Podcast: The Infrastructure Show

Railroads and motor vehicles can come into conflict at level, or at-grade crossings. Such conflicts almost always lead to deadly consequences. In this podcast we consider the trend in rail grade crossing crashes, and the differences that crossing control devices, education, and other policies might make toward mitigating this risk.To understand how we can make these intersections safer, we talk with Professor Ian Savage of Northwestern University, a transport economist who studies the economics of transportation safety, including rail safety

Replacing an active railroad bridge while limiting disruptions to both rail and river traffic presents significant challenges in design and construction staging. The 1889 Merchants Bridge at St. Louis – the oldest remaining rail bridge across the Mississippi River – needed to be upgraded to modern standards. The work involved removal and replacement of three truss spans, accomplished in separate time windows, and demanding the precise coordination of multiple contractors, as well as rail and waterways operations.In this podcast we talk with Dan Sieve, Senior Project Manager for Walsh Construction, the company that led the effort, to learn how the work was done

Because temperatures below the surface of the earth are relatively constant year around, the earth can be used as a heat sink or source to cool or heat buildings, offering an energy source that is not only carbon-free, but is also constant. How does this work? Where and how can we use this seemingly free energy source?To answer these questions, we talk with Alessandro Rotta Loria, Assistant Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University, who studies the connections between geomechanics, energy, and environmental sustainability

Over 1200 tornadoes strike the U.S. each year, bringing destruction, injuries, and deaths to communities. Until recently there were no structural design standards specifically aimed at providing some tornado protection for buildings.In this podcast we talk with Dr. Marc Levitan, Lead Research Engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, to learn about tornadoes, the research he has done to lead the development of ASCE wind loading standards for designing structures to resist them, and the process for moving research into enhanced building codes

Is it more costly to build urban rail infrastructure in America? Does that affect the quality of the products? If so, can we do anything to control costs and get more value for our money?The Eno Center for Transportation, an independent think tank, conducted an extensive study to answer these questions. To tell us what they learned, Paul Lewis, Eno Vice President for Policy and Finance and a co-author of the study, joins us in conversation

The Everglades is a huge wetland – an area permanently covered with water – that includes a variety of unique ecosystems delivering essential services to both natural and human development systems, including water storage, treatment, flood control, and providing habits for many creatures and plants. Occupying much of Florida south of Orlando, the Everglades has felt the effects of human activities for hundreds of years. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is a congressionally mandated, 35-year federal/state collaboration that is restoring, preserving, and protecting the Everglades.To learn more about the Everglades and CERP we invited Eva Velez, Chief of the Ecosystems Branch of the Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to talk with us

We rely on state and local highway agencies to assure the safety and functionality of the more that 618,000 bridges the American public traverses on a daily basis. The sheer numbers, our aging bridge population, and limits to funding make this a large and demanding responsibility. How do these agencies assess the condition of our bridges and set priorities for repair and replacement?To learn how one state department of transportation works to assure that its bridges are in a state of good repair, we talk with Todd Springer, Assistant State Structure and Bridge Engineer for Design and Project Delivery at the Virginia Department of Transportation

Competition for urban curb space can be fierce on a day to day basis, and a policy and technical challenge for longer term planning. Delivery companies and their customers, people trying to park their cars, pedestrians, and bike riders are all in the mix. How common is this competition? What are the options for allocating scarce curb space so all of the important needs are met?To learn about this problem and possible solutions, we talk with Anne Goodchild, Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Director of the Supply Chain Transportation & Logistics Center at the University of Washington

Groundwater is the source of about 40 percent of our potable water, and thus it is important for many households, farms, manufacturing, and other processes. In some places groundwater is contaminated, or at risk of contamination. In many placed it is being used at rates faster than it is being recharged. How do we manage groundwater? What are the risks that it faces, and what can we do about them?In this podcast we talk with Dr. Bill Alley, Director of Science and Technology, for the National Ground Water Association

Rail terminals are the beginning and end points of the rail freight journey, and they serve a key sorting function for merchandise trains, those carrying mixed freight. Rail terminals are large, complex, and varied in their characteristics, and their functioning is critical to the success and efficiency of rail freight and the broader U.S. supply chain logistics system.To learn about railroad terminal operations and design, we talk with an expert on the subject, Rich Gray, who served as General Director of Asset Planning before retiring from the Union Pacific Railroad