When I look at the challenge of making America’s transportation infrastructure more sustainable, climate-friendly and resilient to the weather extremes becoming more problematic with climate change, I find hope in how fast the policy landscape is changing.…
Thoughts From Engineers: Data for a New Era in Water Management
Engineers are trained to solve for unknowns, but we absolutely need solid facts elsewhere in the equation. Data are key, folks, and we all know our…
Executive Corner: Plowing through the Economic Headwinds
Like any good New Englander, I always await the release of the Farmers’ Almanac this time of year to help plan for the upcoming winter.…
ReEngineering the Engineer: Don’t Just Say No
One of my long-time architect colleagues teaches a graduate-level architecture class at a local university. One part of their curriculum requires them to talk to their students about soils-related items in their projects. Rather than fumble through that…
From the Editor: It’s Time To Get Back to School (And That’s a Good Thing)
This time of year always brings mixed emotions. I’m definitely a summer person and have a difficult time realizing summer is about to end. But it’s also the start of another school year, which is still an exciting time of year for me. I’m almost…
From the Editor: A Travelog from a Summer EV Road Trip
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…
ReEngineering the Engineer: Get the Whole Job Done Right the First Time
Modeling and design software has made our design life really simple these days. The ability to add or modify loads and reconfigure framing provides a lot of flexibility in determining the best system for floors and lateral systems. However, at the end…
Executive Corner: A New Age of A/E Entrepreneurship Is Here
With industry headlines everywhere addressing severe talent shortages, rampant consolidation, record backlogs, digital transformation, inflation and private-equity involvement, one intriguing development has quietly gone under the radar. During the last…
Thoughts From Engineers: Urban Heat Islands Grab the Latest Climate Headlines
Extremely high temperatures searing U.S. and European cities in recent weeks invariably focuses the world’s attention on the “urban heat islands” that cities by and large represent. With rising temperatures of late, cities are literal hotbeds for…
Transportation Troubleshooting: Cascadia Innovation Corridor Partnership: Balancing Growth and Livability through Ground Transportation
As a resident of Olympia, Wash., I live in one of the most attractive, economically vigorous and culturally rich regions of the United States: the Cascadia Corridor. While not as fast-growing as the Texas Triangle or as large as SoCal, our Pacific Northwest…
