers to being effective and helpful partners to Afghanistan. Your active participation in this process is critical. I call on all Afghan professional engineers, architects and other professionals to participate and become active with the day-to-day operations of the Society.

I sincerely thank you for your willingness to participate in SAE’s activities and to help our beloved country Afghanistan prosper.

Sincerely,

Atiq Panjshiri, The SAE President

The Society of Afghan Engineers General Annual Membership Meeting

The Society of Afghan Engineers Annual General Membership meeting was held by teleconference from 2:00 -4:30 PM on Saturday December 21, 2019. The following is the meeting agenda, as it was scheduled.

The Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE) Annual General Membership Meeting
Saturday, December 21, 2019
2:00PM – 4:00 PM (EST)
Teleconference No. 712-775-7000
Code No. 388028#

Agenda

02:00 – 02:45 PM Introduction and Annual Report of SAE Activities
By: Atiq Panjshiri, SAE President

• Board of Directors Annual Report – Sohaila Shekib, SAE Chairwoman of the Board
• Financial Report – Atiq Panjshiri
• Committees & Chapters report
• SAE Election 2020 – Atiq Panjshiri
• Educational Assistance with Herat University – Atiq Panjshiri

02:45 – 03:15 PM Afghanistan Emerging as the Regional Transportation Hub
By: Eng. Ahmad Wali Shirzay

03:15 – 3:55 PM Open Discussions Q&A Coordinator: Eng. Nazeer Babacarkhial. P.E.

03:55 – 04:00 PM CLOSING REMARKS – Atiq Panjshiri, SAE President

04:00 PM Adjournment

The meeting was originally scheduled until 4:00 PM and it was extended until 4:30 PM due to interesting discussions, questions, and answers sessions. The meeting facilitator, Mr. Nazeer Babacarkhial announced that 18 members attended the meeting.

The scheduled presentation “Afghanistan Emerging as the Regional Transportation Hub” by Eng. Ahmad Wali Shirzay was cancelled. The President reported that, during the telephone conversation, Mr. Shirzay has indicated that, due to the scheduling conflict, he may not be able to attend the meeting at the scheduled time.

The following is the President’s financial report of the Year 2019, which was presented during the meeting.

The SAE 2019 Income & Expense Report

INCOME	Amount $	TOTAL $
End of the year Balance 12/31/2018	16,987	16,987
Membership Fee	1,620	18,607
Total Income		18,607

EXPENSES	Amount $	TOTAL $
Projector & large Screen (Staples & Amazon)	963	963
Printings (Staples)	201	1,164
Annual Conference Breakfast (Panera & bakery)	79	1,243
Website Maintenance (Nasir Popalzai)	1,200	2,443
Domain & Server Fee (FatCow)	257	2,700
VA Corporation Registration Fee	25	2,725
PO BOX Annual Fee (US Postal)	140	2,865
Total Expenses		2,865
End of the year Balance 12/21/2019		15,742

Note: Donation to Eng. Ghazanfar $3,637 collected through WePay, was directly transferred in two checks to his family.

Balance: $15,742

The minutes of the meeting maybe distributed by meeting Facilitator in a separate email.

The Condition of Dar-ul-Aman Palace Prior to its Rehabilitation

Author: Dr. Said Sharif Hossainy

Introduction: Four decades of devastating wars in our beloved country, Afghanistan, have resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent people and the destruction of almost entire infrastructures of the country, especially, the Kabul City which was the target of all factions, and they indiscriminately destroyed both governmental and non-governmental infrastructures. Historical infrastructures, which were the pride of our cultural heritage suffered destructions as well. The glorious Palace of Dar-ul-Aman in Kabul was the first establishment of the Afghan Parliament, the cradle of Afghanistan’s legislature. This Palace was one of the achievements and honors of the period of His Majesty King Amanullah Khan. At the end, this article includes a few pictures of the formidable destructions.

Preliminary Restoration Plan:
In the years 2005-2006 there was a plan to restore the historic Palace of Dar-ul-Aman. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, especially H.E. Dipl. Eng. Pashtoon, Minister of the Urban Development, made great efforts for restoration process of the Palace. He sought donations for the extensive restoration and rehabilitation of this glorious Palace from donor countries. The Ministry of Urban Development contacted donors, especially, the Federal Republic of Germany. One of Afghanistan’s longtime friends and a supporter of democracy, Germany, originally financed and designed the Palace at His Majesty Amanullah Khan’s era.

The Honorable Walter Scheel, the retired President of the Federal Republic of Germany, offered a few valuable recommendations and suggestions including the following items:

The Honorable Walter Scheel, in his letter, dated 2005/11/22, addressed to the Ministry of Urban Development stated that he would provide financial and technical assistance for the complete rehabilitation and restorations of the Dar-ul-Aman Palace. His main goals were:

1. Rehabilitation and restoration of the Palace in accordance with the original historical standards and specifications.
2. If possible, the Palace should be included as a part of the Parliament estate.

Regarding the usage of the Palace after its rehabilitation and restoration, Ministry of Urban Development and the Government of Afghanistan stated in their proposed plan that this Palace should be used for high-level meetings and a part of it should be used as a museum for the Parliament of Afghanistan.

At the same time the Ministry was searching for the original drawings of the Palace. Unfortunately, they could not be found.

Preparation of the Palace Architectural Plan:
The author, Dr. Said Sharif Hossainy, as a Deputy Minister at that time, assigned a group of Architects to recreate the architectural floor plans of the existing structures. He was personally, involved in the project by visiting the worksite to ensure of the accuracy of the measurements. The floor plans of the Palace are included in this article as follows:

• [Image description: Ground floor plan of the palace]
• [Image description: First floor plan of the palace]
• [Image description: Second floor plan of the palace]

The Deputy Minister Hossainy prepared an extensive report on June 21, 2008 (01-04-1387 Solar Hijri Yr.). He sent the report to different authorities. In his report, he included the proposed plans and pictures of the formidable destructions for restoration of the Palace. Despite many efforts, the Ministry of Urban Development could not locate adequate funds for Palace restoration work at the time.

On March 08, 2015 (17- 12- 1393 Solar Hijri Yr.), fortunately, the author noticed that the subject of restoration of the Dar-ul-Aman Palace was getting serious again in the Ministry of Urban Development. The author talked to the Deputy Minister for Finance and Administrative, H.E. Hamid Jalil, and mentioned to him about his report, plans and pictures. During his conversation, the Author asked Mr. Jalil to officially send his proposed restoration plan and pictures to the Deputy Minister for Building Construction for their consideration and further action process.

Renovation of the Palace:
During the 100th anniversary of our beloved Afghanistan’s independence, the Dar-ul-Aman Palace was inaugurated in August 2019 after its complete rebuilding.

I hope responsible officials had paid full attention to the required rebuilding activities, because many of the building elements were exposed and affected by snow and rain for many years. Strong earthquakes in the latest years in Kabul City had also left its mark on this historical building.

It should also be noted that in the course of the reconstruction work, the historic authenticity of this important old monument has been restored again.

For the records, a few pictures of formidable destructions of the historic palace of Dar-ul-Aman (Palace) are shown below:

• [Image: Northern view of the ruins of historic Palace of Dar-ul-Aman]
• [Image: Southern and Western view of the ruins of historic Palace of Dar-ul-Aman]
• [Image: View from the Yard (Southern view) of the ruins of historic Palace of Dar-ul-Aman]
• [Image: View from the Yard (Eastern and Southern view) of the ruins of historic Palace of Dar-ul-Aman]
• [Image: Plenary Hall view of the ruins of historic Palace of Dar-ul-Aman]
• [Image: Eastern view of the ruins of historic Palace of Dar-ul-Aman]
• [Image: Plenary Hall, outside view (Northern Elevation) of the ruins of historic Palace of Dar-ul-Aman]

At the end, I would like to remind the Project Manager of the rebuilding project to introduce the Historic Palace of Dar-ul-Aman by writing a detailed article that features interior and exterior images of the building through the Well-known Society of Afghan Engineers Journal (SAE eNewsletter).

About the Author

Dr. Said Sharif Hossainy is the former Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) and Senior advisor to the Minister. He has received Canadian Architectural Registration. He is a member of the Board of Directors of The Society of Afghan Architects & Engineers. He is a member in the Roster of CANADEM. CANADEM is an Ottawa based non-profit, government related organization, originally designed as Canada’s national roster of civilian experts. (Actually it is Bank for Canadian experts)

Dr. Said Sharif Hossainy was born on October 29th 1944 (1322 HS) in Kabul, Afghanistan. He came from a family of famous calligraphers and artists in Kabul. He graduated from Habibia High school in 1962 (1340 HS). He has received his master’s degree in Architectural Engineering and PhD in Architecture from Czech Technical University of Prague.

In April 2003, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Asia Branch sent Dr. Hossainy, as the Technical Assistant and Senior Advisor to Minister of Urban Development (MoUD) of Afghanistan. He started some architectural design programs in computer to build the human technical capacity at the ministry. His contributions regarding the architectural staff created a higher speed and quality in the completion of projects at MoUD. After the completion of his contract with CIDA, he worked as a Deputy Minister of Urban Development and continued his services in the Ministry. After his retirement in 2010, he continued his role as senior advisor and technical assistant at MoUD.

Dr. Hossainy has published several articles on architecture in Dari and English. Dr. Hossainy has been married to Mrs. Parwin Waleh for 36 years and has two children.

The following weblink includes Dr. Hossainy’s interview with Editor of the SAE eNewsletter in April 2018: https://www.afghanengineers.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SAE-eNewsletter-April-2018.pdf

ASTM International – Helping Our World Work Better

By: Jim Olshefsky, Director of External Relations ASTM International

Abstract: The article is intended to provide a brief introduction about ASTM, its role in the development of standards, and promotion of the communication between ASTM International and worldwide national standards bodies, including the Afghanistan National Standardization Authority (ANSA).

About ASTM International
ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, is a globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of voluntary consensus standards. On June 16, 1898, seventy engineers and businessmen met in Philadelphia to form the American Section of the International Association for Testing Materials. The American Section’s first technical committee on steel initiated a series of discussions of testing and material standards for the railroad industry, where most of its members were employed. At the fifth annual meeting of the American Section in 1902, they renamed the organization, the American Society for Testing Materials. In 2001, ASTM changed its name to “ASTM International” to better reflect ASTM’s support of a standards development process which incorporates consensus irrespective of national borders. Today, over 12,000 ASTM standards are used around the world to improve product quality, enhance health and safety, strengthen market access and trade, and build consumer confidence.

ASTM’s leadership in international standards development is driven by the contributions of our members: more than 30,000 of the world’s top technical experts and business professionals representing 150 countries. Working in an open and transparent process and using ASTM’s advanced Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, ASTM members create the test methods, specifications, classifications, guides and practices that support industries and governments worldwide.

ASTM International standards are developed in accordance with the guiding principles of the World Trade Organization for the development of international standards: coherence, consensus, development dimension, effectiveness, impartiality, openness, relevance and transparency. ASTM International world Headquarters is in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. The Society also has offices in Belgium, Canada, China, Peru and Washington, D.C.

Memorandum of Understanding Program
Initiated in 2001, ASTM International’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) program promotes communication between ASTM International and national standards bodies worldwide, fostering awareness of the standardization systems of all parties involved. The purpose of the program is to increase greater worldwide participation in the ASTM standards development process and facilitate the development of national standards that will aid health, safety, environmental, and economic conditions.

Mr. Ziauddin Zia, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Commerce and ANSA Director, and Mr. James Thomas, ASTM President, signed an MoU in November 2005 at ASTM International headquarters. ASTM has had an active role in Afghanistan since the signing of an MoU with the Afghanistan National Standardization Authority (ANSA) in 2005. The Afghanistan National Standards Authority was established by a decree in 2004. ANSA is responsible for developing and maintaining Afghan national standards and technical regulations, the testing and certification of products, metrology functions, promoting technical progress, and facilitating trade through standardization.

ASTM’s 43rd MoU, signed between ASTM International and ANSA, provides the opportunity for ANSA and ASTM to have closer communications. It allows ASTM International’s technical resources to strengthen the national standards system of Afghanistan. ASTM International annually provides a complete subscription of its 12,000 standards to ANSA for its use in developing Afghanistan National standards. Currently ASTM has 114 MoU’s with national standards bodies and regional bodies worldwide.

“I am proud that ASTM International is positioned to serve as an important source of technological information to assist Afghanistan in developing its economy and infrastructure, and to improve the quality of life for the Afghan people. I look forward to working with, and learning from, our Afghan colleagues, ” concluded the ASTM President at the occasion of the signing of the MoU between ANSA and ASTM in 2005.

Since that time, ANSA has reported over 500 citations of ASTM standards for use in regulatory references, consultations, and adoptions; or used them as the basis of Afghanistan’s national standards. In 2019, ANSA reported that it adopted 120 ASTM International standards as Afghan national standards over the past year. There are a wide range of standards from various ASTM Technical Committees being cited including standards from Committees C01 on Cement, C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates, and D04 on Road and Paving Materials.

Other MoU partner countries in the region include Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen. Regional bodies include the Gulf Cooperation Council Standards Organization (GSO) and a new agreement with the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO).

ASTM Membership Requirements
Several professionals and students in Afghanistan have taken advantage of the opportunity to participate as members of ASTM International, which is one of the benefits of the MoU program. Membership with ASTM International offers a wealth of opportunity including the ability to propose the essential modifications of the contents of the standards and make contact with some of the world’s renown experts. ASTM membership is open to any interested party and requests for membership applications can be addressed to the author or found on the ASTM website.

ASTM Standard Development Process
The process used by ASTM to develop standards is extremely flexible, refined over 120 years to accommodate a diverse collection of activities. Test methods, specifications, classifications, practices, guides, and terminology are different categories of standards offered by ASTM. Areas ranging from petroleum, steel, and plastics to homeland security, unmanned vehicles, and sustainability have all achieved standards-based solutions via ASTM’s standard development process.

ASTM receives a variety of requests for new standards development activities ranging from the development of a single standard to the formation of a new main technical committee. It’s important to note that not all requests ultimately reach fruition. As the organizational process evolves, it may be determined that the stakeholder’s interest is insufficient, other standards may exist that satisfy the particular need, or that it is premature for a consensus standards program. When a request is initially submitted, ASTM maps the scope and subject area to its existing committee population. If ASTM is able to find an appropriate venue, it coordinates the proposed activity with the officers of the committee and subcommittee(s) in question. If the request covers an area unrepresented within ASTM, the staff will proceed with their new organizational activity process.

All technical decisions regarding a proposed activity are made by the appropriate committee members who are technical experts from industry, government, academia, and consumers, not by the ASTM staff. Specific staff resources and activities include the following:

• Staff management and administrative support for all technical committees
• Professional editing
• Providing templates for new standards
• Web-based collaborative areas for pre-ballot standards work
• Web conferencing
• Electronic submittals and balloting of standards
• Product and Personnel Certification Services
• Interlaboratory study program
• Training and symposia services

Should there be a need to revise an existing ASTM International standard, to closely meet specific needs, the first step is to contact the Chairman of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the document in question to explain the rationale for that proposed change. The request will trigger the formation of a task group to develop a revision. If it is not known which subcommittee has jurisdiction, the Staff Manager should be contacted or the ASTM International website should be searched to locate the specific committee, subcommittee, and Staff Manager for all approved ASTM International standards.

There are many different roles within the ASTM Standards Development Process including: ASTM technical committee members, technical contacts for work items, subcommittee and main committee officers, and attendees at meetings. The ASTM Regulations’ Appendix B: ASTM International Responsibilities of Membership are intended to assist members in the ASTM process in executing their respective roles and responsibilities. Because no single set of guidelines can address every possible situation, ASTM members and visitors attempt to act in a manner which is consistent with the mission of ASTM and its policies, as well as the spirit of these guidelines. Concerns regarding member responsibilities are reviewed and resolved by the appropriate officers of the Technical Committee.

Once approval has been received from the subcommittee to begin a revision, a new work item should be registered using the registration form in the “Members Only” area of the ASTM website. An electronic version of the ASTM standard will be sent to the requester in Word. Ballot submittal instructions will be included along with the Word document. It should be noted that if any problems are encountered during the revision process, the Staff Manager of the committee will be available to resolve them.

The ballot must contain a cover letter explaining the reason for the proposed action. Examples of such reasons are the following:

• Request by an organization or individual for a new standard
• Substantive changes made in response to negative votes or comments on a previous ballot
• Request for revisions to a standard
• Any other circumstance prompting a subcommittee ballot

Subcommittee ballots are conducted by ASTM Headquarters. The ballot results, negatives, and comments are included in a closing report which all subcommittee members can access via the ASTM website once the ballot is closed. Sixty percent of the official voting members must return ballots before the ballot can close. Abstaining votes are counted for the requirement. An affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the combined affirmative and negative votes cast by the official voting members on each ballot item is required for a successful ballot of that item. Abstentions do not count in the calculation.

Negative votes received on subcommittee ballots are considered by the subcommittee that initiated the item. If substantive changes to the document are made in response to a persuasive negative vote, the item must be re-balloted. If, however, all negative votes are withdrawn or ruled not related or not persuasive, the item may go on to main committee ballot assuming all other ballot requirements are met.

The ASTM Regulations mandate that all negative votes must be considered, and proper consideration of negative votes cast throughout the ballot process demands that due process be afforded to all negative voters. Negative votes received on subcommittee ballots are considered by the subcommittee that initiated the ballot item. Negative votes received on main committee ballots are considered by the subcommittee that initiated the ballot item and, if necessary, by the main committee. The subcommittee chairman’s report at the main meeting must report on these negative votes and the subcommittee’s consideration of them, including rationales for any action taken and vote counts on motions. At the main meeting, the committee chairman must allow discussion before taking a vote on any motions to uphold the actions of the subcommittee. A hand count of official voting members must be taken on these motions. The votes are recorded, along with the reasons for the motion, in the minutes.

After a standard has successfully cleared the three levels of peer review provided by ASTM (subcommittee, main committee, and Society), it is assigned a fixed alphanumeric designation and receives an official approval date. The document is then considered to be an ASTM standard and is capable of being cited in contractual language, referenced by a code body, or mandated by a state or local government. Average development time for a new standard is approximately 18 months and 8 months for a revision of the currently approved standards.

During the main committee ballot and Society Review, the ASTM editorial department works to ensure that the standard is in the correct format and is correctly tagged using Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML). Approximately eight weeks after a standard is approved, it is available for distribution as a stand-alone document in a variety of media (email, fax, hard-copy) and may be purchased from ASTM International via customer service (610-832-9585) or the ASTM International website (www.astm.org). All ASTM International standards are housed in specific volumes of ASTM’s annual book of standards. Several translations of ASTM standards are also available for sale and can be found by visiting the Standards and Publications pages of the ASTM website.

Proficiency Testing Programs
ASTM proficiency testing programs are statistical quality assurance programs that enable laboratories to evaluate & improve performance, as well as maintain and fulfill mandatory accreditation requirements. As a proficiency testing program participant, laboratories receive different samples (representative of the product line) for each test cycle, electronic data submittal forms, and test instructions. The laboratory performs the test they normally conduct within their own facility using the specified ASTM methods cited in the program. Upon completing the tests, each laboratory electronically submits their test data to ASTM for use in generating statistical summary reports.

Visits of Afghan Delegates to ASTM International-Washington D.C. Office
In April 2012, ASTM staff met with a delegation of two Afghan engineers at ASTM’s Washington, D.C. office. The visit focused on discussion about the U.S. standardization system and ASTM’s standardization process. The delegation included Professor Jamil Khalid, a professor of engineering at Kabul University, as well as the President of the Society of Afghan Architects and Ms. Dalia Akbarmir, an engineer and procurement officer at the Afghanistan Ministry of Public Works. The delegates were in the United States for two weeks meeting with various organizations as part of a trip sponsored by the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Opportunities for delegations or individuals to visit ASTM International are available to representatives of industry and government who wish to utilize or better understand and apply ASTM International standards and/or contribute to or influence the content of the ASTM standards to reflect local market and regulatory needs. Participants can meet with technical experts in their field and develop a network of contacts. A typical program includes 8 – 10 participants who are technical experts within a sector or technical field. Costs are covered primarily by the participants’ sponsoring industry or government, although ASTM staff plans and executes these programs, including key site visits, for which it does not charge the participants.

ASTM and ANSA will continue to take steps to encourage and support greater Afghan participation in ASTM standards development activities and in laboratory proficiency testing programs and will pursue professional exchange programs for ANSA experts to come to ASTM International Headquarters for extended study of the ASTM International standards development process.

• [Image: From left to right: Professor Jamil Khalid, Kabul University; Ms. Dalia Akbarmir, Afghanistan Ministry of Public Works, and Ms. Sarah Naouri, ASTM International.]

About the Author
Mr. Jim Olshefsky has worked at ASTM International for 21 years supporting the development and promotion of voluntary consensus standards for materials, products, systems and services. In 2007, Mr. Olshefsky assumed the role of Director of External Relations where he helps to facilitate ASTM’s international outreach within ASTM’s Global Cooperation Department. Mr. Olshefsky supports ASTM’s Memorandum of Understanding program with developing countries and his work is focused in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. His contributions include speaking to international audiences, students, and educators to promote the use of ASTM standards worldwide and to encourage increased standards education at universities. Prior to moving to Global Cooperation, he directed ASTM’s Committee Services Department in the Technical Committee Operations Division and spent several years as a Staff Manager of various ASTM technical committees. Mr. Olshefsky has a BS degree in Business Logistics from the Pennsylvania State University.

More information on the MoU program can be found on the ASTM International Web site (www.astm.org/GLOBAL) or contact Mr. Jim Olshefsky at jolshefsky@astm.org

Membership News

Achievements and Awards
The newsletter will inform their readers of winners of awards or any other successes of Afghan professionals and students, especially, their Society members. You can help the SAE eNewsletter editors by providing the news of the achievements, award winners, promotions, retirement, and any other success stories.

“Advise us of success stories or achievements of the Society members, any Afghan professionals, and Afghan students.”

Mr. Hashim Rayek’s presentation to the Engineering College Students of the Herat University
Engineer Ghulam Feda, the Afghan Education for Better Tomorrow (AEBT) President, informed the Editor in-Chief of the SAE eNewsletter that Mr. Hashim Rayek, an SAE member, had a presentation to the students of the College of Engineering of Herat University about Afghanistan Water Resources on Nov 19, 2019. He has presented his topic from Virginia via AEBT Tel-Education system.

President Feda has mentioned that Mr. Rayek’s presentation was very informative and it was well received by the students. He has stated that the Dean of the College of Engineering was thankful and appreciative of Mr. Rayek’s presentation. The Dean has shown interest to establish a collaboration effort to continue these kinds of programs and utilize the resources from SAE to enhance the students’ knowledge.

Mr. Feda has provided the following classroom pictures of the Herat University and one of Mr. Rayek’s slide presentation of Amu River.

• [Image: Classroom of the College of Engineering of Herat University]
• [Image: Another view of the classroom of the College of Engineering of Herat University]
• [Image: Mr. Rayek’s slide presentation of Amu River]

The following appreciation letter has been sent to Mr. Rayek by Mr. Ghulam Feda, the AEBT President:

12/5/2019

Dear Eng. Rayek

On behalf of AEBT, I sincerely want to thank you for an outstanding presentation to the Herat University’s students on 11/19/2019. The audience was fascinated by your insightful analysis of water resources available in Afghanistan, and many expressed their appreciation for the information you presented. They realize the importance of better management of the country’s scarce water reserves and its implications for growth and development. In fact, the head of the engineering department was so enthralled by your talk that he wants to explore the possibility of collaborating with AEBT in the future, which would be a huge boost to us.

As we are all driven by a shared desire to empower the people Afghanistan, we were grateful for the time you spent with us, sharing your expertise, and sparking further discussions. It was an absolute privilege to hear you speak.

Sincerely
Ghulam Feda
Ghulam Feda, AEBT President
Afghan Education for a Better Tomorrow (AEBT) 501(C) (3)

Mr. Hashim Rayek’s Response to Mr. Feda’s letter:

Dear Mr. Feda,
I am in receipt of your letter dated Dec 5, 2019.
Your kind words and appreciation are music to my ears. It was my pleasure to do the presentation for the students and faculty of Herat University.
I have always been a servant of our beloved country and have done all I could have in my capacity to not only work in Afghanistan and advance water conservation and oversee numerous irrigation projects, but to also raise awareness of our water resource and their management in the region.
I will be more than honored to help at any capacity at any time in the future.
Best Regards,
Hashim Rayek

The SAE Board of Directors’ Discussion about Herat University’s Request for SAE Collaboration with Herat University

The SAE Board of Directors’ meeting was held on November 21, 2019. During the meeting, Mr. Atiq Panjshiri, the SAE President, discussed the request from the Dean of the College of Engineering of Herat University regarding the establishment of the continued collaboration programs between SAE and Herat University to improve the engineering knowledge of the students.

The Board of Directors concurred with Mr. Panjshiri’s message/suggestion that the Society should make efforts to help Herat University by presenting specific engineering topics and teaching activities. The Board of Directors asked for volunteers to perform these tasks.

Ustad Hafiz Wardak, a member of the SAE Board of Directors and former professor of the Faculty of Engineering of Kabul University, volunteered to teach structural engineering topics. He mentioned that he is currently working on the preparation of a structural engineering textbook.

Mr. Atiq Panjshiri, the SAE President’s Email Regarding training of Herat University Students

Dear Colleagues Salaam:
As previously discussed with some of you, I had a productive teleconference with Dean of Herat’s college of Engineering Dr. Khojaste Kawash and Eng. Sahib Feda, President of Afghan Education for better tomorrow.

The meeting lasted almost an hour and we discussed different ways for our membership to participate. Eng. Sahib Feda volunteered to be the coordinator for this effort. Since the University is closing for the winter breaks, we do have time to discuss specific detail of the subject matter and for our presenters to prepare.

The presentation could be formatted as a short one-day seminar or continued lecture, depending on the subject. Examples: Hydraulics and Structure courses require continued longer time to appropriately comprehend. Off course it would be up to each presenter on how they want to participate.

All presentations would be via Skype. Eng. Sahib Feda, please feel free to add anything that I may have missed.

Many thanks to Eng. Sahib Rayek for his valuable presentation on Waters of Afghanistan last week. it was well received and appreciated by the audience.

So far, we have the following SAE members have volunteered to have a presentation:
1. Ustad Hafiz Wardak
2. Eng. Aminullah Mahmood
3. Eng. Amaullah Mohmmandi
4. Eng. A. Manan Khalid
5. Dr. Nadir Sediqi

I am requesting each volunteer to please send me the subject of their presentations, as well as anyone else who is interested to participate in any subject of their expertise, please let us know.

Warm Regards
Atiq Panjshiri
President
The Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE)

Announcements

(1) Short Term Winter Classes to the College of Engineering of Herat University

Dear Colleagues Salaam: This is a follow up of our previously discussed conversation regarding SAE membership providing short term winter classes to the college of engineering of Herat University.

I just received list of the subjects from Dean of the College of Engineering, Dr. Khojaste Kawish. Please review the list below and let me know if you or someone you know are interested in teaching any of these requested classes. The time for each presentation could be arranged later depending on your availability. Please share with others willing to participate.

Thanks
Atiq Panjshiri
President, SAE

List of the Winter Courses for Engineering College of Herat University

The Department of Civil Engineering Courses:
* HEC, GIS, IWRM software,
* Hydraulic structure,
* Dam design,
* Environmental effect of dam constructions,
* Bridge design,
* Fluid mechanics, project design, design of highways
* Software related to structure, project design, fluid mechanics,

The Department of Architecture Courses:
* Interior Design,
* Building System,
* Commercial Architecture Design,
* Landscape,
* Residential Design

The Department of Urban Engineering Courses:
* Urban design,
* Urban economics,
* Urban planning,
* Housing,
* Land use,

The Department of Mechatronics Courses:
* MATLAB program used in control system and mechatronics,
* SCADA,
* LAB VIEW program
* CARRIER
* PLC

(2) The 2020 SAE Membership Renewal

Dear Members of the Society:
The Management of the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE) would like to remind all members that 2020 membership renewal and Annual fee of $60 are due. Your membership fee collectively would enable us to pay for some basic needed services of the Society such as Website security monitoring, updating, and maintenance. Also, your membership fee would provide SAE’s management, the financial means to organize and host events and seminars on relevant technical topics. The membership renewal application is attached to the Newsletter and also can be downloaded from our website at www.afghanengineers.org

Please visit the SAE Face book when you get the opportunity. We appreciate your kind attention to the membership due request.

Sincerely,
Atiq Panjshiri, President

(3) SAE eNewsletter Regional Representatives

The positions of the SAE eNewsletter Regional Representatives are open. Please let us know if you are interested to volunteer for one of these positions or if you want to nominate other qualified members to serve in these positions. The representatives will inform the newsletter Editorial Bard of any technical news in their regions and contact authors for their contributions in the activities of newsletter. For additional information please send an email to SAE eNewsletter Editorial Board: Ghulam Mujtaba, E-Mail: mujtabaghulam@bellsouth.net; A. Wahed Hassani, Email: awhassani@gmail.com; A. Manan Khalid, E-Mail: manank10@gmail.com; and Hafizullah Wardak, Email: hwardak@comcast.net

(4) The SAE Year 2019 Membership Renewal Updates

The following are the status of the membership renewal fee payments and donations to the Society of Afghan Engineers during Year 2019. The SAE management would like to thank all members for their financial support and other contributions to the Society activities.

The Year 2019 Membership Renewal Fee and Donations Paid in Earlier Years

Date	First Name	Last Name	Fee Paid $	Donation $	Total Payment in 2019 $	Remarks
2/26/2018	Zarjan	Baha	120	0	0	Paid $120 in 2018 for Years 2018 and 2019
2/26/2018	Abdul Nazeer	Babacarkhial	180	70	0	Paid $250 in 2018 for Years 2018 – 2020
4/15/2018	Hafizullah	Wardak	120	0	0	Paid $120 in 2018 for Years 2018 and 2019
8/4/2018	Saleh	Keshawarz	180	0	0	Paid $180 in 2018 for Years 2018 – 2020

Membership Renewal Fee and Donations in Year 2019

Date	First Name	Last Name	Fee Paid $	Donation $	Total Payment in 2019 $	Remarks
1/28/2019	Najib	Poya	60	200	260
1/19/2019	Atiq	Panjshiri	60	40	100
1/28/2019	Ghulam	Mujtaba	60	140	200
1/28/2019	Steve	Rossi	60	60	120
1/19/2019	Sohaila S.	Shekib	60	0	60
2/10/2019	Sayed Aziz	Azimi	60	0	60
5/1/2019	Sadeq A.	Ezzat	60	60	120
2/10/2019	Saleh	Yafatali	60	40	100
4/1/2019	Abdul	Hassani	60	0	60
4/15/2019	Zia	Yamayee	60	240	300
5/1/2019	Sayed Jalal	Masumi	60	40	100
5/10/2019	Amanullah	Mommandi	60	40	100
7/10/2019	Najim	Azadzoi	60	40	100
11/20/2019	Aminullah	Mahmood	60	40	100
12/26/2019	Abdul Manan	Khalid	60	0	60
12/26/2019	Gul Afghan	Saleh	60	40	100

Thanks for their generosity.

Comments and Suggestions

The Editorial Board of the SAE eNewsletter has received comments and suggestions from the respected Society members and readers of the Newsletter related to its October 2019 issue.

The Editor has responded to the readers’ comments and suggestions individually by emails upon their receipt; and would like to take this opportunity to thank all for comments, suggestions, and kind words. The comments and responses are included for information of all readers of the newsletter.

1. Comment from Engineer Ahmad Walid Howaida
Chief Technical Adviser, Afghan State Printing House Project, Ministry of Finance

Dear Ustad: Appreciated for sending the SAE eNewsletter.
Regards

Response: Dear Engineer Sahib Howaida Salam! You are welcome. It is a pleasure to read your email and good to know that you, your respected family, and our mutual colleagues are in good health and safe. Khuda Hafiz

2. Comment from Engineer Amanullah Mommandi, the Society of Afghan Engineers Vice President
Dear Ustad and SAE eNewsletter Editorial Board Members: Thank you for producing an excellent and very informative publications.
Mommandi

Response: Dear Engineer Sahib Mommandi Salam. Thanks for the email and your comment about the quality of the SAE eNewsletter. On behalf of the SAE eNewsletter Editorial Board, I thank you for your kind words and comments about the publication of the newsletter. We thank you for your past contributions in the activities of the newsletter, especially the valuable articles that you have sent for the publication of the earlier issues of the newsletter. Khuda Hafiz

3. Comment from Dr. Sharif Hossainy, from Canada.
Former Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Dear Brother Ustad Mohtram Engineer Saheb G. Mujtaba Asallam-o-Alaikom, I wanted to acknowledge the receipt of your email regarding the fourth quarterly issue of the October 2019 SAE eNewsletter. Thank you for your cooperation and kind effort and volunteering. Best Regards

Response: Dear Dr. Sahib Walaikum Salam. Thanks for your response to the receipt the SAE eNewsletter. It is your kindness that you have brought the editorial error to my attention. You are correct that the October issue of the newsletter was the fourth issue in lieu of third issue that is mentioned in the email/newsletter. Thanks for your contribution in the activities of the newsletter by sending us the informative articles for the publication of the newsletter. Best regards

4. Comment from Dr. Fariar Kohzad
Dear Ustad Mujtaba khan Salaam, Hope you and your respected family are healthy and fine. Thank you so much for sending me SAE Newsletter. You are really working hard in preparing this newsletter. We are grateful of you. Wish you all the best. Please convey my cordial greetings to your family and colleagues. Thank you. Khuda Hafiz. Fariar Kohzad

Response: Dear Engineer Sahib Kohzad Waliakum Salam: It is a pleasure to read your email and to know that you and your respected family are in good health. We are fine. Thanks for your comment about the newsletter. It is the work of the SAE Editorial Board and authors like yourself. I have copied our colleagues of Editorial Board in this response for their information. They will be glad to read your email. Once again, thanks for the email. Looking forward to the receipt of your technical articles. Best regards

5. Comment from Mr. Hamidullah Durrani
Senior Project Officer (Energy), Asian Development Bank, Afghanistan Resident Mission

Dear Engineer Sahib, Thank you for sharing the SAE eNewsletter. Best Regards. Hamidullah Durrani

Response: Dear Mohtaram Durani Sahib Salam: You are welcome and thanks for the message. Best regards

6. Comment from Jim Olshefsky, Director, External Relations, ASTM International

Dear Ghulam, I hope you have been well. I continue to enjoy reading your newsletter with information on the activities of the SAE! I wanted to let you know that ASTM received a very favorable Annual Report from ANSA recently (see attached) in which ANSA reported adopting 120 ASTM International standards! Perhaps this might be highlighted in one of your future issues of the SAE newsletter. Wishing you all the best!
Regards, Jim Olshefsky

Editor’s Response:
Dear Jim: As you know, I retired from FDOT in 2012 and after one year of vacation, I have been continuously working with FDOT and engineering consulting firms. Currently, I am working with FDOT as consultant, serving as life member of PCI, and senior member of ASTM. I serve as an active member of ASTM C1, C 9 and C13 committees.

It is a great pleasure and privilege to read your email and information about ANSA’s report, especially that they have adopted 120 ASTM standards. Thanks for your kind words about SAE eNewsletter. I have copied the Editorial Board members of the newsletter and they will be very pleased to read your email and news about ANSA.

You have mentioned about the publication of the ANSA news/report in upcoming issues of the SAE eNewsletter. Please advise if we could have the privilege of requesting you to be the author of the article about ANSA’s report in January 2020 issue of the SAE eNewsletter. Once again, thanks for the help that you have provided in the standardization activities of ANSA and your contributions in the activities of the SAE eNewsletter by providing us article, comments, and suggestions. Best regards, Editor-In-Chief SAE eNewsletter

The Society of Afghan Engineers Organization

SAE Executive Committee Members:
* President: Atiq Panjshiri
* Vice President: Amanullah Mommandi
* Treasurer: Mohammad Hashem Baluch
* Secretary: TBA
* Manager: TBA

SAE Board of Directors-Officers:
* Chairperson: Sohaila Sanie Shekib
* Vice-Chairman: Gul Afghan Saleh
* Executive Director: Abdul Nazeer Babacarkhial

Members SAE Board of Directors:
Farid Abass, Reza Afshar, Nazeer Babacarkhial, Rafaat Ludin, Gul Afghan Saleh, Mahmoud Samizay, Mohammad Saber Sarwary, Sohaila Sanie Shekib, and Hafizullah Wardak

SAE Past Presidents:
Ghulam Mujtaba, Abdul Hadi Rakin, M. Qasem Kadir, Abdul Hadi Rakin, Mohammed Hashim Rayek, Ahmad Wali Shairzay, Sohaila Sanie Shekib, and Malik Mortaza

SAE Chairpersons of Committees/Subcommittees:
Ghulam Mujtaba, Chairman – SAE eNewsletter Subcommittee, E-Mail: mujtabaghulam@bellsouth.net

SAE Local Chapter Coordinators:
* A. Hamid Layan – Kabul, Afghanistan
* M. Qaseem Naimi – Toronto, Canada
* Najim Azadzoi – Massachusetts
* M. Qasem Kadir – Southern California
* A. Manan Khalid – New York and New Jersey
* Amanullah Mommandi – Colorado
* Atiq Panjshiri – Virginia and Washington DC

SAE eNewsletter Subcommittee:
* Subcommittee Chairman: Ghulam Mujtaba, M.S, CE, P.E.
* Members: A. Wahed Hassani, Ph.D.,P.E.; A. Manan Khalid, M.S., P.E., LEED AP; Hafizullah Wardak; Abdul Hamid Layan

SAE eNewsletter Editorial Board:
* Editor–In–Chief: Ghulam Mujtaba, M.S, CE, P.E., CPM
* Editorial Board Members: A. Wahed Hassani, Ph.D.,P.E.; A. Manan Khalid, M.S., P.E., LEED AP

SAE eNewsletter Regional Representatives:
* Abdul Hamid Layan – Kabul

Subscribe/Unsubscribe: The subscription to the SAE eNewsletter is free. If you are not receiving the SAE eNewsletter directly and would like to subscribe, please send a note to: mujtabaghulam@bellsouth.net with the subject “Subscribe: SAE eNewsletter”. To unsubscribe, send a note with the subject “Unsubscribe: SAE eNewsletter”.

Disclaimer: The author, reporter, or agency of each publication, project, news, and products is included in this newsletter. Additional contact information of the authors and their agencies are available with the Editorial Board of the newsletter and may be provided upon request. The Editorial Board of the Society of Afghan Engineers, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, or any of its members are not liable for the accuracy or contents of the information. The reports and information are included as provided by the authors and agencies without any changes in the substance of the documents. The information about the agency products or services is not the SAE endorsement.