Is It Ethical to Profit from a Natural or Man-made Disaster?
When a natural disaster occurs, should engineers charge their usual fees? The winner of the Daniel W. Mead Prize for Younger Members addresses some ethical aspects of this question using...
Probing the Port of Los Angeles
Geotechnical investigations can uncover nasty surprises. When conducted after the preliminary design, the results can force significant and costly changes or�even worse�lengthy delays....
Sludge Under Pressure
Few wastewater engineers ever have to deal with high-pressure pumping. In San Diego, however, city engineers will soon oversee a 100,000 ft long psi main that will transport sewage sludge...
Questioning Composites
Steel, concrete and timber are, of course, the most commonly used construction materials. Composites, or fiber reinforced plastics, have been used in specialty applications in construction...
New Way Out
An obsolete and hazardous ventilation/emergency-exit shaft on the banks of the Hudson River has been replaced with a deep, dual-shaft system that connects to a 100-year-old train tunnel...
Meshing Computer Technologies
A growing number of clients, especially state DOTs, are requesting computer-aided design (CAD) documents in a specified format, leaving consulting firms to wonder how many different CAD...
Small Dam Rehabs
The nation's 95,000 small dams face many of the same problems as the rest of its infrastructure, but with less money available for repair. In response, the owners of small...
Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures (ACI 530-92/ ASCE 5-92/TMS 402-92); Specifications for Masonry Structures (ACI 530.1-92/ ASCE 6-92/TMS 602-92); Commentary on Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures (ACI 530-92/ ASCE 5-92/TMS 402-92); Commentary on Specifications for Masonry Structures (ACI 530.1-92/ ASCE 6-92/TMS 602-92)
Copublished with American Concrete Institute (ACI) and The Masonry Society (TMS)
Specifications for Masonry Structures (ACI 530.1-92/ ASCE 6-92/TMS 602-92)
Specifications for Masonry Structures (ACE 530.1-92/ASCE 6-92/TMS 602-92) is a joint effort of the American Concrete Institute, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and The Masonry...
Deliverance
Through the years, the low-bid has been the traditional contracting method for American public sector construction. Increasingly, a number of government agencies are experimenting with...
Cable-Stayed Convention Center
Big convention center brings big money. For that reason, officials in Kansas City, Mo. hoped to double the size of the Bartle Hall Convention Center. Little available land, however, surrounded...
Machine-Friendly Facility
Cargo facility automation makes more efficient use of space, reduces labor and speeds operations. These are critical factors at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport�currently...
Seismic Retrofitting: Spending to Save
Seismic retrofitting work is most often concerned with saving lives. But in cases of infrastructure, or historic structures, saving the structure, and making sure that it can operate after...
Fast-Track Stadium
The project team selected to design and construct Egypt's cable-supported Cairo Stadium Indoor Sports Complex in late 1989 faced a hard-and-fast deadline. Just 18 months later,...
The French Composite: A Bridge for Normandy
Aside from its record breaking 856 m span, the most important fact about France's 2,141 m Pont de Normandie�the Normandy Bridge�is that it is being built at all. The bridge...
Taming the Urban Underground
When designing and installing excavation support systems at a city construction site, be prepared to deal with the urban jungle. Tunnels and utility cables and pipes clog the underground,...
Recycling on the Mississippi
Changes in the Mississippi River's water depth and alignment are forcing the retirement of the 105-year-old Hannibal, Mo. swing bridge. Although the bridge's...
Masonry Carries the Load
Engineers frequently have preconceived notions about building materials. Masonry, for example, is commonly selected by architects for its color and texture, rather than by engineers for...
Spotting Specs Offenders
About 80% of all specification related litigation is brought about by three different personality types all too common to construction projects. The problem is specifications abuse, when...
Design of Shotcrete Support from the Rock Mechanical Viewpoint
When designing tunnel support the key question is to determine the loading conditions resulting from the deformation of the rock mass during and after excavation. Principle views are given...
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