$70 Million for Dam Inspection
In 1972, Congress passed the National Dam Inspection Act, requiring the U.S. Corps of Engineers to inspect and inventory all dams in the United States; but few dams were inspected. Then...
Major Cause of Earthquake Damage is Ground Failure
Ground failure is one of the most destructive effects of large earthquakes. For example, about 60% of the damage during the 1964 Alaska earthquake was a consequence of ground failure....
Stadium Seats Slide on Water
In Denver, a unique 21,000 seat, 9-million pound movable stand is used to convert the Denver Mile High Stadium from baseball to football or soccer. The stands are lifted and move on 163-forty...
Germany, Belgium and Los Angeles have Mandatory Design Review for Major Structures
The report of the engineering investigation into the causes of the collapse of the Hartford Coliseum space truss cited design deficiencies as the cause of failure. That report also says...
Transportation & Energy
Proceedings of the Urban Transportation Division Specialty Conference, held in the Rosslyn Ramada Inn, Washington, D.C., May 22-24, 1978. Sponsored by the Urban Transportation Division...
Vibroreplacement and Reinforced Earth Unite to Strengthen a Weak Foundation
Two relatively new engineering concepts in the U.S. were successfully used to solve a difficult soils problem. A highway skirting Idaho's Lake Pend Oreille was built on a...
Terrain Analysis for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline
Airphoto interpretation and field reconnaissance were combined with a computer-based data bank to evaluate the diverse terrain conditions along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline because acquisition...
The Field Engineer: Political and Legal Scapegoat�
The publicly-employed engineer can be in a vulnerable legal position. A case history is described in which a field engineer was indicted on criminal charges after a bridge collapse (during...
Teton Dam Failure
In June 1976, Teton Dam in Idaho failed. It was an earthfill dam 305 ft high. It failed by piping through the impermeable core of the dam. Among factors believed contributing to failure:...
Can Trench Cave-In Deaths Be Cut�
About 100 construction workers die each year in trench cave-ins. That toll can be cut, two engineer-researchers conclude. Approach would be to make more-adequate geotechnical analysis...
Why Do Bridges Fail�
From the study of 143 bridge failures that occurred throughout the world from 1847 to 1975, it is found that there are nine categories of failure. The most frequent of these is failure...
The Evaluation of Dam Safety
Proceedings of the Engineering Foundation Conference on the Evaluation of Dam Safety, held in the Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, California, November 28 December 3, 1976....
Guide for Collection, Analysis and Use of Urban Stormwater Data
Proceedings of the Collection, Analysis, and Use of Urban Stormwater Data Conference held at Tidewater Inn, Easton, Maryland, November 28 December 3, 1976. Sponsored by the Engineering...
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...
Experts Critique the Olympic Structures of Montreal
At a panel discussion held recently in Montreal, a number of prominent architects and engineers critiqued the Montreal Olympic structures. Unlike some previous press reports, the blame...
Structural Analysis and Design of Nuclear Plant Facilities
Draft Trial Use and Comment
This Manual of Engineering Practice in
Structural Analysis and Design of Nuclear Plant Facilities
Draft Trial Use and Comment (Supplement)
Methods of Structural Analysis
Proceedings of the National Structural Engineering Conference, Methods of Structural Analysis, an ASCE Structural Division Specialty Conference held at the University of Wisconsin, Madison,...
Structural Design of Nuclear Plant Facilities
Proceedings of the Second ASCE Specialty Conference on Structural Design of Nuclear Plant Facilities, held in New Orleans, Louisiana, December 8-10, 1975. Sponsored by the American Society...
Designing More Reliable Waste Treatment Plants
In the past, many municipal waste treatment plants have not operated reliably. A 1969 Federal Water Pollution Control Administration Study, for instance, showed that 25% of 1500 plants...
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