Evaluation Findings
the Segmental Concrete Channel Bridge System
Prepared by the Highway Innovative Technology Evaluation Center, a CERF Service Center. This report presents the findings of a HITEC evaluation of...
An Irresistible Offer
An unusual case of public-private financing of part of a Florida beltway is described, in which developers along an unfinished section of the road paid for preliminary design that provided...
Rebound of the Bascule Bridge
A patented bascule bridge in Sheboygan, Wis. demonstrates design innovations that reduce the cost of bascule construction and minimize maintenance problems. The new $7.5 million South...
Chicago's Micropile Debut
On a tight, urban site around Chicago's historic Orchestra Hall, engineers used high-capacity micropiles as an alternative to hand-dug caissons. On a $104 million project...
Designs for Blast Protection (Available only in
The 1995 bombing of the Murrah building in Oklahoma City was the most deadly terrorist act in this country's history. What can engineers do to prevent such events in the future?...
All-Around Arenas (Available only in
Structural form and architectural function go hand-in-hand in the design of today's modern multipurpose arenas. The 19th century architect, Louis H. Sullivan, coined the phrase...
Tappan Zee Set for Inverset (Available only in
Replacing the deck on New York's Tappan Zee Bridge is a ticklish problem, considering that all of the work has to be done at night. A combination of isotropically reinforced...
Seismic Design Doubles Lateral Resistance (Available only in
A veterans hospital in Palo Alto, Calif. had to be built under severe design constraints. The seismic code for hospitals is among the most stringent of codes and this facility was sited...
Engineering Ethics
Recent revelations about the 1978 emergency retrofit of the Citicorp Center in New York City sparked an assessment of ethical dilemmas by the structural engineering community. In May 1995,...
Balancing on the Tides
Using a system of pivoting, barge-mounted towers, a Virginia contractor floated bridge segments into position 120 ft above the York River, reducing costs and cutting erection time by nearly...
Bare Bones Buildings
A new approach to fire engineering opens possibilities of designing buildings in which the structural skeleton is part of the architectural statement. Fire and corrosion requirements used...
Seeking Structural Solutions
A photo essay on the unique work of Santiago Calatrava, a Spanish-born engineer and architect whose bridges and buildings have attracted international attention for their unusual esthetics....
Pyramid Power
The pyramids of Giza in Egypt were built with limestone from nearby quarries, not concrete as some have theorized. The three main pyramids of Giza mark a highpoint of pyramid building...
Singapore Showcase
A new bridge in Singapore has a unique pylon design and no piers. The deck hangs from the pylon supported by three back stays. The 100 m overpass bridge was designed for the Singapore...
Alluring Approach
A new bridge over the White River in Columbus, Ind., is a unique, architecturally appealing cable-stay, concrete-and-steel structure. The bridge satisfies municipal officials'...
The Taller the Deeper (Available only in the Geo/Environmental Special Issue)
While debate rages on about which structure holds the title of the world's tallest building, there is no dispute over which building has the deepest foundation. At 130 m below...
Design of Sheet Pile Walls
Technical Engineering and Design Guides, as adapted from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, No. 15 From foundation exploration and testing procedures...
High Over Shanghai
In response to difficult design conditions, Shanghai's Jin Mao Tower's structural system harmoniously mixes building materials and strategically places them to...
Portland's Light Rail Goes Underground
A 29-km extension of Portland's first modern light rail system nears completion. The extension includes a 4.6 km twin-tunnel section and the deepest transit station in North...
Guidelines for Evaluating the Performance of Highway Sound Barriers
Prepared by the Highway Innovative Technology Evaluation Center, a CERF Service Center. This report presents the HITEC evaluation plan for U.S. Gypsum's...
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