New York’s resilience plans not taking long-term view, critics charge

Critics charge that New York City’s approach to resiliency in the face of climate-change-induced sea level rise is shortsighted.

New development in Manhattan and Columbia University’s new Manhattanville campus will be at risk in 50 to 80 years, they say. Mayor Bill de Blasio is focused on “an election time scale,” not a more realistic timetable given the challenges the city faces, critics assert.

In the end, the only reasonable approach to city planning over a longer time scale is “managed retreat” to higher ground, according to engineers focused on resiliency. One of the main drivers of "managed retreat" is likely to be the rising costs of flood insurance.

Congress has failed to reform the National Flood Insurance Protection, which is now $23 billion in debt. If property losses increase as expected, reform and insurance rates will go up to the point where people will choose to live in lower risk areas in New York and other coastal areas.

Long-span composite floor systems provide unique advantages in the construction of multi-family and hospitality facilities. This introductory course explains what composite deck is, how it works, what typical composite deck profiles look like and provides guidelines for using composite floor systems. This is a nano unit course.

Concrete buildings: Effective solutions for restorations and major repairs

Architectural concrete as we know it today was invented in the 19th century. It reached new heights in the U.S. after World War II when mid-century modernism was in vogue, following in the footsteps of a European aesthetic that expressed structure and permanent surfaces through this exposed material. Concrete was treated as a monolithic miracle, waterproof and structurally and visually versatile.

IMAGE_1_Norshield_high securitywindows_ and_doors

Norshield Products Fortify Critical NYC Infrastructure

New York City has two very large buildings dedicated to answering the 911 calls of its five boroughs. With more than 11 million emergency calls annually, it makes perfect sense. The second of these buildings, the Public Safety Answering Center II (PSAC II) is located on a nine-acre parcel of land in the Bronx. It’s an imposing 450,000 square-foot structure—a 240-foot-wide by 240-foot-tall cube. The gleaming aluminum cube risesthe equivalent of 24 stories from behind a grassy berm, projecting the unlikely impression that it might actually be floating. Like most visually striking structures, the building has drawn as much scorn as it has admiration.

Blast Hazard Mitigation: Building Openings for Greater Safety and Security

Microgrids can draw power from a variety of sources. Image: Courtesy of Jacobs Engineering

Microgrid | Jan 16, 2022

Resilience is what makes microgrids attractive as back-up energy controls

Jacobs is working with clients worldwide to ensure mission critical operations can withstand unexpected emergencies.

Total steel project performance

This instructor-led video course discusses actual project scenarios where collaborative steel joist and deck design have reduced total-project costs. In an era when incomplete structural drawings are a growing concern for our industry, the course reveals hidden costs and risks that can be avoided.

Resiliency | Oct 19, 2021

Achieving resiliency through integrated design

Planning for and responding to the effects of adverse shocks and stresses is typically what architects and engineers have always thought of as good standard design practices.