Alpine Engineering: Ramcharger 8 Continues a History of Chairlift Innovation
Big Sky Resort’s Ramcharger 8 is the first eight-seat chairlift in North America and one of the most technologically advanced chairlifts in the world. (Big Sky Resort) The most modern chairlift ever built in North America now is open at Montana’s Big Sky Resort. Montana’s Big Sky Resort, where wide-open spaces meet dramatic peaks to provide world-class ski experiences, is the second-largest ski resort in the United States by acreage. Opened in 1973 and founded by Montana native...
A Blueprint for Stormwater Mitigation: Coral Springs Proactively Addresses Multiple Concerns and Strategies
As the U.S. population mushrooms in some areas and development continues to create impervious surfaces, both factors put increased demand on stormwater infrastructure. With more-frequent and intense storms and snowmelt on top of flooding events, an increasing amount of runoff from impervious surfaces risks flooding of communities, stream erosion and water pollution. The U.S. stormwater infrastructure received a D grade in the newest American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2021 I...
Map Your City, Even from the Comfort of Your Home
It’s possible to make data accessible by anyone and get the job done anywhere, anytime. If 2020 taught us anything, it taught us that we must be remote. Many involved in mapping and planning cities are realizing that not only do things change, they change fast. With that change comes a massive amount of new and updated data, and staying current requires the skillful deployment of digital data management. For cities—where more than half of the world’s population lives—that data and cadastral i...
A Big Deal by Any Measure: Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Opens for Business
Currently clunkily named, but impressive by every other measure, the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement opened all six vehicle lanes to traffic on Oct. 5, 2020, marking the triumphant conclusion to a seven-year, $1.47-billion project that may well turn out to be the most significant and successful infrastructure achievement in California this decade. Headlining superlatives include the following: • With two towers reaching 515 feet into the sky, it will be the second-tallest cable-stayed br...
North Dakota Wildlife Crossing Improves Highway Safety for Animals and People
To help reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and protect North Dakota’s bighorn sheep population, a wildlife underpass was completed recently as part of a $38.5 million project along U.S. 85 that replaced the historic Long X Bridge over the Little Missouri River south of Watford City. From the American antelope to white-tailed deer, every western U.S. state has migratory big game herds, and many of these migrations cross a major transportation corridor. The loss can be hundreds of animals eac...
How the Challenges of 2020 Will Shape the Infrastructure Industry
The need to build and maintain U.S. infrastructure continues, and organizations continue to operate in a period of unprecedented disruption. A global pandemic, economic downturn and necessary social change will ensure 2020 a place in the history books. The future of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry will—and must—change in the context of these cumulative events. This year is proving particularly transformational for the infrastructure sector. The need to build a...
Modern Bridge Inspection: Latest Technologies and Techniques Employed on NYC’s Massive New Cuomo Bridge
Nagesh Goel, co-founder and president of Atlas Evaluation & Inspection Services (AEIS)—a leading testing, inspection and certification company based in South Plainfield, N.J.—has been involved in testing more than a dozen of the area’s most notable bridges. But his company’s work with the newly constructed Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in New York City—and its massive size—set this project apart. The new $3.98 billion 3.1-mile twin-span bridge features eight traffic lanes with shoulders, dedic...
Easing the Headache of Industrial Stormwater Compliance
A photo shows a typical use of galvanized grating on a rooftop, which can be a contributing source of zinc. Industrial activities continue to be a source of impairment to waters of the United States. Common pollutants include total suspended solids, oil and grease, metals and other hazardous substances that can be carried to nearby streams, rivers and lakes by stormwater runoff or snow melt. If your facility has industrial activities exposed to precipitation, you probably need a Na...
Workplace Reimagined: COVID-19 Reshapes the Modern Office Experience
World Economic Forum’s U.S. Headquarters in New York City, designed recently by Montroy DeMarco Architecture, features extensive video-conferencing facilities to allow collaboration between individuals and large groups located on different continents. This type of meeting spaces will be increasingly incorporated into commercial offices as well to allow remote work and meetings with both clients and employees. Picture Courtesy: Peter Dressel/Wilk Marketing Communications Architects, bu...
All Aboard the St. Louis MetroLink: Big Block, Hollow Core Retaining Wall System Protects Trains in Beautiful New Digs
The St. Louis MetroLink serves as a lifeline for commuters and visitors alike, with routes extending through downtown to the city’s international airport, near Washington University, and out to Scott Air Force Base near Shiloh, Ill. One of the busiest light-rail lines in the Midwest, MetroLink carries more than 53,000 passengers daily along its two lines with 38 metro stations. It’s a vital component of the St. Louis transportation infrastructure, so the Bi-State Development Agency sought...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
February Issue 2026
