The abrupt collapse of the FIU bridge has generated a lot of excitement in the structural engineers’ community. If it weren’t for the fact that at least six people lost their lives, I suspect we would be happy that it occurred and provided us with the opportunity to act as amateur forensic investigators and attempt to understand what went wrong. Actually, as a structural engineer, I am embarrassed on behalf of our profession. We are obligated to provide safe structures for their users and should be technically capable of doing that. The first problem was sorting through the available information…

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The Bridgeville Area Historical Society continued its review of the history of Bridgeville High School in its March “Second Tuesday” workshop. It was particularly nostalgic for the facilitator who is a proud alumnus of the ’49 class. Seventy years ago the atmosphere was mostly optimistic, the aftermath of the conclusion of World War II. There were still reminders however; in the summer of 1948 there were memorial and burial services for two local men who had lost their lives in the war – Lieutenant Warren Carson and Private James Michaels. Even more sobering, in retrospect, was the knowledge that two…

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We educators spend a lot of time worrying about the unique characteristics of our students and brainstorming techniques to best serve them. I personally have focused on promoting independent thinking and creativity instead of just presenting information to be regurgitated on demand. The last several years this problem has escalated, apparently because the students who are now reaching the university level have grown up in the Information Age where the answer to nearly every question can be acquired via Google. As Adrian Monk used to say, “That is a blessing and a curse”. It has been my practice to encourage…

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After David Aitken gave his talk on the Little Saw Mill Run Railroad to the Bridgeville Area Historical Society last Fall, he and I had an interesting discussion about the Pittsburgh Southern Railroad in specific, and the nineteenth century railroads in southern Allegheny County in general. A few days later he sent me a link to a map of Allegheny County in 1890 on the Library of Congress website. Like all old maps it was full of interesting information. Our discussion had been regarding the route the Pittsburgh Southern took through Mt. Lebanon. The Southern had been organized by Milton…

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The students in the Senior Design Projects program at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Pittsburgh have just completed a workshop on infrastructure funding, a subject that is particularly relevant for all civil engineers. The decaying condition of the infrastructure is especially obvious in our area this winter, a season that has brought a new meaning to the term “pothole”. My personal candidate for the worst pothole in Pittsburgh is the one in the middle of Forbes Avenue as you approach Craft Avenue from the west. It has been filled, at least temporarily, this week, but…

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The Bridgeville Area Historical Society series of “Second Tuesday” workshops continued in February with a focus on the graduating classes of 1946 and 1947. The facilitator began with an overview of the social and cultural environment of the time. The War had finally ended and its survivors were euphorically looking forward to a future of peace and prosperity. The high school students were eagerly awaiting the return of their relatives and neighbors from Europe and the Pacific. Newspaper clippings continued to be reminders of the difficult times that had just been completed. Marine Sergeant Dean Lesnett was awarded a Purple…

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I don’t really pay much attention to the various award shows, probably because, being several generations out of date, I don’t know any of the contestants. This year, however, for some reason I did skim over the hoopla associated with the Grammies and was surprised to see that the Pittsburgh Symphony was one of the winners. Unfortunately, they didn’t get the publicity locally that this achievement warrants. A performer known as Bruno Mars was the big star, winning six awards in “popular” categories. According to Wikipedia Mars is either an “R and B” or rap artist. There was a time…

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The Bridgeville Area Historical Society traditionally schedules its January and February meetings on Sunday afternoons rather than their customary Tuesday evenings, in deference to the winter weather. Last month’s meeting featured an old friend, Dr. Jack Aupperle, with his fourth appearance. This time he discussed Theodore Roosevelt and did his usual fine job of mixing information with entertainment. Teddy Roosevelt was born in Manhattan in 1858, the second of four children in a wealthy family. He was home schooled by his mother and a succession of tutors. His lifelong fascination with natural science was demonstrated by his compiling an impressive…

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I participated in an interesting meeting at the Bridgeville Public Library recently, focused on connecting the different communities in the South Hills through trails. The event, called, “Growing Together Through Trails,” was hosted by Justin Beinhauer, an Upper St. Clair resident with a commitment to connecting the communities of Upper St. Clair, South Fayette, and others to Bridgeville, which he calls the “heart of the community.” The meeting was surprisingly well attended, with representatives of the Montour Trail, the Rachel Carson Trail, South Fayette Township, the Allegheny Trust, and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Planning Commission there, as well as a number…

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Late January and early February is always a depressing time for sports fans. The Steelers’ unexpected implosion made it even worse this year. Hockey is an option, but knowing someone will still be playing hockey in early June suggests it is still too early to get interested. We enthusiastically followed Pitt basketball during the Jamie Dixon era, but can’t get work up much enthusiasm about the current team. We do check the box scores however to see if Zach Smith gets into the game. Zach is a Senior and one of the best students in our Civil and Environmental Engineering…

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