The Infrastructure Show - Podcasts

Mass Timber Buildings – New Ways to Build with an Old Material Jun 01, 2023

Wood has been perhaps the most common material for buildings for millennia, but innovations in its application are bringing new opportunities and advantages for working with this sustainable material. Structural applications of mass timber are proliferating in types and scales. Factory assembly of wood components can produce stronger elements in designed architectural shapes.

To find out more about the characteristics and benefits of new uses of wood for infrastructure, we talk with Eric Long, Structural Engineering Partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in San Francisco, who leads the firm’s West Coast Structural Engineering practice.

Insuring Infrastructure Against Climate Change May 01, 2023

Changing climate brings new risks to infrastructure, and commonly these risks are shared with insurance companies. To control their risks, insurers need to understand and anticipate both the sources and characteristics of natural threats, and to collaborate with their clients – infrastructure owners and operators – to mitigate the risks of natural hazards.

To open a window on the role of insurers in addressing climate risk, we talk with Martin Lockman, a research lawyer working at Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. Martin works at the intersection of climate-related threats to infrastructure, the insurance industry, and risk management.

Transforming Commuter Rail Services for a Post-COVID Market Apr 01, 2023

COVID-19 has robbed public transit of riders as many have changed workplaces, shifted schedules, and chosen new ways to travel to avoid crowds. Transit operators around the world are working to attract commuters back, adjusting services and fares to accommodate changing markets, secure reliable revenue sources, and redefine their roles in the city.

To tell us more about both the challenges and responses of a major commuter rail operator, we’ve invited James Derwinski to talk with us. Jim is CEO and Executive Director of Metra, the commuter rail system serving the Chicago Metropolitan area, the fourth largest in the US in terms of trips carried, and the largest in terms of route miles.

Rural Transit Meets Big Challenges Mar 01, 2023

Mobility is essential for the well-being of people wherever they live. The automobile is king of the mobility market across the US, but public transit supports mobility for those who cannot, or chose not to, travel by car. The need for alternatives to automobility in smaller communities and rural areas is substantial but not especially visible.

To understand the role and options for transit in such places, we talk with Scott Brogen, who is Executive Director of the Community Transportation Association of America.

Overheated Infrastructure Feb 01, 2023

A hotter climate brings new challenges to the built infrastructure, stressing service systems – power generation and distribution and transportation systems – as well as structures. Are we prepared for these problems? How can infrastructure adapt to higher temperatures?

To understand both the problems and options, we talk with Mikhail Chester, Associate Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at the Fulton School of Engineering, and Director of the Metis Center for Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering, at Arizona State University.

Restoring a Superfund Site Jan 01, 2023

Superfund sites are seriously polluted locations that are subject to remediation by the Environmental Protection Agency under the 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). These clean-up processes can be large, complex, and costly.

To understand what it takes to restore a particularly challenging location, the 132-acre Eagle Zinc Superfund site in Hillsboro, Illinois, we talk with the EPA’s Margaret Gielniewski, who is Remedial Project Manager.

Lighting Up the Farms Dec 01, 2022

This podcast is a timely history lesson about the electrification of rural America and the Depression-era program that made it happen. The Rural Electrification Act of 1936 – the REA – provided federal loans to install electrical distribution systems to serve rural areas. The REA may offer lessons as we invest to extend high speed broadband service across the country.

To learn about the REA and its impacts, we’re talking with Price Fishback, APS Professor of Economics at the Eller College of Management of the University of Arizona, an expert on the political economy of Roosevelt’s New Deal during the 1930s.

Keeping the Port of Virginia Flowing Nov 01, 2022

Marine ports are gateways to world trade, and their efficient functioning is a pillar of our economy. East and Gulf Coast ports have grown more important in recent years because of the expanded Panama Canal locks opened in 2016 and continuing congestion in West Coast ports and overland transportation. The Port of Virginia has been making important infrastructure investments to secure its position in this competition for world trade.

To learn how it became the second busiest container port on the East Coast, in this podcast we talk with Stephen Edwards, CEO and Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority (VPA).

Motor Vehicles and Trains - a Deadly Mix Oct 01, 2022

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.

Rebuilding the Merchants Bridge while Keeping Traffic Moving Sep 01, 2022

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.

Energy from the Earth – How does it work? Aug 01, 2022

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.

Tornado-Resistant Building Standards Jul 01, 2022

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.

Building More Cost-effective Rail Transit Jun 01, 2022

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.

Restoring the Everglades May 02, 2022

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.

Keeping Bridges in Good Repair Apr 01, 2022

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.

Managing Curbside Access in Cities Mar 01, 2022

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: Surprisingly Important, Significantly at Risk Feb 01, 2022

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.

The End of the Line – the Story of Railroad Terminals Jan 03, 2022

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.

Looking Back on the Erie Canal Dec 01, 2021

History can be a great teacher, particularly so when it comes to infrastructure achievements. During the Bicentennial period of the construction of the Erie Canal, it is appropriate and informative to look back at this groundbreaking infrastructure project. Built between 1817 and 1825, the Erie Canal opened the Midwest to trade and settlement, and by cutting freight rates by 75% overnight, it boosted the commercial power of New York City. It offers lessons about the link between accessibility and economic development, the merits of strategic public investment, as well as the conflicts that can occur in public finance decisions.

To remind us of this history, we’re joined by Brad Utter, Senior Historian and Curator at the New York State Museum and author of the 2020 book, Enterprising Waters – the History and Art of New York’s Erie Canal.

Logistics Real Estate: Meeting the Demand for Warehouses and Distribution Centers Nov 01, 2021

Beyond the capability to move products, supply chains need storage space for transferring and holding goods en route and while they await shipment to customers. Sufficiency – and efficiency – of logistics real estate, warehouses and distribution centers, are essential attributes of well-run supply chains. How does the logistics real estate sector work? What factors drive the market and assure that customer demands are met?

To learn how the space needs of the logistics industry are met, we talk with Christopher Caton, Global Head of Strategy and Analytics with Prologis, which builds and invests in logistics space around the world.

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