The Infrastructure Show - Podcasts: Recent Episodes
Professor Joseph Schofer, Thomas Herman, and Marion Sours
The Infrastructure Show consists of monthly podcasts in which some of the nation’s top infrastructure experts discuss with host Professor Joseph Schofer of Northwestern University the condition of our infrastructure today, and what can be done about it. While many subjects are addressed, including repairs, upgrades and new construction, there is an emphasis on the topics of preventive and predictive maintenance, as well as “structural health monitoring” – a special focus of the Northwestern Infrastructure Technology Institute, of which Dr. Schofer is Director.
Fluctuations in water levels on our inland waterways system can affect the movement of bulk freight, particularly agricultural products. Low waters, as occurred in the fall of 2022 on the lower Mississippi River, limited the flow of freight and increased shipper costs.
To learn more about the causes, consequences, and responses to such disruptions, we’re talking with Mike Steenhoek, Executive Director of the Soy Transportation Coalition. Mike is a member of the Department of Commerce Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness, the Transportation Research Board Committee on Inland Water Transportation, and the Iowa Department of Transportation Freight Advisory Council.
The 150-year-old Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel, Amtrak’s oldest, carries traffic for Amtrak, the Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) Service, as well as Norfolk Southern freight operations. This tunnel is a major bottleneck for Northeast corridor rail traffic, and Amtrak is rebuilding it and adding a new, passenger-only tunnel named after abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
In this podcast we learn about this large program from Mark Milton, Senior Director, Capital Delivery for Amtrak, who is managing final design and construction for the overall program. Mark’s a civil engineer with many years of experience in design.
[Correction to interview conversation: all railroad grades on this project are less than 2.0%]
US railroads are highly efficient at moving freight. Indeed, our freight rail system is the envy of the world, but sometimes accidents occur. When train derailments occur, the outcome is usually minor, but occasionally more serious problems arise.
To understand the causes and prevention of train derailments, we’re talking with Dr. Allan Zarembski, Professor of Practice and Director of the Railroad Engineering and Safety Program at the University of Delaware. He’s an expert on railroad track engineering, safety, and derailment analysis.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
It’s the functionality of infrastructure that brings value, and when natural hazards disrupt that functionality, the costs can be high. This is a growing problem for transportation networks, which are being assaulted by wildfires, landslides, and floods with increasing frequency and severity. What does it take to keep a road network flowing when the flood waters rise?
To learn about this critical role for the economy and society, we talk with Austin Yates, engineer with the Iowa Department of Transportation, which has had more than its share of flood disruptions in recent years.
Big infrastructure projects need big money, and larger projects rely on some kind of borrowing – using other people’s money for a period of time.
To learn how infrastructure projects are financed through borrowing, we talk with Scott Trommer, Senior Director, Advisory Services US at WSP USA, a professional services firm specializing in, among other things, infrastructure and transportation.
Electric power operates our homes and businesses, and it promises to be the future of mobility, as well. There is a constant need to match temporal and spatial variations in supply and demand for electricity across regions of the country. This need grows as we increase the share of electricity coming from renewable sources, particularly wind and solar, which are time-dependent. We rely on the electric grid to move electric power from sources to need centers.
To learn how the grid works, and how it might be improved, we talk with James McCalley, who is London Professor in Electrical Engineering at Iowa State University.
The health risks posed by lead water service lines are well known. Just how common is this invisible hazard in our potable water? What can we do to address it? To explore the problem, responses to it, and the costs, we talk with Steve Via, Director of Federal Relations for the American Water Works Association.
Building or replacing highway bridges quickly can save traffic delays by cutting on-site construction time. What are the design and construction strategies that make this possible?
To answer this question we talk about Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) with Professor Atorod Azizinamini, who leads Florida International University’s USDOT-funded Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center.
On January 1, 2021, a new life began for the century-old James A. Farley Post Office in Manhattan when it became the home of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Train Hall serving Amtrak and Long Island Railroad passengers. Preserving the Beaux-Arts exterior of the McKim, Mead & White post office, architects created a 21st century interior space bridging New York’s design history and its future.
To learn about the significance and the unique challenges of this complex, adaptive reuse project, we talk with Marla Gayle, Managing Director, Global Transportation Practice and Global Adaptive Reuse Practice with Skidmore Owings and Merrill’s New York Office.
A national perspective on the condition and performance of our infrastructure is important for informing the dialog about investing in this system that is so important for supporting our society and economy. Every four years the American Society of Civil Engineers works with its volunteer members to produce a comprehensive report card on the state of the U.S. infrastructure.
To give us our 2021 infrastructure grade, we’re talking with Emily Feenstra, ASCE’s Managing Director – Government Relations and Infrastructure Initiatives.
City streets do much more than just move traffic. They connect to our homes and businesses, supporting not just motor vehicles but pedestrian and bicycle traffic as well, and serving in the way of the ancient forum by proving spaces to shop, mingle, and play. Many large cities are diversifying the use of their streets by reconfiguring them to accommodate this multiplicity of functions safely.
To learn about some of these initiatives, we talk with Jamie Parks, who is Livable Street Director with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
Railroads helped grow our nation, supporting settlement and economic growth from coast to coast. Today, the rail industry plays a central role in the most efficient freight and logistics system in the world. The 7 national, Class I railroads are well-known to most of us, but less visible yet no less significant in the U.S. freight industry are about 600 short line and regional railroads that make the connections directly to customers.
To learn about the role of these smaller railroads, we’re talking with Henry Posner III, who is Chairman of the Iowa Interstate Railroad and President of the Rail Development Corporation, a holding company with ownership and operating interests in railroads in the U.S., the Americas, and Europe.
What’s the path forward for large cities once COVID-19 is controlled? Will workers and residents come back downtown? Will riders return to mass transit systems? How can we sustain them until then? Will the demand for private and public infrastructure rebound to attract investment and growth? Where will the money come from?
To get some answers, we talk with Edward Glaeser, the Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics at Harvard, an expert on cities and the values they bring. In his 2011 book, Triumph of the City, he describes big cities around the world as hubs for opportunity and innovation.
Is the Internet a part of U.S. infrastructure? Although the physical infrastructure that carries the data is largely invisible, broadband Internet communication has become a backbone of our society and economy, carrying messages that support work, learning, purchasing, social connections, and medical services. Despite its centrality to daily life, fast and reliable broadband connectivity is not available to everyone.
To help us learn more about the functioning and coverage of the broadband network, we talk with Fabian Bustamante, Professor of Computer Science at Northwestern University.
River basins in the Midwestern U.S. are under growing threat from flooding driven by climate change. Within the flood control and protection portfolio of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a large project to mitigate flood risk for the towns of Fargo, ND, and Moorhead, MN, its neighbor across the Red River. The design itself is informed by a large-scale physical model developed by the Corps.
To learn about the project and the model used to guide its design, we talk with Gary Bell, Research Hydraulic Engineer in the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory of US Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
All tall structures are designed to sway in response to wind and earthquakes for reasons of efficiency and economy, but it is important to control that movement for the comfort of occupants.
To learn about some of the technologies for managing the response of tall buildings to wind, we talk with Dr. Mark Nelson, who leads the Advanced Technology and Research Group in the New York City office of Arup, an international engineering and architectural design firm.
Crossing the Piscataqua River at Portsmouth, N.H., the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge carries both road and rail traffic between Maine and New Hampshire. Its unique three-position vertical lift design accommodates recreational and less frequent commercial marine traffic, as well as occasional rail movements, in different ways to minimize delays to all users.
To understand the functioning of this modern incarnation of its nearly 80-year old predecessor, we talk with Jeff Folsom, who is Assistant Program Manager/Design for the Maine Department of Transportation.
People began laying undersea cables to carry telegraph messages over 170 years ago. Today, modern submarine cables connect all continents except Antarctica, and even in the age of satellites, their importance in delivering global connectivity continues to grow.
To help us understand the intricacies of these invisible links, we talk with Chris Carobene, Vice President of Marine and Network Construction for SubCom, which designs, manufactures, deploys, maintains, and operates undersea cables.
Salt Lake City is replacing the landside infrastructure of its airport with a 21st century facility while airline operations continue. In fact, the slowdown in air travel due to the corona virus has presented airport management with an opportunity to accelerate construction and cut costs.
To describe plans for the updated airport and how the pandemic was used to advantage, we talk with Bill Wyatt, Executive Director of the Salt Lake City International Airport.