Podcast: The Infrastructure Show

Almost every infrastructure system has its foundation in the earth, and the earth can hide interesting and important secrets from the past. This creates what is perhaps a surprising role for archeology in infrastructure construction. To anticipate, identify and preserve valued subsurface finds, many infrastructure agencies engage archeologists as full-time professionals or contractors. In this interview we learn about the archeology-infrastructure connection from James Robertson, who is senior archeologist with the Michigan Department of Transportation

Tall buildings mean vertical transportation, and elevators, the machines that do the heavy lifting for us, have made those buildings possible. Building height and elevator capabilities have evolved together, and new needs and concerns for sustainability are bringing about changes in elevators themselves. In this interview we talk with Thomas Leslie, who is Morrill Pickard Chilton Professor of Architecture at Iowa State University. He works on the integration of building sciences and arts, and his 2013 book, Chicago Skyscrapers, 1871-1934, is a valued source on the effects of technologies and materials on building design

Clean and plentiful water is essential for life. New York City has the largest municipal water system in the United States. More than 10 million people rely on this complex of reservoirs and aqueducts, some of which are more than a century and a half old. In this podcast we learn about the structure, history, and current state of the New York City water supply system from Kevin Bone, Professor and Director of the Institute for Sustainable Design at the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at The Cooper Union in New York City. His edited book, Water-Works – The Architecture and Engineering of the New York City Water Supply System, Monacelli Press, 2006, describes the development of the fresh water system for New York.

Chicago is the rail hub for the nation, served by six of seven Class I railroads that form the major interchange point for east-west rail traffic. Because of the large number of rail and road conflicts, Chicago is also the focal point for congestion and delays on the national rail network. To address this problem, in 2003 the railroads joined forces with federal, state and local governments to establish a partnership called CREATE, for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program. In this interview we talk with William Thompson, Chief Engineer of CREATE, who explains its mission, projects, and progress

Securing the money to maintain public infrastructure continues to be a top priority in the United States. The surface transportation system, roads, bridges, and public transportation facilities, need ongoing investment to assure that they meet economic and social needs. In January, 2017, the State of Pennsylvania increased its gas tax to become the highest in the nation, working under 2013 legislation that restructured the state’s approach to transportation funding. Since then Pennsylvania has made considerable progress renewing and improving its transportation infrastructure. In this interview we talk with Roger Cohen, Policy Director for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, to learn about his state’s strategy and progress

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is a strong advocate for infrastructure in the United States. Its quadrennial Infrastructure Report Card has brought us a comprehensive assessment of that infrastructure since 1992, and the picture has not been a pretty one. Reviewing 16 major types of infrastructure, the ASCE report card tells us how we’re doing and offers directions for essential improvements. In this interview we talk with Casey Dinges, Senior Managing Director of the ASCE, about the 2017 report card. More details on ASCE’s Infrastructure Report Card is at www.infrastructurereportcard.org

Big infrastructure projects often present the need to move very large objects, such as parts of chemical processing plants or even entire bridges. The capacity for moving massive components has grown to an impressive scale. In this podcast we talk with Jack Tol, Senior Sales Engineer with Mammoet, a company that provides solutions for lifting and moving large and heavy structures

When infrastructure becomes obsolete, unsafe, or the need for it goes away, and when the space is better used for something new, that facility must be demolished. Structures are usually disassembled piece by piece, but sometimes controlled explosion may be more efficient or necessary. This process may be no less complex than building a structure anew. In this interview we talk with Mark Loizeaux, President of Controlled Demolition, who tells us about how explosives are used to remove structures rapidly and safely

Forecasts of the costs and benefits of infrastructure projects are important for making informed investment decisions. However, there have been many instances of major cost overruns and unexpected low utilization of new facilities. To explore the nature and pattern of such prediction errors and what we can do to make more accurate predictions, we talk with, Dr. Martin Wachs, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Urban Planning at UCLA, formerly with the RAND Corporation and before that professor at UC Berkeley

Cable stayed bridges have become increasingly common in the past few decade, and they seem to be the design of choice for modern bridges spanning 500 to as much as 2,000 feet. In this podcast we learn of the mechanics and the advantages of this architecturally appealing design from an expert in the field, Denny Pate, Senior Vice President and Principal Bridge Engineer with Figg Engineering in Tallahassee, Florid