Press Room
New Wilson Bridge Named Top 2008 OCEA Project
As Society Celebrates Its Best at OPAL Awards Gala
In a tough field that included impressive engineering projects in India, California and Washington state, an all-new Woodrow Wilson Bridge serving the Washington, D.C., area has been selected ASCE's winner of the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement for 2008. Using a variety of innovative techniques, the joint project of the states of Virginia and Maryland and the District of Columbia replaces an inadequate, aging 47-year-old span, helping to relieve a major bottleneck for commuters on the busy Capital Beltway, Interstate 495. The OCEA winner was announced at the Society's premiere black-tie event, the OPAL Awards Gala, held Wednesday evening in Arlington, Va., where the 2008 Outstanding Projects and Leaders honorees and other major award-winners were saluted.
» Read the full story
"Gas Tax Holiday" Simply Putting Off Until Tomorrow What Should Be Done Today
U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton's proposed moratorium on the 18.4-cent per gallon gas
tax would provide no tangible benefit to the American people and only delay much
needed transportation projects. ASCE President David G. Mongan, P.E., F.ASCE,
noted, "It is disappointing that some of our nation's leaders don't understand
that." Lost productivity and wasted fuel due to traffic congestion costs the
average American motorist $710 a year -- nearly a full work week and more than
25 gallons of gas. Earlier in April, U.S. Sen. John McCain proposed a similar plan.» Read the full story.
External Review of IPET New Orleans Analysis
Notes Progress, Yet Risks Remain
While many positive changes have occurred and good work has been done, New Orleans still faces a higher level of risk from flooding than would be accepted for many other engineered life-protection systems, according to ASCE's External Review Panel (ERP). After a thorough review of the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force's (IPET) risk and reliability analysis, the ERP expressed overall satisfaction with the technical competency of the report, but strongly encouraged IPET to take steps to make the report more understandable and useful for the general public. They also strongly urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take a proactive leadership role, especially clear and blunt communication to the public about the level of risk that remains and better emergency response and evacuation planning.» Read the ERP's recommendations here.
McCain's 'Gas Tax Holiday' No Vacation for Consumers
U.S. Sen. John McCain's proposal to jolt the economy by suspending the 18.4-cent per gallon tax on gasoline during the summer months is "short-sighted," according to an official statement from ASCE, for adding to the strain on the nation's underfunded surface transportation network. "Under-investing in our infrastructure for short-term gain will just further undermine our economy in the long run," said President David Mongan, P.E., F.ASCE, speaking for the Society.
» Read ASCE's statement on Sen. McCain's economic proposal here .
Concrete Canoes Come to Canada
For the first time in its history, the "America's Cup of Civil Engineering" will head across the border to Canada. On June 19-21, 2008, the École de technologie supérieure in Montreal will host the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) 21st Annual National Concrete Canoe Competition. Civil engineering students from the United States and Canada will travel by plane, train and Ryder truck to race their canoes across the Olympic Basin on Notre-Dame Island for a chance at $9,000 in academic scholarship money.
» Read the full story
Civil Engineers Push for Historic Education and Licensure Changes
Next fall's class of civil engineering freshmen will witness historic changes in education and licensure during their careers. Guided by the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century, changes already underway in accreditation, curricula and licensure will better prepare them to be leaders and innovators. ASCE has released the second edition of the Body of Knowledge. In this new report, many of the original concepts and ideas have been clarified and sharpened, and their implementation will lead to the revision of current undergraduate and post-undergraduate education.
» Learn more about the Body of Knowledge.
» Read the full story
ASCE Expresses Sympathies Over Minneapolis Bridge Collapse
On behalf of our 140,000 members, ASCE extends its deepest condolences to the victims, the injured, their families and all others affected by the catastrophic bridge collapse that occurred in Minneapolis on Aug. 1. The 35-W Interstate bridge's main 458-foot span collapsed into the Mississippi River during evening rush hour, sending dozens of vehicles, tons of concrete and twisted metal into the waters of the Mississippi River 64 feet below. Built in 1967, the bridge carries an average of 140,000 vehicles a day. The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating what could have caused this horrific incident. ASCE's 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure indicated that between 2000 and 2003, the percentage of the nation's 590,750 bridges rated structurally deficient or functionally obsolete decreased slightly from 28.5% to 27.1%. However, it will cost $9.4 billion a year for 20 years to eliminate all bridge deficiencies.
» To learn more about the Report Card's assessment of bridges, click here.
» For more information on ASCE's 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure and our Infrastructure Action Plan, click here.
NTSB Rules 'Epoxy Creep' Was Cause of Big Dig's Tunnel Failure
The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that the probable cause of last year's fatal ceiling collapse in the I-90 connector tunnel of Boston's Big Dig was the use of an epoxy anchor adhesive with poor creep resistance.
Epoxy is a polymer and its stiffness is time and temperature dependent. If a load is applied suddenly, the epoxy responds like a hard solid. But if the load is then held constant, the molecules within the polymer may begin to rearrange and slide past one another, causing the epoxy to gradually deform in a process called creep. According to the NTSB, the epoxy used in the tunnel had poor creep resistance.
In addition, the NTSB said the use of an inappropriate epoxy formulation resulted from a general lack of understanding and knowledge in the construction community about creep in adhesive anchoring systems. Among its recommendations, the agency urged ASCE to emphasize within the profession the need to assess the creep characteristics of adhesive anchors before those anchors are used in sustained tensile-load applications.
>> Read the NTSB summary report.
>> Learn more.
New Orleans Risk Assessment Released
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released its prototype risk assessment for the hurricane protection system in New Orleans. The analysis was developed by the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET) as part of its study of the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the protection system. These prototype risk products profile pre-Katrina and current protection system conditions, and show the dynamics of risk and the effects of system improvements on risk and vulnerability. Future analysis work will look at the next level of protection for the system (100-year storm elevations), which will be provided in the coming years. ASCE's Hurricane Katrina External Review Panel (ERP) will complete a technical review of the new information, as they have for all the IPET analyses, reports and findings.» For more information and to view the maps, click here.
ERP Report Now Available
Released June 4, the report The New Orleans Hurricane Protection System: What Went Wrong and Why focuses on the direct physical causes and contributing factors to the hurricane protection system failures during Hurricane Katrina. This report details the in-depth review by the ASCE Hurricane Katrina External Review Panel of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET) to better understand this tragedy and prevent similar disasters from happening again. It is a fascinating read, offering hope for not just the future of New Orleans, but also for all other hurricane and flood-prone areas of the country.
» Order your copy.
» View the PDF
Infrastructure: A Call To Action
With each passing day, aging or overburdened infrastructure threatens America's economy and our quality of life. ASCE estimates that $1.6 trillion is needed over a five-year period to bring the nation's infrastructure to a good condition. Establishing a long-term development and maintenance plan must become a national priority. But in the short term, small steps can be taken by the 110th Congress to begin improving our infrastructure. ASCE has identified 11 legislative actions that Congress can take to raise the grades for America's failing infrastructure.
» View the Action Plan
U.S. Infrastructure Crumbling, According to 2005 Report Card
On March 9, ASCE released the 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, with updated grades on the condition of our roads, bridges, drinking water, transit systems, energy and schools, among other critical infrastructure. The 2005 Report Card assigned an overall grade of D, down from a D+ in 2001, and estimated that an investment of $1.6 trillion over five years is needed to improve the situation.
A Webcast of the news conference is available on the Infrastructure Report Card Web site.
»2005 Report Card
| Features |
New Book Celebrates Extraordinary Women Engineers
Engineering is the backbone of the technology that drives our world. The Extraordinary Women Engineers Project Coalition (EWEP) has released Changing Our World: True Stories of Women Engineers, a colorful, 256-page celebration of the contributions of women engineers to every aspect of modern life.
» Read more about the book
2005 Report Card Grades 2005 Report Card Release Advisory Council Infrastructure by State Important!Civil engineers from your area are available to discuss local infrastructure issues. Contact Joan Buhrman at 703-295-6406 or jbuhrman@asce.org
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ASCE Excellence in Journalism Award
The Excellence in Journalism Award honors journalists for outstanding stories that enhance public understanding of the role and impact of civil engineers and civil engineering.
Award Criteria
Download an Entry Form
Award Criteria Download an Entry Form