A pocket penetrometer is a fantastic little invention which geotechnical engineers and technologists find very handy. It is a small handheld gauge which contains a telescoping rod which can be pushed into the soil. The distance the rod goes into the soil corresponds to a compressive strength on the dial. Measurement of Soil The pocket penetrometer measures the … [Read more...]
The Standard Penetration Test is an in-situ test that is useful in site exploration and foundation design. It produces an N-value, which represents the number of blows of a standardized sampler driven into the soil a standardized distance. How the Test Works The sampler is 51 mm O.D. (outside diameter) and it is driven into the soil with a 63.5 kg weight having a … [Read more...]
According to the Project Management Institute, less than two thirds of projects meet their intended goals. The other one third are projects that end up with a drastically different scope than they began with, sometimes with different deliverables, or even get canceled outright. The project managers of these projects are not doing any favors for their careers. I … [Read more...]
Radial Gates, also known as tainter gates (after the structural engineer who popularized them) are the most common type of spillway gate in use today. It is classified as an undershot gate because water flows under the gate. It consists of a curved skin plate supported by a structural steel frame. A hoist system is used to raise or lower the gate. Advantages Better … [Read more...]
Big companies and small companies each have their own pros and cons. In the end, it comes down to personal choice. Read through the following pros and cons and see where you fit. Small Company Pros: Better experience at multiple projects and more diversity in your experience. Small companies tend towards true empowerment because they don't normally have the … [Read more...]
The Hydraulic Grade Line is a graph of the pressure and gravitational heads plotted along the position of the pipeline or channel. HGL Elevation = hp + hz Where: hp = pressure head (m or ft) hz = gravitational head (m or ft) Energy Grade Line Th Energy Grade Line is related to the hydraulic grade line in that it contains the velocity head as well. EGL Elevation = … [Read more...]
In today's ultra-competitive landscape, it doesn't take much for projects to turn around and chart a direction for failure. Even some of the best project managers I know have had their share of troubled projects. So take a litmus test right now. If your project exhibits any of these 5 behaviors, you might need to take action before things get really … [Read more...]
The busy ports of Dalian and Yantai are located on either side of the Bohai Sea, about 170 km (106 miles) apart. The driving time by road around the bay is about 16 hours. Engineers are planning the world's longest undersea tunnel to shuttle freight traffic between them. It would span the opening to the bay, similar to San Franscisco's Golden Gate Bridge. At 123 km … [Read more...]
Strategy and corporate planning might seem like the domain of others, but project managers in today's environment need to be familiar their corporation's strategic goals. Here are six reasons why. Project evaluation. Decision making. Team building. Resisting project cancellation (or other adverse outcome). Stay on track. Project Evaluation These days … [Read more...]
Later this month the Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai will begin serving scheduled passenger traffic. Al Maktoum is a central component of Dubai World Central, a new development about 12 km from Dubai's central economic district. Once completed, the airport will have a passenger capacity of 160 million people. For perspective, The Hartsfield-Jackson … [Read more...]
