SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — Technology developed by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to immediately prioritize bridge inspections after an earthquake is being used to monitor nuclear power plants in Japan and around the world. ShakeCast is a software application that uses ground sensors to analyze earthquake shaking data in relation to the performance characteristics of a bridge or other structure. This allows responders to prioritize inspections within minutes of an earthquake.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Researchers from North Carolina State University have designed a sensor that can measure strain in structural materials and is capable of healing itself — an important advance for collecting data to help make informed decisions about structural safety in the wake of earthquakes, explosions, or other unexpected events.

CHARLESTON, S.C., — STV won an award in the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Engineering Excellence Awards 2011 competition in South Carolina. SC 171 over James Island Creek Bridge Replacement won an Engineering Excellence Award in the Structural Systems Category from the ACEC-South Carolina.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, introduced legislation — The Preservation and Renewal of Federal-Aid Highways Act — intended to ensure that the nation’s highways and bridges receive the appropriate maintenance and repair to ensure safety and meet America’s transportation needs.

RICHMOND, VA. — The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) adopted the Fiscal Years (FY) 2012-2017 Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP) allocating to projects almost $3 billion in additional construction funding created by Governor Bob McDonnell's transportation funding package passed by the General Assembly this year. The $10.6 billion construction program, which increased 36 percent from $7.8 billion in the FY 2011-2016 program, will enable important rail, transit, transportation management, bicycle, pedestrian, and highway projects to move forward.