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January 8, 2013

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Time-lapse video shows rise of east span of Calif.'s Bay Bridge


Source: The Atlantic Cities/YouTube/EarthCam

A time-lapse video lets viewers see the around-the-clock work from April 2009 to November 2012 on the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in California. The project has cost more than $6 billion so far, much of that going to the extensive techniques to make the bridge earthquake resistant. The bridge is expected to last 150 years. The Atlantic Cities (1/7)

Infrastructure Watch

$3.4B health-care building boom under way in Colo.
There are some 50 health-care projects under construction in Colorado worth a total of $3.4 billion. The projects range from new patient towers, clinics and surgery centers to stand-alone emergency facilities. Among the larger projects is a $623 million energy-efficient hospital in Denver. KKCO-TV (Grand Junction, Colo.) (1/6)

Work advances on final segment of Ga.'s $500M Fall Line Freeway
The Georgia Department of Transportation has confirmed that the final nine-mile segment of the Fall Line Freeway will be finished by late 2015 after it authorized contracts for the project's completion. The four-lane, 215-mile freeway is a $500 million project that was started 24 years ago. It will connect the cities of Columbus, Macon and Augusta, Ga. Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus, Ga.) (1/6)

Timing is ripe for Keystone XL pipeline's approval
The timing is right for President Barack Obama to clear TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline as the U.S. continues to deal with high unemployment and a weak economy, according to the editorial board of Oil & Gas Journal. While there are environmental risks associated with the pipeline, its construction is expected to generate jobs and its operation is seen to strengthen energy security and the economies of both the U.S. and Canada. The benefits outweigh contentions against the project, the editorial board argues. Oil & Gas Journal (subscription required) (1/7)

Calif. rail project gets $135M grant from USDOT
The Hill/Transportation blog (1/7)

Trends & Technology

Slide show: 10 of the tallest broadcasting towers in the world
The slide show in this piece features 10 of the world's tallest freestanding towers. It includes Japan's 2,080-foot-tall Tokyo Skytree; China's 1,969-foot-tall 2 Canton Tower; and Canada's 1,815-foot-tall CN Tower. Each was built to enhance broadcast transmissions and most also have observation decks and restaurants. Engineering News-Record (1/2)

New material helps strengthen older buildings against quakes
A "glass fiber plastic fabric material" developed at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany could reinforce old buildings to make them resistant to earthquake damage. The material can be applied to external stone or brick walls and is expected to provide a cost-efficient and effective method to retrofit older buildings, said Moritz Urban, the product's co-developer. "Thanks to the reinforcement, collapsing of walls due to earthquakes can be delayed and, in the ideal case, be avoided completely," Urban added. Mashable/Geekosystem (1/7)

Sustainable Development

Oman builds one of world’s longest offshore artificial reefs
"The Wave, Muscat" in Oman is a luxury mixed-use development that covers about 640 acres. It is under construction and will have a 300-berth marina, yacht club, hotels, retail and restaurant outlets. But it needs protection from the ocean. Engineering firm WS Atkins created a man-made reef about 1.2 miles long to provide the protection. It is made of 20,000 Core-Locs and is built on a base of rock about 230 feet wide and 56 feet high. DesignBuildSource.com.au (Australia) (1/8)

Domed roof of N.Y. college stadium to help collect rainwater
A 10-foot-wide gutter rings the fabric roof of the Carrier Dome at Syracuse University in New York. It has three dozen drains that funnel about 13% of the stormwater runoff into four giant tanks suspended from the stadium's upper bleachers. The harvested water will be used to flush toilets in the stadium's restrooms. The school is also looking into using additional runoff for irrigation. The Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) (1/7)

Advancing the Profession

How to lead a team of your peers


	YouTube/JBaldoni52

It's hard enough leading your subordinates -- but leading a team of your peers is especially difficult, writes John Baldoni. Authenticity and passion are vital if you're to win over a peer group, Baldoni explains. "Leading those who can say 'no' to you is always a huge challenge, but if you can convince them by your actions and your enthusiasm, then they might believe in what you are doing," he writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (1/4)

News from ASCE

Your great photo of a bridge can win in ASCE's new contest

ASCE’s Bridges Photo Contest is a great new way to celebrate the important role of bridges in our communities -- with members' winning contributions as the stars. Submit your striking original photos of bridges, taken in the U.S. or abroad, that highlight design and engineering achievements of civil engineers, for consideration. ASCE will recognize 13 winners and 25 finalists in a variety of categories, including one just for student chapter members. Winning photos are eligible for inclusion in ASCE’s 2014 Bridges Calendar. If you love bridges, we want your photos! Find out how to win at www.ascebridgephotos.org.

Civil Engineering online exclusive: European Climate Already Changing, Study Finds

The European Environment Agency releases a report noting a variety of climate changes in progress across the diverse continent. Delve into their findings, then discover more fascinating articles at www.asce.org/cemagazine.