Methodical Search Let me make a few clarifications on your article, "Research May Never Pinpoint Sequence of Events on 9/11," about the federal building and fire safety investigation of the World Trade Center disaster being conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (ENR 1/19 p. 12). First, NIST seeks to determine the most probable structural collapse sequence for each tower, from the several scenarios under consideration, using established statistical and probabilistic analysis methods. The methodology is described in Appendix 5, p. 93, of the May 2003 progress report that is available on the NIST World Trade Center Website,
HOARE Theres a certain stereotype associated with engineers. Weve all heard about the pocket-protector-sporting, calculator-wielding, introverted and boring typelacking that certain joie de vivre commonly associated with more "creative" professionals, such as writers, graphic designers and marketers. Heeding that stereotype, most would conclude that we Cyborg-like engineers wouldnt dream of taking a lesser-paying job just because it seemed like a great opportunity and personal fit. A robot doesnt have feelings, right? What is the top priority for an engineer searching for a new job? Well, according to one of our recent surveys, its what the job entails. Of 736 respondents,
Better Numbers I would like to draw your attention to several problems with the article "Employment Growth Is Leveling Off" (ENR Construction Facts, November 2003 p. 62). The introductory paragraph discusses construction trends for 1993-2000 and 2001-2003. In contrast, the table "How Construction Union Membership Is Changing" is for an entirely different time period, 1995-2000. Instead of allowing readers to draw conclusions about the strength of the construction industry versus the strength of construction unions, the mismatched time periods only serve to mislead the reader and allow the data to be misused. For example, while the 2000 figure for the
JOACHIM The U.S. is the only major developed nation in the world that does not have a single coordinated family of construction codes and standards. While efforts were initiated in the 1990s to rectify that situation, the breakup earlier this decade of negotiations between the International Code Council (ICC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is negatively impacting the cost of construction in our nation. The ongoing acrimonious competition between these two organizations to gain the adoption of their respective building codes by state and local governments comes at a cost to our nation, the construction community and state and
Telling the Story of 2003 Through Photography Our readers have done it again. Their photos of all kinds of projects taken all over the world allowed ENR to capture "The Year in Construction," a photo essay. The photos are the winners of the magazines second annual photo contest. They show the industry at work from the steps of the Capitol in Washington, D.C., to the sand dunes of the Algerian Sahara. They show the many different faces of construction from a heavy equipment operator at a petrochemical project in China to a Native American worker at the Navajo generation station
On the Mark The editorial "A 9/11 Memorial Without Public Input Will Have No Soul" must be engraved in the minds of all Americans, as well as the granite of the new World Trade Center structures, creating a continuous memory of what the process should have been (ENR 12/1 p. 68). But yet, what has been achieved in good faith resulted in architectural excellence, and the site planning works. The editorial was to the point of what should have happened. Anyone who felt the loss will agree and mourn. Still, some direction has already been made, and for the sake
Clean Air I was very disappointed in your article concerning enforcement of the Clean Air Act and the new New Source Review (NSR) provisions (ENR 11/17 p. 12). It is clear that the authors did not read the new provisions but relied upon claims of those who oppose them. The truth is that the new provisions are not a reversal of the Clean Air Act. Rather, the new rule simply defines routine maintenance, repair and replacement (RMRR). It is important to note that the original objective of the NSR in the 1977 Clean Air Act was to be a preconstruction
STENQVIST Forget about fast track. Construction schedules today have accelerated so quickly that the old distinction between traditional and fast-track scheduling has all but disappeared. Today, fast track is the norm, and what is some- times called "hypertrack" is growing. And our industry is suffering. Without speed limits, the road grows perilous. Having worked on some hypertrack jobs, we can see the perils pretty clearly. We can suggest some ways of fending off danger but some of these solutions carry drawbacks of their own. JENNEY Usually there is a compelling reason for putting a job on hypertrack: A business is
FLYVBJERG Recently, as I was concluding a study on megaprojects, I thought of Nobel Prize winner F.A. Hayeks controversial article about the selection of political leaders, Why the Worst Get on Top. Like Hayeks political leaders, we found that it is not necessarily the best megaprojects that succeed. Our survey looked at several hundred projects in more than 20 countries and we discovered that there seemed to be a formula at work in deciding which projects get built: Project approval equals underestimated cost, plus overestimated revenue, plus undervalued environmental impact, plus overvalued economic development effect. But during project implementation, when
Women in Construction The recent feature on women in construction shed valuable light on an area in which the Construction Management Association of America has been active (ENR 10/6 p. 28). As the first woman to be president of CMAA, I attach particular importance to our efforts to attract more women into the profession and I believe we can point to impressive progress. Linda Phillips of the U.S. General Services Administration has become the first woman to sit on the Board of Governors of CMAAs Construction Manager Certification Institute. She will help guide one of the industrys most respected professional