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…
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…
From the Editor: Will Politics Erode Infrastructure Standards?
My wife and I are planning a road trip from the Midwest to the East Coast. Since we now own an electric vehicle that comes with free charging at certain stations, our road trip will have zero emissions and no fuel costs. Some things are taken for granted…
From the Editor: Message to Graduates (and All Engineers): Go Out and Do Good
I was pleased to attend the annual meeting of the Indiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, which included a competition among college students who presented their senior design projects to an audience and a panel of judges. The senior civil…
From the Editor: Finally, No More ‘Kicking the Infrastructure Can’ to Future Generations
I was about halfway through reading the April 2022 issue of Informed Infrastructure when I realized that, besides the obvious choices of “the” and “and,” one of the most-used words was “infrastructure.” It’s even on the cover—twice.…
From the Editor: Be Proud To Be a Civil Engineer
Take pride in what you have accomplished, and then let others know what civil engineers do.
From The Editor: Climate Change Now Is ‘The Issue’
My October 2020 column was titled “Engineers Need to Lead the Way on Climate Change Mitigation,” and I tried to make the point that our profession has a responsibility to maintain an environment that’s best for the world, and we need to do more…
Final Thoughts: Millennials Are ‘Engineering: The Next Generation’
Many members of my generation think we Baby Boomers are the greatest generation. After all, we protested against wars, fought for civil rights, and invented rock and roll. But we also produced this next generation of people. I am a Baby Boomer, and our generation…
Final Thoughts: Bridges: Overcoming Gaps Literally and Metaphorically
The main theme of this issue of Informed Infrastructure is “bridges,” which allow people to cross rivers that used to be barriers. They provide a way to span a gap or valley rather than travel long distances around them. Bridges allow different modes of…