"Han Maenen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Subject: [USMA:20574] Dutch company builds road in the USA
> Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 10:39:29 +0200
> From: "Han Maenen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: U.S. Metric Association <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> A Dutch company, HBG Constructors, American subsidiary of Hollandsche Beton
> Groep (HBG) (beton means concrete) has achieved together with the American
> company Lane an order to build a 17 km highway in North Carolina. The road,
> with six lanes and 23 bridges crossing it is to be delivered at the end of
> 2004.
I am kindof curious, what highway project is this? North Carolina have
been very active in new highway (especially motorways) construction in
recent years.
> HBG will carry out the design and the building of the project. If NC
> is ifp, then HBG will adapt to it, it is simple like that.
> Is North Carolina a 'metric' or a foot-pound state? I wonder whether ever
> American contractors will get orders to build roads in the EU, as they have
> succeeded so wonderfully in forcing the large majority of US states to
> revert.
Unfortunately, North Carolina does its highway engineering, contracting
and construction entirely in Olde Englishe 'quotes and apostrophies'.
They never made any real attempt to use SI during the 1990s. The state
is in the heart of the highly conservative 'Deep South'.
And yes, it is the USA's domestic contractors who lobbied (and continue
to lobby) the various state governments to 'revert' to and remain using
Olde Englishe measures.
> If ever they want to expand to the EU, they will have to use the
> metric system of course, even in Britain! And as they are rabidly
> anti-metric they may miss out, shooting themselves in the foot and adding to
> the American trade deficit.
> That Mr. Nayaert from Michigan, who was one of the main persons responsible
> for the reversion of that state, will never get an order for his company to
> come to the EU with his ifp equipment to build roads and other objects. And
> training our workers in the use of that trash is a definite no-no.
People like those contractors are often too short sighted to see beyond
the borders of their own state into other states, much less across the
Saint Mary's and Saint Claire Rivers (into Canada from Michigan) for
even more opportubities.
None the less, the USA is in the midst of joining the rest of the world
in 'football' power and prowess, as the national team played well enough
to make it deep into the second round of the World Cup this year (almost
beating Germany, too) and fields all across the USA are being literally
overrun by young people playing the game.
A sea change is DEFINITELY in the air.
(I also hear that our money will be taking on additional colors starting
next year....)
> Han
> Historian of Dutch Metrication, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
--
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Regards, | |\ ____
| | | | |\
Michael G. Koerner May they | | | | | | rise again!
Appleton, Wisconsin USA | | | | | |
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