Industry News Briefs

January 28, 2010 Headlines
Senate Panel to Weigh National Infrastructure Bank
New Transit-Funding Rules Make Streetcars More Desirable
WindWind Power Could Be 20-30 Percent of Eastern U.S. Grid

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Senate Panel to Weigh National Infrastructure Bank
Bond Buyer (01/21/10) Dutton, Audrey

Senate Banking Committee chairman Christopher J, Dodd, D-Conn., recently announced that the Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing in February on the creation of a national infrastructure bank (NIB). A coalition of infrastructure bank proponents, including Dodd and Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell, recently urged Congress and the Obama administration to create the bank, including asking President Obama to include at least $10 billion in the fiscal 2011 budget to provide at least $10 billion to capitalize a national infrastructure bank. There are numerous hurdles that could potentially block the creation of the infrastructure bank. House and Senate members decided not to provide conditional funding for a national infrastructure bank late last year, arguing that the bank should fist be created through the usual authorization process. A multi-year transportation authorization bill has not moved past the subcommittee level in the House, and is expected to be delayed through 2010, and there are questions surrounding the composition of the bank, how it would be capitalized and sustained, and who would choose the projects to be financed. Advocates believe that the bank would help create jobs and generate economic activity. "Any strategy for long-term job creation and economic growth must be centered on moving from a consumption economy to an economy that puts people to work building things again," says Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. Rendell has praised the creation of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants, which have been widely popular and are currently the sole vehicle for multi-state surface transportation projects. Rendell says once that stimulus is gone, there will not longer be a vehicle for those types of projects, and an infrastructure bank is perfect to fill that role. Rendell says the infrastructure bank could be used to make annual payments on public-private partnership leases, provide credit assistance for Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act loans, provide private-activity bonds, and possibly Build America Bonds. The group behind the petition also includes the American Road and Transportation Builders Association and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
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New Transit-Funding Rules Make Streetcars More Desirable
Wall Street Journal (01/15/10) Trottman, Melanie; Mitchell, Josh

The Obama administration recent announced that it is revising rules on federal transit funding to send more money to streetcars, bus routs, and other projects that promote "livability." The revision is part of larger effort by the Obama administration to use transportation and housing programs to reduce driving, contain sprawl, and create transit-related jobs. Transit-industry officials say many projects were hindered by a Bush administration policy requiring the government to evaluate projects based largely on reducing commuting times at the lowest possible expense. Liz Rao, the national public-transit services chairwoman for HNTB Corp., an infrastructure firm that serves federal and state clients, says the firm is working on a commuter-rail project in Indianapolis that could benefit from the revisions, as well as high-speed rail lines in California. Chandra Brown, the president of the streetcar manufacturer United Streetcar, says the company has worked for years to get the funding policy reworked. Brown says the old method focused on moving the most people the greatest distance in the shortest time, but that does not account for other benefits. For example, the new system ensures projects receive credit for being environmentally friendly. United Streetcar currently has about $50 million in streetcar orders, including six under contract with Portland, Ore., and seven with Tucson, Ariz. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the revision will determine how the Federal Transit Administration awards about $2 billion a year in transit-construction funds. The funding, awarded through a program called "New Starts and Small Starts," is intended to help state and regional agencies build commuter rail, light rail, heavy rail, and bus rapid-transit projects.
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Wind Power Could Be 20-30 Percent of Eastern U.S. Grid
New York Times -- Section B (01/21/10) P. 6; Wald, Matthew L.

A study conducted by the Energy Department has determined that a reorganization of the power grid and a significant increase in costs could allow wind to replace coal and natural gas for 20 percent to 30 percent of the electricity used in the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. Such an expansion would cost around $93 billion -- an amount that Dave Corbus, a senior engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, calls "really, really small compared to other major costs". Adding wind energy gets progressively more challenging, and the lack of a better grid means large amounts of energy go to waste because the grid itself cannot handle the amount of power the turbines turn out. The amount of wasted wind energy and the amount of backup needed would both decrease with a more sufficient grid system. However, conflict exists between grids in the Great Plains and those in places like New York and New England. One main obstacle for a potential nationwide use of wind energy is the drastic difference between wind conditions in the Midwest, where winds are stronger and space for turbines is easier to come by; and wind conditions in the East, where wind is less constant and turbines would likely need to be built offshore. Governors in 10 eastern states sent a letter to Congress asking that no special provisions be given to bring Midwestern energy to the East because that would prevent wind farm development in their own states. Regardless of where the turbines are finally built, the improvements to global warming will be modest: the best estimate given is a drop of about 4.5 percent in emissions.
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Vilsack Announces $310 Million in Recovery Act Funds for Rural Broadband Projects
U.S. Department of Agriculture (01/25/10)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the selection of 14 Recovery Act Broadband Infrastructure projects that will receive approximately $310 million through funding made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. An additional $3.5 million in private investment has also been announced.. Altogether, Congress awarded USDA $2.5 billion in Recovery Act funding to help bring broadband services to rural un-served and underserved communities. "The Obama Administration will strengthen communities in rural areas through these broadband investments and provide employment opportunities, building a solid foundation for future economic growth," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "The awards for these broadband projects will support anchor institutions—such as libraries, public buildings and community centers—that are necessary for the viability of rural communities."
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Can California Structures Withstand Haiti-Like Quake?
10News.com (San Diego) (01/14/10)

Following the earthquake disaster in Haiti, some wonder whether earthquake-prone California could withstand a similar event. The state issued a law requiring that all acute-care hospitals be retrofitted to withstand earthquakes following the 1994 Northridge earthquake, but some facilities have yet to comply with the law. The deadline for compliance was January 2008, but many hospitals have obtained extensions. Funding is the main challenge for hospitals. Experts say that advances in building standards mean that even if California is hit with a major earthquake the damage will not be as catastrophic as the damages sustained in Haiti. Structures in Haiti were built similarly to the way U.S. buildings were constructed 100 years ago, lacking any seismic design. However, some experts warn that a bigger problem is the foundation beneath buildings, and areas such as Mission Valley and Point Loma are at risk because they are essentially built on soft river sediment.
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Construction Costs Remain Under Control for Now, but Be Alert
Reed Construction Data (01/19/10) Carrick, Alex

Construction costs have increased only moderately for the past several quarters since the low point of Summer 2009, with the latest quarter reporting a 0.04 percent increase in construction installation or labor costs, according to RSMeans. The increase is mostly due to steady continuation of work levels at non-residential job sites while residential starts declined. Forecasts for construction are different for each sector—with housing starts expected to increase this year, the price of lumber and other forestry products is likely to slowly move upward, while non-residential starts will continue to be low. Engineering construction is currently strong but is likely to drop as stimulus funds are used up and state and local budget problems will limit new spending. Overall a slow and modest economic recovery is likely to keep construction costs low for the time being, but experts say the second half of 2010 is less certain.
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Crane Owners Step Up Inspections to Meet Tighter Quality Controls
Engineering News-Record (01/20/10) Van Hampton, Tudor

Kansas City-based J.E. Dunn Logistics is currently in the middle of a new safety program intended to cut risks, particularly regarding its expensive, large-scale hoisting equipment. The effort reflects a wider construction industry trend of using the economic downturn to improve safety controls before the market rebounds. J.E. Dunn's inspectors can examine the company's cranes, and then enter their findings in a smart phone or a laptop. In only a few seconds, an electronic report is filed with the home office. Safety managers can then pull records from anywhere in the world on the company's fleet of 31 tower cranes. Previously, safety inspection paper work was generally just filled out and filed away in a cabinet. Following a few disastrous crane accidents in 2008, contractors are strengthening their quality control and quality insurance, and trying to go beyond the required safety standards. Similarly, crane-rental company Morrow Equipment in Salem, Ore., is putting its workers through a newly built, 9,000 square-foot training facility that provides classes and seminars on fall protection, rigging, lockout-tagout, and electrical protection. J.E. Dunn is also using new software to track its general safety compliance, as well as GPS trackers to monitor essential data points, like load testing. Every day, J.E. Dunn requires operators to test the crane to 110 percent of its rated capacity as part of the startup routine. Industry standards only require such a test upon the initial erection of the crane.
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New Federal Data Shows Contractors Getting Squeezed Between Rising Materials Costs and Stagnant Prices for Finished Construction
Associated General Contractors of America (01/20/10)

Climbing materials costs and vanishing profit margins are putting the squeeze on construction contractors, according to the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America's examination of the latest producer price index (PPI). AGC chief economist Ken Simonson says statistics indicate that finished prices of nonresidential buildings fell in 2009 despite the rising prices of a number of construction materials, including copper and brass mill shapes, aluminum mill shapes, prepared asphalt and tar roofing and siding products, lumber and plywood, plastic construction products, and concrete products. "Contractors have not been able to pass on these cost increases, which is bad news for contractors but good news for anyone looking to build right away," he says. "Pressure is building on contractors to raise costs, however, so anyone waiting to build will pay more." Simonson says that the PPIs for new nonresidential buildings were level in December and slipped between 2.4 percent and 4.3 percent for the year, depending on the type of structure. In the meantime, the PPI for inputs to nonresidential building construction respectively increased 0.2 percent and 0.4 percent. "Contractors are swallowing the materials costs in order to stay busy," stresses Simonson. The association has issued a new 2010 construction hiring and business projection estimating that almost 90 percent of contractors do not anticipate market improvement this year. The likely outcome of this is a lagging of overall economic and employment expansion. AGC has urged the U.S. Congress and federal agencies to exploit relatively low construction costs by pushing new infrastructure investments forward.
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Smart Mud Could Be the New Plastic
New Scientist (01/20/10) Barras, Colin

A mixture of water and clay could potentially replace plastics, according to researchers at the University of Tokyo. Takuzo Aida and his team mixed a few grams of clay with 100 grams of water in the presence of a tiny amount of a thickening agent called sodium polyacrylate and an organic "molecular glue." The thickening agent teases the clay into thin sheets to increase its surface area and allow the glue to obtain a stronger hold. The result is a mixture that is almost 98 percent water but is able to form a transparent and elastic hydrogel with enough mechanical strength to make a 3.5-centimeter-wide self-standing bridge. The strength of the material hinges on the sum of the forces acting between the molecules in the clay nanosheets and the glue, according to Aida. These supramolecular forces, like hydrogen bonds, also help trap water molecules between the clay sheets. Aida says some other hydrogels use covalent chemical bonds instead of supramolecular forces, but when the covalent bonds break the material loses strength. The gel can form in only three minutes, and manufacturing the material requires no understanding of the chemical processes involved, according to Aida. Craig Hawker, from the University of California in Santa Barbara, says a major breakthrough of the material is the overall simplicity of the procedure and the exceptional physical properties of the material. "Toughness, self-healing and robustness are just some of the initial physical properties that will be found for this new class of materials," says Hawker. "I predict that this approach will lead to the design of even more impressive materials in the near future."
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Bangalore Whiz Quake-Proofs U.S. Buildings
Economic Times of India (01/19/10) Mishra, Pankaj

Whenever the U.S.-based steel fabricators Star Seismic or CoreBrace are involved in the construction of a new building, like a school or hospital, in an earthquake-prone area, like the American west cost, they pay a royalty to Bangalore's Benne Narasimhamurthy Sridhara for each brace they supply. Sridhara developed and patented a "sleeved column" braces technology, known as Buckling Restrained Braced Frames (BRBF) in the United States, that allows buildings to sway under extreme forces, like a storm or an earthquake, but not break. The sturdy brace apparatus developed by Sridhara, a structural steel design consultant, is simple and effective. Sridhara's solution surrounds a core of high-performance steel, but there is a space between the steel and the sleeve, which allows the sleeve to absorb and dissipate energy without buckling under pressure. Sridhara discovered the technique while experimenting with several designs by placing a thin rod inside a transparent plastic pipe. "When I applied load, the plastic tube prevented the brace from buckling," says Sridhara. These sleeved column braces have been used in the 56-floor Los Angeles Convention Center, the Bennet Federal Building in Salt Lake City, and the 60-story One Rincon Hill building in San Francisco. Despite their adoption in the United States, the sleeved column braces have not been widely adopted in India, and could have saved lives in the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. Badri K Prasad, an Indian engineer based in California, took notice of Sridhara's invention, and has been educating construction groups about the technology, including ensuring that the American Institute of Steel Construction adopted BRBFs as part of its "code of practice" in 2006.
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3-D Laser Scanning Speeds Up Building Condition Surveys
Building Operating Management (12/01/09) Vol. 56, No. 12, P. 09; Merritt, Bryan

The building restoration process is being revolutionized by a system that combines a digital camera and a laser to generate three-dimensional (3D) scans that can dramatically accelerate surveys of building conditions. The system operator first captures a photo-mosaic image with a camera and then marks the area to be scanned. The laser scanner then spins robotically, producing a raw image that is fed into 3D visualization and modeling software that creates accurate existing condition drawings. The scanner beam's laser pulses in a predefined array pattern, and when a pulse strikes a solid object, it reflects off that object back to the scanner. Coordinate values can be calculated for the point hit by the laser through the application of the speed of light to the time traveled by the laser pulse and the pulse's direction. Furthermore, coordinate points are assigned an "intensity value," and different building materials can be identified by recognizing changes in intensity value between points. Laser scanning technology also is applicable to building interiors where accurate measurements are a necessity.
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Value in Steel Design
Structural Engineer (12/09) McManus, Patrick S.; Lewis, Rex I.

Despite enormous technological advances, labor productivity gains in the U.S. construction industry is less than 50 percent those of non-farm industries, according to the Haskell Company. The inefficiency established by poor or incomplete connection design practice is a major factor in the structural steel sector. The primary culprit is an outdated design-bid-build business model, which almost ensures a dearth of communication between the design and construction teams until design is significantly complete. Segregation between design and construction removes an effective check and balance between design decisions and actual cost, and as a result it becomes easier for parties to the contract to focus more on their own interests than on the project's value. There is little realization among many of the entities engaging engineering services of how trifling the structural engineering fee is in comparison to the cost savings that a complete and economical engineering design can yield. There are various factors that contribute to the inclusion of increasing numbers of typical details in structural design drawings that conservatively encompass more conditions with less engineering effort.
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Slime Design Mimics Tokyo's Rail System
EurekAlert (01/21/10) Pinol, Natasha

Hokkaido University researchers, working with colleagues in the United Kingdom and Japan, recently completed a study suggesting that a fungus-like mold might be a good example of how to construct computer and mobile communication networks. Hokkaido's Atsushi Tero and colleagues observed that the slime mold connected itself to food sources in a pattern that was nearly identical to Tokyo's railway system. The food sources were placed in a way that corresponded to the cities surrounding Tokyo. The slime mold grew outwards from the center and created a network that was comparable to Tokyo's actual infrastructure. The researchers observed the core mechanisms needed by the mold to connect to its food and transformed them into an algorithm. "Biologically inspired pure mathematical models can lead to completely new, highly efficient algorithms able to provide technical systems with essential features of living systems, for applications in areas such as computer science," says Otto von Guericke University's Wolfgang Marwan. The research provides a starting point for improving the efficiency of networks such as remote sensor displays, mobile ad hoc networks, and wireless mesh networks, Tero says.
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New Building 'Skins' Save Energy
Hartford Courant (CT) (01/22/10)

A new thermal cover is being applied to older, concrete buildings to improve their energy efficiency. While cars are receiving the most attention in the energy efficiency movement, buildings account for nearly half of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, and buildings use more than 40 percent of the nation's energy, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. Older concrete buildings that are structurally sound but lack energy-saving technology are particularly wasteful. The problem is not necessarily solved through new, energy-efficient "green" buildings if an older building has to be demolished as part of the solution. A new solution is emerging as developers start to "re-skin" older concrete buildings by adding new thermal covers to reverse concrete's tendency to capture heat in the summer and release heat in the winter. Re-skinning a building can reduce energy use by as much as 50 percent, and can allow for the use of newer and better pipes and cables in the building. Germany and England are leaders in this area, though the Empire State building is being retrofitted on the inside, which is expected to save $4.4 million is energy costs every year.
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