It is essentially a gigantic ditch, packed with equipment, concrete, rebar and thousands of laborers from many countries. It is a hotbed of construction challenges and a momentous sequel to one of the world's engineering epics: the original 1914 construction of the Panama Canal.
As fuel costs and environmental concerns rise in conjunction with shrinking road budgets, cold in-place recycling paving, or CIRP, methods continue to gain interest nationwide. Cold in-place recycling has been used on low-volume roads for some time, but the technique may gain acceptance on higher-volume roads as well.
Related Links: Detailed obituary on William D. Kennedy Fifth International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security, March 14-16, 2012 KENNEDYWilliam D. "Bill" Kennedy, a transit engineering pioneer and a key figure in the development of tunnel ventilation systems for road and rail tunnels worldwide, died on June 23 at the age of 69. The cause was cancer, according to officials at Parsons Brinckerhoff, where he was a vice president and a 46-year company veteran.In the 1970s, Kennedy and a small group of colleagues worked with DeLeuw, Cather & Co. and Kaiser Engineers to develop the "Subway Environmental Design Handbook"
Aided by a presidential extension of Build America Bonds—and, somewhat ironically, by the recession—the $2.5-billion widening of the New Jersey Turnpike in the middle of the Garden State has reached its halfway point, with an average $1 million worth of construction occurring every day.
Using innovative project delivery methods, the Missouri Dept. of Transportation may complete upgrades of 800 bridges in four years—a year ahead of the planned five. But as Congress dithers on enabling long-term federal transportation funding this year, MoDOT may not be able to embark upon another major program any time soon.
Builders of mass transit systems seem cautiously optimistic about the future, buoyed by steady ridership figures and the recent rally to overcome threats to dedicated funding.
Related Links: Minimee Cited by ENR for Olympian Efforts to Spur Bridge Construction Utah Embraces Accelerated Construction Method AASHTO obituary of James C. Minimee James C. “Jim” McMinimee, who pioneered accelerated bridge construction techniques in Utah and across the U.S., died suddenly on May 10 in Washington, D.C. He was 51. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, for which he was a contractor, says he died of natural causes, but did not provide further detail. McMinimeeMcMinimee led AASHTO’s effort to implement the latest congressionally-mandated Strategic Highway Research Program, a transportation-sector effort probing highway congestion.For 25 years, he
With thousands of acres of land to spare, Denver International Airport is setting its sights on becoming what officials dub an "airport city"—an aerotropolis featuring logistics and trade facilities, hotels, retail, museums, schools and intermodal connections. The concept of an airport-oriented "city" is not new, but recently it has become a hot topic.