Infrastructure Outlook: What’s New in Reality Capture?
New reality-capture technologies are gaining ground as firms realize that the flexibility offered by new tools can improve designs, reduce clashes and eliminate expensive site rework. Construction companies now use reality capture to monitor building projects as they’re constructed. Reality capture can answer the question “do the objects in real space match the design specification?” Previously, it would take highly specialized scanners to capture images with enough precision to use as the ba...
Executive Corner: The Engineering Industry Equity Drain: Crisis or Opportunity?
While Wall Street wrings its hands over how the markets will be impacted by the Baby Boomers cashing in their 401(k)s and pensions as they leave the workforce, a generation of engineers is similarly worried about what will happen to their companies as aging owners look to retire and cash-out. Some will see it as an insurmountable challenge, others (hopefully) will see it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Demographic Trends To better understand the situation, it’s important to have some pe...
Structural Solutions: Minding the Gap in Technology
Reworking a line from a 1970s Saturday Night Live sketch: technology has been “berry berry good” to the design and construction industries. I remember my first day as a budding engineer, fresh out of college, as if it was yesterday. The firm I started my career with just terminated its contract with a mainframe computer system and was ceremoniously ditching the teletype machine that had been its link to computing horsepower in an office building in downtown Charlotte, N.C. One of my first...
Managing the Model—Wanted: More Models in Action
There has been a lot of talk about the benefits of 3-D modeling for the infrastructure industry, and anecdotal evidence of such benefits is ubiquitous. However, it’s always refreshing and encouraging to hear firsthand from professionals actually putting these models into action on real-world projects. One example is Jamie M. Bordelon and his colleagues at 3D Sitework Services, who are literally getting their hands dirty working with engineers, contractors and developers to take advantage of t...
How To Design Building Structures That Can Survive Earthquakes
Earthquakes are natural disasters where most of damage is caused due to collapse of buildings and other such man-made structures. Earthquakes do not kill people, buildings do. Buildings that lack structural stability collapse and they cause irreparable damage to life and property. Why Buildings Fail During Earthquakes When an earthquake happens, the ground shakes, and all the buildings respond to these vibrations and tremors, at varying degrees. Greater mass and exertion of more lateral...
Managing the Model: Pay Once, Learn Forever
A few years ago, a city not far from our office built a beautiful new high school. No expense was spared to ensure it was a state of the art facility, ready to meet the needs of a burgeoning community. From city council to community to school board, everyone was pleased, and funding was approved with little resistance. It was a victory for everyone, and construction proceeded smoothly. It wasn’t until close to the completion of construction when a problem arose. This wasn’t a small problem ei...
Executive Corner: Beware Unintended Consequences of Poor Financial Reporting
A client called me to inquire about updating her firm’s valuation and began our conversation by saying, “Not only are you going to be happy with our recent financial performance, you’re going to enjoy this engagement more than you have in the past.” Before I could express my curiosity (and perhaps more importantly, let her know I’ve always enjoyed working with her and her firm), she began singing the praises of the firm’s newly implemented accounting/project-management software. Aha! Witho...
Infrastructure Outlook: Stormwater Chambers Provide Storage and Infiltration While Aiding Recharge
Effective stormwater management and discharge continues to become more important as an increasing amount of land is covered by impervious surfaces due to residential and commercial development. Such conversion of land use, along with increasing regulatory requirements on water quality and quantity, creates critical considerations that must be addressed. If a project requires a stormwater-management solution, it’s important to understand the choices and how they can help solve the specific pro...
Infrastructure Innovation: Developing Creative AEC Solutions with Drones
Drones are one of the technologies most likely to really “take off” and have a significant impact on our industry. Whether referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), remotely piloted aircraft, robots or drones, they’re already changing the way people approach design and construction. The technology offers far more than just a single solution. It’s not just a mini copter with a camera to take aerial images; it’s a platform for solving problems, and many u...
Sustainability – An essential Facet of Architectural Design
Green building design, energy efficiency, power usage efficiency, sustainability etc, are the buzzwords that are making waves across the architectural design industry. This is a two-way tunnel, where architecture is guiding social impact, and this very social awareness is driving the changes in architecture. Architects shall lead the way and introduce sustainable innovation to architecture and concentrate on green building characteristics like: Well-designed ventilation for effective...
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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