Construction Resources

In preparation for the 50th anniversary of the Interstate Highway System in 2006, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has launched a website dedicated to honoring that historic event, www.interstate50th.org. The website is part of AASHTO's yearlong observance of the Interstate Highway System's anniversary and its significance in unifying the nation and providing mobility to its citizens.

The website will expand over the next 20 months to serve as a clearinghouse of interstate anniversary activities in the states. Users will be able to view the history of the interstate system, learn facts about the system, contribute personal interstate stories, and view the stories of interstate pioneers and unique engineering feats of the 75639.17-km network. Next summer it will feature a daily report of a cross-country convoy retracing the route of the two-month 1919 military convoy in which then Lieutenant Colonel Dwight David Eisenhower traveled from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco.

Southco Launches New, Improved Website

Southco, the international leader in providing design engineers with engineered access parts, designs and options, has launched a new and improved version of its award-winning website www.southco.com with quicker access to the solutions sought by today's engineers.

The enhancements include: quicker access to a wider range of products on the website, with easier, more logical searching and sorting capabilities with fewer levels through which to navigate; enhanced downloading functionality; a simplified log-in function; and a 24-hour online help feature for customers.

New PECS™ Website

Providing its customers and distributors with more user-friendly features and expanded product information on new and existing erosion control products, Profile Products LLC recently unveiled the redesign of its new Profile Erosion Control Solutions (PECS) website, which is found at www.profileproducts.com/pecs.

Built to reflect Profile's advanced technology, the new site design provides users with more in-depth information on new erosion and sediment control technologies and technical assistance.

National Demolition Association Offers "Members Only" Services

Current and new members of the National Demolition Association can now take advantage of a "Members Only" page that has been launched on the association website www.demolitionassociation.com. The first featured item on the page is a Model Drug and Alcohol Program for the demolition industry.

The Model Drug and Alcohol Program, created by Mark Lies, one of the leading occupational safety and health attorneys in the country, presents the elements of a model program that many of the industry's clients are now requiring as part of their pre-bid submittals. The program is meant as a guide to the various state and federal programs. In actual practice, each member company must develop a company-specific program to meet the needs of their own firm's personnel policies, as well as the requirements of the states where they perform work. This should also be reviewed by the firm's attorney to assure local and state compliance.

To learn more about the National Demolition Association's "Members Only" section of the association's website, go to www.demolitionassociation.com, send an e-mail to info@demolitionassociation.com or call (800) 541-2412.

CSDA Website Refocuses On Members, Specifiers

The Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association has launched a new website at the association's existing address, www.csda.org

. The site has been fully redesigned and includes several new features such as a Members Only area, a Specifier's Corner and a CSDA Store where members and non-members can purchase sawing and drilling items. The site was developed to provide more services for members as well as the architects, engineers, general contractors, and government officials who specify concrete cutting products and services.

Literature:

2005 Transportation Officials And Engineers Directory

If you are looking for a one-stop guide to reach key state or federal transportation agency officials, a new publication from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) will make your job easier.

ARTBA has published its 2005 Transportation Officials & Engineers (TO&E) Directory, which provides address, phone and fax information for over 6,000 county, state and federal employees. E-mail and Internet contact information is also provided, if available.

Offered as a pocket-sized publication or a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, the TO&E Directory includes key listings for the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration, as well as information on national transportation design and construction-related organizations and key transportation leaders in the U.S. Congress.

Send a check or money order, plus an additional $11 for shipping and handling to: ARTBA, The ARTBA Building, 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20001, or call ARTBA's Christy Woodall at (888) 821-9653. The publication can also be purchased online by clicking on the "newest products" section of www.artbastore.org.

Handbook Of Concrete Bridge Management

ASCE has just released the Handbook of Concrete Bridge Management. This practical handbook provides complete coverage of concrete bridges from planning, design, repair, maintenance, and demolition, with a focus on small and medium-size bridges. It offers a global overview of bridge management based on the knowledge and experience of the authors, as well as presents rational and objective criteria to aid in decision making.

To order, contact the American Society of Civil Engineers, 1801 Alexander Bell Dr., Reston, VA 20191-4400, or call (800) 548-2723

CDs And Videos:

Design-Build Contracting Kit

The use of design-build is steadily increasing and so too is the need for instruction on how to contract services through the use of this method. DBIA is currently offering The Design-Build Contract Set, a comprehensive package consisting of two compact discs (10 design-build model contracts and five project administration forms) and an extensive handbook that provides the professional guidance needed in drafting effective design-build contracts. The Design-Build Contract Set includes:

Design-Build Model Contracts on CD: This two-disc package consists of 15 contractual documents (standard forms of agreement and project administration forms) formatted in Microsoft Word. This software format will enable you to edit/modify contract wording and the use of the documents is unlimited.

Design-Build Contracting Handbook: Authored by one of the most highly regarded legal authorities of the design-build movement, this extensive 600-page publication offers expert instruction on how to develop and apply design-build contracts. This informative reference also provides instruction on critical design-build contracting issues. The guide also includes a 2004 supplementary text that contains recent revisions to design-build litigation issues.

To purchase the DBIA's Design-Build Contract Set (order #500-CS), please visit the website at www.dbia.org/fr_publications.html.