Dali Hit Key Bridge with the Force of 66 Heavy Trucks at Highway Speed
The cargo ship Dali knocked down three main truss spans, constructed with connected steel elements forming triangles, on the Francis Scott Key Bridge just seconds after crashing into one of the bridge piers early on Tuesday morning, March 26, 2024.The bridge collapse happened so fast that it left little time for the work crews on the bridge to escape. Civil engineers like me have been paying attention to this disaster, because we want to find ways to make infrastructure like these large bridges more resilient. For a bridge this large to collapse would require a catastrophic collision force.
Coast Guard Foundation Awarded 128 Scholarships
The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today that in 2016 it has awarded a record 128 new scholarships. Combined with multi-year scholarship recipients and three Fallen Heroes Scholars, the Foundation is currently supporting 163 students totaling $576,500 in support this year. In just over 26 years, the Foundation's scholarship program has paid out more than $3.8 million to more than 630 college-aged young adults to help the families of Coast Guard members achieve their goals of higher education. Of the students receiving Foundation assistance…
MARAD Evaluates Natural Gas v. Conventional Fuel Emissions
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) informs it has released a study that evaluates total fuel cycle emissions for natural gas versus conventional marine fuels. This study was conducted as a part of MARAD’s Maritime Environmental & Technology Assistance program, which focuses efforts on emerging marine transportation and environmental issues. Results of the study showed that the use of natural gas as a propulsion fuel can reduce air quality pollutants and reduce major greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional fuels. The information provided by this study is important as marine transportation stakeholders evaluate the use of natural gas as aviable alternative propulsion fuel for reducing air polluting emissions.
MARAD: Total Fuel Cycle Study for Natural Gas
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) released a study that evaluates total fuel cycle emissions for natural gas versus conventional marine fuels. Results showed that the use of natural gas as a propulsion fuel can reduce air quality pollutants and reduce major greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional fuels. According to MARAD, the information provided by this study is important to marine transportation stakeholders as they evaluate the use of natural gas as a viable alternative propulsion fuel for reducing air polluting emissions. This study was conducted through a cooperative partnership with the Maritime Administration…
PPG Appoints Sklarsky
PPG Industries said Frank S. Sklarsky will join the company as executive vice president for finance, effective April 15, reporting to Chairman and CEO Charles E. Bunch. Also, effective August 1, Sklarsky will be named PPG executive vice president and chief financial officer. David B. Navikas, currently PPG senior vice president, finance and chief financial officer, will continue in his current role until August 1, and will then continue as senior vice president in a senior leadership role that will be announced later. Most recently, Sklarsky was executive vice president and chief financial officer, Tyco International, Ltd., a global provider of security, fire protection and flow control solutions with revenues that exceeded $17 billion.
Fetter New Director of Halcrow Navy Programs
Halcrow announced the addition of Robert Fetter, PE, CAPT, CEC, USN (ret) as director of navy programs for Halcrow in North America. In this newly created position, Fetter will be responsible for building upon Halcrow’s relationship with the U.S. Navy and its engineering operations. Fetter is a retired Civil Engineer Corps captain who brings more than 25 years of Navy facilities management and capital improvement experience to Halcrow. He has extensive federal acquisition experience with a proven track record of team building, process improvement, and cost savings. His expertise is wide-ranging and includes skills in the areas of, project management, planning and asset management, facilities management, energy efficiency/sustainability, and investment strategy.
Philadelphia Gear Appoints Verget as CFO
Philadelphia Gear Corporation announces the hiring of Stephen Verget to the position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Verget replaces Matt O'Reilly, and will be responsible for leading all accounting, financial analysis and treasury functions for Philadelphia Gear. He will also play a key leadership role in defining and executing Philadelphia Gear's evolving business model focused on specialized gear aftermarket service and marine propulsion drives. Verget brings with him 23 years of experience as a finance leader with E.I. DuPont de Nemours in a number of roles. He has held several business unit CFO positions within DuPont, including Agricultural Biotechnology, Advanced Materials, Agricultural Products North America, and Information Technology.
Study: Shipping Cited in Pollution-Related Deaths
While the international shipping industry already is under acute pressure to reduce emissions, a new study – which claims that worldwide 60,000 deaths each year are attributable to pollutions from ships – could help to increase public pressure further. The study, published in the American Chemical Society’s publication Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T) (DOI: 10.1021/es071686z) was produced by a team led by James Corbett of the University of Delaware and James Winebrake of the Rochester Institute of Technology, provide some of the first estimates of premature mortality from exposure to particulate matter, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfate in global ship emissions.
