GIS Goes Public
The term Geographic Information Systems (GIS) covers a wide range of computerized mapping and database activities that vary between governments and even between agencies of the same governmental...
Assessing the West
Analyzing the geography, geology, flora and infrastructure in eight western states is a massive geotechnical project being undertaken for the military. More than 190,000 square miles have...
Affordable CADD
In the past few years many civil engineers have become aware of the advantages of CADD systems. However, CADD systems were originally prohibitively expensive for all but the largest offices....
New Roads for the Micro
Using microcomputers loaded with database software and Fortran programming, engineers are gaining control of pavement maintenance. A number of factors, from urban sprawl to constricting...
Instant Landmark
The 42 story curved glass facade of an $80 million structure at 17 State St. is destined to appear on the New York City postcards that show the tip of Manhattan Island. The site offers...
Support the Complex
A computerized decision support system (DSS) can help manage the uncertainties of a complex construction project. A construction DSS consists of two interlocking parts. First, it is a...
Databasics
Databases can replace both manual methods and specific software packages written for a variety of tasks in the engineering office. The flexibility of a database makes it more useful than...
Keeping Tabs on CADD
In 1983 Howard Needles Tammen and Bergendoff (HNTB) began to implement a CADD system. Fostering the independence of individual offices while maintaining the company wide standards and...
Getting Personal with Personal Computers
Personal computers can make an engineer's job easier but only if he or she understands something about how they work. New developments in hardward and software can make this...
Storing Drawings on Optical Disks
Optical storage of drawings and maps on compact disks provides better long-term protection and accessibility than with hard-copy documents, and at much lower cost than computerized systems....
Transit Triumph
The 1988 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement is Boston's Southwest Corridor, chosen not only for its size, complexity and technology, but for its environmental, public...
A New Lake and a Beautiful Bridge
The two 1988 OCEA awards of merit are the Great Salt Lake west desert pumping project and the Sunshine Skyway near Tampa, FL. Both projects were constructed fairly quickly. The pumping...
Hong Kong Races Toward 1997
A summary of a May 1988 visit to the Third International Tall Buildings Conference in Hong Kong is presented, including excerpts from presentations on current Hong Kong construction projects...
Retrofitting for a New Life in Power
Despite continued growth in energy demands, electric utilities in the U.S. aren't building many new powerplants these days, due to the economic and regulatory roadblocks they...
Burning Coal's Waste
Culm is the waste coal and shale left behind in mountain-size piles when anthracite mining ceased in northeastern Pennsylvania. Owners of a cogeneration plant now under construction near...
Air Power Boosts Utility Energy Supplies
Based in part on successful findings of tests, in which compressed air was stored in underground aquifers, Central Illinois Public Service engineers are investigating a type of pumped...
Waste Processing: Makes Good Energy
Materials separation in solid wastes streams will generate more BTU's at waste-to-energy facilities. The removal of noncombustibles like bottles, batteries and refrigerators...
Life-Safety, Key to Seismic Evaluation
Most buildings in the U.S. don't meet modern standards for withstanding potential damage from possible earthquakes, and existing buildings present one of the greatest risks...
Putting a Lid on Liability
In the face of the recent landslide of claims and litigation, limiting your firm's liability sounds impossible. But there are ways to protect yourself, from selling quality,...
Ten Top Projects for 1988
The other Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement nominees make up an impressive collection of projects. They are notable for innovative management techniques, state-of-the-art engineering...
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