There are many ways to have a positive impact on the next generation of structural engineers. This is important, because they will face significant challenges to improve infrastructure while competing in a global market with constant change and ever-increasing…
BIM-Enabled Digital Fabrication of Structural Steel – An Advanced Approach
Complete and real benefits of BIM can be extracted only when it is used across all the aspects of a construction process and beyond. Today, a lot of firms…
Structural Solutions: Increasing the Effectiveness of Young Structural Engineers
Would you like to improve the effectiveness of your young structural engineers? This column will explore some ideas and ways you might be able to accomplish…
Managing the Model: What is a “model”?
Got a minute? I have a question for you: What is a “model”? No, I don’t mean the attractive people we see in ads and movies. And no, I don’t mean a scale replica of an SR-70 Blackbird, Godzilla or the Santa Maria, although these are a bit closer to…
Infrastructure Outlook: Plotting Directions for Civil Infrastructure
There have been major breakthroughs in the civil infrastructure industry, with reality capture and advancements in 3-D modeling, analytics and software as a service (SaaS) becoming mainstream. This combination allows designers to quickly model “what could…
Executive Corner: Managing by the Numbers
Although the pages of this magazine are largely devoted to the technical aspects of design and construction, this column will focus on the challenges executives face to ensure their firm’s prosperity and longevity. Through two decades of work, I’ve found…
Developing a Stormwater Trash Control Strategy
There are many types of trash and debris found in stormwater and they each have an effect on our environment and infrastructure. If your community is interested in developing a trash control strategy, here are six key points that should be considered:1. …
Sustainable Design and Green Building Standards Revised
With energy resources depleting at an alarming rate, architects and engineers worldwide have realized the need to have energy and sustainable building design to ensure that a structure is eco-friendly and energy efficient. The U.S. Green building Council and…
Preparing Today’s Students to Create a Smarter Tomorrow
There is a great deal of buzz in recent years about the concept of “Smarter Cities.” Despite increasing numbers moving to urban areas, there is significant concern that our nation’s infrastructure still ranks woefully behind the rest of the world in…
Three Ideas That Are Likely to Change the Way DOTs Work
It has been 100 years since the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or AASHTO, was conceived by visionary leaders. In this significant anniversary year, we acknowledge innovations and achievements that have changed the way transportation…
