I don’t know about you, but I’ve found Google Earth to be a very useful tool in my practice. Whether it is scoping out a site I’ve never seen before or creating a boring location plan or other figure for a report. Feel the same way? Then you might be interested in some recent (February 19, 2008) updates to Google Imagery and other data. Higher resolution images are always welcome! Comprehensive list after the break.
[Editor’s Note] I am an alumn of the U of A’s Geological Engineering program, so this hits me in a sentimental spot. [/Editor’s Note]
A proposal submitted by Mary Poulton (Mining and Geological Engineering Department Head) and Jeff Goldberg (Associate Dean of College of Engineering) was submitted to the University of Arizona Faculty Senate to eliminate the geological engineering undergraduate major and merge the degree with Mining Engineering. The proposal was accepted by the Senate this week despite the efforts of Dr. Ben Sternberg who attended the hearing. The geological engineering degree will be combined with the mining engineering degree. The new degree will be a B.S. in Mining and Geological Engineering and there will be a mining engineering track and a geological engineering track. Budget cuts and small enrollment were the main reasons cited for the elimination of the degree. Read on for more. (Photo by Jacob Rader)
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) just released the 2008 interims for the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, Customary U.S. Units, 4th Edition. These specifications govern the design of foundations for federal and state highway projects. As soon as we find out if there are any significant changes with respect to bridge foundations or retaining walls, we’ll let you know.
An article in the Seattle Post Intelligencer discusses how the era of building massive dams that ended in the late 1960s with the completion of Glen Canyon Dam may be on its way to a resurgence because of booming populations throughout the west and a desperate need for water. This comes at a time when the USBR and other agencies are in the process of tearing down some dams. Of course the environmental hurdles and opposition to new dam projects will likely kill many of the projects before they get started. But in the absence of any kind of limits on population growth, there may not be many other options. Read on to see where major dam projects are being considered. (Photo by Molas)
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The National Geodetic Data Center (NGDC) of NOAA has an online collection of photos of various geologic hazards. Many of the photos are from older sets of 35mm slides that have been digitized. They are free to use provided you credit the photographer and the NGDC as the source. The would be really useful for educators and for powerpoint presentations. The only drawback is that they are in TIF format and some of them could use some retouching. (Photo by University of Colorado, made available by NOAA/NGDC)
The North American Steel Sheet Piling Association (NASSPA) has released a Sheet Piling Installation Manual. It has a nice overview of different hammer systems and covers issues such as driving systems and methods, templates, cofferdams, driving corrections, driving assistance and extraction. (Photo courtesy of NASSPA)
NASSPA promotes the use of steel sheet piling through the development and dissemination of technical information. This guide was compiled to assist the designer, contractor, or owner with the construction of steel sheet pile walls.
Download the Steel Sheet Piling Installation Guide – Best Practices
The proposed railway tunnel will link Spain and Morroco underneath the Straits of Gibraltar. The depth of the straits ranges from 1,000-ft to nearly 3,000-ft. To put that in perspective, the English Channel is only 150-ft deep, and the Chunnel is another 130-ft below the sea floor. (Photo by chodaboy)
ENR reports that the Hoover Dam Bypass construction is picking up steam again after a 2006 cableway failure. The new cableway system has been completed and is being "vetted". The piers appear to be completed based on recent photos and from my own observations driving by on my way to Vegas at Christmas time. The appear to have completed or nearly completed the skewback foundations as well. (Photo by hometowninvasion)
In keeping with our theme of rising costs on tunnel projects, the Brightwater sewage-treatment plant and treated waste pipeline project in King County Washington (Seattle area) is now up to at least $1.84 billion according to the lead consultant on the project. The treated waste pipeline is 13 to 14-miles long and at depths of 40 to 440-ft! It is being constructed nearly entirely by TBM. One source of delay was due to a tunneling subcontractor not being able to get parts (ball bearings?) because they were all being requisitioned by the US War Department for use in military equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan. Click through for information sources and links.
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