| News for and about the civil engineering community
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- Army Corps starts $1B New Orleans flood-protection project
The Army Corps of Engineers has begun work on a $1 billion project in New Orleans that aims to protect the city's western section from flooding during a powerful hurricane. The project includes a floodgate and pump system aimed at closing canals and enhancing levees. Many residents have returned since Hurricane Katrina, but the area remains highly prone to flooding, experts warn. MSNBC/The Associated Press
(11/3)
     
- Norfolk Southern to expand Philadelphia rail yard
Norfolk Southern's rail yard in South Philadelphia is to get an $11 million facelift, expanding its total area by a third to enable the company to handle a greater number of freight-shipping containers. The move is part of Norfolk Southern's Crescent Corridor plan, which would provide high-speed freight and passenger services between New York and New Orleans. "We plan to give the shippers and producers in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania the option to ride the rails all the way," said Charles "Wick" Moorman, the company's CEO. The Philadelphia Inquirer
(11/3)
- Lawmaker wants dredged mud for La. megaport project
A Louisiana state senator has asked the Army Corps of Engineers to contribute mud dredged from the Mississippi River to a planned megaport in south Louisiana. A dredging company estimates the project would require 30 million cubic yards of mud. However, federal regulations require the Army Corps to dispose of dredged material in the least-expensive manner possible, and sending it to the megaport project will cost more. The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
(11/3)
 | Online Civil Engineering Courses in Water Resources at Colorado State University – Registration for Spring 2010 is now available! Begin your graduate studies by enrolling today in an online course. Learn more about earning your Civil Engineering Master's Degree. |
| Technology and Trends |  | |
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- Pennsylvania city deploys crawler to inspect aging pipelines
More than 650 miles of aging pipeline infrastructure present maintenance challenges for Erie, Pa. Paul Stano, superintendent of the city's Sewer Maintenance Department, said almost 80% of Erie's pipelines are 80 to 100 years old. Erie uses a remotely operated video inspection crawler to inspect the pipelines for necessary repairs. WaterWorld Magazine
(11/2009)
- New Orleans levees, Calif. rail make list of large projects
A list of seven "colossal" construction/engineering projects includes the International Space Station and upgrades to an ancient road in Greece. The list also includes the $14 billion plan to rebuild New Orleans' levees and floodwalls as well as California's plan to develop a high-speed rail network. MSNBC
(11/3)
- Calculating stimulus jobs creates confusion, state official says
Federal agencies have given Wyoming conflicting instructions on how to calculate how many jobs have been created by the stimulus program, according to Lynne Boomgaarden, director of Wyoming's Office of State Lands and Investments. Boomgaarden said state and local stimulus spending so far has created or saved the equivalent of 466 jobs. However, her office reported a figure of 515 jobs last month, but the number declined after a review by federal officials. Google/The Associated Press
(11/3)
- Many jobs created by economic stimulus don't last
Many jobs created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are temporary and don't turn into permanent positions, analysts say. "The bottom line is these are meant to be stop-gap measures," said Doug Roberts, chief investment strategist at ChannelCapitalResearch.com. "This is fairly typical in stimulus plans. It's the same as it was in the 1930s: To put people back to work, the government looks at all of the stuff that was on its to-do list." CNNMoney.com
(11/2)
| Sustainability | | |
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- B.C. plans water projects ahead of Winter Olympics
British Columbia gets plenty of rain -- but local developers are taking water conservation seriously ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics. In a Vancouver suburb, Richmond's speed-skating facility uses water runoff from its 6.5-acre roof for toilets and park irrigation, while Vancouver's Convention Center uses treated sea water and waste water to irrigate a roof garden. Officials say the plans are intended as preemptive action to help ensure Canada never suffers a California-style water crisis. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
(11/3)
| Management Practices | | |
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- Taking the mystery out of leadership
Clear communication is important in any leadership role, says Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust, otherwise followers start trying to guess what the boss is thinking. Whether she's hosting ice cream socials in Harvard Yard or holding online Q-and-A sessions with alumni around the world, Faust says she's always trying to make sure that Harvard's different constituencies feel valued and included in the management process. The New York Times
(10/31)
| Policy Update | | |
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- Task force to put price tag on carbon emissions
How much should we pay to remove a single ton of carbon from the atmosphere? A new government task force is set to provide an official estimate -- and its results could be used to determine the scope of federal carbon regulations, as well as to justify stricter industrial air-quality standards. Still, not everyone thinks the estimate is a good idea: "You can't really quantify the social costs of carbon with any degree of confidence," says climate economist Gary Yohe. "You can get just about any number you want to, depending on the assumptions you use." ClimateWire/(Subscription required)
(11/4)
- Mass. governor reaches agreement with water groups
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and environmental groups agreed to work together on water policy after four water conservation groups resigned from a state waterway advisory panel last month. The environmentalists took issue with the state's new formula for determining the "safe yield" for waterways. Even with abundant rainfall in the state, 160 rivers and streams in Massachusetts face low flows or water levels. The Boston Globe/Green Blog, The
(11/3)
| News from ASCE | | |
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In Samoa, COPRI team views extensive quake-tsunami damage
"The residents here first thought the ground shaking could be a landslide and rushed down to the beach ... Then they realized it was an earthquake ... That's when the tsunami arrived." Last Sunday, a technical assessment team of Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute members arrived in the Samoan islands to study the impact of the Sept. 29 earthquake and tsunami on the region's infrastructure. The team has shared some early eyewitness impressions in a post at COPRI's official blog. Their efforts follow the Society's disaster response procedure, which supports the formation of technical teams to learn from the damage to infrastructure caused by natural or man-made disasters. For more of what the COPRI team saw and experienced, read their blog posting.
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Registration now open for GeoFlorida 2010
Escape winter this February and enjoy some Florida sun while taking part in the exciting events you've come to expect from a Geo-Institute annual congress. Registration has opened for next year's G-I gathering -- GeoFlorida 2010, in West Palm Beach, Feb. 20-24. The congress will offer a broad perspective on new developments in geotechnical engineering analysis, modeling and design. Technical topics will cover all areas of the profession. What else can you expect in Florida this February? Find out and register at the official GeoFlorida 2010 site.
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