It’s the beginning of a new decade, which is a good time to look back and ahead. I had the opportunity to visit with some friends recently; colleagues I worked with at the Indiana Department of Highways back in the 1970s. All of us are retired now and are…
ReEngineering the Engineer: Do You Have a ‘Plan B’ for the Totally Unexpected?
I try to take some time over the holidays to reflect on the previous year. What good things happened? Were there any things we could have done better?…
Video: Interview with CEOs of Bentley Systems and Topcon Positioning Systems
In October 2019, Informed Infrastructure Editorial Director Todd Danielson went to Bentley Systems’ Year In Infrastructure conference in Singapore.…
Engineered Solutions: The Case for 3D Geotechnical Analysis
By Dr. Murray Fredlund, strategic advisor, Geotechnical, Bentley Systems Sponsored by: There are ongoing discussions in the geotechnical community about the need to perform 3D analysis. The questions raised relate to the results achieved when performing a…
Distributed Water Management Marks A New Way Forward
For more than 100 years, the United States has relied on an ever-growing massive network of centralized water-treatment facilities. This is the standard model for both public and private investment. As a result, more than 85 percent of the U.S. population…
A Cool-Looking Chiller: New Core Infrastructure at UMass Amherst Is Sustainable, Educational and Beautiful
The northwest corner of the chiller plant shows rhythmical façade patterns in channel glass and metal panels above ground level. Oxford’s “dreaming spires” (subject of the famous poem), Harvard’s Widener Library (home to one of the world’s few perfect…
Infrastructure Outlook: Analytics Must Drive Next-Generation Infrastructure
There’s no question that America’s infrastructure is antiquated and in vital need of modernization. If we want our infrastructure to be more efficient, cost-effective and secure, however, we must prioritize mathematical and analytical insights that enable…
How Steel Deck Is Shaking Up Cold-Formed Steel Framing Design
All too often, we get stuck in the mindset that the way we currently do things is the way we must continue to do them. An example that hits close to home is the way steel deck is underutilized by designers in the low- and mid-rise construction market.…
Thoughts From Engineers: Spinning Gold: Desalination Steps in to Alleviate World’s Water Crisis
A scenario reminiscent of Garret Hardin’s “Tragedy of the Commons” plays out quietly around the globe. Proof that swelling populations in bone-dry regions of the world can no longer survive on existing reserves of freshwater, technology (and money) step…
Executive Corner: What Is Your Ownership Strategy?
Does your firm have an ownership strategy that clearly defines how you will be able to exit your firm? Are you relying on selling your firm to a third party or the next generation of leaders? According to the Census Bureau (and assuming age 67 for retirement),…
