Grid Modernization Will Require Active, Holistic Network Management
As concerns about aging infrastructure in the electric industry fester, the promise of grid modernization is gaining increasing sway as power suppliers pursue optimized uptime and resilience while satisfying consumer cravings for lowered carbon footprints. Utility business models are changing to accommodate growing volumes of renewable energy coming onto the grid. New services are being demanded by customers, and new and divergent forms of energy are testing the flexibility and capacity of thei...
11 Million People Employed in Renewable Energy Worldwide in 2018
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Eleven million people were employed in renewable energy worldwide in 2018 according to the latest analysis by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). This compares with 10.3 million in 2017[1]. As more and more countries manufacture, trade and install renewable energy technologies, the latest Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review finds that renewables jobs grew to their highest level despite slower growth in key renewable energy markets including...
Mobile 3D Scanning Technology Gaining Traction in Home-Renovation Market
A complete 3D point cloud of an entire property is viewed in CloudCompare. As residential real estate prices continue to climb in many parts of the United States, property owners are increasingly investing in renovations and additions to their existing homes. To meet the demand, architects seek digital as-built documentation of the structures so they can design the new construction. Many are asking for mobile 3D scanning by name as the technology they prefer to quickly capture the acc...
Interview with Greg Bentley, CEO, Bentley Systems: The Continuing Evolution of Engineering Software
In April 2019, Informed Infrastructure Editorial Director Todd Danielson went to Bentley Systems’ corporate headquarters in Exton, Pa., to interview its CEO, Greg Bentley.
Pickard Chilton Partners with Arup to Deliver New Uber Air Skyport Concept for Melbourne
(New Haven, Conn. ) – A design concept for a new Uber Air Skyport imagined by Pickard Chilton, an award-winning architecture studio best known for its innovative and cutting-edge design of corporate headquarters and campuses, and Arup, a global design and consulting firm, was showcased at Uber’s 3rd Elevate Summit on June 12 in Washington, D.C., where Uber revealed new designs for its future Skyports. The designs focus on Skyports for the near future, showcasing concepts for both parking stru...
Severe Flooding Continues to Impact Highway System in Midwestern U.S.
Record-setting storms and flooding continue to force the closure of roads and bridges on the National Highway System by the dozens in states throughout the Midwest, according to the Federal Highway Administration – especially in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. [Above photo by U.S. Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Rebecca Imwalle.] The FHWA said in a statement on May 31 that it continues to coordinate with state department of transportation officials in affe...
Disaster Bill Provides $1.6B to FHWA Emergency Relief Program
President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 2157 – the “Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019” – on June 6 that provides $19.1 billion to cover recovery and other costs associated with a series of catastrophic disasters that have struck the United States over...
Making History by Preserving History: Casino Development in Springfield Based on Extraordinary Structural Preservation
June 1, 2011, was a tragic day in Springfield, Mass. (settled since 1636, it’s Massachusetts’ third-largest city); seven devastating tornadoes touched down in and around the city, killing three people, injuring 300 and leaving more than 500 homeless. Several residential and commercial sections of Springfield were more or less wiped out entirely. Recovery has been difficult, but one important piece of the puzzle fell into place in 2018 when a major ($960 million) redevelopment of a 14.5-acr...
Federal Transportation Officials Monitoring Storm and Flood Damage to Roads and Bridges in Midwest
WASHINGTON – Under the leadership of U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) continues to monitor and assist states with responding to devastating and damaging floods and storms in America’s heartland. Record-setting storms and flooding this Spring have resulted in the closure of dozens of roads and bridges on the National Highway System (NHS) in states throughout the Midwest, including Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and N...
Research Finds Consumer Overconfidence Regarding Building Codes in Disaster-Exposed Communities
The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)® Partnership today announced consumer research findings and analysis underpinning a new transparency initiative entitled, No Code. No Confidence. Inspect to Protect.org. The organization created the effort after consumer surveys revealed that Americans are highly confident that building codes are already “in place” even though most communities at-risk for disaster are without necessary structural codes and standards for safe and optimal build...