There is nothing more joyous and interesting than cultural and architectural diversity in a nation—the spreading of rich delicacies on a full table for all to enjoy. But the sad fact is that, in the U.S. in particular, there is a need for dramatic new landmarks to sharpen the palette. Large public corporations now are feeding the U.S. a steady diet of empty calories— big box stores by the thousands, small boxes by the millions and McMansions by the subdivision. These numbing designs are spreading across the U.S. like crabgrass across a lawn, choking out regional culture, diversity and imagination.
Cho "Of course I choose the hottest day of the year to bring you out here," joked Carolyn Vadino, spokesperson for the New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. I looked like a drowned, smashed-face Persian cat as I tramped in heavy thigh-high boots across the marshy sand of Elders Point. It was 9 a.m., and the temperature in New York City was already heading for the red zone. The relatively cool breeze generated by zipping across Jamaica Bay in a motorboat quickly faded from memory. But, hottest day or no, we had to come out before
You ask about jobsite quality of life and comforts for workers, and whether those words mean much to an ironworker and ironworker superintendent like me. After all my years in the field, I want to say that pride and safety matter as much or more than comfort. Patchin Part of the comfort of the job is having clean toilets and wash stations and access to good drinking water. Something other than the hose at the gas station you drove past to get to the job. Part of comfort is knowing that the excavation you are going to go into is
Future of Civil Engineering I applaud Engineering News Record's interest in the future of the civil engineer and the civil engineering profession. Thank you for taking the time to comment on the recently held summit on the future of the civil engineering profession in 2025 sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The summit involved 50 invited individuals. There were representatives from foreign countries and organizations, contractors, owners, industry, technologists, federal, state and local government, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, architects, non-engineers, non-governmental organizations and younger ASCE members. These individuals were selected because they were known for their visionary writings
(Photo courtesy of Bigdig.com) The deadly collapse of 10 tons of precast concrete ceiling panels in the I-90 connector tunnel in Boston clearly demonstrates that even a $14.6-billion project may end up being judged on the performance of a relative handful of bolts. But it also underscores the role that everyone must play in making major projects safe. Up until now, the Central Artery /Tunnel has been criticized mainly for its cost escalation and tunnel leaks, which can partially be explained, given the ambitious nature of the decade-long project. But the recent death of a woman passenger in a car
Patchin Here’s something that doesn’t happen very often to an old ironworker (or any ironworker for that matter). I live and work in the San Francisco area and recently I was at Laguna Honda Hospital and the contractor, Turner, was letting Timberland , the shoe and clothing company, do a photo shoot for their new line of boots. One of the assistant superintendents for Turner, a guy named Cory, asked me if he could borrow some tools and a couple of dirty and worn-looking vests for their models to look authentic. So I gave them my tools and some stinky old
Defining Green I had the opportunity to review your article, “Green Building Movement Gains Even More Momentum”. Thanks for taking the time to learn more about the Green Building Initiative and our efforts to accelerate the adoption of green building principles and practices. I would like to address one rather significant misperception. Our efforts to establish Green Globes as an American National Standard through the American National Standards Institute and those of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America and the U.S. Green Building Council to establish a minimum standard under
McLaren The water quality in major U.S. harbors has improved drastically over the last 15 years thanks primarily to the strict standards established by the federal Clean Water Act of 1972. An unfortunate by-product of that effort, however, is the resurgence of micro-organisms that feed upon submerged wood, commonly called marine borers. These creatures have caused the collapse of dozens of piers in New York Harbor, as well as marine structures on other waterfronts. Two types of marine borers are responsible for most damage. Limnoria are shrimp-like crustaceans that swarm around piles of wood and eat it from the outside,
Someday that white highway stripe and those familiar road signs will be as visible to the human eye on a dark stormy night as they are in bright sunlight. And that's a good thing, especially considering the vision-deteriorating eyes of the aging American population. But while such technology -- as described by Larry Lair, vice president of traffic safety systems for 3M, is well on its way, other kinds of highway vision must still be developed. CHO These were some conclusions a gathering of highway industry officials came to on Thursday, June 29, as a 50th anniversay two-day forum wrapped
Not the Whole Story Hardin Construction Co. is disturbed and disappointed at the lack of prudence and balance in your Legal story, “Contractor Caught Copying in Software Copyright Case,” regarding a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Meridian Project Systems Inc. against Hardin Construction and Computer Methods International Corp. We expected higher standards of journalism from a respected industry publication such as Engineering News-Record. Your headline blatantly missed the mark in summarizing the story, which focused on rulings in a federal lawsuit. Further, the court did not find Hardin liable for the incidental copying of materials. In reporting on a suit
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