Afloat on the China Sea
In the summer of 1982, the Science and Technology Commission of the People's Republic of China invited four United States tunnel experts to come to China to engage in technical...
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...
Recent Developments in Pavement Skid Resistance
As pavements wear, they lose some of their skid resistance. This article discusses some of the leading options for restoring a pavement's skid resistance. The possibilities...
Superplasticized Concrete Takes Off in Dallas
Some engineers are calling superplasticized concrete the most important advance in concrete technology in over three decades. Over the past four years superplasticized concrete has begun...
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,...
Restoration
After the San Fernando earthquake of 1971, California's State Capitol Building was declared an earthquake hazard and vacated. It took the most extensive structural and architectural...
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...
West Coast High-Rise Condo Opts for Ductile Concrete Frame
In the past, the vast majority of high-rise buildings constructed in earthquake prone areas of the West Coast have employed a steel frame. However, recent advances have made it feasible...
Innovations Cut Costs of a Power Plant's Water System
A two-unit (660 MW each) coal-fired power plant in St. Clair, MI, requires 660,000 gallons of water for condenser cooling. A once through cooling system from the St. Clair River (one mile...
Georgia's Low-Cost Approach to Rehabilitating Concrete Pavements
A six step approach to rehabilitating concrete pavements is described. The six steps are: (1) Slab stabilization; (2) slab replacement, where necessary; (3) repair of spalls; (4) resawing...
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...
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