TCEP-The Civil Engineering Podcast

TCEP 131: Working on a World-Changing Civil Engineering Project

November 20, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 131 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, which is our sixth episode in our Women in Civil Engineering series, I talk with Philippa Jefferis, a senior consultant and engineer at IMC Worldwide. Philippa is the safeguard and compliance manager who focuses on the safety and constructability of elements. She talks about working in the international development field and, more specifically, about a world-changing civil engineering project she is working on in Nepal.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Philippa:

Do you enjoy traveling and working internationally?
Tell us about the project you are working on right now.
Talk to us about the terrain and how that’s been challenging for the project in general.
How do the weather conditions impact project scheduling?
What is the reaction of the people of Nepal toward this project?
What would you say to engineers who are considering doing work internationally?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode about Working on a World-Changing Civil Engineering Project:

TCEP 130: Dealing with Major Career Decisions and Transitions as a Civil Engineer

November 6, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 130 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, our fifth episode in our Women in Civil Engineering series, we’re taking you with us to Hawaii to visit Coffman Engineers. There we talk to Jami Hirota PE, LEED AP, a civil engineer and experienced project manager that manages a quickly growing civil engineering department. Jamie will discuss the impact that major career decisions and transitions as a civil engineer can have on your career and tell us about a very difficult career decision she had to make around leaving the family engineering business and how it has impacted her civil engineering career and her personal life.

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Jami:

What are some of the benefits of working for a small civil engineering firm?
How is civil engineering different in Hawaii?
Is there a lot of work for engineers in the public sector in Hawaii?
How has being a female engineer in the industry impacted you in your civil engineering career?
How did you manage transitions as a civil engineer in your career?
What is your philosophy on management?

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Career Decisions and Transitions as a Civil Engineer:

TCEP 129: Two Civil Engineering Presidents on the Steps They Took to Success

October 23, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 129 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, our fourth episode in our Women in Civil Engineering series, I talk to two female civil engineering presidents from different cities in Texas. They are Julia Harrod, P.E., F.NSPE who is the President of MWM DesignGroup and Bonnie Moss, P.E. who is the President of MBCO Engineering. We talk about the steps they took to become successful civil engineering presidents and they also provide some great advice on how you can become a productive and successful civil engineering professional in your field.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask These Two Civil Engineering Presidents:

What are the ups and downs of being a business owner?
Tell us about the philosophy of work/life balance.
How do you prioritize your tasks for the day?
How did you obtain the necessary financial experience and skills to run a company?
What is it like to be a civil engineer in Texas?
Tell us about the hiring process you follow.
Did you always want to be the president of a firm?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode:

TCEP 128: Becoming a Well Rounded Civil Engineering Professional

October 9, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 128 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, which is our third episode in our Women in Civil Engineering series, I visit with Michelle Briehof, P.E. who is a project manager at Maser Consulting.

Michelle talks about some of the non-technical aspects and actions you can take as a civil engineering professional to build confidence and equip yourself as a well rounded civil engineering professional. She walks us through her career journey, from the beginning of her career up to where she is now and the experiences that have helped her to attain her position. She also tells us about the Maser Women’s Organization and how it has helped all employees at Maser, men and women, to build confidence and get the necessary exposure needed to become well-rounded engineering professionals.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Michelle:

Tell us more about the Maser Women’s Organization
How has the Maser Women’s Organization impacted you?
How does being a mother impact your career?
Tell us about your involvement in the different disciplines at your firm?
Have you found that developing knowledge in different civil engineering disciplines has been helpful in your efforts?
How important is it to have confidence as a manager?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Becoming a Well Rounded Civil Engineering Professional:

TCEP 127: Digital Twins for Digital Cities

September 25, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

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Bob Mankowski, P.E., Vice President of the Bentley’s Digital Cities Business unit with a 3D representation of the The City of Helsinki. The City of Helsinki used Bentley’s reality capture technology for geo-coordination, optioneering, modeling, and visualization throughout the Helsinki 3D+ project.

In episode 127 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I will be taking you on a road trip to Connecticut, to the offices of Bentley Systems, to visit with Robert (Bob) Mankowski, P.E. who is a civil engineer and also the Vice President of Bentley’s Digital Cities Business Unit. Bob will discuss the power of digital twins for digital cities and emphasizes the importance of having technological advancement as a tool in the preparation and mitigation of city-wide projects. This episode is also available on YouTube.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Bob:

Tell our listeners about your background and career journey and how you got to where you are today.
What is your role with Bentley Systems?
Are there cities that are already using the digital twin process?
What excites you about the future of civil engineering?
What worries you about the future of civil engineering?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Digital Cities for Digital Twins:

Obtaining field experience early in your career makes a big difference in terms of understanding how your work as an engineer will impact other people around you.
A digital twin is a digital replica of a physical product, process or system that bridges together the physical world and the digital world. It does not only involve the geometric or physical replica in a digital world. It also includes engineering technology which allows you to understand and model the behavior and performance of the infrastructure as well.
A digital twin is built up from a variety of different sources containing different data. You will then typical connect it to an IOT which provides the real-time and historical performance of the system into the digital replica.
One of the ways in which you would start creating a digital city and a digital twin of a city is through a process called reality modeling. The idea is that your vertical replica reflects the actual reality. An example of doing this would be by transforming photos into 3D models. The 3D model would then become the integration point for other data. Having this 3D model is a way of indexing all of this information and accessing it in a very intuitive and immersive environment.
The demand for civil engineers is growing dramatically and it is uncertain whether the enrollment rate and graduation of civil engineers are going to be able to keep up with that demand.
There are so many things that civil engineers can have an impact on in this world, so we need to make sure that we have enough skilled and professional civil engineers out there.

More details in this episode…

About Robert (Bob) Mankowski, P.E.

Bob joined Bentley Systems in the company’s 2004 acquisition of Haestad Methods, where he served as chief technology officer. He is a co-inventor of seven patented technologies. Prior to serving as the Digital Cities business executive, Bob was the leader of the product teams that created AssetWise capabilities for water, wastewater, geospatial, and communications infrastructure. Bob has a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Drexel University and is a licensed professional engineer.

Sources/References:

Bob Mankowski’s LinkedIn|
Bentley Systems
TSEC 07: Drones and Structural Engineering Inspections – A Marriage in the Making
EMI’s YouTube Channel

Here Are Some of the Digital Twins for Digital Cities Projects Bentley Has Worked On:

Helsinki, Finland Project
Oporto, Portugal Project

This episode is brought to you by Maser Consulting P.A., a privately owned, multi-discipline, consulting and engineering design firm with a unique balance of public and private sector experience. Established in 1984 by Richard M. Maser, PE, PP, CME, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, the firm has an expert staff of licensed engineers, planners, surveyors, landscape architects, and environmental scientists with offices strategically located nationwide. Click here to learn more about Maser Consulting P.A. today.

If you are interested in taking our FREE CMAP Diagnostic Case Study, please email Betty at >> betty@engineeringmanagementinstitute.org

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

Dynamics of Software Development

Objectives and Key Results: Driving Focus, Alignment, and Engagement with OKRs

Please leave your comments or questions in the section below on Digital Cities for Digital Twins.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider downloading our free list of 33 Productivity Routines of Top Engineering Executives. Click the button below to download.

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To your success,

Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success

TCEP 126: Starting A Civil Engineering Firm

September 11, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 126 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I will be talking with Dax Hoff, PE who is the founder and owner of Dax Consulting. Dax outlines the process of starting a civil engineering firm and also covers some of the aspects of building an engineering business including finding new business and hiring the right people.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Dax:

Tell us about your background and career journey and how you got to where you are today.
Take us through your thought process of deciding on starting a civil engineering firm.
Did you always feel that you wanted to become a business owner?
What are some of the benefits to starting a civil engineering firm?
What are some of the risks in starting your own business?
How do you bring in new business when starting and growing a civil engineering firm?
Talk to us about the process of hiring engineering staff?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Starting A Civil Engineering Firm:

TCEP 125: The Design Build Project Delivery Process and Why It Will Continue to Become More Popular

August 28, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 125 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, which is our second episode in our Women in Civil Engineering series, I will be talking to Mary Lang, P.E., P.P., LEED GA, who is a principal at Yu & Associates. Mary will discuss design build and what civil engineers should know about this delivery process, which while it has been around for a while, continues to become more and more popular.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Mary:

What advice can you give some of the younger female engineers out there?
Tell us about the time you took a break in your career to raise your children?
What is Design Build?
What are the benefits and risks of using this delivery process from the engineer’s perspective?
Do you see Design Build becoming more popular moving forward?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Design Build:

TCEP 124: Technology, Innovation, and Smart Cities – What Civil Engineers Need to Know

August 14, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 124 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I will be taking you with me to Philadelphia where we will be visiting the offices of Pennoni to talk to Joseph Viscuso, PE, PLS, ENV SP who serves as Pennoni’s Senior Vice President and Director of Strategic Growth. We will be talking about smart cities and specifically about understanding how important it is to embrace technology and to be innovative in your career. Viscuso also elaborates on the next wave of technology which is heavily reliant on the 5G network and also the threats that cyber security has on smart cities. You can also view this episode on YouTube. You don’t want to miss this one!

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Joe:

I know that you spend a lot of your time traveling to different cities and venues to discuss innovation and technology—why do you think that is important for the future of firms like Pennoni?
How do you see innovation/technology changing the everyday landscape in the engineering profession?
If I gave you a crystal ball, what would you see about the future of smart cities?
If I gave you a magic wand, how would you use it to increase smart city momentum?
We have heard a lot about cyber security threats – how can this impact smart cities?
What are some of the challenges for cities to adopt smart technologies?
What can residents do to move the conversation further on smart city solutions?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Smart Cities, Technology and Innovation:

TCEP 123: Women in Civil Engineering – Inclusion, Diversity, and STEM Oh My!

July 31, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

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Monica Morales, PE, ENV SP

In episode 123 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Monica Morales, PE, ENV SP who is a water engineer for Jacobs in their Los Angeles office. This is the first episode in a special series we are publishing entitled Women in Civil Engineering. In this episode, we will focus on the importance of inclusion and diversity in engineering. Monica also discusses sustainability through STEM Outreach and the importance of women in engineering.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Monica:

What does it mean to be a statistically improbable engineer, like yourself?
Tell us more about the statistics for the United States in terms of diversity in engineering and civil engineering?
Talk to us about the importance of inclusion and diversity?
What can we do to help more under-served students to pursue STEM careers?
Why do you think it is important for engineering employers to diversify their leadership?
How do you make STEM activities fun for students?
Tell us more about drawing girls into STEM specifically?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode:

TCEP 122: How to Work Faster but Also Work Smarter as a Civil Engineering Professional

July 17, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 122 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I provide some strategies for working faster but also working smarter as a civil engineering professional. In today’s fast paced world, engineers need to work faster to get everything on their plates accomplished. Working fast often leads to making many mistakes which can be catastrophic in the civil engineering world, but what if you could work faster, but also smarter? If you can do this, you will be setting yourself up for major success.

TCEP-The Civil Engineering Podcast

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Philippa:

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode about Working on a World-Changing Civil Engineering Project:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Jami:

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Career Decisions and Transitions as a Civil Engineer:

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask These Two Civil Engineering Presidents:

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode:

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Michelle:

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Becoming a Well Rounded Civil Engineering Professional:

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Bob:

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Digital Cities for Digital Twins:

More details in this episode…

About Robert (Bob) Mankowski, P.E.

Sources/References:

Here Are Some of the Digital Twins for Digital Cities Projects Bentley Has Worked On:

If you are interested in taking our FREE CMAP Diagnostic Case Study, please email Betty at >> betty@engineeringmanagementinstitute.org

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Dax:

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Starting A Civil Engineering Firm:

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Mary:

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Design Build:

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Joe:

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Smart Cities, Technology and Innovation:

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Monica:

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode:

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are 7 Strategies That You Can Use to Work Faster but Also Work Smarter as a Civil Engineering Professional: