Latest news with #Eberle
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Golden Gate Bridge is about to see 10 years of intensive construction
The Golden Gate Bridge is not expected to collapse in a major earthquake. But it could suffer enough damage to close for months or longer — and repairs to ensure that won't happen are slated to start next year. The bridge's steel elements are designed to move with seismic forces — as much as 27 feet from side to side at the suspension span's midpoint. But the concrete roadway and pylons (which anchor the span to the ground at either end) are less flexible, a mismatch that could be disastrous during a 1906-level earthquake. 'They won't be moving in sync, and they'll be banging into each other,' said John Eberle, an engineer for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. That violent grating could cause bridge elements to 'pop out of alignment,' Eberle said. For example, joints could poke up through the roadway, creating speed bump-like steel hurdles impassable to vehicles. Repairing that damage could take 'months if not years of full closure', said bridge district spokesperson Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz. The seismic retrofit expected to begin in January would make the iconic span resilient enough to open to emergency vehicles within 24 hours and to the public within 72 hours of the Big One, Eberle said. The bridge district plans to award a contract by December for the first of the project's two phases, which in total will cost close to $1.8 billion and take about 10 years to complete. 'The Golden Gate Bridge is a lifeline structure, and we are committed to opening up the bridge after a large-scale event,' Eberle said at a seismic commission meeting earlier this year. 'That's why the extent of the retrofit is what it is.' The bridge lies about six miles east of the San Andreas Fault, and would also see shaking from a major quake along the Hayward Fault in the East Bay. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates a 72% chance of a 6.7-magnitude quake, a 51% chance of a 7.0-magnitude quake and a 20% chance of a 7.5-magnitude quake hitting the Bay Area in the next 30 years. The project is the third and final chapter of a larger retrofit effort that began in 1996 with the viaducts that link the bridge's suspension span to land on either side. This retrofit will focus on the bridge's two 746-foot towers, the two 1,125-foot side spans north and south of the towers, and the 4,200-foot main span between them. A bevy of upgrades is planned to dissipate ground shaking, including 40-foot-tall steel plates to be affixed to the base of both towers; 38 giant shock absorbers, some weighing over 26,000 pounds; and a new, stronger steel lattice system undergirding the suspension span. The upgrades will be mostly unnoticeable to the casual eye, though the white-sheathed temporary platform needed to perform the retrofit will be visible during construction and run underneath the entire span. A close observer peering over the bridge's edge might spot a few of the shock absorbers. The bridge's south tower will also get a fresh coat of International Orange paint, part of the 1.5 million square feet of painting associated with the retrofit. (The north tower, which is subject to milder weather conditions, isn't due for repainting yet.) The work will be split into two phases. The first will retrofit the towers and the spans at the bridge's north and south ends over an estimated five years. Bridge leaders have the $870 million needed to fund the phase, between a $400 million federal grant, $200 million from Caltrans' Highway Bridge Program, and $270 million from the district's reserves. The bridge district has yet to begin seeking funding for the second, roughly $900 million phase, which will focus on the main span between the towers and take a projected four additional years. Officials plan to apply for federal and state grants and do not expect to increase tolls to pay for the work, Cosulich-Schwartz said. Though the bridge will stay open throughout construction, some lanes will be closed starting about six months into the project and lasting for both phases' duration. Authorities expect the closures will mostly occur on weekdays between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., similar to during the installation of the bridge's suicide prevention net. Retrofitting the bridge while it withstands daily traffic loads and harsh weather conditions will require precise work. Eberle compared the towers to giant cans of soda — under constant pressure from the immense cables draped over top, which bear the weight of over 100,000 vehicles a day. 'If you're standing on a Coke can and now you have to put little holes in it and put steel plates on it, you have to do that in a very, very controlled fashion so you don't collapse that Coke can,' he said. The retrofit also involves installing a new lateral system, the X-patterned steel lattice undergirding the entire bridge. But workers can't remove the old laterals, which are essential to the bridge's integrity, until the new ones are fully in place. 'You have to put in new elements while the old elements remain, so it's intricate work,' Eberle said. The 38 giant shock absorbers included in the retrofit are designed to redirect some of the force an earthquake would otherwise inflict on the already-burdened bridge. During an earthquake, some of the shaking force would be transferred away from the bridge and into a 'sacrificial bronze disk' inside the shock absorbers, Eberle said. The shock absorbers are immense — some measure more than 26 feet long — and workers will have to add over 800,000 pounds of steel to the towers to support their weight. But without them, the retrofit would have to be even more extensive, Eberle said. The retrofit's complexity in part explains its roughly $1.8 billion bill, but labor laws around lead paint exposure and steel prices driven up by uncertainty around tariffs have contributed, too. Authorities say the retrofit is more than worth the spending. 'I know it's a big price tag,' Eberle said, 'but if you look at what it would take to rebuild the Golden Gate Bridge, you're talking billions and billions of dollars, and years of no good alternate route around the Bay.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Katy ISD community calls for transgender, banned book policy changes under new leadership
The Brief The former Katy ISD Board of Trustees president was ousted in the May 3 election. The change in leadership prompted community calls for policy retractions on book bans and transgender issues. A Republican strategist defended the district's content filtering policies, questioning why similar standards aren't applied to library books. KATY, Texas - Victor Perez, former president of the Katy ISD Board of Trustees, lost his seat in the May 3 election. The community is now urging the new board to reconsider the district's book banning and transgender student policies. The backstory In 2023, Katy ISD trustees approved a controversial policy for transgender kids, outlining teachers' roles, parental rights, and which bathroom students are allowed to use at school. Perez said at the time of the policy's conception that it did not aim to target anyone's sexual orientation or gender identity, and added that it's not the district's goal to pry into students' private conversations with staff. In recent years, the board expanded review terms for the removal of books from campus libraries. Questions from concerned members of the community were left unanswered by Perez and the board. What we know Perez is no longer serving on the Katy ISD Board of Trustees following his defeat in the recent election. His removal has sparked discussions among community members, with many advocating for changes to the district's current policies on book bans and transgender issues. What they're saying Republican strategist Bobby Eberle expressed concern over the proposed changes. "I hope not. I think what's been enacted is very good," Eberle said. "You go to any school, and I almost guarantee you (anyone) in Katy ISD that wants access to the internet goes through a content filter. They filter out content for age appropriateness, so why is it okay to do that on the internet but not for books? I would like to see someone justify that. If you can filter out content to make it safe for children, then the library should be the same." Eberle also said it's a growing trend happening around the state. "It was shocking, but it was also a trend statewide. Even though this new person modeled himself as a republican. The conservatives really took a beating around the state," Eberle said. "The Katy ISD board are not in the classroom. They're not teaching children." "So their job is to administer. They look after the budget, and they put in policies that both, in this case, protect children and empower parents," he continued. The other side Perez posted a statement to his Facebook page, highlighting his accomplishments and thanking his fellow board members. In part, the statement says: "The level of ugliness spewed on social media is out of control. It's a darkness, a cancer. Constructive debate and differing opinions are vital to a healthy democracy, but personal vilification serves no one and discourages good people from running for school board." The district released the following statement on the matter: "The school district does not comment on election outcomes or individual Board members. Policy decisions are determined by the Board of Trustees, and any related matters are addressed through the Board's established governance processes." The Source Information in this article came from Republican strategist Bobby Eberle and Victor Perez' public Facebook page.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
FBI, USMS urges Erie residents to report scam calls
(WJET/WFXP) – Two major law enforcement agencies are asking Erieites to share when they receive a scam call. On Thursday, April 24, the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and the FBI came together to urge Erie residents to report phone scams. FBI reports increase in Pennsylvania cyber crimes According to their news release, the City of Erie area has recently received an increasing number of scam phone calls. The most recent type of scam call on the USMS and FBI's radar includes the scammer telling a potential victim they must pay a fine for things such as 'failing to report for jury duty,' even going so far as threatening the victim with an arrest or jail time. PA sees increase in cyber crimes — Here's how you can avoid getting scammed U.S. Marshal Stephen Eberle reminds residents that most services, including the U.S. Marshals Service and/or federal courts, will never ask you for credit, debit or gift card numbers. They also will not ask you for bank routing numbers or to make a wire transfer or cryptocurrency transaction. Eberle also said to never give out personal or financial information over the phone to someone you don't know. If you believe you were the victim of a scam, you can report the incident to the Erie FBI Office or the FTC. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Reuters
22-02-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Kraken F Jordan Eberle to return after 40-game absence
February 22 - After missing 40 games with an unprecedented injury, Seattle captain Jordan Eberle has been activated from injured reserve and is expected to play when the Kraken face the Florida Panthers on Saturday in Sunrise, Fla. Eberle suffered a pelvic injury in a Nov. 14 game against the Chicago Blackhawks, an injury that no other player in the league had ever experienced, per Eberle's doctor reportedly consulted with New Zealand rugby players who'd experienced the same injury to help them decide on the surgery. That was followed by an arduous, 14-week rehab program that initially required Eberle to be confined to a hospital bed. The latest phase of his rehab had Eberle spending the 4 Nations Face-Off break practicing with the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds in an attempt to get up to the speed and level of physicality of the NHL game. "I think I'm at the point now where I'm battling in practice and moving the way I want to," Eberle said, according to "Now it just comes down to getting into game action. That's the only way you can test (your body). I've done everything else up to that point. "Obviously, I've had over three months off. I feel like I'm in game shape right now, but (it's about) the timing and getting that aggressiveness back. I think it helps that I'm coming back with the guys after the break, where everyone's been off for a while as well. I'm hoping that I can get back and just get right back into it." Kraken coach Dan Bylsma called Eberle's recovery "utterly and painfully slow" but also "unprecedented" and had expressed optimism in late January that he was making great progress. "And as we've gotten closer (to Eberle's return), it's him on the ice, off the ice, desperately wanting to get back and get with the group, with his work ethic," Bylsma said. "It's just an indicator of what we've missed. ... Just seeing him back with the group, seeing his work ethic, seeing his determination to get back is a clear indicator of what we've missed." Kraken general manager Ron Francis expressed cautious optimism about Eberle's return. "Anytime you come back from injury it's usually kind of a little burst and then a lull and then you get back to it," Francis said. "I'm just excited he's back and we'll see how things go." Eberle, 34, has recorded 11 points (six goals, five assists) through 17 games this season, his fourth with the Kraken. He signed a two-year, $9.5 million extension with the Kraken last March. He has 713 points (305 goals, 408 assists) in 1,035 games with the Edmonton Oilers (2010-17), Islanders (2017-21) and Kraken. The Oilers drafted him in the first round (22nd overall) in 2008.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Seattle Kraken Loan Jordan Eberle To Coachella Valley For Conditioning Stint
The Seattle Kraken have assigned forward Jordan Eberle to the Coachella Valley Firebirds for a conditioning stint, it was announced Wednesday. Eberle, who is in his fourth season with the Kraken, has been sidelined since November after undergoing surgery on his pelvis. Through 17 games in 2024-25, Eberle has collected six goals and five assists for 11 points. Drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the 2008 NHL Draft, Eberle has played in 1035 career NHL regular season games with the Kraken, Oilers, and the New York Islanders. Over that span, he has put up 305 goals and 408 assists for 713 points. With the NHL on their break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, this is the perfect time for Eberle to be sent down to the AHL. He will have a good chunk of time to get up to speed again before making his way back to join the Kraken and play a big role for the team. Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' AHL Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.
