From the Editor: Engineers Need To Lead the Way on Climate Change Mitigation
When our Editorial Director Todd Danielson gave me the heads up that Informed Infrastructure would be introducing a new “special issue” on “Green Engineering” a year from now in October 2021, I thought about the end of this summer season and how “un-green” it has been for so many of us. As we watch and listen to the news outlets, we see wildfires devastating forests and homes; hurricanes flooding cities and uprooting people; and in parts of the Midwest, the fields are just barely getting enough...
Thoughts From Engineers: Down by the River: USGS Reports on Human Activity in U.S. Waterways
The endangered status of the Mississippi River skipjack herring may have initiated a few changes to this historic river’s routine management—but little more. This is just one fish in a vast and nuanced ecosystem. But whether discussing an obscure water mite in Black Earth Creek, Wis., or sockeye salmon on the pacific coast Columbia River, the scale and impact of human activity to the nation’s waterways, as documented by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), is worth review. This 2019 report, “Fl...
ReEngineering the Engineer: It’s All in the Delivery
My engineering firm works on a large variety of project sizes, even within the same building type. We work on significant expansions for hospitals, but we also do individual medical equipment replacements. We have worked on large retail centers and provided engineering for adding a small roof-top unit on an existing building. Sometimes it’s difficult to keep track of the billing for these projects, and it’s not uncommon for a project to get lost in billing purgatory. When no one has heard any...
Infrastructure Outlook: Making Progress on Infrastructure Requires a New Approach to Technology Adoption
Infrastructure has a powerful impact on the social and economic health of the regions it serves, and the value of establishing strong and resilient infrastructure is difficult to understate—especially as global populations continue to increase. In the greater New York City area, which is home to nearly 17 percent of the U.S. population, the North River Tunnel is the only tunnel connecting the city to its western neighbors. Its traffic is responsible for supporting the region’s nearly 20 perce...
Code Update: CJP HSS Welds: Be Informed Before You Specify
Weld design isn’t exempt from the numerous differences between wide-flange (WF) and hollow structural section (HSS) connection design. Unlike open sections where welding is possible on both sides of the flanges and web, the interior of HSS sections commonly used in building structures can’t be accessed. Complete joint penetration (CJP) welds are unquestionably the least-preferred weld type from a fabrication and cost point of view. Unfortunately, they tend to be a frequently specified weld fo...
Executive Corner: Growth 2.0: The A/E Industry Reflects and Restarts
It’s been approximately 100 days since the United States joined nations around the world in an unprecedented series of events to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Societal norms and business practices were overturned almost instantaneously, while slogans such as “flatten the curve,” “social distancing” and “shelter in place” became part of the national conversation. The A/E community was no different, mobilizing workforces and operations at lightning speed as well as undertaking a “hunker dow...
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...
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...
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...
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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