Sponsored by: Interim revisions to AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications (7th Edition) were published in 2016 with a few minor revisions to the steel bridge design sections of the specifications. The 8th edition of AASHTO LRFD Bridge…
Executive Corner: Get Your Firm ‘Sale Ready,’ Even If It’s Not for Sale
You’ve decided to sell your house, so you fixed that broken screen door, pruned the hedges and cut the lawn. Why do those things now? Because you want…
Infrastructure Outlook: A Bridge Too Far (Gone)?
One of the most frustrating things about contemporary times is that people are unable to change their mindset as fast as technology progresses. According…
Final Thoughts: Spring Brings Baseball and Construction Seasons
Spring finally has arrived here in the Midwest (Chicago, to be specific): flowers are blooming, trees are budding out, birds are singing, and baseball is in full swing. But April 2018 was the fourth-coldest April on record; the Chicago Cubs home opening game…
ReEngineering the Engineer: Written vs. Oral Communication: You Make the Call
I admit I haven’t really embraced the whole texting thing, and I don’t believe it’s an age gap. Although I communicate with our kids that way about half the time—out of necessity—I rarely do so with our clients (unless, of course, I’m running late…
Code Update: Provisions for Cold-Formed Steel Nonstructural Members Clarified in AISI S220
For most cold-formed steel framing projects, industry or manufacturers’ design tables are sufficient for specifying and constructing nonstructural partitions. But for projects where the requirements are outside the usual limits, design professionals and…
From the Editor: Old Habits Die Hard
I have a theory, and I wonder what you think about it. It has to do with ancient pyramids, spaceships, artificial intelligence, robots and self-driving cars. No, this doesn’t have anything to do with “ancient astronauts” or Chariots of the Gods; it's…
Thoughts From Engineers: Water 4.0: Time to Consider an Alternative Paradigm
Our present-day style of managing water hasn’t strayed much from the centralized approach employed by the Romans some 2,000 years ago. This was fine when cities first began to modernize, but the 21st century requires something different. This is the conclusion…
Executive Corner: The R&D Tax Credit: Major Savings Available for Architects and Engineers
When it comes to taxes, the main focus for architecture and engineering firms of late has been the new tax law and the opportunities it’s providing companies to grow and reinvest in their businesses. For this installment of “Executive Corner,” Russ Ryan,…
Project Management Insights: Is Project Management a Weakness in the Armor?
When my consulting firm (Morrissey Goodale) works with clients to develop a strategic plan, several elements go into the effort well before we bring everyone around the table. Conversations with the firm’s leaders and top managers are one such component.…
