Public Works: Newest PW Articles

$8 million in wages awarded for public works job

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:57:26 EST

California Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su has collected $8,072,273 in unpaid prevailing wages on behalf of 2,051 workers who built San Diego's Hilton Bayfront Hotel from 2006 to 2008. Why was such a project considered "public"?

Eleven $1-billion weather disasters

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:52:27 EST

Tornadoes, drought, and Superstorm Sandy racked up $110 billion in damages last year, according to the National Climate Data Center, making 2012 the second-most-expensive year of natural disasters since 1980.

Keep America Beautiful announces 2013 Graffiti Hurts Grant Program

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:46:26 EST

Keep America Beautiful (KAB) today announced the availability of the 2013 Graffiti Hurts Grant Program, designed to assist communities in augmenting their local graffiti prevention activities.

USDA and EPA launch U.S. Food Waste Challenge

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:39:26 EST

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched the U.S. Food Waste Challenge.

Equipment decisions: Buy new or used, or rent?

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 03:49:49 EST

When money’s tight and work needs to get done, it can be hard to decide what to do when it comes to a piece of aging equipment. Should you buy new or used? Or rent instead?

Real-time road alerts lower crash rates 80%

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 02:32:20 EST

Non-intrusive pavement sensors are easier and safer to maintain.

Status update: EPA 2013 drinking water regulations

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 03:36:21 EST

Personnel changes and sequester-induced shortages delay slow Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water work.

Turning pipelines into power generators

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 02:49:14 EST

Energy performance contracts deploy new type of in-pipe turbine to generate electricity from gravity water pipes.

Statistics on the World's Water

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 02:15:38 EST

Fun water trivia facts from the U.S. EPA.

Greenville public works department uses insulating concrete forms to build recycling center

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:39:41 EST

Trained to work with concrete, the Greenville public works department saves the city money by doing most of the work needed to build a local recycling center.

Public Works Department of the Month: Village of Palestine, Ill.

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 02:13:28 EST

Public Works department of village of Palestine, Ill works with limited resources to get the job done.

Wastewater plant operator pens book

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 03:16:19 EST

Sanitation is an extremely important service that’s too often taken for granted. Dodge Winston, a 42-year-old Wastewater Plant Operator II in the San Francisco Bay Area, has made it a subject you won’t be able to forget. His fourth self-published novel, The Wastewater Plant, is an account of life inside a 25mgd wastewater treatment facility in California.

Six tips for keeping your tires rolling

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 03:28:37 EST

Extend tire life and your maintenance budget with a few basic pieces of advice.

The great road-repair disconnect

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 02:09:25 EST

What products are you trying out in your never-ending quest to provide drivable roads?

2 composite manhole covers pass AASHTO load tests

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:38:09 EST

Testing performed at England’s Lancaster University confirms that Fibrelite Corp.’s 30- and 36-inch manhole covers carry the same loads as heavier iron and aluminium covers without damage.

How to boost your road salt, de-icing budget

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 02:19:56 EST

A basic primer on anti-icing, de-icing, and pre-wetting.

Is this a job for cement or chemical grout?

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:49:12 EST

When to use cement or chemical injectables.

Save pump motors from VFD-induced damage

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 02:36:13 EST

How to keep damaged bearings from cancelling out energy savings.

LED streetlighting: Beyond the hype

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:20:49 EST

How to get the best return on your investment.

Tips for selecting a PTO-driven mulcher

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 02:46:15 EST

Horizontal drum mulchers can be pushed or pulled behind a tractor for mulching.