Karen Lindberg Jefferson, CSP CPMR IEBB’s Post

To be blunt: a huge opportunity to improve local infrastructure is going to be over in the blink of an eye. Make a difference - apply for grant funds and bring them home to your community. Join us Thursday at Burns & McDonnell - see Kerrie Greenfelder, PE, DBIA, BCEE, F.NSPE post below to learn more. We are almost three years into the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Kansas has received about $137 per capita. Missouri is at $121 per capita. We’re doing a little bit better than average compared with other states. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve your water pipes, broadband or whatever your community needs. Kansas has set up an infrastructure hub to provide support and assistance to local communities to apply for grants which Matthew Hanson, CGMS will discuss on Thursday. Read more about KC infrastructure trends in my recent roundtable interview with the Kansas City Business Journal. https://lnkd.in/gncr8XC7

Infrastructure moves the economy and taking full advantage of the dollars available means improved quality of life. Interesting to hear from those who are making this happen. #infrastructure #community #grantsmanagement

🚧 Navigating the Shift: The retirement of the US Survey Foot paves the way for a unified measurement system, enhancing accuracy in surveying and mapping. Learn more about this transformative shift and what it means for the future of engineering projects: https://bit.ly/3JCMVJ4 #Surveying #InternationalFoot #Engineering

Check out this article on letting project risk shape the design process for rigid inclusions! #Rigidinclusions #MenardUSA

As America's infrastructure ages, countless local governments across the country find themselves at an important crossroads. Faced with the often expensive and critical task of upgrading their local infrastructure, they must decide how to proceed: the most economical option? incremental patchwork? or large-scale overhaul programs that will be a long-term investment in the future. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, recently faced this challenge, and it decided to look to the future by undertaking a massive overhaul of its aging water system. The city chose SAM as a partner to make these vital improvements, and the program ended up requiring extensive knowledge of multiple geospatial and engineering disciplines. Luckily, SAM's Managed Geospatial Solutions™ framework was uniquely suited to the challenge. We detail how our team helped the city make this program a success in our latest case story: https://lnkd.in/dkeVKCEN

Such a great session hosted by Colin Craney for our ragtag bunch of legends in our Digital Engineering team and our GIS wizards with Ben Somerville. Being able to sit together in our busy schedules to acknowledge achievements by our teams (went over 5-6 slides long), what direction we are heading as a group, and importantly what can we challenge ourselves to accomplish together. One key thing we focused on was what is a critical challenge we can focus on now, and in a room of technical nerds (let's face facts, it's what made us good at what we do) was how can we 'improve the way we look after each other, and how can we mitigate burnout'. For this group to focus on a human aspect is a really great sign from this outstanding group of humans. Loving your work: Matt Drake, Amalia Athanassopoulos, Nathan Beplate, Geraint Jones, Kyle Forlong, Michael McCormack, Gabbie Kerrisk, Jim Lehmann, Warren Allan, Christine El-Daghl & Yan Zepf. Looking forward to pushing this group further out as we continue to focus on what makes us a great Digital Engineering team - Delivering John Holland projects.

One of the first projects I was a technical lead on was a “small” intersection replacement. Looking back on it it was neither easy nor small. It heavily involved some of the most dreaded two words for any roadway engineer: Utility Relocation. Those two words redefined the magnitude of the project from every facet. More importantly, what was supposed to be a small line item in any work program turned into a sprawling behemoth of coordination which involved learning what exactly is an obsolete pipe material, just how large a mast arm foundation capable of withstanding 175 mph wind loads can be, and how having aerial & land rights is just as important as the improvement itself. This is all to say: This will be the new norm. The topic of Lifeline Infrastructure (which includes energy, water, wastewater, communications, and multimodal transportation) is the fulcrum point of catastrophic failure and a truly resilient built environment. Details matter & what’s visible and hidden will turn something “small” into something not manageable for any firm, agency, state or region. The time for practioners, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to collaborate and communicate is now. Because that small intersection is just a microcosm of the road ahead (pun intended).

On August 13, learn about the goals and objectives of Michigan Department of Transportation’s Connected Corridor project, as well as the potential impacts of the Connected Corridor on transportation safety, efficiency, and mobility. Register here: https://bit.ly/3zKNYVL Elise Feldpausch

Who says you can't mix Engineering and Entertainment into one sentence??? - What a cool story! Chris Barron, former chief communications officer at Bentley used his resonant bass voice to bring unexpected charm and swagger to the infrastructure world. His creativity and performances became a highlight of our annual Year in Infrastructure and Going Digital Awards. Read... and listen to how he merged entertainment and engineering.

The August 2024 issue (Vol. 10, Issue 4) of the International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering is now available online. #geosynthetics #groundengineering #sustainability https://lnkd.in/gnwnvPZC