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- More cities build slender skyscrapers
When it comes to skyscrapers, thin is in, and cities around the world are adding the skinny structures to their skylines. Advances in structural design and construction materials have made possible these slim new buildings, many of which fetch high prices. "If you can build more slender and higher, you can get more units with good views -- and height is valued," said Jon Stovell, a developer in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Wall Street Journal
(11/15)     
| Infrastructure Watch | | |
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- NYC's $15B Hudson Yards project to begin in December
The $15 billion, 26-acre Hudson Yards project in New York City is set to break ground this year after numerous delays, according to a source at The Related Companies, which is co-developing the project. Excavation work will begin in the first week of December for the site's first office building, a $1 billion, 46-story glass tower that will have the luxury brand Coach as its anchor tenant. The project is expected to take at least a decade to complete. ArchitecturalRecord.com
(11/14)
- Kansas to invest $1.1B for road projects over 2 years
Kansas will spend a total of $1.1 billion to improve 1,600 miles of its highways and replace or fix 209 bridges. The work is is slated for the 2013-2014 fiscal years. The state's list of 435 construction projects includes expansion of the Kellogg freeway in Wichita. "This is a wise use of precious dollars, and in this weak but recovering economy, we’ve made the decision to put Kansas on the road to growth," said Transportation Secretary Mike King. The Topeka Capital-Journal (Kan.)
(11/14), The Wichita Eagle (Kan.)
(11/14)
- Walsh Construction submits winning bid for Ohio River bridge project
Kentucky has named Walsh Construction the preliminary winner for a contract to build a bridge across the Ohio River from downtown Louisville to Indiana and reconstruct Spaghetti Junction. "We’re happy to be the winner and looking forward to getting started and can’t wait to build the bridge for the people of Louisville," said Walsh project manager Arik Quam. Walsh's bid was the second lowest and promised the earliest completion date. The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.)
(11/15)
| Trends & Technology | | |
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- Vancouver, B.C., paves roads with recycled plastics
Vancouver, British Columbia, has developed a warm-mix paving process that converts recycled plastics such as milk jugs and yogurt containers into asphalt. The warm-mix asphalt is expected to help the city reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 20%. "Safety-wise for the workers, it’s a lot better -- and they’re finding added benefits in terms of longer life of the pavement as well, because you’re not heating the material quite as much," said Todd Strynadka of Terus Construction. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (tiered subscription model)
(11/15)
| Sustainable Development | | |
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- Opinion: Why green building isn't just about efficiency
The push to make buildings more efficient has produced structures that feel "oddly inhuman," Hao Ko writes. This is starting to change, however, as developers aim to design buildings that engage the people that live and work in them. "This new generation of tall buildings proves that skyscrapers are not inherently cold and austere. In fact, they can offer an experience of the natural environment within cities that we just couldn’t access without them," Ko writes. FastCoExist
(11/15)
- Poll: Green building expected to expand in global market by 2015
Green building is expected to have a larger global presence by 2015, according to a survey by McGraw-Hill Construction on members of the Green Building Council in 62 countries. More than half of the respondents expect green projects to comprise 60% of their work by 2015. The green-building demand is likely to grow because of its benefits for business, the study found. BusinessGreen (U.K.)
(11/15)
| Advancing the Profession | | |
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- The myths of modern leadership
People used to think the right and ability to lead were conferred by the gods -- and a number of similar myths still plague the modern workforce, writes Brian Evje. The concepts that leaders are born rather than made and that leaders should be fearless and infallible are among the damaging misconceptions about the nature of 21st-century leadership, Evje writes. Inc. online (free registration)
(11/14)
| News from ASCE | | |
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Learn to manage and deliver sustainable projects in new seminar Dec. 11-12
Becoming vital to design and practice, sustainability is a new way of thinking for many engineers and their clients. Sustainable development strikes a balance among economic, environmental, and social benefits, now and for the future. Greater adoption of sustainability creates challenges and opportunities for engineers worldwide as industries and governments implement such practices. ASCE’s new seminar, Sustainable Project Management – Delivering Projects for a More Sustainable Infrastructure, will examine what is required of the modern engineer and project manager to deliver sustainable projects successfully. You will learn the difference between traditional and sustainable project management and be able to manage and lead a project in a way that successfully incorporates sustainability principles, while meeting project owner requirements. The seminar will take place Dec. 11-12, at ASCE headquarters in Reston, Va. For more details and to register, go to the seminar page.
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Civil Engineering online exclusive: Chicago Rebuilds Streets Greener and Leaner
The Chicago Department of Transportation is upgrading two rundown street sections by rebuilding them with recycled materials, permeable pavers, bioswales, drought-tolerant streetscaping, and sustainable storm-water runoff solutions. Check out the innovations, then discover more fascinating articles at www.asce.org/cemagazine.
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