"The best investment I ever made!” I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard owners in the architecture, engineering and environmental consulting industries say something to this effect when I’ve asked about the performance of their company stock.…
Thoughts From Engineers: Water Scarcity is Common: The Grim Reality of Freshwater Supplies Worldwide
Most news headlines barely get my attention, but it was startling to come across a list of 11 cities projected to experience serious water shortages within…
Change Leader: Use Familiar Tools to Achieve Public Support
These profiles are based on interviews, and the opinions and statements are those of the subject and are not necessarily shared or endorsed by this publication.…
From the Editor: It’s Time to Think About More Than Financial Costs
As I scanned the Table of Contents for this October 2019 issue of Informed Infrastructure, I noticed the article title “Brick Sewer Rehabilitation in Nation’s Capital.” My first thought was that it didn’t read “Brick Sewer Replacement.” I’m sure…
ReEngineering the Engineer: A Tale of Two Projects
Every now and then, you get a project that just seems to run into headwinds no matter which direction you turn. This latest one, however, came at a time when we were closing out our Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) project. The difference between the two…
Code Update: ACI 318-19: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete
The American Concrete Institute (ACI) recently published “ACI 318-19 Building Code for Structural Concrete.” ACI 318 includes the requirements for design and construction of structural concrete that are necessary to ensure public health and safety. This…
Executive Corner: Do the Valuation Multiples You’re Using Actually Apply to Your Firm?
Firm owners often rely on pricing multiples to arrive at a ballpark estimate of their firm value. We regularly hear from them that they generally rely on data points from transactions that either they or their peers at other firms had been part of in the past…
Thoughts From Engineers: When a Deep Tunnel Isn’t Enough: Milwaukee Wrestles with Combined Sewer Overflows
The City of Milwaukee was on the cusp of a victory lap. After several expansions to the Deep Tunnel storage system and other significant district-wide improvements to grey and green infrastructure, Milwaukee appeared more prepared than ever for the “mother…
From the Editor: ‘Smart’ Solutions In Every Issue
When I started working as a civil engineer, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was in its infancy. The EPA began its work in December 1970, but the procedures and policies didn’t really affect our work for a few years. After they were in place, however,…
ReEngineering the Engineer: What Am I Missing?
Historically, the kickoff keynotes for the NASCC Steel Conference are a must-see, and the 2019 conference in St. Louis was no exception. Orzan Varol presented the keynote this year titled “The Power of Contrarian Thinking.” The gist of the presentation…
