Natural Gas
Methane (CH4) is an odorless, colorless, flammable gas. It is popularly known as gas. It is the major constituent of natural gas. Methane minus impurities is Natural Gas.
 Natural Gas Well versus Drinking Water Well
Hydraulic Fracturing Step 1 and 2 : Fracturing of Coal by Injection of Fracturing Fluid
To create or enlarge fractures in targeted coal bed, a thick fluid, typically water-based, is pumped into the coal seam at a gradually increasing rate and pressure. Eventually the coal seam is unable to accommodate the fracturing fluid as quickly as it is injected. When this occurs, the pressure is high enough that the coal fractures along existing weaknesses within the coal bed. Fluid leaks occurs in the coal beds.
 1. Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Injection 
Hydraulic Fracturing Step 3: Formation of conduit with proppant
Along with the fracturing fluids, sand (or some other propping agent or “proppant”) is pumped into the fracture so that the fracture remains “propped” open even after the high fracturing pressures have been released. → continue reading Hydraulic Fracturing or Hydraulic Fracking for Natural Gas-Visual Guide
 Government waste or the nature of development or democracy at work
 Federal stimus money at work on Bainbridge Road in Solon Ohio Kevin Westbrooks, Traffic Engineer, Solon, Ohio wrote about the temporary road on Bainbridge Road:
Changing the traffic operations from two-way to one-way will divert traffic through other congested intersections and cause cut-through traffic. There are improvements that can be made to help with the flow of traffic but this traffic cannot be fully accommodated.
Wayne Godzich, Police Chief, Solon, Ohio wrote about the temporary road on Bainbridge Road:
Although we are sympathetic with the resident’s concerns, we should never jeopardize the Emergency and Medical Services times associated with transporting victims to a medical facility. If one life was lost because it required a longer time to transport a victim to a medical facility knowing it could have been avoided, I personally would have a difficult time dealing with that loss of life.
William Shaw, Fire Chief, Solon Ohio wrote about the temporary road on Bainbridge Road:
It is my opinion that two way traffic on Bainbridge Road affects the least number of people while providing the maximum amount of safety benefit with the least cost to City of Solon
According to the grapevine, → continue reading The Million Dollar Temporary Bainbridge Road in Solon Ohio
Basements are constructed with perimeter walls made with
- hollow cement blocks, or
- poured cement concrete.
The blocks are brought to the site and laid by a mason with staggered joints. If the joints are not staggered, the basement wall will have lower strength and it is a sign of very poor workmanship. After the blocks are laid, the hollows may be reinforced with steel bars and filled with a cement concrete to increase its strength and durability. I am not certain if there is an easy method, for a typical home buyer or the second and the subsequent home owners to verify if the hollow block basement walls were reinforced or not. If unreinforced, a hollow cement block basement wall is clearly inferior to a poured concrete basement wall. The hollow cavities will provide a reservoir space for water which will eventually seep into the basement. The unreinforced hollow block basement wall will have lower strength, durability and fire resistance. The purposes and advantages of using hollow cement blocks is the speed and the cost savings using the the large sized blocks. To meet the construction time parameter, a crafty home builder may decide that it is indeed desirable but not essential to reinforce the hollow blocks of the basement wall, particularly, if the applicable building codes do not explicitly require this reinforcement.
So, should a home buyer consider buying a home that has basement walls constructed with unreinforced hollow cinder blocks? These basement walls which also act as retaining walls, will be weak in tension and are highly likely to develop cracks. A poorly constructed basement is trouble and it is prudent to walk away from that home.
 Hollow cement mortar cinder blocks used for basement construction  Concrete and steel reinforced block wall basement Many homes in the Cleveland area of Cuyahoga County in Ohio have basements that are made of these hollow cement blocks. → continue reading The wet hollow block wall basements of Cleveland, Ohio
According to the federal Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, CONSTRUCTION signs are orange diamonds specifically used only to WARN drivers about construction and work zone activity. The orange speed limit signs with black lettering are warning signs and hence they are unenforceable by the traffic police department. → continue reading MUTCD: Orange construction speed limit signs are unenforceable
 Click It Or Ticket campaign near Solon Recreation Center The Three E’s of Traffic Safety
- Public Education
- Law Enforcement
- Traffic Engineering
Road sense is the offspring of courtesy and the parent of safety. On the eve of Memorial Day, officers of Solon Police Department were observed → continue reading The Three E’s of Traffic Safety
Definition of a Geogrid
The word geosynthetic is used to refer to any synthetic material used in geotechnical engineering. A geogrid is defined as a geosynthetic material consisting of connected parallel sets of tensile ribs with apertures of sufficient size to allow strike-through of surrounding soil, stone, or other geotechnical material. → continue reading Tensar geogrid reinforces highway in Solon, Ohio
City of Solon and Ohio Department of Transportation conducted a study to determine the effectiveness of a MUTCD non-compliant HIGH CRASH LOCATION-FOLLOWING TOO CLOSE yellow warning traffic sign. Within the context of the study limitations, the study concluded that the traffic sign made no positive impact on the number of traffic crashes. It was as if the traffic sign was invisible to the motorists.
Assured Clear Distance
According to Ohio Revised Code- Title [45] XLV MOTOR VEHICLES – AERONAUTICS – WATERCRAFT-Chapter 4511: TRAFFIC LAWS – OPERATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES-4511.21 Speed limits – assured clear distance. (A) No person shall operate a motor vehicle, trackless trolley, or streetcar at a speed greater or less than is reasonable or proper, having due regard to the
- traffic,
- surface, and
- width of the street or highway and
- any other conditions,
and no person shall drive any motor vehicle, trackless trolley, or streetcar in and upon any street or highway at a greater speed than will permit the person to bring it to a stop within the assured clear distance ahead.
A high number of accidents occurred → continue reading The invisible high crash traffic sign in Solon Ohio
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About  I am a Civil Engineer from Louisiana State University. The compound word, Americaneer, is a combination of the words, American and Engineer. |
