From the Editor: Time to Enjoy Nature for Its Beauty … and Engineering
The last few months have certainly been different. Many people are working from home, and there’s much less travel leading to jokes about commute times to the office and how many weeks per gallon cars are reporting as their efficiency standard. This different way of work life also has had effects on nature and our environment. Areas of the globe are reporting cleaner air (New York estimated a 50-percent decrease in pollution) and more wildlife roaming the cities and towns. There are fewer vehicl...
Thoughts From Engineers: Dam Management in the 21st Century: Collaborative and Community-Based
The breach of the Edenville Dam in Michigan, which sent floodwater over the downstream Midland Dam and forced thousands to evacuate on May 19, 2020, tragically captures the catastrophic risk posed by aging dams with absentee or financially strapped dam owners and a history of neglect. Within a short amount of time, floodwaters bypassed the spillways, drained the lakes and caused millions in property damage downstream. As we now know, this particular set of conditions could be replicated in co...
Restoring and Reinforcing Slopes in Houston’s Hurricane Country
By using a green solution, the city of Houston was able to save money and prevent future damage to slopes along Buffalo Bayou. The video at the top of this page is an interview with Charlie Penland, P.E., senior principal for Walter P. Moore & Associates, the project’s engineers of record. By Adam Dibble, CPESC, CESSWI, and Matt Skinner, CPESC Houston’s Buffalo Bayou runs through downtown and right along the theater district—home to some of the most popular entertainm...
ReEngineering the Engineer: Engineers Are Experts at Following the Rules
Well, here we are in August. It’s hard to believe the year is more than half over, and many of us spent about two thirds of that time working out of our living rooms and kitchens. It’s almost become normal, although I know working that way isn’t going to be a good long-term solution for us—at least not our office. We haven’t officially gone back to the office yet. A couple of our people went back as soon as they could. Most of the rest of us have children and working spouses, which makes thin...
Video: Restoring and Reinforcing Slopes in Houston’s Hurricane Country
This video created by Profile Products shows how the city of Houston was able to save money and prevent future damage to slopes along Buffalo Bayou.
Video: Interview with Civil Engineer Charlie Penland
Charlie Penland, P.E., worked on the project featured in an article in the August 2020 issue of Informed Infrastructure: “Restoring and Reinforcing Slopes in Houston’s Hurricane Country.” To supplement the feature and learn a little more about Penland's role, Todd Danielson, the magazine’s editorial director, interviewed him via webcam.
Infrastructure Outlook: The Mysterious Breakdown of America’s Bridges
Alarm bells are ringing desperately as disasters are waiting to happen on America’s bridges. According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, more than 47,000 of the country’s 616,087 bridges are “structurally deficient” and need urgent repair. In addition, four out of every 10 bridges are at least 50 years old and are endlessly subjected to traffic loads and vibrations greater than intended in their initial design capacity. Extreme weather conditions multiply the probl...
Let’s Build Two: Hub Group Breaks Ground On Replica Headquarters Building
Hub Group is a publicly traded North American transportation-management company providing intermodal, truck brokerage and logistics services. With more than $3.5 billion in revenue, Hub is one of the largest such companies in the world. And in the teenage years of the 21st century, it has built not one but two outstanding—and nearly identical—headquarter buildings in Oak Brook, Ill., that befit their status and serve their mission while also being models of progressive, sustainable design and co...
Executive Corner: Three Critical Actions Will Help Your Firm Survive … and Thrive
In 2008, I had just taken a position with a large, international engineering firm as chief financial officer. The firm was coming off a good run of profitable years, solid cash flow and expansion into new markets, but it was starting to feel the strain as the world’s financial markets were deteriorating. Before the Great Financial Crisis finally ended, more than 65 percent of the firm’s revenue flow had evaporated, and, more troubling, the firm’s cash position had dwindled to perilous levels....
AEC from Home: Tips from Leading Professionals Adjusting to Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic
In May 2020, Informed Infrastructure Editorial Director Todd Danielson interviewed three leaders of AEC firms to learn how they’re adjusting to the “new normal” and help pass along some of the tips and lessons learned from their experiences in early 2020. Kevin Cornish, P.E. Senior Vice President Surface Transportation Market Sector Leader AECOM Andy Kaiyala Vice President, Bid Development Lane Construction Dustin Parkman Vice President, Project Delivery B...
Video: Crashes Drop Measurably After Rural Road Safety Improvement Project on US 521 in Lancaster County
AdventHealth Weaverville Hospital
June Issue 2026
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