From the Editor: We Need to Better Promote the Heroes of Engineering: Us
Throughout my career, I have been asked countless times about what exactly I do as a civil engineer. Some people ask just to be polite, but most legitimately didn’t know what a civil engineer does. It seems that we, as engineers, have not done as good a job promoting our field of expertise as other professions. Most people know what doctors do, even when doctors are described as specialists. So I considered it part of my job to educate folks about what we do, and I tried my best to include as ma...
ReEngineering the Engineer: Sometimes It Has To Be You
I admit it has been rewarding watching our young engineers grow from working on pieces of projects to managing an entire project from start to finish. However, this technical side is just one piece of their growth. They’ve also learned how to manage schedules, clients and owners. There’s a fine art in balancing structural needs with client expectations, and that skillset is best learned by letting them watch/hear how you handle difficult situations. Let them sit in on meetings and phone calls....
Transportation Troubleshooting: Lessons About Sharing Risks in Major Tunnel Projects
As Washington State Secretary of Transportation, I oversaw the development phase leading up to construction of the State Route 99 Tunnel, also known as the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel. The 1.7-mile underground tunnel features a state-of-the-art earthquake-resilient double-deck thoroughfare, and it replaced one of Seattle’s most earthquake-vulnerable highways. The project’s headlines included its many successes and challenges. But beyond the headlines, some key best practices in desig...
From the Editor: An Engineer’s Career Path Can Take Many Turns
I’ve had enough time by now to get used to writing 2023 wherever a date is required. I’ve also had enough time to stop thinking about what could have been better last year and how this year could be an improvement. I often try to look ahead and think about what the upcoming year may be remembered for, but events have already occurred in the last few weeks that make looking ahead a daunting task. We have record-breaking weather events, the return of COVID protocols, a radical change in the House...
Executive Corner: Five Takeaways on 2022 A/E M&A Activity
Looking back over the last twelve months, you have to give credit to industry leaders navigating increasingly stormy seas. Generational talent shortages and elevated backlogs (“more work than we can handle”) marked 2022 as substantial federal infrastructure programs (IIJA, IFR, CHIPS) took shape. With pandemic concerns receding, executives pivoted to confront persistent inflation, evolving workforce models and soaring interest rates while wondering if we’re in store for a rough recession or perh...
Thoughts From Engineers: Precipitation Estimates That Make Us or Break Us
On the eve of the New Year, in a one-two move suggestive of a “prepper” mentality, the U.S. Congress passed two laws that address the issues of national resilience and disaster preparedness. Sponsors of the legislation noted that the vulnerable state of the country’s infrastructure combined with the frequency of recent extreme storms constituted the principal drivers behind passage of these two significant federal laws. The sweeping 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) set aside f...
Transportation Troubleshooting: AASHTO Manual Will Create a One-Stop Shop for Transportation Operations
One of the things that keeps me excited about working in transportation is how rapidly the technological tools for moving people and goods are evolving. As I noted in my December 2022 column, “Mobility Marketplace Will Improve How We Use Transportation Systems,” smartphones have enabled an array of entirely new mobility services—from ride-hailing to real-time transit tracking and mobile fare payments—in just 15 years. Transportation operations technology also has changed dramatically in a relat...
Water Works: The Clean Water Act Turns 50: Where Do We Go From Here?
Oct. 18, 2022, marked 50 years since passage of the Clean Water Act (CWA) landmark legislation that established a goal of restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. The CWA initially was focused on regulation of point sources, those discrete discharge points—mainly from industrial activities and wastewater treatment plants—that led to widespread water-quality issues by the late 1960s. Although we’re not done yet, we’ve made great progress re...
Code Update: Reapproval of ASTM C1776 Sets the Bar for Manufacture of Precast Concrete Modular Retaining Wall Units
In May 2022, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) published the reapproved ASTM C1776: “Standard Specification for Wet-Cast Precast Modular Retaining Wall Units.” ASTM C1776 specification sets the minimum criteria for materials, inspection, testing and certification of wet-cast precast concrete modular retaining wall blocks. The specification is organized into 17 sections: • Scope • Reference Documents • Terminology • Ordering Information • Materials and Manufacturer • P...
Infrastructure Outlook: How Technology Will Ensure $1.2 Trillion Worth of Infrastructure Projects
The United States currently ranks 13th in the world in overall quality of infrastructure. However, with the recent passing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the U.S. is poised to make a historic investment in improving the nation’s infrastructure. With an injection of $1.2 trillion into the country’s infrastructure systems during the next five years, it’s critical the funding is put to work in the most-effective manner possible. One key component in establishing maximum eff...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
February Issue 2026
