 | Experts warn against too much instrumentation in tunnels |
| Leading international geotechnical engineers have warned against the danger of using too wide a range of instrumentation in soft-ground tunnels built with sprayed concrete temporary linings. Professor Chris Clayton of Surrey University and colleagues from the UK, South Africa and Brazil recommend that only a small number of reliable and well-understood techniques should be used to monitor the lining performance. A proliferation of diverse apparatus can be counter-productive, diverting focus from reliable techniques and overloading data management systems. |
| (Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 143 No. 3) |
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 | Helping municipal engineers to deliver best value |
| Under the 1999 Local Government Act municipal engineers must show they are giving best value - but it is up to them how they do this, which has led to uncertainty and confusion. The suite of nine, authoritative papers in this dedicated issue have been commissioned by the ICE to help local government engineers focus on the real issues. According to honorary editor David Hodgkinson: ‘Best value is a process. It is deliberately non-prescriptive, but local authorities, or rather service heads, must demonstrate that the process has been applied rigorously and effectively.’ |
| (Municipal Engineer, Vol. 139 No. 2) |
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 | Precast concrete bridges set to exceed 100m spans |
| Recent technological advances in construction mean that it is now feasible to build precast concrete girder bridges with spans in excess of 100m. Until now such spans have been almost exclusively provided by cantilevered or cable-stayed bridges. Professor A. Marí of Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and J. Montaner of Spanish firm Research & Concrete report that recent developments in lifting and transportation systems, high performance construction materials and structural analysis methods mean that precast spans of up to 110 m are now viable. Civil engineers' increased ability to combine pre-tensioning, post-tensioning, prefabrication and in-situ construction techniques is also significant, they say. |
| (Structures and Buildings, Vol. 140, No. 3) |
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 | Active traffic warnings prove more effective than speed guns |
| Traffic signs which are triggered by speeding vehicles can increase the number of drivers complying with speed limits by up to 87%. T. Kathmann of Aachen University in Germany and R. Cannon of UK consultant Bettridge Turner found that active speed warning signs can actually be more effective in reducing vehicle speeds than direct enforcement using police speed guns. However, following a review of the use of such signs in Germany, the UK, Norway, Holland and the US, the authors found that their effectiveness can vary widely depending on location and application, factors which need to be better understood by highway engineers. |
| (Transport, Vol. 141 No. 2) |
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 | Barrage boosts Sarawak economy |
| The tourism-dependent economy of Sarawak in Malaysia has been given a significant boost following construction of a 150m wide river barrage just downstream of the state capital Kuching. Professor J. Sharp and L. Howe of the University of Malaysia report how the £44 million barrage completed in 1998 has substantially improved the visual appearance of Kuching's extensive frontage to the Sarawak River. It has eliminated tidal mud banks and frequent flooding, making the waterfront suitable for tourist development, and has improved beaches downstream of the barrage due to reduced sediment flow. |
| (Water and Maritime Engineering, Vol. 142 No. 2) |