Most Clicked ASCE SmartBrief Stories
1. Bridge eyebars raise serious safety questions, experts say
ASCE SmartBrief | Nov 17, 2009
Eyebars are in place in bridges all over California, despite their inherent structural flaws, engineers say. A cracked eyebar recently led to a serious accident on the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Under federal law, bridges designed with eyebars must be inspected every two years. However, some experts believe regulators should reconsider inspection intervals. KGO-TV (San Francisco) (11/16)
2. Pennsylvania destroys dangerous bridge
ASCE SmartBrief | Nov 17, 2009
Pennsylvania this week destroyed one of its most dangerous bridges. The state used 12 pounds of explosives to implode the Point Marion Bridge, which connected Fayette and Greene counties. A replacement bridge opened this week. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (11/16) ClipSyndicate (11/16) Google (11/16)
3. URS anticipates influx of rail projects from stimulus
ASCE SmartBrief | Nov 16, 2009
Engineering company URS is hiring engineers to meet projected demand for stimulus-funded rail projects. The company estimates 2010 will see $10 billion in federal-stimulus projects that URS could manage, compared with $2 billion for 2009. URS, based in San Francisco, has already secured a contract from Amtrak to improve its Northeast corridor. Reuters (11/13)
4. Rock slides threaten 35 locations in Tennessee
ASCE SmartBrief | Nov 18, 2009
A Tennessee report has identified 35 locations in the state that are vulnerable to rock slides. However, it is unclear whether funding is available to address the problem, officials said. Although the state has already spent more than 90% of funds dedicated for roads that it received from the federal stimulus, the remaining funds could play a role in preventing rock slides, Gov. Phil Bredesen said. Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tenn.) (11/17) Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tenn.) (11/18)
5. Column: Rising waters could wreck rail system
ASCE SmartBrief | Nov 16, 2009
We don't know enough about the possible impact of climate change on our transportation system -- and that means current construction projects could turn out to require massive rebuilds, write Samuel I. Schwartz and Morgan Whitcomb. "If we don't act soon to understand how our transportation infrastructure will be impacted by climate change, we could, quite literally, be under water," they declare. PBS (11/12)
6. Indiana gets first fiberglass bridge
ASCE SmartBrief | Nov 19, 2009
Sugar Creek, near Colburn, Ind., is to get an innovative bridge built with fiberglass beams and a polymer composite decking. The $600,000 project should be virtually immune to corrosion from weather or traffic, and is expected to last 75 to 100 years without maintenance. WLFI-TV (West Lafayette, Ind.) (11/18)
7. Column: It's time to rebuild America
ASCE SmartBrief | Nov 19, 2009
America needs to step up to the plate and start investing in infrastructure improvements like high-speed rail networks, writes Bob Herbert. "We're trundling along in the infrastructure equivalent of a jalopy ... while other nations, our competitors in the global economy, are building efficient, high-speed, high-performance infrastructure platforms," Herbert complains. New York Times, The (11/16)
8. Engineers plan for superstorms
ASCE SmartBrief | Nov 17, 2009
As so-called 100-year storms arrive more frequently, planners in Wisconsin are considering new minimum standards for stormwater-control systems. In the past half-century, annual rainfall in the state has increased by 10% to 15%, researchers say. Daily Reporter (Milwaukee), The (11/16)
9. Poll: Do you think your business next year will be laying off workers, hiring them or remaining steady?
ASCE SmartBrief | Nov 17, 2009
Read the ASCE SmartBrief Year-End Report, which will be published on Dec. 15, to find out how your peers are responding.
10. San Francisco garage turns stucco into sculptural art
ASCE SmartBrief | Nov 18, 2009
A 1,400-space parking garage in San Francisco uses stucco in surprising new ways. The building, designed by WRNS Studio at a cost of $34 million, treats each outside wall as a gallery display, with beveled and angled facades that look like abstract installations. "We thought a little bit of poetic levity was in order," says designer Bryan Shiles. "The white stucco lets us grab light and play with light and shadows." San Francisco Chronicle (11/17)
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