Engineering Conference Tackles Urban Infrastructure

The New York Interagency Engineering Council puts a spotlight on innovative engineering solutions. Also, local firms make good in
national ARTBA competition.

NYIEC Showcases Innovations

The New York Interagency Engineering Council recently held its annual technical conference in the Long Island City district of Queens with a focus on innovative technologies for urban infrastructure.

The council consists of federal, state, and local agencies that exchange ideas and perspectives with the goal of solving shared industry problems. Frank Lombardi, chief engineer of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, was conference chair.

Several industry leaders gave talks at the conference on innovative developments, including David Burney, commissioner of the New York City Department of Design and Construction, who gave the keynote speech about alternatives to conventional methods of pipe installation.

Other presentations included: "Non-Destructive Evaluation of Structures" given by Charles Bransky-Zachary of G.B. Geotechnics of Cambridge, England; "Advances in Corrosion Monitoring of Rebar Systems for Highway Bridges", given by Kolluru Subrananian of City College of New York; and "Development of Seismic Guidelines for New York City Department of Transportation Bridges", given by Guang-Nan Fanjiang of Weidlinger Associates of New York.

ARTBA Announces Annual Awards

The American Road and Transportation Builders Association's Transportation Development Foundation held its annual PRIDE awards luncheon recently in Washington, D.C. The event honors organizations in the transportation construction industry that have shown significant community involvement or have raised public awareness about the contributions of the field to the economy and to general quality of life.

In our region, the Louis Berger Group of East Orange, N.J., and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority were awarded first place in the Public-Media Relations/Education category for the private sector. The award recognized their sensitivity in informing the public and the media about construction of new turnpike exit and entrance ramps in Secaucus, N.J., which included the disinterment and relocation of more than 4,000 remains from an unmarked burial ground known as Potter's Field.

Also, Sam Schwartz LLC, a transportation engineering firm based in New York, received third place for Community Relations in the state transportation departments category. The award recognized a design alternative for New York's West Side Highway-Route 9A and the preservation of Canal Street Park.

Responsible Development Tour

A group of student-members of the European chapter of the Urban Land Institute, an international member-supported nonprofit group promoting best-land use practices and based in Washington, D.C., recently took a walking tour of the DUMBO neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Michael Burke, director of the Downtown Brooklyn Council, and Richard Mauro of New York-based Dexter-Haven Realty Services led the tour, which was part of ULI's UrbanPlan program. The same initiative, recently introduced into several New York high schools, teaches students about responsible use of land in relation to its surrounding environment.

The visiting students observed and learned about some of the rapid developmental changes occurring in the DUMBO neighborhood and were briefed on its history.

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