Related Links: Dont Blame The Workers As a civil engineer and a licensed professional engineer, I found your article “Rethinking Wrench Time” to be of great interest. I also have a master's degree in industrial engineering, specializing in quality control, and am a longtime member of the American Society for Quality.For many years, I have been promoting the application of quality-control principles to construction work, and I think this article gives an example of how it may be accomplished. To its credit, the [New York City Transit Authority, or NYCTA] now requires contractors to provide a quality-control manager on major
iStockphoto Do concerns about liability limit the expansion of ethical engineering practice? The American Society of Civil Engineers has taken many steps to transform engineering and champion infrastructure. In 2009, the society produced a road map for the future of the profession; just recently, it produced a report documenting the economic costs of diminished spending on infrastructure. But a transformation so sweeping is bound to have rough spots, just as some of the most ardent supporters of a revolution are destined to be disap-pointed. Officially, ASCE policy supports engineers doing everything possible to promote safety. Making that happen in practice
Recently, national attention was focused on the prospect of “Carmageddon” in Los Angeles brought about by the closure of 10 miles of Interstate 405 during a weekend. But the most contentious highway project in the region, the I-710 Freeway, remains uncompleted. In May 2010, after 50 years of debate and false starts, the Los Angeles Courtesy I-710 Coalition Image used by proponents of the I-710 Gap Closure project. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority funded the environmental impact report for finishing with a toll tunnel the last 4.5 miles of this section of its freeway core. Currently, northbound vehicles on I-710 exit
The story summarized below was written by ENR staff and contributors. The anonymous responses posted by ENR.com readers have been edited. The Diversity ReportIn this special feature, ENR reported that while some firms merely comply with federal rules regarding minorities and anti-discrimination laws, other firms actively and consciously make diversity a core value.Donna Riley of Smith College describes engineering as “a system that is still not inclined to be welcoming.” What a disgusting comment. I have been an engineer for over 40 years with many firms and have yet to experience an engineering organization that discriminated against anyone in any
It seems a distant memory as we move into the heat of summer, but just a few months ago roof collapses were making headlines as never before. Massive accumulations of snow crushed everything from the Minneapolis Metrodome to schools, homes and churches. Media coverage stoked worries about structural integrity and whether building codes were sufficient for the extreme storms of a changing climate. Last winter saw major facility owners taking preventative actions to avoid dangerous roof collapses. After conducting an evaluation with the help of structural engineers, the operators of the MassMutual Center, Springfield, Mass., for example, canceled some events
JULY 31-3 Energy and Water 2011: Efficiency, Generation, Management and Climate Impacts Conference Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Chicago. This event will bring together researchers, regulators, designers, technology developers, students, municipal agencies and utilities, facility managers and operators, industry representatives and other environmental professionals from around the world to share and debate the current state of the water-energy nexus. Technical presentations will be complemented by open discussions. For more information, visit www.wef.org/energy/.AUGUST 3-6 2011 Concrete Foundations Association Summer Convention Wintergreen Resort, Wintergreen, Va. The CFA convention is the only national event dedicated solely to the commercial and residential poured-concrete-wall industry. For
The deaths of firefighters Joseph P. Graffagnino and Robert Beddia at the Deutsche Bank building at Ground Zero in 2007 needlessly replayed in miniature the tragedy that unfolded on Sept. 11, 2001, when 343 of New York's Bravest died. The high-rise bank building, adjacent to the World Trade Center, was damaged in the attack and, six years later, was being cleaned of asbestos and demolished. State Supreme Court Judge Rena Uviller and a jury in Manhattan now are deciding whether to convict three contractor site supervisors as well as subcontracting firm John Galt Corp. on criminal charges in connection with
Technology and how it can affect design and construction are clearly present concerns for ENR's readership. To gather our expanding coverage in one place, we have launched a twice-monthly e-mail newsletter designed to deliver insights, news, how-to's, links and more. Everything from gadget reviews to complex tech issues are explored in each FutureTech issue. NEWSLETTER DEBUTS First issue hit inboxesJune 14, next issue will be delivered June 28. “More firms are getting smarter about how they use technology and social media to serve their clients and cut costs,” says Erin Joyce, ENR's managing editor, integrated media. Coming to ENR last
In ENR's June 6 article “Calif. Jury Dismisses Crane School's Suit Against NCCCO,” two previous lawsuits between the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) and California Crane School (CCS) owner John Nypl are described incorrectly. The description of a first suit relates instead to a second lawsuit, while the description of a second suit relates to the early stages of a third, separate Sonora, Calif., case that was just decided by a jury. The actual first lawsuit is not described at all in the article.In the first suit, NCCCO asserted that Mr. Nypl paid an examiner to
Thinking about finally adding computer-aided design software to your workflow? Maybe you want to expand your existing CAD investment into facilities management, or what we now call BIM (Building Information Management) software. In this two-part article, I'll explain some important questions you need to ask yourself and your CAD vendor or vendors before you buy.Start by remembering that the design process is a thinking process. If your software gets in the way of your thinking, it may not be right for you.That said, a CAD or facilities management package is nothing more than a database program with a very fancy
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