The Infrastructure Show - Podcasts
Summary: 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.
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- Artist: Professor Joseph Schofer, Thomas Herman, and Marion Sours
- Copyright: 2009-2024, The Infrastructure Show and show creators
Podcasts:
Hurricanes and tornados can be devastating to infrastructure. The electric power grid is particularly vulnerable because it is both exposed and extensive. In 2017, Hurricanes Harvey along the Gulf Coast, Irma in Florida, and Maria in Puerto Rico
The infrastructure that prepares and distributes potable water to our cities requires continuing monitoring and maintenance. Many facilities are old and aging, built in an era when engineering knowledge was less and materials and methods more
Fire is a rare but persistent danger in tall buildings. There have been several major high rise fires around the world in recent years, notable among them the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London that killed at least 80 people. That event highlights
Managing and treating stormwater is a challenge to many cities. Building treatment plants with sufficient capacity to process large volumes of runoff that occur occasionally is not cost effective. The District of Columbia, facing a Federal consent
Almost every infrastructure system has its foundation in the earth, and the earth can hide interesting and important secrets from the past. This creates what is perhaps a surprising role for archeology in infrastructure construction. To anticipate,
Tall buildings mean vertical transportation, and elevators, the machines that do the heavy lifting for us, have made those buildings possible. Building height and elevator capabilities have evolved together, and new needs and concerns for
Clean and plentiful water is essential for life. New York City has the largest municipal water system in the United States. More than 10 million people rely on this complex of reservoirs and aqueducts, some of which are more than a century and a half
Chicago is the rail hub for the nation, served by six of seven Class I railroads that form the major interchange point for east-west rail traffic. Because of the large number of rail and road conflicts, Chicago is also the focal point for congestion
Securing the money to maintain public infrastructure continues to be a top priority in the United States. The surface transportation system, roads, bridges, and public transportation facilities, need ongoing investment to assure that they meet
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is a strong advocate for infrastructure in the United States. Its quadrennial Infrastructure Report Card has brought us a comprehensive assessment of that infrastructure since
Big infrastructure projects often present the need to move very large objects, such as parts of chemical processing plants or even entire bridges. The capacity for moving massive components has grown to an impressive scale. In this podcast we talk
When infrastructure becomes obsolete, unsafe, or the need for it goes away, and when the space is better used for something new, that facility must be demolished. Structures are usually disassembled piece by piece, but sometimes controlled explosion
Forecasts of the costs and benefits of infrastructure projects are important for making informed investment decisions. However, there have been many instances of major cost overruns and unexpected low utilization of new facilities. To explore the
Cable stayed bridges have become increasingly common in the past few decade, and they seem to be the design of choice for modern bridges spanning 500 to as much as 2,000 feet. In this podcast we learn of the mechanics and the advantages of this
A variety of natural and intentional events can disrupt components of the U.S. power grid, including large and small storms, vandalism, and cyber attacks. In this podcast, Thomas Overbye, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the