Ask Bala Sivakumar about his nearly 30 years in bridge engineering, and he dutifully recites biographical information. But ask him about the need for accelerated bridge construction (ABC), and, suddenly, there's excitement and passion in his voice.
Considerable perseverance by the city of Orlando—along with some design and construction stagecraft—was needed to bring to life the first phase of a long-delayed performing arts center project. Related Links: Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center Ranks Among Southeast's Top Starts of 2011 Orlando Backs Financing for Arts Center Project The saga of turning the plans for the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts—originally priced at nearly $400 million—into reality was reminiscent of the big-budget musicals that will be staged at the performance venue: big dreams, adversity met with resolve and, of course, a happy ending.Named for a local citrus
Photo and Map Courtesy of NCDOT Crews delivered repair components to bridge site in late November. The lawsuit aims to protect an adjoining wildlife refuge. The Herbert C. Bonner Bridge on North Carolina's Outer Banks has reopened after the discovery of excess scour around underwater pilings forced a two-week closure. The closure isolated more than 4,000 full-time residents on Hatteras Island and added fuel to the long-simmering debate over replacing the half-century-old, 2.5-mile structure spanning Oregon Inlet.Because of the highly volatile and dynamic nature of the inlet's currents between the Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico Sound, the North Carolina Dept. of
A Philadelphia grand jury has charged demolition contractor Griffin Campbell with six counts of third-degree murder for his role in the city’s deadly June 5 building collapse.Campbell, owner of Campbell Construction, is accused of using improper and unsafe methods to bring down an abandoned four-story building owned by New York developer Richard Basciano to make way for a mixed-use development.An unsupported multi-story wall collapsed onto an adjacent one-story Salvation Army store, killing six and injuring 14.An investigation revealed that Campbell had not installed proper bracing on the building’s sidewalls, electing to begin the project by removing the facade and floor
The Nemours Foundation had a clear vision for its new children's hospital in Orlando: a world-class facility that would offer Central Florida a new level of pediatric specialty care, from minor injuries to the most complex of illnesses and conditions.
Related Links: GEA release on global geothermal report Activity in the global geothermal market continues to pick up steam, with more than 670 geothermal projects under way in 70 countries, according to new report from the Washington, D.C.-based Geothermal Energy Association. The report, "2013 Geothermal Power: International Market Overview," found that more than 11,700 megawatts of new geothermal capacity, equal to that currently available from existing geothermal systems, are in the early stages of development or under construction, with the U.S., East Africa and Southeast Asia among the hottest markets. Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) Executive Director Karl Gawell says the
Courtesy of InfoSense SL-RAT sends sound waves through pipes to find blockages. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg County, N.C., Utilities Division (CMUD) uses CCTV cameras to inspect its underground sanitary sewer pipes for blockages and interferences, but a new device that sends acoustical waves through sewer pipes is giving the utility a more accurate view.“Often, the [CCTV] images were so dark and murky or the system would get hung up, and we couldn’t get a clear picture,” says John Fishburne, senior engineer in CMUD’s field operations division. “We wound up cleaning pipes that, in many cases, didn’t need it.”In 2005, CMUD commissioned Ivan
Photo Courtesy of WSSC Two D.C. utility employees needed 12 hours to close a badly corroded pipeline valve. Related Links: Heroes in Hardhats: The Men Who Kept the Water Flowing in Prince George's A last-ditch effort on July 16 by two Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission technicians to close a stubborn, corrosion-covered valve for water-pipeline diversion enabled the Washington, D.C., area water-wastewater utility to bypass the rapidly failing main. Closing the valve averted an extended service outage in a densely populated section during excessively hot weather.The 54-in.-dia reinforced-concrete high-pressure transmission line, installed in 1966, supplies 10 million to 15 million gallons
By most outward appearances, much has changed for Rodgers Builders since its chairman, B.D. Rodgers, first founded the company in 1963. Now with more than 350 associates across three offices, and a diverse project portfolio, the Charlotte, N.C.-based firm's growth has mirrored its hometown's emergence as one of the Southeast's leading economic hubs. Related Links: Rodgers Builders Named 'Contractor of the Year' Builders Get Ready for Southeast Resurgence Looking deeper, though, it is apparent that Rodgers has deviated little from its origin as a conservative company, with leaders who emphasize an old-fashioned personal approach. At the same time, the company
