April 2020 Trends
Editor’s Note
This was a very challenging Trends section to put together. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and all that has changed in recent weeks, many of the stories we had collected for this section now seem trite or of little importance. I tried to include those still relevant, but even that may have changed by the time this is published.
To receive important infrastructure news as it’s happening, continue to check our website at informedinfrastructure.com for the latest information.
— Todd Danielson, Editorial Director, Informed Infrastructure
AISC Offers COVID-19 Resources
The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) created a web page of resources specific to industries in steel fabrication and construction that are facing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit bit.ly/2UzpkiQ for more information.
Global Shortage of Engineering Skills Risks Worker Safety
Prepared by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the Global Engineering Capability Review measures the abilities of 99 countries to conduct key engineering activities in a safe and innovative way.
It focuses on six measures of engineering capability worldwide: 1) the strength and sophistication of the country’s engineering industry, 2) the availability and diversity of its engineering labour force, 3) its knowledge base, 4) built and 5) digital infrastructure, and 6) safety standards.
The review aims to provide a baseline to help policymakers, educators and business executives understand their country’s relative engineering strengths and address capability gaps that are barriers to safe and sustainable development.
The review offers two specific recommendations: 1) countries should strengthen their data collection on a variety of indicators to support safe and innovative engineering, and 2) focus on quality, not quantity, of engineers.
Read the full report at bit.ly/2WN4C1t.
To celebrate the first World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, DiscoverE, in partnership with UNESCO and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, conducted a global survey of engineers to take the pulse of the profession.
The survey focused on the future of engineering, and asked about global challenges and the profession’s confidence in addressing them.
Securing cyberspace was listed as the most daunting global challenge the world will face during the next 25 years. However, 64.2 percent of respondents were optimistic that this challenge is solvable.
The survey was open from Nov. 11, 2019, to Jan. 17, 2020, and included more than 10,000 respondents from 119 countries. It should be noted that No. 9 on the list was “Preparing for and containing pandemics.”
For the full survey results, visit bit.ly/3dwln7d.
TOP Stories
The following are the top stories from the last few months (in terms of traffic) on the Informed Infrastructure website. This also reflects key coverage areas that are regularly refreshed online and via our weekly e-newsletter. Simply search key words on Informed Infrastructure online to find the full story.
Buildings
- Video: Metsä Pavilion in Tokyo
- Canadian Scientists Invent Game-Changing Granular Cement which Contributes to Reduced Greenhouse Gases
- Construction Complete on KAI-Designed Addition, Renovation to Concord Missionary Baptist Church Youth Space in Dallas
- CTA Architects Completes $2.8 Million Historic Façade Restoration of 90-Year-Old, 30-Story St. George Tower & Grill Co-op in Brooklyn
- American Concrete Institute Announces New Position Statements
Water
- Washington State, Oregon Join Forces to Replace I-5 Highway Bridge
- Stantec Selected as Lead Designer for I-64 Widening Project in West Virginia
- Video: ODOT Looks at Extensive Improvements Along I-205
- A Decade Later, Inspection Shows Eight Mile Road’s FRP Bridge Deck and Beam System In “Like New” Condition
- LA Metro Turns to Gannett Fleming to Lead Major Rail Line as Part of Twenty-Eight by ’28 Project
Transportation
- City of Los Angeles Launches Update of Plan to Reduce Flood Risks and Insurance Costs
- KAI 360 Construction Services to Provide Construction Management Services on Lower Meramec Wastewater Treatment Facility Expansion Phase II
- Video: China Is Building One of the World’s Largest Hydroelectric Dams
- Joint Powers Authority Formed to Govern East County Advanced Water Purification Program
- Stantec Assisting City of Beaverton to Add Underground Water Storage, Upgrade Water System for Better Resiliency
Tools and Technology
- Hexagon Introduces Visualisation Platform for the Accurate Digital Representation of the Real World
- Virtual Reality Paving the Way for Enhanced Safety and Efficiency in the Power Industry, Reveals GlobalData
- Thornton Tomasetti Launches BEACON, First-of-its-Kind Embodied Carbon Measurement Tool
- Leica Geosystems Brings the World’s First MultiStation to the Next Level
- HDR Selected to Bring PennDOT’s Vision of 3D-Only Plans to Reality
