My love of Egypt and my first contact with Egyptian construction started in 1994 when I was asked to provide a scheme to strengthen parts of historic Cairo after the devastating earthquake in 1992. This initial contract was to work with the state-owned Arab Contractors to strengthen the Al Ghory Mosque, which had been extensively damaged. It was at that time that I was able to visit the Giza Plateau to see the pyramids. …

At eight stories high and comprised of reinforced concrete flat plate construction (concrete slab without beams), the residential building at 653 Tenth Avenue in New York City boasts distinct features that make this building more than the average ‘flat plate’. These include a column free corner with cantilevers of up to 20 feet long and a large amount of exposed reinforced concrete structure, both of which were achieved with a structural slab of no more than 8 inches thick on the interior of the space. …

Taking the “Stress” out of Bridge Repairs

Route 8 over the little Hoosick River and B&M Railroad (a.k.a. The Hadley Overpass) in North Adams, MA has been undergoing a major rehabilitation. Ryan-Biggs Associates, P.C. is the structural engineering firm working as the construction engineer for the contractor, J.H. Maxymillian Inc. …

Pennoni’s involvement with the adaptive reuse of an existing historic building included the development of several innovative structural solutions. Part 1 of this article (February 2014) provided a history of the building and the initial major renovation challenges (Figure 1). This article will discuss life safety improvements and enhancements to utilization of the 12^th floor and roof spaces. …

Some Government Projects Cut Back as Commercial Jobs Grows

Companies in the steel fabrication business are expecting a strong 2014 as firms continue to innovate, improve their existing products and focus on their particular sectors. …

“This marks the physical beginning of the greatest bridge yet erected by the human race.”
President Herbert Hoover at the groundbreaking ceremony, 1933

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is one of the greatest American bridges. Built during the Great Depression, the bridge soon became known as the “working horse of Northern California,” carrying the heaviest traffic in the region. …

More than 100 years after its original construction in 1912, the First National State Bank Building in Newark, New Jersey (Figure 1) is ready to return to prominence. Located near the intersection of Broad and Market Streets, one of America’s busiest intersections just after the turn of this century, the rehabilitation of this structure is paramount to the ongoing revitalization of Newark’s historic commercial and business district known as the “Four Corners”. The structure consists of a 12-story mid-rise building with concrete slabs, steel I-beams and built-up steel columns; an adjacent three-story addition with concrete slabs and steel W-shape beams and columns constructed at an unknown date; and a more recent four-story structural steel, masonry block and brick stair and elevator tower at the very rear of the property. …

The Global Change Institute (GCI) is an Australian organization within The University of Queensland (UQ) that researches global sustainability issues including resource security, ecosystem health, population growth and climate change (Figure 1). The design of its new $32 million (AUD) building by project architects, HASSELL and structural and façade engineers, Bligh Tanner, was to be an exemplar project benchmarked using the Green Building Council of Australia’s Green Star rating (at 6 Star Green Star level), as well achieving an Australian-first Living Building Challenge compliance. …

Each year, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) publishes a Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. Their rating system uses familiar academic grading (A through F) to report on the condition of America’s aging infrastructure. Last year, America’s infrastructure received a D+, indicating deteriorating infrastructure. Included in this report are waterfront structures, which are vitally important. According to ASCE, America has over 3,700 maratime terminals serving as commerce and transportation hubs. …

2014 is shaping up to be a strong year, according to those working in the foundations sector. “We probably have more backlog going into a winter of a new year than I can remember,” says Lyle Simonton, Director of Business Development at Subsurface Constructors, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri. “We’re not seeing that winter slowdown that we’ve sometimes seen in the past. Rather than have a seasonal lull, we have a lot of work carrying on into the first months of the year.” …