Thoughts From Engineers: On Shaky Ground: The Effect of Human Activity on Drinking Water

The results of a study examining the relationship between land use and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) contamination were published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology in February 2022 (bit.ly/PFAS2022). The expansive study, based mostly in the Eastern United States, showed a strong relationship among certain hydrologic metrics, specific types of human activity such as landfills and fire-fighting test sites, and the presence of PFAS compounds. PFAS compound...

2022 Business Value of BIM in Infrastructure Update

Letters from April 2022 Issue

  Click Here to View the Letters from April, 2022 Issue  

Natural Wonders: Safety, Accessibility and Aesthetics Shape Pedestrian Suspension Bridges

By Sean O’Keefe There’s something wonderful about a walk in the woods: the nearness of nature, the wind rustling through trees, the magical light almost any time of day, and never knowing what’s around the next bend. For Gus Smithhisler, P.E., it’s an adventure that never gets old. Smithhisler is a Natural Resources Engineer for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), where he has worked since graduating from Ohio State University in 1994 with a degree in Civil Engineering...

Data Centers: Provide Unique Circumstances and Challenges for Stormwater Detention

By Carol Brzozowski This article is based on a webcam interview recorded by Todd Danielson, the editorial director of Informed Infrastructure. You can view a video of the full interview at the top of this page or by visiting bit.ly/3FxF3o4 E-commerce is fueling a need for data centers and warehouses that require massive stormwater treatment systems; and designing, manufacturing and installing these systems can require a different approach from other types of structures. S...

Emerging Cyber-Solutions Are Updating Urban Infrastructure

By Gordon Feller Cities are working hard to adopt state-of-the-art technologies. Several forces are driving them to embrace emerging innovations: agencies are working on interconnected problems; increasingly diverse communities are pushing governments to meet their needs; and government operations are becoming more complex, working daily with massive datasets. As a result, municipalities have concluded that they must have reliable, next-generation connectivity. With the right infrastr...

The Very Model of Modern Major Terminal: Kansas City Replaces Three Outdated Terminals with a Cutting-Edge Jewel

Credit: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)   Kansas City International Airport (MCI) has its origin in the “Great Flood of 1951,” which more or less destroyed the facilities of Mid-Continent Airlines and Trans World Airlines (TWA) at Fairfax Airport as well as damaging Kansas City Municipal Airport. The city already was planning to build a larger airport, and the catastrophe, of course, lent greater urgency to these plans. Ground was broken north of Kansas City in 1954, and the new airport’s...

You Can’t Build a Healthy Economy on Crumbling Infrastructure

On Feb. 10, 2022, Informed Infrastructure Editorial Director Todd Danielson interviewed Maria Lehman, president-elect of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and director of U.S. Infrastructure for GHD US. Maria Lehman, P.E., ENV SP, F.ASCE Director of U.S. Infrastructure for GHD US President-Elect of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) ASCE has 150,000 members in 177 countries and is the largest publisher of civil engineering materials, including conferences and o...

Propelling Wind Power Surveying with Drones

With 5G-connected drones and edge computing, dozens of towers can be inspected simultaneously. By Donavon Graves There are more than 52,000 utility-scale wind turbines across the nation that require ongoing maintenance, and total wind power capacity is expected to grow 62 percent by 2024. With the cost of a new wind turbine blade running nearly $1 million, it’s imperative to keep turbines functioning at peak capacity to maximize their lifespan. GE Renewable Energy’s “Stay Ashore!” pr...

Labor Outlook: ACEC Research Institute: Industry Has Rebounded; Tight Labor Market, Lack of Qualified Workers Remain Barriers to Growth

The Engineering and Design Services industry is showing encouraging signs according to new reports recently released by the ACEC Research Institute. The reports provide an economic assessment of the Engineering and Design Services industry in 2021 as well as an engineering business sentiment report for the first quarter of 2022. Notably, data show the industry has rebounded from project postponements due to COVID-19, although firms identify a tight labor market and lack of qualified workers a...