Productivity in Civil Engineering and Construction
According to one analysis, United States construction productivity has been declining for the last ten years. The percent of construction dollar volume going to research and development...
Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings: The Story Behind Their Rapid Growth
In 1964, pre-engineered metal buildings accounted for 24% of new non-residential, low-rise construction. By 1981, that figure had jumped to 56%. Behind that rapid growth are some very...
Better Trained Construction Supers Would Boost Productivity
Everyone complains about poor productivity in construction. One way to improve it, says a recent Business Roundtable report, is to provide better training of first and second level supervisors....
Ports 83
The Ports '83 Specialty Conference, whose theme is Modernization, Upgrading and Repairs, covers considerations in port operations, design and construction due to obsolescence...
U.S. Bridges: The Bias Towards Mediocrity
This article contends that in this century the United States has lost its leadership in bridge design and explores reasons why this came to be. Comparative examples of various bridge types...
Underground
The Civil and Mineral Engineering Building at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis was designed with careful attention to the environment. In the years ahead, this building will...
EPCOT
EPCOT Center, perhaps the most elaborate and futuristic entertainment attraction in the world, is also a major achievement in such civil engineering-related disciplines as geotechnical,...
Oil Platform
The Cerveza offshore drilling platform demonstrates that a single-piece platform base for deep water is technically feasible and economically practical. The template-type fixed platform...
Bridge
Seven Mile Bridge is the longest, continuous precast post-tensioned segmental concrete bridge in the world. In addition to its function as a main artery connecting the Florida mainland...
Highway Projects -- Can They Be Done in Half the Time?
Delays in highway construction projects result from time-consuming federal and state review procedures, public opposition and funding restrictions. The majority of delays in highway projects...
Union Construction is Fighting Back
To meet the threat of open-shop construction, union labor and contractors in several cities around the nation are working together in joint labor-management committees to improve the productivity...
Design of Prefabricated Offshore Structures for Ice Forces
The design of fixed offshore structures to resist forces from sea ice features is reviewed. The emphasis is on prefabricated structures constructed elsewhere, towed to location and installed,...
Liability in Construction Management
The concept of professional construction management has emerged and developed over the past decade in response to pressures for faster and more economical project completions. This has...
Improving Productivity
The papers presented in this publication discuss the different levels within an organization for improving productivity. The three main areas covered include: (1) Tracking and controlling...
In Search of Ancient Engineers
Many examples of pre-Columbian civil works have been uncovered in North and South America. Some reflect well-organized technologies comparable to those of the Old World of the same time...
Nondestructive Testing Cuts Runway Rehab Costs
Nondestructive testing of an asphalt overlay of a crosswind runway at Kansas City International Airport not only reduced construction costs and runway downtime, but proved that only the...
Record Concrete Box Girder Spans Houston Ship Channel
The Houston Ship Channel Bridge is an American advancement of the cast in place, post-tensioned, segmentally constructed, concrete box girder design. In spite of the complex and unique...
Dirt and Steam
Mechanization came late to the construction industry, and it was not until the middle of the nineteenth century that power earth moving machinery began to be used. Steam powered floating...
Overview: Introduction to Cold Region Construction
Speaking of cold region construction, it is natural to think only of the arctic, however, this is completely erroneous. Throughout North America there are various types of cold region...
Preparation of Equipment for Cold Regions
An overview of equipment required to support arctic construction is presented. Special features which have been incorporated into standard equipment designs are explained. Also presented...
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