Because each half of the foldable isolation plug assembly weighed about 900 pounds, designers ended up installing manual cranks that could be used by divers when assembling. This photo was taken at the Petersen Products yard, where the dive team worked with…
The 21st Century Renaissance of Tied-Arch Bridges
The Veterans Memorial Bridge (Image) Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s celebrated bridges—such as the Windsor Railway Bridge—are sometimes referred to as…
Progressive Design-Build Delivers a High-Risk, High-Reward Bioenergy Facility
Stantec used Oculus 3D augmented-reality headsets to convey design and operation details to owners and facility managers. The $271 million Piscataway…
Bringing Harmony to Bustling Hangzhou: Archi-Tectonics Creates New Natural Landscape for 2023 Asian Games
Given its rectangular footprint and startlingly verdant, sylvan hilliness amid densely clustered tall buildings, Hangzhou’s new Canal Asian Games Ecopark invites comparison to New York City’s Central Park, especially when seen from above. But unlike Central…
Book Review: “How Infrastructure Works,” By Deb Chachra
Reviewed by Angus Stocking A much longer and more detailed review can be found online at bit.ly/3ThIJmM or by scanning the accompanying QR code. Deb Chachra’s “How Infrastructure Works” is a bestseller released to wide acclaim in late 2023.…
Book Review: “How Infrastructure Works,” By Deb Chachra
Reviewed by Angus Stocking As a land surveyor for 15 years and then an infrastructure writer for 22 years, I have understandably acquired hundreds of books relating to infrastructure. Sometimes purchased for professional reasons, sometimes as gifts from well-meaning…
Montreal Adds Stunning New Bridges to Reimagined Historic Downtown
Ambient LED lighting creates a nice mix of night-time drama and secure intimacy. In late 2022, the massive three-phase, approximately $131 million redevelopment of Montreal’s Sainte-Catherine Street West and Square Phillips was declared complete, ending…
The New Hong Kong Palace Museum: A Brilliant Example of Outstanding Engineering in Service of Grand Architectural Vision
Heavy-duty steelwork taking place with one of the world’s finest (and most-expensive) views. The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), a $450-million, seven-story, 30,000-square-meter architectural masterpiece designed by Rocco Yim and his firm, Rocco Design Architects…
Woolpert Puts the ‘G’ in AEC
Woolpert mobilized five hydrographic survey vessels (nearly a quarter of its fleet) equipped with multibeam and side-scan sonar systems for the Chesapeake Bay project that focused on 615 square nautical miles, some of which had not been surveyed for more than…
More Than a Political Metaphor: Megaproject on Virginia’s I-66 Reduces D.C. Gridlock
At any time during the construction seasons of 2021 and 2022, commuters might be traveling through 22.5 miles of continuous construction In the Washington, D.C., metro area, “gridlock” is more than a political metaphor, it’s a daily fact of life for…
