April 2008  |  Volume 78, Number 4

Unconventional Expansion

Thanks to an inventive collaborative approach that assigned key personnel to a centralized project center and a concerted effort to reduce material costs, Chicago’s new McCormick Place West Building was delivered under budget and ahead of schedule

Ground Improvement Technologies For a Sustainable World

By Charles Spaulding, P.E., M.ASCE, Frederic Masse, M.ASCE, and Justin LaBrozzi, M.ASCE

Three recent case studies reveal that using ground improvement techniques rather than constructing deep foundations can solve problems, lower costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Dual Deconstruction

By Sarbjeet Singh, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE, Mehrdad Mirzakashani, P.E., M.ASCE, and Abdol Hagh, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE

What do engineers do with two functionally obsolete bridges after their replacement structure has been completed? In Charleston, South Carolina, the answer involved a carefully planned and executed deconstruction project that relied on both conventional methods and specialized techniques to dismantle the Grace Memorial and Silas N. Pearman bridges, a pair of side-by-side through truss structures that once crossed a major navigation channel.

Moving at the Speed of Steel

By Juan A. Sobrino, D.Eng., M.ASCE

Because they must support significant loads and meet strict technical criteria, two new bridges in Spain for high-speed trains employ structural elements that are much stiffer than what is normally required for vehicular bridges. To achieve cost-effective solutions, the designers relied on the optimal use of materials, carefully selected structural systems, and very slender decks.