Engineering Management Institute

UPCOMING TRAINING

What Construction Contractors and Owners Should Do, Today, to Prepare for the Possible Effects of Coronavirus on Projects

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This is a guest post written by Diana Parks (partner at Dorsey & Whitney) and  Ross Eberlein (an associate at Dorsey & Whitney) and was previously published here of the Dorsey website.

Coronavirus on Projects

As novel coronavirus has spread from China to Europe, the United States and around the globe, it has begun to have a debilitating impact on world markets, manufacturing, distribution, supply chains, and the workforce in general. It seems only a matter of time before COVID 19 directly affects U.S. construction projects. What can we, in the U.S. construction industry, do to prepare for its effects and mitigate the potential harm to our people and our projects?  The ultimate solutions may be complex, but there are some simple, initial steps, that construction contractors and owners should take to assess and bolster their ability to deal with the potential impact of an outbreak.

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TCEP 139: What Goes Into Developing the ASCE Report Card for America’s Infrastructure?

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ASCE Report Card

In this episode, which is part of our Women in Civil Engineering series, I talk to Peyton Gibson, EIT, ENV SP, a civil engineer who works for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the Board of Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment. She also serves as the ASCE Colorado’s Infrastructure Report Card Chair, and that’s what we focus on in this episode: what goes into developing the ASCE Infrastructure report card, both at the national and state levels.

Engineering Quotes:

ASCE Report Card

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Peyton:

  • What led you to make your recent career change?
  • What is the report card and what is its intent?
  • Can you take us through the process of how ASCE came up with the final grading in the report card?
  • With the amount of work, staff, and volunteers that are involved in compiling the report, how did you work through the process of managing all the different chapters?
  • What do you think motivated the volunteers?
  • What happens once you receive that grade and how can it be utilized to improve infrastructure?
  • How do you have the funding and the resources for the marketing that needs to be done once the problem areas have been identified?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Developing the ASCE Report Card:

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Revisiting Your 2020 Resolutions: 3-Month Check

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 This is a guest blog by Manny De La Cruz

If you take the time to look at the calendar, you will notice that it is already March. At the time of this writing, several significant events had already occurred in 2020. The mere mention of the following words will conjure up the high-pitched, almost childlike delivery of the phrase “Oh, yeah!” Australia, Mr. Peanut, Kobe, Coronavirus, and Megxit — just to name a few. Was I right? 

Unfortunately, another significant event is occurring in 2020. That’s right — the general abandonment of New Year’s resolutions. In December 2019, I did a latinXfactor series webinar for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, where I highlighted that 46% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions and only 8% of that population will see them realized. In that webinar, I proposed that students pursuing STEM degrees should not only commit to personal resolutions but also to resolutions that would aid their professional development. This same concept should also be applied to professionals in STEM.  

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TSEC 20: 5 Tips for Structural Engineers: Become the Best Version of Yourself

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Tips for Structural Engineers

The photo features Stan Caldwell with one of his projects – The Ponte Avenue Bridge in Addison, Texas

In episode 20 of The Structural Engineering Podcast, we talk with Stan R. Caldwell, P.E., SECB, a structural engineering consultant who primarily consults on construction litigation. After almost 50 years of managing and mentoring dozens of young structural engineers, Stan has seen firsthand the various struggles that engineers face in building successful careers. This is the first of a two-episode series in which Stan provides 5 tips for structural engineers that will help them to succeed in this high-liability profession. The next episode with Stan will focus on five tips for structural engineering managers.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Stan in This Episode:

  • What led to the development of your Five Tips for Young Engineers?
  • What do you mean by “Mind the Gap”?
  • Your second tip for young structural engineers is to “Ensure Stability.” What does that mean?
  • You mention that one should deliberately avoid their computer until after they have manually designed their structure. How can this be? 
  • What do you mean by “Be a Sponge”? Is that related to learning?
  • What do you mean by “Own Your Work”?

Here Are Your Top 5 Tips for Structural Engineers:

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What Does Transformational Leadership Mean for Engineers?

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 This is a guest blog by Holly Welles

Transformational LeadershipTransformational leadership is a model of leadership that involves a leader who inspires his or her followers to work together toward a common goal and focus on the greater good. The best transformational leaders can enter a stagnant organization, identify its issues, and begin making improvements almost immediately.

While this type of leadership may come naturally to some people, most must learn how to develop these skills before they can apply them. As future engineers, this means developing yourself, practicing these newly learned skills, and working towards a common goal with an organization in which you’re already involved.

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The Engineering Management Institute to Launch This Week in Civil Engineering

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This Week in Civil EngineeringRidgewood, NJ – The civil engineering industry is busier than ever, and with the failing infrastructure, climate change, and other world challenges, it will only get busier.

While it’s important for civil engineering professionals to stay up to date with industry news – who has the time?  Between project meetings, conference calls and site visits, civil engineers can’t afford to lose any of their billable time.

The solution…

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TCEP 138: Pipeline Infrastructure – Emerging Renewal Technologies for Pressurized Pipelines

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Pressurized PipelinesIn this episode, I talk to Steve Soldati, P.E., the Regional Sales Manager at Aegion Corporation. Steve was previously seen on episode 74 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, where he discussed effective communication strategies. In today’s episode, he will discuss emerging renewal technologies for pressurized pipelines, which can be very applicable to today’s world of crumbling infrastructure.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Steve:

  • Can you tell us about some of the career transitions you’ve had since we spoke with you last time on the podcast?
  • What is a pressurized pipeline?
  • In terms of the pressurized pipe systems, what is the landscape of the nation’s existing pressurized pipeline infrastructure?
  • What is the risk associated with this aging infrastructure?
  • From an engineering perspective, what are the challenges in trying to address this aging infrastructure of pressurized pipelines?
  • While there are risks involved, what are some things that can be done for renewing and rehabilitating this infrastructure?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Emerging Renewal Technologies for Pressurized Pipelines:

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Be Wary of the Echo Chamber

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 This is a guest blog by Tim Austin, PE

Echo ChamberA few years ago, I attended a conference sponsored by the Florida Engineering Society. The keynote speaker was retired astronaut Story Musgrave. Story is a powerful speaker, and I tremendously enjoyed the many tales of his unparalleled career. One particular story that he shared struck a chord.    

Story was the astronaut who worked on the Hubble Telescope during Servicing Mission 1 to fit the corrective lens. He shared that, in his preparations, he consulted with the world-renowned figure skater, Dorothy Hamill. Many wondered why an astronaut would consult with a figure skater regarding the repairs to the telescope.  

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TSEC 19: Engineers Week — Not Just a Week, but a Way of Life

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Engineers WeekIn this episode of The Structural Engineering Podcast, we talk to Reed Brockman, Associate Vice President and Bridge and Tunnel Inspection Leader at AECOM. We discuss National Engineers Week (EWeek) and, more specifically, the importance of inspiring the youth of today to become more aware of engineering and the state of the infrastructure in our world. 

Engineering Quotes:

Engineers Week

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Reed in This Episode:

  • What is your favorite project that you have worked on to date and why?
  • What does a tunnel inspection entail?
  • Why is Engineers Week important to our profession?
  • Can you tell us about your TV show?
  • You currently serve as the Chair of the Pre-College Outreach Committee of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers. What made you become so active in association work?
  • What impact has your organizational involvement had on your career or you personally?
  • Based on what you’ve seen in your career, what excites you most about the structural engineering industry? What worries you most?
  • How can events like EWeek be utilized to strengthen the future of our profession?

Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed About Engineers Week:

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Building Confidence: Empathetic Stakeholder Engagement

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Empathetic Stakeholder Engagement is a guest blog by Michael Burns, PE, PgMP, DBIA

Stakeholder EngagementPreviously, I encouraged you to broadly engage your network as you explore your professional intentions, creating balance, reducing stress, and inspiring learning objectives. A positive step in a naturally closed system, relying on trusted peers. Yet, as professionals in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Industry, we learn early on in our careers that a wide variety of dynamic voices, which we refer to as stakeholders influence our work and the infrastructure assets we deliver. For sustained success, we must consider the voices who inform and are informed by our work.  

So how do we build confidence as we face challenges, working with these dynamic stakeholder groups? The Project Management Institute (PMI) is one of many good resources to learn the science associated with stakeholder management. Let’s focus on the art of engaging diverse voices for our collective success — personally, professionally, and across the project delivery lifecycle.  

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