Look Again After nearly 30 years using statistical work sampling and analysis on industrial construction projects, I am amazed to read about "huge" construction productivity improvements, as in your article "Accurate Measures Are Elusive" (ENR 5/12 p. 10). The CERF conference presenters offer no credible data to refute [Paul] Teicholzs graph of construction industry productivity falling behind the U.S. economy. Note that the articles BLS data show that "multifactor productivity" has been nearly flat for over a decade. But, even if not "accurate" enough to some, the data show clearly that the industry is behind the curve. The problem is
Take A Dip In your article, Ideas Abound On Crossings Fate, about a suitable replacement for the 50-year-old, 3-mile-long Tappan Zee bridge across the Hudson River, several alternatives are being considered by the New York State Thruway Authority (ENR 4/21 p. 17). One of the obstacles to the selection of a double-deck, steel bridge design mentioned was the painting cost to maintain the bridge. Current painting contracts have cost $23 million for a third of the bridge alone, according to Christopher Waite of the thruway authority. With hot-dip galvanizing capacities increasing each yearthere are now kettles with 120-ft capacities that
This magazine's coverage of the war in Iraq has chronicled the often overlooked efforts of military engineers who set the stage for battle, breach obstacles and clear the way for advancing combat troops. Their work is difficult, dangerous and deadly, a point driven home this week by ENR Associate Editor Tom Sawyer. Advancing with elements of the U.S. Army's Third Infantry Division, Sawyer's story of the engineers' war speaks of heroism and death. NEW DIGS: Sawyer (left) and Wright found working space at Baghdad airport. A firefight with a large Iraqi force at Saddam International Airport caught the 11th Engineer
Pumped Up It was with a great deal of pride that I read your story, "Engineers Place Pipeline That Follows Troops Into Iraq" (ENR 3/11 p 13). My company designed, tested and fielded the system in the mid-1980s and was the System Integrator to the Project Manager-Petroleum & Water Logistics for some 12 years. We also ran a system training site at Fort Pickett, Va. The system is comprised of high-pressure pipeline and 800-gpm mainline pump stations and low-pressure storage, receipt and dispensing modules called Tactical Petroleum Terminals. Originally, each was designed for specific locations and differed based on the
Troubles Im not sure if anyone pays attention to Hong Kong these days, but what was once highly fertile territory for overseas consultants is now stony ground (ENR 1/27 p. 11). It suffers the plague of fee competition. Several years of cut-throat pricing has created an intimidating work environment. Each month, news breaks of pay-cuts and redundancies. Those new off the boat burn out within 12 months on a 60-hour, 6-day week. Budgets are based on 50% free labor. Previously, firms preyed on dry U.K.-Australian markets to supply staff. This source of ever cheaper gullible talent is not now available
San Diego Workload Your article "San Diego Sets Out Welcome Mat for Job-Hungry Contractors" left the impression that our local contractors are unable to handle the local workload (ENR 02/10 p. 17). Nothing could be further from the truth. You report that the City of San Diego is planning on replacing 60 miles of water pipeline per year. At a recent meeting, one local contractor stated that were he to choose to bid city projects he could complete over 100 miles of pipeline per year. Clearly the problem, since at least partially solved, was not a lack of contractors, but
Owners Must Demand Quality Congratulations to william h. Lewis for holding the construction industry to a higher standard. I was surprised at the slant of your article, "South Carolina School District Grades Biddersand Some Fail," which seems to favor the contractors who do not seem to be able to rise to the quality level demanded (ENR 12/16/02 p. 32). I have only to look to the school construction in my hometown to see how inexperienced contractors working with poor plans cost the homeowner more and more. I have only to turn the pages of the same issue of ENR to
One Step Beyond In reaction to your cover story on the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys building program, "MITs $1-billion Metamorphosis," I agree that several of the buildings seem to be innovative, attractive, probably effective, and with final costs and future maintenance, realistic (ENR 1/27 p. 32). But what are we to think of the Computer Science Building? What advantages in function, or even appearance, warrant the arbitrary irregularities and distortions in configuration which assail any sense of beauty, any impression of strength and do not produce any of the qualities normally associated with good architecture? And at what cost? As
Price Is Not Everything Having been involved in the engineering and construction industry only since 1976, some might consider my observations to be those of a relative newcomer, but I am fascinated by "reverse auctions" and the debate they have sparked (ENR 11/4/02 p. 34). The federal government, with all of its legislative, regulatory and purchasing power, has struggled for years with low bids. Just look at the volume of construction claim litigation in the various boards of contract appeal and the federal court system. So much so that many agencies of the federal government are increasingly embracing various forms
Look At Lexington I read with great interest your recent article on Carnegie Mellon Universitys engineering and MBA program (ENR 12/16/02 p. 10). I applaud them for their action. However, I disagree with the university officials claim that it is the first such integrated program of its kind in the U.S. The University of Kentucky has had such a program for the last six years. To date, we have graduated approximately 50 students with an engineering degree and an MBA. Our program, as does Carnegie Mellons, requires students to devote their first three years to their engineering program. The last