Latest News
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Infrastructure spending expected to fall in 2009 despite stimulus
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August 1, 2009
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LEXINGTON, MASS. - Despite an infusion of federal stimulus funds, infrastructure spending in the United States is expected to decline 4.3 percent in 2009. According to the Second Quarter 2009 U.S. Infrastructure Market Analysis from IHS Global Insight's Construction Service, the infrastructure market has been a victim of large state government deficits and funding shortfalls to cities and towns. The forecasting firm expects infrastructure spending to decline 1.6 percent in 2010 and then grow 2.4 percent in 2011 as tax receipts improve for state governments and the federal stimulus package, totaling approximately $120 billion for infrastructure, is fully implemented....
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Black & Veatch embarks on headquarters upgrade
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August 1, 2009
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OVERLAND PARK, KAN. - Black & Veatch finalized the $60 million purchase of its headquarters building in Overland Park, allowing the engineering, consulting, and construction company to begin site development, enhancement, and plans for expansion. The new world headquarters will include a solar courtyard, solar canopy, bio garden and an innovation pavilion. There will also be extensive workspace, common area, and facility upgrades, as well as energy management upgrades; enhancements in external landscaping; rainwater reuse systems; and stormwater runoff management. When completed, Black & Veatch expects its world headquarters to be LEED certified....
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Joint venture receives $111 million contract modification
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August 1, 2009
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NEWARK, N.J. - A joint venture known as THE Partnership (THEP), comprising Parsons Brinckerhoff, AECOM, and STV, Inc., was awarded a contract modification worth $111 million for New Jersey Transit's multi-billion-dollar Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel (THE Tunnel). THEP will complete final design and preparation of contract-bid packages for the 3.5-mile tunnel, which will double commuter rail capacity between New York and New Jersey. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a partner with New Jersey Transit for this project....
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University of RBF becomes authorized provider of IACET CEUs
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August 1, 2009
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IRVINE, CALIF. - The International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) awarded RBF Consulting's Corporate University accreditation, giving the firm the ability to award Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for the many courses offered to the internal engineering, planning, and surveying team members and to clients across the United States. IACET Authorized Providers are the only organizations approved to offer IACET CEUs. The recognition period extends for five years and includes all programs offered or created during that time....
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States seek $102 billion for high-speed rail
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August 1, 2009
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) received 278 pre-applications requesting a total of $102 billion in grant funding for high-speed rail projects. Money will come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail competitive grant program, but the ARRA provides only $8 billion to develop high-speed rail networks. President Obama proposed a $1 billion annual investment to further this effort....
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Panama Canal awards $3.1 billion locks contract
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August 1, 2009
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PANAMA CITY, Panama - The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) awarded Consortium Grupo Unidos por el Canal a $3.1 billion contract to design and build the waterway's new set of locks, a major part of the Panama Canal Expansion Program....
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Stantec to rehabilitate major Boston sewer line
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August 1, 2009
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BOSTON - Stantec was chosen to design the rehabilitation of the West Roxbury Tunnel, a 12,500-foot-long, 84-inch-diameter rock tunnel sewer line running beneath a densely populated section of Boston. With depths of up to 220 feet and limited points of access, the project requires carefully planned logistics, and marks the largest and most complex linear infrastructure rehabilitation project ever awarded to the firm....
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Design-build water projects increasing
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July 1, 2009
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new report by the Water Design-Build Council, a not-for-profit organization representing design-builders of municipal water and wastewater systems, highlights the growth of the design-build method of project delivery for the nation's water and wastewater infrastructure projects. The report, a four-year analysis of the Water Design-Build Council's member firms, found that the sales value for the market grew nearly 80 percent in 2008 to reach $2.2 billion, representing 89 new projects. Geographically, projects in Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico represented 73 percent of all sales in 2008....
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Scientists and engineers address coastal urban flooding
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July 1, 2009
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NEW YORK - On June 9-10, 2009, an international group of scientists, engineers, city planners, port, transportation, and emergency managers convened at Stony Brook University Manhattan to discuss common challenges and innovative strategies for protecting coastal populations, port facilities, industrial centers, transportation corridors, water systems, telecommunications facilities, hospitals, schools, and financial businesses in flood-prone coastal urban areas. With a focus on international examples, workshop participants discussed the development and implementation of strategies to mitigate flood risks and protect communities and infrastructure in coastal cities. In particular, experts compared measures undertaken to reduce the risks and consequences of climate change in the cities of Rotterdam, Jakarta, and New York, each with a Dutch heritage....
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Canadian municipalities oppose 'buy American' provisions
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July 1, 2009
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Federation of Canadian Municipalities passed a resolution in early June giving the U.S. government 120 days to broker a fair-trade deal or face the consequences of U.S. companies being restricted from bidding on Canadian infrastructure projects. The resolution adopted by the Federation, representing more than 90 percent of Canadian cities and townships, expressed support for procurement policies that favor free and fair trade, particularly for water and wastewater projects, by ensuring that goods and materials are procured "only from companies whose countries of origin do not impose trade restrictions against goods and materials manufactured in Canada."...
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Autodesk adds benefits to assistance program
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July 1, 2009
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SAN RAFAEL, CALIF. - With more than 4,700 participants in the Autodesk Assistance Program, and more than 5,400 product downloads to date, Autodesk announced additions to the program. The program was designed to help displaced workers in the architecture, engineering, design, and manufacturing industries maintain and develop their 3D design technology skills and help improve their employability in a down economy....
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Bentley Systems begins online seminar series
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July 1, 2009
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EXTON, PA. - Bentley Systems, Inc., opened registration at www.bentley.com/beconnected for its Be Connected online seminar series. According to the company, Be Connected gives architects, engineers, builders, geospatial professionals, and owner-operators a chance to learn about applying information modeling from some of the world's leading infrastructure practitioners - free of charge - in both live and on-demand formats. The live seminars, which take the place of this year's Be Conference, began June 23 and run through Nov. 25....
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ARTBA Foundation recognizes environmental excellence
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June 8, 2009
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The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) recently presented awards to highway and bridge improvement projects across the country that have contributed to environmental protection and mitigation. Projects and participants were recognized during the ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation’s 10th annual Globe Awards event, held in Washington, D.C., as part of the association’s Federal Issues Program....
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EPA revises drinking water allotments
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June 8, 2009
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the revised Drinking Water State Revolving Fund allotments that will be provided to the states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Territories, American Indian Tribes, and Alaska Native Villages if President Obama’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2010 is enacted. These allotments reflect the results from EPA’s most recent Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment....
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Webinar series: LEED for Neighborhood Development
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June 8, 2009
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The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is offering a webinar series called, LEED for Neighborhood Development: Sustainability Beyond Buildings. LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND), created by USGBC in partnership with the Congress for the New Urbanism and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is the first national standard for green neighborhoods. The webinars feature stories of certified pilot projects, both in urban infill locations and suburban locations, and highlight challenges overcome by project teams. According to USGBC, attendees will obtain best practices in developing green neighborhoods....
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Free webcast: Maximizing Transportation Funding with Modern Design Solutions
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June 8, 2009
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A free CE News webcast—Maximizing Transportation Funding with Modern Design Solutions—will explore the impact for civil engineers of increased investment in transportation infrastructure resulting from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and other funding mechanisms, as well as ideas about how to use this money efficiently....
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Public AEC firms show gains in April
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June 8, 2009
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The ZweigWhite 15 (ZW15), an index of the stock prices of publicly traded architecture, engineering, and construction firms, rose 9.9 percent in April to reach $730.61, marking the second consecutive month of gains. Following suit, the ZweigWhite International (ZWI) index rose 15.7 percent to end April at $612.73, indicating that the recovery is not isolated to the United States....
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Report highlights software piracy in engineering
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June 8, 2009
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The Business Software Alliance (BSA) released a list of the Top 10 U.S. industries with the highest number of reports of PC software piracy. Engineering ranks eighth....
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Association of A/E Business Leaders serves entire A/E industry
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June 1, 2009
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SAN FRANCISCO—In late 2008, the organization dedicated to the business of managing architecture and engineering firms, formerly known as the Professional Services Management Association (PSMA), began operating under a new banner—the Association of A/E Business Leaders (AEBL). As AEBL, the group remains focused on offering the entire A/E industry an affordable resource for comprehensive training and advice in every management discipline....
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CMAA sponsors inaugural Water Summit
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June 1, 2009
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MCLEAN, VA.—Catherine Gerali, district manager of the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District in greater Denver, Colo., is overseeing the planning and construction of as much as $2 billion in capital improvements, and will describe the District’s strategy in her keynote presentation to the Construction Management Association of America’s (CMAA) first Water Summit in July....
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Concrete associations unite in joint sustainability initiative
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June 1, 2009
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SKOKIE, Ill.—The Portland Cement Association (PCA), National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), American Concrete Institute (ACI), Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, National Concrete Masonry Association, and Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute signed a memorandum of understanding to align sustainable development activities....
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Design-Build Institute of America Announces Leadership Transition
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June 1, 2009
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WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) announced that Lisa Washington, CAE, will assume the role of executive director upon the retirement of current DBIA President and CEO Lee Evey. The transition was expected to be complete by June 2009. As executive director, Washington will serve as DBIA’s chief executive and will be accountable directly to the DBIA board of directors....
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Passenger rail and transit projects advance across the United States
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June 1, 2009
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WASHINGTON, D.C.; HOUSTON; LAS VEGAS; AND ORANGE, CALIF.—A series of separate announcements this spring highlighted an increased emphasis on passenger rail and transit systems in the United States. On May 7, President Obama recommended to Congress $1.83 billion in funding for major transit projects. More than $600 million of those funds are being recommended for new projects in areas as diverse as Northern New Jersey; Austin, Texas; and Roaring Fork Valley, Colo. A list of projects and their descriptions is available online at www.fta.dot.gov/publications/reports/reports_to_congress/publications_9672.html ...
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State commits to highway tunnel under Seattle
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June 1, 2009
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SEATTLE—Washington Governor Christine Gregoire signed a bill into law on May 12 that commits state funding to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a bored tunnel beneath downtown Seattle. The legislation approves $2.4 billion to construct a bored tunnel and remove the current structure. The funding will also be used to replace the south end of the viaduct with a new surface roadway. The Legislature also directed Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to evaluate whether an additional $400 million can be raised through tolls....
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Water tunnel seismic upgrade receives Pankow Award
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June 1, 2009
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OAKLAND, CALIF.—The East Bay Municipal Utility District Claremont Tunnel Seismic Upgrade Project was awarded the 2009 Charles Pankow Award for Innovation from the American Society of Civil Engineers. The project was designed to safeguard the water supply of more than 800,000 people in the Oakland area from a magnitude 7 earthquake. The Claremont Tunnel, built in 1929, crosses the active Hayward Fault as it carries water more than three miles from the Orinda Water Treatment Plant to aqueducts serving all or parts of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda and eight other communities. The winning project involved construction of a 1,570-foot-long bypass tunnel that runs through the fault and connects to the Claremont Tunnel east and west of the fault zone....
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Public-private partnership moves forward in Texas
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June 1, 2009
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AUSTIN, TEXAS—The Texas Transportation Commission conditionally awarded a $4 billion project to rebuild the I-635 (LBJ highway) corridor in Dallas—the New LBJ project—to LBJ Development Partners. The Commission’s action is another step toward a partnership with LBJ Development Partners to finance, design, construct, operate, and maintain the 13-mile corridor....
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Events
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June 1, 2009
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Innovative Lidar Solutions Conference
June 24-26, 2009
Toronto, Canada
Focus: Survey and mapping solutions
Information: www.optechilsc.com ...
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Design firms wait for stimulus
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May 21, 2009
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The final verdict is still out, but as of last month, the stimulus package hadn’t been all that stimulating when it comes to infrastructure projects across the country, according to the top CEOs from leading design and construction firms. The leaders responded to a recent "Sentiment Index" question in a survey conducted in April by the Construction Industry Round Table and FMI Research for the Second Quarter of 2009. When these CEOs were asked whether they had begun to see the effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, 62 percent of the respondents said no, with only 38 percent answering in the affirmative....
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Los Angeles considers PPPs
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May 21, 2009
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The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Agency (Metro) awarded a Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) Advisory Contract to a team of firms to advise it regarding selection and initial implementation of projects that could include some of the first privately financed rail transit lines in the United States. More than 50 projects in the Metro’s long-range plan are under consideration for PPPs....
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APWA names top public works professionals
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May 21, 2009
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The American Public Works Association (APWA) named the Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year for 2009. "Selection of the most outstanding public works leaders from the United States and Canada is the capstone of our National Public Works Week celebrations," said Peter King, APWA executive director. "These leaders are selected by a committee of peers for their professionalism, expertise, and personal dedication to improving the quality of life in the communities they serve. They represent the best of our profession and are worthy of this high honor."...
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