Photo by AP Wideworld Engineers had stamped the demolition plans for the Ohio overpass that collapsed Jan. 19 onto Interstate 75 in Cincinnati, says contractor Kokosing. Related Links: CEO Statement Engineering Oversight Might Have Prevented Ohio Overpass Collapse, Says Bridge Inspector The Ohio Dept. of Transportation had required an engineered demolition plan for the Hopple St. Ramp bridge that collapsed Jan. 19 onto Interstate 75 in Cincinnati, killing a worker, according to the contractor Kokosing.Kokosing released Feb. 6 documents detailing its engineer-stamped demolition plan, noting that it chose an alternative approach that reduced the weight of equipment and machinery loads
Related Links: Australia Boosts Infrastructure As Mining Sector Loses Steam Aussie TBM Sets New Excavation Record “Isabelle,” the third TBM, was launched from Cherrybrook, in November 2014, and will excavate the 6 km from Cherrybrook southeast to Epping. A fourth and final machine is currently being assembled at Cherrybrook to dig the final tunnel to Epping.The TBMs have begun digging through sandstone and shale on a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week schedule and are staffed by a rotating crew of 15. To reach the tunneling depth of 9 meters at Bella Vista, crews removed about 120,000 tonnes of rock. At the Cherrybrook site,
Peter Reina for ENR Gatwick hopes to get government approval to build a new runway. Peter Reina for ENR Related Links: U.K. Commission Grounds Plan for New Airport East of London New U.K. Airport Proposal Fuels Debate At least some of the $3 billion in planned investment is underway at Gatwick Airport, 45 kilometers south of London, including a $150-million north terminal upgrade and baggage improvements in the south terminal. Improving Gatwick for the growing number of passengers—over 34 million last year—keeps development director Willie McGilleveray busy enough for now. But he'll be even busier if private owner Gatwick Airport
Photo by AP Wideworld OSHA and the contractor are looking into why an overpass collapsed during demolition, but some say due engineering diligence could have prevented the decision to begin removing a side span before the middle span. Related Links: Construction Worker Killed In Ohio Overpass Collapse Separate investigations by the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration and the contractor Kokosing into the cause of the Jan. 19 Interstate 75 overpass collapse near Cincinnati will likely take months. But an industry expert suggests that adequate engineering documentation before the demolition of the overpass might have prevented the accident, in which
Photo Courtesy of Prince Rupert Port Authority Canada balked at U.S. attempt to require American materials on B.C. ferry terminal. After a trade dispute escalated between the U.S. and Canada over "Buy American" procurement provisions, the Alaska Dept. of Transportation abruptly cancelled a construction bid for the Prince Rupert Ferry Terminal in British Columbia.On Jan. 21, Canada invoked an anti-sanctions law, the Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act (FEMA), which exposes companies that agree to Buy American provisions in contracts for construction on Canadian soil to fines up to $1.5 million, said a spokesman with Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada.The previous
Photo Courtesy of BNSF Rep. Garamendi decries lack of public data concerning 5,000 railroad bridges. Related Links: Pipeline Advocates Question Crude-By-Rail Safety California lawmakers are pressuring railroads to share maintenance and construction data for infrastructure exposed to increased crude-oil traffic from North Dakota. There are 5,000 railroad bridges in California, but almost no public data exists on them, says U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.). "Are they safe?" he asks. "I don't know, but there should be some standard for determining their safety."Garamendi tells ENR that infrastructure upgrades and maintenance, especially to bridges, are crucial as more crude from North Dakota
Photo Courtesy of NASA SpaceX's CRS-5 Dragon arrives at the International Space Station on its fifth supply run on Jan. 12. Related Links: SpaceX CRS-5 Mission Elon Musk on Twitter As January comes to a close, 2015 already has been a busy year for Elon Musk, president of Space Exploration Technologies. Musk's SpaceX rocket manufacturing company secured $1 billion in financing from Google and Fidelity Investments for a shared 10% stake. Musk also announced his intention to build a five-mile test track for his pet high-speed land-transportation project, known as the Hyperloop.The Google-Fidelity announcement came days after Musk's Jan. 16
Photo Courtesy of ARTBA Transportation and technology professionals mingled at ARTBA's annual TransOvation workshop last fall at Microsoft's headquarters. Related Links: ARTBA Workshop Asks: Will Smart Vehicles Meet Dumb Roads? Intelligent Vehicles, Tools and Collaboration Hot Topics At Transportation Meeting Big data, automation and the "internet of things" will profoundly influence the construction and management of transportation infrastructure—and industry insiders are still trying to figure out exactly how that will happen.This mind-set was reflected at the most popular sessions at the Transportation Research Board's annual meeting, the theme of which was "Corridors to the Future: Transportation and Technology." Held on
Related Links: PennDOT Pushes On With P3 Plan To Replace 614 Bridges Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners In a $899-million deal to address the state's aging transportation infrastructure, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation signed a contract on Jan. 12 with Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners to replace 558 bridges by the end of 2017."Now that we have a contractor in hand, we can go full-steam ahead," says Erin Waters-Trasatt, PennDOT spokeswoman. She says the plan is to replace 58 bridges in 2015 alone, with construction to begin this spring. PennDOT performed much of the advance work on the first batch of spans,
Related Links: TxDOT Awards $1-Billion Houston Loop Contract Alternate Project Delivery on the Rise Snaking 38 miles through both forests and developed land, the F-1, F-2 and G segments of state Highway 99's Grand Parkway feature straightforward construction—just lots of it in a short period of time. Advancing the rapid growth of the Houston metropolis—thanks largely to key investments by ExxonMobil and Southwest Energy to the north and east of the city—the design-build team, led by a joint venture of Zachry and Odebrecht, must build the three segments in just over two years for a 2015 completion."Technically, the project's design
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