ReEngineering the Engineer: Why Not Dream Big?
When I started my company several years ago, I decided to play the “I need to be close to home” card. Instead of commuting 20 miles to Charlotte, N.C., every day, I found some office space close to our home. I was pretty sure I’d be spending a lot of late nights at the office, and I didn’t think trying to drive home from Charlotte late at night (or early in the morning) was a particularly good idea. If I felt that not being “downtown” was jeopardizing my business, I could always uproot the of...
Infrastructure Outlook: Lessons to Learn from Public-Private Partnerships and Military Housing
America’s infrastructure is in dire need of repairs. In its latest report, the American Society of Civil Engineers warns that our infrastructure is “falling apart.” Addressing these issues will require massive financial commitments, which is why the Trump administration seeks to continue to leverage private-sector investment. Often associated with major public infrastructure projects such as toll roads, Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) are unique arrangements that have been utilized for numerou...
Executive Corner: Five Takeaways on 2018 A/E M&A Activity
With a backdrop of solid macroeconomic growth, strong financial performance and robust backlogs—yet facing the tightest labor markets in a generation—A/E owners and executives are understandably wrapping up 2018 in a cautiously optimistic mood. And while there are certainly market sectors and states facing more headwinds than others, the year can best be described as “a rising tide lifting all boats” for the industry. However, a mature economic and design/construction cycle now is exhibiting mix...
Keeping it Safe and Efficient When Working in Wind
Denis Hogan, Performance and Special Projects Manager at the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA), highlights the regulations for working safely and efficiently with lifting equipment in the European wind energy sector. As the wind energy sector expands, so too does its requirement for lifting equipment, for which this relatively new industry sets several challenges. Working with lifting equipment must be carried out with safety as the priority because working at height in any appli...
Code Update: Resources for Safety in Lead Abatement
It’s well known that lead is harmful. Also well known is the metal’s usefulness as a component of industrial coatings because it holds up against the elements and helps prevent corrosion. As infrastructure and assets age, it’s a matter of when, not if, workers encounter lead hazards. That’s why businesses, industry organizations and governments have worked together to put lead-abatement procedures in place and develop lead-safe work practices. Use the following resources and information to he...
Thoughts From Engineers: Rethinking the Water We Drink
Although it may come as a surprise to some, a few communities in the United States must work harder and invest more to secure clean drinking water every day. In a particularly bone-dry part of the country, one municipality has been working on a thorny water-supply problem for quite some time. The city of El Paso, Texas, is on the cusp of making fully operational a water-filtration system that eliminates one major step in what has been a standard water-treatment process. Instead of reinjecting...
From the Editor: Inspiration from Comic Books, Construction and Pencils
When I was 15 years old, I decided I wanted to be an engineer. It was 1985, and I had just read the March issue of OMNI magazine, “Special Edition: Japan 2000,” about the “future” of innovation. I was mesmerized by the impact engineers would have on the world of tomorrow. (Full disclosure: I wanted to be a robotics engineer and ended up a civil engineer, but that’s a story for another day.) Although I knew from a young age which profession I would pursue, from an even younger age, I developed...
ReEngineering the Engineer: Don’t Overuse Boilerplate Specs and Details in Engineering Documents
In fall 2018, I was asked to go to a meeting to help one of our clients. It was a small project but rather unique: a 100-foot-long structure to support a sanitary sewer line across a creek. We had completed a couple of these for other people through the years as well as one recently with this particular client. The RFP for the project included some bridging drawings (no pun intended) prepared by another engineering firm. I didn’t get to see the bridging drawings myself, but I had been told th...
Final Thoughts: The Reasons for Speed Bumps on the Road and in Life
Speed bump—the new term might be speed hump or traffic-calming device. Whatever they’re called, we’ve all come across them. Most of the time, speed bumps have a specific purpose, and they’re usually effective. Speed bumps cause you to slow down and take a little extra care. They slow traffic down in a school zone or a residential area or in a parking lot. But occasionally, they just seem to be bothersome. Either way, we notice they’re there. I’m troubled by the parents in my neighborhood who...
Infrastructure Outlook: How Location Intelligence Can Accelerate High-Speed Rail
When it comes to updating and innovating our nation’s infrastructure, the challenges involve much more than just construction. Environmental, safety, and other regulatory concerns require developers to ensure that each aspect of the project goes through lengthy approval processes and compliance reviews. This can make even the prospect of initiating a large-scale public work daunting. A long-time advocate of one such infrastructure project—a high-speed rail system in California—Governor Jerry...
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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