From the Editor: Infrastructure (and Humans) Under Siege
On Aug. 24, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport, Texas, as a Category 4 hurricane. For the next five days, the storm dumped a historic amount of rain on the second-largest state in the union before heading back out to the Gulf of Mexico. On Aug. 29, 2017, Harvey made landfall a second time, this time in Louisiana, wreaking havoc before dissipating two days later. When the skies finally cleared, 82 people had lost their lives, and the states suffered an estimated $70 billion to...
Infrastructure Outlook: Why Isn’t Infrastructure Relevant?
America has a life-threatening infrastructure problem. Recent events in Houston and Miami have underscored both the need for infrastructure investment and its critical role in public safety. Yet despite natural disasters and a stream of almost daily news of failing bridges, broken water mains, antiquated air-traffic control technology and patchwork electric grids, Americans remain alarmingly complacent. This lack of urgency is ironic given that the wisdom of investing in our nation’s roads, b...
Future Forward: Think Long Term for Maximum Value
This page profiles innovative and impactful applied research in civil and structural engineering to spur continuing thought and dialog to create a better industry. These profiles are based on interviews, and the opinions and statements are those of the subject and are not necessarily shared or endorsed by this publication. Dr. John Brown Miller is a global expert on public infrastructure with an eye on efficiency and value. He has a 35-year focus on bringing practical business, legi...
Change Leader: Simplify Legal Structures to Get Things Done
Philip K. Howard, chair of not-for-profit Common Good, is a lawyer who is actively involved in shaping public policy. In addition to writing several books during his career, he recently wrote a report, “Two Years, Not Ten Years: Redesigning Infrastructure Approvals,” which shows that a six-year delay in starting construction on public projects costs the nation more than $3.7 trillion, including the costs of prolonged inefficiencies and unnecessary pollution. Change If Howard could change a...
Code Update: Steel Bridge Design Specifications Revised in New AASHTO Edition
Interim revisions to AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications (7th Edition) were published in 2016 with a few minor revisions to the steel bridge design sections of the specifications. The 8th edition of AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications is expected to be published later in 2017. As far as steel bridge design is concerned, a major revision to the design of bolted field splices and minor revisions to other sections are expected. Let’s take a deeper look at the major design checks for st...
Executive Corner: Mitigating Taxes While Achieving Strategic Ownership Goals
In my experience, the top three reasons why A/E firms implement employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) are taxes, taxes and taxes. However, although mitigating taxes is an important element, a good ownership plan should be driven by a firm’s strategic plan and long-term goals, which may include aligning ownership with leadership, making the investment process affordable to new owners, and ensuring that the stock produces a healthy return on investment for all owners. The tax consequences of an o...
Final Thoughts: Bridge Work: From Wooden Covers to Recycled Steel
As I was previewing this issue of Informed Infrastructure, I came across a brief summary of an article about the engineering of tall wood buildings. Although I’m not quite old enough to have designed any covered bridges, I have some experience with wooden-bridge structures. Readers may recall from previous “Final Thoughts” columns that I spent the early part of my career with the Indiana Department of Transportation in the Bridge Design Section. During my time there, the department still had...
Structural Solutions: Nuggets of Wisdom for Engineers Young and Old, Part 3: The Final Chapter
My previous two columns covered two main pieces of advice I like to share with students at the Direct Connect session at the NASCC conference: careful use of computer software, and mastering verbal and written communication. In this issue, I’ll finish my list of sage advice for the students with a couple of quick hitters. Listen to Your Clients As experts in our field, it’s easy to answer questions quickly. Most of us are anxious to share our expertise the moment we think we know what the...
From the Editor: There’s No Replacement for ‘Learning by Doing’
I recently visited a job site of a friend of mine who is a construction manager. I met with him to discuss the use of emerging drone and reality-capture technologies, but I ended up tagging along as he crisscrossed the site, solving one problem after another. In one case, the footing for a wall wasn’t poured in the correct location, because the arc of the wall was “eyeballed in” in the CAD file. In another issue, a sewer was 12 feet from where it was supposed to be—the construction staking wa...
Code Update: ACI 318: High-Strength Reinforcing Bars
AMY M.R. TRYGESTAD, P.E., F.ACI (above) The motivation for developing high-strength reinforcing bar (HSRB) is driven from the construction community. Design practitioners are looking for improved, efficient and sustainable design solutions, while contractors are looking to address rebar congestion and scheduling/cost issues related to reinforcing bars. HSRB is regarded as any reinforcing bar with a yield strength greater than 60,000 psi. The adoption of HSRB started when Grade 75 bars app...
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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