FINDING NEW WAYS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS

How Technology Is Changing The Face Of Engineering

CARRIE MCDERMOTT

Mike Van Duyne, an architectural engineer in Bismarck, entered the industry to scratch an itch.

“I love the jigsaw puzzle a building brings. It’s never the same, never cut and dry. It’s that creative problem solving that that project has. Every day is different, every project is different,” he said.

The greatest thing about engineering is the variety of career paths it offers, Van Duyne said, and the growth path is wide.

“I don’t think that’s well discussed in college and I think it should be,” he said.

Van Duyne works for Bartlett & West, a Topeka, Kansas-based company whose motto is, “We want to make our communities a better place to live.” Engineers are doing just that, day in and day out, using new technology to upgrade infrastructure, using renewable energy sources to convert to clean energy, and increasing sustainable transportation and fuels, among other initiatives.

Jame Todd, a civil engineer with Bartlett & West and leader of its Bismarck office, said having a strong connection to higher education programs has helped fill open positions. He estimates be- tween 80-90% of their engineers are graduates of North Dakota State University’s engineering program. And the University of Mary in Bismarck has a new engineering program which his office has benefitted from – some of their first engineering graduates are now working there.

Todd enjoys the industry because he can see the fruits of his labor, whether that’s a water treatment plant or roadway construction.

“As a civil engineer, it’s pretty cool to say, ‘Hey, I worked on that project, or I helped design or build that very thing.’”

One of the technological developments that grows more popular by the day is the use of drones in engineering. Drones are equipped with high-quality cameras that can shoot photos from many angles and elevations, allowing engineers to create three-dimensional models of an area. In addition to flying drones, there are also underwater drones, which can assist in inspections of potable water storage tanks, for example.

Todd said his office has picked up more work because of their underwater drone, which is safer and more efficient than sending personnel into a tank that first must be drained of hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. The unique tool has helped to ensure successful project completions with no surprises, he said.

Advancements in mobile apps are also driving changes in engineering, allowing surveyors to use their cell phones on site for projects. The data collected is not as hightech as LIDAR (light detection and ranging) or survey-grade, but can collect enough data, in addition to photos, for certain projects such as sidewalk assessments.

Scott Schaefer, practices director at AE2S, Maple Grove, Minnesota, has been incorporating energy efficiencies into projects for some time, with the primary motivation being renewable energy and gas generation, as well as solar power. The company is currently in the design phase of the Grand Forks wastewater treatment project, and was part of the completed drinking water treatment facility in the city.

“It (energy efficiency) generally makes economic sense. That’s where we find the most adoption, when the dollars make sense, and you’re also doing good by the environment, finding those win-win spots. There are times when we’re doing energy reduction for the sake of energy reduction, but that’s a minority. The efficiency part is a fabric of what we do,” he said.

On the wastewater treatment side, he is seeing more membrane bioreactor projects over the last five years, noting membranes aren’t new but are more thoroughly being adopted, in part due to regulatory demands.

“New is a relative term, things change very slowly in our industry and most of our large projects are on a five-year time cycle,” Schaefer said.

His team is involved in a large PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) -reduction project in Woodbury, Minnesota, primarily using activated carbon. It’s not a new technology, but it’s a newer application of that technology to remove PFAS.

“A lot of piloting work went into that to verify effectiveness and now we’re just presenting the design for that project,” he said. Just as in most industries, workforce shortages are affecting the engineering sector. Rising costs of material and equipment coupled with extended lead time for delivery of material and equipment is causing a crunch. Some firms are a year or two behind in projects due to either lack of engineers or lack of skilled construction labor, even with ample infrastructure funding. Being in demand is a good problem to have,

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 but if shortages are threatening clients to go elsewhere, it’s a hindrance to business. The hope is that the delays and shortages are short-term, but if not, industry advancements will find a way to keep business moving forward.

Bob Schlieman, a civil engineer with APEX Engineering, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, said technological advances in materials are giving longer life to infrastructure systems, the foundation of all communities.

“On the construction side, it affects the way we look at projects and design things –trenchless technologies that weren’t around 20-30 years ago, for example. They keep getting more and more advanced. We’ve got directional drilling, jacking and boring, slip lining, cured in place pipe. It just allows us as engineers to look at projects in different ways,” Schlieman said.

Even the way information is stored is changing, allowing for more detailed and accurate records. GIS (geographic information systems) technology allows engineers to store and access information more efficiently than past record-keeping practices.

Scott Schaefer

Bob Schlieman

“A lot of the technology we use for design, whether it’s CAD MicroStation, things like that, keeps advancing and making our practices and efforts a lot more efficient,” he said.

Trending alternative delivery methods for projects include the design-build model. Jon Markusen, associate vice president of transportation with KLJ Engineering’s Grafton, North Dakota, office, said design-build isn’t new but is becoming more common. It allows collaboration between the engineer and the contractor at a different level and allows for more innovation to be seen, which ultimately saves the client money in the end, he explained.

An aspect of project planning that’s gained traction over the past few years is the public involvement and engagement piece. The way engineers are presenting the information is also evolving.

“Project owners want to gather public input early in the process to avoid having projects that won’t meet the needs that people are looking for and then carry that out through construction,” Markusen said. “They really want to keep the public engaged through the entire project. To do that, we’re seeing a lot more visualizations and renderings of how it will look. We’re using interactive maps during public meetings. In some projects we’re getting actual animations.”

The better the input up front, the better planners can address issues or concerns of a project.

Improving safety is always at the forefront of civil engineering design, and can be as simple as better reflectivity on highway striping paint to advanced warning systems that are safer for pedestrians.

“Technology is a big driver of safety,” he said. Before any technology gets to commercialization and adoption, it goes through research and development, which can often happen at higher education institutions.

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Ev olve d.

Ev olve d.

Perfectly designed to thrive in its environment. Adaptable enough to evolve with the times. Buildingsmar tfor asolid future. It’s second nature at KLJ.

Perfectly designed to thrive in its environment. Adaptable enough to evolve with the times. Buildingsmar tfor asolid future. It’s second nature at KLJ.

KLJ EN G.C OM