“Sustainable Engineering” is the focus of Informed Infrastructure this issue. A general definition of sustainable engineering is designing and operating systems in a manner that the social and environmental impacts are minimized and yet…
From the Editor: Yes, I’ll Be On the Roundabout
I recently read about a study the North Dakota Department of Transportation (DOT) completed on 12 of the 14 roundabouts on its state highway system.…
From the Ediror: New Engineers Will be Creating the ‘Infrastructure of the Future’
I recently attended the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Indiana Chapter Annual Meeting in Carmel, Ind. I went to accompany some of the senior…
From The Editor: Smart Engineering Requires Thinking Without Constraint
The month of May brings many things I enjoy, including the “Smart Engineering” issue of Informed Infrastructure. Each year when this issue is being prepared, I look up Smart Engineering to see the current definition and find some examples. In general,…
From The Editor: A Different Type of Solar Harvesting in the Fields
Driving through rural Starke County, Ind., in various seasons will provide visitors a varied image of this part of the state. In late February, the land is gray and brown, harvested and barren from the last fall and winter; unless, of course, it’s covered…
From the Editor: Looking Into the 2023 Rearview Mirror
We experienced some major events in 2023—some exceptionally good and others rather distressing. This review is a somewhat personal look at some of the positive developments and accomplishments, especially in the world of infrastructure and events that…
From the Editor: We Need to Rapidly Replenish the Engineering Workforce
In 1971, the year I was starting my career, the job market for civil engineers wasn’t very strong. I received one job offer and many letters stating the employer would keep my resume on file in case anything should turn up. Most of my colleagues from that…
From the Editor: What Should We Do With Spaces Along Highways?
Environment California recently performed a study about using space along highways for solar-panel fields. California has been a leader in solar-energy production, and this report states that three counties could provide enough energy to power 270,000…
From the Editor: What Does Sustainable Engineering Mean to Me?
It’s September, which means it’s time for the Informed Infrastructure Sustainable Engineering Special Issue. This is the third year a special issue has focused on engineering projects and research related to sustainability, which plays an important…
From the Editor: Three Stories From My Personal ‘Infrastructure News Network’
This August 2023 column highlights three infrastructure topics I find interesting on personal and professional levels. Headline News: The Bridge Collapse There have been many articles written about the bridge on I-95 in Philadelphia, where a tanker truck…
