The Infrastructure Show - Podcasts

The earthquake risk in California is real, and tall buildings present a particular hazard because they concentrate people and activities, they support critical economic activities, and their scale can pose threats to nearby people and structures. In

Hundreds of large power plants and a nationwide, interconnected distribution network produce and deliver electricity to homes and businesses in the United States. While our electric system is quite reliable (though nowhere near the best compared

Damaging wildfires in the western U.S. are a growing threat. In California, wildfires destroyed tens of thousands of homes and caused the deaths of nearly 100 people in 2018. Fire also threatens public infrastructure, particularly the highway

Historically, cities grew up near water – rivers, lakes, the oceans – because of the easy mobility it provides. But water presents a barrier as well as an opportunity, motivating the organized use of ships for local transportation. No city in the

Both policy makers and investors are supporting the increased use of private funds to finance new and renewed public infrastructure. This sounds like a good idea, but is it realistic? How do these public private partnerships, called P3s, work? What

An important function of public transit is providing mobility for people with disabilities. This is particularly challenging because of the broad variety of needs and the complexity of providing appropriate facilities and services as a part of, or

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) was among the winners of the 2017 Federal Highway Administration biennial National Roadway Safety Award in the category of Infrastructure and Operational Improvements. DelDOT’s winner was

Wind has been an important, renewable source of energy for millennia. In recent decades wind power has come into its own, now producing more than 6 percent of U.S. electricity and growing rapidly. Today tens of thousands of wind turbines, many taller

Noise is an almost unavoidable result of the operation of transportation and other infrastructure systems. Trains, planes, and automobiles produce noise that can be a warning but is mainly a source of annoyance and sometimes health risk to neighbors,

The U.S. inland waterways system provides a highly efficient means for moving large quantities of bulk materials – agricultural products and natural resources – which is important both for domestic industries and the export market. But the locks

Ride matching or Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft have experienced extraordinary growth in major cities around the world in the past decade. What are the impacts of these services in our cities?

The integrity of our infrastructure can be critical to life safety. Nowhere is this more obvious than our bridges. There are over 600,000 highway bridges in the United States, as well as a large number of transit, railroad, and pedestrian structures.

Urban mobility and traffic congestion present challenges to cities around the world. Many modes and service concepts are intended to meet these mobility needs. Bus rapid transit, BRT, is a competitive option because of its

Cranes are prominent on the skyline of every city, serving as a measure of the pace of development. They are essential tools for infrastructure construction, a source of fascination for the sidewalk superintendent, and in some cases, a source of risk.

Some airports face serious flood risks because they are flat by design and are located in coastal or riverine settings. Airports in New York are particularly vulnerable because they face both rising sea level and severe storms. Richard Barone, Vice