Return to Glory: Notre Dame’s Restoration Is On Track
Interior bracing was installed during the safety phase to stabilize stone arches. Notre Dame de Paris is not the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, or in France. It’s not even the largest cathedral named for “Our Lady” in France; Notre Dame de Amiens, Notre Dame de Chartres and Notre Dame de Reims are all larger and considered (by many) to be finer examples of Gothic architecture. And, to continue running down this UNESCO World Heritage Site for one more sentence, it’s not the oldest...
Lessons Learned from Campus RainWorks 2020 Winners
The University of Pennsylvania redesigned a K-8 campus in West Philadelphia with green infrastructure, raised garden beds and a food forest. At college and university campuses throughout the United States, students compete in the Campus RainWorks Challenge, an annual green infrastructure design challenge from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create innovative stormwater management techniques. In so doing, the challenge engages the next generation of environmental professional...
Adapting to Climate Change
New York City projects protect against rising tides and ensure long-term usability. On Aug. 9, 2021, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released the first part of its much-anticipated “Sixth Assessment Report” (www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1), which reinforced the fact that sea-level rise is leading to substantial impacts on coastal communities, including a near-doubling in the frequency of coastal flooding since the 1960s in many sites around the world. The report confirmed that...
2D CAD in a 3D World
The complex wall structure is shown in an exploded axonometric drawing. (Stantec and Walter P . Moore) There’s little doubt dawn is breaking on the brave new world of 3D modeling, BIM, reality capture, real-time rendering, simulation and digital twins for the construction industry. It’s exciting to be working in this industry when these technologies are beginning to make real impacts on the safety, productivity and efficiency of construction projects around the world. Projects that otherw...
What Went Wrong At Surfside Collapse?
On July 6, 2021, Informed Infrastructure Editorial Director Todd Danielson interviewed Steven M. Baldridge, P.E., S.E., LEED AP, president of Baldridge & Associates Structural Engineering (BASE), which he founded in 1995. A leading engineering firm in areas of high natural risk, the company now has offices in Hawaii, Chicago, Florida, Guam and India. The topic of the interview was the deadly June 24, 2021, failure and collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Fla. The full interview v...
Goodbye, Flooding! Hello, Stormwater Master Plan!
Photos show a “timeline” moving from severe flooding in Caruth Park before a new water-detention master plan was initiated, the StormTrap water-detention system being installed, and the final new field after project completion(below) Aging infrastructure in older, established neighborhoods is a driving factor in prioritizing projects reducing flood risks. Doing so requires detailed master-planning efforts and a comprehensive examination of detention options. An excellent example of su...
Municipal Sewer Cleaning: Train for Gain
Best-practice techniques and equipment options help municipalities and contractors clean sewer, storm and sanitary lines more efficiently. For municipalities and contractors with heavy workloads cleaning sewer, storm and sanitary lines, the fastest route to getting the work done on-time and on-budget often is learning best-practice techniques and equipment options, demonstrating them onsite, and then resolving specific problem areas in the field with expert guidance. “Traditionally, sewe...
Clean Water Crisis: Solar Power Microgrids and Water Desalination Address Global Concerns
Indirect desalination uses electricity generated by solar cells to power a membrane process. Collectively, humans are using Earth’s natural resources at a greater rate than it takes for nature to replenish them. This contention has been widely observed and confirmed by leading environmental scientists and authorities. Fresh water, one of the natural resources indispensable for us to stay alive, is drying up. A sizable number of communities currently don’t have access to clean drinking...
Grand Paris Requires Grand Surveying
Advanced surveying solutions for tunneling and monitoring help speed construction of the largest regional transportation expansion in Europe. One of the most visited and beloved cities in the world, “The City of Light” began the Grand Paris initiative in 2007 with the goal of keeping Paris competitive with the world’s greatest cities into the 21st century. The Grand Paris project aims to improve quality of life, social and economic sustainability, strategic development, and environmen...
Sensitively Restoring Historic Structures to Meet Today’s Engineering Standards
Built in 1901 and located on the original Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Dayton, Ohio, Barn No. 17 has been completely disassembled and rebuilt a little more than a mile away at its new location in Carillon Historical Park. (Woolpert) Restoring the integrity, significance and character of a historic building—while bringing modern-day efficiencies and comfort—can be a lengthy process fraught with challenges, but a completed project is always worth the effort. Repurposing an old, abandoned...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
February Issue 2026
