 | Comparing metro construction around the world |
| Many of the world's major cities are tackling their urban congestion problems by developing or expanding underground metro systems. Since the first underground railway opened in 1863 between Paddington and Faringdon Street in London, over 100 metro systems have now been built world-wide. Of these over 50% are undergoing further development or expansion and numerous other cities are actively planning new schemes. A team of international authors led by Emma Hellawell of Surrey University has reviewed metros currently under construction in Los Angeles, Toronto, Copenhagen and Bangkok and concluded that settlement and groundwater control are the common major design issues of such schemes. |
| (Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 149 No. 1) |
|
 | Regeneration and conservation: the engineer's role |
| Engineers involved with regeneration and conservation schemes need to look beyond bar-bending schedules and consider the social, political and financial influences on their work, according to Peter Hallsworth in his introduction to this dedicated issue on the topic. The issue contains a series of regeneration and conservation papers and case studies from throughout the UK. They illustrate the contribution engineers can make to achieving the best use of resources in such projects, report on innovative engineering solutions to conversation and reveal how funds and support can be obtained for regeneration. |
| (Municipal Engineer, Vol. 139 No. 4) |
|
 | Flute to brute: 100 years of reinforced water towers |
| Over the past 100 years, reinforced concrete water towers have provided some of the best and worst examples of civil engineering design—ranging from stunning wine-glass forms to brutal boxes on legs. But whether you love them or loathe them, water towers are an increasingly rare sight in Britain as more are now being pulled down than built. David Cleland, civil engineering professor at Queen's University of Belfast, and Michael Gould of the ICE panel for historic engineering works document the changing shape of water towers in the UK and Ireland, starting with the first designs by Mouchel at the beginning of the century. |
| (Structures and Buildings, Vol. 146, No. 1) |
|
 | Aruba airport—a new model for bond funding |
| The recent successful redevelopment of Aruba airport in the Caribbean using bond funding could be adopted as a standard model for managing future privately financed infrastructure projects world-wide. Government-owned client Aruba Airport Authority NV funded the project by issuing a series of revenue bonds to selected US institutional investors at an average interest rate of 7.84%. Richard Harries, project manager of Parsons Aviation in Aruba, says that regular independent evaluations of the project's existing and potential financial performance enabled investors to manage their risks more effectively, thus increasing their confidence. |
| (Transport, Vol. 147 No. 1) |
|
 | Guidance on designing reservoir outlet works |
| Water supply reservoirs tend to be characterized by their dam structures but of equal importance—and of much greater variety—are their outlet systems. A review of the principal types of reservoir outlet structures built in the UK during the past 50 years has thus been undertaken to serve as a future design reference. Written by Chris Scott, technical director of Binnie Black & Veatch, the review covers the main options which have been adopted for outlet components in British reservoirs since 1950. Typically the components include an inlet structure within the reservoir, a conduit, a downstream outlet structure and various flow control and system isolation devices. |
| (Water and Maritime Engineering, Vol. 142 No. 4) |