Don't Look Up, Look Down
In response to the rising cost of energy, the designers of the Terraset Elementary School, Reston, Va., buried it under 2-3 ft of earth. The resulting high thermal mass allows the building...
A Report From the Executive Director: Society Dues to Rise Next Year
The Board of Direction at its spring meeting in Dallas, Tex., voted to increase dues in all member grades, to be effective January 1, 1978. Dues will then be as follows: Fellows, $70;...
Computer Slashes Time and Cost of Structural Design
An existing computer program for designing floor framing was modified to simplify usage. A preprocessor program was written to reduce the amount and complexity of the input data. A description...
Jane Jacobs: Urban Planning Heretic
The impact of Jane Jacobs' book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, published in 1961, is assessed and, to some extent, contrasted with the more tangible legacy of...
Robert Byrne Portrays the Civil Engineer as the Hero
Editor, humorist, novelist, and pool player all combine to describe ASCE member Robert Byrne. With three books already to his credit, this multi-talented civil engineer has recently published...
Reviving the Septic Tank
Although collection and secondary treatment systems serve most U.S. Metropolitan areas, approximately 25% of the population still depends on individual sewage waste disposal systems. Estimates...
Guide for Surveying Visitors on ECPD/EE&AC Accreditation Teams
This
1977 International Air Transportation Conference
Proceedings of the Air Transportation Division Specialty Conference held in Capitol Hilton, Washington, D.C., April 4-6, 1977. Sponsored by the Air Transportation Division of the American...
Urban freeways-salvation of cities or their death?
When the freeway building boom began 25 years ago, these high-speed urban arteries were labeled the salvation of the cities, which were hurting because of the exodus to the suburbs. Then...
Technical pioneering by design-construct firms
U.S. industry leads the world, in good part because of our engineering creativity. Key partners in U.S. industrial innovation are design/construct firms that build many or most U.S. industrial...
Is There Anything to �Encounter Groups'�
Group therapy in some cases is working for Weight Watchers, Alcoholics Anonymous, drug addicts, couples whose marriages are in trouble. Here are brief case histories of some of these....
New Jack-Up Drill Rig Extends Their Range Into 375-Ft Water Depth
A new design of jack-up drill now building for the Gulf of Mexico extends from 250 ft to 375 ft, the depth of water in which they operate. Until now what limited their depth was their...
New Orleans Grows on Deep Piles
In the New Orleans area, tall buildings must be supported by piles extending at least into the preconsolidated clays at -150-ft (-46-m) or so. Settlement is much too severe and uneven...
Can a Computer Reduce Your Spec Writing Costs�
The most important factors in evaluating use of a computer to write specifications are: the frequency with which a spec section is repeated; and the changes needed to go from master spec...
Albany South Mall: Largest State Government Complex
Among the nominees for the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award of 1976, the Albany Mall, consisting of 12 major structures, is here described with many photos and sketches....
California Coastal Commission Accepts Advice from ASCE on Earthquake Design Controversy
A case history is described of an ASCE section (San Francisco) causing a public agency to change its position with respect to earthquake design criteria. The California Central Regional...
Birth of the Skyscraper
Before invention of the elevator, six stories was the practical limit to the height of a commercial building. Following the Chicago fire of 1871, building designers there were quick to...
Empire State: Greatest of All Skyscrapers
The Empire State Building! That major name instantly brings to mind Manhattan's intoxicating skyline, a skyline this greatest of all skyscrapers has dominated for 45 years....
Job-Site Innovations Slash Time, Cost of Constructing Canada's Tallest Skyscraper
In Building Canada's tallest office building, the 72-story First Bank Tower in Toronto, owner-developer Olympia & York introduced several job site innovations that...
Structural Failures and How to Prevent Them
Reducing failures of buildings and other structures requires compentent design; clear communication of that design to the contractor by means of engineering drawings, etc.; careful and...
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