From the Editor: Engineers’ Concerns Have Only Multiplied Since the Pandemic
Two years ago, I asked the following question in the February 2020 issue of Informed Infrastructure: “How will engineers respond to alternative energy sources, global warming, dwindling water supplies, deteriorating infrastructure and any number of future demands? What will we as engineers do in this next decade that will make a positive impact on our way of life and environment?” This was just before the pandemic officially arrived; I didn’t know we would also have to deal with that. Duri...
ReEngineering the Engineer: Do You Hear What I Mean?
We’re working on a project that involves the demolition of a multi-story existing building with new construction going back in its place. The programming of the new building requires elevator shafts adjacent to the building that remains. Not only will there be an existing basement wall that remains, but construction of the new elevators requires a 5-foot undercut for the elevator pits, plus another 4 feet for a mat foundation. And (of course) the basement walls to remain are braced by the buildi...
Thoughts From Engineers: The Elusive Plea of COP26
I’ll confess I’m probably more fixated than most on climate-related news. When the media began to post updates on the progress of the United Nation’s 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Scotland in early November 2021, I was ready to see the “points” roll in. I was rooting for the underdog: the team of international players I hoped would show extraordinary grit, resolve and strategy to drum up financial resources, brawn, brain and, above all, the willpower to slay the climate “beast”—or at...
Executive Corner: Five Takeaways on 2021 A/E M&A Activity
The Great Consolidation? The Great Realignment? Whatever term you want to call it, by all accounts 2021 was a record-breaking year for A/E M&A activity. Emboldened leaders embraced and adapted all that was thrown at them—from mobilizing staff back to familiar office settings, managing a red-hot hiring and retention climate, and patiently waiting for a game-changer infrastructure package—all while deftly scooping up firms left and right and positioning themselves for a new era. One could argue ou...
Engineering Your Career: Quick Guide On Writing a Structural Engineer Resume
Engineering has become one of the most sought-after fields in the workforce, and the construction industry makes good use of structural engineers and their work. According to NewEngineer, structural engineering has and always will be in demand, because structural engineers are always needed to ensure buildings and other structures are safe for the public. So if you’re looking to obtain a job as a structural engineer, you’ll need to construct a winning resume. This column will discuss the foll...
Transportation Troubleshooting: Solving a Decades-Old Problem: The Commute
It’s no secret that commuter travel choices change traffic patterns and times. On-demand service providers such as Uber and Lyft have been very successful at adapting their service offerings and price points to travelers’ needs and preferences. In the process, they sometimes generate trips that would otherwise not have been made; at other times they incentivize travelers to switch from traditional trains and buses to on-demand services; and in some cases they increase road traffic. But what i...
Executive Corner: How Private Equity Is Quietly Transforming the A/E Industry
Whether in nature, design, health or business, lasting and significant changes seldom occur quickly, but often steadily through time. You open your eyes years later to a new paradigm or landscape that has unfolded, which ultimately requires recognition and adaptation. For the A/E industry, the most-dramatic shift in ownership models is coming from a new class of outside investors: private equity. Ten years ago, the notion of a sophisticated financial coterie joining forces with creative and cere...
Infrastructure Outlook: ASCE Statement on House Passage of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Editor’s Note: The following statement was made on Nov. 5, 2021, when the infrastructure bill was passed by Congress. ASCE issued a follow-up statement (available on www.informedinfrastructure.com) on Nov. 15, 2021, when the bill was signed into law by President Biden. It is a great day for the nation as the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), fulfilling President Biden’s vision with a historic piece of legislation that will have monume...
From the Editor: Finally! An Infrastructure Bill Passes!
“It always seems impossible until it is done.” That’s the quote from Nelson Mandela the The New York Times chose for its article about the infrastructure bill. As I write this column, the long-awaited infrastructure bill is reality. I’ve been rerouting my trips on highways; waiting in lines at airports; and standing in crowded, noisy, slow-moving subways for years now. (About as long as I’ve been writing about the need for an infrastructure bill.) I’ve only had time to read highlights of t...
Thoughts From Engineers: Stepping Up Source-Water Protection
If a watershed was the subject of a play, this one could fill the house. Set in southwestern Wisconsin in a watershed known as Black Earth Creek, the plot has some interesting elements: a failing landfill; a Class 1 trout stream; development pressure from a bustling urban area nearby; and a cast of supporting characters that includes farmers, a few quirky residents, developers, local officials and more. But if you thought this play would be all downhill from here (no pun intended), you would be...
Video: Crashes Drop Measurably After Rural Road Safety Improvement Project on US 521 in Lancaster County
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June Issue 2026
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