Welcome

 

The National Capital Section encourages you to browse through content on this site to get a feel for how we can be of value to you through our educational, networking, and leadership development opportunities for civil engineers in our region.

Here are some resources to get you started:

  • Click the links for our Recent Section Meetings listed below. These are educational events allowing you to earn a Professional Development Hour that counts toward your PE license renewal requirement. We hold eight Section Meetings each year. Our Reston Branch holds eight Branch Meetings each year. Both Section and Branch meetings have returned to in-person over catered dinner (Section) and lunch (Branch). These had been conducted online since March 2020 but have reverted to in-person meetings. Our technical committees, such as architecture, transportation, construction, among others, host additional meetings.
  • Read our monthly newsletter, issued eight times a year. Locate them in the NCS Newsletters module located toward the middle, on the right sidebar of this page. These serve as a window to our world and the people behind the activities we undertake.

If you're ready to engage with us and wish to learn more, to volunteer your time, or to run for office as a technical committee leader or a Section/Branch board member, reach out to our President by selecting Board of Directors under Contact Us, then click the President's name, open the Contact Form to email your message.

Thanks for visiting.

ASCE NCS September 2026 Section Meeting

ASCE-NCS September Section Meeting: Beneath the Lincoln Memorial

 

Explore the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft at the launch of ASCE-NCS’s new elevated Section Meeting series at Le Méridien Arlington.

Join the ASCE National Capital Section for a behind-the-scenes look at the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft Project, an extraordinary effort to transform the vast structural space beneath the memorial into a new public experience.

For more than a century, the undercroft remained largely hidden from visitors, even though its massive columns, foundations, and structural systems support the Lincoln Memorial above. The project has created approximately 15,000 square feet of new exhibit space while giving the public a dramatic view into the structure beneath the monument.

This presentation will explore how civil engineering, architecture, historic preservation, accessibility, visitor experience, and construction planning came together within one of the nation’s most sensitive and recognizable landmarks.

The newly opened undercroft was recently featured on CBS Sunday Morning, which explored the history and hidden structure beneath the Lincoln Memorial.

Watch the CBS Sunday Morning feature

This event also marks the launch of a new standard for ASCE-NCS Section Meetings. Attendees will enjoy high-quality technical programming, professional networking, and a plated dinner at the newly renovated Le Méridien Arlington, just steps from the Rosslyn Metro.

What You’ll Learn

The project team will discuss:

  • The structural systems hidden beneath the Lincoln Memorial
  • The challenges of working within an active national landmark
  • Architectural and historic-preservation considerations
  • Civil and structural engineering coordination
  • Accessibility and visitor-circulation improvements
  • Construction access, sequencing, and site constraints
  • Collaboration among the National Park Service, engineers, architects, specialty consultants, and contractors
  • Lessons learned from transforming a previously inaccessible space into a major public destination

Featured Speakers

The program will feature members of the multidisciplinary project team representing VHB, Quinn Evans and TYLin. Quinn Evans provided architectural and historic-preservation services under VHB’s contract, while TYLin (formerly Silman) served as part of the broader design team.

VHB

Tim Smith, PE
Prime Consultant

Quinn Evans

Meghan Tormey, AIA LEED AP
Lead Architect and Lead Project Manager

TYLin

Structural Engineer

Who Should Attend

This program will be especially valuable for:

  • Civil and structural engineers
  • Architects and historic-preservation professionals
  • Construction managers
  • Public-agency personnel
  • Transportation and infrastructure professionals
  • Students and emerging professionals
  • Anyone interested in the engineering and design behind Washington’s historic landmarks

Registration Includes

  • Professional networking (w/ cash bar)
  • Plated dinner
  • Technical presentation
  • Audience Q&A
  • Opportunity to connect with engineering and infrastructure professionals from across the National Capital Region
  • 1.0 PDH

Please RSVP here!

What is ASCE-NCS?

Welcome to the website of the National Capital Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), a professional society for civil engineers.  ASCE was founded in 1852, represents 130,000 members of the civil engineering professional worldwide, and is America's oldest national engineering society.

The National Capital Section was founded in 1916 and currently has more than 3,100 members.  The section is located in ASCE's Region 2. The National Capital Section serves the District of Columbia; the counties of Montgomery and Prince Georges in Maryland, except College Park in Prince Georges County; the counties of Fairfax and Arlington, and City of Alexandria in Virginia. The National Capital Section's mission includes:

  • To advance the professional knowledge and improve the practice of civil engineering for our members and those we serve.
  • To advocate for our profession with those whose actions affect us, and to educate those whose actions and responsibilities could benefit from a better understanding of the contributions of civil engineers.
  • To improve our community through effective community outreach programs, local involvement and educational efforts.

Recent Section Meetings

2026

2025

ASCE-NCS Sponsorship Opportunites

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