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Firm leaders report 2009 job losses
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February 1, 2010
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WAYLAND, MASS. — Architecture and engineering (A/E) firm leaders reported that job losses in 2009 affected everybody — from highly qualified professionals to support staff — and in some cases the bleeding hasn’t stopped. According to the results of a survey The Zweig Letter conducted during the first week of January, some firms lost as much as 50 percent of their staffs in 2009, and some ultimately failed. |
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URS to rebrand EG&G and Washington divisions
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February 1, 2010
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SAN FRANCISCO — URS Corporation will rebrand and integrate its EG&G and Washington divisions under the URS Corporation brand. From now on, URS will present a single brand to clients and the marketplace. |
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Administration awards $8 billion for high-speed rail projects
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January 29, 2010
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TAMPA, FL – President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is awarding $8 billion to states across the country to develop America’s first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service. The awards are expected to begin development of 13 new, large-scale high-speed rail corridors across the country. The major corridors are part of a total of 31 states receiving investments, including smaller projects and planning work that will help lay the groundwork for future high-speed intercity rail service. |
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Imaging technology used to assess damage in Haiti
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January 29, 2010
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — In the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake that struck Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, scientists from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) are assessing the damage using high-tech imaging integrated into a small aircraft. |
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Retaining wall failure damages new homes
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January 28, 2010
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SAN ANTONIO — A retaining wall at the Rivermist community in San Antonio, Texas, failed on Sunday, Jan. 24, prompting an evacuation of 91 homes. The homes are part of a development by Centex Homes, a Texas-based developer and builder. According to an update provided by Centex, investigations are still underway. Centex will also be hiring engineering firms and soils professionals to help determine the cause of the soil movement. |
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GEI Consultants relocates into a single office location
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January 26, 2010
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DENVER — GEI Consultants relocated its Denver-area consulting engineering and scientific services to a single facility located in the Denver Technology Center. The move involves more than 60 staff of GEI formerly located in three metropolitan locations in Centennial, Littleton, and Boulder, Colo. |
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Researchers propose algae-based biofuel production at wastewater plants
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January 26, 2010
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — Researchers from the University of Virginia's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering have found that there are significant environmental hurdles to overcome before algae-based biofuel production ramps up. The researchers offered an alternative to production which involves using wastewater as a solution to some of these challenges. |
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Researchers find ways to manage dams for a changing climate
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January 26, 2010
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SEATTLE — Civil engineers at the University of Washington and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Seattle office have reviewed how dams in the Columbia River basin, the nation's largest hydropower system, could be managed for a different climate. The project aims to help regional water managers develop methods to deal with changes in the hydrological cycle. |
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FMI projects 4-percent construction reduction in 2010
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January 25, 2010
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RALEIGH, N.C. — According to FMI’s 2009 construction outlook report, 2010 will be the bottom in terms of dollar volume. Residential construction is expected to begin recovering in 2010. Non-building construction will continue to be a positive contributor, increasing 5 percent in 2010 as a result of conservation and development construction. |
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Simulation finds ways to avoid water shortages, reduce cost and eliminate surplus water
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January 22, 2010
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UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. — A research which used computer simulations for drought-prone areas reveal that when urban water planners combine water buying approaches the city avoids surplus water and high costs, and reduces shortages. The approaches analyzed include permanent rights, options and leases. |
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Hill International acquires TRS Consultants
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January 21, 2010
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WAYLAND, MASS. — Hill International acquired TRS Consultants, Inc., a firm that provides civil engineering, program management, construction management, and information technology services primarily to the transportation and infrastructure market. TRS, is based in San Ramon, Calif. The transaction was initiated by ZweigWhite Financial Advisory Services, which served as financial advisor to TRS Consultants. |
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FPL halts projected capital expenditures in Florida’s energy infrastructure
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January 19, 2010
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TALLAHASSEE, FLA. — The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) reduced Florida Power & Light Company’s (FPL) revenue request from more than $1 billion to $75.5 million. The Commissioners also denied FPL’s request for a base rate increase in 2011. Citing these decisions as further evidence of a deteriorating regulatory and business environment, FPL suspended activities on projects representing approximately $10 billion of investment over the next five years in Florida’s energy infrastructure. |
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Merrick providing LiDAR data for watershed rehab program
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January 19, 2010
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AURORA, COLO. —Merrick & Company is providing light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data collection and data processing services for 7,766 square miles of five watersheds located in Oklahoma. The work is being done under a contract with AMEC Earth & Environmental, who is the prime consultant, for the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). |
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Mactec to manage South Florida stormwater project
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January 19, 2010
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WEST PALM BEACH, FLA.— The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) retained Mactec to provide construction management services for a major stormwater project in South Florida. The contract awarded to Mactec amounts to $2.5 million for construction management services. |
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ASCE urges donations, volunteers for Haiti relief
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January 18, 2010
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RESTON, VA. — The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) offered its technical expertise and pledged its support for relief efforts in Haiti, while urging its members and partners to join it in supporting the relief efforts organized the American Red Cross. ASCE also encourages its members to consider volunteering to help at the scene, especially structural engineers or those who speak French or Creole. |
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VIDEO: Stanford professor analyzes Haiti quake
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January 18, 2010
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"Anne Kiremidjian, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford, says that it could take Haiti 10 years to recover from the earthquake that devastated the island nation on Jan. 12, 2010. Kiremidjian compared the energy from the temblor to that of a nuclear blast."
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Bowman Consulting acquires The Vision Group
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January 18, 2010
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CHANTILLY, VA. — Bowman Consulting acquired The Vision Group (TVG), a civil engineering and construction management company with offices in Chesapeake, Va., and Edenton, N.C. This acquisition strengthens Bowman’s presence in the Tidewater region of Virginia and expands into North Carolina. |
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Designers receive $5,000 in prizes for realistic renderings
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January 15, 2010
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a dramatic change from existing policy, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposed that new funding guidelines for major transit projects be based on livability issues such as economic development opportunities and environmental benefits, in addition to cost and time saved, which are currently the primary criteria. |
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EPA initiates program to reduce water pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
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January 15, 2010
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will initiate new federal rulemaking on stormwater and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to reduce water pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This action complements ongoing work by EPA and the states to strengthen regulatory controls on major sources of pollutants consistent with shared commitments to implement the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load, the limit on the amount of pollution that can flow into the Bay and its tidal creeks and rivers. |
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Construction of Tampa’s elevated interchange begins
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January 14, 2010
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TAMPA, FLA. — Construction of a $400 million elevated interchange is scheduled to begin this month. The completed interchange will allow Tampa Bay area motorists to have a direct route to downtown Tampa and the Port of Tampa, thus alleviating congestion on the downtown interchange and through nearby Ybor City. The new I-4/Selmon Expressway Connector (Connector) will link two major highways, Interstate 4 (I-4) and the Selmon Expressway and will serve as a hurricane evacuation route. The Connector is one of the first roads in the country to provide dedicated truck lanes. The estimated completion date for the Connector project is 2013. |
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AECOM joint venture awarded $18 million contract
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January 13, 2010
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LOS ANGELES — A joint venture led by AECOM Technology Corporation was awarded an $18 million contract by the New Jersey Transit Board of Directors for the Portal Bridge Capacity Enhancement project. The authorization covers construction management consultant services for early action elements of a planned 7.5-year assignment, valued at approximately $94 million overall. |
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Conference highlights 3D imaging technology
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January 13, 2010
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THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS — The 7th Annual SPAR 2010 Conference & Exhibition will be held Feb. 8-10, 2010, at The Woodlands Waterway Marriot Hotel & Conference Center in The Woodlands (Houston), Texas. The conference provides the latest information about applying 3D imaging technology to mitigate risk, boost efficiency, and improve safety.
A civil infrastructure track includes scan to BIM; mobile surveying, scanning, and mapping; industrial planning; security planning and forensics; geotechnical and mining; and digital heritage preservation.
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GAI Consultants, Inc., merges with Bonar Group
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January 11, 2010
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PITTSBURGH — GAI Consultants, Inc., completed a merger with Bonar Group, a Fort Wayne, Ind.-based consulting and engineering firm. Bonar Group provides engineering, surveying, and planning services for municipal and commercial clients and has a staff of more than 60 located in five offices throughout the Midwest. |
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CH2M Hill gives back to communities
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January 11, 2010
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DENVER — CH2M HILL supported non-profit organizations by donating nearly $150,000 in lieu of holiday parties to local non-profit organizations, including food banks, Boys and Girls Clubs, Salvation Army, educational programs, and homeless shelters. The company’s employees also volunteered time to numerous organizations and provided personal donations to benefit food banks, toy drives, coat drives and Adopt-A-Family programs. |
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EPA to hold public listening sessions on potential stormwater rule
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January 11, 2010
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold five listening sessions to provide information to the public about a potential rule to strengthen stormwater regulations and to establish a comprehensive program for reducing stormwater from new development and redevelopment. These potential regulations would help to reduce stormwater discharges into waterways that can harm water quality.
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Golder Associates acquires Duane Miller Associates
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January 8, 2010
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ANCHORAGE, ALASKA — Duane Miller and Associates (DMA), a firm that specializes in Arctic and geotechnical engineering based in Anchorage, Alaska, has become part of the Alaska operations of Golder Associates Inc. (GAI). |
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New pipeline rehabilitation technology combines carbon fiber and robotics
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January 7, 2010
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California-based Fibrwrap Construction Inc. — construction arm of the Fyfe Group, manufacturer of fiber-reinforced polymer — was recently awarded a grant from The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to generate a prototype robot enabling the application of carbon-fiber reinforcement inside water transmission pipes. The goal is to facilitate trenchless repair and rehabilitation — even in small diameter pipes. |
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URS to rebrand by incorporating two additional divisions
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January 7, 2010
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SAN FRANCISCO — URS Corporation will rebrand and integrate its EG&G and Washington divisions under the URS Corporation brand. From now on, URS will present a single brand to clients and the marketplace. |
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Students return to Gambia to improve flooded roadway
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January 6, 2010
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GLASSBORO, N.J. — Three Rowan University engineering students and a professor will be returning to Africa’s smallest country as part of the university’s Engineers Without Borders (EWB) program. The purpose of the trip is to help alleviate road flooding that severely impacts communities in rural parts of The Gambia. |
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EPA outlines framework for reducing Chesapeake Bay watershed pollution
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January 6, 2010
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PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed creation of a rigorous accountability framework for reducing pollution in the Chesapeake Bay and the region’s streams, creeks, and rivers. A letter outlining a series of consequences that EPA could impose if jurisdictions do not make adequate progress in reducing water pollution was sent to the six states in the Bay watershed and the District of Columbia. |
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