Public Works articles from March 2000

Public Works archives from March 2000

SEWER TV INSPECTION AND REPORTING.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Some leading contractors, consultants, and software developers are collaborating to dramatically change sewer TV inspection and reporting. The ability to collect and store information in a digital format is at the heart of the innovations, and...

Silicon Valley Pedestrian Trail.
March 1, 2000... Mountain View's Stevens Creek Trail and wildlife corridor is an important segment of the regional trail system located in Northern Santa Clara County, California. It is envisioned that the trail may someday extend from San Francisco Bay in...

The Spirit of Radio.
March 1, 2000... Invisible airwaves crackle with life. Bright antenna bristle with the energy... So the song goes. "The Spirit of Radio" talks about the freedom of music, but music is not the only freedom in the airwaves. Tiny impulses of electricity in...

"LEAD, FOLLOW, OR Get Out of the Way.
March 1, 2000... Government organizations can be plagued with expressions of employee dissatisfaction at every attempt to implement policy changes, improve job activities, or introduce new ideas from within the work unit. This dissatisfaction may not be a...

As promised, here is my take on the results of the Y2K bug.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... In a word, a big yawn. After spending $100 billion, more or less, American governments and businesses did the job. (An estimated $500 billion was spent world-wide.) The bug was eradicated. Except for the occasional, and often humorous, glitch...

Many of you have hoard of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... It is the association of professional local government managers in North America. Among other things, IGMA conducts research and disseminates a variety of works across a wide array of subjects for its members. Recent publications that may...

In the last few years, a number of critics have assailed the Internet on the issue of gender inequity.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... That is, for whatever reasons, it was said that women used the Internet less than men. A study by the International Data Group (Framingham, Massachusetts), a leading IT U.S. market research firm, suggests otherwise today. The findings show that...

Design-Build Education and Research Foundation is formed.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), a non-profit, member-directed, advocacy organization dedicated to promoting use of the design-build project delivery method announces the formation of the Design-Build Education and Research...

Municipal utilities authority names general consulting engineer.
March 1, 2000... The engineering firm of Schoor DePalma (Manalapan, New Jersey) has been named general consulting engineer for the Cape May County (New Jersey) Municipal Utilities Authority. The consultant will provide investigations and resolutions, as...

County awards management review contract.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The County of San Diego, California has awarded Lorick Associates Consulting (LAC), El Segundo, California a contract to conduct a comprehensive management review for the Public Works Maintenance Division. "We're assessing work processes,...

Sewer system expansion needed to combat septic system problems.
March 1, 2000... Holbrook, Massachusetts has awarded a $1.3-million contract to Camp Dresser & McKee Inc. (CDM), Cambridge, Massachusetts, to design the sewer collection system expansion program for the city. The project is necessary to combat extensive septic...

Consultant wins Florida Scenic Highways contract.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The renewal contract for Implementation of the Florida Scenic Highways Program has been awarded to the Orlando and Tallahassee offices of Carter & Burgess Inc. In this new contract, the consultant will continue to assist with program...

Plant expansion to use membrane filtration technology.
March 1, 2000... Killam Associates (Miliburn, New Jersey) and Black and Veatch (Kansas City, Missouri) have been awarded a contract to design a plant expansion using membrane filtration technology at the Southeast Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority's...

Treatment plant planned for Woonsocket, Rhode Island. United States Filter Corporation.
March 1, 2000... Treatment plant planned for Woonsocket, Rhode Island. United States Filter Corporation (Palm Desert, California) has won a $75-million contract to design, build, operate, and finance a wastewater treatment plant in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The...

City expects to save money on deicing chemicals with GPS system.
March 1, 2000... The Fort Collins, Colorado Streets Department has contracted with CompassCom Inc. (Englewood, Colorado) to implement a GPS--based automatic vehicle location system (AVL) with a new capability. In addition to reporting the precise positions of...

A-Jacks(r) Erosion Control System.
March 1, 2000... A-Jacks provide toe stabilization using bioengineering techniques for streambanks, lakes, and rivers where severe wave action and high-velocity flows occur. A-Jacks are high-stability concrete armor units that interlock with adjacent units into...

New Soil Reinforcement.
March 1, 2000... [VERSA-Grid.sup.TM] soil reinforcement can be used to reinforce soil behind segmental retaining walls when the weight of retaining wall units alone is not enough to retain soil loads. Properly designed, VERSA-Grid reinforced walls may be...

Cellular Confinement System.
March 1, 2000... [GeoLok.sup.TM] cellular confinement system provides load support and ground stabilization on weak or soft soils, distributing loads laterally and reducing subgrade contact pressures to stabilize the ground for support of vehicles or...

Improved RECP Installations.
March 1, 2000... This firm has developed the DOT system to ensure effective staple use and seam formation when installing its rolled erosion control products (RECPs). An environmentally safe paint clearly marks staple patterns on all of the company's erosion...

Five Erosion Control Products.
March 1, 2000... This firm's turf reinforcement mats provide permanent erosion protection in severe applications and are a green alternative to paving and riprap linings for slopes and channels. The company also provides degradable organic fiber blankets to...

Retaining Wall System.
March 1, 2000... This retaining wall system's positive connection system combines the structural concrete unit, high-strength fiberglass pins, and the geosynthetic grid. Six simple steps are all it takes for start-to-finish construction efficiency. These...

Pothole Repair System.
March 1, 2000... The AMZ Spray Injection Pavement Preservation System allows the operator to quickly clean, tack, and fill distressed pavement. High pressure air from the AMZ machine cleans out the repair area, then sprays in an asphalt emulsion tack coat fully...

Slope Degree Indicator.
March 1, 2000... The Model No. 7490 slope degree indicator for use on construction equipment reads from 0 to 50[degrees] and has an internal beeper, and warning light, as well as a visual ball indicator, to alert the equipment operator when a dangerous slope is...

Pipeline Inspection System.
March 1, 2000... The newly redesigned Eel Cam pipeline inspection system now features wheels built-in to the heavy-duty carry case and a pull-up handle for easy transport. Also standard is the picture inverter feature that allows you to flip the picture 180...

Rugged Water Meter Pits.
March 1, 2000... These HDPE water and gas meter pits will not corrode or crumble. They come in 18- and 20-in, diameters with pre-cut lengths ranging from 24 to 48 in. Uncut 12-ft lengths are also offered and can be easily cut to any height. Pre-cut notches at...

Utility Trencher/Plow Combo.
March 1, 2000... The V-120 utility trencher/plow combo uses a 116-hp Cummins diesel engine to deliver the power and torque needed for efficient digging and plowing. The rubber-tired unit has user-friendly automotive-type steering and grouped hydraulic controls....

Helps Find Hydrants.
March 1, 2000... New BriteSide(R) reflective panels are helping firefighters and hydrants more quickly at night and in snow. They are now available as "stand-alone" hydrant markers to work together with BriteSide hydrant collars. The 6-ft panels will...

Filter Remove MTBE.
March 1, 2000... This company announces the introduction of Filtrasorb(R) 600, a new granular activated carbon designed specifically for the removal of trace levels of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and other organics from water. Made from select grades of...

Auger Monster(R) with Conveyer.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Integrated conveyor systems are now available for transporting the ground, washed, and dewatered screenings of the Auger Monster high-flow fine-screen away for disposal. The horizontal and vertical conveyors can be installed at any angle and in...

Special Water/Wastewater Filter.
March 1, 2000... CenTrol(R) filters are conventional gravity filters in a cluster arrangement, thus packing as much filter as possible into a smaller building space. A single control column normally serves four cells that can be observed and controlled from the...

Faster Van Delivery.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Nissan Diesel America, Inc. (NDA) and Mickey Truck Body Company (High Point, North Carolina) announce a Road Ready Body Program, offered to light- and medium-duty NDA customers through its dealers. NDA will ship chassis directly to Mickey's to...

Brush Chipper.
March 1, 2000... The 85-hp diesel powered BC1000 brush chipper unites European style and quietness with American power and productivity. Sound and vibration reducing features include clutchless PTO, rubber-mounted engine and feed housing, rubber torsion...

Aerial Tower Body.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... This custom aerial tower body has weathertight exterior storage compartments and an open cargo area, and is equipped with a 47-ft Holan aerial device. The body also features a 24-in. platform extension with an underfloor through-box. Stirrup...

High-Performance Skid-Steer.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The T-245 HDK skid-steer loader can handle many different extreme-duty jobs by combining big-machine strength and power, says the company. An optional high-flow hydraulic package is also available to power attachments such as large cold...

Enhanced Sewer Software.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... This firm's Storm Sewers and Sanitary Sewers modules, part of the Civil/Survey 2000 series, have been improved. Prototype (standard default) information can be created and saved for future use on other sewer networks. A toggle enables the...

Crawler Excavator.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The new EC215 crawler excavator is a 152-hp model with a dig depth up to 23 ft 7 in. and an operating weight of 46,970 lb. It boasts a three-pump hydraulic system for boosting productivity in a diverse range of applications. This system allows...

Carbon Dioxide Monitor.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The newly improved CEA 266 is a wall-mounted infrared [CO.sub.2] gas analyzer contained in a water- and dusttight NEMA 4X enclosure with digital display readout. Ranges of 0 to 2,000 ppm, 0 to 5,000 ppm, and various percentages up to 20 percent...

LEGAL ASPECTS OF PUBLIC WORKS.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Landfill surcharge questioned. The Court of Appeals of Tennessee at Jackson heard arguments in the case of County of Benton vs. H&W Environmental Services, and Waste Management, Inc. of Tennessee, on appeal by the County of Benton from the...

Noteworthy.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... American Pipe & Plastics, Inc. (Binghamton, New York) announced that an Order on stipulation was entered on December 15, 1999 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas dismissing all of the patent infringement...

BetzDearborn.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The BetzDearborn (Trevose, Pennsylvania) and Pulp and Paper Divisions of Hercules Inc. and United States Filter Corporation (Palm Desert, California), a Vivendi Water Company, have entered into an alliance to jointly sell USFilter's capital and...

Oshkosh Truck Corporation.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Robert G. Bohn has been named chairman of the board at Oshkosh Truck Corporation (Oshkosh, Wisconsin).

Haestad Methods.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Haestad Methods (Waterbury, Connecticut) now offers free web-based interactive real-time demos of its civil engineering software, allowing participants to "test drive" the company's products. To find out more or to register for a demonstration,...

Insituform Technologies, Inc.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Insituform Technologies, Inc. (Chesterfield, Missouri) has opened a new regional headquarters in Bessemer, Alabama.

The success of Thomas Technical Institute.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The success of Thomas Technical Institute's (Thomasville, Georgia) Agricultural Technology Program has led John Deere Construction Equipment Company (Moline, Illinois) to establish what is said to be the first Construction Equipment Technology...

Vermeer Manufacturing Company.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Vermeer Manufacturing Company (Pella, Iowa) is conducting its Demo Days program through April 30. Current and prospective customers can call the company at 1-800-927-6871 to set up a free stump cutter and brush chipper demonstration with their...

Contech(r) Construction Products Inc.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Joe Dennis has been named manager of engineered products in the marketing and development group of Middletown, Ohio-based Contech(r) Construction Products Inc.

Morbark, Inc.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Morbark, Inc. (Winn, Michigan) has opened a new product support facility in Ashland, Virginia that stocks parts for Morbark equipment in the region as well as houses service and repair operations.

Dow Chemical Company.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Dow Chemical Company's (Midland, Michigan) Web site provides technical and application information on the many different uses of calcium chloride. The company's Web site is www.dowcalciumchloride.com.

Asahi/America, Inc.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Asahi/America, Inc. (Maiden, Massachusetts) has acquired the double containment piping business of Fluid Controls (Huntsville, Alabama) and created the Fluid Controls Division of Asahi/America.

Sweepster, Inc.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Patrick J. Robertson has been named vice president of manufacturing at Sweepster, Inc. (Dexter, Michigan).

Navistar International Transportation Corporation.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Navistar International Transportation Corporation (Chicago, Illinois) has given a used 1994 International(r) truck to the Calvary Home for Children, Anderson, South Carolina, which the organization will use to pick up donated items such as...

Cummins Engine Company Inc.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Cummins Engine Company Inc. has combined its automotive and industrial business units into a single engine business unit headed by F.J. (Joe) Loughrey, executive vice president and group president, engine business.

Vollmer Associates.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Vollmer Associates (New York, New York) has created a new photogrammetry division, offering comprehensive photogrammetric and digital mapping services. Raymond T. Tobia has been named director of operations for the division, which is based in a...

EDITORIAL VIEWPOINT.(Editorial)
March 1, 2000... Do SUVs slow traffic? Have you ever wondered, perhaps while waiting at an intersection in your car and straining to see around, over, or through the windows of the sport utility vehicle in front of you, if SUVs slow traffic? A paper presented...

Washington lobbyists will be focused more on regulation than legislation this year.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Washington lobbyists will be focused more on regulation than legislation this year because presidential election year politics will stalemate most bills. The 106th Congress plans to work until early October, taking August off for the political...

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is expected to take a hard look.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is expected to take a hard look at the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) as an oxygenate in reformulated gasoline (RFG). Sen. Bob Smith (R-N.H.), the Environment and Public Works...

EPA has proposed more spending for water programs.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... EPA has proposed more spending for water programs in its $9.5 billion budget request for fiscal 2001. Administrator Carol Browner said the budget earmarks $495 million for Clean Water state grants, including a $50-million increase to...

The Transportation Department is asking Congress to approve a record $54.9 billion budget.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Sec. Rodney Slater said the budget is up $4.7 billion, or 9 percent, from the current level. It included $1.7 billion for highway safety, 21 percent more than this year, including programs to get unsafe trucks off the road and develop safer...

The National Transportation Safety Board is examining ways to tighten licensing requirements.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The National Transportation Safety Board is examining ways to tighten licensing requirements for the nation's 9.6 million commercial drivers. One idea under consideration would be to qualify doctors to perform medical screenings of commercial...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2000... In the January issue, an incorrect address was given for Haestad Methods. Haestad is located at 37 Brookside Road, Waterbury, CT 06708; 203/755-1666; fax 203/597-1488; www.haestad.com.

PARTNERING SIMPLIFIES A DIFFICULT BRIDGE/ROADWAY PROJECT.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... In 1998, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) began construction of a multi-million dollar modernization project on a section of the turnpike located between the Valley forge (Exit #24) and Norristown (Exit #25) interchanges in Montgomery...

HIGHWAY STUDY BENEFITS FROM: Helicopter Laser Survey.
March 1, 2000... The use of laser surveying from a helicopter flying just 230 ft above ground over densely forested terrain gave engineers the data required to create a digital terrain model (DTM) of a 42-mi long, 1,500-ft wide highway corridor. The innovative...

SIDEWALK SURVEYING PROJECT HELPS Old West Meet New.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The fabled center of many a shoot-out and bar brawl, today Prescott, Arizona, with a population of about 30,000, is a popular tourist destination. The mile-high city borders the largest stand of Ponderosa pine in the world, and its downtown has...

PROTECTING STORED WATER WITH Riparian Buffers.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... One of the greatest natural assets of North Carolina's Piedmont region is its abundant water resources. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the region's streams provided transportation routes and powered mills. Today, they supply water for drinking...

PLANNING IS CRUCIAL WHEN Purchasing a Street Sweeper.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Purchasing any piece of equipment entails consideration and forethought. Street sanitation equipment is no exception. The following guiding principles should be considered before any new sweeper purchase: * Get the right tool for the...

RECORD SETTING CALIFORNIA Internal Sealing Project.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... When you handle as much water as the California Department of Water Resources' Dos Amigos Pumping Plant near Los Banos, California, leaks in the system can result in some sizable water loss. The plant, which was built in 1965, functions as...

Prevent Dam Failures.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... More than 10,000 dams have been built in the United States under various small watershed programs over the past 55 years. Most of these are embankment dams providing multiple benefits including flood control, municipal drinking water supplies,...