Articles by Jeff Rubenstone

Photo by Jeff Rubenstone / ENR Disruption: One of two floating concrete batch plants (above, in a September photo) at the New NY Bridge site partially collapsed on Dec. 16. Related Links: Tight Squeeze: Left Coast Lifter Clears Tappan Zee Bridge New Tappan Zee Bridge Passes Milestone With Pile Cap Installation A barge-mounted concrete batch plant at the new Tappan Zee Bridge jobsite in New York partially collapsed on Dec. 16. Project representatives reported no injuries and say project concrete placement operations have been halted until an investigation is complete.State Thruway Authority engineers and safety experts "are monitoring the situation

This week, we look at a pipe-fusion machine from McElroy Manufacturing and a light tower from Terex. Click to begin the slide show.

French-based building-materials manufacturer Saint-Gobain Group announced plans on Dec. 8 to acquire a controlling interest in Swiss-based construction-chemical maker Sika AG. One of the largest makers of building products in the world, Saint-Gobain arranged the purchase of 16.1% of Sika's shares and 52.4% of its voting rights from the family of the company's founder.Both companies have North American subsidiaries, and the merger is expected to combine their broad portfolios of building products. "The complementary synergies [of the acquisition] also apply to North America," says Susanne Trabitzsch, spokeswoman for Saint-Gobain. "We expect to have a stronger presence in the U.S. that

This week we look at some of the new machines on display at Bauma China 2015. Click to begin the slide show.

This week, we look at a skid-steer loader from Bobcat and a crane outrigger pad transport system from DICA. Click to begin the slide show.

Rendering Courtesy of ThyssenKrupp The Multi elevator system would allow for both horizontal and vertical travel. Video Courtesy ThyssenKrupp Looking to expand versatility in building designs, Essen, Germany-based ThyssenKrupp Elevator AG has announced Multi, a cable-less elevator system propelled by magnetic induction. Multi will allow multiple elevator cabs in a single shaft and be able to travel horizontally as well as vertically within a building.According to ThyssenKrupp, the system will reduce the overall footprint of elevator shafts, increasing the usable space in high-rise buildings. "As the nature of building construction evolves, it is also necessary to adapt elevator systems to

This week we look at a rought-terrain crane from Terex and angle grinders from DeWalt. Click to begin the slide show.

Related Links: Collaboration Technology for Construction Sees Rapid Improvements Arid Lands Institute In drought-wracked California, efforts to conserve every bit of available water are prompting ambitious solutions. But while the state looks to major infrastructure projects to meet future demand, researchers at the Arid Lands Institute are working on a software mapping tool, Divining LA, to give urban planners, architects and engineers a better view of a region's water profile to maximize use.Combining information gleaned from digital terrain models, geotechnical data sets, multi-spectral satellite imagery and historical surveys, Divining LA may one day provide a model of a region's stormwater

Photo Courtesy Volvo CE Volvo CE is discontinuing its lines of backhoe loaders and motor graders, including the recently introduced C-Series motor grader (pictured). Related Links: Where East Meets West, China's Uphill Battle Volvo Goes Modular for Global Markets In one of its biggest production shifts since acquiring China-based SDLG in 2006, Volvo Construction Equipment has announced that it is discontinuing the development and manufacture of its motor graders and backhoe loaders in favor of SDLG-branded machines.Volvo CE made the announcement in a Nov. 13 press release. The company cited the poor performance of "technologically advanced and high-spec Volvo-branded backhoe

The Shimizu Mega Pyramid, or "TRY 2004" is a proposed megastructure to be built in Tokyo Bay, Tokyo, Japan.