News

Tampa Bay engineers build bunk beds for kids in need By Trevor Pettiford | Bay News 9 TAMPA, Fla. — Dozens of Tampa Bay children have a better place to sleep, thanks to bunk beds built by local engineers.   What You Need To Know Group hopes to deliver 150 beds by the end of the…

Florida condo dwellers might be in for sticker shock, but it’s for a good reason | Opinion By the Miami Herald Editorial Board Florida lawmakers made a choice after the 2021 Surfside building collapse: to protect human life instead of continuing to allow condominiums to defer important maintenance that could put more people at risk.…

It’s time for a statewide plan to address Florida’s water issues by Dominic M. Calabro – Palm Beach Post Being in a state bound by oceans, it can be tempting to take water for granted. But as Floridians, we know better. Clean water is essential to maintaining our public health. And it is also at…

FSU to Recognize Esteemed Graduates During Homecoming Weekend by Community News Releases Florida State University will recognize 10 distinguished alumni during the annual Alumni Awards event on Friday, Oct. 20, and three Grads Made Good Award recipients at the Homecoming Breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 21. The Reubin O’D. Askew Young Alumni Award is the highest honor bestowed…

Ardmore Roderick’s Jimenez Awarded 2023 Engineer of the Year by FES DXC News ORLANDO, FL — Eric M. Jimenez, PE, Vice President and Director of Southeast Operations of Ardmore Roderick, was awarded the 2023 Engineer of the Year Award by Florida Engineering Society (FES). The Engineer of the Year Award is given annually to a member of FES who…

Surfside condo collapse investigators reveal pool deck construction ‘deviated from design requirements’ Building collapse in June 2021 killed 98 people in Florida By Greg Norman Fox News Federal investigators examining the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside, Florida, have revealed that the construction of the property’s pool deck “deviated from design requirements.” The changes…

Community Associations Institute revises key condo-safety public policy recommendations by Laura Manning-Husband In the days prior to the two-year anniversary of the tragic partial collapse of Champlain Tower South, the Community Associations Institute announced some major changes to its recommended condo-safety policies and reforms. CAI, which is the leading organization representing the interests of community…

Wekiva Parkway Section 6 Project Wins ACEC Florida’s Outstanding Major Project Award Civil + Structural Engineer Media JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (JUNE 22, 2023) — Superior Construction, an American family-owned infrastructure contractor, is proud to announce its Wekiva Parkway Section 6 project has received the Outstanding Major Project Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida…

Surfside weighs luxury condo proposal for site of Champlain Towers South deadly collapse BY REBECCA SAN JUAN – Miami Herald Surfside has received plans for a luxury high-rise on the site of the deadly Champlain Towers South condominium collapse almost two years ago, bringing clarity — and, for some, disappointment — regarding redevelopment of the…

Faulty design may have doomed Surfside, Florida, tower long before collapse, investigators say By Jon Schuppe – NBC News Design flaws in the pool deck of the Surfside, Florida, apartment building where a partial collapse killed 98 people put the building at risk of failure before it was even built, federal investigators said Thursday. Poor construction of…

Gov. DeSantis signs condo safety changes By CBS Miami Team TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a bill that will revise condominium-safety requirements passed after the deadly June 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside. Lawmakers passed the initial requirements in 2022 to deal with issues such as condominium-building inspections and…

Testing 400 chunks of concrete – Surfside investigation moves into new phase By Greg Allen – NPR MIAMI — A federal team investigating the collapse of a condominium tower in Surfside, Fla. has moved into the next phase of its work. Ninety-eight people died on June 24, 2021 when part of the Champlain Towers South building unexpectedly…

Lawmakers support Gov. DeSantis’ Moving Florida Forward to speed up road construction By Gabrielle Russon – Florida Politics Gov. DeSantis scores a legislative victory with his plan to speed up 20 road construction projects. Florida lawmakers have greenlighted Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to speed up 20 highway construction projects across the state. When the Legislative Session ended…

Florida lawmakers agree to $116 billion budget in final week By JEFFREY SCHWEERS | jschweers@orlandosentinel.com | Orlando Sentinel TALLAHASSEE – Florida lawmakers kicked off the last week of the regular legislative session Monday by completing the terms of a $116 billion budget and advancing several highly conservative measures that reflect Gov. Ron DeSantis’ agenda as…

Antonio Nanni Elected President of American Concrete Institute By Jose Carrasco – Informed Infrastructure FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich.- The American Concrete Institute (ACI) announces its 2023-2024 president, vice president, and four board members. Antonio Nanni has been elected to serve as president of the Institute for 2023-2024, and Maria Juenger has been elected ACI vice president for…

Not sure what to do after high school? How about a career starting out at $40K-$50K? By Kamal Morgan – Pensacola News Journal On Wednesday at the Santa Rosa County Fairgrounds, over 600 students were in attendance to check out the third Annual Northwest Florida Construction Career Days. The Florida Department of Transportation and its partners host Career…

House phosphogypsum reuse bill clears final committee By Wes Wolfe – Florida Politics The EPA banned use of phosphogypsum in 1989. A controversial proposal to look into using phosphogypsum as a road-building material is on its way to consideration by the full House. “This legislation will allow Florida to unlock the recycling potential of (phosphogypsum), and…

Jeanette Nuñez to Legislature: Unlock billions from state reserves for road projects By Martin E. Comas – Orlando Sentinel – Apr 13, 2023 at 5:32 pm Noting motorists’ frustrations with traffic backups, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez on Thursday urged the Florida Legislature to draw billions of dollars from state reserves to fast track the construction of 20 planned…

Phosphogypsum reuse study bill heads to Senate floor Florida Politics – Wes Wolfe The EPA banned use of phosphogypsum in 1989. Legislation is on the way to the Senate floor that could open up use of phosphogypsum for use in constructing state roads. The goal is to take some of the edge off of the…

Lawmakers sought to remove DEI from higher ed. Now they’re scrubbing it from the bill TALLAHASSEE In January, Gov. Ron DeSantis called on Florida lawmakers to overhaul the state’s higher education system with a clear target in mind: diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Shortly after, Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced bills that…

Florida lawmakers aim to ease condo confusion, but money questions remain Mary Ellen Klas Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau TALLAHASSEE — As residents of condominiums across Florida struggle to adapt to a sweeping new law that increases building inspections and maintenance costs, Florida legislators have agreed to a series of changes aimed at ending confusion — but…

Lincoln Middle School Wins State MATHCOUNTS Competition Alachua Chronicle – March 15, 2023 GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Lincoln Middle School MATHCOUNTS team won the state championship last Friday, their sixth win in the past seven competitions. The team consists of Eric Gao, Jerry Yao, Sylvia Guo, and Abhiram Pothuri. Eric took first place and is…

Lawmakers Look Again at Condo Safety Requirements CBS News by Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A Florida Senate committee Tuesday backed a proposal that would make changes to a condominium-safety law passed last year after the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside. The proposal (SB 154), which deals…

Northwest Florida middle school mathletes compete at MATHCOUNTS Competition WEARNews-ABC3 – by WEAR staff ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — Middle school students from Northwest Florida put their math skills to the test at the MATHCOUNTS Competition on Saturday. The competition was held at the Downtown Pensacola Library and was hosted by the Florida Engineering Society. The…

Feb. 19-25 is Engineers Weeks By Katrina Elsken, Published February 9, 2023 Lake Okeechobee News OKEECHOBEE -The Okeechobee County Board of Commissioners have proclaimed the week of Feb. 19-25 as Engineers Week. Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, Engineers Week is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce…

Senate panel calls for more clarity, time on Surfside-inspired condo inspection law Florida Politics – by Jesse Scheckner – Feb 8, 2023 Industry experts agree the law in its current form has many financial and compliance problems. Members of the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries are fielding recommendations from a panel of experts on how…

Central Florida Construction Career Days inspiring students to pursue ‘building’ careers BayNews9 – by Ashleigh Mills – Feb 3, 2023 ORLANDO, Fla. — Central Florida high school students are getting hands-on experience in careers like construction, engineering and transportation at the Central Florida Construction Career Days today hosted by the Florida Department of Transportation. Employers are…

Florida board proposes changes to condo reform legislation The Real Deal by Katherine Kallergis – Feb 3, 2023 A Florida commission is proposing changes to the state law that legislators passed last year in response to the deadly Surfside condo collapse. The Florida Building Commission was asked to review inspection requirements and make recommendations regarding…

State commission wants to roll back a key part of post-Surfside condo safety law. Lawmakers are not so sure WLRN-TV & WJCT-FM (First Coast Connect) A new report issued by the Florida Building Commission calls into question a key part of a major law passed last year in response to the collapse of the Champlain…

Will plan to link Sawgrass Expressway to I-95 come sooner? DeSantis aims to speed completion of projects By Jim Turner, News Service of Florida • Jan 30, 2023 at 5:11 pm Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday pitched a $7 billion proposal to speed completion of 20 highway projects — including a plan in Deerfield Beach…

DEP: Progress being made on surface water discharge, reuse Florida Politics – The idea is to reuse this water, and through that process help reduce the strain on water supply. By CWes Wolfe, Published January 24, 2003 Implementation of 2021’s SB 64 is an effort in progress, but Michael Lynch, Director of Water Resource Management for the Department…

Hillsborough puts off decision on whether to extend the widening of I-275 C.T. Bowen of the Tampa Bay Times The orange barrels and concrete barricades along Interstate 275 in Tampa won’t be going away anytime soon — an ongoing $85 million expansion of the highway won’t be completed until 2026. But a question for transportation…

Nick DiCeglie carries Jeff Brandes’ TBARTA torch, again files to repeal agency Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics Sen. DiCeglie, newly elected to the state’s upper chamber, has filed a bill to repeal the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA). The bill (SB 198) calls for the dissolution of TBARTA as well as the discharge…

Florida Engineering Leadership Institute Class of 2023 Launches 10 Month Program Florida Daily Forty professional engineers have been selected to participate in the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute (FELI) Class of 2023 to transform into community leaders while also giving back to communities across Florida. As part of this 10-month program, the FELI Class of 2023…

Orange County and Osceola County Transportation Tax Voter Outcome WESH News Central Florida voters have let their voices be heard on several amendments. See the round-up below: A measure to stabilize rent in Orange County is heading toward approval by voters, according to early results. Orange County voters shot down a one-cent transportation system surtax…

Southland Awarded $596 Million SR 23 Bridge Project over St. Johns River for the Florida Department of Transportation GRAPEVINE, Texas, Nov. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Southland Holdings, LLC (“Southland”) announced today it has been awarded a $596 million contract to construct a new bridge over the St. Johns River near Jacksonville for the Florida…

Walton County residents say ‘No’ to 1-cent sales tax for roads, reject amendment 2 to 1 Daily News/USATODAY Network Published: 9:51 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2022 Updated: 11:43 a.m. ET Nov. 9, 2022 Walton County voters voiced a clear “no” to a proposed amendment for a one-cent sales surtax to be used to pay for…

Preparing for Future Tragedies Decades Before They Happen A look at the Surfside condominium collapse & lessons learned in liability by Mitch Cohen Monday, November 7, 2022 The design-bid-build project delivery method has dominated the construction landscape for many years. Under this methodology, contractors commonly bid on fully completed designs drawn to code with cost estimates,…