I was among the millions of people who watched at least part of the Academy Awards show this year, and I couldn’t help but think about comparing the awards to our industry. The Academy recognizes outstanding performance in the film industry in 24 categories,…
ReEngineering the Engineer: What’s Ice Got to Do with It?
For some reason, I wasn’t much of a reader when I was young. Maybe it was the engineering gene; I don’t know many engineers I would consider voracious…
Final Thoughts: Many Changes in Engineering, but the Main Priority Remains the Same
In previous “Final Thoughts” columns, I looked back at the work environment when I began my career some 40-plus years ago, which included calculations…
ReEngineering the Engineer: Reasonable Resolutions That Can Last All Year
Historically, I try to use the holiday break as a chance to regroup, reflect on the last year and get prepared to do it all over again for the next 12 months. This year, however, was an unrelenting race right to the bitter end. “Sleeping” projects came…
From the Editor: Predicting the Present: Yesterday’s Future and Tomorrow’s Past
In the classic original The Terminator movie from 1984, an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) wages war against humanity. A fierce band of human resistance fighters battles back and eventually tips the scales in favor of the humans. In a last, desperate…
Thoughts From Engineers: Robot Engineers? You May Lose Your White-Collar Job to a Robot Sooner than You Think
According to the International Data Corp. (IDC), a global provider of market intelligence and analysis, big changes in the U.S. workforce will happen quickly and at a scale you never would have expected. The report, “IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Robotics 2017…
Code Update: Exploring New Concrete Connection Developments
Author’s Note: This is a highly condensed summary of a full paper, with many details and references, that can be read in its entirety on the Informed Infrastructure Web site at informedinfrastructure.com/36533/concrete-connections. Table 1. Approvals of…
Thoughts From Engineers: Leadership Resolutions for 2018
So ... how are you doing on your New Year (professional) resolutions? This is only relevant, of course, if you actually set some. Perhaps you’re not necessarily making a resolution as much as you’re committed to business initiatives outlined in your strategic…
Executive Corner: Five Takeaways on 2017 A/E M&A Activity
With the country in transition, settling into the dynamics and drama of a new administration, the underlying positive momentum of the U.S. economy and A/E industry has certainly been significant. At a macro level, we’ve seen this unfold with a soaring stock…
Buildings: What Does “Sustainable Buildings” Really Mean?
Building professionals and the general public are talking about how we need “sustainable” and “healthy” buildings, but what does that really mean? And how do we verify that a building is really sustainable and healthy? There are available rating systems,…
