From the Editor: Variety and the Growth of Community

Infrastructure Week (May 15-19; infrastructureweek.org) was recently held in Washington, D.C., and several other cities across the United States. Infrastructure Week was founded and is led by a bipartisan Steering Committee that includes leading business groups, think tanks, unions and professional organizations. The week-long series of events hopes to raise national awareness of the need to invest in U.S. infrastructure, and it kicked off at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with panel discussions a...

May – June 2017 TRENDS

In this section, Informed Infrastructure compiles infographics from trusted sources that reveal insight on infrastructure spending. We also compile some of the top infrastructure stories that shouldn’t be missed. For ongoing news coverage, turn to Informed Infrastructure online (www.informedinfrastructure.com), our Twitter feed (@IInfrastructure) and our weekly e-newsletter. Fatality Mapping Project Highlights Construction-Related Deaths Now in its sixth year, the Fatality Mapping Pr...

Long Island Rail Road Builds an Award-Winning New Bridge

The Long Island Rail Road Company (LIRR) was chartered in 1834, and is one of the few railroads that survived as an intact company from its original charter to the present. Like any transportation network—especially those that have been around for 183 years—LIRR deals constantly with aging infrastructure. In 2015, this was nowhere more true than in the Village of Thomaston on the North Shore of New York’s Long Island. The village’s two-lane Colonial Road Bridge had spanned track for 115 years, w...

Executive Corner: It’s Critical to Understand Why a Project Is Valuable

Effective architecture and engineering (A/E) firm leadership starts with the understanding that we’re in the business of delivering projects, and these projects are managed and delivered by people. To effectively run the business, leaders need clear and reliable data on their people and projects. For this installment of “Executive Corner,” Russ Ryan, principal at Rusk O’Brien Gido + Partners (email: rryan@rog-partners.com) interviews JJ Brantingham, co-founder at Planifi, project performance and...

Engineered Solutions: New San Francisco 49ers Stadium Scores Big with BioMod® Stormwater Management System

Sponsored By:           A large construction project such as a major-league sports stadium can include significant expanses of runoff-generating hardscape. A venue capable of seating nearly 70,000 people requires large parking areas and other impervious grounds. If rainwater can turn a football field into a muddy swamp, it can also turn a parking lot into a floodplain. Draining that area effectively and treating the runoff is a basic necessity that should be provided from the very beginn...

Structural Solutions: Nuggets of Wisdom for Engineers Young and Old, Part 1

If you haven’t been to the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) NASCC Steel Conference, you really need to go. It’s not just about the PDHs; there’s an awful lot to learn. The day-to-day “busy-ness” of running a company takes me out of the loop sometimes (well, most of the time), but it’s important to stay on top of what’s going on in the steel world, particularly because many of our projects are steel. AISC and the steel conference have historically been advocates for educating youn...

2017 Business Value in BIM in Infrastructure Report

From the Editor: Infrastructure Report Card Again Near Failing

Like for many students across the country, my kids’ school semester ended earlier this year. They each worked hard, doing their homework, studying for quizzes and tests, and preparing for finals. Also, like most kids, they would rather be spending their time doing almost anything else instead of school work. All You Have to Fear Is … Setting aside attendance mandates from parents and state authorities, why do most kids go to school and try to get good grades? Before they’re mature enough to be...

Infrastructure Showcase: PCI Design Award Winners

Now in its 55th year, the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) Design Awards program recognizes design excellence and construction quality using precast concrete. The program has helped the design and construction community innovate and advance by showcasing ideas that push the envelope, overcome challenges, and improve upon existing concepts. The program demonstrates how designers are continuing to utilize high-performance precast/prestressed concrete to achieve sustainable, more-cost-...

The Year in Infrastructure 2016

Bentley Systems and Informed Infrastructure are pleased to present the Finalists and Winner for the 2016 Be Inspired Award for Innovation in Structural Engineering.