Civil Engineering Magazine

(Rendering courtesy of Pennoni) By Debbie Ferraro, P.E., M.ASCE In Philadelphia, the I-95 CAP project at Penn’s Landing is redefining urban infrastructure and reuniting a city with its waterfront. For generations, Philadelphia’s identity has been inseparable from the Delaware River. The waterfront served as the city’s front door, supporting commerce and civic life while anchoring neighborhoods to a shared natural asset.

(Rendering courtesy of HDR Inc.) By Kayt Sukel For decades, health care researchers have understood that holistic, patient-centered care can result in better outcomes, especially when facilities are designed with that kind of care in mind. Yet most hospitals and health centers are still planned in such a way that patients, even at their sickest, are transported from department to department to receive services.

(Photograph courtesy of STV) By Peter Overmohle, P.E., PTOE, PMP Growing operational and safety concerns about several interstates in the Louisville metropolitan area spurred the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to develop and implement a massive, best-value design-build project to fix these issues.

Construction of the Cedar Falls hydroelectric power plant concluded in 1904. Shown here is the original timber crib dam. (Photograph courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archives, #114602, Series 1204-01) By Leslie Nemo A rock-filled timber crib dam marked the city’s first attempt at a public hydroelectric power utility. The early attempts to light the city of Seattle showed what hydroelectric power should — and should not — look like.

(Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash) By Michael C. Loulakis, Esq., FDBIA, M.ASCE, and Ashley P. Cullinan, Esq. Even the best construction contractors can make mistakes in their bids. If the mistake is small enough, a contractor will typically live with the consequences. But what happens when the contractor would lose substantial money if it were forced by the owner to honor its bid?

(Photograph courtesy of AndreyPopov) By Sakshi Singh, M.ASCE, and Lara Zerbe, Ph.D. Each year, more than 14,000 high school students take part in the ACE Mentor Program of America. The nonprofit organization, headquartered in Philadelphia, was created to inspire young people to explore careers in architecture, engineering, construction, and related fields. ACE introduces students to the industry while helping build a better-prepared future workforce. Charles H.

A microscopic image of soil particles shows precipitated calcium carbonate after a biocementation treatment. (Photograph courtesy of Michael Gomez/University of Washington) By Kayt Sukel Healthy soil is not just made up of gas, water, clay, silt, and sand. It is also home to countless microorganisms — fungi, bacteria, archaea, protozoa, and viruses.

(Photograph courtesy of WYDOT) By Ben Arndt, P.E., M.ASCE, Richard Johnson, P.E., James Dahill, P.G., Jeff Booher, P.E., and Seth Wittke, P.G. When a section of an earthen embankment under a vital commuter route spectacularly collapsed, engineers and geologists quickly mobilized to rebuild the site. On June 8, 2024, a 70 ft high earthen embankment on Teton Pass between Jackson, Wyoming, and Victor, Idaho, failed catastrophically.

[Photograph courtesy of CDM Smith) By Rebecca Ruitto Hall, P.E., PTOE, RSP2I, PMP, and Lisa Sherman, P.E., PTOE, RSP2I, PMP A pair of roadway infrastructure projects in New England balanced safety improvements and historical conservation. A central theme has emerged in transportation infrastructure involving the balance between modern safety needs and historical conservancy.

(Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash) By Tara Hoke This column is based on a recent case reported in the news media involving the deficient design of an apartment building in a northwestern suburb. Fortunately, the structural deficiencies in this case did not result in tragedy for the building’s users or occupants, but this case nevertheless serves as a reminder of the potentially catastrophic consequences caused by a failure to provide due consideration for the safety of engineering works.