Articles by Aileen Cho

When “I Lift NY,” formerly known as the Left Coast Lifter—one of the world’s largest floating cranes—hoisted a 645-ton crossbeam into place this February, it marked a milestone in the construction of the $3.9-billion replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River, 30 miles north of New York City.

A geo-referential portal that allows project team members at all levels to easily access “heavy” infrastructure data is gaining traction in the transportation industry.

Like modern chefs tweaking classic techniques, concrete industry insiders are experimenting anew with ingredients—additives and aggregates such as fly ash, slag and quarry waste—and “plating,” which includes methods such as two-lift paving and real-time smoothness monitoring.

Pavement design may become more efficient and cost-effective based on enhanced data from subgrade layers obtained by an automated plate load test.