Should Fast Track be Derailed?
Engineers, architects and owners believe that fast track construction is a great idea when it works, but serious problems can arise. Some engineers feel that the owner reaps all the benefits...
Subsiding Problems with Slurry Walls
Slurry walls for excavation support cost far more time and money than the sheeting wall or the tieback and lagging wall. Criteria to decide where to consider using slurry walls and where...
Damage Statistics of the September 19, 1985 Earthquake
Grupo ICA has participated in all stages of the actions and analysis of the effects of this quake aimed at taking advantage of this disastrous experience and has prepared a complete study...
Observations on Structural Pounding
In over 40% of the collapsed or severely damaged buildings in Mexico City, pounding of adjacent buildings occurred, and in at least 15% was the primary cause of collapse. The main objectives...
Effects on Infrastructure
Effects on the transportation and communications infrastructure due to the earthquakes of September 19 and 20 are described and analyzed. It can be concluded that these effects were actually...
Seismic Rehabilitation: Why, When and How
Common methods of seismic rehabilitation are: repair of cracks, reconstruction of structural elements, addition of stiffening elements, and addition of dampers. A major consideration is...
Emergency Regulations and the New Building Code
The 1942 Federal District Building Code was crude and overoptimistic. The 1957 earthquake prompted the drafting of emergency regulations, modern and more realistic. They evolved into the...
The Impact of the Construction of Public Works by the Earthquakes of September 1985
The earthquake of September 19th and 20th, 1985, is discussed with emphasis on general damage. The works of the Head Office of Urban Services is described in relation to emergency response....
Courting Public Opinion
Promoting good community relations is an integral part of hazardous waste projects. Before field investigations are conducted, neighboring communities should be advised of the proposed...
Managing Dioxin
Dioxins, among the most toxic compounds known to man, are by-products from production of other chemical products. There are currently about 5000 metric tons of dioxin-containing wastes...
A Flood in the Desert
Since 1982 the Great Salt Lake has risen from an elevation of 4,200 ft above mean sea level to a historic high of 4,211.85 ft in June 1986. The sharp rise in the lake has caused considerable...
Crossing A Freeway
The Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle is being constructed on air rights spanning Interstate-5, adjacent to the seven acre Freeway Park that also spans the highway....
The Problem with Public Works
This article discusses the reasons that public projects take longer to complete than private projects do. Unencumbered by the laws, regulations and political conflicts that slow public...
Taking Water to Market
If the West is to enjoy continued population growth and economic development, huge volumes of water must be switched from farming to municipal uses. A free market in water will encourage...
High Capacity Multi-Helix Screw Anchors for Transmission Line Foundations
Three case history summaries are presented which discuss the siting, design, and construction of towers supported on multi-helix screw anchor foundations in the Virginia Power service...
Drilled Piers in the Piedmont?Minimizing Contractor-Engineer-Owner Conflicts
Drilled piers are used extensively in the Piedmont Physiographic Region, deriving support primarily from end-bearing on hard rock. Cost extras and contractor-engineer-owner conflicts are...
Some Problems in the Engineering of Ground Water Cleanup
The problems facing engineers, often civil engineers, in addressing ground water contamination are both exotic and mundane, but all are critical to success. The paper provides a brief...
Best Management Practices for Point and Nonpoint Sources of Groundwater Contamination
Management strategies have included regulations to guide or limit development in aquifer recharge areas and in the capture zones of public wellfields, engineering requirements to minimize...
The Delineation and Management of Wellhead Protection Areas
The delineation and protection of a management zone around specific wells or wellfields will undoubtedly become more common as the 1986 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act are implemented...
Emergency Response
A spill normally has five phases; namely, the initial emergency response, the site assessment, the development of a remedial action plan, the implementation of the remedial action plan,...
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