After the Wildfire: Soil Stabilization Key to Recovery Efforts
Fiber-reinforced matrix products are designed to give seed a stable growth medium on particularly steep slopes. Hydromulch was used on hillsides in the Verdugo Mountains in Los Angeles following the La Tuna Fire, which started Sept. 1, 2017, and burned 7,194 acres. It was the city’s largest wildfire in 50 years. Soil erosion is a common concern after a wildfire—just ask Logan Moore, a landscape associate with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) North Region. Moore w...
Thoughts From Engineers: The Hidden Monster That’s Our Failing Water Infrastructure
An aging house built in the 1930s with chipping paint, a porch door that swings eerily in the wind and precariously leaning support beams gets attention. A bridge with rusty trusses and roads with potholes get attention as well. People complain—loudly—to their local and state representatives about the rough drive and costly damage to their cars. There are plenty of stories in the news about crumbling highways and third-world airports, but not so much about our water infrastructure—until now. Th...
Executive Corner: The Latest Trends in A/E Stock Valuation and M&A Pricing
Rusk O’Brien Gido + Partners, LLC recently released its annually updated ”A/E Business Valuation and M&A Transactions Study.” Data from the sixth-edition study show remarkable stability in valuations of minority interests in privately held A/E and environmental consulting firms. As illustrated in Figure 1, enterprise values as a multiple of gross revenue, net service revenue, and pre-bonus earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) were virtually unchanged from 2017 to 2018. This is not too su...
Engineered Solutions: How to Maximize Usefulness of Joist Girder Panels
The right plan can mean the most cost-efficient use of steel in construction Sponsored by: Joist Girders are so common as to be almost invisible. They are the primary structural framing members of myriad projects big and small, public and private, and just about any other building category conceivable. Schools, museums, churches, libraries, big-box retail, industrial facilities, manufacturing plants, sports complexes, hospitals, gymnasiums, warehouses, and more...
April 2019 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. State Transportation Funding Legislation Ramping Up in 2019 Legislators in 37 states introduced 185 bill...
Final Thoughts: Let’s Talk About Our Favorite Projects
As I sat at my desk trying to come up with an interesting topic to discuss, I decided to let you, the reader, do a little thinking about your interesting work topics. It’s important to realize the effect projects have on you as well as others, so I’ll mention a few of the projects I was fortunate enough to be part of and invite Informed Infrastructure readers to think about some of the projects they worked on. Most Challenging Project Have you worked on a project that really challenged you in...
Code Update: AISI Publishes Design Example to Illustrate New Method for Analytical Modeling of Cold-Formed Steel Structures
Engineers in the construction industry have traditionally relied on simplified approaches to building design based on standardized formulas and tabulated solutions. However, as software and tools evolve and become more accessible, the industry’s forward-thinking professionals are moving toward a more digital approach that leverages analytical models tailored to specific projects. Analytical modeling is a relatively new approach for many engineers, but it’s becoming more common in the industry a...
ReEngineering the Engineer: Why Not Dream Big?
When I started my company several years ago, I decided to play the “I need to be close to home” card. Instead of commuting 20 miles to Charlotte, N.C., every day, I found some office space close to our home. I was pretty sure I’d be spending a lot of late nights at the office, and I didn’t think trying to drive home from Charlotte late at night (or early in the morning) was a particularly good idea. If I felt that not being “downtown” was jeopardizing my business, I could always uproot the offi...
Future Forward: Innovative Mixed-Reality Technology Improves Construction Monitoring
This page profiles innovative and impactful applied research in civil and structural engineering to spur continuing thought and dialog to create a better industry. These profiles are based on interviews, and the opinions and statements are those of the subject and are not necessarily shared or endorsed by this publication. Nancy Li is the Global Head of Partnerships and Industry Solutions for Microsoft’s Mixed Reality and AI Perception group. A video of the interview is available here....
Change Leader: Early Partnerships Among Engineers and Solution Providers Lead to the Best Projects
These profiles are based on interviews, and the opinions and statements are those of the subject and are not necessarily shared or endorsed by this publication. Ben Eder is ITT Enidine’s global product manager for large bore shock, infrastructure and seismic components. A Better Relationship The relationship among structural engineers and solution providers who build the products that structural engineers use to make their designs and buildings has always been complicated. They have dif...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
February Issue 2026
