Published Nationally ®
Southeast Edition
January 26 2011
$3.00
Vol. XXIV • No. 2
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215/885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Inside
National Maritime Museum Sets Sail in Mobile By Mary Reed
CEG CORRESPONDENT
Smith-Rowe Tackles Its Largest Ever Contract…8
One of the latest educational establishments to be built in the United States, the $36 million National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico, formally known as GulfQuest, is under construction in Mobile, Ala., on the Gulf of Mexico.
Dedicated to the celebration of the historic, cultural and economic significance of the Gulf Coast’s seafaring traditions, the 90,000 sq. ft. (8,363 sq m) museum will be only the third maritime museum in the world featuring largely interactive exhibits. Described by Gov. Bob Riley as a “signature project” for southern Alabama, the museum is a partnership of GulfQuest and the city of Mobile. The muse-
Meekins Holds 16th Annual December Sale…68
ConExpo Section........33-35 Paving Section ..........39-50 Parts Section ..................51 Business Calendar ..........54 Auction Section ........63-71 Advertisers Index............70
see MUSEUM page 56
Funding Issues in Minn. ASSE Reflects Felt Across United States On 100 Years
Cat Litter Keeps Firm Thinking Inside the Box…25
Table of Contents..............4
um is slated to open in late 2012. Although the project began in the mid1990s with the formation of a non-profit organization to run it, it was not until 2000 that the city announced that the museum would form the centerpiece of its Mobile Landing project. This downtown 12-acre development features a cruise ship terminal and a convention center,
The Minnesota portion of Highway 14 is the main east-west roadway across the southern end of the state besides Interstate 90.
By Giles Lambertson CEG CORRESPONDENT
As Minnesota addresses its highway construction needs, so might the country. The upper Midwestern state, like the United States, starts 2011 with new Republican clout in the capitol, conservative resistance to flagrant earmarks, and way more projects than project dollars. To illustrate highway funding issues facing the United States, CEG decided to ratchet down the national confrontation to
state and local levels. Specifically, what lessons are there for Washington in a southern Minnesota standoff over a dangerous stretch of U.S. Highway 14? Not many, as it turns out. CEG found that similar political roadblocks frustrate policy-making at the state and national levels. But the numbers facing legislators in St. Paul are smaller than in Washington and, hence, more comprehendible. The state’s road-building process also seems somewhat less fractured by special intersee FUNDING page 20
In 1911, coffee prices were at 18.75 cents per pound, a first class U.S. stamp was $.02, and “ready-to-wear” trousers were the newest development on the men’s fashion scene. It also was the year the first airplane was landed on the USS Pennsylvania, stationed in San Francisco, Calif., and the year the first Monte Carlo races were held. 1911 also was the year of one of the most recognized tragedies in the history of workplace safety and the beginning of a movement that would change the way the world viewed safety on-the-job. The modern occupational safety and health movement began in 1911 after the horrific Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City, N.Y., March 25, 1911, where 146 garment workers were killed due to unsafe working conditions and inadequate fire escapes. Seven months later, in October of 1911, a small group of people gathered with the collective goal to reduce injuries and illnesses in the workplace and ensure that employees arrived home safely to their families each day. This group formed the United Society of Casualty Inspectors, now known as the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). It grew steadily for the past 100 years and its members experienced some of the most pivotal times in American history as highlighted in ASSE’s new Celebrating 100 Years of Safety film. ASSE members work in all industries, including education, government, manufacturing, construction and technology, and are instrumental in helping businesses and the public recognize the importance of being safe at work. Prior to the formation of ASSE in 1911, workplace fatalities were prevalent and workers frequently suffered see ASSE page 30