ReEngineering the Engineer: At Some Point, You Could Be the One Asking For Forgiveness
Every now and then, I run across a project that seems “snake-bit.” No matter how complete our drawings were or how well we understood existing conditions, there seems to be this never-ending parade of issues for the life of the structural work. Some are unknown conditions that become known, some are contractor inflicted, and sometimes they’re design-team inflicted. It can make for a long construction admin phase. This fall, a three-story tilt-up school has been my problem project. The trouble...
From the Editor: When the Going Gets Tough, the Engineers Get To Work
I was having a difficult time narrowing down a topic for my column this issue; there seem to be so many things happening at the same time. So rather than struggle with one topic (and adding words to fill the page), I decided to mention of few of the “many things” that have crossed my mind, perhaps sparking some discussions. Climate and Student Concerns Looking through the last few issues of Informed Infrastructure, there were at least a dozen articles or columns that mentioned climate chan...
Transportation Troubleshooting: Helping Transportation Agencies Overcome Rising Threat of Heat Waves
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. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, exemplifies this change. Supported by more than two-thirds of the U.S. Senate, the BIL embraces sustainability, greenhouse gas mitigation and...
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 solutions are only as good as what we have to work with. The Internet of Water (IoW), a concept first articulated in 2017 (bit.ly/IOWater), tries to tackle some of these issues, recognizing that water data are more useful when brought together into one consistently formatted, widely accessible and integrated platform. Knowledge is power, as they say,...
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. Based on this year’s ominous predictions from the oracles up in Lewiston, Maine, I’m considering upgrading the snowblower and buying stock in Canada Goose. According to the Farmers’ Almanac, “… This winter will be filled with plenty of shaking, shivering and shoveling.” Economic Winter Is Coming? So far, 2022 has certainly ushered in some economic headwind...
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 discussion himself, my friend asked me to spend some time with his class explaining a soils report. The point wasn’t to explain the process of gathering soil samples or classifying the soils or determining the area’s geology—a geotech expert w...
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 jealous of students everywhere as they begin another year of study and learning. So let me take a few minutes of your time to compare some campus observations now vs. what I remember as a student. The Different Now a few weeks into this fall semest...
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 that something positive is happening, in particular regarding a focus on climate change. I noted in the August 2022 issue of this column that I was planning a road trip to the East Coast in our electric vehicle (EV). I spent a lot of time planning th...
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 of the day, someone still has to be able to build it. BIM software has made it easy to convert 3D models into a bunch of framing plans on sheets of paper, and you can make a lot of sheets in a hurry. But that’s only part of our job. We’re still...
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 five years, some of the industry’s brightest young leaders have formed a growing number of startups. And given A/E demographics, coupled with a healthy long-term infrastructure and building outlook, we believe we’re on the verge of a boom in newl...
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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