Innovative Self-Healing Asphalt
February 16, 2017
A new pavement type designed by Erik Schlangen is a “self-healing asphalt machine” to work against damage over time. It is a porous material that allows water to drain through the surfaces, run to the side of the road, or be routed into collection devices. Due to its geometry, noise would disappear into the surface.......
Smart Meters Improve Power Response Time
February 16, 2017
While city officials don’t oversee the local power grid, the energy conservation coordinator for the city of Philadelphia has started creating contingency plans for what every city office must do in the case of a power outage. In addition, the Office of Emergency Management established a local energy access plan to coordinate widespread emergency response.......
February 16, 2017
Altogether, the 140 harbors and channels that comprise the Great Lakes are the fourth largest economic zone in North America. The Great Lakes are also the largest freshwater system in the world. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has the responsibility to operate and maintain these harbors and channels, but turned to a P3......
Public-Private Partnerships Strengthen Inland Waterways
February 16, 2017
This proposed project would require the significant rehabilitation of eight locks with capital costs expected to run between $500 million and $750 million, as well as possible expansion of several locks. A regional authority (the Midwest Waterways Authority) has been established in Illinois to run the project that could eventually involve the neighboring states. The......
February 16, 2017
Defects in railroad tracks caused by use over time or from impurities in the manufacturing process can be largely invisible until an incident. Issues on the rails incapable of being seen by the human eye can develop over time with wear and tear from use. To find solutions to these issues before they strike, new......
Plan for the Future, Not the Past
February 16, 2017
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina unleashed an 18-foot storm surge with 7-foot waves, overpowering the Mississippi River–Gulf Outlet and Gulf Intercoastal Waterway and causing the collapse of a 4,000-foot-long section of the floodwall along Louisiana’s Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC). Following the widespread devastation in the region, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers set out......
February 16, 2017
Sometimes, working with nature is easier than working against it. Organizations like Floodplains by Design are working with communities to remove levees and allowing room for rivers to flood in a safe manner. When done appropriately, floodplain restoration can save lives, property and restore wildlife habitat. On the Manastash Creek near Ellensburg, Washington, flooding regularly......
More than One Preventative Solution
February 16, 2017
There are many streams running through the Bayou Meto basin in eastern Arkansas, and the low-lying surrounding areas are prone to flooding. The basin is also home to abundant wildlife and a key agricultural area in the region. Groundwater depletion is nearing crisis level as well – the alluvial aquifier, which provides essentially all the......
Robotic and Geospatial Screening Identifies Hot Spots
February 16, 2017
Researchers at Virginia Tech have developed a magic bus – they created a unique laboratory van with equipment and sensors for field data collection ready to see below the surface to water and wastewater pipes. The van is also equipped with computer, software, and generator. The robotic CCTV camera can be used for inspection of......
Plan to Work Together and Save
February 16, 2017
The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) Project Coordination Office was started to prevent doing the same work twice. Traditionally, CDOT and Chicago’s Department of Water Management would coordinate work, but this new division went to the next level by working with private utilities including Peoples’ Gas and Commonwealth Edison. By coordinating the work of City......
Select your home state, and we'll let you know about upcoming legislation.
"*" indicates required fields