Project Management

TCEP 118: Information Civil Engineers Should Seek Up-Front for Proposal Writing Success

May 22, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 118 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I visit with Karen Morgan, P.E. who is the owner and founder of the AEC Proposal Institute. We discuss what information civil engineering professionals need to seek up-front for proposal writing success. Morgan discusses 5 specific points that you can use as a checklist to ensure you write more winning proposals.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are 5 Important Points Engineers Should Always Seek Up-Front for Proposal Writing Success:

TCEP 114: What Civil Engineering Firms Need to Know About Providing Drone Services or Hiring Firms to Do So

March 27, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 114 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Scott Harrigan, who is the CEO, Co-Founder and Chief Pilot at Harkin Aerial about the use of drones in civil engineering and specifically what civil engineering firms need to know about providing drone services for themselves or hiring outside firms to do so.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Scott About Providing Drone Services:

What will people in the A/E industries use drones for?
What is photogrammetry?
How have the software and programs evolve in the drone industry?
Talk to us about the regulations and guidelines for using drones.
Do you work for companies that use drones and/or firms that have no drones at all?
What are some things that people should be aware of when purchasing a drone?
When purchasing a drone, what do you need to think about in terms of insurance?
Explain one example of a project you’ve worked on before?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Drone Services:

TCEP 112: Managing Mega Civil Engineering Projects and Staying Calm in the Process

February 27, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 112 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I’m taking you with me to the offices of Louis Berger where I will be speaking with the Department Manager, Muzamil Husain, PE. We talk about the importance of managing mega civil engineering projects and how to stay calm during stressful situations.

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Muzamil Husain:

In terms of project management, what would you say are some things that you have done that made you successful?
How do you determine what tasks to work on each day?
Can you describe the Magnetic Levitation project?
As a project manager you need to get good at understanding your resources and deploying them in the right areas. How does one get good at that?
What do you do to improve the culture on your team?

Here are some key points discussed in this episode about managing mega civil engineering projects:

TCEP 101: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the ICE Global Engineering Congress

October 10, 2018 By Christian Knutson, PE, PgMP, PMP

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In episode 101 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, which is the third episode in a 3-part special series focused on preparing us for the Global Engineering Congress 2018, I am bringing you with me to the offices of Mott MacDonald to sit down with Global Sustainability Leader Davide Stronati. Get ready for a great conversation around the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and how civil engineers can tactically support the achievement of these goals.

Here are some of the questions I ask Davide:

What role does a corporate, or strategic, sustainability managing director play and what responsibilities do they hold?
What is the primary outcome, with regards to GEC18, that you wish to see?
From a civil engineering perspective, what does sustainability mean to you?
What does your role as the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Sustainability Leadership Team Chair entail?
What is your call to action regarding the SDGs for civil engineers listening to this podcast?

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some key points discussed on the UN SDGs and the ICE Global Engineering Congress:

TCEP 084: The Importance of Sustainable Infrastructure Featuring Kristina Swallow

May 21, 2018 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 084 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, which is the first episode of a 5 episode Infrastructure Series, I talk with Kristina Swallow, PE., ENV SP, F. ASCE, who is the current President of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), about the importance of sustainable infrastructure.

Here are some of the questions I ask Kristina on sustainable infrastructure:

Why should we be concerned about our infrastructure in the US?
How can we as civil engineering professionals help to improve infrastructure?
How can we advocate for infrastructure funding?
Could you describe one of your typical days as ASCE President?
What parts of your job as ASCE President do you find most challenging?
What do find most enjoyable in your job as ASCE President ?

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some key points discussed on sustainable infrastructure:

TCEP 076: Two Professionals in the Civil Engineering Industry who are Impacting the World Beyond their Engineering Projects

January 31, 2018 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 76 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I interview two guests that work in the Civil Engineering world and have worked on very special projects that are helping our community and the world as a whole. They are Alan Lloyd, CIH, CSP, Associate Vice President and Corporate Health and Safety Officer from Pennoni, and Menzer Pehlivan, Ph.D., P.E., from CH2M who was one of the stars in the Dream Big Movie.

Here are some of the questions I ask our guests on impacting the world through these special projects:

TCEP 067: The Construction of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial

September 27, 2017 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 067 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I visit the Mount Rushmore National Memorial and will be telling you about the construction of this amazing monument, which is a massive sculpture carved into the side of a mountain in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. I will be talking to Maureen McGee-Ballinger from the National Parks Service as well as Lou Del Bianco who recently published his book: Out of Rushmore’s Shadow: The Luigi Del Bianco Story – An Italian Immigrant’s Unsung Role as Chief Carver.

Here are some of the questions I ask about the Mount Rushmore National Memorial:

Take us back to before the monument, where did the idea come from?
How do you budget for a project like this?
How many workers were involved in the construction of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial and how long did it take to complete the project?
Did the designer Borglum have any idea how long this project would take?
Tell us about the stone itself and what they encountered while carving it?
How were safety procedures implemented on Mount Rushmore?
Tell us more about the actual construction of the monument?
What did they do with all the rock that they blasted?

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some key points discussed in this episode:

TCEP 066: The Importance of Construction Cost Estimating for Civil Engineers

September 13, 2017 By Anthony Fasano

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In episode 066 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Scott Jennings, P.E. principal of SJ Construction Consulting, LLC about the importance of cost estimating for civil engineers.

Here are some of the questions I ask Scott:

Can you walk us through the process of putting together an construction cost estimate? What is involved?
Do contractors use unit pricing for their estimates, or do they evaluate each individual item in a job and customize the pricing to each of the construction activities?
How is job site and/or corporate overhead incorporated into a bid?
How is profit/markup handled?
Is industry standard for bids to often be unit priced (versus lump sum). How are the unit prices determined by contractors (or civil engineers)?
Is there a difference between estimates on bid day and change order estimating?

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some key points discussed on Construction Cost Estimating:

TCEP 061: Understanding Emerging Contaminants and Regulatory Matters for Civil Engineers

July 5, 2017 By Christian Knutson, PE, PgMP, PMP

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In episode 061 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Shalene Thomas who is the is the Emerging Contaminants Program Manager for Amec Foster Wheeler about understanding emerging contaminants and Regulatory Matters for Civil Engineers.

Here are some of the questions I ask Shalene:

What is PFAS?
Why are these substances a concern now or have they been for a while?
What kind of work is underway to help us better understand the effects these substances have on humans?
What are the current drivers for action?
What are some key EPA or state regulations related to PFAS one should be aware of?
What are options for remediation and clean-up?
As a civil engineer, what are three important take-away items to know about PFAS?

Engineering Quotes

Here are some key points discussed in this episode on emerging contaminants and regulatory matters for civil engineers:

TCEP 058: Ensuring the Resilience of Electricity Infrastructure Systems

May 24, 2017 By Christian Knutson, PE, PgMP, PMP

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In episode 58 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Jonathon Monken, Senior Director, System Resiliency and Strategic Coordination in the ITS Division of PJM Interconnection about the resilience of electricity infrastructure systems, Black Sky events, and what civil engineers can do to help reduce risk to the electricity infrastructure systems.

Here are some of the questions I ask Jonathan:

Can you describe for us the top three resiliency issues that our electrical infrastructure faces in the U.S. today?
What are, if any, interdependencies with natural gas and communications in the electricity infrastructure system?
What components of the electrical system need to be addressed first?
Can you explain what Black Sky is?
What are some of the mitigation steps that can be taken at the regional level to lessen the duration of outages?
How does resilience planning different from planning for reliability and efficiency?
What is your definition of resiliency?
How can the industry ensure the protection of our nation’s electricity infrastructure systems from cyber-attacks, or at least give operators a chance to limit the impact from a cyber-attack?
Are there physical barriers that can be used to improve resilience or this a cyber defense only?
What might be the best role for civil engineers to help in resilience planning to reduce risk to the electricity infrastructure system?

Project Management

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are 5 Important Points Engineers Should Always Seek Up-Front for Proposal Writing Success:

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Scott About Providing Drone Services:

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Drone Services:

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Muzamil Husain:

Here are some key points discussed in this episode about managing mega civil engineering projects:

Here are some of the questions I ask Davide:

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some key points discussed on the UN SDGs and the ICE Global Engineering Congress:

Here are some of the questions I ask Kristina on sustainable infrastructure:

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some key points discussed on sustainable infrastructure:

Here are some of the questions I ask our guests on impacting the world through these special projects:

Here are some of the questions I ask about the Mount Rushmore National Memorial:

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some key points discussed in this episode:

Here are some of the questions I ask Scott:

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some key points discussed on Construction Cost Estimating:

Here are some of the questions I ask Shalene:

Engineering Quotes

Here are some key points discussed in this episode on emerging contaminants and regulatory matters for civil engineers:

Here are some of the questions I ask Jonathan:

Engineering Quotes

Here are some key points discussed in this episode on the Resilience of Electricity Infrastructure Systems: