Public Works articles from August 2004

Public Works archives from August 2004

The trophy case.(Editorial Viewpoint)
August 1, 2004... I remember the first award I ever won. It was in fourth or fifth grade, and I won the all-grade spelling bee. It was a special award--we were competing against the boys' prep school upstairs, which was unusual when it came to competitions....

Reader challenges Toronto's 'green goals'.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... I was fascinated by the article "Waste Not, Want Not" penned by Amara Rozgus (May, page 22). While extolling the virtues of Toronto's aggressive waste diversion plan, the author blithely mentions that Toronto has run out of landfill space and...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
August 1, 2004... PUBLIC WORKS inadvertently omitted the names of several trench shoring and shielding manufacturers in the July issue (page 44). Additional key companies include: Kundel Industries, Warren, Ohio; Allied Construction Products LLC, Cleveland;...

States recognized in roadside vegetation photo contest.(Washington Report)
August 1, 2004... The Federal Highway Administration has announced the 2003 winners of its annual roadside vegetation photography contest. West Virginia, South Carolina, Missouri, Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, and Maryland have each taken home first place honors...

Republican senators draft state water plan.(Washington Report)
August 1, 2004... According to Engineering News-Record, Republican members of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works committee are drafting a proposal to support a state revolving fund (SRF) plan for the water sector. The GOP draft would allot $15...

EPA enters CRADAs for water safety.(Washington Report)
August 1, 2004... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has entered into Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA) with three organizations to study early warning detection devices for water distribution systems. Hach Co. of Loveland, Colo.; YSI...

EPA works to enforce BEACH act.(Washington Report)
August 1, 2004... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is working to protect the quality of the nation's beaches by proposing more protective water quality standards to states and territories on the Great Lakes and ocean waters that have not complied with...

Public servants receive Energy Leadership Awards.(Washington Report)
August 1, 2004... Three public servants were recognized for their roles in promoting energy efficiency at the 2004 Energy Leadership Awards hosted by the U.S. Energy Leadership Association and Johnson Controls Inc., Milwaukee. The awards ceremony took place on...

House subcommittee works to clean sewer overflow.(Washington Report)
August 1, 2004... The House Transportation and Infrastructure Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee is working to improve water quality nationwide. Last month they heard from water resource experts on legislation that will provide federal funding for...

Wastewater device increases electricity, decreases cost.(Engineering Notes)
August 1, 2004... Researchers at Penn State University, University Park, Pa., were the first to develop a microbial fuel cell (MFC) that is able to generate electricity while cleaning domestic wastewater from the settling pond of a sewage treatment plant. Now,...

Remote technologies explored at hydroelectric plants.(Engineering Notes)
August 1, 2004... Black & Veatch, Overland Park, Kan., will be conducting an Automation Evaluation Feasibility Study of six U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hydroelectric plants on the Missouri River in Nebraska's Omaha District. The study will evaluate the plants'...

MasterFormat improves numbering system.(Engineering Notes)
August 1, 2004... The Construction Specifications Institute, Alexandria, Va., has made many improvements and expansions to MasterFormat, the specifications-writing standard for most nonresidential building and design projects in North America. The 2004 edition...

Milwaukee not responsible for Chicago beach ban.(Engineering Notes)
August 1, 2004... According to the Chicago Tribune, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ruled that Milwaukee's continuous sewage overflow into Lake Michigan is not responsible for the swimming bans that have been occurring all summer on the Chicago...

Nominations being accepted for pavement awards.(Engineering Notes)
August 1, 2004... Applications are now being accepted for Asphalt Pavement Alliance's 2004 Perpetual Pavement Awards. The award recognizes owners of full-depth hot mix asphalt pavements that are at least 35 years old and have not been overlaid more often than an...

Homeland security in the heartland.(Engineering Notes)
August 1, 2004... The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has selected Cincinnati as the first metropolitan area to develop a program that helps state and local governments identify technology to aid in homeland security efforts, the Washington Post reported....

CTA awarded for station renovation.(Engineering Notes)
August 1, 2004... The American Galvanizer's Association (AGA), Centennial, Colo., and the Ceilings & Interior Systems Construction Association (CISCA), St. charles, Ill, have given the Award of Excellence to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) for its $482.6...

ASCE names 2004 Engineer of the Year.(Engineering Notes)
August 1, 2004... Ronald Mieszkowski, P.E., was recognized as the 2004 Engineer of the Year by the Central New Jersey branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He was selected for the awards because of his contributions to the field of...

High arsenic levels in water call for remediation.(Engineering Notes)
August 1, 2004... Townsend, Mass., has arsenic levels in its private wells that exceed the maximum contaminant levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In order to alleviate the problem, the Townsend Water Department has retained...

James S. Pierce, chief of the water resources services division at the Technical Service Center of the U.S. Bureau of Reclaimation, Denver, has received the W.T. Cavanaugh Memorial Award from ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa.(Worth Telling)
August 1, 2004... James S. Pierce, chief of the water resources services division at the Technical Service Center of the U.S. Bureau of Reclaimation, Denver, has received the W.T. Cavanaugh Memorial Award from ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa. The award...

Thomas F. Barry, Jr., P.E., PBS&J's.(Worth Telling)
August 1, 2004... Thomas F. Barry, Jr., P.E., PBS&J's transportation service director for the Florida Region, has been honored with the 2004 Robert E. Pearson Award as "Person of the Year" from the American Society of Highway Engineers. The award goes to...

Woodard & Curran.(Worth Telling)
August 1, 2004... Ashland, Mass., has selected Woodard & Curran of Portland, Maine, to operate the town's drinking water treatment facility. The $1.7 million 2 1/2 year contract will make Woodard & Curran responsible for operating and maintaining the 6 mgd ozone...

Waste Management, Houston, has awarded its 2003 Total Customer Satisfaction Awards to Wastequip Inc., Cleveland; Volvo Construction Equipment North America Inc., Brussels, Belgium; and McNeilus Cos. Inc., Dodge Center, Minn.(Worth Telling)
August 1, 2004... Waste Management, Houston, has awarded its 2003 Total Customer Satisfaction Awards to Wastequip Inc., Cleveland; Volvo Construction Equipment North America Inc., Brussels, Belgium; and McNeilus Cos. Inc., Dodge Center, Minn. The "best in class"...

Kathryn L. McCain has been named as the first female president of the American Water Works Association (AWWA).(Worth Telling)
August 1, 2004... Kathryn L. McCain has been named as the first female president of the American Water Works Association (AWWA). A principal and management consultant at CDM's Dallas office, McCain has more than 36 years of experience in management and...

Ninyo & Moore, San Diego, has been retained by two cities in California for its services.(Worth Telling)
August 1, 2004... Ninyo & Moore, San Diego, has been retained by two cities in California for its services. In Poway, Ninyo & Moore has been hired to provide geotechnical observation and material testing during construction of a rail project. The project is the...

Parsons Brinckerhoff.(Worth Telling)
August 1, 2004... Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB), New York, has been awarded two contracts by the New York State DOT. PB will be inspecting track, vehicle, signaling, structural steel, and transit equipment for Metropolitan Transit Authority New York City Transit....

Gafcon, San Diego, has added two new faces to its team.(Worth Telling)
August 1, 2004... Gafcon, San Diego, has added two new faces to its team. Luella Greco and Glenn Erbe joined the company in late June. Greco will be an assistant project manager, making her responsible for interpreting plans and drawings, budgets, schedules, and...

KS Engineering (KSE), Newark, N.J., has hired two people to serve as vice presidents of business development for the civil and structural engineering firm.(Worth Telling)
August 1, 2004... KS Engineering (KSE), Newark, N.J., has hired two people to serve as vice presidents of business development for the civil and structural engineering firm. Eileen Della Volle will be expanding KSE's business into the private sector and...

Ahead of the curve: the Pfluger Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge near downtown Austin has put a different spin on bridge usage and design.(Bridge Construction)(Cover Story)
August 1, 2004... In the thriving city of Austin, the capital of Texas, traffic had increased so much in recent years that it made crossing the Colorado River on the city's Lamar Boulevard Bridge dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists. In response, the city...

A public-private team digs in: by bringing together private, public, local, state, and federal agencies, residents are playing a key role in building the highway network of the future today.(Roadway Design)
August 1, 2004... Most firms that provide highway-related services are used to having public agencies as clients, but rarely do these firms have the public itself as clients. This unique relationship is the case for the team working on the Highway 63 expansion...

Keep traffic moving when disaster strikes: effectively handling a temporary traffic emergency requires thinking creatively, inspiring teamwork among all participants, and making quick decisions.(Traffic Control)
August 1, 2004... At 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28, 2001, a tanker truck loaded with almost 9000 gallons of unleaded fuel attempted to take a 25-mph turn at 40 mph just west of Tampa International Airport. Overturning, the tanker slid into a bridge abutment, and within...

Swift bridge upgrades use FRP: fiber-reinforced polymers have been used to strengthen "sandwich" bridges in Georgia.(Bridge Construction)
August 1, 2004... Some might say that the Georgia DOT (GDOT) is "sandwiched" between a rock and a hard place when it comes to widening some of their well-traveled bridges. Over the past two decades, the state has had unprecedented growth. To meet increasing...

Field crew performance gets FAST: Los Angeles uses the FAST system to deliver work orders and maps directly to users in the field.(Fleet Management)
August 1, 2004... More than 100 maintenance crews are responsible for the huge task of maintaining and inspecting Los Angeles's vast sewer system. Like painting the Golden Gate Bridge, the work is relentless--every secondary sewer is cleaned and inspected on a...

Designing for everyone's needs.(PW Update: Equipment)
August 1, 2004... In these days of tight budgets, capital acquisition proposals need strong inter-departmental support to make it through the approval process. Requisitioning those much-needed work trucks may be easier thanks to the many features announced by...

The safety department's checklist.(PW Update: Equipment)
August 1, 2004... When safety directors review the FE model's changes, they'll also be sure to check the spec list. * Curb side driver access--Perhaps the most important change is in the relocation of the transmission shifter from the floor to the dash....

Golden Gate no longer on shaky ground.(Products Solving Problems)
August 1, 2004... Like virtually every major bridge in the San Francisco Bay area, the Golden Gate is undergoing a three-phase renovation to meet seismic requirements. That upgrade will allow it to retain its structural integrity through a quake measuring up to...

Florida cities speed concrete formwork.(Products Solving Problems)
August 1, 2004... Several Florida cities are among the many municipalities that are using reusable polyethylene forms instead of lumber for sidewalks, curbs, and other concrete projects. They have found that PolyMeta forms made by Metal Forms Corp., Milwaukee,...

Waterjet technology improves safety, cuts cost.(Products Solving Problems)
August 1, 2004... Safety during highway maintenance projects is a huge concern for contractors. However, with advancements in technology and a greater emphasis on safety, workers are better protected than in the past. Kimbra Inc., Bowling Green, Ky., is a...

Hendrickson meets 2 million mark.(Product Notes)
August 1, 2004... Hendrickson International, Woodridge, Ill., reached a milestone when its Clarksville, Tenn., plant manufactured its 2 millionth trailer suspension. The suspension system, an INTRAAX 23,000-pound capacity top-mount, went to Heil Trailer...

USFilter to protect NYC drinking water.(Product Notes)
August 1, 2004... New York City has installed water filtration systems from USFilter, Palm Desert, Calif., to protect drinking water from contamination. A Hydro-Clear rapid sand filter will be used to remove suspended solids, oil, and grease in municipal...

T2 Systems speeds parking permit payments.(Product Notes)
August 1, 2004... T2 Systems Inc., Indianapolis, recently partnered with the Georgia International Convention Center to test its new product, PermitNow. PermitNow allows parking attendants to issue permits and receipts while also accepting cash, check, credit...

Constructware highlighted to NYC's sister cities.(Product Notes)
August 1, 2004... New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg invited chief information officers from 10 "Sister Cities" to see a technology demonstration from Constructware, Alpharetta, Ga., as part of his mayoral summit, "Transforming Government Through Technology."...

Textured surface cold planer.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... The PM-565B allows users to remove pavement while leaving behind a textured surface that can immediately be repaved with asphalt or opened to traffic. The 625 hp engine gives the cold planer an operating speed of 132 feet per minute. A 40-inch...

Pavement reclaimer and stabilizer.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... The RS-800 increases productivity for base preparation and surface reclamation assignments. The stabilizer has an 800 hp engine, a working speed of up to 190 feet per mile, and a travel speed of up to 5 mph. It has a standard 8-foot cut width...

Adjustable conveyor cold planer.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... The RW 400 cold planer can cut up to 1 foot deep with widths ranging from 40 to 60 inches. With a 425 hp diesel engine, it can travel up to 7 mph and has a working speed of up to 364 feet per minute. The front load-out system has a 32-inch wide...

Cold milling machine.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... The W 2200 cold milling machine is ideal for removing miles of pavement for large projects. With a maximum cutting depth of 13.7 inches, the machine can remove the entire pavement in one pass. The 865 hp diesel engine and the 86.6-inch cutting...

Gas-powered surface grinder.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... The SG24/G allows users to grind concrete, asphalt, and tile. The grinder has an 11 hp gasoline-powered engine that can convert to a 2 hp electric motor. The dual counter-rotating discs can work up to a 24X12-inch area. The handle adjusts to...

Attachable milling equipment.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... The AZ-480S milling and reclamation attachment can easily be secured to the bucket of loaders to remove asphalt. It has a cutting depth of 1 foot and can cut from 24 to 48 inches wide. This belt driven attachment has a 185 hp diesel engine. The...

PDA compatible radar signs.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... Palm personal digital assistant users can download speed and time data to their PDAs from all SPEEDCHECK radar speed displays. The radar speed signs use light-emitting diode characters for their 15- and 18-inch portable, fixed, and...

Vacuum litter collection.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... The Madvac CN100 subcompact sweeper offers users increased versatility, maneuverability, and safety. The stainless steel debris containers are resistant to corrosion and abrasion and have a 1 cubic yard holding capacity. With a 44- to 88-inch...

Prevent stormwater system overflow.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... The Detention Management System prevents clogging of a detention pond or vault's flow control while reducing the risk of potential system backups through the use of StormScreen technology. The StormScreen cartridge removes trash and debris and...

Increase chipper efficiency.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... The 1290-H drum-style hand-fed chipper has an enlarged drum that is nearly double the size of other 12-inch drum-style chippers. The 37-inch diameter drum cuts from the bottom half on an angle and downward arc, allowing the machine to chip with...

Textured sound barriers.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... Textured sound walls provide a visually pleasing look to roadside barriers. The textured exteriors are made of polyurethane and are resistant to weather conditions, roadside materials, and animals. The walls weigh 7 1/2 psf and are available up...

Prevent chemical spills.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... Spill-STOP reduces the hazards caused by failure in air-operated diaphragm pumps. When chemical spills occur, it will capture the leaked product and automatically shut off the pump. The pump's pneumatic design allows it to run on compressed air...

Eliminate asphalt odor.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... ECOSORB eliminates the odor caused by asphalt production when added directly to hot liquid asphalt. A half-gallon of the 606 liquid blend will control the odor emitted from up to 6000 gallons of asphalt. It will control smells from the handling...

Seawater desalination element.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... FILMTEC SW30XLE-400i element is a reverse osmosis membrane that has one of the lowest energy requirements of seawater desalination applications. With a permeate flow rate of 9000 gpd and a stabilized salt rejection of 99.7%, the element meets...

Shot blaster.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... The Blastrac 2-4800DH shotblasting system allows workers to strip, clean, and profile large concrete and steel surfaces in one pass. The 48-inch blast pattern and speed up to 350 fpm allow the shotblaster to prepare up to 30,000 square feet of...

Simulated slate asphalt shingles.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... Centennial Slate asphalt roofing shingles replicate the look of blended slate at a lower cost than traditional slate. Made with two 18X36-inch base shingles, Centennial Slate has 8-inch exposure and four layers of protection. The 355 pounds per...

Power raking.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... Harley's MX-series of Power Box Rakes offer increased handling and width in skidsteer-mounted box rakes. The machines feature dual side-mounted hydraulic motors that accommodate powerful wheel and track skid-steer loaders. Increased frame...

High-volume chipper.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... The BC2000XL brush chipper is designed for high-volume organic chipping jobs. Two spring-tensioned vertical feed rollers--18 inches in diameter--automatically control feeding of material into the cutting chamber. The 20X24-inch feed opening and...

Walk-behind mower.(Featuring: Pavement Surface Preparation)
August 1, 2004... The Quick 36 walk-behind mower is an affordably priced model made of high-quality parts. It weighs almost 200 pounds less than comparable mowers, giving it a high level of maneuverability. It is also much more gentle on turf than heavier mowers...

Las Vegas Monorail inaugurated service in July.(Legal Aspects)
August 1, 2004... The Las Vegas Monorail Co. launched service to the public at 8 a.m. Thursday, July 15. The privately funded $650 million transportation system will run along the Las Vegas resort corridor and connect nine major resort properties and the Las...