Civil engineer on a construction site

What Do Civil Engineers Do, Exactly?

Most people have heard the term civil engineer, yet few know exactly what these highly-trained professionals do. Among other things, they’re the heroes who design, build, and maintain bridges, roads, and utility infrastructure. In this article, we’ll explore: What it takes to become a civil engineer Their origin story The training required and some of […] Read More

Cable stayed bridge design

How it Works: Engineering Bridges to Handle Stress

Bridges are generally thought of as static structures. The truth is that they actually act more like dynamic, living beings. They constantly change, responding to different loads, weather patterns, and other types of stress in order to function. In some cases, much like a person undergoing a trauma, bridges must “react” to extremely stressful events […] Read More

Skagit bridge collapse

9 Common Reasons for Bridge Failures

Featured image By Martha T (05-23-13 Skagit Bridge Collapse) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons Bridge failures can lead to injuries, loss of life, and property damage on a scale equal to plane crashes, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters. That’s why bridge designers, engineers, construction workers, managers, and inspectors take their jobs so seriously. The […] Read More

hangzhou bridge

Famous Bridges Around the World (& Their Engineering Secrets)

Billions of commuters cross millions of bridges all over the world every day. In most cases, the experience is mediocre and unmemorable. However, over the centuries, some people took it on themselves to build bridges that truly stand out and make the experience of crossing them a memorable one. Here are some of the most […] Read More

Tacoma Narrows Bridge

The Greatest American Bridges (& What We Can Learn from Them)

Millions of people cross thousands of bridges all over the U.S. every day and think nothing of it. However, driving over some bridges is a truly memorable experience. Many even come with incredible histories and stories about how they were designed, engineered, and built. Here are our choices for the most interesting bridges in America, […] Read More

Queensboro Bridge

7 Iconic Bridge Designs (& Their Utilities)

Bridges are such a common part of everyday life, they’re often taken for granted. Whether driving, walking, or traveling by train, they make it possible for us to cross bodies of water, valleys, roads, and other geological and manmade barriers. Equally important, they allow vital utility lines, including cables and pipelines, to span these barriers […] Read More

Highway Bridges

Accelerated Bridge Construction: Building Better Bridges

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), approximately one out of every four of the 600,000 bridges in the United States needs to be rehabilitated, repaired or completely replaced. The level of conventional bridge construction it will take to remedy this could result in a big increase in traffic delays, economic costs, construction-related accidents and […] Read More