House Clears Water Resources Development Act
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives today overwhelmingly approved the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018 (H.R. 8), bipartisan legislation that provides for improvements to the Nation’s ports, inland waterways, locks, dams, flood protection, ecosystem restoration, and other water resources infrastructure that is essential to economic growth and American competitiveness. The bill passed by a vote of 408 to 2. The legislation authorizes proposed U.S. Army Corps of E...
Amsterdam’s Robot Printed Bridge Wins European Innovation Prize
Amsterdam’s robot printed steel bridge has been awarded the European Commission’s prestigious STARTS Prize 2018, which champions innovative projects at the interface of science, technology and art. STARTS recognizes digital transformation projects that have the potential to contribute to economic and social innovation. The 3D-printed pedestrian bridge is the product of the innovative collaboration of Dutch technology startup MX3D and designers Joris Laarman Lab. With Arup involved as lea...
Over Half of Highway Contractors Experience Work Zone Crashes, AGC Survey Finds
A national survey of 550 highway contractors conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America found that 54 percent of them said motor vehicles crashed into their construction work zones during the past year. On top of that, 48 percent of contractors who experienced work zone crashes reported injuries to either motor vehicle operators or passengers, while 24 percent of those crashes involved a driver or passenger fatality. "There are simply too many cars crashing into too many work...
Tariffs Threaten to Push Highway Project Costs Higher
The Trump administration's long-threatened imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum imported from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union went into effect at midnight on May 31 – a move that is hiking construction costs for state departments of transportation across the country, especially for steel-intensive bridge projects, while also potentially forcing a redirection of funds away from future endeavors. "The reality is we have a fixed source of federal funding, so as our topline costs go...
Highview Power Launches the World’s First Grid-Scale Liquid Air Energy Storage Plant
LONDON – June 5, 2018 – Highview Power, a leader in true long duration energy storage solutions, announced today that the world’s first grid-scale liquid air energy storage (LAES) plant has been officially launched. The 5 MW/15 MWh LAES plant that is located near Manchester, United Kingdom, is the first operational facility using LAES technology at grid scale. "The global energy storage market will grow to a cumulative 125 GW/305 GWh by 2030, attracting $103 billion in investment over this pe...
HNTB Survey: Americans Expect Self-Driving Vehicles to be Commonplace within 15 Years
NEW YORK (June 4, 2018) – Americans expect autonomous, self-driving vehicles will be commonplace in America within the next 15 years, according to research published in a new HNTB Corporation America THINKS national public opinion survey, which also highlights the need for infrastructure solutions to accommodate their use. The survey, The Road to Autonomous Vehicles – 2018, found seven in 10 Americans (70 percent) believe autonomous vehicles will routinely navigate the nation’s streets and hi...
$1 Billion in Additional Construction Spending Creates 6,300+ Additional Construction Jobs
Construction Spending and Employment: History and Forecast Terms and Sources Construction Spending Source: Census Bureau Value of Construction Put in Place Survey (VIP) Annual Historical Data (Annual Total Table) Total Private Employment Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Current Population Survey (CPS), Table 42 Excludes the self-employed. Only annual data are available. Construction Spending Forecast Assumptions Starting with the annual construction spending data for 2017 (...
Is Asia Now the Center of Gravity for Infrastructure?
Several members of the Bentley Systems team at the 2017 Year In Infrastructure event held Oct. 10-12, 2017, in Singapore, discuss whether Asia now is the center of gravity for infrastructure.
How the World's Tallest Timber Building Withstands Fire
Mjøstårnet will be the world's tallest timber building. But what if a fire breaks out? “The fire safety measures that have been implemented in Mjøstårnet make the timber building far safer than a corresponding building with a traditional steel and concrete structure. Mjøstårnet is one of the safest buildings along lake Mjøsa, and can withstand even an extensive fire,” says Even Andersen. He’s is a fire consultant with Sweco Norge AS, the company responsible for fire safety in the building.
Hawaii DOT Continues to Deal with Volcano-Related Disruptions
The Hawaii Department of Transportation continues to battle highway cracking and other fallout from the ongoing eruption of the Kilauea Volcano. Those efforts include placing steel plates fitted with insulated material and/or heat-resistant concrete pads over roadway cracks along the Keaau-Pahoa Road – also known as Highway 130 – caused by volcanic activity and related earthquakes, as well as investigating the installation of electronic monitors near several such fissures to monitor heat leve...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
February Issue 2026
