Old Building Converts to “Living Building.” First in California
The Architectural Nexus office in Sacramento recently was certified as the first ever Living Building Challenge building in California. This “Living Building” uses recycled rainwater as its water supply and solar panels generate all of its energy. Waste? Not a problem. All waste is composted on site. No sewers needed. Creating such a building in Sacramento’s inconsistent weather made the project even more challenging. The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) created the Living Buildin...
The Right Tool for the Job: Multiple Tools Complicate Reality-Capture Landscape
When it comes to capturing existing conditions, the first question in everyone’s mind seems to be “to scan or not to scan?” With all the technologies out there, the next question is usually “which tool is best for the job?” Complicating the ability to answer these questions is the accelerated pace at which new technology developments and commercially available products enter the market. When overwhelmed by choices—especially new, unproven and expensive options—we’re often moved to inaction, m...
Battling Corrosion Problems in Harsh Middle East Environmental Conditions
Figure 1. Migrating corrosion inhibitors form a protective layer on the surface of embedded steel reinforcement. By Julie Holmquist Harsh environmental conditions create an added challenge to the durability of structures in Middle Eastern regions such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. Engineers in this region must take into account the effect that corrosive conditions will have on new build structures and find a way to counteract these elements to achieve a substantial service l...
AECOM-ARTBA Partnership Enhances Transportation Site Safety
WASHINGTON — The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) today announced a formal partnership with AECOM aimed at strengthening the leading global infrastructure firm’s position in the design, construction and management of safer transportation infrastructure projects. The partnership will encourage and facilitate AECOM employees earning the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-approved “Safety Certification for Transportation Project Professionals™” (SCTPP) design...
Thornton Tomasetti Foundation Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary; Surpasses More Than $1 Million in Scholarships and Grants
(New York, N.Y. – May 15, 2018) – With the distribution of its latest round of scholarships, the Thornton Tomasetti Foundation (TTF) has crossed the $1-million mark in financial contributions to deserving college students and charitable initiatives at more than 40 organizations. This comes on the heels of the 10-year anniversary of the nonprofit founded by Thornton Tomasetti, Inc., the international engineering firm. Through fellowships and scholarships, the Thornton Tomasetti Foundation...
Erosion Control Product Specifications Made Easy
Two free, online resources are available to help engineers and specifiers select the most appropriate, site-specific products for erosion control and vegetation establishment. Michael Robeson, Ph.D., PE, CPESC, CPSWQ, CESSWI, outlines why the most frequently specified products may not always be the best choice, and how erosioncontrolspecs.com and profilePS3.com can help lead to better outcomes.
Renewable Energy Jobs Reach 10.3 Million Worldwide in 2017
Abu Dhabi, UAE — The renewable energy industry created more than 500,000 new jobs globally in 2017, a 5.3 per cent increase from 2016, according to the latest figures released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). According to the fifth edition of Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review, launched at IRENA’s 15th Council in Abu Dhabi today, the total number of people employed in the sector (including large hydropower) now stands at 10.3 million globally, surpassing the 10 millio...
Fuel Prices Could Reach Four-Year Highs This Summer
Data tracked by the Energy Information Administration and AAA indicate U.S. fuel prices could reach levels not seen since 2014; a price spike that is largely a reflection of higher oil prices. EIA forecasts that regular gasoline will reach an average of $2.74 per gallon during what it calls the "summer season" – April through September – which would be the highest average "summer price" for gasoline in four years. That's also 26 cents per gallon higher compared to the average price for gasoli...
Surveys Indicate Labor Market Continues to Tighten
Private sector employment increased by 204,000 jobs from March to April, according to the most recent ADP National Employment Report, with the construction industry creating 27,000 jobs and the trade/transportation/utilities sector adding 14,000 positions. According to Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, at this pace unemployment will soon be "in the threes," meaning around 3 percent, which he explained is "rarified and risky territory, as the economy threatens to overheat."...
New Report: Companies Reap Significant Benefits Using Building Information Modeling for Water and Wastewater Projects
NEW YORK – Advanced technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) are rapidly gaining traction on infrastructure projects around the world. A new report published today, The Business Value of BIM for Water Projects SmartMarket Report, demonstrates the industry is accelerating its implementation of BIM, a reversal of the findings of previous studies on this topic by Dodge Data & Analytics, which indicated that the water sector has been slower to embrace BIM than other sectors such as t...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
February Issue 2026
