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December 26, 2012

News for and about the civil engineering community

Top Story

New high-speed rail shaves 14 hours off route in China
China has launched service on a high-speed rail line that is the world's longest at nearly 1,428 miles. The train will cut travel time between Beijing and Guangzhou from 22 hours to eight hours. Trains will run at about 186 miles an hour. The Business Times (Singapore) (12/26), Deutsche Welle (Germany)/Agence France-Presse (12/26), The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (12/26)

Infrastructure Watch

Lawmakers are optimistic about passage of Sandy aid bill
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and other Democratic senators who support legislation seeking $60.4 billion in aid for those affected by Superstorm Sandy said they think they have the votes to clear the bill by the end of this week. The Senate voted to override any move toward a filibuster and will consider 20 additional amendments before a final vote. New York Post (12/25)

Slideshow: San Francisco's Transbay Transit Center
This piece provides a sneak preview of the work being done on San Francisco's Transbay Transit Center. The foundation of the center, which is like a "giant bathtub," is about 65 feet deep and 140 feet wide. Excavation work is being managed by Turner Construction. The center's above-ground portion will serve bus passengers when completed in 2020 and will have circulation areas, retail shops and a rooftop park. San Francisco Chronicle (12/25)

$632.5M Southern Beltway extension planned for Pa.
A $632.5 million project that includes construction of the second portion of the Southern Beltway in Pennsylvania has been proposed by the state's Turnpike Commission. The 13-mile stretch of toll road would link Route 22 and Interstate 79. Work is slated to begin in 2014 and is expected to last six years. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (12/22)

Study: $456M Calif. connector project to generate 5,400 jobs
American City Business Journals/Sacramento, Calif./Melanie Turner blog (12/24)

Trends & Technology

Spending for heavy engineering sector inched up in October
Spending on heavy engineering construction rose 0.2% in October on a seasonally adjusted basis, after September's "solid" 1.1% increase, according to Reed Construction Data's chief economist, Bernard Markstein. Heavy engineering spending was up 8.5% from year-earlier levels on a not-seasonally-adjusted basis. Spending for this sector is projected to advance 7.7% this year and 5.4% in 2013, according to Reed forecasts. Reed/ACP Construction Data (12/20)

Large convention center, military projects in planning stages
Reed Construction Data lists the top 20 largest convention center and military projects and outlines what stage of the planning process they are in. Included are Houston's proposed $6 billion George R. Brown Convention Center and the $538 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Property Facilities MATOC in Texas. Reed/ACP Construction Data (12/20)

Sustainable Development

Report on NYC buildings' energy efficiency reveals surprises
A report that tracks the energy use of New York City's largest buildings has been released. This article provides details about which buildings are achieving higher-than-expected energy efficiency, such as the Chrysler and Empire State buildings, as well as those that fail to make the grade, such as the LEED Gold-certified 7 World Trade Center and the MetLife Building. "Some scores will not be flattering, but identifying buildings with the most opportunity to improve is a big part of driving energy savings," said Andrew Burr, a performance expert at the Institute for Market Transformation. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (12/24)

Advancing the Profession

Communication skills trump appearance, top leaders say
A leader's ability to look the part matters less than his or her ability to communicate effectively, top executives say. Some 28% of senior bosses say that communication skills predict a worker's leadership potential, but only 5% say that looking "polished and put together" is "a key factor" for future leaders, David Burkus writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (12/21)

Position Title	Company Name	Location
Associate Civil Engineer - Subdivision	City of Orange, a municipality in Orange County, CA	US - CA - Orange
Senior Bridge Engineer	Buckland & Taylor	US - NY
Senior Bridge Engineer	Buckland & Taylor	New York, NY
Assistant/Associate Professor	Wayne State University	Detroit, MI
Tunnel Design Engineer	Jacobs Associates	New York, NY
Engineer or Geomorphologist	Inter-Fluve, Inc.	Madison, WI
Civil Engineer	Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority	Washington, DC
Professor of Structural Engineering and Structural Concrete	Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich	Zurich, Switzerland

SmartQuote

Never get so fascinated by the extraordinary that you forget the ordinary."

--Magdalen Nabb,
British author

ASCE SmartBrief is a daily news digest produced by SmartBrief, Inc., exclusively for ASCE.

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