/ Category / Chris Maeder

Thoughts From Engineers: Precipitation Estimates That Make Us or Break Us

February 2, 2023 - in Articles, Column

On the eve of the New Year, in a one-two move suggestive of a “prepper” mentality, the U.S. Congress passed two laws that address the issues of national resilience and disaster preparedness. Sponsors of the legislation noted that the vulnerable state of…

Thoughts From Engineers: Where the Water Will Go

November 28, 2022 - in Articles, Column

The local waterfront pub you’ve been in the habit of visiting for burgers and fries on Friday night is very likely to be flooded several times…

Thoughts From Engineers: When Cities in the Midwest Run Dry

May 27, 2022 - in Articles, Column

The states surrounding the Great Lakes have always been a bit smug about the bounty of freshwater on their doorstep. These states have been equally…

Thoughts From Engineers: On Shaky Ground: The Effect of Human Activity on Drinking Water

April 28, 2022 - in Articles, Column

The results of a study examining the relationship between land use and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) contamination were published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology in February 2022 (bit.ly/PFAS2022).…

Thoughts From Engineers: Microplastics: An Unavoidable Reality of Modern Life?

August 27, 2021 - in Articles, Column

Our dependence on plastics, most of which are based on a formula developed from coal, natural gas and crude oil, is another aspect of our deep-rooted reliance on fossil fuels. The battle to move away from these fuels to support our way of life is best described…

Engineer Spotlight: The Unhappy State of U.S. Bridges and Highways

October 10, 2016 - in Articles, Column

An interesting article ran in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Leadership and Management in Engineering in 2008: “A Tale of Two Bridges: Dangerous and Still Standing.” Robert W. Clark, P.E., authored the piece about two well-used…