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thursday, february 07, 2013

Dorsett Vandeventer Graves

D.V Graves was the 12th head coach of the University of Alabama football team. In four season (1911-1914) the Alabama native and Missouri alum rolled up a 21-12-3 record (.625). He was replaced in 1915 by Thomas Kelly.

Graves went on to coach at Texas A&M and Montana State before landing at the University of Washington. Between 1923 and 1946 Graves served as an assistant coach on the football team and baseball head coach. He later became the assistant director of athletics.

My story about this oft overlooked Alabama coach is posted over at Remember the Rose Bowl.

friday, december 28, 2012

Alabama's Frank Thomas at Notre Dame

Frank Thomas was one of Alabama's most successful football coaches and the mentor of the legendary Paul W. Bryant who played under him. Thomas was also a graduate of Notre Dame and played football there under Knute Rockne.

Early on, Rockne recognized Thomas' grasp of the game which was born out when he was hired by the University of Georgia to bring the Irish's dynamic offensive system to the South. Eventually, he was hired by Alabama to replace the very successful Wallace Wade.

My story on Thomas' time in South Bend is now posted over at Remember the Rose Bowl.

tuesday, september 11, 2012

Otis Davis

At the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, Italy, the USA's Otis Davis won a pair of gold medals and claimed the world record in the 400 meters; becoming the first man to break 45 seconds in the event in the process. The performance capped a two-year span that Davis completely dominated the quarter-mile event.

Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Davis aspired to compete for his hometown school, the University of Alabama, but knew the state's segregation laws made it impossible. Instead he went to the University of Oregon where he came under the tutelage of legendary track and field coach Bill Bowerman and flourished.

Earlier this year I penned an article about Davis' Olympic achievement for Roll Bama Roll. Shortly after I was commissioned by the Encyclopedia of Alabama to produce an entry on the runner, which has now been posted on their website.

thursday, january 26, 2012

The Panama Canal

Work on the critical locks portion of the Panama Canal's $5.2-billion Third-Lane Expansion was brought to a halt for almost a week due to a labor dispute.

On Jan. 16, workers employed by the consortium building the $3.12-billion locks, Grupo Unidos por El Canal (GUPC) walked off the job demanding safer working conditions and higher pay. The strike was organized by SUNTRACS, one of Panama's largest construction labor unions.

After a series of roundtables overseen by the government, the labor action ended after the consortium agreed to a 13% wage hike. The new hourly rates are reportedly $3.34 and $3.96 per hour for skilled labor, up from the previous $2.90 per hour.

My story on the project, Workers End Strike at Panama Canal Lock Expansion, is in the current edition of Engineering-News Record.

wednesday, august 03, 2011

Brazil's High Speed Rail Project

An ambitious $21.3 billion high speed rail project designed to link Brazil's two largest metropolitan areas, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, was sidetracked no offers were presented at auction for the work last month.

The 510-kilometer Trem de Alta Velocidade Rio-São Paulo was initially planned to be in place for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, both hosted by Brazil.

While government officials say they will tweak the contracts and hold another bid later this year, the project's six-year construction schedule makes it unlikely more than portions of the rail line will be in place for the two events.

My story on the project, Lack of Bids Stymies $21B High-Speed Rail Project in Brazil, is in the current edition of Engineering-News Record.

thursday, june 16, 2011

The Transnordestina Railroad

A $3.21 billion railroad project slated to revive northeast Brazil's lagging infrastructure in the face of a massive development boom is underway and slated for completion by 2012.

The 1,728-kilometer Transnordestina line will link the city of Eliseu Martins in the region’s interior to the ports of Pecém and Suape on the coast. When the project reaches its full capacity in 2019 that is expected to reach 30 million tonnes of grains, iron ore and minerals, such as gypsum, from the interior of the region each year.

Brazilian steelmaker Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional is backing the project and construction giant Odebrecht is building a large portion of the railway.

My story on the project, Brazilian $3.21 Billion Rail Revitalization Project Tracks for 2012 Arrival, is in the current edition of Engineering-News Record and a slideshow is available on the ENR.com website.

monday, march 14, 2011

The San Antonio Hydroelectric Project

The $9 billion San Antonio Hydroelectric Project on the Madiera River in the Brazlian Amazon is preparing to begin installing the first of 44 one-of-a-kind massive bulb turbines that will provide 3,150 MW to Brazil's energy grid.

When completed in 2015, the 3,150 MW will be the largest run-of-the-river dams in the world (although it is expected to be eclipsed by the nearby 3,300 MW Jirau dam slated to be finished the following year).

The Odebrecht-led consortium begain on the San Antonio project in 2008 and has been concentrated on the two banks of the river. During the summer, the waterway will be routed through the almost-completed spillway and work will begin on the portion that makes up the current riverbed.

My story on the project, Brazil's Unique Bulb Turbines Under Way, is in the current edition of Engineering-News Record and a slideshow is available on the ENR.com website.

wednesday, february 16, 2011

The Panama Canal

The excavations for the Pacific Access Channel required to connect the new locks being built for the Panama Canal to the waterway's navigation have reached the point where further progress will be below the waterway's existing waterline.

To allow for the excavation to continue, backfilled cellular cofferdam will hold back Miraflores Lake, the man-made body of water between the Miraflores locks and Pedro Miguel locks. Once the cofferdam is finished, excavation of 26 million cubic meters of material in the access-channel route can proceed as well as the construction of a permanent, $70-million, clay-core, basalt-rock-filled dam.

My story on the cofferdam and the progress of the canal expansion, Canal Cofferdam Takes Shape, is in the current edition of Engineering-News Record.

monday, december 20, 2010

Colombia Flooding

Winter is the rainy season on the Caribbean coast of South America but rarely have the deluges been as devastating. Colombia has been struck hard by deluges. The death toll stands at 281 and more than 2.2 million people been affected by the rains, floods and landslides.

On Nov. 30, the levee for the Dique Canal broke and, since then, between 400 million and 800 million cubic meters of water has escaped the canal to inundate approximately 400 square miles.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile, Alabama office has dispatched technical experts to help Colombia develop a strategy to handle the disaster. My story on the flooding and the work to handle the canal breach, Colombia Hit Hard by Levee Break; U.S. Corps Sends Help From Mobile, is in the current edition of Engineering-News Record.

tuesday, december 07, 2010

The Lima Metro Line 1

Lima, Peru's $410-million elevated electric train line is on track for completion in June of next year, at the end of a remarkably short 18-month work schedule.

The project involves the construction of 11.7 kilometers of new train line and nine stations as well as the complete refurbishment of 9.8 km of existing line and seven stations. It was was first begun by the Peruvian government in 1985 but construction was idled soon after due to a financial crisis and violent leftist insurgency.

The work is being conducted by the Consorcio Tren Eléctrico comprised of the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht, the Peruvian company Graña y Montero and Siemens Mobility. My story on the project, New Lima Metro on Track, as well as a slideshow of photos are in the current edition of Engineering-News Record.

wednesday, october 27, 2010

The Manaus-Iranduba Bridge

The $400 million Manaus-Iranduba Bridge in Brazil is set for completion by the end of the year. The 3,600-meter-long span across one of the largest tributaries of the Amazon, Rio Negro, will be one of the longest in the South American country.

The structure, which boasts a 400-meter-long cable-stayed central section, is being built by Rio Negro Consortium, a joint venture of Camargo Correa and Construbase who started work in 2008 after winning the contract from the Amazonas state government.

The bridge is expected to spur development in the remote reaches of western Brazil but environmentalists are concerned that will lead to destruction of the tropical rainforest as well.My story on the project, Rio Negro Bridge, $400-Million Economic Link, Opens in Amazon Basin, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.

wednesday, october 27, 2010

Machu Picchu

The famed "lost city" of the Incas, Machu Picchu, has been a tourist hotspot for decades. During the peak of the season more than 2,500 visitors a day descend on the ruins.

Earlier this year, torrential rains washed away the sole link from the site to the outside world -- an 80-mile-long railway. Thousands of tourists had to be airlifted out by helicopter and the site was cut off for weeks until repairs could be made.

As a result, Peruvian legislators have revived a controversial measure to construct a roadway that would link a highway to the north of Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes, the tourist town that services the ruins. The proposal has refueled concerns that the enormous popularity of the site may be endangering it.

My story on the proposed road, Peru Ponders Machu Picchu Access Road, is in this issue of Engineering News-Record and it is accompanied with a slideshow of pictures as well.

wednesday, september 29, 2010

The Panama Canal

The final big-ticket contract for the massive $5.2 billion Third Lane Expansion of the Panama Canal was awarded in September by the Panama Canal Authority.

Belgian dredging firm Jan de Nul won the $54.5-million job to dredge and excavate 4 million cu meters at the entrance of the historic waterway's Pacific access channel. The firm previously was awarded the $89.6-million contract for dredging work to widen and deepen the canal's Atlantic entrance.

The company is also part of Grupo Unidos por el Canal, the Spanish-led consortium that won the $3.1-billion contract to design and build the expansion's massive new locks.

My story on the award and update on the status of the expansion work, Panama Canal Project Revs Up With New Award, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.

wednesday, september 29, 2010

The Los Olmos Project

The effort to bore a 20-kilometer tunnel through the Andes has restarted in Northern Peru after months of delay.

Work on the $247-million Los Olmos irrigation project was brought to a halt last April when the tunnel-boring machine was damaged by rock bursts in April.

On July 8, engineers with Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht were able to restart the TBM and, a month later, work began on the tunnel's opposite approach using conventional drill-and-blast methods.

The tunnel breakthrough is now slated for spring 2012, and project completion should follow six months later -- more than two years after its originally scheduled finish.

My story, Los Olmos Tunneling Resumes, is on ENR.com.

wednesday, september 01, 2010

Floating Power Barges

A Houston firm has completed a pair of $125 million power generation barges which are scheduled to be shipped to Venezuela in order to help the Latin American country cope with a pressing power shortage.

Waller Marine completed work on the two 171 MW facilities, Margarita I and Josefa Rufina I, earlier this month at the Signal International Shipyard in Orange, TX. The GE 7FA turbine generators are the largest single turbine generator ever mounted on a floating platform.

Venezuela ordered the two plants in January when power shortages forced the government to implement rolling blackouts. The plans will be installed in a prepared basin at Tacoa, Venezuela near the country's capital.

My story, Houston Firm Floats Power To Venezuela, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.

saturday, june 19, 2010

The Billinghurst Bridge

The Billinghurst Bridge over the Madre de Dios River in the Southern Peruvian Amazon is slated to be finished in December of this year - almost three decades from when the project was inaugurated.

The $25.71 million effort to build the 722-meter-long span was begun in 1978 and the parts for the steel suspension bridge were fabricated in Austria and sent to Peru for assembly. But financial and social upheaval in the country put the project on hold.

Today, the consortium building the Interoceanic Highway, Conirsa, has undertaken the effort to build the bridge and plans to have it finished in time for the road's official opening in December.

My story on the bridge construction, "Peru Project Spans One River, Three Decades" is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record and a slideshow of images is on the magazine's website as well.

wednesday, may 19, 2010

The Los Olmos Project

The Los Olmos project in Northern Peru is one of the most challenging engineering efforts in the world. The $247 million undertaking is designed to bring water from the Western slopes of the Andes to the dry Pacific coastland through a 20-kilometer-long tunnel.

Two years ago I penned an article examining Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht's effort to build the tunnel, the second deepest being excavated in the world. It was slated for completion last month.

The delay has been caused by rock bursts which have been buffeting the tunnel boring machine boring the tunnel over the past year. One massive one that struck on April 29 has indefinitely halted work after damaging a key part of the machine.

My story on the difficulties the project is facing, Series of Rock-Bursts Throws Peruvian Tunnel Job Offtrack. read more

wednesday, april 28, 2010

The Belo Monte Dam

The 11.2 GW Belo Monte hydroelectric project on the Xingu River in the Brazilian Amazon is one of the most ambitious energy generation projects being undertaken on the planet - and one of the most controversial.

On April 20, a nine-company consortium, Norte Energia, won the right to build the $11 billion project. The group is led by Compania Hidro Eletrica do Sao Francisco (CHESF), a unit of state-run Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA.

The dam, a run-of-river scheme designed to buffer the environmental impact of the project, is expected to take five years to build and will be the third-largest hydro facility in the world when completed.

Opposition to the scheme has been strong since it was initially proposed in the mid-1980s. As Brazil's electricity regulating agency Aneel awarded the job, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the agency's Brasilia headquarters and vowed to fight the project. read more

wednesday, march 31, 2010

Lima's El Metropolitano

Peru's capital city of Lima is set to unveil its $538-million integrated urban bus system commonly known as El Metropolitano in April.

The system, based on Bogota, Colombia's successful TransMileneo system, will feature a 26-kilometer primary bus line built in the center lanes of the city's main north-south arterial roads, with a fleet of 522 natural-gas-powered buses. Officials say it will be able to handle up to 700,000 passengers daily when completely operational at the end of may.

The centerpiece of the project is an $18 million central terminal constructed beneath the Promenade of Naval Heroes in Central Lima designed to handle 110,000 passengers a day.

My story, Growing Transit System in Lima, Peru Bringing Order to 'Chaos', is in this week's Engineering News-Record. In addition, it features a slideshow of images from the project.

wednesday, march 31, 2010

South America Power Transmission

Last year, Brazil was hit by a massive blackout that plunged two-thirds of the country into darkness for hours. In March, Chile suffered a power outage that left almost 80 percent of the population without power for hours.

Both incidents occurred when a localized failure in the power grid led to a chain reaction that caused a widespread failure in the country's transmission system. They serve as a warning for many countries in the region that have let the power grids languish while infrastructure development has been focused elsewhere.

Brazil and Peru are examples of two countries that have poured billions of dollars into the electric power grid infrastructure in an effort to stave off blackouts in the coming years. My story, In South America, Trouble on the Line, is in this week's Engineering News-Record.

wednesday, march 03, 2010

The Chile Earthquake

At 3:34 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, Chile was struck by one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded. The 8.8 magnitude temblor lasted for three minutes but devastated the infrastructure of the Andean nation.

The death toll stands at almost 800 although many more remain missing. More than 500,000 structures were seriously damaged and an estimated 2 million Chileans were affected by the disaster.

Despite the devastation, the aftermath of the earthquake is being seen as a testament to the country's preparedness for such a catastrophic event.

My cover story, Chiles Quake Damage Mitigated by Past Lessons, is in this week's Engineering News-Record examines how Chile has learned from past quakes to improve it's readiness for such powerful temblors. In addition, my article Chile Holds Strong Recovery Hopes examines why experts expect the country to rebound relatively quickly from the disaster.

wednesday, march 03, 2010

The Panama Canal

A joint U.S.-European group has presented the low bid to analyze the options for a vehicular crossing at the Atlantic entrance of the Panama Canal.

San Francisco-based URS Corp. and the Danish firm COWI A/S submitted a bid of $895,000 - the lowest of five tendered - to examine the possibilities of a permanent crossing at the historic waterway's Atlantic entrance that will allow uninterrupted traffic on that side of the isthmus.

The crossing is needed since the construction of new locks on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal required for the $5.2 billion Third Lane Expansion project will make vehicular traffic across the isthmus on the existing roadway impossible. read more

wednesday, march 03, 2010

The Inambari Hydroelectric Project

The momentum behind a proposed 2,000MW hydroelectric facility in the Peruvian Amazon is gaining as Brazilian interests continue to back the effort.

The Brazilian consortium behind the project, Empresa de Generacion Electrica Amazonas Sur S.A.C. (EGASUR), says construction of the dam on the Inambari river could begin by the end of this year and be completed by 2014.

If approved by Peru's Ministry of Mines and Energy the consortium would be required to replace more than 100 kilometers of the InterOceanic highway slated for completion later this year.

My story, Brazil Backs $4-Billion Peruvian Hydropower Project, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.

wednesday, february 03, 2010

Ruta del Sol

In 2005, Colombia undertook a massive $770 million infrastructure renewal program aimed at paving more than 3,000 kilometers of the country's roadways.

That effort was bolstered even further recently by the awarding of contracts to build a 1,000-kilometer highway connecting the capital of Bogota and the Caribbean coast.

Two of the three sections for the $2.6 billion Ruta del Sol (Highway of the Sun, in Spanish) were awarded to a pair of multinational consortiums who will build and operate the highway. The final contract is scheduled to be awarded this summer.

My story on the road effort, Highway Goal: Colombia's Gem to the Ocean, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.

thursday, january 21, 2010

Points South: The Nicaragua Canal

The Panama Canal has become cemented in the public mind as the trans-oceanic waterway across the Central American isthmus. But the route chosen for the historic canal almost went through nearby Nicaragua.

In fact, a stamp depicting a smoking volcano is believed to have been the deciding factor swaying the US Senate to vote for the route through Panama in 1902. The success of that enterprise quelled calls for the northern alternate for almost a century.

Recently, Nicaragua renewed the push for a canal route through it's territory as a plausible alternative to the Panamanian waterway. Officials have redoubled efforts to find financing for the ambitious $18 billion proposal.

My most recent post for my ENR.com blog, A man, a plan, a canal... Nicaragua? looks at the interesting history of this alternate canal route and the recent efforts to renew it.

wednesday, january 20, 2010

The Panama Canal

The construction of new locks on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal required for the $5.2 billion Third Lane Expansion project will make vehicular traffic across the isthmus on the existing roadway impossible.

To address the situation, the Panama Canal Authority has begun the process to find a solution - either a bridge or tunnel - that will permit traffic to pass across the waterway. When completed it will be the only permanent vehicular crossing connecting the North and South American land masses on the Atlantic side of the isthmus.

The ACP is currently soliciting bids for a feasibility contract to examine possible alternatives. My story, Panama Canal Authority Seeks New Canal Crossing, is in this week's Engineering News-Record.

friday, january 08, 2010

Yea Alabama National Championship Edition

Last night my beloved Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Texas Longhorns in the BCS National Championship game in Pasadena, California's Rose Bowl stadium.

The victory marks the 13th national title in the 117-year history of football at The Capstone as well as the first time Bama has defeated UT in eight tries stretching back to 1902.

Me and my fellow writers over at Roll Bama Roll - a website covering Alabama football - have spent the past few weeks working on a commemorative magazine in the event of a Crimson Tide national championship.

And it is with the greatest pleasure that I announce the Maple Street Press has begun printing the Yea Alabama National Championship Edition. read more

thursday, december 24, 2009

The Brazil Energy Handbook

For the past several months I've been working on a project examining the Brazil Energy sector. The result is the Brazil Energy Handbook which is going to print this month.

The handbook is a sweeping overview of Brazil's diverse energy production sectors from the impact of the vast new offshore oil discoveries to the dependence on hydroelectric dams in the Amazon Basin.

Brazil's recent economic prosperity has proven resilient against the global economic downturn, but that has also mean the country's energy demand continues to grow as well. The government has balanced the need to increase the Brazil's energy production with controlling the trend of privatizing the key industries overseeing those sectors.

The Brazil Energy Handbook is one of a series of magazines published by PSI Media of Las Vegas, Nevada. The company's flagship publication is the Combined Cycle Journal, a quarterly magazine aimed at the gas turbine-based power generation sector.

wednesday, december 23, 2009

The Panama Canal

Bids for the second-largest contract required as part of the massive $5.2 billion Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion Project have been submitted to the governing authority of the historic waterway.

Four groups submitted bids for the work completing a 6.7-kilometer-long access channel on the canal's Pacific side. The $268 million offer by an international consortium comprised of the firms FCC, MECO and ICA was the lowest. The job will be awarded early next year.

The work involves the excavation of 26 million cubic meters of material and the construction of a a 1.7 kilometer-long clay core dam between the access channel and the Miraflores Lake. In addition, 80 hectacres of a former US Army firing range must be cleared of unexploded ordinance.

My story on the bidding, Spanish-Mexican-Costa Rican Team Submits Low Bid for Second Biggest Panama Canal Contract, is at ENR.com.

wednesday, july 15, 2009

Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion

An international construction team led by Spanish contractor Sacyr Vallehermoso SA netted the design-build job to construct a pair of new set of locks for the Panama Canal. The work is the heart of a $5.2 billion effort to expand the historic waterway.

The $3.12 billion bid by Grupo Unidos for el Canal was significantly within the Panama Canal Authority's estimated $3.48 billion for the lock-building effort. The technical evaluation of the consortium's proposal was also the highest of the three proposals for the work.

In addition to Sacyr Vallehermoso, the winning consortium Impregilo SpA of Italy, Belgium's Jan De Nul NV, Constructora Urbana SA (CUSA) of Panama and Heerema Fabrication Group of The Netherlands. The design team is made up of MWH from Broomfield, Colo., Tetra Tech of Pasadena, Calif and Holland's IV Group. read more

wednesday, june 03, 2009

Yea Alabama 2009

College football and my beloved Crimson Tide are still a good three months away but I'm already getting ready. The season preview for Alabama Football, Yea Alabama is now available for pre-order through Maple Street Press. It will ship on July 6.

Why would you care? Because not only is it 128 pages of top-notch Alabama football coverage it boasts an article I penned, "A Bama Fan Abroad" describing the trials of a college football fanatic forced to reside beyond the borders of the USA.

Yea Alabama is produced by the same group that produces the website Roll Bama Roll which I contribute to as well. So check them out and, as always, Roll Tide!

wednesday, may 20, 2009

Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion

The $5.25 billion Third Lane Expansion of the Panama Canal has made quite a bit of progress in the past 21 months and it's getting ready to kick into an even higher gear.

To date, substantial work has been done on the Pacific Access Channel as well as dredge works on the Pacific entrance to the waterway. (In addition to ongoing dredge and construction efforts undertaken by the Panama Canal Authority).

In July, the Panama Canal Authority is slated to award the estimated $3.3 billion design/build contract for the construction of the new locks. Three consortia comprised of more than two dozen international firms are vying for the historic job.

To prepare for that vast undertaking, the canal authority has partnered with Denver, Col.-based CH2M Hill to create an innovative management team that will oversee the effort. read more

friday, march 27, 2009

Venezuela Construction

The dramatic implosion of oil prices in the past year has put a huge dent in Venezuela's budget which relies on the exports of the commodity for financing.

Last week Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez unveiled a new budget featuring a package of austerity measures and tax hikes that did little to put concerns to rest.

Officials with Odebrecht Venezuela say that they will slow down projects if obtaining funds from the government gets tight but will not stop work on any projects. These include the $990 million "third bridge" over the Orinoco River.

The bigger question will be payments to companies whose assets were seized in the past two years as part of Chavez's nationalization push. Cement producers Lafarge, Holcim and Cemex have yet to receive any payment for the loss of their plants and production facilities in Venezuela last year. read more

friday, march 27, 2009

Camargo Correa

A year-long investigation into corruption involving Camargo Correa, one of the largest construction firms in South America, came to a head on Wednesday when Brazilian federal police raided the firm's Sao Paulo headquarters and arrested four directors.

The company is accused of various financial crimes as well as bribing public officials. According to the Brazilian federal prosecutor's office Camargo officials were laundering money through a system of fake companies and illegal currency traders.

In a statement released Thursday, Camargo Correa said they were "perplexed" by the accusations and insisted all of their business transactions were legal and proper.

My story on the situation, Brazilian Construction Giant Camargo Correa Hit With Corruption Charges is in this week's edition of Engineering News-Record.

thursday, march 19, 2009

Machu Picchu

A plan to build an elevator to ferry tourists up to the famous 'lost' city of the Incas, Machu Picchu, has been proposed by the regional government in Peru.

The regional tourism board for the Department of Cusco says the elevator will ascend 1,500 feet from the level of the Urubamba River to the ridge where the ancient citadel is located. (Tourists presently use a bus service that winds it's way up a dirt road on the side of the mountain.)

If built, the number of tourists could increase fourfold over the current daily maximum of approximately 2,500. That concerns many who feel the site is already in danger due to the influx of visitors.

My story on the project, Peru Proposes Elevator to Increase Access to Machu Picchu Site, is on ENR.com.

thursday, march 12, 2009

Latin America Infrastructure Development

Nations across South and Central America are taking a recognizable tack in their efforts to stave of financial collapse - stimulus packages. Notably, multi-billion dollar programs that emphasize infrastructure development.

Brazil has inaugurated a $270 billion effort and is preparing a program to construct 1 million homes for low income families. Argentina is preparing a $21 billion package, Peru has pledged $3.3 billion and Chile is planning to spend $4 billion. To this effort the World Bank has said it will provide $100 in financial support for developing nations, of which a third is likely to go to infrastructure.

My story on the situation, Latin America Pinning Recovery On Infrastructure Spending Plans, is at ENR.com.

thursday, march 05, 2009

The Panama Canal

Three international consortia have submitted bids to undertake the design and construction of the new locks for the Panama Canal. Canal officials estimate the work will absorb more than 60 percent of the $5.2 billion pricetag for the third lane expansion project slated for completion in 2014.

The three consortia submitting bids included; Consorcio C.A.N.A.L. led by ACS Servicios, Comunicaciones y Energia, S.L. of Spain; Consortium Bechtel, Taisei, Mitsubishi Corp., led by U.S.-based Bechtel Internacional, Inc. and Grupo Unidos por el Canal, led by Spanish company Sacyr Vallehermoso S.A.

A fourth consortium, Consorcio Atlantico-Pacifico de Panama led by Bouygues Travaux Publics of France, was approved to participate in the lock building process but did not submit a bid.

The gravity-operated, single-lane, three-step locks at the Atlantic and Pacific entrances will boast lock chambers 427 meters long by 55 m wide and 18.3 m deep with sufficient draft for the 366-m-long post-Panamax ships. They will feature rolling gates as well as water-saving basins - neither ever used on a project of this scale. read more

wednesday, february 25, 2009

The Woes of the Cement Industry

The dramatic decline in construction due to the global economic crisis has affected the cement industry dramatically. The drop in demand for their product - even though it is the most common building material on earth - has pushed the industry to the brink.

On top of this two of the largest cement manufacturer are struggling to pay for aquisitions made at the peak of the market. In 2007, Cemex spent $14.2 billion to purchase Australian cement-maker Rinker Group Ltd., and last year Lafarge shelled out $12.8 billion to acquire Egypt-based Orascom Construction Industries.

For this year Cemex is committed to paying of $3.6 billion in debt, partly in anticipation of refinancing approximately $3 billion in debt due next year because of the Rinker purchase. Lafarge has earmarked $4.48 billion for debt reduction in 2009. read more

wednesday, february 11, 2009

Cemex

The recent economic downturn has put Mexican cement giant Cemex in a tough situation. The $14.2 billion purchase of and Australian firm Rinker last year has the Monterrey-based company scrambling for cash to pay down debt.

In a series of meetings last week dubbed "Cemex Day," the firm outlined it's financial predicament and it's plans to tackle it. The company plans to pay off $3.6 billion in debt this year - partially because of a similar amount that must be refinanced in 2010 due to the Rinker acquisition.

My story on the situation, Cemex Unveils Its Corporate Strategy To Weather the Recession Storm, is on ENR.com.

tuesday, february 10, 2009

Peruvian Dinosaur Tracks

The construction of a road in the central highlands of Peru has uncovered hundreds of dinosaur tracks and fossils estimated at more than more than 120 million years old.

The discovery was made in 2006 when workers with the Peruvian mining company Antamina were starting work on a road in the Ancash region about 250 miles northeast of Lima. Hundreds of tracks and fossils from dozens of animals - herbivores and carnivores of all sizes - have since been excavated at the site now called Cruz Planta.

My story on the find as well as a similar one made recently in Argentina, Dinosaur Tracks Uncovered During Peru Road Construction, is over at ENR.com.

thursday, november 06, 2008

Ecuador and Venezuela vs Odebrecht

Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht has recently run into difficulties with the leftist governments of both Ecuador and Venezuela in what could be a new effort to nationalize infrastructure works in those countries.

In September, Ecuador siezed all of the company's works and expelled the company from the country. The move included more than $800 million in existing contracts. Government officials said the action was needed due to irresponsiblity on the part of the company in connection with the construction of the San Francisco Hydroelectric Plant in Banos.

This week Venezuela levied the firm with a $282 million bill for back taxes it claims have not been paid - a likely antecedent for a similar action in that country.

Industry observers say the action has less to do with the actions of the company but the desire of these governments to appropriate the lucrative operational contacts used to finance their construction. A move likely to dampen developer and investor interest from this point forward. read more

wednesday, november 05, 2008

Argentina Natural Gas Pipeline

Earlier this year I traveled to Argentina to visit a massive $1.9 billion effort to transform that country's natural gas transportation and delivery infrastructure.

When completed in two years, a pair of massive projects underway in both the north and south of the South American nation increase the country's natural-gas capacity by 22 million cubic meters per day.

Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht is performing 1,700 kilometers of the 2,300 kilometer pipeline upgrade. That includes the construction of 67 'loops' that connect to the existing line and increase it's carrying capacity as well as building or upgrading 14 compression plants.

My story on the project, From North to South, New Pipe Delivers Power to Argentina is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record magazine. In addition I have also made a narrated slideshow of the project.

friday, october 10, 2008

The Panama Canal

The Inter-American Development Bank has approved a $400-million loan to help finance the $5.2-billion third-lane expansion of the Panama Canal.

The financing is one of the first major portions of $2.3 billion in loans the Panama Canal Authority plans to use to to finance the expansion. The remainder of the project's cost will be covered by cash flow generated by the canal.

The crucial component to the project and the financing schedule is the $3.35-billion design-build contract for the new locks expected to be awarded in the next few months. The ACP estimates that the lock construction will push the annual expenditures for the project in excess of $500 million between 2009 and 2011.

My story on the loan, Panama Canal Snags $400M IDB Financing for Expansion, is at ENR.com.

thursday, october 09, 2008

International Boundary & Water Commission

On Sept. 15 a small chartered Cessna crashed into the Sierra Madre mountains in northern Mexico killing all four passengers on board including the International Boundary and Water Commission's U.S. Commissioner Carlos Marin and Mexican Commissioner Arturo Herrera.

The pair were doing an aerial survey of flood damage to the Rio Grande river basin as part of assessing the agency's response to the crisis. While acting US Commissioner Al Riera has assured that the agency will continue it's mission, the loss of the two leaders is considerable.

Over the last quarter century they led the commission as it negotated delicate transboundary issues along the U.S.-Mexico border. Their efforts were instrumental in progress on a pair of major border water sanitation projects: The South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant and The Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant. read more

saturday, august 30, 2008

Jim Howland

Jim Howland, the final surviving founder of CH2M Hill Cos., the Denver-based engineering firm that has become a global powerhouse, died Aug. 28 at his home in Corvallis, Ore. He was 92.

Howland formed the company in 1946 in Corvallis with two fellow Oregon State University engineering graduates and their former professor. It has grown to one of the largest engineering firms in the world with operations in more than 100 countries, more than 25,000 employees worldwide and $6 billion in gross revenues.

My story on Howland's death, Howland, Last Surviving CH2M Hill Founder, Dies in Oregon at Age 92 is at ENR.com.

thursday, august 07, 2008

Machu Picchu

Last week, the American Society of Civil Engineers dedicated a plaque designating Peru's famed "lost city" of the Incas - Machu Picchu - part of the organization's Historic Civil Engineering Landmark Program.

The honor was partially fueled by the zeal of ASCE member Kenneth Wright who has, with his wife Ruth, documented the engineering expertise of the Andean civilization.

Because, as visually stunning as Machu Picchu is to the casual visitor, it possesses a similar magnificence for trained engineers who can marvel at the achievement it's construction five hundred years ago represented.

According to the Wrights, as much as 60 percent of the building effort went to site preparation, drainage and foundations. Almost half the work that went into the site lies below the surface itself. read more

wednesday, july 09, 2008

The Panama Canal

Although $5.2 billion effort to expand the Panama Canal got officially underway last September, the effort to double the capacity of this historic waterway began long before that.

Pretty much from the day following the historic referendum that green-lighted the project, officials with the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) have been hard at work on the effort. And some of the largest portions of the project are looming near on the horizon. Most notably being the $3.35 billion locks portion of the effort that is slated to be awarded in December.

Earlier this year I interviewed Jorge Quijano, the canal authority's director of maritime operations, about the work done and what is in store. That story, As Dirt Flies and Contracts Are Let, Panama Canal Expansion is Moving, can be found in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.

thursday, july 03, 2008

Brazil's Infrastructure Boom

Brazil is booming. The surge in commodity prices internationally has filled the countries coffers and sparked an unprecedented surge in infrastructure development. But the increasing number of big ticket projects, such as the Mario Covas Beltway and Linea Amarela (or Line 4) subway line in Sao Paulo, may be too little too late.

My story on Brazil's growing construction sector, Explosive Growth Sparks Brazil's Booming Infrastructure Boom is in this week's Engineering News-Record. It is accompanied by the story, Bursting at the Seams, São Paulo Overhauls, examining the situation in the country's largest city.

My interview with Marcelo Odebrecht, the president of , Construtora Norberto Odebrecht, Brazil’s Largest Contractor Looks at the Region is on ENR.com as well as a two-minute slideshow looking at the situation.

thursday, july 03, 2008

Madeira River Hydroelectric Project

The Madeira River Hydroelectric Project is a controversial effort to build two of the world's largest run-of-the-river dams on one of Brazil's most sensitive jungle regions. When the $10.5 billion effort is completed in 2014 it will provide about 6,450 MW to the country's energy grid - about an eighth of the total.

Brazil is facing the very real possibility of severe electricity shortages in the next five years if steps are not taken to address the problem. About 80 percent of Brazil’s energy comes from hydroelectricity although its current output hovers around 75,000 MW, less than 30 percent of the estimated potentential.

The government has no less than seven major projects in development all in the $10 billion range but those plans have sparked concerns that the country is systematicly destroying some of it's most pristine areas of the Amazonian basin. read more

wednesday, may 28, 2008

The Los Olmos Project

The coast of Peru is a barren scrubland which proves fantastically bountiful when water is brought to it. And, for centuries, the problem of how to bring the abundant waters on the Amazon side of the Andes to the Pacific coast has perplexed engineers.

Today, the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht is working on a massive $190 million irrigation project that will dam the Huancabamba River on the western side of the Northern Peruvian Andes and then funnel the water through the mountains to the dry Los Olmos riverbed. To do this a 20-kilometer-long tunnel is being bored through the continental divide.

Although the unshielded Robbins gripper TBM is tunneling through one of the lowest reaches of the Andes, it is still one of the deepest tunneling projects in the world with 6,890 feet of overburden at it's deepest point. It is bested by only the Gotthard Base tunnel in Switzerland buy just a few hundred feet. read more

wednesday, may 28, 2008

The InterOceanic Highway

The sheer elevation of the Peruvian Andes makes the challenge of building a highway across them a formidable one. Paving a road at elevations touching 16,000 feet means looking for unique solutions and that's precisely the tack being taken by a company trying to complete the first trans-oceanic highway across the breadth of South America.

Conirsa, a consortium led by Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht, is working on two of the five components of the $1.3 billion InterOceanic Highway project through Southern Peru, including one across the high Andes south of Cusco. The extreme elevation means drastically cold temperatures which cut heavily into the available time to pave each day - halving it in most cases.

The solution is a unique machine dubbed "The Dragon" which heats the road surface prior to paving and a huge heated tent that keeps the prepared asphalt warm enough in the frigid mountain air to be useable. Last year these two measures recouped more than $1 million for the consortium. read more

wednesday, february 06, 2008

Australia Desalination

Australia is the world's most arid continent and the forces of climate change are working to make it even dryer. To supply the country's burgeoning population with drinking water, state governments across the country have been turning to desalination.

There are currently $7 billion in desalination projects - all featuring the reverse osmosis process - either recently completed, under construction or in planning stages. Almost every major costal city has gotten involved - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

While government officials say the danger of running out of the resource is too great to take chances, critics allege the alternative is not at all cost effective.

My project examining the situation and its impact on the country is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record. read more

wednesday, december 26, 2007

The Panama Canal

The race to win the $3.35 billion design/build contract for the construction of the massive locks that will be the centerpiece of the ongoing Panama Canal Expansion has finally begun.

The job involves the building of new locks on both entrances of the canal large enough to permit the passage of massive post-panamax vessles whose size outstrip the confines of the existing locks.

The four consortia who qualified to participate in the bid process now have until August of next year to come up with a design and bid for the massive project. The final selection of the design and contractor is tentatively set for December 2008.

My story on the bid opening, Authority Starts Bid Process For Lock Work in Panama, is at ENR.com.

thursday, december 20, 2007

Tampa Bay Desalination Plant

The construction of the seawater desalination plant in Tampa Bay, Florida has been a long difficult odyssey.

Since the first contract was signed in 1999 three companies have gone bankrupt, a lawsuit that reached Federal court and a final price tag of $158 million - 43 percent more than the original project estimate.

This week, those struggles were finally behind them. The reverse osmosis desalination plant at Apollo Beach - the nation's largest - successfully completed a 14-day acceptance test officially completing the construction phase of the project. The facility is slated to have an average maximum production of up to 25 million gallons a day which represents about 10 percent of the Tampa Bay region’s drinking water supply.

My story on the project, Tampa Bay Water's Troubled Desal Plant Passes Tests, at Last, is on ENR.com. read more

monday, december 03, 2007

The Panama Canal

And as the year winds down, the $5.2 billion Panama Canal expansion continues to kick into higher gear. In the past two weeks, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has awarded the second of five dry excavation contracts to create a $400-million Pacific Locks Access Channel and has also garnered the approval of entire project's Environmental Impact Assessment by the Panamanian authorities.

Consorcio Cilsa Minera, made up of Mexico's Constructora de Infraestructura Latinoamericana SA (or CILSA) and Panamanian firm Minera Marna, presented the low bid of $25.5 million to excavate 7.5 million cubic meters of material in a 2.4 kilometer stretch just north of where the new Pacific locks will be built.

Two weeks prior, the National Environmental Authority of Panama (ANAM) approved the ACP's environmental impact plan for the entire project. The approval followed months of public consultations with various stakeholders and a comprehensive study on how to manage and mitigate impact on the environment. read more

tuesday, september 11, 2007

The Panama Canal

The massive $5.25 billion effort to widen the Panama Canal took another step forward this week with the opening of the bid process for the dredging of the Pacific access to the waterway.

The $180 million effort will involve the widening the 8.9 mile–long navigation channels to at least 218 meters, deepening them to a maximum level of –15.5 meters. The work will require the dredging of approximately 9.1 million cubic meters of material.

My story on the start of the bid process, Panama Canal Expansion RFP Issued for Pacific Side, is on ENR.com this week.

tuesday, september 04, 2007

The Panama Canal

With a massive explosion and a flurry of balloons, the $5.25 billion expansion project to build a third lane for the Panama Canal began work this week.

In a ceremony attended by Panamanian President Martin Torrijos was present, along with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who signed the 1977 treaty that gave Panama control of the waterway, the work was kicked off with an underwater explosion at Paradise Hill next to the famous Galliard Cut.

When the project is completed in 2014 - the historic waterway's 100th anniversary - the expansion will more than double the capacity of the canal and will include a new set of locks will allow the passage of newer post-Panamax vessels.

My story on the historic event, Ceremonial Blast Begins Panama Canal Expansion, is online at ENR.com.

tuesday, september 04, 2007

The Interoceanic Highway

Last week Peru awarded the final two contracts of the 2,500 kilometer Interoceanic Highway project to a par of consortia comprised of Peruvian contractors. Consorcio Interocánica and Concesionaria del Sur will handle the repair of more than 1,000 kilometers of existing paved roads that lead to three costal cities.

The two contracts are valued at $285 million. Work on the three contracts that include the building new road across the difficult mountain and jungle terrain of Southern Peru began two years ago. Peruvian officials say the final pair of contracts, although almost a year behind schedule, will be completed by the 2009 deadline for the entire project.

My story on the issue, Final Two Sections Awarded For Transandean Highway, is on ENR.com. A sidebar looking at progress repairing roads in the wake of the 8.0 magnitude earthquake that struck three weeks ago, After Quake, Crews Scramble To Fix PanAm Highway, is online as well. read more

tuesday, august 28, 2007

The Panama Canal

This week, the Panama Canal Expansion project picked up considerable momentum as the ACP (Panama Canal Authority) took the first step in the process for constructing the massive locks that will be the centerpiece of the effort.

The new locks will cost an estimated $3.35 billion - about 60 percent of the total expansion effort - and when completed in 2014 they will permit the passage of the larger post-Panamax vessels that cannot currently traverse the waterway.

The new single–lane, three–step locks will be located at both the Atlantic and Pacific entrances and will feature chambers 427 meters long, 55 meters wide and 18.3 meters deep. Instead of the miter gates uses by the existing locks, the new locks will use rolling gates.

In addition, the locks will feature a series of water–saving basins, approximately 70 m wide x 5.50 m deep, allowing the water to be re–used rather than flushed out to sea. Although the sheer size of the new lock chambers will require 65 percent more water than the existing locks, they will use 7 percent less water per transit. read more

wednesday, august 22, 2007

The Peru Earthquake

After the intial shock of the powerful 80 earthquake that struck southern Peru on Aug. 15 began to receed, rescue efforts ground into gear.

At first the focus was rescuing the survivors, then it became the grim task of recovering bodies.

Providing aid to those living in the shattered wreckage was a monumental problem from the first hours as well. Water, food and medical supplies for the thousands who remained in the devastated area were extremely limited.

On the third day the goverment began looking for engineers to help the clean up and start the rebuilding. It will be a daunting task. Whole cities lie in ruins and the region's infrastructure is in tatters. Basic services and access to region is spotty or nonexistant.

My story on the situation, Cleanup and Reconstruction From Peru Quake May Take Years, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record (It also features a slightly different slide-show of the devastation). In addition, my account of my visit to the disaster zone, Life in the ruins of Peru, is recounted on my ENR.com blog, Points South. read more

thursday, july 19, 2007

The Panama Canal

Panamanian contractor CUSA won the first contract of the $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal after submitting the low bid of $41.1 million for the removal 7.3 million cubic meters of material near the Pacific entrance of the waterway.

CUSA, or Constructora Urbana S.A., was awarded the first of five contracts to dig a 6.7 km link between the existing navigational channel at the entrance to the Gaillard Cut and the new set of Pacific locks that will be constructed later in the expansion process.

The firm has more than 50-years experience with infrastructure work in the country and has worked with the Panama Canal Authority on the recent modernization and upgrade of the Galliard Cut.

My story on the contract and the status of the expansion project, Panamanian Contractor Wins First Canal Excavation Contract, is on ENR.com.

thursday, july 05, 2007

Interoceanic Highway

After the rainy season eased off earlier this year, construction crews went back to work on the $1.3 billion Interoceanic Highway in Southern Peru.

Turns out, things have come quite a ways since my visit to the project last year.

Conirsa, the Odebrecht-led consortium building two sections of the road totaling more than 700 kilometers, was able to pave more than 100 kilometers before the weather turned bad - but now they are facing new obstacles.

The roadway in the deep jungle is succeptible to cracking due to the lack of aggrigate. The company says the cracking isn't a thread to the road's stability but it has had to implement various measures to retard the process including sealing the fissures with an asphalt/polymer prior to pavement. read more

friday, june 01, 2007

The Panama Canal

And another publication has printed my story about the ongoing Panama Canal expansion. New Civil Engineer, a British industry publication, features my story, Passage to Panama in their current edition.

The interest in this massive $5.2 billion project has grown rapidly in recent weeks as the Panama Canal Authority has moved forward with the bidding process on various aspects of the job. By the end of the summer, bids on the first excavation contract should be awarded and tenders for the Pacific entrance dredging should be underway.

In addition, the ACP has kicked off the search for a project manager to oversee the expansion. My story on that effort, Panama Canal Authority Looking For Expansion Program Manager, is available on ENR.com.

wednesday, may 16, 2007

The Panama Canal

On monday, the $5.25 billion effort to expand the The Panama Canal gained new steam as the first outside tender for work on the project was released.

The Panama Canal Authority officially opened the bidding on the excavation of 7.3 million cubic meters of material near the Pacific entrance of the canal. This work is part of a 6.7 km access channel connecting the new Pacific locks and the canal’s navigation channel.

The tender is the first of five planned dry excavations contracts for the Pacific Locks Access Channel. The entire access channel excavation will require the removal of 46.8 million cubic meters of material at an estimated cost of $400 million.

My story on the tender, ACP Releases First Tender for Panama Canal Excavation, is available at ENR.com.

wednesday, may 09, 2007

Campos Novos Dam

The troubled $554.4 million Campos Novos Hydroelectric Project went online last month after months of delays and setbacks.

In June of last year 1.2 billion cubic meters of water in the reservoir escaped downstream follwing a failure in one of the diversion tunnels built to divert water from the Canoas River around the structure during construction. Water flowed 15 miles downstream where it was captured in the reservoir of the 1,450-MW Machadinho hydroelectric dam.

Engineers with the Brazilan construction company Camargo Corrêa re-plugged the tunnels in November and the reservoir was refilled by March 1 of this year. The last of the three generators went on-line on April 30.

My story, Diversion Tunnel Plugged, Brazilian Dam Goes Online, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.

thursday, april 26, 2007

The Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is one of the greatest engineering feats in history. Its construction cost $400 million, required more than 75,000 workers and took more than a decade to accomplish.

After almost 100 years of operation, the historic waterway is having a tough time adapting to the demands of the modern world. Today the canal authority - known as the ACP - operates the waterway at an estimated 90 percent capacity with more than 14,000 ships completing transit each year. The waiting line to transit can be days and, when there are maintenance closures that can stretch to weeks.

Moreover, size is a problem. Gigantic container ships are now built to fit the size of the canal’s prodigious locks exactly. But the boom in international shipping has prompted the construction of a new generation of vessels – post-panamax – that can carry almost three times as much. read more

wednesday, april 25, 2007

Panama Development

The promise of the $5.2 billion expansion to the Panama Canal has put this Central American country in the crosshairs of developers and contractors worldwide.

But, the fact is, the country has been the site of quite a bit of activity in the past few years already. Since 2000, country has been experiencing a massive building boom that has been a huge boon for construction companies. At least a fifth of the country's GDP was from building development, the government estimates.

But concerns are growing about the ability to sustain that. The Minister of Public Works, Benjamin Colamarco says there are three major concerns for the country; lagging infrastructure, sufficent skilled labor and the rising cost of construction materials.

"Panama is at the most critical point in its development in the last 20 years," he said. read more

monday, april 23, 2007

Julio Cusurichi and the plight of Peru's indigenous peoples

On Sunday, Julio Cusurichi – a Shipiro Indian from the Madre de Dios region of Peru – was awarded the Goldman Prize, one of the most prestigious awards for environmental activism.

Cusurichi was recognized for his work with the Native Federation of Madre de Dios, known as FENAMAD, in creating a 3,000-square-mile reserve in the Southern Peruvian jungle for tribes that choose to have no contact with the outside world.

Loggers looking to harvest valuable old-growth mahogany have encroached on these peoples in recent years, and the result has been devastating to the tribes. They are vulnerable to outside disease and reports of violence against them are becoming more common.

My story on the award and the problem of illegal mahogany logging in Peru, The mahogany wars of Peru's rain forests, is in Sunday’s edition of The San Francisco Chronicle. read more

thursday, march 22, 2007

The Panama Canal

As the $5.2 billion effort to expand the Panama Canal begins to gain headway, the Panama Canal Authority has started giving a peek into the scheduling of this massive project.

Earlier this month, the authority - which oversees the management of the canal - held an infoconference to provide details on the seven-year project for companies interested in participating.

Some 600 representatives from 222 firms and 34 countries attended the three-day Panama City conference held on March 8-10 in Panama City, Panama. At the meetings the authority gave a rough timeline for the bids to be let for outside companies to take part in the project - the dredging of the ocean entrances, the dry excavation of the Pacific side lock channel and a single massive contract for both sets of locks.
read more

thursday, march 01, 2007

The Panama Canal

The Panama Canal, one of the greatest engineering feats in the world, is about to get even greater.

A $5.25 billion expansion to the 50-mile-long waterway was green-lighted by an election last year and is now getting underway.

The whole project is expected to be completed in 2014, just in time for the canal's 100th anniversary.

The size of the current canal means that latest cargo ships can’t fit into its locks, and those that can squeeze in must sometimes idle offshore for weeks stuck in traffic.

By adding a third lane complete with new locks as well as widening and deepening the existing passage the current 226 million tons of goods is expected to at least double.

My story on the expansion project, The New Panama Canal, is in this month's issue of Wired Magazine.

thursday, february 22, 2007

Camargo Corrêa

Camargo Corrêa is one of the largest construction firms in South America - netting more than $4.3 billion in 2005 - but little known outside of its home country.

Founded in 1939 by former road laborer Sebastiao Ferraz de Camargo Penteado, the firm became one of the largest in Brazil by focusing on infrastructure development – particularly large hydroelectric projects.

But that has changed dramatically as the company has taken on a strategy of diversifciation as a means to ensure growth in the face of uncertain financial prospects that can occur in the region. A good part of this has come in fields closely associated with construction but there are a few notable exceptions.

One of the most interesting is the firm's majority stake in São Paulo Alpargatas, a company that makes plastic sandals, or flip-flops. The Havaianas brand sandals are immensely popular in Brazil and revinues in 2005 reached $636 million – up 20 percent from the year prior. read more

monday, january 22, 2007

Sao Paulo Metropolitan Subway Line No. 4

On Friday, Jan. 12, a subway station under construction in São Paulo, Brazil unexpectedly caved in. Seven people, pedestrians and passengers in a minibus, were killed.The accident occured at the Pinheiros Station, part of a $1.4 billion expansion the São Paulo subway system.

The Linea 4 expansion project is being built by the Consórcio Via Amarela, a consortium lead by Brazilian construction giants, Camargo Correa and Odebrecht. Slated for completion in 2012, includes the excavation of a 12.8 kilometer tunnel as well as the construction of 11 subway stations.

Last year I had the opportunity to tour this massive project - the top photograph of the Butanta Station was taken during that visit - most of which continues under construction while recovery efforts at the Pinheiros Station proceed. My story on the incident and the project itself, Brazilians Seek Cause of São Paulo Metro Disaster, is in this week's edition of Engineering News-Record. In addition, my slideshow presentation about the project is now online as well.

monday, january 08, 2007

InterOceanic Highway

The InterOceanic Highway project is a $1.3 billion effort to complete a paved road through Southern Peru that is the final link in a mid-South American ocean-to-ocean roadway.

Two consortiums led by Brazilian construction giants Odebrecht and Carmargo Correa have undertaken the effort which is slated for completion in 2009.

This road crosses the Peruvian Andes reaching elevations in excess of 14,500 feet and winds through the dense Amazonian rainforest where annual rainfall can exceed 10 feet.

Last year I toured the three sections under construction and wrote a series of stories about the project for Engineering News-Record that are available in this week's issue of the magazine.

The first, South American Project Stretches Ocean to Ocean, is an overview of the entire project and examines the obstacles the engineers are facing to complete it. read more

wednesday, december 20, 2006

The Panama Canal

On Monday, the United States and Panama signed a free trade agreement that could open the doors for domestic companies to participate in the Panama Canal expansion project.

The agreement, which must still be approved the the legislatures of each country, includes provisions that will allow greater access for American-made equipment, investment and work.

The Panama Canal Authority says they expect to begin letting bids on the $5.25 billion project in the next few months. Outside firms are expected to be invited to participate in the dredging of the ocean entrances to the waterway. Authority offiicals say the dry excavations required will be divided into smaller jobs allowing Panamanian contractors to compete.

My story on the agreement and the status of the expansion, "U.S. and Panama Sign Trade Agreement," is in this weeks Engineering News-Record.

monday, november 06, 2006

Machu Picchu

Living in Peru, you never stop hearing about Machu Picchu. Particularly as an expatriate since every gringo passing through town typically stops just long enough to buy a chullo before zipping off to Cusco.

My intention was to go see this famed "lost city" of the Incas during the off-season,when the number of tourists was at a minimim. That's when the costs are a bit more reasonable and there is an outside chance of enjoying the place with a modicum of solitude.

No such luck. I ended up in Cusco for a few days at the tail end of July, during what is, by far, the absolute worst two weeks to be there. Not only is that the peak time for international tourists, it's also the weekend before the Peruvian independence day so there were a ton of in-country visitors as well.
read more

thursday, november 02, 2006

San Francisco Hydroelectric Project

The effort to excavate an almost 7-mile-long tunnel for a $314.6 million the San Francisco Hydroelectric Project in Ecuador continues to garner interest.

The depth of the tunnel, more than 900 meters at the deepest points, has posed serious technical challenges for the company handling the project, Brazil's Odebrecht.

The November issue of Wired Magazine features a short article penned by me, Such a Bore, as well as a few pictures - including the one shown here - I took whilst underground last May.

wednesday, october 25, 2006

The Panama Canal

Last Sunday, voters in Panama overwhelmingly approved a $5.25-billion proposal to widen the Panama Canal.

The project will involve adding a third lane of traffic as well as two new sets of locks to the 50-mile-long waterway. The schedule calls for the expansion to be completed in 2014.

The upgrade is necessary due to the increased demand for use of the waterway, which is currently operating at about 94 percent capacity, and because the existing locks are of insufficient size to permit the passage of post-Panamax ships that are up to 55 meters across and 427 meters long.

The Panama Canal currently utilizes three sets of two-lane locks, each of which is 33.53 meters wide by 304.8 meters long. These locks lift vessels 85 feet above sea level to access Gatun Lake.

The project will create a new lane of traffic along the canal through the construction of two new sets of locks. The new lock chambers will be 427 meters, long by 55 meters wide, and 18.3 meters deep. read more

thursday, october 12, 2006

Campos Novos Dam

While work to repair the trouble-plagued Campos Novos dam in Southern Brazil has accelerated in recent weeks, the questions over how much repairs and pentalties the company constructing the structure continue to loom over the effort.

The $554.4 million project was imperiled in July when 1.2 billion cubic meters of water in the reservoir escaped downstream. The incident was due to a failure in one of the diversion tunnels that routed water from the Canoas River around the structure during construction.

Most experts agree that the structure itself is sound and will be able to function without problems once the diversion tunnel problem is solved.

Over the past two months, workers have removed the plugs in the functioning tunnel and, late last month, reopened it to receive water from the river. The next step will be to install installing a temporary 13-meter thick concrete plug to stop all water from flowing into the defective tunnel. Then a permanent plug 33 meter will be built behind it. read more

thursday, september 28, 2006

San Francisco Hydroelectric Project

At about 12:30 p.m. last Friday, Sept. 22, the end of the tunnel finally reached the light.

The San Francisco Hydroelectric Project tunnel boring machine, Kristina, broke through after boring through more than seven miles of mountain in central Ecuador.

The tunnel will divert water from the existing Agoyan power plant to the 230MW San Francisco plant under construction downstream.

The TBM began drilling began in March of 2005 and was slated to be done by last April but two tunnel collapses and one volcano eruption intervened. Despite the delay, Odebrect officials say they expect to have the $314.6 million project completed and the power plant online by next February - nine months ahead of schedule.

My previous entry on the project can be found here and my story on the breakthrough, In Ecuador, Breakthrough On Hydroelectric Project, is in Engineering News-Record.

sunday, september 17, 2006

Avenida Miguel Grau

After almost 19 months of work, the Admiral Miguel Grau Avenue in central Lima was opened to traffic late last month.

The $18.5 million project (which I wrote about for Engineering News & Record in October of last year) consists of a 3.5-kilometer roadway with a 1.8 kilometer submerged section exclusively for buses. The project also included the construction of six traffic bridges and two pedestrian bridges.

The upgrade to Avenida Grau (also refered to as Via Expressa Grau) is the first step in a planned overhaul of Lima’s transportation infrastructure now expected to cost more than $272 million. More than 90 percent of those are passengers in the disorganized public transport system.

It is estimated there are more as many as 50,000 public transport vehicles fighting for the limited space on Lima’s streets every day. These are run by private companies, which don’t respect regular routes and battle fiercely for customers. read more

sunday, august 13, 2006

San Francisco Hydroelectric Project

Earlier this year, deep underneath a ridge of mountains near the central Ecuadorian resort town of Baños, a very tense drama was taking place.

Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht is using an $11.2 million tunnel boring machine to excavate an almost 7-mile-long tunnel for a $314.6 million hydroelectric project. The depth of the tunnel, more than 900 meters at the deepest points, meant that they were essentially digging blind - with no hard data on what the machine was boring through.

The result were two tunnel collapses that halted the project for months and forced engineers to scramble to rescue the machine and devise alternate strategies to keep the project on track and under budget.

My story, High and Deep Andean Tunnel Tests a Contractor's Mettle, is in this week's issue of Engineering News & Record magazine and a photo slideshow of the project is available as well. In addition, my look at Ecuador's energy situation, Betting on Hydro to Stablize Power Sector, is on the publication's website.

wednesday, august 02, 2006

Gaston Acurio and Peruvian Cuisine

The recent presidential elections brought a small army of foreign journalists to Peru and most were looking to do what we do best - snag a free meal.

As a result, articles on Peruvian cuisine have popped up throughout the year in various publications including the The New York Times, Reuters and The Christian Science Monitor.

And, damn it, I am not about to lose out on the opportunity. So, this month's issue of Latin Trade Magazine, sports an article of mine looking at Peru's leading chef, Gaston Acurio, and his plans to export his success overseas. read more

friday, july 28, 2006

Campos Novos Dam

The consortium led by the Brazilian construction giant Camargo Corrêa has said it will take a minimum of five months to complete repairs to the Campos Novos dam that failed a month ago.

The $554.4-million dam was slated to go fully on-line this month but on June 19, two of three gates on a diversion tunnel built to divert the flow of the Canoas River failed. Officials now estimate more than 1 billion cubic meters of water from the reservoir flowed downstream and was captured by the reservoir for another recently built dam.

The cause of the diversion tunnel failure and the cracks on the concrete face of the dam that alarmed observers have not been precisely identified, company officials said. But more information is expected to be released in early August when a report is presented to the Brazilian energy agency ANEEL. read more

wednesday, july 05, 2006

Campos Novos Dam

The recently-completed 626-foot tall Campos Novos dam in the Santa Catarina region of southern Brazil is the world’s third tallest concrete-faced rockfill dam and the second tallest in the country.

The future of the $554.4 million 880-Megawatt hydroelectric project is uncertain after the reservoir unexpectedly drained late last month. On June 19, two gates in a diversion tunnel used during the construction of the dam gave way allowing the 1.2 billion cubic meters of water to escape downstream. Concerns grew after an environmental group conducted a fly-over and released photos of the structure that seem to indicate significant damage.

Officials with, Camargo Corrêa, the builder and the Inter-American Development Bank, who helped finance it, downplayed the importance of the photos and said the main problem was with the diversion tunnels. My story on the incident, Gates fail on big Brazilian dam, is currently on the Engineering News-Record website.

wednesday, may 03, 2006

Colombian Infrastructure

Last week, the the Panama Canal Authority unveiled a long-awaited expansion of the famous waterway that could be completed within the decade. Although the project doesn't have the green light yet, both Colombia and Panama have begun efforts to capitalize on the expected surge in cargo traffic.

Colombia is pouring more than $156 million into existing port expansions and has begun efforts to construct a new Pacific coast cargo port. Panama has already upgraded it's ports at either end of the canal and will award a contract to construct a new Pacific port this summer.

My story for Engineering News-Record, Canal Expansion Drives Colombia's Port Plans, looks at these efforts and how the canal project is pushing them.

thursday, april 27, 2006

Colombian Infrastructure

One of the most difficult obstacles Colombia has faced in its efforts to bolster its infrastructure is its geography. The sheer mass of the Andes are huge obstacle for any effort to unite the country with a road system.

One of the most logical means of accomplishing this is by constructing tunnels but they are a dicy and expensive enterprise. Efforts to build the La Linea tunnel, that would create a direct route between the capital of Bogota and the Pacific coast, have been stymied by this. But the government is trying a new tactic to make it work - building a pilot tunnel as a precursor to the main tunnel that will eventually carry traffic.

The current issue of Engineering News & Record contains my look at the project, Colombia Finally Closes In On Andes Link to Bogota, which is the final story in my six-part series examining Colombia's efforts to improve its infrastructure.

wednesday, april 19, 2006

Colombian Infrastructure

As Colombia tries to convince foreign investors that there are enticing business opportunities at hand, the specter of the four-decade-long civil conflict hovers in the background of every discussion. Every year, more than 3,000 people are killed and hundreds are taken hostage by the guerrillas. Infrastructure development projects are a ripe target–a prospect that means increased risk and increased costs for investor.

Despite this sobering backdrop, many are optimistic in light of President Alvaro Uribe’s efforts to control the conflict and increase security. The administration’s success in tamping down violence in the urban areas, particularly around Bogota, and along the major transportation corridors has allowed more ambitious infrastructure projects to proceed, says Transportation Minister Andres Uriel Gallego. “There is an increase in confidence concerning Colombia among foreign investors due to the reduction of the levels of risk here,” he says. read more

saturday, april 08, 2006

Latin America Equipment Sales

The overwhelming focus of the media coverage concerning Latin America over the past year or so has been on points of turmoil and hand wringing over presidential elections that seem to be going a different direction than our preconceptions. There is a little secret I should probably let you in on - things are going pretty well down here.

After years of wildly vacillating economic trends due to crises in various countries, the region has seen strong economic growth over the past four years. In 2004, the economic growth reached a 24-year high of 5.6 percent. The International Monetary Fund estimates growth rates of about 4 percent for 2005 and 3.75 percent for 2006 - both well above historical averages.

Certainly the region has a long way to go in terms of resolving it's long standing economic, political and social problems but that relative stability is unprecedenteded. That positive outlook hagovernmentsts and private industries looking to make long needed infrastructure improvements. That, in turn, has fueled a demand for U.S. produced equipment. read more

wednesday, march 29, 2006

Colombian Infrastructure

One of the biggest hurdles keeping South American countries from the greatly needed improvements to their infrastructure is cash. Typically, they just ain't got it. One method used in the past several decades to overcome this situation is the concessions system.

Typically, the governement will finance a portion of a given project but leave the remainder for the builder to cover. In return the builder - typically a consortium of several different companies - assumes that risk but also the return on the project. For roadways this has commonly been through toll road concessions which the consortiums are allowed to collect for an extended period after the construction of the road is complete (although they usually are obligated to maintain the road over that period as well).

It is a perilous business for both side as governments often change the contracts due to political and economic necessities and companies can hold the country accountable for millions if the original terms cannot be met. Colombia has seen the negative aspects from both ends and believes it has found a system that is effective for its future. read more

wednesday, march 15, 2006

Camisea Pipeline Woes

At 3:27 p.m. on March 4, an explosion ripped through the Amazon jungle in Southeast Peru. The blast - which injured two people in this remote locale - was caused by a leak in the almost 720km long natural gas pipeline - the fifth to occur since it was opened in August 2004.

The leak and explosion have sparked a larger political furor over the project. Camisea is a huge part of Peru's economic future. The Camisea basin is estimated to contain reserves totaling some 8.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The ability to extract and transport that resource will be critical for the country's ability to take advantage of the opportunity. But given it's cost and the ecological impact, it is a project that tends to bring out reactions in the extreme.

The recent problems with the pipeline have made the future of the project uncertain. The natural gas currently being recovered is used in Peru but the next step is the construction of a $2.1 billion liquification plant that will make it possible for the fuel to be exported. Dallas-based Hunt Oil heads the consortium of companies working on obtaining financing for that venture and, although they remain optimistic, the recent woes of the pipeline certainly haven't made that any easier. read more

friday, march 10, 2006

Colombian Infrastructure

Colombia is currently working to develop more than a dozen major infrastructure projects worth more than $5.5 billion. In addition, the Transportation Ministry is moving forward with efforts to construct and revitalize existing highways, seaports, airports, railroads and waterways. Transportation Minister Andres Uriel is President Alvaro Uribe's point man in this ambitious undertaking.

I sat down with Uriel late last year and discussed these efforts in detail. The Q&A, Civil Engineer Crafts Colombia's $5.5-Billion Transportation Program, is the third part of my series on Colombian Infrastructure development in Engineering News-Record.

saturday, february 25, 2006

Colombian Infrastructure

The centerpiece story for my series on Colombia for Engineering News-Record, Colombia invites infrastructure development but is it safe? has now been published.

The administration of Alvaro Uribe has made strides in bringing a much-needed stability to the country and infrastructure is a priority. Among the works being undertaken is a $770-million project to upgrage more than 3,000 kilometers of the country's long neglected roadways.

But serious questions still exist on how wise major investment is. And, like every major problem Colombia faces, the money is the bottom line.

friday, february 17, 2006

Latin American Cement

As the demand for cement has increased worldwide due to the dramatic growth of China, the market in Latin America has not been greatly affected. In fact, prices across the region have stayed relatively low in recent years due to the increases in production.

But the situation has some companies are looking north at the possibilities of exporting their largess for profits. The rising prices on the world market and the continued demand in the U.S. makes it a situation many feel is too good to pass up.

My story in Engineering News-Record Cement Prices Heading South? Only in South America, takes a look at the situation from the point-of-view of Colombian cement manufacturers.

wednesday, february 01, 2006

Peruvian Highways

One key problem for many South American countries has been the lack of investment into infrastructure. A key element of that has been the neglect of the highway systems. Peru and other countries who have enjoyed a recent economic boom have been working to address that particular issue with some success.

Peru has more than 80,000 kilometers of roadway, but less than 15 percent is paved. Worse, many of the hardtop portions lack for maintenance while only 8 percent of rural roadways are regularly usable. The country is currently working on $2 billion in ongoing and planned road projects that are critical with the possibility of a free trade agreement with the United States.

Engineering News-Record has an interview I conducted with Nestor Palacios, Peru’s deputy minister of transportation discussing this issue.

friday, january 13, 2006

Peruvian Procurements

Peru has become a bit of an economic paradox.

The government is viewed with almost complete disdain - evidenced by the abysmal approval ratings of President Alejandro Toledo, which are among the lowest in the western hemisphere. Yet, since Toledo took office in 2001, the economy has grown almost constantly.

One thing pushing that growth has been an initiative by the government to make more purchases from the private sector. It started during the 1990s, when the administration of Alberto Fujimori privatized a great deal of the industries that had been under government control. But many more mundane expenses - such as office supplies and fabrics - were still in house. The Toledo administration has worked to move these into the private sector as well.

The trend is driven by the need to lower the costs and to promote growth among independent businesses. But the system is changing slowly due to the lack of information on the part of possible participants as well as the ever-present danger of corruption. read more

saturday, december 10, 2005

Colombia Anti-Drug Funding

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy has long had a rosy perspective on the "War on Drugs" - which is somewhat understandable given the Bush Administration's political and economic commitment to fighting it in South America and in Colombia in particular.

But the numbers are notoriously difficult to pin down and the situation on the ground is painfully difficult to understand. And after spending several billion dollars on the effort since 2000, many are beginning to ask questions about if the current course of action is the most advisable.

Recently, the Government Accountability Office, which is the auditing agency for the US government, examined the outcomes of the policy and had serious concerns with the results of the effort as well as the standards the White House uses for examining the results. read more

friday, october 28, 2005

Avenida Miguel Grau

Engineering News-Record has posted another couple of stories of mine as well as a little slideshow of my photographs.

For the last several decades the city's road system and mass transportation have grown uncontrolled and at an incredible rate. The result is an astonishingly chaotic system that makes travel through this city of 9 million a torturous task.

To deal with this, Lima has begun an ambitious $210 million project to upgrade the thoroughfares and create an efficient mass transit system. that will run 35 kilometers roadways from Comas in the far north of Lima to Chorrillos in the south. In all, more than 100 kilometers of roadwork is planned.

Although a relatively short section of the network, Avenida Grau near Lima's historic center is where the major roadways from each direction meet, making it the priority to begin the project. read more

wednesday, october 12, 2005

Looking for Justice in the Face of Fear

Luis Alberto Ramirez has lived more than half his life in fear. As a teenager, Ramierez was abducted by the military while playing soccer near his aunt’s home in the mountains of Central Peru. He was held for two weeks at a nearby military barracks and tortured by officials who suspected him of being a terrorist.

He is now the key witness against the retired general who commanded the department of Junin in the 1990s, Luis Perez Documet. The case is slated to begin oral arguments later this year and will be one of the first public trials against members of the police and armed forces for crimes committed during the 1980’s and 1990’s.

And Ramirez is now a target. In the past two years there have been three attempts on Ramirez’s life and dozens of threats.

A brutal conflict started by Maoist rebels – most notably the notorious Shining Path – engulfed Peru during the 1980s and 1990s and claimed almost 70,000 lives. A truth commission found that the majority of these deaths were attributed to insurgent forces but more than a third were at the hands of the police or members of the armed forces. read more

monday, october 10, 2005

InterOceanic Highway

Daniel Villar is the head of Odebrecht Peru's ambitious InterOceanic Highway project that, when completed in 2009 will create the first paved roadway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in South America.

The more than 700 kilometers of roadway in Southern Peru that is being completely rebuilt and paved crosses some of the most difficult geography in Peru - from mountains more than 4,700 meters in elevation to jungle wilderness that is completely impassable during the torrential rains of summer.

Odebrect Peru heads the consortium ConIrsa that is building two of the most difficult portions of the job. I recently sat down with Villar and discussed a number of the obstacles facing the Brazilian construction giant as it undertakes its portion of the $900 million project.
read more

sunday, august 28, 2005

InterOceanic Highway

Since the 1920s efforts to build an InterOceanic highway across Peru and Brazil have met with failure and disappointment. This month history was made when Peru awarded the first bids to complete the highway through some of the most difficult geography on the continent.

It is an almost $900 million job that, when completed in 2009, will finally create a road connection between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in South America. Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht will lead the consortium building two of the most difficult stretches of the road - over some of the highest mountains and into some of the densest jungle.

This week I have a story in Engineering News-Record outlining the project and what the undertaking will mean for the companies involved.