Got a minute? I have a question for you: What is a “model”? No, I don’t mean the attractive people we see in ads and movies. And no, I don’t mean a scale replica of an SR-70 Blackbird, Godzilla or the Santa Maria, although these are a bit closer to…
Infrastructure Outlook: Plotting Directions for Civil Infrastructure
There have been major breakthroughs in the civil infrastructure industry, with reality capture and advancements in 3-D modeling, analytics and software…
Executive Corner: Managing by the Numbers
Although the pages of this magazine are largely devoted to the technical aspects of design and construction, this column will focus on the challenges…
Developing a Stormwater Trash Control Strategy
There are many types of trash and debris found in stormwater and they each have an effect on our environment and infrastructure. If your community is interested in developing a trash control strategy, here are six key points that should be considered:1. …
Sustainable Design and Green Building Standards Revised
With energy resources depleting at an alarming rate, architects and engineers worldwide have realized the need to have energy and sustainable building design to ensure that a structure is eco-friendly and energy efficient. The U.S. Green building Council and…
Preparing Today’s Students to Create a Smarter Tomorrow
There is a great deal of buzz in recent years about the concept of “Smarter Cities.” Despite increasing numbers moving to urban areas, there is significant concern that our nation’s infrastructure still ranks woefully behind the rest of the world in…
Three Ideas That Are Likely to Change the Way DOTs Work
It has been 100 years since the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or AASHTO, was conceived by visionary leaders. In this significant anniversary year, we acknowledge innovations and achievements that have changed the way transportation…
Scan to BIM Still Requires Expert Modelers
It is interesting how an entire 3D space can be scanned into a point could model, replete with intrinsic geometry details. This technology is popularly and very efficiently used to represent the ‘As built’ environment for both new buildings and refurbishment/renovation…
Cultivating Community Potential through Economic Gardening
With the global financial crisis, many local communities struggle to stay afloat. Despite the many ongoing conversations about the nation’s economy and what needs to be done to fix it. Detroit is the latest casualty of this unsustainable economic climate,…