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- National HSR blueprint to cost $500B, says LaHood
The U.S. High Speed Rail Association recently unveiled a proposed map for a 17,000-mile nationwide high-speed rail system. The four-stage project, which would cost about $500 billion to build, could connect 80% of the country's population within a 25-year period, said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The project would "revitalize our economy, reactivate our manufacturing sector, create millions of jobs, end our oil dependency, reduce congestion, and cut our carbon footprint by epic proportions," according to USHSR. International Business Times
(2/6)     
| Infrastructure Watch | | |
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- Video of NYC's 3 giant transit expansion projects
 This piece provides updates on three of the biggest transit projects in New York City: the East Side Access project, the Second Avenue Subway project and the No. 7 subway line extension. The projects together are worth about $15 billion and could be completed in 2019. "These are vital projects, and they'll reinforce the infrastructure of the city," says Mitchell Moss, director of the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management at New York University. KOMO-TV/KOMO-AM (Seattle)/The Associated Press
(2/7)
- 3 teams shortlisted for $330M Cleveland bridge project
Three teams are in the running to design, build and finance the approximately $330 million eastbound Interstate 90 Innerbelt Bridge in Cleveland. The Ohio Department of Transportation said it is considering: Kokosing Construction Co. with Michael Baker Jr. as designer; Walsh Construction with designer HDR Engineering; and Trumbull Corp., The Great Lakes Construction Co. and The Ruhlin Co. with designer URS Corporation. This will be the first time in ODOT history to implement public-private partnership approach for a transportation project. The Journal of Commerce
(2/7)
- House Republicans make case for Keystone XL approval
A group of House Republicans called on President Barack Obama to green-light TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline. "Our economy can no longer be put on hold while the bureaucratic process you set in motion jeopardizes this critical project. You can guarantee Americans the jobs they deserve, and prevent our national security from being undermined, with a simple stroke of the pen," the lawmakers said. The Hill/E2 Wire blog
(2/7)
| Trends & Technology | | |
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- Design of L.A.’s new $1B skyscraper unveiled
Korean Airlines has unveiled the design for a
73-story $1 billion hotel and office tower to be constructed in downtown Los Angeles. The building will include a "sky lobby" on the 70th floor and an infinity pool on the 73rd. There will be 900 guest rooms, 30 floors of offices and three ground-level floors for retail and restaurants. The glass-clad skyscraper is expected to be finished in 2017. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model)
(2/7)
- Engineers, scientists collaborate on design of underwater hotel
The planned Water Discus Underwater Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has been designed by Deep Ocean Technology with the help of a team of engineers and scientists from the Faculty of Ocean Engineering and Ship Technology in Poland with a background in designing underwater vehicles and equipment for seabed exploration. The hotel, which will be made up of two discs, one above the water and one below the surface, has a modular-based design that enables it to be expanded or even moved to a new location. DesignBuildSource.com.au (Australia)
(2/8)
| Sustainable Development | | |
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- Bioengineering tackles erosion
Biotechnical engineering is beginning to take the place of merely laying down concrete in some communities as they go about controlling erosion and addressing other environmental challenges. It's part of a change in strategy in flood control toward the idea that working with nature can prove more effective than working against it. Earth Island Journal online
(2/5)
| Advancing the Profession | | |
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- Planning and strategy aren't the same thing
Creating a "strategic plan" isn't the same thing as crafting a meaningful strategy, writes Roger Martin. A strategic plan is often simply a souped-up budget, while a strategy "is the making of an integrated set of choices that collectively position the firm in its industry so as to create sustainable advantage relative to competition," Martin argues. Harvard Business Review online/HBR Blog Network
(2/5)
| News from ASCE | | |
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Get ready for Geo-Congress 2013, coming in March to San Diego
Discover and learn the latest professional developments affecting geo-professionals at Geo-Congress 2013, March 3 to 6 in San Diego. Under the theme Stability and Performance of Slopes and Embankments, the Geo-Institute's annual conference is packed with short courses, technical sessions, three renowned award lectures, symposiums, technical and recreational tours, and much more. Come to San Diego, and if you book by Feb. 13, stay at the hotel hosting the Congress for a special rate. Register for Geo-Congress 2013.
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