Cold Regions 2009

Technical Tours

Tuesday, September 1

Attendees at the 14th Conference on Cold Regions Engineering are encouraged to participate in technical tours to a variety of Duluth landmark attractions.

Tours will be held Tuesday afternoon, September 1 and have been designed to allow registrants to participate in two tours, one at each scheduled time. A tour may be cancelled if there is insufficient participation.

Tour Schedule:

No food will be offered on the tours, but a box lunch will be available for all conference attendees at 12:00 PM in the Exhibit Hall at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.

1:15-3:15 PM

Aerial Lift Bridge (This is a walking tour offered only in this time slot.) Fee: Complimentary TOUR FULL, NO ADDITIONAL REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED
University of Minnesota-Duluth Engineering Building Fee: $25
Thompson Energy Center Fee: $25 CANCELLED
Ulland Bros. Basalt Quarry Fee: $25 OFFERED AT 3:30 PM ONLY

3:30-5:30 PM

Skyline Parkway (only offered in this time slot) Fee: $25 CANCELLED
University of Minnesota-Duluth Engineering Building Fee: $25 OFFERED AT 1:15 PM ONLY
Thompson Energy Center Fee: $25 CANCELLED
Ulland Bros. Basalt Quarry Fee: $25

	Aerial Lift Bridge TOUR FULL, NO ADDITIONAL REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED Our most famous landmark, the Aerial Lift Bridge was originally built in 1905 and upgraded in 1929 to the design you see today. It takes about two minutes to rise, and goes up 25 to 30 times daily during the height of the shipping season. See firsthand the inner workings of the bridge, on a walking tour of the bridge with the chief bridge operator.
	UMD Civil Engineering Building The University of Minnesota Duluth has very recently started a Civil Engineering curriculum, and the new classroom/laboratory space is scheduled for completion in Spring 2010. This tour will be narrated by the new Dean of the UMD Civil Engineering program and the project structural engineer. The building design displays various engineering support systems, and the new laboratory space is state-of-the art.
	Thompson Energy Center The Thompson Energy Center is Minnesota Power's largest hydroelectric plant and the largest hydro facility in the state of Minnesota. Thompson's output of 70,000 kilowatts is sufficient to power all the homes in Duluth. The Thompson Energy Center is located on the St. Louis River in Jay Cooke Park.
	Ulland Brothers, Inc. Basalt Quarry Come out and join us for a tour of our local basalt quarry in Duluth, Minnesota. We will talk about the materials that we process, how we make them, and what they are used for. We will also show you some very large rock that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers use out on Lake Superior to repair breakwaters, some as big as 24 tons per rock.
	Historic Skyline Parkway Rising 700 feet above the city, this bus tour will trace various portions of Duluth's Historic Skyline Parkway, which dates from 1888. Along the route, tour participants will gain an overview of the city, see reconstructed bridges that have responded to the historic character of the scenic drive, visit Enger Park, and discuss ongoing maintenance, design, and use issues.