U.S. Landmarks: Handle With Care
Landmarks are treated with kid gloves during restoration, but striking a balance between costs and aesthetics is difficult. In addition to structural integrity, original construction methods...
Seattle Swing
The swing bridge has long been out of favor in the U.S. because of the navigational hazard presented by mid-channel pivot piers. A consortium of engineers is updating the design to a state-of-the-art...
Upgrading Antique Sewers
In a $35 million, four-year program, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) completely restructed the pumping system serving the sewers under East Boston, Chelsea, Revere and...
Projects That Point
This is only a small sampling of what we can expect inthis decade. An $80 million kiln at Port Arthur, Tex., reportedly the largest of its kind in the U.S., handles bulk solids and sludges....
Designing in Circles
Round buildings are a popular�but sometimes expensively perceived�design choice. With careful engineering and planning, they can offer a creative, cost-competitive option. They add another...
Industry Faces the Parking Problem
Parking structures are deteriorating; no land is available for new facilities; and employees have no other options for parking. The situation is a serious one, verging on disaster for...
The Invisible Engineer
For all their contributions to society, engineers have worked largely behind the scenes, seldom remembered in the dedication ceremonies of bridges and tunnels and skyscrapers. Several...
Taming Structural Vibrations
Vibration is a common problem in buildings that contain large spaces and long spans, especially gymnasiums and dance studios. Research shows that people respond more adversely to continuous...
Replacing an Urban Foundation
Baltimore's new subway extension will pass close to a 6-story reinforced concrete building near the Inner Harbor. Its timber piling foundation was threatened by the dewatering...
Aussie Steel
The 50-story Chifley Square Building being built in Sydney will be the tallest Australian steel building. Scheduled for completion in June 1992 at a cost of $310 million, it will house...
Quality in the Constructed Project
a Guide for Owners, Designers and Constructors
This final version of the
Natural Periods of Buildings
Originally published in: Journal of the Engineering Mechanics Division, ASCE, EM4, August 1963, pp. 31-65...
Water Jets Fight Silt
In the largest U.S. application to date, an array of hydraulic jets is being used to scour a ship berth at the Port of Grays Harbor on the coast of Washington. The system has been in place...
Building Moon Bases
It is widely accepted that the U.S. will begin to build a base on the moon at the turn of the century, and much of the design work has already been done. Based on papers presented at Space...
Building in Reservoirs
The Croton Supply System, one of the three major water supply systems for New York City, is undergoing extensive rehabilitation. In an innovative use of space, some of the new construction...
Diatomaceous Soils: A New Approach
Diatomaceous soils are formed over long periods of time when the skeletal remains of plankton and other single-celled marine creatures sink and accumulate in lakes, estuaries and oceans....
New Piers for an Old Bridge
Placing new piers under an old superstructure has saved the architecture of the historic Ashley River Bridge in Charleston, S.C. In July 1987, an inspection indicated deterioration and...
The Pros and Cons of Public Education
Today, engineers work for a public that has lost faith in the government's ability to spend money efficiently and to contain pollutants effectively. Many engineers now see...
Avoiding Transportation Future Shock
Seattle, Washington's regional government planning group, called METRO, has undertaken a future scenarios approach to transportation planning. Working with an outside panel...
Financing Urban Transportation
New ways to finance urban transportation are needed. User fees are discussed, but in many cases users of urban transportation are the poor, including the elderly poor, who cannot afford...
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