Below is a press release from the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers regarding an update to the Standard Specifications for Water and Sewer Construction in Illinois: Recommendations Sought for Illinois Water & Sewer Construction Guide Comment Period Open through April 16 (Springfield, Ill.) The Illinois Society of Professional Engineers along with partner organizations seek recommended…
Category: Civil Engineering
Managing CCDD Material in Illinois
Well now that the dust has settled on the CCDD regulations, many of us are figuring out how we are going to manage the material in order to comply with the law. Basically, the process for many of us will be some modification of the following: Determine if the excavation is near a Potentially Impacted…
Should We Give People Free iPads?
Over the last few days I've been exposed to two ideas that interest me in how each demonstrates the need to properly vet an idea. (As an aside for for all of you familiar with MMORPGs: I figure if life was a game, "Vetting an Idea" would be considered a passive ability for those in the engineering profession.) First on…
Establishing Professional Goals
With the dawning of a new year I see so many people talking about their resolutions and goals for 2013. Annual goal setting is not really something I've dedicated much time to in the past. Instead, I always seemed to follow a rolling, unwritten list of goals that are separate from the ones I have at…
Why is the Illinois Department of Agriculture Determining Stormwater Rules for Cities?
Recently I wrote about the draft release of Post-Development Stormwater Runoff Performance Standards for Illinois. And in discussions with colleagues over the last few weeks, I have not heard any positive support from anyone who has a professional background in stormwater management or regulation. Instead the consensus among stormwater professionals regarding the draft is that the…
Engineers Leverage YouTube to Spread Christmas Cheer
Today I noticed in my Facebook feed a post by the Illinois Section AWWA account highlighting a holiday greeting from the Baxter and Woodman Engineering Consulting Firm. Because it was such a great example of how firms are leveraging social media tools like YouTube, I thought I would post it here and share it with…
Illinois Considers New Stormwater Regulations
If you live in Illinois, it’s important for you to be aware of a set of recommendations for changes to stormwater regulations in Illinois. Because if the Illinois EPA (IEPA) adopts the recommendations as submitted, everyone in Illinois has the potential to be financially impacted by their implementation. And even though these recommendations have the…
Sharing the Road in 1906
The other day I saw a link posted for one of the most interesting transportation videos I have ever seen. It is about an 11-minute video of a trip down Market Street in San Francisco in 1906 before the fire/earthquake. From what I have read about it, someone filmed it with a camera placed in…
Create Your Own Bridge While the WashDOT Builds Theirs
There's a reason I bring up the Washington DOT every time I give a presentation about using social media in public works. They were early on the scene to realize how much social media could assist them in public relations, and they've done a great job figuring out how best to engage the public. And…
Virtual Worlds Help Demonstrate Root of Public Apathy
Fleep recently summarized the promise she saw in the Second Life community, the change that transpired there over the last few years, and her decision to focus her involvement in a different virtual community or platform. (You can read her article here: Why Anyone Who Cares. . ..) And based on the comments she received…