Related Links: Link to FY 2014 budget documents President Obama’s fiscal year 2014 budget proposal again makes a strong pitch for boosting federal infrastructure funding, but only some construction programs would share in the increases.Under the president's budget request, sent to Congress on April 10, highway and transit accounts would receive modest hikes compared with 2013 levels and General Services Administration funding for federal buildings would soar. But airport grants and wastewater-treatment facility aid would be cut.The voluminous proposal's fate will depend on congressional budget and appropriations committees. Reactions split along party lines. Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) said
Photo courtesy CIC Inc. Some industry experts think the new OSHA rules governing operator testing need to be changed. Here, a crane operator rodeo tests skills. Related Links: In One Week, Crane Operators Receive a License to Learn Final OSHA Cranes and Derricks Rule A wide range of crane-market representatives asked U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials to make changes to the agency's controversial crane-and-derrick standard at a stakeholder meeting held in Washington, D.C., on April 2-3.Numerous individuals at the meeting said that OSHA has misinterpreted the original rule-making committee’s intent. A key issue discussed was the fine line
Related Links: Copy of National Research Council report Engineering News-Record A recent National Research Council study of the Defense Dept.'s use of green-building certification systems concludes DOD should continue its current practices. They including using the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the Green Building Initiative Green Globes and other rating systems.But the authors of the NRC report also say that DOD should improve its evaluations of how its facilities actually perform in energy-efficiency and other green areas.The study found that although most certified green or high-performance buildings generally perform better than conventional buildings, some
Related Links: Bipartisan Group of Senators Outline Their Plans for Immigration Reform Workforce, Immigration Issues Loom Large for ABC Firms An agreement between union leaders and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce could set the stage for a bipartisan group of senators to introduce a comprehensive bill to revamp federal immigration policy within weeks. The group of eight senators is led by Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.).AFL-CIO and Chamber officials said on March 29 that they had reached general agreement on two issues that had been sticking points in the talks. Both dealt with the guest-worker program. But some
Related Links: NRC March 19 Memo Nuclear Energy Institute Response to decision on filtering rulemaking The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will adopt one recommendation from its post-Fukushima task force and postpone another.In a March 19 memo, NRC commissioners directed staffers to make final within 60 days requirements for hardened venting systems at 31 boiling-water reactors that have Mark I and Mark II containment designs.But the commissioners also said they will give the staff a year to produce a technical evaluation to support a rule-making on filtering systems to prevent significant radiation releases during potential accidents.While the Nuclear Energy Institute praised the
Related Links: Obama Feb. 6 remarks announcing intent to nominate Jewell Archived webcast of committee vote The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has cleared the nomination of Sally Jewell, President Obama's pick to succeed Ken Salazar as Interior secretary.The panel approved Jewell on March 21 by a 9-3 vote. Jewell's nomination now goes to the full Senate.Critics say the former Recreational Equipment Inc. CEO lacks the experience needed to lead the Interior, but environmental groups support her nomination.
Related Links: AREVA (Transnuclear's parent company) website Columbia, Md.-based Transnuclear has developed a training facility in Aiken, S.C., to help workers become proficient in transferring and loading fuel from wet pools to dry-cask storage.The training facility, completed in 2012, is part of Transnuclear's NUHOMS University program, which works with contractors involved in fuel transfers at nuclear facilities and utilities. The facility replicates the equipment and situations workers would encounter on a typical loading campaign.Approximately 40 workers have graduated from one of the program's five-week training sessions, and another 30 have come to the facility for specific training tailored for utilities.
Related Links: Dispute over Stalled Transit Center Intensifies KCE Structural Engineers Report (PDF) A structural evaluation of the Silver Spring Transit Center in Silver Spring, Md., identifies construction and design problems that will further delay the opening of the facility to the public.Millions of dollars over budget and two years behind schedule, the yet-to-be completed transportation hub has been in limbo since, in 2010, extensive cracking was noticed in some of the structure's slabs. In 2012, the county commissioned a team, led by Washington, D.C.-based KCE Structural Engineers, to perform a complete analysis of the structure.KCE's report, released on March
The building trades' offensive to regain market share and take the union construction message directly to owners, particularly in southern states, appears to be paying off.
The ASCE released a promotional video for the 2013 infrastructure report card. The American Society of Civil Engineers' latest evaluation of the condition of U.S. infrastructure shows improvement, but not by much.
