Over the last few days I've been reading the responses to the departure of Rod Humble, the CEO of Linden Lab – the company that owns and operates Second Life. Here are a few sites where you can find some in-depth and thoughtful discussion. The Oracle of Pixels on Andromeda, written by William Burns Rod…
Category: Civil Engineering
The Game is On – FHWA is Seeking Your Input on Smart Cars
The USDOT and several other transportation agencies around the nation have been paying close attention to the emergence of the smart car. Over the last few years, they have funded research in this technology and studied how to integrate it into the existing system. And now, they are reaching out in several ways to share…
Resources for Developing your 3D Engineering Skills
If you've been paying any attention to the Every Day Counts website, you might have noticed that 3D Engineered Models are now being promoted by the Every Day Counts program. This is because of the potential for this type of technology to cost effectively accelerate construction. However, in addition to this, 3D engineered models…
Happy New Year 2014
Happy New Year to all of our readers. We hope you had a great 2013 and await an even better 2014. First we want to thank all of you for stopping by throughout the year to check out the site. We are also very appreciative for those who offer their thoughts and ideas and for…
Terrain Files for 3D Worlds
For some time I've experimented with creating terrain for use in 3D immersive spaces. Usually I am trying to alter DEM files to create simulations of project sites. But lately I've started to explore creating specific shapes or designs, and I think I've finally found a work flow that might make the whole process a little easier….
Mobile App for ADA Requirements in the Right of Way
Over the last week, we worked on setting up a basic mobile app to display the requirements from the 1991 ADA Law that relate to facilities in the right of way. For the content, we used the requirements and some of the graphics from Chapter 6 of the ADA Toolkit for Local Government. When it was…
3D ADA Toolkit for Local Government in Unity 3D
A couple years ago I put together an unofficial 3D version of the ADA Toolkit for Local Government. It was based in an immersive environment anyone could visit and experience as an avatar or digital representation of themselves. Normally the ADA Toolkit is only available as an online, primarily text-based document. So I figured the ability…
Walking Helps Build Community
Over the summer I saw several notices about "walks with the mayor" in two different communities. While these efforts seem to focus on improving the health of people living in those areas by encouraging walking, I can see how these walks also have the potential to help build a strong community. (Photo credit: Mary R. Vogt on morguefile.com) Walking the…
Fixing the Illinois Pension System by Investing in Local Economies
Today we read an article, INTERVIEW: When a State Doesn’t Realize Its Best, City-Level Assets, in which Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord talked about the impact that the transfer of funding of education from a state to local responsibility would have on his state's economy. While we might not have totally agreed with his hesitation to transfer at least…
Understanding Locally Administered Federal-Aid Projects
Local agencies have the opportunity to receive federal funds to spend on improving the federal aid routes in their communities. The challenge in taking advantage of these funds is that projects eligible for this funding must be designed and constructed according federal guidelines. And because of the many policies and procedures involved in the process,…