| State-to-State |
| P3? Yes you can, and Canada can help |
| April 1, 2010 Rebuilding America's Infrastructure |
| Infrastructure projects have a strong track record of boosting productivity and economic activity when countries need it most. However, from our perspective in Canada, it appears that U.S. federal, state, and municipal governments have been much less comfortable executing new investments that merge private enterprise with the public sector, preferring instead to focus on public investment or the privatization of assets. |
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| Project Spotlights |
| Lighter Loads: Geofoam shortens construction schedules by reducing the weight of embankment fill and settlement time |
| April 1, 2010 CE News |
 Placement and settlement of traditional fill materials or consolidation of soils underlying embankments can significantly impact transportation project costs and schedules. Consequently, in a National Deployment Statement, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) urged all states to consider using alternative fill materials such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam when planning fill and embankment projects. Its National Deployment Goal, as stated on the FHWA’s Corporate Research and Technology website, is that “by October 2010, EPS geofoam will be a routinely used lightweight fill alternative for state DOTs on embankment projects where the construction schedule is of concern. By October 2011, all states will have evaluated EPS geofoam as a lightweight fill alternative.” |
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| Project Spotlights |
| Unweaving ‘The Weave’: How URS eased a major bottleneck in the Twin Cities |
| March 18, 2010 Rebuilding America's Infrastructure |
 Carrying 140,000 vehicles per day, the onerous intersection at I-35E and I-694, which sits about 10 miles northeast of downtown Minneapolis, has been a major roadway bottleneck for years. The intersection of the two major interstate highways consisted of two Y-shaped interchanges separated by 1.2 miles of shared or “common” roadway. The overall alignment of I-35E is north-south, while I-694 runs east-west through the interchange and common area. |
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| Product Applications |
| Precast/prestressed concrete pavement continues to evolve |
| March 17, 2010 Rebuilding America's Infrastructure |
 During the last 40 years, precast/prestressed concrete pavement (PPCP) panels have been used in various forms, from coast to coast. Unfortunately the traveling public of 2010 has far too much time to appreciate this smooth work while sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. But while congestion rates have increased, forcing motorists to suffer through lane reductions necessary for service repair or replacement, new technologies and engineering techniques have continued to develop. Today, PPCP is among the advancements that allows overnight replacement of aging highway surfaces with long-lasting, highly durable concrete panels. |
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| State-to-State |
| 'The Spoken Wheel' campaign hits our desk |
| March 11, 2010 Rebuilding America's Infrastructure |
| The editors of Rebuilding America's Infrastructure and our partner publication CE News received a particularly creative package today -- a dirty, "dead" hubcap, complete with "toe tag," all packaged in what can only be described -- in keeping with the macabre theme -- as a reincarnated pizza box. Not to discourage senders of mail and PR flotsam, but most of what hits our mailbox finds the garbage can before it reaches our desk. In this case, we made an exception. But what does it all mean? |
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Department of Transportation makes steps to ensure the structure's ecological footprint is as small as possible, leaving room for natural habitats to flourish.
