Driving through rural Starke County, Ind., in various seasons will provide visitors a varied image of this part of the state. In late February, the land is gray and brown, harvested and barren from the last fall and winter; unless, of course, it’s covered…
From the Editor: Looking Into the 2023 Rearview Mirror
We experienced some major events in 2023—some exceptionally good and others rather distressing. This review is a somewhat personal look at some…
From the Editor: We Need to Rapidly Replenish the Engineering Workforce
In 1971, the year I was starting my career, the job market for civil engineers wasn’t very strong. I received one job offer and many letters stating…
From the Editor: What Should We Do With Spaces Along Highways?
Environment California recently performed a study about using space along highways for solar-panel fields. California has been a leader in solar-energy production, and this report states that three counties could provide enough energy to power 270,000…
From the Editor: What Does Sustainable Engineering Mean to Me?
It’s September, which means it’s time for the Informed Infrastructure Sustainable Engineering Special Issue. This is the third year a special issue has focused on engineering projects and research related to sustainability, which plays an important…
From the Editor: Three Stories From My Personal ‘Infrastructure News Network’
This August 2023 column highlights three infrastructure topics I find interesting on personal and professional levels. Headline News: The Bridge Collapse There have been many articles written about the bridge on I-95 in Philadelphia, where a tanker truck…
From the Editor: Learning Is a Lifelong Endeavor
I look forward to this time of year for many reasons. Of course, the warmer weather is one of my favorites. New spring growth changes the landscape every day. The farmers are in the fields planting their crops for the year. This also is the time of increased…
From the Editor: No Surprise, but Engineering Gets ‘Smarter’ Every Year
In this annual Smart Engineering issue of Informed Infrastructure, you will read about great new ideas and products that are not only more efficient and economical, but also better for our environment. Isn’t this the definition of a win-win-win proposition?…
From the Editor: We Need to Better Promote the Heroes of Engineering: Us
Throughout my career, I have been asked countless times about what exactly I do as a civil engineer. Some people ask just to be polite, but most legitimately didn’t know what a civil engineer does. It seems that we, as engineers, have not done as good…
From the Editor: An Engineer’s Career Path Can Take Many Turns
I’ve had enough time by now to get used to writing 2023 wherever a date is required. I’ve also had enough time to stop thinking about what could have been better last year and how this year could be an improvement. I often try to look ahead and think…
