Better BIM: Laser Scanning Improves Accuracy and Speed in Onsite Data Acquisition
By Chew Beow Kwan Building information modeling (BIM) first came about in the 1970s, but its methods have been refined considerably since then. Widely used by city planners, architects and civil engineers today, BIM enables stakeholders to better make high-impact decisions by providing timely, relevant information. 3D drawings can be created with line-fitting and building-specific tools found in the PointSense Building software. Laser-scanning solutions have shaped the way teams wor...
GRAVITY: It Just Works—Massive Concrete Blocks Resolve Detention-Basin Challenges
By Angus W. Stocking, L.S. Houston’s Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 17 is clumsily named, but its mission is admirably clear: per the organization’s website, TIRZ 17 is a “local government corporation created to aid, assist and act on behalf of the City of Houston in promoting the common good and general welfare in the Memorial City area of Houston.” Also known as the Memorial City Redevelopment Authority, the agency is focused on developing, maintaining and rehabilitating pub...
Sponsored Content: One Forest, Multiple Perspectives
By Mary Jo Wagner With nearly 60 percent of the country––23 million hectares (56.8 million acres)––covered in trees, forestry in Sweden is big business. The world’s second-largest exporter of paper, pulp and sawn-wood products, Sweden’s forest industry is valued at around 90 billion euros ($100.4 million)––about one-fifth of Sweden’s GDP––and employs about 200,000 people. Managing Sweden’s forests also is serious business. Ensuring the sustainability and health of this wealthy asset fa...
Hurricane Matthew: A Journey to Hurricane-Devastated Haiti
Follow our engineers as they travel through the hurricane-devastated areas of southwestern Haiti. Read their accounts and see the images from their 17-hour journey. 4 AM Beverly and I arrive at the meeting point. Not knowing what to expect, we pack up the car and assemble our team. Two engineers from PROCHE (Proximité Catholique avec Haiti et son Eglise), Ing. Rudy and Ing. Aimé, join us. As of Friday morning, there was little information about the road or what to...
CoreLogic Analysis Shows Between $4 Billion and $6 Billion in Insured Property Loss from Hurricane Matthew
CoreLogic® (NYSE: CLGX), a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, has conducted an analysis showing that insured property losses for both residential and commercial properties from Hurricane Matthew are estimated to be between $4 billion and $6 billion from wind and storm surge damage. This does not include insured losses related to additional flooding, business interruption or contents. Of this $4-6 billion, 90 percent of the insurance claims are exp...
New Global Report: Huge Variations in Water Use Around the World
Brisbane – Household consumption of water around the world varies from 28 to 631 litres per day. This is one of the many findings in a global report launched today by the International Water Association (IWA). The 12th edition of the International Statistics for Water Services 2016, published today in connection with the World Water Congress and Exhibition in Brisbane, Australia (09-14 October). For the first time an interactive statistics portal allows users to graphically compare individual ci...
Engineered Solutions: Tricky Feedmill Site Requires Stormwater Conveyance System
By Bart Hartsfeld and Chris M. Ross, P.E. After acquiring Durbin Farms, Mar-Jac Poultry Alabama LLC planned a major expansion to build a new $25 million feedmill in Franklin County, Ala., that would efficiently provide feed to poultry growers in the region. Unfortunately, potential project sites with rail access and acreage for a substantial rail loop accommodating up to 100 rail cars were not readily available. Following much study and careful consideration, CDG Engineers selected the Sp...
Autodesk Opens New BUILD Space for the Future of Making
Autodesk has been at the forefront of the design world for more than 30 years. As we evolve beyond our deep design roots to making, the space and means to innovate are central. So today Autodesk is excited to announce the opening of its Boston-based Autodesk Building, Innovation, Learning and Design (BUILD) Space, a unique industrial workshop and innovation studio focused on the future of making things in the built environment – the places we live in, the buildings we work in, and the infras...
Transform Financial System to Deliver Sustainable Infrastructure, says Commission
Washington, D.C., October 6, 2016: A major new report from the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate calls on governments and finance institutions to scale up and shift investment for sustainable infrastructure as a fundamental strategy to spur growth. “Investing in sustainable infrastructure is essential to solve all the world’s most pressing problems,” said Felipe Calderón, former President of Mexico and Chair of the Global Commission. “It’s key to reigniting global growth. It’s key...
Updated Renderings of 750-Foot Wolf Point East Tower Break Cover
As the second phase of the three-skyscraper Wolf Point project races towards an anticipated start date in early 2017, more details regarding the riverfront luxury apartment tower known as Wolf Point East have emerged. A recent story by Crain’s Chicago Real Estate Daily has confirmed the previously reported height figure of 66 stories and 750 feet. If that wasn’t enough, the report included two updated images of the upcoming tower. Designed Connecticut-based architect Pelli Clarke Pelli, the new...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
February Issue 2026
