This issue of Informed Infrastructure is focused on Sustainable Engineering. As I write this column, there’s news about the U.S. Senate passing a climate, tax and healthcare package. While there are many details to be worked out, it’s encouraging…
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…
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…
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: The Future (of Engineering At Least) Seems To Be In Good Hands
If you’ve read this column before, you know I teach senior civil engineering college students in their Senior Project Design class. These students are only months away from graduation and the start of their careers, so while they’re relieved to be close…
From the Editor: Engineers’ Concerns Have Only Multiplied Since the Pandemic
Two years ago, I asked the following question in the February 2020 issue of Informed Infrastructure: “How will engineers respond to alternative energy sources, global warming, dwindling water supplies, deteriorating infrastructure and any number…
From the Editor: Finally! An Infrastructure Bill Passes!
“It always seems impossible until it is done.” That’s the quote from Nelson Mandela the The New York Times chose for its article about the infrastructure bill. As I write this column, the long-awaited infrastructure bill is reality. I’ve been rerouting…
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…
From the Editor: Personal and Mass-Media Stories Highlight the Importance of Inspections
During my career, I’ve performed inspections on hundreds of bridges. The inspections varied in detail depending on the reasons for looking at them. Some were cursory inspections to determine whether or not to include particular bridges in the INDOT…
