Public Works articles from April 2006

Public Works archives from April 2006

What's next.(Editorial)
April 1, 2006... One of the first in-depth features I wrote as a professional journalist was focused--somewhat ironically, in retrospect--on what is still sometimes referred to as one of the biggest and most expensive public works projects in U.S. history: the...

'Safe houses' guard Louisiana water workers.(OPERATIONS)
April 1, 2006... A day before Hurricane Katrina tore through the Gulf Coast, more than 230 workers were evacuated from stormwater pumping stations in the neighboring New Orleans community of Jefferson Parish; parish president Aaron Broussard made the difficult...

Maine DPW takes snow in stride.(OPERATIONS)
April 1, 2006... Snow is a simple substance, but it can be a powerful force. If enough of it attacks a city at once, it can bring traffic to a crawl, collapse roofs--even bring down a mayor. Chicago mayor Michael Bilandic presided over the Windy City during...

APWA North American Snow Conference.(News & Views)
April 1, 2006... This annual American Public Works Association conference--held in Peoria, Ill., April 30-May 3--offers public works crews like the team in Old Orchard Beach a range of tools help them improve their efforts to fight winter weather. "I have...

City leaders voice top concerns.(COMMUNITY)
April 1, 2006... The results of the National League of Cities' (NLC) annual survey of municipal officials, released last month, indicate that traffic congestion, infrastructure, and emergency services rank among the top issues on the minds of the country's city...

Seven-day public works salute.(ASSOCIATIONS)
April 1, 2006... The American Public Works Association (APWA) will lead the industry in celebrating National Public Works Week May 21-27. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The event--with the theme "Public Works: The Heart of Every Community"--is designed to...

World's best water flows in Ohio towns.(COMMUNITY)
April 1, 2006... Two Ohio towns captured gold and silver medals at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting in February. Founded in 1991, the contest--designed to recognize the best-tasting municipal and commercially available water--took place at the...

Timber bridges garner awards.(DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION)
April 1, 2006... Several public bridge projects across the country won recognition in the 2004-2005 Timber Bridge Awards. The awards--sponsored by the American Institute of Timber Construction, the Engineered Wood Association, and the U.S. Department of...

Festival to rock Chicago a second time.(COMMUNITY)
April 1, 2006... After last year's Lollapalooza concert and arts festival proved successful, the Parkways Foundation arm of the Chicago Park District is bringing an expanded version of the event back to Grant Park this August. Lollapalooza originated in...

Environmental excellence awards announced.(AWARDS)
April 1, 2006... The American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) has announced the winners of its 2006 Excellence in Environmental Engineering Awards. The organization presented its Superior Achievement recognition for the Rocky Flats Environmental...

Pervious concrete forum.(News & Views)
April 1, 2006... The 2006 Concrete Technology Forum: Focus on Pervious Concrete will be held May 24-25 in Nashville. The program--whose sponsors include PUBLIC WORKS magazine--will cover hydrological and environmental design, structural and site design,...

Drinking water poster available.(News & Views)
April 1, 2006... The 11th edition of the Safe Drinking Water Act wall chart is available from HDR Inc. The chart provides an easy-to-use reference to all drinking water regulations, including a detailed listing of contaminants and maximum contaminant levels,...

Tools for small water systems.(News & Views)
April 1, 2006... The EPA is offering two tools for small water utilities looking to balance demands for quality water with limited financial resources. The document "Setting Small Drinking Water Rates for a Sustainable Future" will help owners and operators...

Correction.(Correction notice)
April 1, 2006... In the February issue of PUBLIC WORKS, the picture on page 13--depicting the Gateway Boulevard Bridge in East Nashville, Tenn., winner in the Major Span category of the 2005 Prize Bridge Awards--was incorrectly captioned. PUBLIC WORKS regrets...

Public works leaders should take a hike.(Ideas & Opinions)
April 1, 2006... How often do you get out to see your town? I'm not talking about the chunk whizzing by as you drive to your office, or the pieces you glimpse as you traverse your garbage collection route. Have you ever left the comfort of your office or truck...

Coming together: union departments thrive on brotherhood.(Special report)
April 1, 2006... Bob Pierre often works on his days off. Not because he gets paid to do it or because his boss asks him to, but because he believes so strongly in the work he's doing for his union brothers. "I myself believe that unions are a very good thing,"...

Getting the lead out: high lead levels encourage re-examination of distribution system contaminants.(Water treatment)
April 1, 2006... Elevated levels of lead in Washington, D.C.'s drinking water became national news in 2004, reviving interest in a public health issue that had largely faded from the media spotlight since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the...

From peat to pavement: the evolution of a sod farm road.(Roadway design, construction & maintenance)
April 1, 2006... Not long ago, farmers who hauled their crops to market built new roads using nearby materials. So it was with a road now called County Trunk Highway (CTH) S in northwestern Racine County, Wis. The north-south highway connects the village of...

Storm aftermath: advice for cleaning up after a severe weather event.(Solid waste collection & disposal)
April 1, 2006... In most towns, solid waste personnel have collection down to a science. Thanks to well-planned routes, sophisticated geographical information systems and other technology, and the work of experienced staff, curbside collection of waste and yard...

Water woes: pipeline failures demand unique solutions.(Constituent relations/Pipelines)
April 1, 2006... As part of its role as program manager and engineering consultant to Houston's Surface Water Transmission Program, Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. (LAN), Houston, has collaborated closely with the city's Design Branch on a series of emergency...

Backhoes go high-tech.(Fleets)
April 1, 2006... As Richard Brookins will tell you, a backhoe-loader is one of the most versatile tools in a fleet manager's toolbox. Brookins is the manager of fleet and facilities for the city of Ogden, Utah, which owns four Case backhoe-loaders that are...

Gunite offers quick fix in sewer.(Products Solving Problems)
April 1, 2006... Every sewer line repair job contains an element of the unknown. Because work is done below ground, surprises inevitably occur once the site is accessed--and some surprises are bigger than others. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In New Jersey,...

Treatment plant forges strong process chain.(Products Solving Problems)
April 1, 2006... Pumps are the heart of any wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Adopting secondary treatment has increased the number of pumps at many facilities and increased vulnerability to often stringy, fibrous solids in the flow. This frequently induces...

PW forum: answers to vexing questions.
April 1, 2006... Questions and answers in this section are from InfoNOW, a member-only service of the American Public Works Association. APWA's InfoNOW communities provide public works professionals an open forum for information exchange. There are 12 different...

Mobile weather monitoring.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... MxVision Weather Sentry Mobile enables users to receive forecasts, radar, and other weather-related information on a cell phone. Public works professionals can monitor changing severe weather from the field, so that they can quickly assess...

Snow response management.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... Snow Commander is a storm management system with controls for every aspect of snow-removal procedures. The product provides map-based monitoring of snow removal and road treatment activities in real time, using global positioning system (GPS)...

FEMA reporting module.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... The company offers a Federal Emergency Management Agency reporting module free to cities and counties declared a disaster area after hurricanes, severe storms, flooding, or other incidents. The product is designed to help agencies keep accurate...

Integrated weather tracking.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... STORM Beacon is a standalone display that gives users a single source for weather data, saving them the trouble of searching the Internet or other sources to obtain accurate, up-to-date information. The high-resolution product delivers...

Snowplow management.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... EnterInfo provides real-time vehicle locating and tracking for snowplow management. It integrates geographic information system and global positioning system technology to create maps and reports to monitor and estimate plow and salting...

PC-based storm monitoring.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... Threat Net Plus lets users look at high-resolution radar images, track storms, and communicate with field personnel to respond to severe weather conditions. The radar display is updated every 2 1/2 minutes. The storm tracking feature can...

Versatile snow bucket.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... The SnowBucket can connect quickly to a variety of machines, from small backhoe loaders and skidsteers to large front-end loaders. The design increases snow removal production and reduces cycle time with a single continuous dumping motion. The...

Intersection traffic monitoring.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... MicroTally helps users count the flow of cars, trucks, pedestrians, and bicycles as they pass through an intersection. The unit-about the size of a calculator-features an intuitive layout that mirrors the possible traffic routes through an...

Self-dumping hoppers.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... These heavy-duty, self-dumping hoppers, designed for use on forklifts, are made of 1/4- and 3/16-inch steel plate to withstand rugged jobs. The units are ideal for removing broken-up concrete, plaster, brick, and other construction debris. The...

Mobile software.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... PointSync 2.0 for Windows CE.NET is a complete system for building and deploying advanced applications on mobile devices. It enables organizations with or without in-house programmers to quickly and easily create customized mobile applications...

Versatile hooklifts.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... The Flex36 series of hooklifts offer a hook height of 36 inches and a high degree of flexibility. They can be pressure-adjusted to accommodate lifting capacities from 9000 to 16,000 pounds. Each unit can last for the life of two or three...

Blower package.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... Robox Evolution is a compact package that includes a blower, inlet silencer, filter element, outlet silencer, drive, electric motor, and noise enclosure. It features an integrated compression unit for conveying gas at low pressure, based on the...

Fluidic oscillation meter.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... The SM700 offers two battery options: a replaceable battery that provides up to 10 additional years of use, or an encapsulated battery that provides superior performance in submersed pits or other underwater applications. The meter has a potted...

Clear concrete sealer.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... PolyMax PM400 clear concrete sealer protects concrete from chemical spills, gas, oil, and solvents, while providing a cleanable, dustproof surface. This breathable epoxy coating is ideal for both forklift and foot traffic, on or below grade. It...

Grader/dozer automation.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... Based on the industry-standard controller area network interface and using WinXP, GradeStar V5.0 software provides machine automation for graders and dozers. It streamlines projects by allowing the user to view, check, and analyze the jobsite...

Hydraulic compactor attachments.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... Made for soil compaction projects, the HC 409 and HC 920 hydraulic compactor attachments can also drive and extract sheeting and posts. Accepting a maximum hydraulic flow of 20 gallons per minute at 2200 psi, the HC 409 delivers an 8000-pound...

Roller levels for skidsteers.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... With the Worksite Pro RL66 and RL84 roller levels, skidsteer operators can grade, level, and contour with ease. The attachments consist of a box blade with a roller level that can do landscaping and site preparatory work without hydraulics. The...

Cordless fastening driver.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... The 18-V Impactor fastening driver offers one of the highest torques in its class. It delivers 1350 inch-pounds of torque and 2800 rpm. The powerful hammer and anvil system will not kick back. Features include a soft grip, optimal balance and...

Reduced-vibration compactors.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... The MVC-80 Series vibratory plate compactors are equipped with an anti-vibration handle, so vibration is reduced by half when compared to previous models. This means operators can be more productive while experiencing less fatigue. With a...

Simple line location.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... The NaviTrack II features several enhancements, including a large, high-definition LCD mapping display and a balanced handle that allows accurate one-handed operation of the keypad. With this unit, locating underground pipes, cables, utility...

Segmental retaining wall unit.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... With an 8x24-inch face dimension, the 133Elite creates a large-scale look for larger walls while also reducing the number of units required to complete a job. Plus, each unit weighs about 95 pounds, so it can be installed by one person. The...

Acrylic adhesive cartridge.(Featuring: Storm software & accessories)
April 1, 2006... The A7-10 acrylic adhesive cartridge is designed for small jobs requiring a fast-curing adhesive anchor. Its benefits include quick dispensing, all-weather use, and easy cleanup. To install, drill and clean a hole, insert the nozzle into the...

A woman's place is in the field.(Out of the Ordinary)
April 1, 2006... Ethyl Ann Hansen joined the California DOT (Caltrans) in the 1960s, at a time when the position most commonly held by women at the agency was secretary. Hansen, on the other hand, was an engineer. She spent her career improving transportation...