| 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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| Project Spotlights |
| Safeguarding coastal states: Army use GIS for storm preparedness |
| February 18, 2010 CE News |
 The 2009 Atlantic Ocean hurricane season officially ended Nov. 30, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues work on safeguarding coastal states in the Northeast from storm events that can occur now and in the future. The Corps’ Philadelphia and Baltimore Districts are using GIS to reduce storm-related problems such as flooding, beach erosion (loss of sand), destroyed homes and businesses, and loss of life. |
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| Project Spotlights |
| Calling an audible: demolishing Oregon's Willamette River Bridge |
| February 3, 2010 ODOT |
 One of the less glamorous aspects of a heavy highway construction project is the constant checking and rechecking for quality assurances and quality controls. On the Oregon Department of Transportation’s largest bridge replacement to date, the $187 million Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge project, such continual comparison of as-built specifications with actual measurements and capacities paid off, big time.
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| Project Spotlights |
| A day in the life of a connected civil engineering project manager |
| December 15, 2009 CE News |
 Digital technologies are changing the shape of everyday tasks required to manage projects, capture decisions, modify plans, and share information with larger project teams. The following account of a typical civil engineering project manager’s work day highlights how a new breed of software applications is saving time, reducing the risk of errors, and improving responsiveness to clients. |
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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.
