Through the years, I’ve noticed my firm does a lot of additions to existing buildings. In the early days, much of it was driven by our hospital work. Hospitals are constantly growing—expanding emergency departments, adding beds, increasing diagnostic…
ReEngineering the Engineer: Sometimes It Has To Be You
I admit it has been rewarding watching our young engineers grow from working on pieces of projects to managing an entire project from start to finish.…
ReEngineering the Engineer: Celebrate the Clever Things
I have worked my entire career at two small firms, and I really enjoy working on a diversity of projects. My previous firm, at that time, had a relatively…
ReEngineering the Engineer: At Some Point, You Could Be the One Asking For Forgiveness
Every now and then, I run across a project that seems “snake-bit.” No matter how complete our drawings were or how well we understood existing conditions, there seems to be this never-ending parade of issues for the life of the structural work. Some…
ReEngineering the Engineer: The Needle in the Haystack
Every now and then, I find myself reminiscing about how we designed buildings back in the “dark ages” when I was a young engineer. Our engineering tools were much less sophisticated, unless you consider a slide rule sophisticated. When you think about…
ReEngineering the Engineer: Seeking ‘Five Reasons’ for Problems
One of our integrated project delivery (IPD) projects finished at the end of 2021. It survived a COVID-19 shutdown, reduced productivity due to restrictions of personnel onsite, cost increases and material-procurement challenges. Everyone was looking…
ReEngineering the Engineer: Times Change: Don’t Be the Cranky Old Neighbor
My wife and I moved into our current home about two years after we were married and, coincidentally, just as we found out she was pregnant with our first of two daughters. It was located at the end of a street outside Charlotte in a neighborhood of 25 homes.…
Sustainable Infrastructure: Informed Path To Net Zero: From Building Design to Operation
Greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions are agreed to be the culprit that shifts global weather patterns, threatens climate systems and endangers human health. Long-term effects of GHGs only can be reversed by global proactive actions focused on emission reduction.…
ReEngineering the Engineer: We’re Not in Kansas Anymore
When I left my old firm in the early 2000s, my breadth of experience was mostly in hospitals and medical facilities—new and renovations. Having all my eggs in one basket wasn’t how I wanted to run my company, so I was determined to diversify the types…
ReEngineering the Engineer: Learning Is a Two-Way Street
My days seem to be much busier and seemingly more complicated through this whole COVID thing. I find myself working through emails and phone calls during the day, and using nights and weekends to keep up with my own projects—not healthy, really, but…
