A relatively simple formula can predict how well buildings withstand earthquakes, according to lab work and research in Haiti by Purdue University. The studies suggest how to strengthen existing buildings at a low cost and how to make new buildings damage-resistant. Photo: Courtesy of Purdue University Purdue engineers tested their new seismic index theory by building and then shaking a three-story building in a lab. After the January 2010 earthquake, Purdue professors Santiago Pujol and Ayhan Irfanoglu, both civil engineers, surveyed 170 buildings in Haiti. They concentrated on two- to five-story buildings that were made with reinforced-concrete exteriors. About 40%
As many western economies continue to struggle in the wake of the recession, top companies in the environmental sector are expanding their global reach through a mix of organic growth and aggressive acquisitions. Within the water and wastewater sectors, competition has been particularly fierce, as firms look to narrow the bidding lists through consolidation and capitalize on emerging economies. Photo: Courtesy of Black & Veatch Work in the United Kingdom is starting to ramp up again with new projects such as the $150-million expansion of the Mogden Sewage Treatment Works in west London by Black & Veatch. Related Links: Overview:
Philadelphia has launched an ambitious 20-year, $1.6-billion stormwater control plan that its creators hope will transform the city’s combined-sewer system and its urban landscape with new shades of green, including bio-mimetic systems. Photo: Courtesy of Philadelphia Water Dept. Natural rooftop plantings at Philadelphia’s Central Library have reduced stormwater runoff entering the city’s combined-sewer system. Photo: Courtesy of Philadelphia Water Dept. America’s sixth-largest city aims to convert a third of its impervious asphalt surface—about 4,000 acres—into absorptive green spaces through the use of constructed wetlands, floodplain restoration and the use of rain barrels, porous concrete and green roofs. The goal is
Photo: APimages/AN Heisenfelt The fabric roof of the Metrodome Stadium in Minneapolis collapsed on Dec. 12 under the weight of 17 or more inches of wet snow. Steve Maki, the stadium’s director of facilities and engineering, said a seven-person snow-removal crew retreated from the roof when winds gusting to 40 mph made working unsafe. Maki says that, early Sunday morning, one fabric roof panel gave way because of the snow load, which overstressed two more panels that also then failed. The roof was fabricated and installed by Birdair Inc., Amherst, N.Y., in 1981. Maki says three samples of roof fabric
The need to integrate resilience into building design has moved up the agenda this month among several federal authorities. On Dec. 1, President Obama declared December to be Critical Infrastructure Protection Month. The announce-ment was made as the Dept. of Homeland Security and the National Institute of Building Sciences hosted a summit in Washington, D.C., on high-performance, resilient buildings and related architecture. The summit included both public officials and private industry representatives as well as nine working group sessions. The results of the summit will be published in a report scheduled for release in January.
Anewly opened $4-billion Las Vegas mega-resort will test the city’s recession-racked, tourist-based economy, while concluding years of work for 3,220 tradespeople and construction staff responsible for the 2,995-room, 7-million-sq-ft Cosmopolitan Casino Resort. Photo: Bill Hughes The Cosmopolitan was the right hotel-condo-casino at the wrong time, a source says. Characterized in one media report as the city’s “most expensive debacle,” the bank-owned hotel complex, set to open a year late on Dec. 15, epitomizes Vegas’ real estate boom gone bust. Developers broke ground on the project, originally valued at $1.8 billion, in late 2005 with little cash down. The price tag
Federal agencies are gearing up to deepen their commitment to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system heading into 2011, despite some criticism of its effectiveness. During the Ecobuild America conference, held Dec. 6-10 in Washington, D.C., representatives from several agencies touted their green agendas. The U.S. General Services Administration, the largest federal landlord, continues to stay out front as a champion of LEED ratings. In October, GSA announced that LEED Gold certification would be the minimum requirement for new federal building construction and renovation projects starting in fiscal 2011. Projects in design
The engineering manager for a major petroleum pipeline proposal now before Canada’s National Energy Board says project design and construction will mean significant earnings potential for engineering consultants and contractors. Ray Doering, Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. head of regulatory engineering and design, says the preliminary engineering process alone for the Northern Gateway oil pipeline between Alberta and British Columbia would involve “a whole range of different specialty consultants”, including those that would assess associated marine, geotechnical and constructability issues. + Image Map Image: Enbridge “Just in that design phase, where we’re collecting and assessing data to support the detailed design, we’re
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation is redistributing to 14 states $1.2 billion in high-speed-rail funds originally awarded to Wisconsin and Ohio, whose governors-elect have pledged to kill rail projects launched by their predecessors. Related Links: Rail Plans Hit Bumps Rail Dollars Rolling U.S. DOT said on Dec. 9 that California would get up to $624 million, the largest share of the reallocated rail funds. DOT had previously awarded $3.2 billion to the Golden State for its ambitious rail plan. Florida will get as much as $342.3 million under the redistribution. The state's incoming governor Rick Scott, has said he's opposed
Three Indian firms and an Indian/Spanish joint venture are competing with three Chinese firms for a portion of a hydropower project in Nepal. Larsen & Toubro Ltd., Jyoti Structures Ltd. and KEC International Ltd. are the Indian firms. The joint venture is composed of Spain’s Cobras Instalaciones Y Servicios and India’s Aravali Infrapower Ltd. The short-listed Chinese firms are Sinohydro Corp., Central China Power Grid International Economic and Trade Co., and Shanghai Electric Power Transmission and Distribution Engineering. The Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project is located on the Tamakoshi River in the Dolakha district, about 50 miles northeast of Katmandu. The