Bridge Code: Steel Bridge Design Specifications Revised in New AASHTO Edition
Sponsored by: Interim revisions to AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications (7th Edition) were published in 2016 with a few minor revisions to the steel bridge design sections of the specifications. The 8th edition of AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications is expected to be published later in 2017. As far as steel bridge design is concerned, a major revision to the design of bolted field splices and minor revisions to other sections are expected. Let’s take a deeper lo...
Executive Corner: Get Your Firm ‘Sale Ready,’ Even If It’s Not for Sale
You’ve decided to sell your house, so you fixed that broken screen door, pruned the hedges and cut the lawn. Why do those things now? Because you want to show your house in the best possible light to potential buyers to maximize its sales price. You’ve “gotten your house in order.” Like selling a house, to affect a successful sale of your firm, you need to get that house in order, too. You want to present your firm in the best possible light to all potential buyers—external or internal—to max...
Infrastructure Outlook: A Bridge Too Far (Gone)?
One of the most frustrating things about contemporary times is that people are unable to change their mindset as fast as technology progresses. According to American design expert Donald A. Norman, “Technology may change rapidly, but people change slowly.” And Steve McCurray, the American photographer best known for his world-famous photo of the “Afghan Girl,” says, “Technology changes, times change, but the essence of the culture and the people basically stays the same.” The truth of these o...
Sponsored Content: Mott MacDonald Optimized Complex Designs with Digital Workflows
Sponsored by: Project The Thames Tideway Tunnel is a GBP 4 billion design-build project initiated to address the overflow from London’s Victorian-era sewers as well as meet environmental standards. It is the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the UK water industry. The design must include 10 kilometers of tunnel works running 70 meters below central London and six shafts in public view. Mott MacDonald needed to implement an effective communication, colla...
A High-Visibility Project: Examining the Historic and Beautiful New Portageville Bridge
By Mark Scacco, P.E. In 1852—the year women were being arrested for wearing pants (Emma Snodgrass in Boston) and the first edition of Peter Roget’s Thesaurus was published—the Erie Railroad Company built the first bridge to cross the Genesee River Gorge in what would eventually become Letchworth State Park in Western New York, about 60 miles east of Buffalo. Claimed to be the world’s largest timber bridge, it served the rail line until it burned to the ground in May 1875. In June a...
Final Thoughts: Spring Brings Baseball and Construction Seasons
Spring finally has arrived here in the Midwest (Chicago, to be specific): flowers are blooming, trees are budding out, birds are singing, and baseball is in full swing. But April 2018 was the fourth-coldest April on record; the Chicago Cubs home opening game on April 6th was postponed due to snow. Tulips are just now blooming, and the trees are a month behind in their growth. Another event that starts in the spring in our area is construction season: the time of year when a little more patien...
Letters from May/June 2018 Issue
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ReEngineering the Engineer: Written vs. Oral Communication: You Make the Call
I admit I haven’t really embraced the whole texting thing, and I don’t believe it’s an age gap. Although I communicate with our kids that way about half the time—out of necessity—I rarely do so with our clients (unless, of course, I’m running late for a meeting). It has nothing to do with the medium. Texting (and let’s broaden it a little to written communication) certainly has its place. A quick note from your kids letting you know they got to their destination safely or that they survived t...
The Right Tool for the Job: Multiple Tools Complicate Reality-Capture Landscape
When it comes to capturing existing conditions, the first question in everyone’s mind seems to be “to scan or not to scan?” With all the technologies out there, the next question is usually “which tool is best for the job?” Complicating the ability to answer these questions is the accelerated pace at which new technology developments and commercially available products enter the market. When overwhelmed by choices—especially new, unproven and expensive options—we’re often moved to inaction...
Battling Corrosion Problems in Harsh Middle East Environmental Conditions
Figure 1. Migrating corrosion inhibitors form a protective layer on the surface of embedded steel reinforcement. By Julie Holmquist Harsh environmental conditions create an added challenge to the durability of structures in Middle Eastern regions such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. Engineers in this region must take into account the effect that corrosive conditions will have on new build structures and find a way to counteract these elements to achieve a substantial servi...
Video: Crashes Drop Measurably After Rural Road Safety Improvement Project on US 521 in Lancaster County
AdventHealth Weaverville Hospital
June Issue 2026
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