A NONPROFIT COALITION of architects, engineers, doctors, and other experts has launched a method for turning freight shipping containers into intensive care units (ICUs) to treat patients with COVID-19. Called CURAs (connected units for respiratory ailments), the pods are as easy to set up as medical tents but provide the added protection of negative air pressure, according to a March press release issued by Carlo
FACED WITH THE PROSPECT that regulated entities might have trouble complying with certain regulatory requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released temporary guidance in late March stating how it intended to handle noncompliance during this time, noting that, among other things, it would not seek civil penalties for most routine violations. Environmental groups immediately criticized the move, contending that it
AFTER COVID-19 took hold in Wuhan, China, leading to a lockdown of the city of 11 million on January 23, Chinese officials made headlines by announcing that the country had built two hospitals with a total of roughly 2,300 beds in less than two weeks. The prospect of something similar playing out in the United States seemed far-fetched. But in March the epicenter of the
AS COVID-19 SPREAD across the world and state and local governments closed down businesses to encourage social distancing, engineering firms faced two challenges: keeping their employees safe and continuing to work for their clients—many of whose projects were deemed essential. The solution was simple: have everyone work from home. But the execution was complex. Combining longstanding processes with new measures meant ensuring that everyone had
LOOKING TO BOOST the sagging fortunes of three U.S. infrastructure sectors hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress and the Trump administration provided billions in new federal funding for transit, passenger rail, and airports as part of legislation finalized in late March to offer economic relief in the wake of the pandemic. Signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27, the $2-trillion Coronavirus
THROUGHOUT April and May, Civil Engineering magazine will offer online coverage of how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the civil engineering and construction professions. The practice of civil engineering and the construction and maintenance of infrastructure are essential to the health, safety, and economy of our communities. Civil Engineering is committed to keeping the profession informed during this unprecedented period. Our special coverage will be updated
IN THE MIDST OF the rapidly evolving public health and economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, Civil Engineering, the flagship magazine of ASCE, is implementing a temporary change in strategy. Civil Engineering will forgo its May print issue in order to turn its journalistic efforts toward providing up-to-date, online coverage of how the pandemic and its social and economic ramifications are directly affecting civil
SEEMINGLY in the blink of an eye the unimaginable occurred in the United States in March: Hospitals became overwhelmed, medical supplies went scarce, grocery shelves went bare, and airports turned into ghost towns. In addition, the market crashed, and public panic set in. Like a whipsaw, a domino effect of closures began grinding the U.S. and global economies to a halt, impacting every facet of
IN RESPONSE to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Dynamic Infrastructure, a start-up based in New York City, has offered free use through the end of 2020 of its bridge maintenance technology to departments of transportation and public–private partnerships. The technology uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help bridge and tunnel managers inspect and manage their assets, according to Saar Dickman, the cofounder and chief executive officer of
OVER CENTURIES, natural disasters have brought people together. When Hurricane Michael battered the Gulf Coast in 2018, first responders and local organizations across the United States rallied in support of those affected. When wildfires recently raged through Australia, more than 3,700 firefighters from around the world rushed to help battle the flames. It’s in these moments that humanity comes together as one. But when the
