Michele Ward, Author at Pieresearch

Pieresearch’s UNIBAR^® Receives New Patent for Revolutionary Adjustable Centering Device

Pieresearch®, a leader in the design and manufacturing of alignment and centralizing devices for the geo-construction industry, has received a new patent for its revolutionary Adjustable UNIBAR® Centralizer (patent number 10,584,459). The answer to uniform reinforcement steel spacing requirements for…

Adjustable Quick-Lock® Unibar® Centralizers for Single-Element Reinforcing

We have long known about the importance of proper alignment for reinforcing cages in drilled shaft construction. It is no less important to provide the same quality assurance for related deep foundation and earth support construction applications. In order to achieve proper design strength in any drilled and grouted hole the bar or tendon must be centered …

Ideas = Innovation

Stan Agee
“Ideas are responsible for the progression and prosperity of humans – without them we would still be living in prehistoric times.” – Sir Richard Branson. Everything begins with an idea. Some ideas are outlandish, others brilliant even transformational. But most ideas never see the light of day because people lack the courage, time or resources to put them into action. …

Construction Specifications – The Perils of Product Substitution

David A. Palmer and Timothy D. Howell, Attorneys at Law
“What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.” Despite what Juliet told Romeo, a rose by another name may not always smell as sweet. We’ve all been there – faced with deciding whether to agree to a substitution that may be inferior.…

HOW’S THE WATER?

Stan Agee
“You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” This 12th Century English homily presents a classic conundrum: Why won’t the horse drink the water? Not drinking is clearly self-destructive. Refusing water seems absurd. But let’s look at the situation from the horse’s point of view. If the horse has been led to the water …

SPALLING IS BAD, FALLING IS WORSE

Stewart M. Verhulst, M.S., P.E., RRC
Public safety is of paramount importance for engineers and architects designing buildings. Most design professionals are diligent in their pursuit of safe structures, carefully calculating the loading conditions, detailing connections and support conditions, and preparing their drawings and specifications. …

FOR WANT OF A NAIL – Cost of Cutting Corners on Drilled Cage Alignment

Bradford Russell, AIA, P.E., SECB, F.SEI
“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost, For the want of a shoe the horse was lost, For the want of a horse the rider was lost, For the want of a rider the battle was lost, For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost, And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.”…

SAFETY AWARENESS AND PRACTICES FOR CONSTRUCTORS AND ENGINEERS

S. Scot Litke, Honorary D.GE
One would hope that by now virtually every company that works in the field of geo-design and geo-construction would have a full understanding of the importance of making company-wide commitments to developing and...

WOMEN IN CIVIL ENGINEERING & CIVIL CONSTRUCTION: TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR OWN CAREER

S. Scot Litke, Honorary D.GE
I realize that I could be criticized as being guilty of “looking from the outside in” without a personal understanding of what women working in civil engineering (CE), and civil construction (CC), are up against...

MEGAPROJECTS OFTEN BECOME A MEGA-MESS

S. Scot Litke, Honorary D.GE
In keeping with the theme of this November/December 2016 issue of Deep Foundations Magazine, Megaprojects, I offer my take on the subject. This may not be as positive as one would hope. While we are all familiar with some of the most...