Thoughts From Engineers: Rethinking the Water We Drink
Although it may come as a surprise to some, a few communities in the United States must work harder and invest more to secure clean drinking water every day. In a particularly bone-dry part of the country, one municipality has been working on a thorny water-supply problem for quite some time. The city of El Paso, Texas, is on the cusp of making fully operational a water-filtration system that eliminates one major step in what has been a standard water-treatment process. Instead of reinjecting t...
From the Editor: Inspiration from Comic Books, Construction and Pencils
When I was 15 years old, I decided I wanted to be an engineer. It was 1985, and I had just read the March issue of OMNI magazine, “Special Edition: Japan 2000,” about the “future” of innovation. I was mesmerized by the impact engineers would have on the world of tomorrow. (Full disclosure: I wanted to be a robotics engineer and ended up a civil engineer, but that’s a story for another day.) Although I knew from a young age which profession I would pursue, from an even younger age, I developed...
ReEngineering the Engineer: Don’t Overuse Boilerplate Specs and Details in Engineering Documents
In fall 2018, I was asked to go to a meeting to help one of our clients. It was a small project but rather unique: a 100-foot-long structure to support a sanitary sewer line across a creek. We had completed a couple of these for other people through the years as well as one recently with this particular client. The RFP for the project included some bridging drawings (no pun intended) prepared by another engineering firm. I didn’t get to see the bridging drawings myself, but I had been told th...
Final Thoughts: The Reasons for Speed Bumps on the Road and in Life
Speed bump—the new term might be speed hump or traffic-calming device. Whatever they’re called, we’ve all come across them. Most of the time, speed bumps have a specific purpose, and they’re usually effective. Speed bumps cause you to slow down and take a little extra care. They slow traffic down in a school zone or a residential area or in a parking lot. But occasionally, they just seem to be bothersome. Either way, we notice they’re there. I’m troubled by the parents in my neighborhood who dr...
Infrastructure Outlook: How Location Intelligence Can Accelerate High-Speed Rail
When it comes to updating and innovating our nation’s infrastructure, the challenges involve much more than just construction. Environmental, safety, and other regulatory concerns require developers to ensure that each aspect of the project goes through lengthy approval processes and compliance reviews. This can make even the prospect of initiating a large-scale public work daunting. A long-time advocate of one such infrastructure project—a high-speed rail system in California—Governor Jerry Br...
Code Update: New Manual Simplifies Steel Deck on Cold-Formed Steel Framing Design
Although cold-formed steel (CFS) trusses and steel deck applications have been available for years, many designers continue to use either plywood deck on CFS trusses or design steel deck applications in the same way they would plywood, without taking full advantage of steel deck’s capabilities. This lag has been due in large part to a lack of comprehensive, user-friendly information sources on how to implement steel deck on CFS trusses, as opposed to wood deck on CFS trusses or steel deck on op...
Project Management Insights: Setting Goals that Get Results
We are nearing the end of the year, and firms soon will be asking personnel to establish their goals for the new year. Although sometimes tiresome, it is an important exercise—especially for firms that are learning organizations, tie incentive compensation to improvement and focus on professional development. I’m working with a client that’s taking a closer look at how they develop project managers (PMs). Currently, their PMs loosely perform in the role while principals control most of the movi...
From the Editor: Who Will Build the Infrastructure We Need?
Back in 2016, both presidential candidates promised a massive spending bill to rebuild America’s aging infrastructure. In February 2018, the White House released what it referred to as a “blueprint” that would invest $250 billion in public funds, with the goal of spurring additional private investment totalling $1.5 trillion. In late-summer 2018, it was announced that any real action on an infrastructure bill would have to wait until after the midterm elections. Although most in our industry agr...
Thoughts from Engineers: Initial Reactions from the Water Infrastructure Act of 2018
America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA 2018) or S. 3021 was signed into law by President Trump on Oct. 23, 2018, and outlines an ambitious course of action with respect to the nation’s navigable waterways and built water infrastructure. (To read AWIA 2018 in its entirety, visit bit.ly/2KBK9o6.) The law provides more than $6 billion in funds for a range of water infrastructure projects, including navigation; ports, harbors and inland waterways; wetland and ecosystem restoration; flood p...
Executive Corner: Passing the Torch: Succession Planning Fundamentals for A/E Firms
With a huge number of baby-boomer leaders preparing to retire, we’re witnessing the next generation of industry CEOs being promoted to lead their firms. Almost every week, we see press releases showcasing new A/E CEOs taking the reins from their predecessors—the evolutionary process often touted in a seamless and deliberate manner. Unfortunately, not every organization is prepared for this transition. Whether it’s the founders’ desire to hold on for control or ego reasons or simply a lack of de...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
February Issue 2026
