Smart Buildings Save Energy and Improve Occupant Comfort
Smart technologies can reduce a building's energy use by nearly a fifth and yield additional benefits, such as increased worker productivity, according to our new report, Smart Buildings: a Deeper Dive into Market Segments. This report documents how many types of buildings---not just the biggest and ritziest---can benefit from the latest interconnected technologies, from simple occupancy sensors to complex energy management and information systems. It builds on our report from early 2017, Smart...
Amtrak Train Derails onto Washington Highway
Amtrak train 501 derailed and is dangling onto Interstate 5 in Washington state. Witness Greg Mukai describes the incident. Source: CNN
More Than Hype: The Reality of Reality Capture
I know what you might be thinking: “Yawn. Another story about drones. Skip!” and usually I’d agree with you. There are so many stories, so much marketing, and so much hype around drones that it’s easy to get bored with the topic. However, it’s with this sentiment in mind that I decided to write something about drones you can use in your business. I spent time with a group that has taken drone-based reality capture from the “wow” phase to a practical, profitable business. The team of Region Engi...
Video: Under a Collapsed Building
I’m in Mexico City a week after the earthquake and this is our first day assisting a local engineering team. A seven-story concrete office building has collapsed. They call it Site 286. More than 40 people died here, probably the largest number of fatalities in a single structure. “Let me radio in for them to stop throwing concrete debris in our pathway.” “Alto! (Halt!),” a Spanish urban search-and-rescue (USAR) officer yells at me. “Let me radio in for them to stop throwing con...
Collaborative BIM: Xishi Winter Olympics Square Project Transforms Historic Industrial Zone
The 2022 Winter Olympics Organizing Committee contracted Beijing Shougang International Engineering (BSIE) to design and construct an office plaza in Shougang, a historic industrial park in Shijingshan District, Beijing, China. The project called for innovative planning due to challenging site conditions and various regulations. Many of the original steel plants were protected, and strict requirements governed the height and architectural style of the buildings being redeveloped. The challe...
Senate Works Toward Tax Cuts But Makes No Provision to Boost Transportation Funding
The Senate took up tax-cutting legislation that makes no attempt to shore up long-term transportation funding, and which includes an "advance refunding" bond provision that would work against a debt-refinancing technique states and other government entities use to reduce their project costs. Senate Republican leaders said they expected to have enough votes to pass the final bill on Dec. 1. The House passed its version Nov. 16, and once the Senate completes its version the chambers will have t...
EPA Backs Colorado’s Plan to Improve Water Quality with $24.9 M in Water Infrastructure Funding
DENVER (Dec. 7, 2017) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded approximately $10.6 million in clean water infrastructure and $14.3 million in drinking water state revolving loan funding (SRF) to the state of Colorado to support key water infrastructure projects, including new and upgraded wastewater and drinking water plants to ensure clean drinking and surface water, better serve residents, increase efficiency and reduce pollution. “Investing in our nation’s water infrastructur...
For a Better Climate: Norway to Build World’s Tallest Timber Building
“Mjøstårnet” will be more than 80 metres tall and stand 30 metres higher than what is today considered the world’s tallest timber building. “Mjøstårnet sets new standards for timber constructions. The building is the closest we come to a skyscraper in timber,” says investor and contracting client, Arthur Buchardt. > > Read more about why “Mjøstårnet” is THE TALLEST TIMBER BUILDING IN THE WORLD. > > See the first of six films about "Mjøstårnet" > > See also the first of six films a...
New Data, Same Results - Saving Energy is Still Cheaper than Making Energy
Keeping the lights on for customers is every electric utility's top priority. To do so, utilities have choices. They can build power plants to convert fossil fuels to energy. They can capture renewable resources like solar and wind. And they can work with their customers to more efficiently use energy, meeting demand by saving energy rather than generating it. ACEEE research has shown a dramatic growth in energy efficiency's role in the electric sector. We estimate that today it's the Un...
Fire Safety for High-Rise Mass-Timber Buildings
By David Barber, Principal, Arup Buildings constantly change and develop as architects, engineers and scientists innovate and develop new products and construction methods. Interest has been growing worldwide in the design and construction of high-rise timber buildings, which are increasing in number throughout Europe and other parts of the world, as engineered mass-timber products such as glulam and cross-laminated timber (CLT) become more popular. In the United States, high-rise buildings us...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
February Issue 2026
