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- Building a mile-high tower could become a reality by 2025
A mile-high skyscraper could be built by 2025, says Timothy Johnson, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat architect and chairman. Developing countries are surpassing the U.S. and Europe with the most buildings at least 2,000 feet tall, led by rapid economic growth and a yearning to display their wealth. "If you have enough money, I'm sure the human mind can create a lot higher," Johnson said. "Who are we to say it's good or bad. People want to push higher and higher. That's just human nature, isn't it?" Bloomberg
(9/19)     
| Infrastructure Watch | | |
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- Okla. tribes voice concern over route of $7B Keystone XL pipeline
Indian tribes in Oklahoma say they are concerned about disturbance of sacred archaeological sites along the possible pipeline route of the $7 billion Keystone XL project. TransCanada, however, said it would have people walk each mile of the pipeline to monitor construction and would include a tribal liaison on every part of the pipeline. "[I]t’s not so much that we’re in support of the pipeline, but we’re in support of working together to make sure our interests are looked after," said Robert Cast, the historic-preservation officer of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma. The Washington Post
(9/17)
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Canadian envoy believes Keystone XL would secure U.S. approval: TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline would eventually secure U.S. approval, said Gary Doer, Canada's ambassador to the U.S. "I will bet a six-pack that it is going to happen," Doer said. President Barack Obama has yet to clear a key permit for the pipeline, while Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney promised to clear the project if he is elected. The Hill/E2 Wire blog
(9/18)
- 2 residential skyscrapers rise in NYC
Work is progressing on a new residential tower called 432 Park Ave. going up at the site of the former Drake Hotel in New York City. The foundation for the 1,397-foot skyscraper has just been completed, and the building will be finished by 2015. Another high-rise residential tower, the $1.5 billion, 1,000-foot-tall One57 project, is being built a few blocks away. "New York is lucky to have two such important towers being built at a time when we are severely lacking in this type of inventory," said Pamela Liebman, president of the Corcoran Group and consultant for the firm building One57. The Wall Street Journal
(9/16)
| Trends & Technology | | |
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- How to make building owners invest in BIM
Letting building owners know that BIM offers valuable benefits, including lower operations and maintenance costs, can convince them to start using it, writes Scott Arfsten, BIM manager at Cupertino Electric. "And by integrating the BIM and [Master System Integration] into a construction deliverable that will significantly reduce cost over the lifecycle, we will find owners to be willing to fund the integrated BIM and MSI models that we need to take full advantage of these excellent technologies," Arfsten notes. Engineering News-Record
(9/18)
| Sustainable Development | | |
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- Concrete with sequestered CO2 makes blocks green, stronger
CarbonCure Technologies developed a technology that it licenses to concrete makers that infuses carbon dioxide from industrial waste sources into concrete's curing stage -- thus producing limestone -- which makes concrete blocks stronger and greener. "It’s very cheap. We can retrofit a plant in less than a day," says Robert Niven, CEO and company founder. "And it’s scalable. We can put this into any plant in the world, without displacing any existing manufacturers." Financial Post (Canada)
(9/17)
| Election 2012 | | |
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- A call for long-term strategy that invests in U.S. infrastructure
 A long-term strategic plan to invest in infrastructure projects is needed to help the U.S. "avoid the consequences of a world, literally thrown back to the Dark Ages," writes former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, co-chairman of Building America’s Future. "We must get serious about maintaining and modernizing our electric grid, as well as our roads, rails and runways." The Hill/Congress Blog
(9/18)
| Advancing the Profession | | |
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- 4 ways to lead meetings that accomplish something
Everyone has been to their share of unproductive meetings, but leaders can make sure something is actually accomplished during these gatherings. It's a good idea to run short, focused meetings and to make sure everyone stays on topic, according to Dominique Schurman of Papyrus. If someone wants to talk about something that isn't within the scope of the meeting, leaders should agree to talk about it at a later time. CBS MoneyWatch
(9/17)
| News from ASCE | | |
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Understand the global marketplace at ASCE's Annual Conference
ASCE's 142nd Annual Civil Engineering Conference will provide timely and relevant sessions that will help you manage the developing landscape of the global civil engineering marketplace. You can earn as many as 21 Professional Development Hours. View the program to see why it is worth attending.
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