At this time of year, I typically reflect upon the highlights of the last year and think about what the current year may bring. I hesitate to put in writing what I think may happen in 2025. With the current administration’s massive—often seemingly…
Engineering The Future: End of March Brings 2025 ASCE Report Card
Drumroll please, it’s American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) infrastructure report card time … By the time this column is printed, but before…
Transportation Troubleshooting: E-Commerce: With Its Benefits Come Challenges for Transportation Infrastructure
As Americans order more products online for delivery to their homes or other locations, e-commerce has changed not just our shopping habits but also…
Thoughts From Engineers: Reusing Captured Stormwater
The residents of ancient Mediterranean cities presumed a state of water scarcity, which meant they valued water and collected it any way they could. The central hallways of homes of the wealthy in the ancient city of Pompeii, for example, often featured a…
Executive Corner: Will M&A Drive Value in 2025?
The value of a business is fundamentally defined as its expected future cash flow, discounted to their present using a risk-adjusted rate of return. As we look toward 2025 and how architecture and engineering (A/E) firms’ values may change, it’s crucial…
Future Forward: Help Recruit the Next Generation of Engineers To Shape Their Future
Powered by: It’s no secret that the engineering industry, like many others, is facing a shortage of qualified workers. In fact, it could be said that our industry has become a victim of its own success. After years of advocating for increased spending on…
Water Works: The Loading Rate Wars May Not Have a Winner
I expect most of us agree that innovation is good, and that sentiment holds true in the field of stormwater management. More than two decades of focus on improving the water quality and reducing the total quantity of stormwater discharges has spawned…
Getting Geotechnical: ASTM International Publishes First-Ever Preliminary Karst Assessment Standard Practice
Multiple factors paved the way for the first-ever standard practice produced by ASTM International for preliminary karst assessments, including: • Alarming stories about sinkholes widely followed by consumers. • An emerging hodgepodge of karst assessment…
From the Editors: Work Underway to Level the Field of Infrastructure
It seems the topic of infrastructure has been increasingly coming up in my readings and conversations. I’m not sure of the reason—perhaps it’s because the due date for this column is near—but I think it’s more likely that this time of year causes…
Thoughts From Engineers: Coastal Barrier Protection Informs Adaptation Strategies
We’ve closed out 2024 with record-breaking national disasters and, as a country, we’re starting to rethink foundational paradigms and long-established policies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a new Federal Flood Risk Management…
