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- Safety evaluation of failed bridge in Minneapolis continues
Inspectors from engineering firm Wiss Janney Elstner Associates continue monitoring the Martin Olav Sabo Bridge in Minneapolis. The pedestrian and bicycle bridge has been closed since Feb. 19, when an anchor plate failed and a suspension cable supporting the deck broke. They plan to install instruments such as accelerometers for vibration measurement and an anemometer to measure wind speed and direction on the bridge and use data from them to retrofit the failed plates and whatever else may be needed, said the city’s bridge engineer, Jack Yuzna. Finance and Commerce (Minneapolis)
(4/5)     
| Infrastructure Watch | | |
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- It's time to shift messaging strategies to "everyday Americans"
 The construction industry sees the highway bill and transportation projects as urgent issues that need to be addressed right now; but it's not a problem that registers with most of the public, Ryan Holeywell writes. "Obviously, we're not getting loud enough,” said Andrew Herrmann, president of the ASCE. "If we don't educate the public that we have a need, they won't contact legislators, and we won't get anything." Governing.com/FedWatch blog
(4/5)
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DOT: Projects seek $10.2B in TIGER grants, but only $500M available: The need for more investment in transportation infrastructure became more evident as requests for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grants reached $10.2 billion, surpassing the available budget of $500 million, according to the Transportation Department. "We simply cannot make the investments we need to build the nation we want without a long-term transportation plan, and it is up to Congress to pass such a plan," according to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The Journal of Commerce
(4/5)
- Port of Long Beach to undergo $1.2B redevelopment
The Port of Long Beach in California will undergo a $1.2 billion redevelopment that will combine two shipping terminals into a larger single terminal. Work will also consist of upgrading wharfs, expanding an on-dock rail yard and improving water access and storage areas. "The terminal is practically going to be all electric, and it's going to be the cleanest, greenest terminal ever constructed so far," said Christopher Lytle, the port's executive director. Press-Telegram (Long Beach, Calif.)
(4/6)
- PHMSA proposes new rules, stiffer fines for pipeline damage
Excavation is a primary cause of pipeline failure in the U.S. and "is the single greatest threat to the safety, reliability, and integrity of the natural gas distribution system," according to the Department of Transportation. The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposes to revise federal pipeline regulations to strengthen states' excavation damage-prevention programs and raise penalties for violators. Oil & Gas Journal
(4/2)
- Crane defects may have caused NYC accident
The crane that collapsed this week at the No. 7 subway line's construction site in New York City, killing a worker, had a number of defects in its hoisting system, city officials said. "Our engineers have found defects in the hoisting system of the crane that failed, and as a result, the maintenance and operation of the crane in the days and weeks prior to this tragic accident has become the focus of our investigation," Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri said. The Wall Street Journal
(4/5)
| Trends & Technology | | |
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- March employment numbers disappoint
Private sector employment increased by 121,000 in March, well below expectations. January employment numbers were revised down from 284,000 new jobs to only 275,000, and February's were revised up from 227,000 to 240,000. The construction sector lost 7,000 jobs in March. The unemployment rate ticked down slightly to 8.2%. The Wall Street Journal
(4/6), Bloomberg Businessweek
(4/6), TheStreet.com
(4/6)
| Sustainable Development | | |
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- TVA: Watts Bar 2 project to cost $4.5 billion
The Tennessee Valley Authority raised the estimated construction cost of a second reactor at its Watts Bar nuclear plant in Tennessee from $4 billion to $4.5 billion and adjusted its startup schedule for the reactor from 2012 to between September and December 2015. "Watts Bar Unit 2 remains a cost-effective solution for meeting the region's base load power needs with clean energy at a competitive rate," said Tom Kilgore, TVA's president and CEO. "We will see Watts Bar 2, the two reactors in Georgia and two in South Carolina come on line by 2020," said Mitch Singer, a spokesman for the Nuclear Energy Institute. Reuters
(4/5), Times Daily (Florence, Ala.)
(4/5)
| Advancing the Profession | | |
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- SDSU's program aids veterans transition to engineering careers
 Student veterans studying engineering at San Diego State University are placed into paid internships with local companies through the school's Troops to Engineers SERVICE program funded by the National Science Foundation. "There’s a good body of research that says if you can get a student into an internship it enhances their chances to get a follow-on job in their chosen career field," said Patricia Reily, a former Navy commander who heads the program. KPBS-TV/KPBS-FM (San Diego)
(4/5)
- The road to innovation is paved with lousy ideas
The best corporate innovators are those with a high tolerance for failure, Anne Fisher writes. "Trying to create something truly new means generating lots and lots of ideas, with the understanding that most of them are going to be flops," she adds. "Few businesses are prepared to tolerate, much less encourage, the inevitable failures." CNNMoney/Fortune
(4/4)
| News from ASCE | | |
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Civil Engineering online exclusive: Fluor, Jacobs Top Fortune's Most Admired Firms List
Now at asce.org/cemagazine: Several civil engineering firms ranked among the nation’s most admired engineering and construction firms in Fortune magazine’s prestigious 2012 list. Get the details today at the online Civil Engineering website with your member login.
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Listen to professor's "Insights" on the future of civil engineering
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Hear one of America's top civil engineering professors talk about the challenge of how the profession will be able to satisfy the growing demands and expectations of the public we serve. University of Wisconsin -- Madison Vice Provost for Lifelong Learning and Dean of Continuing Studies Jeffrey Russell, Ph.D., P.E., Dist.M.ASCE, is the latest subject to sit down for Insights, ASCE's long-running series of podcast interviews with leading civil engineers, sponsored by the Industry Leaders Council. Russell has served as professor and chair of Madison's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, focusing on construction management, innovative project delivery systems, and construction automation and robotics. One of Russell's goals has been to make engineering education more meaningful and more relevant. Listen to the Insights podcast now or download it to enjoy at your convenience. Also explore a deep archive of previous Insights podcasts.
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