Friday marks the 85th anniversary of the of final concrete placement for the Hoover Dam. Workers had to place approximately 160,000 cubic yards of concrete per month over a four-year period to form 215 blocks put into columns.

The Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to launch a six-month pilot project with Cincinnati, Ohio, that will use wastewater testing to better understand the spread of the coronavirus and potentially inform public health decision making. The EPA is taking into consideration the need for consistent testing methods, the virus' life span in wastewater and what role stormwater and industrial waste may play in dilution.

House Democrats are calling on Senate Republicans to take up a $3 trillion stimulus bill, which includes billions for highways, transit and supply chain infrastructure. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., says there is also bipartisan support for a long-term bill to upgrade roads and transit systems to generate jobs and create greater national resiliency.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the Trump administration's bid to restore an Army Corps of Engineers water crossing permitting program for oil and natural gas pipelines. The decision could hinder more than 70 projects, including the Keystone XL pipeline, and could cost companies as much as $2 billion, said Paul Afonso, the American Petroleum Institute's chief legal officer.

Twelve repair and rehabilitation projects in nine states will receive $302 million from the Federal Railroad Administration. The grants come under the Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair Program and can be applied broadly to track, switches, bridges, stations, crossings and equipment.

Citing bid time constraints, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is ready to give up on a plan to keep rail construction on track amid the coronavirus pandemic. Shimmick Traylor Granite is building an extension to Middle Street, but the proposal would have added 1,760 feet of track to Kalihi at a cost of as much as $100 million.

The US General Services Administration has set June 1 as the start date for $137.2 million worth of modernization and expansion at the Otay Mesa port of entry in San Diego. The project will add six truck inspection booths and other facilities and expand lanes from six to 12.

Contractors have new options using Autodesk's BIM 360 with integration of the Matterport Capture app. Users will be able to go to the BIM 360 dashboard to access Matterport scans and digital twins to carry out virtual measurements and confirm design changes.

University of Colorado researchers have discovered that adding polyethylene glycol-graft-polyvinyl alcohol molecules with anti-freezing abilities to concrete can minimize freeze-thaw damage. The researchers discovered that adding molecules that mimic antifreeze compounds found in Arctic and Antarctic organisms can stunt ice crystal growth and increase the durability of concrete.

Concrete pontoon houses called Modular Water Dwellings have been designed by British architecture studio Grimshaw and Dutch manufacturer Concrete Valley to combat the risk of living in an area where climate change could lead to rising sea levels. The floating pontoons filled with air would be cheaper to build than houses with foundations due to the use of prefabricated concrete.

ASCE's Future World Vision initiative helps civil engineers anticipate extreme events like a pandemic as they design the smart and resilient infrastructure of the decades ahead. Join a virtual discussion led by the project's creators on the future of the "mega city," set for Tuesday, June 2 at 2 p.m. EDT / 11 a.m. PDT. Register today.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also dealt a blow to the infrastructure systems we depend on. Help ASCE call on Congress to provide emergency relief to state transportation departments, transit agencies and water utilities, all hit with drastically reduced revenues and other costs associated with combating COVID-19. ASCE's click-and-connect tool makes it easy to email your elected officials. Take action now!