Two months after a 110-lb light fixture fell onto a roadway along Boston’s Big Dig highway project, Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation inspectors have found some corrosion in the 23,000 lighting fixtures that line the Central Artery tunnel. In the wake of the resignation of a highway administrator following a delay in notifying the public about the fixture, the agency’s operational procedures are under scrutiny. “I have acknowledged our failure to alert the public in a timely manner and the lapse in our internal communications, which we are currently working to address,” state transportation Secretary Jeffrey Mullan says. “We are continuing
The state of Massachusetts is seeking damages from the manufacturer of a 110-lb light fixture that fell onto a Central Artery tunnel roadway in early February. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority informed the public about the incident last week. “One of the 23,000 light fixtures in the Central Artery Tunnel system fell onto the roadway on the morning of February 8,” says a spokesperson for the MBTA. Although there were no injuries or property damage, the incident has reignited concerns about safety of the $2 billion project. The Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation claims it immediately began to inspect all of
Despite the headline-grabbing attention of federal deficits and budget cuts, the real problems facing construction remain the prolonged recession in the private nonresidential building markets, the weakening of the once-dependable public markets, a stalled housing recovery teetering on the brink of slipping back into recession and high unemployment. That does not add up to a quick recovery, which in turns equals low inflation abetted by desperate bidding. The sudden turnaround from the Keynesian economics of stimulus to the Hoover-era economics of austerity only make the outlook bleaker. Related Links: Confidence Survey: Top Industry Execs Believe the Market Has Turned a
With optimism surrounding a market upswing, contractors seem to be willing to offer higher compensation to talented top-level executives as a strategic way to adapt to new markets and draw in new business. Related Links: Economics: Japan Quake Won�t Shake Up Costs as Recession Trumps Rising Prices Confidence Survey: Top Industry Execs Believe the Market Has Turned a Corner Bidding: Price Escalations May Lead Aggressive Bidders To Default Asphalt: Weak Demand vs High Oil Prices Internet: Finding Cost Data on ENR.com: Cost Indexes, Wages and Prices Methodology: As the Construction Recovery Stalls, What Is the Impact on Inflation? Indexes: How
The new $21.5-million Norridgewock Bridge—one of only two modern tied-arch concrete bridges to be built in the U.S.—is taking shape over the Kennebec River in northern Maine. Photo:Courtesy Of Kleinfelder New Maine crossing replicates concrete tied-arch design, only one of two in the U.S., according to the owner. The new bridge includes a 300-ft center span and two 150-ft approach spans. Four of six transverse braces are now in place, along with 19 intermediate floor beams and three end beams. When opened this fall, it will replace a four-span concrete tied-arch bridge built in 1928, which was one of the
Maine could be the proving ground of a significant new renewable powerhouse for the Northeast, as scientists and builders use composites and robotics in hopes of harnessing wind and wave power. + Image Rendering: Courtesty of NREL/Walt Musial Cianbro Corp., Pittsfield, Maine, is constructing a new $30-million Offshore Wind Laboratory, scheduled for completion in June. It has 4-ft-thick test floors with a waterproof blade-tip pit, 30 ft wide x 75 ft long x 16 ft deep, to be used as a wave basin for testing models of floating wind turbines. “It’s challenging keeping up with constantly evolving equipment technology,” says
Hundreds of roofs in the Northeast collapsed after a series of winter storms swept through the region from just before Christmas until the week after Groundhog Day, with minimal thawing in between. The accumulated loads proved more than many commercial flat-roof systems could handle. Photo: Courtesy Town Of Nottingham, N.H. Roof of Nottingham, N.H., town garage proved no match for series of winter storms. Injuries were minimal, but as the tally of structural failures mounted, some began to wonder whether it is time to re-examine building codes if the region is entering a climate-change cycle that will trigger increased precipitation
While a demolition contractor clears debris and stabilizes the site of what the owner claimed was the largest sloped green roof in North America, a forensics team is investigating why the structure suddenly collapsed on the afternoon of Feb. 13. Photo: Courtesy Aquascape Freeze-thaw cycle following major snowfall apparently triggered collapse of large green roof near Chicago. Related Links: Ice, Snow Take Toll on Northeast Roofs, But Engineers Say Codes Are Adequate The 700-ft by 50-ft area of roof that collapsed was attached to a warehouse. There were no injuries or inventory damage, said Ed Beaulieu, vice president at Aquascape,
The 130-turbine Cape Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts has spurred more support for offshore wind generation, including a $199-million terminal construction at the Port of Paulsboro, N.J., and a $35-million project on the waterfront in New Bedford, Mass. That new port infrastructure as well as recently announced federal programs to support offshore wind infrastructure may finally help launch the U.S. offshore wind industry, which has lagged behind countries such as the United Kingdom and Denmark where the offshore supply chain was developed years ago. New Bedford is Cape Wind’s designated hub for offshore wind staging and assembly. Kristin
A Nottingham, N.H., public works employee was gassing up his truck when he heard a noise and suddenly the roof of the town’s highway maintenance garage collapsed.