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- $2.1B I-4 project in Fla. starts procurement process
The Florida Department of Transportation has been given approval by Gov. Rick Scott and the state Legislature to begin the procurement process for the $2.1 billion Interstate 4 Ultimate Project. The 21-mile rebuild of the interstate involves building 56 new bridges, replacing 68 bridges and reconstructing 15 interchanges. It would take 26 years to finish the 21 miles of I-4 improvements if the state tried to do the work using a traditional pay-as-you-go approach, but it's expected to take five to six years to complete with a private-public partnership. FDOT hopes to have funding close by the summer of 2014. American City Business Journals/Orlando, Fla./Morning Call blog
(2/4)     
- $2B in transit-system aid released by DOT
Two billion dollars in emergency funding for transit systems damaged by Superstorm Sandy was released Monday by the federal Department of Transportation. The transit systems in New Jersey sustained roughly $400 million in damages from the storm and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey reported $700 million in damage to the PATH rail system alone. The Wall Street Journal/The Associated Press
(2/4)
| Technology & Trends | |
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- Sydney Opera House: Vaulted roofs took 6 years, much math to design
The cast concrete "sails" that made the Sydney Opera House in Australia an icon were constructed of "1,498 standard rib segments of 12 different types and another 280 nonstandard segments .. each 15 feet long." How the architect and engineers arrived at the best way to construct them was an exercise in creativity, mathematics and problem solving. Alexander Hahn, a professor of mathematics at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana explains the process. InsideScience.org
(2/4)
- Report: Ore. needs infrastructure improvements amid quake risk
The Cascadia subduction zone off Oregon's coast could trigger an earthquake and tsunami resulting in $32 billion or more in economic losses and thousands of deaths, according to a draft report from the state's earthquake commission. Oregon needs to pursue 50 years of seismic upgrades for schools, hospitals and major infrastructure to reduce the impact of such an earthquake, the report said. "[W]e can choose either a future in which the earthquake results in grim damage and losses and a society diminished for a generation, or a future in which the earthquake is a manageable disaster without lasting impact," the report says. The Oregonian (Portland)
(2/4)
| Sustainability & Green Building | |
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- ACI aids research to use more recycled concrete in buildings
The sustainable building movement has pushed for more reuse of building materials, and the American Concrete Institute is one organization that is helping researchers and engineers improve concrete recipes so that the use of recycled concrete will become an integral part of building structures in the future. Hauling away concrete debris is costly; recycling is more cost efficient, according to the Construction Materials Recycling Association. Finance and Commerce (Minneapolis)
(2/4)
| Leadership & HR | |
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- Leadership tips from the Super Bowl coaches
Jim Harbaugh and John Harbaugh aren't the "screaming field generals" once ubiquitous in football, Dov Seidman writes. Instead, the brothers represent the modern coach who listens to players, rather than yells at them, and aims not for absolute and unquestioned authority but for softer and more collaborative forms of power. "[O]ur world has transformed. And football provides us a great metaphor for how our leadership needs to change with it," Seidman writes. Time.com
(2/1)
| Policy Watch | |
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- NTSB's Hersman could replace LaHood as Transportation Secretary
The top pick to replace Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood could be Deborah Hersman, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board, according to sources close to the White House. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., outgoing chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, supports the nomination of Hersman for the post, citing her experience as senior adviser to his committee. The Wall Street Journal
(2/3)
| ACI News | |
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- 303R-12: Guide to Cast-in-Place Architectural Concrete Practice
This guide presents recommendations for producing cast-in-place architectural concrete. The importance of specified materials, forming, concrete placement, curing, additional treatment, inspection, and their effect on the appearance of the finished product are discussed. Architectural concrete requires special construction techniques, materials, and requirements that are unique to each project. The specific recommendations and information presented in this guide should be used accordingly. Order your copy today.
- Advances in FRC Durability and Field Applications CD-ROM (SP-280)
This CD-ROM contains 10 papers that were presented at sessions sponsored by ACI Committee 544 at the Spring 2011 ACI Convention in Tampa, Fla. The topics of the papers cover durability aspects of fiber-reinforced concrete, ranging from permeability, shrinkage cracking, long-term behavior in chloride environment and resistance to chloride penetration, as well as applications of fiber-reinforced concrete for coupling beams for highrise core-wall structures, beams for bridges, panels and suspended foundation slabs. Order your copy today.
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