Industry News Briefs

September 17, 2009 Headlines

Small, Disadvantaged Businesses Get Boost From ARRA Bond Program
BIM and Building Lifecycle Modeling
States’ Interest in Sonar Imaging of Bridges Grows

---

Small, Disadvantaged Businesses Get Boost From ARRA Bond Program
Fast Lane (09/04/09)

The U.S. Department of Transportation has established a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Bonding Assistance Reimbursable Fee Program to help disadvantaged businesses better compete for work on transportation projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The $20 million program administered by the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) aims to reimburse disadvantaged businesses for bonding premiums and fees that they incur on Recovery Act-funded transportation infrastructure projects. One company that has benefited from the OSDBU's efforts is the minority-owned engineering and transportation support services firm Altech Services, which has attracted transit and rail contracts for projects nationwide, making it more competitive, better capitalized, and better able to create jobs. Another firm is the female-owned electrical services company KND, which has grown more than 30 percent thanks to OSDBU programs.
Free Web Link, May Require Registration

BIM and Building Lifecycle Modeling
Architecture Week (09/09/09) Smith, Dana K.; Tardif, Michael

A comprehensive life cycle model for building information modeling (BIM), while conceptually appealing, has many practical implementation issues and should not be confused with BIM itself. The industry currently does not have the technology or the market conditions to allow for a comprehensive model that keeps all of the information about a building in a single place or has it all handled by a single business entity. Instead, the actual trend in BIM is toward a distributed model created by software tools that are intended to work together. This is partly because a single application would have a hard time modeling the complexities of an entire building lifecycle -- in fact, no such application is even being developed -- and partly because the industry has widely varying business processes and workflows. Companies working together would also have to change their existing business processes and information technology far too much to make a single building model practicable, and it would be prohibitively costly and technically challenging to create a single application that could meet everyone's needs.
Free Web Link, May Require Registration

States’ Interest in Sonar Imaging of Bridges Grows
Engineering News-Record (09/07/09) Vol. 263, No. 8, P. 15; Parsons, Jim

Sonar imaging technology is being utilized by state transportation officials to inspect underwater bridge elements and realize significant savings in wait time, and a Transportation Pooled Fund Study slated to commence in 2010 will concentrate on the technique's potential. The transportation departments of North Dakota and Minnesota employed a free underwater sonar imaging solution to check the foundations of the Sorlie Bridge following record flooding of the Red River of the North, rather than wait for the waters to recede so divers could perform an inspection. Terry Browne with Collins Engineers of Milwaukee says that it is only recently that the ability to generate high-resolution images under a broader range of water quality and flow conditions has become feasible. "The combination of wide bandwidths and narrow pulse beams provides highly detailed images, accurate quantities and useful measurements of underwater surfaces, including scour depressions, debris accumulation and exposed pier footings," he notes. "These capabilities are particularly useful in waterways with poor water quality, low visibility and fast flowing velocity with dangerous currents, conditions usually hazardous for divers." The objective of the two-year Transportation Pooled Fund Study will be "to provide a scientific assessment of the quality we can get from underwater imaging technologies and compare them to conventional methods, such as divers," says Mike Johnson with the California Department of Transportation. "We'll look at its applicability for structural material and water conditions, as well as time, cost and personnel safety issues."
Free Web Link, May Require Registration

Caltrans Plans Frequent Inspections After Bay Bridge Crack's Discovery
Contra Costa Times (CA) (09/08/09) Mara, Janis

The discovery of a cracked eyebar on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge has spurred the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to plan more frequent inspections. University of California Berkeley professor William Ibbs speculates that had the fracture cracked all the way through, "the [bridge's] level of safety would have been somewhat compromised." He thinks that if worst came to worst, "that one [bridge] section would have collapsed," while slanting of the bridge might have been an alternate scenario. Bridges and other structures are designed by engineers with redundancy in mind, so that the failure of one element can be compensated by at least one other element. Bridge inspections are required every two years by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, but Caltrans' Bart Ney announced at a Sept. 7 news conference that his agency is planning to hold inspections more frequently. "I'm sure Caltrans is going to be on its toes inspecting more vigilantly than they have been," concludes Ibbs.
Free Web Link, May Require Registration

Sunken Economy Boosts Public Construction Projects
Associated Press (09/09/09) Mulvihill, Geoff

Bids for public construction projects are falling all over the country as materials prices are falling and contractors face tighter competition, which is good news for governments but bad news for cash-strapped construction firms. Winning bids were 5 percent to 12 percent below estimate in every state this year, according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the Schools Development Authority in New Jersey awarded four contracts this year that were as much as 39 percent below estimates. The price of steel and iron scrap fell almost 57 percent in the past year while cement prices dropped 15 percent, but contractors say that only accounts for part of the problem. A bigger issue is tighter competition, says Jim Andoga of Austin Bridge & Road, who says his company cut built-in profit margins in its bids by up to 25 percent and still has not won as many bids as usual. This could be a risky tactic, he says, especially for smaller firms, which may fail if they bid too low.
Free Web Link, May Require Registration

Diversified Interests Keep Commercial Builders Afloat
Memphis Daily News (09/11/09) Smith, Eric

Many commercial builders in the Memphis area are managing to keep afloat during the recession by taking jobs in other lines of business, such as renovations, although this is a tough task for contractors who weren't already focusing on broadening their service range before the recession began. "It's easy to talk about. It's not easy to do," said Montgomery Martin of Montgomery Martin Contractors LLC. "There's costs to growing a company into diversity -- into diverse markets and having a diverse portfolio -- because you've got to hire people. All of our clients are looking for experts. They're not looking for someone who can build a building. They're looking for someone who can build an office building or a hospital or can do a manufacturing plant." Commercial development in the area has still seen some large projects such as the expansion of Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, but these have generally been projects begun before fall of 2008 that are finishing up. Development, particularly in private office construction, has slowed to a crawl because of lack of financing, but the institutional market has kept going for some. "Work at colleges, schools and churches continues to move forward, which is good," said Brett Grinder of Grinder, Taber & Grinder Inc. "That's what is beneficial about being in the Memphis market versus some other markets like Atlanta and places like that that are so development-oriented. We've got good diversity that keeps projects going even though the traditional office development stuff has slowed up a good deal."
Free Web Link, May Require Registration

Study Suggests Denser Development Could Cut Driving Pollution
USA Today (09/08/09) El Nasser, Haya

A newly released study by the National Research Council looks at nearly 100 smart growth studies from the last 20 years and indicates that denser development could reduce residents' need to drive and cut vehicle emissions. By concentrating more people in a single area, researchers say businesses, public transit, schools, and jobs also will come to the area, making it less necessary to drive. Driving would be reduced by 12 percent if 25 percent of new and replacement housing units were located in denser communities. It is difficult to say how much emissions would decrease as a result, but researchers estimate a 1 percent decline by 2030. However, denser development would not be accompanied by a reduction in driving if communities lack sidewalks, jobs, and services or access to public transportation.
Free Web Link, May Require Registration

Computer Program Maps Construction Projects on Internet
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (09/07/09) Schmitz, Jon

Officials in Allegheny County, Pa., have adopted Envista computer mapping software to help plan, coordinate, and monitor construction and maintenance projects, allowing better collaboration between governments, utilities, and road departments. For example, utilities could plan digging work for times when road crews are already preparing to repave roads, rather than ending up in situations when newly repaved roads have to be dug up right afterward for gas or water line maintenance. "Envista will enable the county, PennDOT, municipalities and utility companies to easily exchange information and coordinate construction and maintenance projects via the Internet," said County Executive Dan Onorato. "This will reduce street cuts, save on paving costs and lessen impacts on neighborhoods and commuters during the paving and construction season." The county will be working to encourage use of the software by other governments, authorities, and utilities, in the region to improve collaborative abilities. Envista is also in use in Baltimore, Colorado Springs, Sacramento and Providence, R.I.
Free Web Link, May Require Registration

Quick Action on FAA Bill Unlikely
Aviation Week (09/09/09) Schofield, Adrian; Ott, James

Airports trying to plan construction projects are being held up by delays in Congressional approval of an FAA reauthorization bill, American Association of Airport Executives president Charles Barclay wrote in a letter urging Congress to act. The bill was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee in July and now languishes in Finance Committee chambers, which is busy with healthcare reform and unlikely to turn its attention to FAA before its September 30 expiration. The long series of short-term extensions and “uncertain funding levels” have been “very disruptive to airport executives as they try to plan their construction projects,” Barclay wrote, urging Congress to pass a permanent measure. AAAE also wants Congress to raise the limit on passenger facility charges and abandon a proposal to require airports to comply with National Fire Protection Association standards.
Free Web Link, May Require Registration

Turning to Windmills, but Resistance Lingers
New York Times (09/13/09) Goodnough, Abby

The planning board in Bourne, Mass., a pastoral Cape Code town, twice rejected a resident's proposed 132-foot windmill project citing safety concerns and predicting ''an adverse effect on the character of the neighborhood.'' The project's defeat was sealed by a Superior Court ruling in July that backed the planning board's decision, underscoring the steep odds that residential windmill plans face nationwide. The decision is likely to be scrutinized by towns across the region and even the nation as they grapple with how to regulate windmills on residential property. Battles over the height and noise level of residential windmills, and even over the shadows cast by their blades, are springing up from Maine to California, even as the Obama administration promotes renewable energy and the federal stimulus package provides 30 percent tax credits for homeowners who install wind turbines. Many towns still enforce old laws that prohibit anything taller than 30 feet or 40 feet on residential land - a height too low for sufficient wind power generation, experts say. Wind turbines need to be at least 30 feet higher than anything within 500 feet, including trees, which often means a tower of 80 feet or more. Cape Cod has been a battleground in the windmill debate: a proposal to build the nation's first offshore wind farm has met with stiff opposition from those who say the project would spoil the natural beauty of Nantucket Sound. While residential turbines remain a tiny fraction of the wind energy market, they are popping up often enough for many communities, especially in New England, the Midwest and the West, to start regulating them. Nearly 2,700 wind units with capacities of 10 kilowatts or less, the size used for residences, were sold nationwide last year, up from 1,167 in 2007, according to the American Wind Energy Association. The wind energy association estimates that one-third of small wind projects are thwarted by vague or overly strict local laws, or by outdated zoning rules that preclude them.
Free Web Link, May Require Registration

Recovery Act: States' and Localities' Current and Planned Uses of Funds While Facing Fiscal Stresses
GAO Reports (09/09)

The Treasury Department has distributed about $45 billion of the planned $49 billion in funding to states and local governments under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the GAO has issued a report on how and where the money has been spent. In addition to Medicaid and Education funding, highway infrastructure projects were a major recipient of funds. The Department of Transportation obligated 16 states to $11 billion in highway infrastructure projects and has reimbursed about $604 million so far. About half of those projects were for pavement improvement, as such projects are quick to design and complete and can employ people quickly without extensive environmental clearances. It was required that projects selected be completed in three years and be located in an economically distressed area, and the GAO report found that local officials fulfilled the 3-year requirement but each had different ways of identifying distressed areas and prioritizing work in those locations. The report also finds that while recipients are required to report quarterly on the use of funds and the number of jobs created and retained, current guidance is insufficient to ensure accountability and address Recovery Act risk. Many municipalities are using federal Single Audit internal control programs, but this is insufficient because the deadline is too late to allow auditors to take action on any deficiencies.
Free Web Link, May Require Registration

Rammed Aggregate Pier Ground Improvement
Structural Engineer (08/09) Vol. 10, No. 7, P. 30; Veitas, Rimas M.

The use of rammed aggregate pier (RAP) systems in several projects demonstrates their ability to address novel geotechnical and structural foundation support issues. The site of Orange Hall at Salem State College was composed of up to nine feet of fill soils, underlain by up to three feet of peat and organics followed by marine clay. The design team determined that RAP was less costly, lowered risk of exposing contaminated fill, and kept vibration concerns at a nearby laboratory to a minimum. The RAP solution delivered foundational support for axial column loads as high as 760 kips, while the moment frames were designed with fixed bases, which developed moments in the spread footings. Meanwhile, RAPs were installed to bolster the fill and organic soils so that the design team could economically support a freezer rack system with imposed equivalent uniform pressures of 1,200 psf on a Chelsea, Mass., warehouse project. Before the installation of the pier, the site was excavated to 10 feet below grade to extract the existing foundations, which were then crushed, aggregated with the existing contaminated fill, and returned to the excavation in compacted lifts. Following the finalization of the racking system's location, the RAP components were designed to be directly below the rack legs to support a maximum load of 35 kips. The presence of new structural fill at the site placed over the piers permitted more uniform floor slab support.

Moving History to the Present
Roads & Bridges (08/09) Vol. 47, No. 8, Bernos, Michael; Strutts, Jennifer

Savannah, Ga., has won awards for its efforts to meet the needs of rapid growth while preserving the city’s historic character, which is the center of its tourism industry and vital to the local economy. The main area of concern is the eastern edge of the city, where President Street is one of only two major roads linking the coastal islands with downtown. The Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) developed the idea of extending the downtown grid network toward these newly developed areas rather than merely widening the street to an eight-lane highway, which would be the traditional solution, creating “a new model for development,” that would enhance the city’s historic character, according to executive director Tom Thomson. “We started looking at President Street as the eastern gateway to the city—an entirely different kind of street,” he said. This meant convincing developers to go along with the plan, and some who had ideas for high-end mixed-use projects or big box retail development agreed to sell out to existing landowners who were more attuned to the city’s plan. President Street now transitions from a high-speed six-lane road at one end to a low-speed four-lane road near the historic district, and the extended grid gives drivers more options and relieves traffic. There are accommodations for a future streetcar system to provide more connectivity, and the design overall is intended to allow future developments to conform with Savannah’s historic character. The project “demonstrates that when transportation is studied in conjunction with context, development does not have to cannibalize a city’s historic character.”
Free Web Link, May Require Registration

Regenerative Design
Urban Land Magazine (08/09) Vol. 68, No. 8, P. 48; King, Jason; Thayer, Scott E.

Sustainable design and planning strategies are establishing new standards for environmentally friendly development projects that combine communities' social, economic, and environmental requirements. Examples of regenerative development include Independence Station in Portland, Ore., which will use integrated design strategies to become self-sufficient and achieve net-zero energy. Standard green development features the structure will incorporate include rainwater collection and reuse, energy-efficient illumination, and recycled and reclaimed building materials. Independence Station will be able to run off the power grid for extended periods during which it can channel the extra energy it produces back into the system. Ultimately the facility will be linked to a larger restorative system with regenerative design strategies that include habitat restoration along Ash Creek, natural wastewater treatment ponds, and a blackwater waste treatment bioreactor. In addition, organic-production greenhouses and tilapia farming will yield food for the community. Another example of regenerative design in the Portland area is Tanner Springs Park, which is modeled after a wetland ecosystem. The park captures stormwater from surrounding streets and feeds it into the low point of the park where it can rise and fall in accordance with the storms and seasons.

---

© Copyright 2009 INFORMATION, INC.