Archinect - News

Florida International University to develop virtual reality games for training future AEC workers thanks to NSF grant

2023-03-27T12:06:00-04:00

Florida International University (FIU) has been awarded a grant to develop games that can train individuals for roles in architecture, engineering, and construction. The funding, awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), will support FIU’s exploration into how institutions can train skilled workers at a time when robotics and autonomous systems are increasingly being deployed in the AEC sector.

As part of the project, faculty from the institution’s School of Architecture and School of Computing and Information Services will work together to develop a platform that will use virtual reality games to train workers through a personalized learning program. The learning tool is expected to focus on operational industrial robots, with learning delivery tailored for "differences in ability, experience, and sociocultural backgrounds."

The tool will see users asked to explain their decisions ...

FIU bridge collapse tied to flawed design and minimal project oversight

2019-10-24T12:24:00-04:00

The National Transportation Safety Board members that have been investigating a March 15, 2018 bridge collapse at Florida International University have concluded that the design firm FIGG Bridge Engineers, Inc. responsible for the project underestimated the loads created by the bridge's concrete structural system and overestimated the strength of their designs along a critical section that had shown signs of splintering, NBC News reports.

The bridge was, according to previous reports, designed under the Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) method that utilizes prefabricated components, a key reason the bridge was built out of concrete and not steel as is more often the case for similar spans.

Prior to the bridge's deadly collapse, investigators found that contractors had discovered large cracks 40-times larger than what is normally accepted for this type of application in a concrete section of the bridge. Despite the cracking, no one involved the project made an attempt to close th...

Contractors of collapsed Miami bridge fined for worker-safety violations

2018-09-21T13:29:00-04:00

The contractors who designed and built the disastrous Florida International University bridge have been cited by federal authorities for several “serious” worker-safety violations and face tens of thousands of dollars in fines. [...] The FIU pedestrian bridge collapsed March 15 while it was still under construction over Southwest Eighth Street, killing five motorists below and a worker, Navaro Brown, who had been standing atop the span.

This round of OSHA citations is likely only the beginning of legal actions resulting from the deadly collapse of the new Florida International University pedestrian bridge in March 2018. Investigations of the National Transportation Safety Board are ongoing and, depending on its findings, could lead to a criminal case.

Investigators confirm that Miami bridge collapsed during post-tensioning

2018-03-23T14:32:00-04:00

The National Transportation Safety Board reports that its investigators remain at the scene of the deadly Miami pedestrian bridge collapse that occurred last week on the Florida International University campus.

NTSB investigators and contractors remove and catalog core samples from the pedestrian bridge deck. Photo courtesy of NTSB.

The latest statement issued by the agency lists 'significant developments' in the investigation and describes what happened right before the bridge collapsed: "The investigative team has confirmed that workers were adjusting tension on the two tensioning rods located in the diagonal member at the north end of the span when the bridge collapsed. They had done this same work earlier at the south end, moved to the north side, and had adjusted one rod. They were working on the second rod when the span failed and collapsed. The roadway was not closed while this work was being performed."

Read the full statement here.

Collapsed Miami bridge was built using Accelerated Bridge Construction

2018-03-19T14:52:00-04:00

The pedestrian bridge that collapsed at Florida International University in Miami on Thursday was built using Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) technology, according to a statement from the university. Unlike traditional methods of construction, ABC streamlines the building process so that bridge projects can be completed quicker and more cost effectively.

The FIU bridge which collapsed last week was engineered using Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC), a method used by many companies for its time and cost efficiency. Weighing 950 tons, the bridge was meant to connect FIU's campus to an adjoining neighborhood where many students live.

Of the many types of ABC technology, Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems (PBES) appears to be the method used in construction of the FIU bridge. This method allows prefabrication of elements off-site which are then transported and quickly assembled on site.

A fact sheet on FIU's website relates the bridge cost $14.2 million to build and was funded by a $19.4 million grant from the US Department of Transportation. It was also apparently supposed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane and last more than 100 years. The bridge was designed by FIGG Bridge Engineers in Tallahassee and built by MCM in Miami.

New FIU bridge collapses in Miami killing several people

2018-03-15T15:24:00-04:00

MIAMI (CBSMiami) — Florida International University’s (FIU) massive new pedestrian bridge collapsed Thursday afternoon killing several people.The 950-ton bridge, located at 109th Ave and 8th Street, collapsed on a number of cars. Florida Highway Patrol confirms several people are dead due to the collapse. They also said several cars have been crushed. At least one person was taken as a trauma alert to the hospital, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

The collapsed bridge had recently been erected this past Saturday and was constructed "using an innovative approach to bridge construction", which was meant to alleviate traffic and reduce risk. The recent positioning of the bridge was the largest pedestrian bridge move by Self-Propelled Modular Transportation in U.S. history.

FIU issued a statement to about the deadly incident saying, “We are shocked and saddened about the tragic events unfolding at the FIU-Sweetwater pedestrian bridge. At this time we are still involved in the rescue efforts and gathering information. We are working closely with authorities and first responders on the scene. We will share updates as we have them.”

FIU Considers Merging Journalism and Architecture

2015-12-08T15:34:00-05:00

FIU is now considering a merger between its journalism school and College of Architecture + The Arts. The new combined college would probably get a new name (such as adding “communications” somewhere in the title), and journalism would continue as a “school” within this larger umbrella college. Journalism would still be an available degree track, as would the school’s other offerings in broadcast media, public relations, and advertising.

FIU Professor Marilys R. Nepomechie starts term as ACSA President

2015-07-21T13:45:00-04:00

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) is pleased to announce that Marilys Nepomechie, Professor of Architecture in the College of Architecture + The Arts at Florida International University (FIU), has begun her term as ACSA President for 2015-2016 academic year. [...] Bruce Lindsey, teacher and administrator at Washington University in St. Louis, is also starting his term as Vice President this month.

The ACSA announcement goes on to say: "As president of ACSA, Nepomechie has vowed to address the challenges facing ACSA schools, including diminishing institutional funding to support faculty and student work; a need to increase student and faculty diversity; the imperative to facilitate broad accessibility and affordability to our programs; the challenges of reframing the possibilities offered by online education; and in response to the breadth and rapid pace of change in the academy and the profession, the need to reassess, and perhaps recalibrate, our curricular structures."

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