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Engineering News
ERDC partners with multiple universities on graphene research
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center is working with the University of Mississippi, Jackson State University, and Rice University on applications for graphene such as asphalt, concrete, and water filtration
DENSO engineer wins STEP AHEAD Award for her manufacturing excellence
Monique Radersma, former director of engineering at DENSO’s thermal manufacturing facility in Guelph, Ontario, has won the award from The Manufacturing Institute
Webcor delivers Newark, CA’s modernized civic center using design-build
Designed by Perkins&Will architecture firm and several engineering firms, the 73,240-square-foot project consists of three buildings, a public plaza, and a parking lot
Stan Brown, P.E. assumes presidency of APWA
The American Public Works Association veteran has worked in local government for more than 34 years, holding various public works, engineering, and management positions in Georgia, Colorado and Wyoming.
Fullerton water treatment plant makes history as Orange County’s first PFAS extraction plant
The plant uses an ion exchange treatment system made of highly porous resin that acts like powerful magnets that adsorb and hold onto contaminants, removing PFOA and PFOS.
USDA civil engineer named a finalist for a prestigious medal
Sherry Hunt is a finalist in the Science and Environment category for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal for developing innovative design techniques to rehabilitate and reinforce aging dams
ASCE releases its infrastructure report card
The American Society of Civil Engineers has released the 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, its latest quadrennial assessment, and gives the United States an overall C- grade
Engineer takes readers on a historical journey through ancient civilization measurement in new book
Author Roland Boucher has released his debut book “Ancient Measurement: How Ancient civilizations created Precise and Reproducible Standards.”
VDOT approves start of $3.8-billion Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion
The project will increase tunnel and interstate capacity along 9.9 miles of Interstate 64 between Hampton and Norfolk, Virginia, reducing congestion and easing access to the Port of Virginia and the world’s largest Naval base.
Engineering Firms
Steel industry remembers legendary bridge detailer Walter Gatti
The founder of Tensor Engineering in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida with boundless energy and a passion for the steel fabrication industry had a hand in designing iconic bridges in every major U.S.city
Climate Finance Advisors acquisition expands WSP sustainability services
CFA will enhance the engineering firm’s expertise in helping clients address climate change
Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers opens Philadelphia office and promotes Jesse Richins to senior associate
This expands their services to Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware. Richins specializes in several areas of geotechnical engineering.
InSpire Transpiration Solutions adds Dylan Hamel to its engineering team
As an applications engineer, Hamel will provide technical engineering support to optimize heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and dehumidification systems for indoor horticulture clients
Air quality engineer warns that the COVID-19 pandemic won’t end until Americans clean up our indoor air
Jeremy McDonald of Guth DeConzo Consulting encourages improvements to ventilation and the use of high-performance air filters and other air purification technologies
HMMH receives NASA X-59 Quiet Supersonic Flight Community Testing contract
Data collected could allow supersonic flight over land, dramatically reducing travel time to anywhere in the world
Environmental engineer Ali Sharif joins Cardno’s Glendale, CA office
He joins the international infrastructure and environmental services firm as a project engineer, bringing 12 years of civil, water resources, and environmental engineering experience.
In memoriam: Celebrating the life of Alfred “Pete” Petrofsky
McMillen Jacobs Associates announces that the accomplished tunnel and dam engineer has passed away at 92
Fugro to provide quality assurance testing services for Dallas airports
The firm has been awarded a 5-year contract to provide services for all upcoming construction projects at Dallas Love Field Airport, Dallas Executive Airport, and Dallas Vertiport
Engineering Schools
UIUC researcher leads flying taxi research effort with a $6M NASA grant
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign mechanical science and engineering professor Naira Hovakimyan heads the newly established Center for Autonomous Vehicles in Air Transportation Engineering (AVIATE)
NJIT and City of Newark receive grant to pursue smart port concept
The regional coalition is among 60 projects selected as finalists for up to $100 million in funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge
RISC chip innovators receive the 2022 Charles Stark Draper Prize for Engineering
Their innovation has stimulated the creation of numerous low-power portable devices, as about 99 percent of all new computer chips use the RISC architecture.
Pitt engineers designing a more sustainable electric vehicle
They aim to replace the rare earth metals used in permanent magnets in the electric motors
SMU professor awarded NSF grant for models to better evacuate natural disasters like hurricanes
He will investigate integrated evacuation planning and disaster preparedness models that offer relief to evacuees in a more robust, predictive, timely, and cost-effective manner
UC Riverside engineers create activated carbon from corn stover that filters 98 percent of a pollutant from water
They’ve come up with an energy-efficient way to put corn wastes back into the economy by transforming it into activated carbon for use in water treatment.
Rensselaer researchers to build biosensor capable of measuring critical nutrients in water
Engineers are teaming up with a metal-breathing bacterium to try to dramatically improve biosensors for aquatic ecosystems
Missouri S&T wins grant for high-resolution 4-D X-ray CT scanner
Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology who study materials will soon have a highly sophisticated scanning tool available to help them
Bucknell University gets $2-million grant to create a new engineering education model
The National Science Foundation awarded it so faculty can incorporate societal problems and the interdisciplinary approach they demand into the department’s curriculum
Green Building
Technical Lead for CHPS shares her expertise in sustainable school design in an interview
Alex Buchanan of the Collaborative for High Performance Schools assists project teams with the design and construction processes
Green hydrogen demonstration project begins at Brentwood Power Station on Long Island
The New York Power Authority, in collaboration with the Electric Power Research Institute, General Electric, Airgas, Sargent & Lundy, and Fresh Meadow Power, will assess the potential of substituting renewable hydrogen for a portion of the natural gas used to generate power
U.S. Green Building Council partners with Dodge Data to release World Green Building Trends 2021 Report
It shows increased commitment to green building as industry experts strategize to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions
2021 International Green Construction Code released
The International Code Council; the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers; the U.S. Green Building Council; and the Illuminating Engineering Society have released the anticipated 2021 IgCC
University of Missouri engineers are working with Dow and the Missouri Department of Transportation to test the use of plastic waste in road pavement
Testing on a local roadway, engineers and students are determining how to incorporate single-use, polyethylene plastic waste into asphalt
Engineers develop concept for rechargeable concrete-based batteries
With this research from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, concrete buildings and other infrastructure could store huge amounts of energy
Report on indoor air quality in schools released
The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council and ASHRAE have released survey results from school districts, detailing measures they have taken to improve indoor air quality in schools in response to the pandemic.
Two developers selected to design rooftop solar arrays for 51 New York City area public buildings
After installing them, Ameresco, a clean technology integrator headquartered in Framingham, MA, and ENGIE North America with national headquarters in Houston, TX will manage the projects.
Hillsboro, Oregon begins generating renewable electricity from an underground water pipeline
The Hillsboro In-Pipe Hydroelectric Project features the In-PRV, a new smart water and micro-hydro system that generates electricity by harvesting excess pressure from a city water pipeline.