HEADLINES ARCHIVE
Hardening the Infrastructure to Protect Against Storm Surges
In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda, tore through the island country and left devastation in its wake.
JGC Nets $510 million Contract for Petronas’ LNG Complex
JGC bags $510 million engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) contract for Petronas' LNG Complex in Malaysia.
Longest "Flat-pack" Arch Bridge to Be Built in England
Civil engineers at Queen’s University Belfast and pre-cast concrete company Macrete Ireland have developed one of the world's longest “flat pack” arch bridge spanning 53 feet (16 meters).
Thermal Testing of Concrete Foundations Set in ASTM Standard
To ensure that the correct procedures are being used in temperature assessments, a commonly used assessment method has been developed as a new American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard.
ASTM Standard to Help Keep Sensitive Talks Private
In order to keep sound that travels beyond the walls of a particular area an ASTM subcommittee specializing in speech privacy is at work on a proposed new standard, WK47433, Performance Specification of Electronic Sound Masking When Used in Building Spaces.
Project Management Tips for Engineering and Construction: Part 1, The Bid Process
If you work in the engineering and construction industries, there’s a good chance you’ll be called upon to manage projects requiring significant coordination of ideas, materials and labor.
Can a Rating System Ensure Infrastructure Sustainability?
In the last decade, major events such as the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minn., and hurricanes Katrina and Sandy have highlighted significant problems in the United States’ aging infrastructure.
ASTM Standard for Precast Concrete Segmental Box Culverts
Precast reinforced concrete box sections are proving to be a versatile means for the development of infrastructure.
Bay Bridge Leaks Despite Caulking
Leaks have been detected on the rebuilt eastern section of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in California, despite the use of caulking in an effort to solve the problem. News service Sourcable reports that the internal leaks caused by bolt holes for guard rails were first detected last winter.
Prefab Elements Saved Time, Money on Hospital Construction Project
Using prefabricated elements in the construction of the new Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver cut 72 workdays off the construction schedule and resulted in $4.3 million in savings, according to a study by University of Colorado Boulder engineers.
Research Outlines Basic Rules for Construction with Kirigami
University of Pennsylvania researchers are turning kirigami, an art form related to origami that allows the paper to be cut, into a technique that can be applied to structures on radically divergent length scales.
Growth Forecast for U.S. Transportation Construction Market
The U.S. transportation construction market will grow 3.1% from $185.9 billion in 2014 to $191.7 billion in 2015, according to a forecast released by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association.
Partners to Develop 3D Concrete Printing for Construction
Sweden-based construction and development firm Skanska and UK-based Loughborough University have agreed to develop the use of 3D printing in construction. The agreement allows Skanska to license 3D concrete printing technology developed through research at the university.
3D Printing and House Construction
In Amsterdam Dus Architects has begun construction of a 3D printed house on the side of a canal; in China 3D printers being used to produce houses from a mixture of cement and construction waste; while in the U.S. a man has printed a concrete castle in his back garden.
Spending Cuts Will Lead to Greater Flood Risk: NOA Report
The Strategic Flood Risk Management report published by the UK National Audit Office (NOA) says there is a risk of flood defenses deteriorating in areas where their maintenance is given a low priority – typically in areas with fewer homes.
Bay Area Water Tunnel Engineered for Seismic Activity
The city of San Francisco dedicated in October the first seismically sound tunnel built under San Francisco Bay, the $288 million Bay Tunnel. The Bay Tunnel will connect Hetch Hetchy and East Bay water supplies with San Franciscans and nearby communities.
Chinese Group to Build High-Speed Rail for Mexico
A Chinese-led consortium won an uncontested contract for a multi-billion-dollar high-speed passenger rail link between Mexico City and the central city of Queretaro, the Mexican Transport and Communications Ministry said November 3.
Upgrading Infrastructure Could Reduce Future Flood Damage
The flooding that devastated parts of Colorado in September 2013 might have been less destructive if the bridges, roads and other infrastructure had been upgraded or modernized, according to a new study from the University of Colorado Denver.
ASTM Standard Provides Key to Understanding Drying Behavior of Concrete Mixtures
Concrete is the most widely used construction material throughout the world. Understanding the drying behavior of a given concrete mixture is critical to any construction project.
China Advances Plan to Invest $3.5 billion in Pakistan’s Railways
Chinese technical experts are choosing areas in Pakistan for an investment of $3.5 billion to refurbish and replace railroad tracks that stretch from Karachi to Peshawar.