Industry News

• Column: Rising waters could wreck rail system
  We don't know enough about the possible impact of climate change on our transportation system -- and that means current construction projects could turn out to require massive rebuilds, write Samuel I. Schwartz and Morgan Whitcomb. "If we don't act soon to understand how our transportation infrastructure will be impacted by climate change, we could, quite literally, be under water," they declare. PBS (11/12)

• Sensors help engineers analyze bridge conditions
  Engineers in Pennsylvania, Minnesota and other states are using data from sensors to study how bridges react to stress. In Philadelphia, for example, Drexel University researchers use the data to build computer models that display potential problems with the Burlington-Bristol Bridge. Meanwhile, Minnesota engineers are analyzing information from hundreds of sensors attached to the new Interstate 35 bridge. The Philadelphia Inquirer (11/16)

• URS anticipates influx of rail projects from stimulus
  Engineering company URS is hiring engineers to meet projected demand for stimulus-funded rail projects. The company estimates 2010 will see $10 billion in federal-stimulus projects that URS could manage, compared with $2 billion for 2009. URS, based in San Francisco, has already secured a contract from Amtrak to improve its Northeast corridor. Reuters (11/13)

• Construction of Panama Canal locks to begin in January
  Construction on a new set of locks for the Panama Canal will begin in January, according to GUPC, the consortium behind the project. GUPC, led by Spanish company Sacyr Vallehermoso, submitted the winning bid at $3.1 billion. The Panama Canal, which opened in 1914, is being widened to accommodate today's larger ships. Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela) (11/16)

• Other News

• Water company to tear down San Clemente Dam for $84M
  The Monterey County Herald (Calif.) (11/14)

Technology and Trends

• Critics question Michigan report on stimulus jobs
  The economic-stimulus package has funneled $1.2 billion of a promised $5.2 billion to Michigan, but job growth has been harder to quantify. Officials reported that 22,513 jobs in the state were created or retained, but some question the methodology of the report. The report included 3,000 summer jobs for youths, as well as 342 jobs projected by Detroit -- once the city receives stimulus money. Detroit Free Press (11/15)

• Other News

• Calif. rec center requires $1.2M in seismic retrofits to meet code
  The Oakland Tribune (Calif.) (11/15)

Sustainability

• Water sector awash with cash
  Green investors are increasingly willing to open their wallets for water projects. Investment funds specializing in the sector now have $1.8 billion in total assets, up 40% from six months ago. "Water's getting a lot of attention," says research analyst Jeff Tjornehoj. "There's an expectation that critical water needs are not being met, and that it's only going to get worse in the future." CNBC (11/15)

• Other News

• Power plant turns kitchen waste into kilowatts
  The Tampa Tribune (Fla.) (11/15)

SmartPulse

• Poll: How do you plan to stay up-to-date with innovations in your field in the coming year?
  Check your inbox for ASCE SmartBrief Year-End Report Dec. 8 and 15. View the results of this poll in Part 2 on Dec. 15.

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Management Practices

• How to foster right-brained thinking
  New thinking on how people think suggests innovators may be able to train themselves to find their "aha" moment by letting their brains wind down. One researcher says the brain suppresses territory on its mental map during concentration but various parts of the brain can interact during relaxation -- which encourages the brain to be more creative about problem solving. The Wall Street Journal (11/12)

Featured Content

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by ASCE SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Stretch of Tennessee highway closes after rock slides (Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tenn.))

• Live behind a levee? ASCE's new, free guide offers vital advice (ASCE News)

• Aging Bay Bridge in danger of collapse from earthquake (San Francisco Chronicle)

• Demolition is only option for New York State bridge (Times Union (Albany, N.Y.))

• L.A. highway interchange regarded as work of art (The New York Times (free registration))

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Policy Update

• White House to push for federal oversight of subway, light rail
  Two fatal train accidents have prompted the White House to propose stricter oversight of subway and light-rail safety. The plan calls for federal Department of Transportation oversight of safety -- or the ability to guide states in their oversight. "Safety is our No. 1 priority when it comes to planes, trains and automobiles," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement Sunday. "It only makes sense that we should be looking out for passengers who ride subways, too." The proposal would require congressional approval. Forbes/Reuters (11/15) , The New York Times (free registration) (11/15)

• Pittsburgh water authority considers rate increase
  The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority loses 42 million gallons of water each day because of aging infrastructure. "The infrastructure needs of our city and region are so enormous that it's sobering," said state Rep. Don Walko, chairman of the authority's board. The authority is considering a 5% rate increase to help close a $9 million budget shortfall and may vote Dec. 11. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (11/15)

• Trinity River levees can be fixed, says new report
  Problems that have plagued the Trinity River levees near Dallas can be easily solved, according to a new report from the Texas Department of Transportation -- but only if the Army Corps of Engineers signs off on the proposed fixes. Concerns over the aging dikes' integrity have held up construction work on approach roads for a nearby bridge since the spring. The Dallas Morning News (11/14)

News from ASCE

• ASCE team views heavy earthquake damage in Indonesia
  More than 1,100 people were killed and 2,000 injured when a magnitude 7.6 earthquake and a magnitude 6.6 aftershock devastated Padang, Indonesia, on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Recently, a small ASCE team from the Technical Council on Lifeline Earthquake Engineering witnessed the scale of destruction to local utilities and other infrastructure. With the support of ASCE's Executive Committee, the TCLEE team arrived Oct. 26 to perform a post-earthquake lifeline performance survey. The team gained the cooperation of Padang's mayor, getting quick access to utilities to assess the severity of damage. Read the TCLEE team's preliminary report and see photos of the extensive destruction to infrastructure (PDF). Find out more about TCLEE's work.

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SmartQuote

Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm." --Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet, critic and philosopher