From Project Manager to Trusted Advisor: Relationship Management that Strengthens Project Outcomes
Resilient infrastructure depends on more than sound engineering. It requires strong, trust-based relationships between engineers, clients, contractors, and communities. While civil engineering professionals are highly trained in technical problem solving, many receive little formal guidance on how to intentionally build and manage client relationships throughout the life of a project. This session explores how proactive […]
Building Resilience in Water Production: A Case Study in Improving Water Supply Reliability, Operational Efficiency, and Infrastructure Resilience
This presentation explores a case study on improving infrastructure resilience at the Newport Municipal Utility District (MUD) surface water treatment plant (SWTP). Located in northeast Harris County, Newport MUD faces the dual challenges of meeting projected water demands for a growing service area and adhering to groundwater use reductions mandated by the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District. […]
Enhancing Seawall’s Resiliency against Coastal Erosion with Pressed-in Pipe Pile Wall
National Route 134 of Japan is a scenic coastal highway about 30 miles southwest of downtown Tokyo. The highway agency in charge added a turning lane at a couple of intersections to mitigate chronic traffic jams as well as to retrofit the functionally obsolete earth retaining concrete seawall to enhance resiliency against future coastal erosion. […]
New Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) Pavement Specification for Local Agencies, Engineers and Developers
The newly released dense graded Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) Specification 341M is a streamlined version of TxDOT’s 341 specification from the 2024 TxDOT Spec Book and has been developed specifically for cities, counties and consulting firms doing designs for agencies and developers. This specification has been achieved in collaboration with the Texas Asphalt Pavement Association […]
Smarter Scans, Stronger Drains: Revitalizing Resiliency Through AI Driven Stormwater Infrastructure Assessment at UT Austin
As aging stormwater networks challenge long term infrastructure reliability, innovative assessment tools are essential to strengthening system resilience. The University of Texas at Austin partnered with Freese and Nichols (FNI) to modernize its storm drain system evaluation program by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the defect identification process for approximately 50,000 linear feet of CCTV […]
Seeing Trouble Early: Sugar Land’s Earned Value-Based Early Warning System for Municipal Project Risk Management
Municipal governments are expected to deliver capital projects predictably, yet they rarely have access to the cost systems, resource‑loaded schedules, or enterprise tools that make traditional Earned Value Management (EVM) effective. While contractors and consultants operate with sophisticated controls, cities are confined by taxpayer constraints and limited visibility. This creates a structural blind spot: municipal […]