Dovetailing with the U.S. Dept. of Transportation announcement that 24 states were vying for the $2.4 billion in high-speed rail funds rejected by Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R), public transit advocates released a report contending that high-speed and intercity passenger rail projects will stimulate construction, manufacturing sector and long-term job growth. According to the report, for each $1 billion invested in HSR projects, 24,000 jobs will be created. Kevin McFall, senior vice president with Stacy and Witbeck, Inc., Alameda, Calif., a general contractor, called construction of transit, rail—and high-speed rail—a “shot in the arm” at an April 6 press conference.
A 354-ft-long, two-span steel bridge was lifted, rolled and set into construction history on March 26. With more than 1,000 spectators on hand, the nearly 4-million-lb structure traveled about 500 ft across Interstate 15 in Utah on a Self-Propelled Modular Transporter (SPMT), a vehicle-pulled platform supported by remote-controlled wheels and hydraulics. Eight hours later, the longest-ever SPMT-assisted bridge move in the Western Hemisphere was complete and ready for vehicular traffic. Thirteen states have used SPMTs to roll pre-built bridge structures into place quickly, but the Utah Dept. of Transportation is the established leader. The March 26 move of the Sam
The federal transportation trust fund remains moored as competing interests in Congress wrangle over spending priorities. Meanwhile, transportation agencies, anticipating a resurgence in cargo as the Panama Canal is expanded and as the economy improves, are moving forward with united interests, despite uncertainties over funding. Four years ago, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation granted $15 million to Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah to begin studying some 840 miles of Interstate 15 for optimal freight movement, part of its Corridors of the Future program, which is now in limbo as it awaits further funding. But Susan Martinovich, director of the Nevada
Florida state lawmakers and Congress members are racing to retain $2.4 billion in federal stimulus dollars committed to build high-speed rail, while other states await the opportunity to gain those dollars that Gov. Rick Scott (R) rejected this month. + Image The funds represent 90% of what the Florida Dept. of Transportation says is needed to build a line from Orlando to Tampa. The governor cited concerns about potential capital cost overruns, optimistic ridership and revenue projections, and the fear that taxpayers would be burdened with repaying the money if the construction or operations were halted. Bob Burleson, president of
For the first time in more than a half- century, crews on various projects are using a larger, stronger iteration of steel H-shaped piles recently approved by industry groups. The piles, typically used to construct deep foundations for buildings and bridges, also can save money on column applications, according to contractors and engineers. Photo: Frank Coluccio Construction New breed of H-pile braces excavation shaft on Hawaii sewer job. For years, H-pile cross sections have measured as large as 14 in. The new piles, designated HP16 and HP18, “go up to 18-inch cross sections, so now you’ve got bigger loads you
After years of snafus, political battles, and funding fits and starts, New York City’s next major transit extensions are taking shape.Newly bored caverns deep below city streets and railyards provide hidden testimony to the construction team’s accomplishments, all while the nation’s busiest subway and commuter rail network strains to carry millions of passengers to and from the city. The next tunnels are a study of firsts, many side by side. Two giant tunnel-boring machines, crawling along like worms underneath the Big Apple, made transit history. Below neighborhoods on Manhattan’s West Side, they both achieved a difficult 90° turn, helped by
When Gilberto Neves, chief executive officer of Miami-based Odebrecht Construction, called Eloise Gonzalez in the middle of the night to come with him on an emergency trip to earthquake-torn Haiti, she was astounded.
Thousands of piles dot the Middle Eastern desert, spreading out in a T-shaped formation. They are the foundations of what will become a 700,000- square-meter airport terminal—and one of the foundations of Abu Dhabi’s ambitious 21st-Century infrastructure plan. The emirate’s long-term goal, to become a top destination for world trade and a cultural crossroads for the East and West—is getting an upgrade. The project now includes green-building and sustainability goals, as well as a growing number of western engineers and consultants brought in to help manage the $2.5-billion Abu Dhabi International Airport expansion and a slew of other projects. “There
Call it recycling on a whole new level at San Francisco International Airport: The $380-million Terminal 2 project features 99% recycling of construction materials. Airport tenants also need to meet a 10% waste recycling minimum. Rental-car drivers will get discounts for using hybrids. Even the landscaping is an exercise in sustainable approaches to harboring protected species. “We use goats,” says Sam Mehta, environmental services manager for SFO. “It is 100% sustainable. The grass is eaten and fertilized. For them, it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet, and they don’t harm the California red lake frog and San Francisco garter snake. The cut grass
Falsework is coming down this month after supporting the construction of what officials believe is the only transit bridge in the world to cross over an active taxiway. Photo: Courtesy of Austin Bridge & Road Officials think mass transit guideway at Phoenix airport may be the only one of its kind to cross through active airspace. Falsework is coming down this month after supporting the construction of what officials believe is the only transit bridge in the world to cross over an active taxiway. The 740-ft-long cast-in-place box-girder bridge is the centerpiece of a two-mile-long transit system that will connect