August 2020 Trends
In this section, Informed Infrastructure compiles infographics from trusted sources that reveal insight on infrastructure spending. We also compile some of the top infrastructure stories that shouldn’t be missed. For ongoing news coverage, turn to Informed Infrastructure online (www.informedinfrastructure.com), our Twitter feed (@IInfrastructure) and our weekly e-newsletter. Engineering and Construction Costs Fall for First Time Since 2016, Key Index Shows Engineering and const...
Let’s Build Two: Hub Group Breaks Ground On Replica Headquarters Building
Hub Group is a publicly traded North American transportation-management company providing intermodal, truck brokerage and logistics services. With more than $3.5 billion in revenue, Hub is one of the largest such companies in the world. And in the teenage years of the 21st century, it has built not one but two outstanding—and nearly identical—headquarter buildings in Oak Brook, Ill., that befit their status and serve their mission while also being models of progressive, sustainable design and co...
AEC from Home: Tips from Leading Professionals Adjusting to Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic
In May 2020, Informed Infrastructure Editorial Director Todd Danielson interviewed three leaders of AEC firms to learn how they’re adjusting to the “new normal” and help pass along some of the tips and lessons learned from their experiences in early 2020. Kevin Cornish, P.E. Senior Vice President Surface Transportation Market Sector Leader AECOM Andy Kaiyala Vice President, Bid Development Lane Construction Dustin Parkman Vice President, Project Delivery Bentley Systems...
Lawmakers Promise to Keep Repairs of Roosevelt Bridge a High Priority for FDOT
STUART — Motorists can expect at least an additional 30 minutes to be added to their commute as transportation officials attempt to repair the closed Roosevelt Bridge. The Florida Department of Transportation Wednesday shut down the six-lane bridge after pieces of concrete fell off during the biannual routine inspection Tuesday. Early Wednesday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard issued an alert the bridge was at “risk of imminent collapse.” However, inspection later showed the 23-year-old fixed-sp...
The Flooding Strikes Back: Mother Nature Rises Again Shortly After Technology Seemed to Have the Upper Hand
In mid-May 2020, several days of heavy rain fell on central Michigan, causing the Tittabawassee River to swell to 35 feet, more than a foot past its previous record and 10 feet above flood stage. Even worse, catastrophic dam failures further upriver forced the evacuation of approximately 10,000 people as the severe flooding overtook several populated areas in Midland County and threatened a Superfund site. The state of Michigan is investigating the catastrophe, including dam operators Boyc...
AEC from Home: Tips from Leading Professionals Adjusting to Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic
In May 2020, Informed Infrastructure Editorial Director Todd Danielson interviewed three leaders of AEC firms to learn how they’re adjusting to the “new normal” and help pass along some of the tips and lessons learned from their experiences in early 2020.
Collaboration in Product Development Results in Better Designs
Good design is slow. Effective collaboration also takes time. According to Sara Pevaroff Schuh, the founding principal of Philadelphia-based SALT Design Studio, “Quality fights to be a full partner at the table with quick.” She’s right. It may seem like an all-too-costly endeavor to return to the drawing board, but the familiar cliche rings true: you either pay now or pay later. Green City, Clean Waters Rob Woodman, senior stormwater engineer at ACF Environmental, witnessed firsthand the bene...
Bridging the Divide: How Lidar Data Help Mitigate Landslides Near Yellowstone
The Double Draw Landslide in May 2011 closed U.S. 26 for about a month after leaving an estimated 200,000 tons of debris on the highway. More landslides occur along a 38-mile region of U.S. 26/287 in northwest Wyoming—close to Yellowstone National Park and along the Continental Divide—than any other stretch of roadway in the state. The instability is attributed to the topography, weather and proximity to Yellowstone, which sits atop an active volcano and contains more than half of the...
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Growing Trend Toward 3D Digital Deliverables for Bridges and Structures
In the United States, a project-delivery revolution that’s been building for years is unfolding. As software continues to “eat the world,” Model Based Design and Construction (MBDC) has been slowly and methodically added to the menu. MBDC is the use and transfer of digital data and information among design and construction to convey design intent, capture as-constructed data, and provide data for asset management. MBDC, including the use of 3D models as legal contract documents, is being depl...
The CEO Series Continues: Excerpts from an Interview with Esri President Jack Dangermond: The Convergence of AEC and GIS
In November 2019, Informed Infrastructure Editorial Director Todd Danielson interviewed Esri President Jack Dangermond at the Autodesk University (AU) Conference in Las Vegas. The full interview video (above) also can be viewed at bit.ly/2VTPr4q, but we wanted to include some excerpts in this issue. Danielson: Tell me about the partnership between Esri and Autodesk. Dangermond: Several years ago, Autodesk executives and myself got together, and we thought we should really mer...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
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