Industry News Briefs

March 04, 2010 Headlines
DoT has $100 Billion Backlog of "High-Priority" Infrastructure Projects
Projects Across USA Turn Landfill Gas Into Energy
NYC School Focuses on Sustainability in Design of Building and Curriculum

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DoT has $100 Billion Backlog of "High-Priority" Infrastructure Projects
Federal Times (02/24/10) Losey, Stephen

Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently announced that his department has a backlog of between $80 billion and $100 billion in high-priority infrastructure improvement projects that the department cannot afford to fund. "For a decade, we've really ignored infrastructure," LaHood said to the Senate Budget Committee. "We just haven't put the resources into it. There's a lot of lousy bridges and roads that need to be constructed." LaHood says the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program received a total of $60 billion in applications, but received only $1.5 billion in initial funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., says he wished Congress passed a larger stimulus bill to fund more bridge, road, and rail construction. The White House has proposed a fiscal 2011 Transportation budget of almost $78 billion, which would be a $1.5 billion increase over this year. LaHood says the budget would help pay for high-speed rail, highway and transit safety programs, and modernizing air traffic control.
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Projects Across USA Turn Landfill Gas Into Energy
USA Today (02/25/10) P. 4A; Koch, Wendy

Communities across the United States are converting methane gas emitted from landfills into energy through various projects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the number of landfill gas projects has swelled from 399 to 519 between 2005 and 2009, partly due to funds that have been made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The projects are popular because they control energy costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions, says EPA's Rachel Goldstein. For example, a $15.5 million California project started generating 13,000 gallons of liquefied natural gas per day, while a $45 million project in 2009 is producing sufficient power to enable the University of New Hampshire to curb its natural gas consumption by 80 percent. Meanwhile, federal stimulus funds will cover a significant portion of an approximately $5 million project to construct a landfill gas plant in Anne Arundel County, Md. And a public-private project in Glendale, Ariz., has tapped the methane gas in the city's 37-year-old landfill to generate enough electricity to power 750 homes.
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NYC School Focuses on Sustainability in Design of Building and Curriculum
Structural Engineering & Design (02/10) Cuono, Ciro; Grant, Sara

The Rodeph Sholom School (RSS) in Manhattan wanted to furnish more usable space, and to this end it bought and converted an additional brownstone and expanded its campus to include more classroom space, an expanded gymnasium, and a new library. The project incorporated sustainable design elements to minimize long-term environmental impact and daily waste, and to function as teaching opportunities integrated into the school's curriculum whenever possible. The brownstone was protected by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), and the design team restored the front facade and retained the existing masonry party walls in accordance with Landmark guidelines. The school community greatly supported the pursuit of LEED Certification for this project. To accomplish this, the design team collaborated with teachers and school administrators to use the building elements to establish learning opportunities. To support the LEED design, a stainless steel green screen was installed at the rear facade in order to tap into a steel plate cantilevered off of the new rear facade beam. The green screen framing was comprised of vertical bars, which support the screen for future plantings. Certain components, such as dual-flush toilets, reduce waste and shape the everyday habits of the staff and students. Other initiatives, such as the 2010 roof installation of photovoltaic panels, will actually be embedded into the curriculum and serve not only as a contribution in renewable energy, but also as a platform for an education in sustainable design and how green systems work for the RSS student body.
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Disaster Awaits Cities in Earthquake Zones
New York Times (NY) (02/25/10) Revkin, Andrew C.

University of Colorado Seismologist Roger Bilham warns that the swift urbanization of populations around the globe could place more and more people in serious danger from earthquakes, especially as buildings, like those in Istanbul, are erected quickly and safety is an afterthought. In Tehran, Iran, Bilham says that more than 1 million people could perish if an earthquake of the same magnitude as the one hitting Haiti were to occur. Many building codes enabled upper floors to hang over city streets, while others were erected without the benefit of having the best materials. The creation of an earthquake master plan to remedy the problems with existing structures has hit some roadblocks, but officials in places like Istanbul are adopting stronger building codes and making sure owners have mandatory earthquake insurance. However, much of the focus remains on essential structures, like hospitals, fire stations, and schools.
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Steelmakers Eye Big Increase in Raw-Material Costs
Wall Street Journal (02/25/10) MacDonald, Alex

Builders should brace themselves for the onset of much higher steel prices in coming months as steelmakers conclude annual negotiations with miners that may result in steelmaking raw material prices rising by 70 percent or more this year. Analysts expect benchmark prices for iron ore and coking coal to rise 40 percent and 50 percent, respectively, and possibly higher. The raw material prices are likely to remain high because most expansion projects have been shelved in light of the recession.
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NIST Launches New Competition for Research Facility Construction Grants
NIST News (02/25/10)

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced a competition for $50 million in research facility construction grants to be split among three to five projects at institutions of higher learning and nonprofits. The grants will underwrite new or expanded scientific research facilities in disciplines related to measurement science, oceanography, atmospheric research, or telecommunications. Candidate projects could include labs, observatories, research computing facilities, or measurement facilities. Grant proposals will be assessed according to a trio of criteria—scientific and technical value of the proposed employment of the facility and the need for federal financing; quality of the facility's design; and adequacy of the project management team for facility construction. Applicant organizations are required to cover at least 20 percent of the yearly project costs to satisfy the cost-sharing mandate. "Our outstanding academic and nonprofit research institutions have always been essential to the nation's economic and competitive strength," says NIST director Pat Gallagher. "NIST's Construction Grant Program represents an important, long-term investment to ensure that these organizations have the state-of-art facilities needed to conduct their research."
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Bright Lights, Bug City
New Scientist (02/26/10) Vol. 205, No. 2748, P. 35; Ball, Philip

Termites and other insects that build nests may hold the key to sustainable architecture as issues such as climate change and resource depletion gain prominence. Freeform Engineering's Rupert Soar and Scott Turner of the State University of New York in Syracuse are convinced that termite mounds do not circulate carbon dioxide-saturated air outward, but rather exchange fresh and stale in their walls by tapping the gusts of wind that strike them. In modern human buildings, ventilation entails blowing fresh air in through vents to flush stale air out. It is Turner's belief that humans should design walls to be adaptive, porous interfaces that regulate the exchange of air and heat between the exterior and the interior. "Instead of opening a window to let fresh air in, it would be the wall that does it, but carefully filtered and managed the way termite mounds do it," he speculates. Turner thinks people could adopt a more insect-like approach to architecture thanks to technological innovations. "There's a huge opportunity for robotics to build systems of agents linked by a distributed intelligence that can remodel a building's structure as conditions change," he notes.
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Polypropylene-Random: A Green Alternative to Pressure Pipe
Plumbing Systems & Design (02/10) Vol. 9, No. 1, P. 28; Clark, Steven J.

It is only very recently that polypropylene (PP) pipe has started to be utilized in potable and pressure pipe applications, and there are various factors that have contributed to its increasing popularity in this area. Advances in PP technology are one such factor. The creation of polypropylene-random (PP-R), a blending of long and short polymer chains, gives piping systems twice the pressure rating of standard PP, and greater tolerance of high temperatures. In addition, the thermal expansion of the PP-R pipe can be controlled thanks to German engineering, while the development of socket fusion connection technology offers connection strength equal to that of welding without requiring as much labor. Another factor supporting the expanded use of PP pipe is the desire for a meaningful warranty instead of liability. PP-R can fulfill this mandate for as long as a decade, in conjunction with fusion and precise quality control. Also driving the adoption of PP is the sustainable construction movement, and the addition of PP-R to most North American model plumbing codes.

Paving the Way for Electric Cars, Utilities Make Plans Now
Kansas City Star (02/26/10) Everly, Steve

Kansas City Power & Light Co. (KCP&L) and other utilities are getting ready for a future with electric cars. KCP&L hopes to open its first of 10 public charging stations in 2011 to be located in midtown Kansas City. It is now readying educational campaigns designed to inform customers about what is involved in owning an electric vehicle. In addition, the utility plans to train employees so they will be conversant in such topics such as the electric wiring needed to charge the vehicles. Electric utilities nationwide are looking to make it as easy as possible to own an electric car. Kevin Bryant, vice president of energy solutions for KCP&L, remarks, "The electric utility industry wants to enable (electric vehicles) and not hinder them." To this end, the Electric Power Research Institute has joined with a group of about 50 utilities to work with automakers to do just that. General Motors has been especially keen about a relationship with utilities. GM and other automakers will be offering more such models in 2011 and the following year. Some are aiming for a range of 100 miles or more before recharging is necessary.
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U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Awards Nearly $10 Million in Training Grants for Minority and Women Owned Businesses
U.S. Department of the Interior (02/26/10)

The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced $9.9 million in grants to provide training and other services to minority- and women-owned businesses in 33 states to help them compete for highway contracts. “The U.S. Department of Transportation has an excellent history of reaching out to small businesses owned by women, veterans and minorities,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Nearly half the contracts we award each year go to these types of firms.” The funding is being funneled through the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise/Supportive Service (DBE/SS) program. “By helping small businesses like DBEs, this program enriches the competition for federal highway contracts,” said Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez. “More vigorous competition not only results in lower costs to taxpayers for roads and bridges, but more jobs for workers.”
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Hycrete: Keeping The Water Out
Forbes (02/25/10) Dolan, Kerry A.

A new product made by Hycrete makes concrete more water resistant than traditional concrete. Hycrete sells an additive that makes concrete both waterproof and more environmentally friendly by eliminating the need for a petroleum-based membrane to encase concrete below the ground. Adding Hycrete can reduce material costs and construction time while improving the environmental compatibility of a project, and adding a level of protection that may help rebar from rusting. The additive does weaken concrete a little, but it does not prevent the concrete from meeting specifications. Since Hycrete was launched in 2005 by David Rosenberg, it has been used in 200 buildings, mostly in the U.S., including the new Nintendo headquarters, a building on the Amazon.com campus, and in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation offices. The Hycrete additive is based on a water-soluble molecule that transforms when mixed into concrete, becoming a water-repellent polymer. One end of the molecule reacts with calcium in the mix to create hydrocarbon chains that fill capillaries, while the other bonds to steel, protecting rebar. The additive costs about $4 per square foot of foundation wall area, while the sheathing membrane it replaces costs about $6 a square foot.
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IBM Turns Attention to Smarter Buildings
New Statesman (UK) (02/23/10)

IBM has expanded its Smarter Planet initiative to include the management of buildings. Smarter Planet is Big Blue's wide-sweeping effort to produce a more efficient and intelligent infrastructure via the use of sensors and analytical software to pre-emptively diagnose and troubleshoot problems. At Pulse 2010, the company's service management conference recently held in Las Vegas, IBM announced a number of partnerships to help it aim its technology at making buildings more efficient. Currently, buildings account for 70 percent of all energy used nationwide and 38 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions. To this end, IBM has signed a deal with Johnson Controls to address such critical building performance areas as energy management, enterprise reporting and space utilization. The company has also inked an agreement with office equipment supplier Ricoh to develop a print management system which offers real-time tracking and monitoring. The system is designed to reduce print-related costs and reduce carbon emissions. IBM Tivoli general manager Al Zollar reasons, "Office buildings are full of printers. Often they are left consuming power when the last person leaves the building. This gives us the opportunity to manage and optimize the use of this important asset." IBM executives believe that a smarter building can more effectively manage heating, air conditioning and power consumption to lower costs and emissions, as well as identify security breaches and predict equipment maintenance issues. Rich Lechner, vice president of energy and environment for IBM, concludes, "Smart buildings are the cornerstone of our strategy to deliver a smarter infrastructure."
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