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LandTechNews/Blog

Scientists Create the Superman of Metals

Every once in a while I come across an interesting article that I think is of interest to the general engineering and surveying community. I just read a short Tech & Science article on the Newsweek website called “Scientists Create the Superman of Metals”, and thought I would share it on our blog.

A group of scientists say they have created the Superman of metals, a material so strong and lightweight it could lead to the creation of faster vehicles and revolutionize the airline and automotive industries.

Engineers at the University of California, Los Angeles, used a combination of ceramic silicon carbide nanoparticles and magnesium. The new metal boasts a stiffness-to-weight ratio that far surpasses other strong metals that engineers have reliably used for generations. The metal is also capable of absorbing and withstanding high heat without having its integrity altered.

You can read the entire article here: http://www.newsweek.com/scientists-create-superman-metals-409031

Jay Lewis Civil Engineering, Miscellaneous 0 Comments

Geopier Rammed Aggregate Pier Systems

LandTech has gotten the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects that has exposed us to unique construction technology. We’re performing construction surveying stakeout of a project that is utilizing a Rammed Aggregate Pier (RAP) system.

Geopier Foundation Company, a subsidiary of the Tensar Corporation, developed the first RAP system in 1989. According to their website:

Geopier Rammed Aggregate Pier™ (RAP) systems are efficient and cost effective Intermediate Foundation® solutions for the support of settlement sensitive structures.

Geopier® technologies are constructed by applying direct vertical ramming energy to densely compact successive thin lifts of high quality crushed rock to form high stiffness engineered elements. The vertical ramming action also increases the lateral stress and improves the soils surrounding the cavity, which results in foundation settlement control and greater bearing pressures for design.

Depending on site requirements, RAP systems can be installed using replacement or displacement methods. The unique installation process utilizes vertical impact ramming energy, resulting in unsurpassed strength and stiffness. RAP systems are used to reinforce good to poor soils, including soft to stiff clay and silt; loose to dense sand; organic silt and peat; variable, uncontrolled fill; and soils below the ground water table.

See more at: http://www.geopier.com/Geopier-Systems/Rammed-Aggregate-Pier-Systems

 

Jay Lewis Civil Engineering, East Tennessee Region, Land Development, Land Surveying, TN 0 Comments

Land Surveying Drone Registration Requirements

The increasing popularity of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, has prompted action from government regulators to increase the safety of their operation. Drones will soon require registration by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), according to this article: http://www.cnet.com/news/us-department-of-transportation-will-require-drone-registration/

US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced today the creation of a task force that will develop a process for registering drones, also known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

“The registration will reinforce the need for unmanned aircraft users, including consumers and hobbyists, to operate their drones safely,” Foxx said. “Registration gives operators the opportunity to learn the airspace rules before they fly and enjoy their devices safely.”

Currently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) claims responsibility for the safety of US airspace from the ground up. For RC hobbyists (read: noncommercial pilots), the FAA safety guidelines limit recreational use of model aircraft to below 400 feet, within sight of the operator and more than 5 miles away from airports and air traffic without prior FAA notification. These guidelines fall in line with the National Model Aircraft Safety Code of the Academy of Model Aeronautics.

The FAA is also developing a mobile app for its No Drone Zone outreach program that will help pilots know if they’re location is safe for UAS flight or if they’re in a no-fly zone. This program is in addition to the FAA’s Know Before You Fly campaign, which outlines the current guidelines for drone flights.

Their has certainly been a lot of news about the commercial use of drones recently. See our recent blog post about FAA’s efforts to streamline the licensing approval process for drones, here: http://landtechco.com/blog/2015/10/19/land-surveying-drones/

Jay Lewis Uncategorized 0 Comments

Land Surveying Drones

Land surveying has seen many technological advancements in recent decades, including electronic distance measurement, global positioning systems, and robotic total stations. The next big advancement could be the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones.

In recent years, the biggest hurdle hasn’t been technology, but rather regulatory. Drones operate in federal airspace, and by law requires an FAA license to operate.

A recent article in Fortune Magazine indicates the FAA has worked with the UAS industry to streamline the approval process for granting licenses to operate drones. http://fortune.com/2015/08/09/faa-commercial-drone-permits/

Just one year ago the ability to operate commercial drones in the U.S. was more concept than reality. Only two companies in the country were cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate those types of drones, and they were located in the far northern hinterlands of Alaska. One year later, the commercial drone industry looks drastically different. On Wednesday the FAA announced that it had approved more than 1,000 applications from companies seeking to operate commercial drones, and currently approving applications at a rate of roughly 50 per week.

That news is significant, considering that roughly a dozen companies were approved to operate drones commercially at the beginning of 2015. Since then, the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry and the FAA have worked to streamline the approval process. The agency has also loosened certain aspects of its commercial drone regulations to allow approved companies greater flexibility in how they use commercial drones.

Those efforts have driven a drastic uptick in the number of companies approved to fly under so-called “Section 333 exemptions” as well as a broadening of the applications for which these drones are employed. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) recently examined the first 500 commercial drone permits issued by the FAA and found exemptions spanned 20 major industries across 48 U.S. states.

The AUVSI examination also revealed “general aerial surveying” constituted the largest sector for commercial drone permits issued by the FAA.

You can review the authorizations granted by the FAA via the Section 333 exemptions here: https://www.faa.gov/uas/legislative_programs/section_333/333_authorizations/

Drones have a great potential to impact the civil engineering and land surveying industries. It’s sure to be something we keep our eyes on for the future.

Jay Lewis Civil Engineering, Land Surveying 6 Comments

Vols get big come-from-behind win

The Tennessee Vols lost three of their previous four games after being up by 13 or more points. This past weekend, the Tennessee Vols got to turn the tables on the Georgia Bulldogs for a 21 point deficit come-from-behind win, 38-31.

This gives the Vols a 3-3 record at the season half-way mark, with a bye week on the schedule for this Saturday.

Game highlights can be found on the utsports.com website, here: UT-UGA Highlights

Jay Lewis Uncategorized 0 Comments

Federal Court Blocks EPA Water Rule

The EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACoE) have been working to more clearly define the federal government’s authority to protect waterways by clarifying the definition of “waters of the U.S.”. However, there has been much disagreement about the limits of federal authority versus state authority and private property rights.

A Federal Court has handed down a stay on the new rule by the EPA and USACoE, saying it is likely illegal. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/256493-court-blocks-obamas-water-rule-nationwide

 A federal court ruled Friday that President Obama’s regulation to protect small waterways from pollution cannot be enforced nationwide.

In a 2-1 ruling, the Cincinnati-based Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit delivered a stinging defeat to Obama’s most ambitious effort to keep streams and wetlands clean, saying it looks likely that the rule, dubbed “waters of the United States,” is illegal.

“We conclude that petitioners have demonstrated a substantial possibility of success on the merits of their claims,” the judges wrote in their decision, explaining that the Environmental Protection Agency’s new guidelines for determining whether water is subject to federal control — based mostly on the water’s distance and connection to larger water bodies — is “at odds” with a key Supreme Court ruling.

These issues are important to civil engineers working on land development projects because it will determine if the regulating authority is the federal government (EPA and/or USACoE), the state (TDEC in Tennessee), or the local government (City of Knoxville for example).

For the State of Tennessee, rules regarding work in waterways are generally regulated by the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC). For example, anyone proposing to alter a stream, river or lake must obtain an Aquatic Resource Alteration Permit (ARAP). Examples of work requiring a permit include dredging, streambank stabilization, channel relocation, water withdrawals, and road crossings. For more information, visit TDEC’s website https://www.tn.gov/environment/article/permit-aquatic-resource-alteration-permit

Please feel free to contact LandTech’s staff of civil engineers and land surveyors to assist you with any issues relating to ARAP permitting. http://landtechco.com/home

 

Jay Lewis Civil Engineering, Land Development, Land Surveying, TN 0 Comments

2015 East Tennessee Development Symposium

Stormwater management has seen numerous regulatory changes in recent years. Compliance has been a challenge to everyone in the land development industry.

To get the most up to date information on these regulatory issues, LandTech’s civil engineering and land surveying staff recently registered for the Tennessee Stormwater Association’s (TNSA) 2015 East Tennessee Development Symposium, to be held on November 18 and 19, 2015 at the Convention Center in Knoxville, TN.  http://tnstormwater.org/blog/?page_id=740 According to the TNSA website:

TNSA continues to partner with other East Tennessee municipalities to offer a 2-day conference that we expect to attract 500 attendees working in all aspects of the development industry in East Tennessee including; planning, design, construction, financing, legal, BMP maintenance and operations, and regulatory compliance.

The topic areas include rules and regulatory requirements, site design process for the new 1″ runoff reduction requirements, economics of low impact development, and construction site management.

We hope to see the folks we work with on projects like these, including regulators, contractors and land developers.

 

 

Jay Lewis Uncategorized 0 Comments