Fire & Water
Over the years, wildfires have crept out of the wild and into the urban landscape, threatening more lives, property, and infrastructure than ever before, sometimes devastating communities. In Paradise,...
Sediment Pollution: Solving "Rill" Problems Using RECPs
Sediment pollution causes an estimated $16 billion in environmental damage annually. Sediment is the most common pollutant in rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs, causing such negative effects as temperature...
What’ll They Think of Next? Dewatering Contaminated Slurries Using Geotextile Tubes
Sediment must be dredged from the bottom of waterbodies to maintain their capacity and navigability. Dredging, by its nature, involves the removal of highwater-content slurries and also helps preserve...
Design of Shoreline Protection Measures : The Importance of Geotechnical Engineering in Waterfront Design
Over the past decade, there’s been an increased realization of the need to better protect our shorelines, particularly in urban environments along coastlines that have already been impacted by storm surge...
One Park, Many Functions
The Eastern Glades project in Houston has added a new artificial lake and other amenities to the city’s Memorial Park. As a highlight of the park’s 10-year master plan, the multifunction Hines Lake provides...
Preparing for Wind and Water
Engineers have played an essential role in preparing cities and states for the 2021 hurricane season.Their efforts to protect the public and public infrastructure range from sea walls to sewer systems,...
Rethinking Barrier Island Restoration: Building a Resilient Louisiana Coast
Louisiana stands on the front lines of the United States’ fight against coastal erosion and land loss. A combination of rising sea levels, subsidence, wave action, human development, and sediment depravation...
Lead-Free in Louisville
Long before lead in drinking water became a common concern, the Louisville Water Co. began a concerted campaign to identify and remove publicly owned lead service lines from its distribution system. Earlier...
Risk, Resilience, Response
In accordance with the requirements of the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, U.S. drinking water providers must complete risk and resilience assessments and emergency response plans. Large water...
Solutions for Soft Soils
Because of highly permeable soils and high water tables, deep foundations and basements in southeast Florida have been virtually impossible, limiting the excavation depths in cities like Miami and leading...
A New Approach to Mitigate Subsidence Problems: A New Approach to Mitigate Subsidence Problems
Mexico City has a decades-old problem with severe consequences: its lacustrine zone is subsiding due to pumping of potable water from the main aquifer. The geotechnical team assigned to work on the problem...
Connecting Continents: Challenges of the Eurasia Tunnel in Istanbul
The Eurasia Tunnel, the first bored tunnel crossing of the Istanbul Strait (Bosphorus) in Istanbul, Turkey, is a site that presents many unique challenges, including very poor ground conditions, unusually...
Adventures in Managing Water
Real-World Engineering Experiences
Sponsored by the River Basin Planning, Policy, and Operations Technical Committee of the Planning and Management Council of the Environmental and Water Resources Institute of ASCEAdventures in Managing...
Properties of Biochar-Amended Highway Soils: Biochar – An Eco-friendly Geomaterial
Historically, geotechnical engineers have designed or modified soils and sediments to achieve particular strength, volume change, or flow characteristics. For example, lime and fly ash have been used to...
Tailings Impoundment Closure: It's All in the Eye of the Beholder
Since the early 1900s, the mining and power-generation industries have disposed of tailings and other waste products using impoundments. The term "tailings" typically refers to the fine-grained waste product...
When Things Became Muddy: TVA's Response to Seepage Discharge at Boone Dam
In October 2014, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) profited from investments in a robust dam safety program. This profit did not come in the form of money, but more importantly in the protection of...
Cracking the Nuclear Code: Finding an Alternative to the Nuclear Density Gauge
Two of the most basic quality control tests made in the field during soil construction are the soil’s moisture content and density. The establishment of a uniform procedure to compare the performance of...
Improving Cost and Schedule Performance on Municipal Pipeline Projects: Realizing the Benefits of the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) Alternative Project Delivery Method
The water and wastewater infrastructure in the United States is failing. In its 2013
Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations
Civil engineers have responsibilities for the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of physical infrastructures. These infrastructures include all types of buildings,...
Evaluating Bridges With Unknown Foundations for Susceptibility to Scour: North Carolina Applies Risk-Based Guidelines to Over 3,750 Bridges
Scour occurs when flowing water removes erodible material such as sand and rock. For bridges over water, scour affects the stability of pier and abutment foundations and contributes to...
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