Nū Geo

Magnitude 5.9 shakes Virginia

2011-08-23T14:12:00.007-04:00

At 1:51 EST a Magnitude 5.9 rocked the mid-atlantic area. Shockwaves were felt in DC, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and New York. The epicenter was located about 4 miles SSE of Louisa Virginia.

Wall Street Journal Reported that the Capitol and Pentagon were evacuated.

Did you feel it? Report any damage. Thanks.

Ralph B. Peck 1912 – 2008

2008-02-20T10:29:00.006-05:00

Ralph B. Peck, Professor Emeritus of Foundation Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign died of congestive heart failure on February 18, 2008, at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was born in Winnipeg, Canada, to his American parents, Orwin K and Ethel Huyck Peck on June 23, 1912.

Ralph Peck earned a Civil Engineering Degree in 1934 and Doctor of Civil Engineering Degree in 1937, both from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. In 1938-39 he attended the Soil Mechanics course at Harvard University and was a laboratory assistant to Arthur Casagrande. From 1939 to 1942 Peck was an assistant subway engineer for the City of Chicago, representing Karl Terzaghi who was a consultant on the Chicago Subway Project. He joined the University of Illinois in 1942, and was a Professor of Foundation Engineering from 1948 to 1974. Since 1974, Professor Peck was a Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois, and a consultant in geotechnical engineering.

In 1948, together with Karl Terzaghi, Ralph Peck co-authored the most influential text book in geotechnical engineering, Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice. In 1953 with Walt Hanson and Tom Thornburn, Ralph Peck co-authored the widely used text book Foundation Engineering.

In 1942, Dr. Peck joined the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Illinois, where he remained as a teacher and mentor until his retirement as Professor Emeritus in 1974. After moving to Albuquerque, Dr. Peck continued his active consulting practice which included jobs in forty-four states in the USA and twenty-eight countries on five continents. His more than one thousand consulting projects include: the rapid transit systems in Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington; the Alaskan Pipeline System; the James Bay Project in Quebec; and the Dead Sea dikes. He authored over 250 technical publications, and served as the President of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering from 1969 to 1973. In 1974, he was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Ford. A few of his many honors include the Norman Medal, The Wellington Prize, and the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Education from the American Society of Engineers. His last project was the Rion-Antirion Bridge in Greece. It received the ASCE’s OPAL Outstanding Civil Engineering Award for 2005, and is the only project outside the United States to be so honored.

Ralph Peck married Marjorie E. Truby on June 14, 1937. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Nancy Peck (Allen) Young, and son and daughter-in-law, James (Laurie) Peck, and grandchildren, Michael Young and Maia Peck.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to:

Ralph B. Peck Geotechnical Engineering Fund
Univ. of Illinois Foundation
1305 West Green Street, MC-386
Urbana, Illinois, 61801.

See the detailed biography from the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Ralph B. Peck, Engineer, Educator, Man of Judgement

Pair of 6.5 Earthquakes Strike Indonesia

2007-11-27T00:22:00.000-05:00

A pair of 6.5 magnitude earthquakes shook Indonesia on Sunday, followed by two 5.4 aftershocks Monday. Three deaths, 55 to hundreds of injuries, and hundrededs of damaged buildings have been reported.

Chinese Geosynthetics To See Strong Growth

2007-11-21T13:28:00.000-05:00

Fu An, President of Guangdong Plastics Industry Association announces that the plastics volume output will double by 2015 at the Chinaplas 2008 press release. Increased demand for geosynthetics as well as construction, automotive, and medical applications are driving this strong growth momentum.

Chinaplas 2008 – the 22nd International Exhibition on Plastics and Rubber Industries is scheduled to be held in Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Pudong, Shanghai, PR China from April 17-20, 2008. It is expected to feature more than 1,700 exhibitors on an exhibition space of 120,000 square meters in total.

Carlson Software Forms Civil Engineering Division

2007-11-20T16:13:00.000-05:00

Carlson Software has formally formed a Civil Engineering Division incorporating its civil software development team and a specialized sales force.

Carlson civil software solutions include:
- Carlson Civil,
- Carlson Hydrology,
- Carlson Roads and the
- Carlson Civil Suite, of Civil, Survey, Hydrology and GIS modules.
The company is also well known for its surveying, mining, construction and machine control software.

“Carlson is dedicated entirely to providing the tools that civil engineers need and offering the industry a choice,” says Harry Ward, Civil Division Director. “We believe in providing solutions that offer a complete toolset – one that allows civil engineers to move into 3D as needed with 3D intersection design, multi-baseline road networks, lot layout, and storm and utility analysis and design.”

Rebar Corrosion Blamed For Most Construction Failures

2007-11-20T09:39:00.000-05:00

Two Greek Scientists have published a paper in Construction and Building Materials citing the corrosion of steel rebar in concrete as the number one cause of construction deterioration. They say that current models for corrosion may over predict the service life of structures especially in corrosive environments. They found good agreement of salt spray accelerated corrosion tests on bare steel bars with results from concrete embedded steel bars

Geosindex Is a One Stop Shop for Geosynthetics Data and Info

2007-11-20T02:38:00.000-05:00

Geosindex.com offers free access to its database of geosynthetic products. This includes all major geosynthetic classes: geogrids, geomembranes, geotextiles, geocomposite drainage products, erosion control products, geosynthetic clay liners, geopipe, geofoam, and geocells. Interactive selection tools allow users to view only those fields relevant to their selection criteria and to sort product data by key values: tensile strength, flow rates, rolled erosion control product longevity, and more. Geosindex helps you locate the products, manufacturers and distributors with the proper site solutions.

Geosindex.com is a sister site of Geosynthetica.net, a free-access resource for geosynthetic design information and news. Geosynthetica focuses on proper practice, material selection, and the expansion of field knowledge through the sharing of information and cooperative agreements with relevant magazines, conferences and organizations.

Contest - Win a free 30 day 125x125 ad on NuGeo.com

2007-11-20T02:22:00.000-05:00

We like to hear from our readers so to encourage commenting, please umm... comment. Let us know what you like or dislike about NuGeo.com.

Rules:
You must include your web address in your post so we can find and verify you when you win.

The Contest closes on November 30th.

The Ad must link to the web address in your post and will run Dec 1 to Dec 31, 2007.

Good Luck!

Autodesk Reports Record Revenues of $538 Million

2007-11-20T02:21:00.000-05:00

I don't know how much of an economic indicator Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) is but I figure it might be some kind of leader. Companies probably don't buy design software when there are no buyers for the end product. Anyway, the title says, Autodesk broke their record for Q3 revenues. Model-based 3D products, Inventor, Revit, Civil 3D and newly acquired NavisWorks software increased 32 percent over the third quarter of fiscal 2007 to $130 million and comprised 24 percent of total revenues. Happy Birthday!
[via americanmachinist.com]

Volvo turns out first US Made Excavator

2007-11-20T01:08:00.000-05:00

The first Volvo excavator to be built at the Volvo Construction Equipment manufacturing facility in Asheville, North Carolina, rolled off the production line Friday, November 9, 2007. The model EC160C will be joined shortly by models Volvo EC210C, Volvo EC330C, and the Volvo EC360C. The company will continue to produce 5 models of the 10-model Volvo wheel loader product line.
[via construction equipment blog]

2 Reviews for Corecon Construction Estimating Software

2007-11-20T00:53:00.000-05:00

Head on over to Helium.com for a pair of reviews on Corecon Construction estimating software by Saurabh Pal and Ethan Christ. Both reviews are favorable. Features include web based package, integration with RS Means Database, estimating, project management and billing software in one, mobile phone compatibility, and integrates well with MS Office, Quickbooks, SAP and SAGE products. Ethan mentions that its geared for medium size companies with dedicated estimators and there is a bit of a tight learning curve when getting started.

7.7 Chilean Earthquake

2007-11-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit northern Chile. There are reports that 2 deaths were caused by the quake as wells as about 65 injuries, many damaged buildings, interruption of electricity and road blockages. According to the USGS, the earthquake resulted from the release of stresses generated by the subduction of the oceanic Nazca plate beneath the South American plate.

UPDATE
Here are the latest figures:
15,000 were injured
4,000 people were left homeless
4,000 structures damaged
1,200 buildings were completely demolished
8 aftershocks, magnitude 4.6 - 6.0 on Saturday
2 aftershocks, magnitude 5.5 - 5.6 on Sunday

UPDATE: Australian Landslide

2007-11-17T15:12:00.000-05:00

The landslide occurred yesterday along near a coal mine that supplies the Yallourn
powerplant, one of the largest in the state of Victoria. Heavy rainfall this month has increased pressure on the mines wall. Engineers assessed the mine walls last week for seepage but reported no indications of eminent failure.

The adjacent Latrobe River has been entering the mine since the slide. Remediation will probably include rerouting the river to supply downstream dams and lakes which are now only receiving minimal flows from urban runoff.

The powerplant which usually supplies 22% of Victoria's electricity has been running at a reduced capacity of 30% since the failure. The mine produces around 18 million tonnes of high moisture brown coal to the powerplant annually using gps guided CAT D11s like this:

[portions via news.com.au]

Massive Slope Failure in Australia

2007-11-17T11:08:00.000-05:00

[via The Guardian]
This image from Victoria Australia was posted on The Guardian today. There is no information on the cause or possible casualties or the date of the event for that matter. Please let us know if you have any additional information on this incredible failure. We'll let you know when we find out more.

Holland Tunnel Turns 80

2007-11-17T02:28:00.000-05:00

This week marked the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Holland Tunnel from Jersey City to Manhattan. The tunnel's two 20 foot diameter tubes are 8,558 ft and 8,371 ft long. Named after it's design engineer, Clifford Holland, it is situated in bedrock 93 feet below the mean water level of the Hudson River. The tunnel was the first twin tube, underwater vehicle tunnel in the U.S. and the world's first mechanically ventilated vehicular tunnel. The Holland Tunnel was declared a National Civil Engineering Landmark in 1984 by the ASCE.
[via newsok.com]

Get Depressed at Geology.com

2007-11-17T02:11:00.001-05:00

David Lynch has put together a list with a map, photos and descriptions of the 10 lowest dry land places on the globe. They range from 69 to 413 meters below sea level.

Is American Construction ... Broken?

2007-11-17T01:43:00.001-05:00

The new book Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets is taking heat from the construction industry. It attempts to document inefficiency and waste of the "Nations last remaining 'mom and pop' industry" which may be costing us $120 billion annually.

Becky Schultz from forconstructionpros.com begs to differ. Schultz argues, "The mom and pop shops ... are the heart of this industry, performing the lion's share of construction activity. And the firms that have proven most capable of achieving and sustaining growth over the years have done so not by overbidding or issuing excessive change orders, ... but by completing projects on time, on budget and to specifications via efficient management and cost control techniques".

Construction may not be broken but we have to admit that things could be done better and we are slow adopters of new technology.

Free Construction Safety Video Released

2007-11-17T01:10:00.000-05:00

Ok, Here's what not to do to get a nice OSHA fine.
[via thisoldhouse.com]

AutoCAD turns 25

2007-11-17T00:37:00.001-05:00

Thursday marked the 25 anniversary of AutoCAD. Wired magazine ran a brief article summarizing the accomplishments of the software. Personally it was interesting watching the transition from drafting to CAD during the early to mid 90's. I remember draftsman boasting that they could produce sheets faster than any computer jockey. I think that that would be practically impossible today with the amount of data analysis that today's packages can handle.

Time Invention of the Year Goes to Soil Scientist

2007-11-16T23:47:00.000-05:00

Jason DeJong, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at UC Davis has developed a biological process to stabilize liquefiable sands. The process uses Bacillus pasteurii, a common soil bacteria, to produces ammonia which increases pH, causes causes calcium carbonate to precipitate between sand grains. The calcium carbonate cements the sands, greatly reducing their liquefaction potential. The process could be used in earthquake prone areas to improve existing soils and since it is a natural process the environmental impact should be negligible. Time magazine has included DeJong's research as one of their inventions of the year however it was beat out for the top spot by the iphone.
[via egghead]

URS Swallows Washington Group

2007-11-16T12:28:00.000-05:00

URS Corps and Washington Group have completed their recent merger with a $3.1 billion cash and stock transaction. This merger nearly doubles the number of URS employees bringing the total to nearly 55,000. Washington Groups resume includes Tarbela Dam on the Indus River in Pakistan, one of the world' s largest earth-filled dams. The new conglomeration currently has projects in 50 countries.

Kuwaitis Plan to Smash the Worlds Tallest Building Record

2007-11-15T15:49:00.000-05:00

Back in July the yet uncompleted Burj Dubai, or Dubai Tower, took the title of worlds tallest free standing building from Taipei 101. Then in September it overtook the CN Tower as the worlds tallest free standing structure at 1,853 ft. high (564.9 m) with 152 completed floors and still climbing to a still undisclosed final height. Anywho, Kuwait Municipal announce today that they will not be out done by their neighbors by approving plans to build the 1001 meter high tower, Burj Mubarak Al-Kabir. The BMAK will be about 200 meters taller than Burj Dubai and nearly 500 meters taller than Taipei 101.

The project includes a 200-hectare natural desert reservation, airport, business centre, and commercial, industrial, educational and entertainment centers. What's the estimated price tag on this puppy? $86 billion.

Follow the I-35 Bridge Replacement

2007-11-15T01:46:00.000-05:00

Minnesota Department of Transportation has dedicated a website to provide current information and photos of the rebuilding of the I-35W Mississippi River Crossing. No webcam yet, let's hope they take a hint.

StormCAD V8 XM Released

2007-11-15T01:31:00.000-05:00

Bentley began shipping their latest version of the award winning StormCAD software today. The new version of the storm sewer design and modeling software works within in AutoCAD and MicroStation as well as in a stand alone environment. Some new features include:
- Updated User Interface
- Active Topology Alternatives
- LandXML Import/Export
- Support for Prismatic Open Channels
- Time of Concentration Calculator

Bentley also distributes Haestad Methods Water Solutions

Durham University Offers Fully Funded PhD Studentship

2007-11-15T01:12:00.000-05:00

If you enjoy "Kinematics of deep tunnels constructed in close proximity". Then Durham University is the place for you.

Applications are being accepted for an EPSRC supported PhD studentship in collaboration with Cleveland Potash Limited and Durham University School of Engineering. This studentship will be concerned with development of numerical models to predict the performance of deep tunnels constructed in close proximity.

The studentship covers tuition fees and tax free maintenance (at least £14,600) for eligible UK students. For more information, please contact Dr Ashraf Osman ashraf.osman@durham.ac.uk . Closing date: 14 Dec. 2007.

2007-11-14T14:46:00.000-05:00

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ASCE Criticised by Levees.org, Demands Video Removal

2007-11-14T10:37:00.000-05:00

Levees.org released the above video on Youtube last week criticizing the ASCE's investigation of Hurricane Katrina Disaster. Levees.org alleges that the ASCE took money from the Corps for the investigation and padded their findings by minimising the effects of the flawed Corps levee design with respect to the city's flooding. ASCE bullied Levees.org to remove the video.

ASCE has launched an internal investigation into the ethical misconduct of those involved with the review as a a response to the allegations supported by University of California-Berkeley professor Raymond Seed who conducted an independant study of the New Orleans Disaster. ASCE has commented that the Corps placed a limited scope on their review and that when the ASCE pushed them to include out-of-scope factors the Corp refused to budge.

[via The Times-Picayune, clip via chbn.com]

Japanese Construction Dwindles due to New Seismic Requirements

2007-11-12T10:11:00.000-05:00

The Times (online) is reporting that commercial and residential construction in Japan is in dire straights as contractors and designers struggle to meet new seismic requirements for structures. The difficulty stems from the implementation of the new law. All projects currently under construction or on the horizon must meet the new stricter requirements. Many projects have stopped to resubmit plans and there is a fear that the government will not be able to handle all of the resubmittals and new submittals in a timely fashion. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport did not ramp up resources to handle the bulk of review and inspection work the new laws have created. The government may not be all to blame. The new regulations are meant to keep contraactors and designers from cheating when it comes to seismic design, an apparently common practice until now. [via timesonline.uk and alliancebernstein.com}

Sage Timberline Construction Estimating Software Reviewed

2007-11-12T02:06:00.000-05:00

Two reviews of the Sage Timberline Construction estimating software were recently published at Helium. Saurabh Pal gives a very brief description with a favorable 8/10 rating. Madhusoodanan Kp goes into more detail also with a favorable review.

Evaluating Construction Equipment for Trade-In

2007-11-12T01:54:00.000-05:00

Nigel Jennison at ecademy gives some tips on preparing to trade in your "big yellow". He summarizes prepping for machine inspection, what to look for during inspection and some rules of thumb for valuation of the equipment. Follow the above link for the specifics.

UD Engineers Without Borders Search for Water in African Village

2007-11-12T01:41:00.000-05:00

This past summer a group of student from University of Delaware's newly formed Engineers Without Borders went to Cameroon to find a new safe sustainable water supply for an African village. The group found all surface water and hand dug wells to be contaminated but was able to fix a defunct drilled well. The group surveyed and studied the ground water to make plans for next years construction. UD EWB also set up a water committee in the village to determine the water use policies for the region. Keep up the good work! [via UDaily]

Enroll in the Disaster Assistance Volunteer Directory

2007-11-12T01:11:00.000-05:00

ASCE has put together a list of volunteers for disaster assistance for future events like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. Head on over to their website and volunteer to participate in future disaster management activities such as planning, preparedness, response, and recovery.

7 Big Holes!

2007-11-10T17:39:00.000-05:00

Amazing World has put together a list of 7 big holes with a few photos of each. The list includes a few mines, a sinkhole, a reservoir drain, and an oceanic blue hole. The photos are very impressive. Click above to check it out!

Spotlight on the Yellowstone Super Volcano

2007-11-09T09:21:00.000-05:00

Yellowstone National Park sits on top of 3 collapsed volcanic magma chambers or calderas. This geologic hotspot has been formed by some of the most powerful volcanic explosions in geologic history. The last major eruption, about 640,000 years ago, released 1,000 cubic kilometers of material, covering all of North America in up to two meters of debris. By comparison, Mount St. Helen's released 1.2 cubic kilometers of ejecta in 1980.

Recent activity, geologically speaking has included non-explosive eruptions of lava flows about 70,000 years ago, small steam explosions 13,000 years ago which formed the Mary Bay crater and the formation of Craters of the Moon National Monument between 11,000 and 2,000 years ago.

The magma chamber beneath the caldera's surface contains dissolved gases which are kept under pressure of magma and the overburden material. A geologic shift, such as an earthquake, could release some of the gasses causing the magma to expand. As the magma expands, more gasses are released and a chain reaction ensues. The rapid expansion may cause the crust to blow resulting in very large gas explosion.
Geologist are continually monitoring the movement of the ground. The maximum measured ground uplift over the past 36 months is about 17 cm. Yellow stone has experienced about 819 earthquakes in the past year.

Tune in to NPR's Talk of the Nation today for a discussion with Jacob B. Lowenstern, Ph.D. from the USGS.

Berezniki Sinkhole Photos

2007-11-08T13:04:00.000-05:00

While neither news nor technology, click on the above link to look at some incredible photos of the Berezniki Sinkhole. This sinkhole first opened up in 1986 as a result of flooding in a Russian potash mine. Several papers have been written on the causes of the sinkhole (See here, and here). The size of the collapse is approximately 80m long, 40m wide and 200m deep!

PS - Turns out there is some NEWS here. The sinkhole is expanding and is expected to swallow up the only rail line that leads to and from the potash mine. This area produces about 10% of the worlds potash which is used in fertilizer. World wide demand will most likely be shifted to a Canadian Producer whose stock is soaring with the news of this sinkhole.

UPDATE: I hope you didn't buy to much stock in PotashCorp (the Canadaian producer) because the Russian sinkhole advancement has slowed and someone finally hit upon the brilliant idea of relocating the threatened railroad spur.

Butterfly Halts Construction !?!

2007-11-08T12:39:00.000-05:00

Here's proof that reality is stranger than fiction. We've all been frustrated when projects are interrupted for archaeological, historic or environmental purposes but this one definitely takes the cake. The endangered Chequered Blue Butterfly (Scolitantides orion) is apparently only found in Norway at the site where 10 homes and 5 cabins are planned. The Ministry of Environment pulled the development plans for the area to protect this little bugger.
[via aftenposten.no]

Jacobs Engineering swallows Carter & Burgess

2007-11-08T06:54:00.000-05:00

Jacobs Engineering, the $8 billion/year construction giant, has aquired Carter & Burgess, a nationally recognized architecture, engineering, design, and planning firm. The Fort Worth based firm was ranked 34th among the Top 500 U.S. Design Firms by Engineering News-Record.

Heavenly Installs New Chair Lift, Video at 7

2007-11-08T06:25:00.000-05:00

The Lake Tahoe Resort, Heavenly, is installing a new high speed chair and they've provided a fun little video of the helicopter installation. Enjoy the view while dreaming of a winter get-a-way.

ArcGIS for AutoCAD - Free Tool from ESRI

2007-11-07T15:29:00.000-05:00

ESRI has released a free downloadable tool which eases the integration of ArcGIS data into Autocad drawings. Features include:

o Viewing of ArcGIS Server map services in AutoCAD
o Identification of features in the map service by picking locations on the map service image
o Cut and paste values from the Identify dialog box to the Windows clipboard.
o Use of ESRI coordinate system in the CAD drawing.

Have fun!

NRC Prioritizes Low Level Nuclear Waste Management Strategies

2007-11-07T14:36:00.000-05:00

The upcomming closure to most of the country of the Barnwell, South Carolina LLW Disposal Facility is posing challenges to hospitals, universities and other producers of LLW. Barnwell currently is the only accpetor of LLW in the US. The NRC has published the results of it's strategic assessment of LLW which prioritizes future activities to manage the LLW. Over the next 2 years the NRC will be devloping and implementing guidance documents and procedures on extended storage, encapsulation, alternate disposal and import/export of LLW.

New Jersey "Net Zero" Building, first in US

2007-11-07T13:52:00.000-05:00

The Ferreira Construction Headquarters located in Branchburg, New Jersey is the first net zero commercial building in the United States. The 42,000 sf building is highly efficient and produces all of it's own power through 1,276 solar panels which can develop in excess of 200kW of electrical energy. The system is a "smart" system which monitors and adjusts its self to perform at peak capacity. The system even delivers power back to the grid. The retrofitted building opened in 2006 and just received the 2007 New Jersey Clean Energy Leadership Award for Market Innovator from Governor Corzine

Chinese Begin Construction of the Great Wheel

2007-11-05T15:25:00.000-05:00

The Chinese have begun the construction of the largest Ferris wheel on earth. The observation wheel will be 208 meters (682 feet) high and will carry 48 capsules that can each accommodate 40 people. The wheel is supposed to be completed as an attraction for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Take a Photo Tour of Moscow City

2007-11-03T01:05:00.000-04:00

That's right. Click the above link and follow russiablog's recent tour of the of the largest construction project in Europe. The project cost $12 billion and includes the Federation Tower which when complete the 93 story skyscraper will be the tallest in Europe.

La Jolla Lanslide to be Stabilized with Caissons.

2007-11-01T14:41:00.000-04:00

The recommendation to secure the La Jolla Landslide is to install 37 42"-48" diameter caissons 60 to 66 feet deep spaced 7 to 8 feet apart. Apparently this is new technology according to the city engineer who quoted the Union Tribune: "In the last 20 to 25 years, the standards have improved a lot in the geotechnical engineering area,...They have a lot more experience and better knowledge, and now they have much better technology." Hmmm....

PSV Holdings Aquires Engineered Linings

2007-11-01T11:58:00.000-04:00

South African based PSV Holdings has aquired the geosynthetic supply and instalation contractor Engineered Linings, also based in South Africa. PSV began as a pump supply company for industrial, petro chemical and mining operations and has been expanding to other areas in these industries. The acquisition of Engineered Linings will enhance PSV`s product offering, customer base and increase its geographical footprint in the rest of Africa.

All Your Flownets Are Belong To Us

2007-10-30T01:19:00.000-04:00

E. N. Bromhead reports in the October issue of Geotechnical Engineering that many flow nets presented in text books are incorrect. Apparently, there was a graphical elementery error in an early text book that has been referenced by many texts and the error has propogated over several decades. So it may be time to revisit some of those seepage calcs.

Indinesia Plans Worlds Longest Suspension Bridge

2007-10-28T15:10:00.000-04:00

Indonesia is in the pre-feasibility stage of plannning to connect the islands of Java and Sumatra with an 18 mile long suspension bridge. The bridge will be designed to withstand a thoeretical maximum earthquake of 8.5 on the Richter scale. This active volcanic and seismic zone where the Asian and Austrailian plates meet has experienced recorded earthquakes no higher that 8.0. The bridge is estimated to cost $10 billion. Currently it is estimated that 350,000 people and 25,000 vehicles cross between the island on ferries daily,

[via inquirer.net]

Chunnel Talk

2007-10-28T01:59:00.000-04:00

Interested in the Chunnel? The November 2007 issue of Civil Engineering is completely dedicated to the Chunnel to commemorate the upcoming November 14th opening of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Eleven paper on the procurement, design, construction and regeneration benefits of this project are included.

Albear Aqueduct to be Declared a Cuban National Monument

2007-10-26T23:25:00.000-04:00

The Albear Aqueduct was designed by civil engineer Francisco Albear in the mid 19th century to collect water from the Vento springs in Cuba and convey it to Havanna. The entire system is gravity driven. Albear died before the projects completion in 1897. The aqueduct was a major factor in the settlement of Havanna and to this day supplies 15 to 20% of the water to Havanna. The project has been considered 1 of the seven engineering marvels of Cuba and will be dedicated as a national monument on January 11, Albears birthday.

[via Cuban Daily News]

India launches Tsunami Alert System

2007-10-26T13:15:00.000-04:00

India has installed and begun use of the Tsunami Early Warning System (EWS) The system consists of a network of tide gauges, seismic stations, ocean bottom pressure recorders, coastal observing radars and current meter moorings which report to an Interim Tsunami Warning Centre operated by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS). Additionally, coastal topographic and bathymetric surveying has been updated and input into tsunami and storm surge models for varying scenarios using historic data to test the effectiveness of the system. The models predict that the $30+ million project would give a 13 minute or more warning.

Why Isn't Anyone Fixing The East Rochester Sinkhole?

2007-10-26T02:13:00.000-04:00

According to the Berk County Times, a sinkhole opened up near a restaurant several months ago and no one has done anything about it except put up caution tape. Now the sinkhole is some 60 feet wide and 40 feet deep. Continuing collapses have undermined 20 feet of the building . The building, occupied by a family restaurant was closed by the fire department at the end of August. Apparently some engineers are doing test borings. People are wondering why it's getting bigger.

A quick look at eMapPa shows that the site is most likely within the Allegheny Group which is composed of shale, coal, limestone and sandstone. Let's get some grout in there!

WSJ: Commercial Construction May Slow

2007-10-25T12:48:00.000-04:00

By Alex Frangos

The pace of U.S. commercial-construction activity -- which had remained strong despite a sharp contraction in housing -- is showing signs of slowing and could drop next year for the first time since the early part of the decade, the latest sign that companies are turning cautious about the economy's prospects.

In a closely watched report expected to be released today, McGraw-Hill Construction will forecast that spending on commercial and manufacturing buildings, such as offices, warehouses and hotels, will decline 7% next year, in dollar volume, and 10% in the number of square feet of space built.

Well so much for the hope instilled by all of those 3rd quarter earnings reports.

UK Gets Tough on Landfill Waste

2007-10-25T12:22:00.000-04:00

A landfill directive in the UK goes into effect next week requiring all commercial waste to be pretreated before being accepted into landfills. Pretreatment options include some form of physical, thermal, chemical, or biological process. For instance, partial recycling of waste would be accepted as a physical treatment which reduces the overall volume of the waste.

The purpose of the directive is to reduce the total amount of waste entering UK landfills which have limited remaining space and eliminate liquid waste to reduce landfill leachate.

LB Foster Reports 42% Sales Increase

2007-10-25T12:04:00.000-04:00

LB Foster cited strong sales in construction, tubular and rail products. LB Foster has been supplying H and Z piles for over 75 years and was recently included in the prestigious Forbes Magazine 2007 Best Small Companies in America. (Nasdaq: FSTR)

CYCAS is CAD for Linux

2007-10-25T09:35:00.000-04:00

Now that Linux is becoming a viable, inexpensive platform for businesses, don't let CAD hold you back from switching over. CYCAS is an easy to use full featured CAD Application for both Linux and Windows platforms at about half the price of AutoCAD LT. Features include an easy to use interface, 2D and 3D elements, and importing and exporting capabilities. The professional version supports multi layer dxf. No word on upcoming dwg support so the revolution will have to wait.

[via linux mini]

Free Geoprobe Seminar at University of Delaware

2007-10-25T01:11:00.000-04:00

The University of Delaware in conjunction with Delaware Geologic Survey and Geoprobe is offering a free seminar entitled, "Advances in Subsurface Exploration Methods" on October 30. Direct push drilling and and wireline technologies will be demonstrated. Contact Tom McKenna at (302) 831-8257 or e-mail him at mckennat[at]udel[daught]edu to register for the event.

Beale Air Force Base Using State of the Art Groundwater Treatment

2007-10-25T01:00:00.000-04:00

Beale Air Force Base in California is using biostimulation and bioaugmentation to treat contaminated groundwater at 2 different sites. These natural processes allow the groundwater to be treated in the ground by feeding existing microorganisms (biostimulation)and introducing new bacteria (bioaugmentation) to break down the contaminates. The efficiency of bringing the treatment to the contaminate over traditional pump and treat methods is expected to reduce the length of the treatment program by a factor of 6!

The last 10 Years of Technology

2007-10-25T00:42:00.000-04:00

Ok this is off topic but very interesting. John Jordan, Executive Director of Penn State Center for Digital Transformation, fellow blogger and founder of Early Indications has put together 2 articles highlighting the 10 biggest successes and failures in technology over the last 10 years. John is a captivating author with good insight into the relationships of business and technology.

Please read:

Ten big technology-related busts in the past ten years

and

10th Anniversary Breakthroughs

When the CAT's Away CNH Will Pay (Dividends)

2007-10-24T01:11:00.000-04:00

While Caterpillar's 3rd quarter earnings were disappointing, CNH, makers of CASE construction and agricultural equipment posted big numbers with a net income up 82% since 2006. CNH's 3rd quarter earnings report cited strong agricultural equipment sales worldwide and strong worldwide construction sales which made up for the declining American construction sales along with restructuring as reasons for the good news.

Deep Cores Recovered from San Andreas Fault Give Clues to Fault Behavior

2007-10-23T23:02:00.001-04:00

USGS, NSF and Stanford geologists have recovered rock core samples of the San Andreas Fault 2 miles beneath the earth's surface. The cores were advanced using drilling technology borrowed from the oil industry. 135 feet of 4" diameter cores were recovered and high resolution images are available for viewing here. These samples are the first intact samples of this type ever recovered. The geologist will use these samples to try to determine the exact chemical processes that allow the SAF to creep along while "most of the fault moves in violent, episodic upheavals."

Dando's Latest Drilling Rigs Are Built for Safety

2007-10-23T10:01:00.000-04:00

Dando's latest EH rigs are built for safety and are ready to roll. The work area is enclosed in a safety cage, that reduces the rigs speed and torque when opened. The electric over hydraulic system allows for precise control of the systems. The controls are available through wired and wireless remote, allowing the operator to be clear of the work area during drilling while having the best possible view of the action. More photos are located on the Dando website.

Looking for GIS Software? Try OpenJUMP

2007-10-23T07:46:00.000-04:00

OpenJUMP is an open source java based GIS package based on Vivid Solutions JUMP GIS. This free program is full featured and has many pluggins are available. It is vector based, with raster support, and uses many of the familiar GIS file formats. Check it out!

Rock Slope Stability Charts Available using Hoek-Brown Failure Criterion

2007-10-23T00:44:00.000-04:00

Li, Merifield and Lyamin have published new rock stability charts in the latest issue of International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences. The new charts make use of the latest Hoek-Brown Failure criterion using numerical limit analysis. The full article is available online at sciencedirect.com.

Caterpillar Earnings Less Than Expected

2007-10-22T00:14:00.000-04:00

Despite the recent optimism in the commercial building market and strong overseas sales, Caterpillar earning for the 3rd quater were less than expected causing stocks to slip. This is the second dissapointing quarter for the heavy equipment manufacturer. The housing market slump seems to be the obvious culpret for the 11% drop in North American sales last quarter.

[via forbes.com]

Geotech Ltd offers Airborne Geophysical Surveys

2007-10-21T23:45:00.000-04:00

Ok, This caught my eye and besides looking cool I'm sure it has some practical applications especially for wide area surveys. Anywho, Geotech Ltd can apparently do airborne geophysical surveys including, resistivity, gravity, magnetic and apparent conductivity. They use a time domain electromagnetic system or VTEM (i don't understand the acronym either) which allows them to get

"deep penetration, high spatial resolution, excellent resistivity discrimination, and detection of weak anomalies"

If anyone can understand their highly technical website and tell us what it can do for geotechnical investigations, please feel free to comment.

PS. The acronym stands for Versatile Time-domain ElectroMagnetics

Clarkson Researcher Harvest Bridge Vibrations for Wireless Sensors

2007-10-21T16:07:00.000-04:00

A group of researchers at Clarkson University has developed a method of using bridge vibrations to power wireless sensors. The device uses kinetic energy from the bridge vibrations to generate AC current, the converts it to DC voltage and stores it until enough power is available to take a measurement and transmit the signal to a nearby PC. The group has developed a hardware platform called an AmbioMote which makes the most use of this free, wireless electricity. This technology could be used to instrument many structures for decades without the expense and environmental impact of battery replacement. The AmbioMote is in production for commercial use and will be available on December 25.

Tips for Selecting Construction Estimating Software

2007-10-21T15:53:00.000-04:00

John Morris offers some tips on selecting Estimating software. Three things to be aware of are:
1. Project trackers - help you juggle many projects at once.
2. Cost control packages are geared for keeping your costs as low as possible.
3. Specialized packages exist for specific areas of the construction industry like site work, roofing, carpentry etc.

Check out his summary here.

Holcim to Award $2 million for Sustainable Construction Contest

2007-10-21T00:05:00.000-04:00

The Holcim Foundation along with MIT, The Swiss Federal Institute for Technology and universities in South Africa, Mexico and China are calling for entries in the Sustainable Construction Award. Total cash prizes add up to $2 million. Projects which have commenced after June 1, 2007. Sustainable construction projects should strive meet:

Quantum change and transferability
Ethical standards and social equity
Ecological quality and energy conservation
Economic performance and compatibility
Contextual and aesthetic impact

So get crackin' and good luck!

Wooly Mammoth Stops Construction in Stockton California

2007-10-20T23:34:00.000-04:00

Drillers encountered several woolly mammoth bones about 80 feet below ground while working on the site of the new San Joaquin County administration building. The bones including a femur were sent to UC Berkley for further study. There are no current plans to extract more of the remains however archaeologists will be present for the rest of the project in case more turn up.

This New Excavator Concept Will Really Grab You, Really.

2007-10-20T01:03:00.000-04:00

Looks like this will be good for demolition, riprap placement and keeping children off construction sites. Unfortunately it won't return a "thumbs up" for a job well done.

[via engadget.com]

Autocad Civil 3D 2008 Service Pack 2 Released!

2007-10-20T00:39:00.000-04:00

Autodesk released Service Pack 2 for Autocad Civil 3D 2008. At a quick glance it seems like many of the fixes address the unexpected crashes that have plagued the 2008 release. Improvements have been made in most of the modules. Enjoy the 70+ Mb download and you'll need your installation disk to apply the service pack.

The Cons of Ethanol

2007-10-18T22:10:00.000-04:00

A National Research Council committee recently reported that the country's increase in production of ethanol based fuel will put a strain on the nations water resources. Increases in corn growing will also increase irrigation, pesticide and fertilizer can have a significant effect on local water supplies. The report suggest proper management techniques including the use of waste water to hydrate biofuel crops and injection of fertilizers below the soil as possible solutions. President Bush has set a goal of replacing 15% of the nations fuel with ethanol by 2017.

News for AutoCAD Users

2007-10-18T17:56:00.000-04:00

1: An updated Google Earth Extension is now available.

2: Free Web Seminars are available to help streamline your or your staff's use of AutoCAD 2008.

Enjoy!

Resident Geotechnical Engineer Position Available

2007-10-18T17:38:00.000-04:00

OVERVIEW: We are curently looking for a candidate with extensive experience in slope failure and landslide analysis and remediation.
Candidate should be willing to travel (very far) and have international experience. Interpersonal and team management skills are not necessary, however comfort with long periods without outside contact are a plus.

LOCATION: Maunder Crater, Noachis Terra, Mars

Three Gorges Dam Not Performing Gorgeously

2007-10-17T23:19:00.000-04:00

China's Three Gorges Dam is quite possibly the largest civil project ever constructed and potentially the largest hyro electric power station. However the 1.5 mile long, 600 foot high dam is causing a lot of problems for the nearby and not so near by residents up to 373 miles from the dam. Approximately 4 million people and over 100 towns will have been relocated by the time the reservior is brought to full capacity. Of even greater concern are the landslides occuring in the mountains surrounding the reservior most likely caused by seepage forces and the saturation of the soils. Over 91 landslides have been reported so far. Some landslides have produced 100ft high surges in the reservior. It has been reported tha as much as 20% of the slopes may not be stable.

Residential Construction Continues to Fall Nationwide

2007-10-17T13:52:00.000-04:00

On the heels of the good news in New York, The Department of Commerce announced that residential construction has continued it's downward trend, with housing starts dropping 10.2% below the seasonally adjusted rate for August and 30.8% below September 2006.

http://www.census.gov/const/newresconst.pdf

Strong Construction Growth Predicted for NYC Over Next 3 Years

2007-10-17T02:45:00.000-04:00

The New York Building Congress has predicted the construction spending in New York will continue to rise after it's current record breaking year. High demand for housing, recovery from 9/11, new stadiums and campus expansions were cited as causes for the predicted sustained growth.

Earthquake Watch to Provide Advanced Warnings

2007-10-17T01:58:00.000-04:00

Citizen has developed a watch which picks up signals from Japans EEW advanced earthquake warning system. Once the watch recieves the signal it will begin a countdown to the predicted tremor. It should be available for men in 2010 but women will have to wait a bit longer or pay attention to men heading for doorways until a feminine version is released.

[via gizmag.com]

The American Surveyor Blog Starts Now!

2007-10-16T17:02:00.001-04:00

Marc Cheves, LS started The American Surveyor blog to highlight the cutting edge developments in the survey industry. Best of luck, Marc!

Send us your Comments or Suggestions

2007-10-16T12:25:00.000-04:00

Here at NuGeo we're trying hard to give geo-industry professionals, students and hobbyists the information that is most helpful and interesting to them. Post a comment about things you would like to see or topics for discussion. You may also email comments to info[at]nugeo[daught]com

La Jolla Landslide Investigation Commences

2007-10-16T12:10:00.000-04:00

Geotechnical experts from American Geotechnical Inc. began drilling and soil testing in the collapsed area where homes were damaged by the landslide on October 3, 2007. At least three 40 foot deep slope inclinometers were installed to measure soil movement.

[via nbcsadiego.com]

The Daily Quake

2007-10-09T00:56:00.000-04:00

A 1.0 quake was recorded in baltimore on Monday. Only 3 earthquakes had been recorded between 1939 and 1990. Since 1990 a few dozen minor quakes have been recorded however it is unlikely for a major event to occur in this area.

[via Baltimoresun.com]

Minnesota Bridge Collapse Video

2007-08-04T00:49:00.000-04:00

Here's the security video of the bridge collapse. This event has sparked some very heated debates about the state of infrastructure in America. It is a terrible tradegy. Our condolences go out to the injured and the famlies of the deceased.

Commercial Construction up in March

2007-05-03T02:11:00.000-04:00

The US Department of Commerce announce that private, nonresidential construction spending increase 2.4% since February. Total construction rose at an unimpressive 0.2% due to contraction in the residential sector. If this keeps up it should be a good summer for us.

[PDF link]

Geotechnical Engineers Sited Twice in 1 Article

2007-05-03T01:35:00.000-04:00

Since we've started this project last week we've been tearing through the internet to find geotechnical engineers making news. Here's pay dirt, literally.

Unfortunately, sink holes in Florida are not reall news unless they look like this or this.

Follow the above link for the full video report.

Geotextile Sales Slow in US in first Quarter

2007-05-03T00:41:00.000-04:00

TenCate's first quarter 2007 report stated that geotextiles sales were stagnant due to restrain in the American geosynthetic market.

TenCate produces the Mirafi, Miragrid and Geotube brands of geosynthetics.

Bridge to Cross Red Sea Planned

2007-05-03T00:25:00.000-04:00

Engineering News Record reports that the Notice to Proceed has been given to Noor City Development Corp. of Boulder Colorado by Middle East Development LLC for a design/build/operate/transfer project to cross the Red Sea. Initial conceptual designs indicate a suspension design with a 23 mile span. The bridge will connect Djibouti and Yemen and should have a great economical impact on this area between Africa and the Middle East. Let's hope so for the $10 to $20 billion dollar estimated price tag. Moses was unavailable for comment.

The Daily Quake

2007-05-03T00:11:00.000-04:00

The Solomon Islands continued to rock on Wednesday with 2 events with magnitudes of 5.0 and 5.3. This marks the 4th consecutive day of 5.0+ events for this location.

The Daily Quake

2007-05-02T23:58:00.001-04:00

Tuesday's quake of note turns out to be 3 events which occured in the Solomon Islands within a 30 minute window ranging from 5.0 to 5.6 as reported by the USGS.

The Daily Quake

2007-05-01T01:33:00.000-04:00

Monday was pretty quiet, techtonically speaking with only 3 earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 5. The largest of these was located in Northern Qinghai, China with a magnitude of 5.3.

Converting Landfill Methane to Natural Gas

2007-05-01T01:05:00.000-04:00

We've seen and covered using landfill gas to produce electricity, but Energy Systems Group, LLC (ESG) is using a membrane filtration system to convert landfill methane to natural gas. The first benefactors of this new technology in the United States will be the James H. Quillen Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) in Johnson City, Tennessee.

AutoCAD Civil 3D Webcast Series: Guide to Successful Grading

2007-05-01T00:46:00.000-04:00

Date & Time: Friday, June 8, 2007 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PDT

Join Product Manager Dave Simeone as he outlines best practices for developing grading proposals using AutoCAD® Civil 3D®. He'll address questions like:

When should I use feature line offsets versus projecting to a distance?
How are grading elements integrated into sites?
How do I most effectively use of AutoCAD groups during the process?

By the way - it's free.

Liner Integrity Survey (LIS) Electrical Resistivity Testing to be Presented in New York

2007-05-01T00:26:00.000-04:00

TRI and I-Corp announced a 2 day short course on Liner Integrity Surveys focusing on Electrical Resistivity Testing to be held June 13 and 14 in Latham, New York.

Electrical resistivity testing is a non-destructive test method for assuring the integrity of geomembrane liners used in landfills and other containment facilities.

The cost of the course is $825/ person for 2-days with discounts given for multiple registrants. Register at http://www.geosyntheticstesting.com/reg/

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Municipal Landfills

2007-04-30T23:57:00.000-04:00

The Supreme Court ruled that Municipalities have the right to force trash haulers to deliver municipal waste to government owed facilities in United Haulers Assn., Inc. v. Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Management Authority. United Haulers argued that this right goes against interstate commerce. The court ruled that municipalities may favor government owened facilities but cannot force haulers to dump at any particular privately owed facility.

Maine's First Landfill Gas Power Plant to Service 2 Sites, Consecutively

2007-04-30T12:18:00.000-04:00

Pine Tree Landfill is about to start construction on Maine's first Landfill Methane power plant. The 3 mega-watt plant is being constructed modulary so that as landfill gas production declines at Pine Tree, the turbines can be moved 1 at a time to Juniper Ridge Landfill has not begun taking waste yet. Both landfills are operated by Casella Waste Systems, Inc.

The Daily Quake

2007-04-30T02:38:00.000-04:00

The USGS reported an earthquake of Magnitude 6.3 off the coast of the Aleutian Islands. There were no reports of damage.

Civil3d.com to Release New Book

2007-04-30T02:20:00.000-04:00

Civil3d.com announced they will release Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008 in July 2007. Civil3d's James Wedding, P.E., a co-author of the book, is an excellent Civil3d instructor who has mastered the art of providing instruction for the beginner and depth for the seasoned designer in the same course. The recent versions of Civil3d have come a long way from AutoCAD 14 and learning how to effectively use these new tools can save designers hundreds of hours a year.

Have you found "I GET IT"?

2007-04-29T16:19:00.000-04:00

Igetit is a Google powered online software training solution for engineers. It is extremely affordable at $25/person per year. Courses are taught through video, examples, social networking, tips and techniques.

Igetit's AutoCad training is most relevant to the geo industiries however they also offer Pro/E, Solidworks and more.

Assessing UK Earthquake Damage

2007-04-29T15:52:00.000-04:00

Engineers, surveyors and fire crews are working together to assess damaged buildings in Folkestone. Hundreds of buildings were damaged and 73 were reported to be unsafe for occupancy. The earthquake mostly damaged tiles, masonry and chimney stacks.

[Photo via BBC News online]

Roy Hunt publishes 3 Field Guides for Geotechnical Engineers

2007-04-29T01:52:00.000-04:00

Roy Hunt has followed up his Geotechnical Engineering Investigation Handbook, Second Edition with 3 feild guides for Geotechnical Engineers:

Geologic Hazards
Characteristics of Geologic Materials and Formations
Geotechnical Investigation Methods

These guides contain a wealth of information that geotechnical engineers and engineering geologist can use every day in pratice divided in 3 easy to carry volumes.

We'll take a more indepth look at each volume over the next week.