ReEngineering the Engineer: Tips to Survive While Professionally Underwater
My brother, sister and I spent a lot of time at the beach when we were younger. We lived about 5 miles from the east coast of New Jersey, so it was very convenient. Although there were several public beaches in the area—Sandy Hook, Long Branch and Asbury Park—there was also a string of private beach clubs sandwiched between those. For whatever reason, we belonged to one of the private clubs. Sink or Swim I have a lot of fond memories from that time, but my earliest memory from the beach probab...
Executive Corner: Considering M&A? Don’t Leave Out Firms that Have an ESOP
2021 was one of the hottest years for M&A activities we have ever seen. The trend is expected to continue through 2022 as more A/E firms explore M&A to meet their strategic objectives for growth, market share and talent acquisition to improve scalability. Historically, firms weren’t keen on acquiring companies that sponsor an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). That trend now is changing as the demand for good firms exceeds the supply. During the last few years, an increasing number of ESOP...
Thoughts From Engineers: Cybersecurity: More at Risk Than Meets the Eye
As an indicator of how quickly events are evolving lately, by the time this column goes to print, the geopolitical circumstances in which we find ourselves today could be radically changed. What seemed unlikely to occur a few months ago—namely the invasion of Ukraine by Russia—now plays out horrifically before our eyes. The world suddenly is rocked by a senseless humanitarian crisis few could have predicted. As global norms undergo a seismic shift and tensions rise, risks to a variety of assets...
Future Forward: GIS and Digital Twins are Crucial Building Blocks for Renewing U.S. Infrastructure
It’s no longer outside the realm of possibility to see through the ground itself. Augmented reality is bringing utilities and other companies with underground assets closer to realizing that age-old wish via a digital twin of their infrastructure. These replicas exist to display what physically sits mostly “out of sight and out of mind” as well as create a new and ideal reality. The digital twin monitors assets and activities in real time and also can explore and predict future conditions throug...
From the Editor: Engineers’ Concerns Have Only Multiplied Since the Pandemic
Two years ago, I asked the following question in the February 2020 issue of Informed Infrastructure: “How will engineers respond to alternative energy sources, global warming, dwindling water supplies, deteriorating infrastructure and any number of future demands? What will we as engineers do in this next decade that will make a positive impact on our way of life and environment?” This was just before the pandemic officially arrived; I didn’t know we would also have to deal with that. During t...
ReEngineering the Engineer: Do You Hear What I Mean?
We’re working on a project that involves the demolition of a multi-story existing building with new construction going back in its place. The programming of the new building requires elevator shafts adjacent to the building that remains. Not only will there be an existing basement wall that remains, but construction of the new elevators requires a 5-foot undercut for the elevator pits, plus another 4 feet for a mat foundation. And (of course) the basement walls to remain are braced by the buildi...
Thoughts From Engineers: The Elusive Plea of COP26
I’ll confess I’m probably more fixated than most on climate-related news. When the media began to post updates on the progress of the United Nation’s 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Scotland in early November 2021, I was ready to see the “points” roll in. I was rooting for the underdog: the team of international players I hoped would show extraordinary grit, resolve and strategy to drum up financial resources, brawn, brain and, above all, the willpower to slay the climate “beast”—or at...
Executive Corner: Five Takeaways on 2021 A/E M&A Activity
The Great Consolidation? The Great Realignment? Whatever term you want to call it, by all accounts 2021 was a record-breaking year for A/E M&A activity. Emboldened leaders embraced and adapted all that was thrown at them—from mobilizing staff back to familiar office settings, managing a red-hot hiring and retention climate, and patiently waiting for a game-changer infrastructure package—all while deftly scooping up firms left and right and positioning themselves for a new era. One could argue ou...
Engineering Your Career: Quick Guide On Writing a Structural Engineer Resume
Engineering has become one of the most sought-after fields in the workforce, and the construction industry makes good use of structural engineers and their work. According to NewEngineer, structural engineering has and always will be in demand, because structural engineers are always needed to ensure buildings and other structures are safe for the public. So if you’re looking to obtain a job as a structural engineer, you’ll need to construct a winning resume. This column will discuss the follow...
Transportation Troubleshooting: Solving a Decades-Old Problem: The Commute
It’s no secret that commuter travel choices change traffic patterns and times. On-demand service providers such as Uber and Lyft have been very successful at adapting their service offerings and price points to travelers’ needs and preferences. In the process, they sometimes generate trips that would otherwise not have been made; at other times they incentivize travelers to switch from traditional trains and buses to on-demand services; and in some cases they increase road traffic. But what if...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
February Issue 2026
