The ancient Inca built a complex system of roads that span some 20,000 miles and range in altitude from sea level to 14,000 feet, all without the benefit of special tools or even a formal writing system.
One person can make a difference in the industry and save lives. That’s what crane man Joe Collins learned when he cast a pivotal vote for construction safety. Collins is often called upon to lift heavy loads. Related Links: ENR: The Top 25 Newsmakers of 2010 Dennis Kamber: Helping Engineers Lead the Way to Risk Reduction in New Orleans Randy Holman: Corps Manager Has the Right Rx for DOD�s Medical Megabuild in San Antonio Dwayne Smith: Design for Rapid Levee Construction Shaves Off Decade in Schedule Steve Underwood: Novel Choreography of Massive Truss-Lift Ballet Receives Raves “I really believe in
Navistar International Corp. will be rolling into 2011 offering heavy trucks equipped only with Navistar power—a move that dealers, truckers and investors will be watching closely in a market that is expected to see 50% to 60% gains in sales next year. Photo: Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Jim Hebe, Navistar senior vice president, discusses the MaxxForce engine at the 2009 World of Concrete. The Warrenville, Ill.-based manufacturer will also be the only truck maker not using selective-catalytic reduction (SCR), a clean-air technology that requires drivers to fill up a tank of urea periodically to neutralize nitrogen-oxides (NOx) in the
Congress has cleared legislation authorizing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to dole out up to $500 million over five years for diesel retrofits. The House passed the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) on Dec. 21, sending it to the White House. The bill is seen as a boon for clean air, contractors and suppliers. In its first five years, DERA returned about $20 in benefits for each $1 spent, according to the Diesel Technology Forum.
It looks like federal agencies will be operating under another short-term spending bill. The Senate on Dec. 21 passed a stopgap continuing resolution (CR) to fund construction accounts and other federal programs through March 4. The vote was 79-16. The House approved the measure within hours. The nine-week measure also would continue authorizations for surface-transportation programs through March 4. State transportation agencies and construction firms that pursue federally funded work would have preferred an extension at least through Sept. 30, when fiscal 2011 ends. Federal Aviation Administration programs, including airport construction grants, will fare a little better. The House and
Do you still hear the sound of gears grinding on the jobsite? It soon may be a thing of the past. A trucker’s old friends—the shifter and clutch pedal—are headed toward extinction as drivers discover the benefits of automatic transmissions. Photo: Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Mack sales department expected to sell 50 automatic transmissions this year but sold 500. Related Links: Shifting Gears: Heavy Truckers Say Goodbye to the Stick Although more than 80% of domestic heavy-duty trucks are still sold with a manual transmission, experts like David Stahl, sales manager for Pittsburgh-based dealer TransEdge Truck Centers, think it
Like a runaway recycling truck, green building’s momentum hasn’t been stopped by the economic recession and will keep speeding through the recovery, according to a report released just prior to the construction industry’s annual green-building conference. At the same time, experts say building owners are looking to go green more for economic reasons than environmental ones. “Green building is the silver lining creating opportunity in the down economy,” says Harvey M. Bernstein, vice president of McGraw-Hill Construction (ENR is a unit of McGraw-Hill Construction). “And with this growth comes increasing attention on the value and performance of these buildings.” Green
Every year, Arne Ruud has between $6 million and $10 million to spend on new construction machinery. The corporate equipment manager for Broomfield, Colo.-based Guy F. Atkinson Construction LLC says, next year, he probably will spend most of his budget, which is an unusual move in this time of thrift. Photo: Tudor Van Hampton For ENR When the recession hit in 2008, contractors scaled back dramatically on fleet spending. “In some of our areas the markets have just disintegrated,” Ruud explains. “That doesn’t give you a lot of confidence to go out and buy new iron.” Many have been fixing
J.C. Bamford Excavators Ltd. is having a busy year, but not necessarily in terms of equipment sales. As the U.K.-based manufacturer ramps up for what is expected to be a stronger economy next year, it has been busy litigating Chinese companies for allegedly copying the design of its earthmoving machines. The company also is trying hard to say as little as possible about the incidents because it has signed a confidentiality agreement as part of a recent settlement, ENR has learned. J.C. Bamford Excavators Ltd. (JBC), Staffordshire, England, settled out of court in October with an undisclosed Asian manufacturer, arguing
Foreclosure lawsuits mounting atop the $2-billion Chicago Spire project come at a time when the Windy City’s glut of condominium inventory has forced developers to make other deals. Rendering: Courtesy of Shelbourne Development Chicago Spire’s foreclosure lawsuits heat up as condo market remains frozen. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" In the near term, “I think any high-rise residential developments will be rentals,” says Gail Lissner, vice president of Appraisal Research Counselors, Chicago. A dozen rental high-rises are planned downtown, she says, including a 49-story tower that is being floated by luxury apartment developer AMLI Residential, Chicago. As for condos,
