For a long time, the concept of virtual reality (VR) was relegated to science fiction and entertainment such as Star Trek or The Matrix. Although a holodeck still is out of reach, the technology used for VR—the immersive technology that enables people to…
Executive Corner: The Dilemmas of A/E Family Ownership
During the last several years, there has been increased consulting demand for ownership transition as well as mergers and acquisitions for family owned…
Structural Solutions: The State of the Engineer Address
Adversities and challenges, particularly when they don’t end well, provide the opportunity to reflect on decisions and figure out what happened. Governments…
Strike a Balance: Moving from Smart Grids to Smart Operations
As computing technology became more mainstream, smaller and more connected in the early years of the 21st century, the opportunity for a smart grid became achievable. More information accessed more quickly could only improve situational awareness and lead…
Managing the Model: Five Major Benefits of Using Modeling for Construction Projects
Building Information Modeling (BIM) software has changed the way many companies work—there are extreme benefits to using BIM for construction projects and design. You likely know that BIM is an “intelligent” model that offers more-efficient collaborative…
Structural Engineers Readily Adopt BIM
Structural engineers from large organizations, multinationals and SMBs feel that BIM is not just an option but a requirement. Unlike architects, designers, contractors and fabricators, structural engineers are likely to use structural BIM modeling services…
EPA Guidance Provides New Options for Meeting TMDL Goals
The goal of the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program is arguably simple - to develop watershed level conservation plans designed to restore impaired waters and attain applicable water quality standards – but its development and implementation has not…
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…
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…
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…
