{"id":5096,"date":"2025-03-25T17:06:46","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T18:06:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/?p=5096"},"modified":"2025-03-28T15:52:40","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T15:52:40","slug":"engineering-the-future-end-of-march-brings-2025-asce-report-card","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/index.php\/2025\/03\/25\/engineering-the-future-end-of-march-brings-2025-asce-report-card\/","title":{"rendered":"Engineering The Future: End of March Brings 2025 ASCE Report Card"},"content":{"rendered":"

Drumroll please, it\u2019s American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) infrastructure report card time \u2026<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

By the time this column is printed, but before it was written, ASCE will have released its 2025 report card at\u00a0https:\/\/infrastructurereportcard.org<\/span><\/a>. We\u2019re seeing small improvements; lagging data and current projects under construction will drive better grades in the future.<\/p>\n

Many of us at ASCE were apprehensive at some point about how we would do, and the same holds for our industry. The construction industry shouldn\u2019t accept lower grades because of lack of funding. We need to unite and demand that required investments are made. We know better than others that you can\u2019t build a healthy economy on a crumbling infrastructure. Weather-related as well as man-made stressors are challenging us as never before. We need to rebuild all our critical infrastructure so it\u2019s resilient to the challenges ahead.<\/p>\n

All 18 categories are critical to our infrastructure system that keeps our modern economy thriving. Onshoring anything from manufacturing to mining, from new data centers to all forms of energy generation and transmission to power those commercial and manufacturing centers depend upon infrastructure.<\/p>\n

The ASCE rubric is simple: use publicly available data, with a panel of experts reviewing that data against capacity, condition, funding, future needs, operation and maintenance, public safety, resilience and innovation.<\/p>\n

My\u00a0personal<\/span>\u00a0observations on each category:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Aviation<\/strong><\/span>\u2014We need the Next Gen traffic-control system to prioritize safety while adding capacity.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Bridges<\/strong><\/span>\u2014Great progress is being made on poor-condition bridges, but we\u2019re falling behind the required maintenance to keep good bridges in good condition. Local bridges need help.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Broadband<\/strong><\/span>\u2014We need to have accessible broadband across the United States without deserts. This is the 21st century equivalent of electric transmission in the Rural Electrification Act of 1936.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Dams<\/strong><\/span>\u2014There are thousands of dams that go uninspected and create real hazards for communities.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Drinking Water<\/strong><\/span>\u2014Every American has the basic right to access clean drinking water. We need to prioritize funding to make this a reality.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Energy<\/strong><\/span>\u2014The modern economy puts great strain on the energy system. We need more energy generation of all forms as well as upgrades to the transmission and distribution system to have a smart and resilient grid.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Hazardous Waste<\/strong><\/span>\u2014Funding must continue to flow to our superfund sites, as the risks get worse as time goes on.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Inland Waterways<\/strong><\/span>\u2014Waterways are a very economical freight transportation system that serves a large segment of the United States. Drought and delayed dredging have decreased the capacity for major U.S. rivers.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Levees<\/strong><\/span>\u2014Many of our levees are old earth structures that were designed to protect farmland. Now these levees are protecting urban and suburban areas. Levee failures will impact a much larger population than before.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Parks and Recreation<\/strong><\/span>\u2014As urban and suburban areas expand across the country with limited or no green space, parks become a vital community asset.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Ports<\/strong><\/span>\u2014We saw supply chain disasters during the pandemic, which require systemic approaches to port efficiency to keep goods flowing while reducing operational costs.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Rail<\/strong><\/span>\u2014We have seen private railroads step up to meet the challenges as well as private passenger operators developing smart corridors. We need to continue the momentum.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Roads<\/strong><\/span>\u2014Like bridges, roads are the backbone of our economy for people and goods. The system is aging faster than we can keep up with it; we\u2019re not doing full-depth reconstruction on major roads at the level we should.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Schools<\/strong><\/span>\u2014Our children deserve great places to learn, so we need to make upgrades for local districts easier by providing faster permitting and mandate relief.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Solid Waste<\/strong><\/span>\u2014We must continue to reduce the need to landfill by providing composting for organic waste and using products that decompose faster. On a recent trip to Europe, I was surprised at the conversion from single-use plastics to bamboo for straws, disposable cutlery and other paper products.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Stormwater<\/strong><\/span>\u2014We need to stop concentrating stormwater flows by using landscape features to allow the earth to absorb stormwater while recharging aquifers.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Transit<\/strong><\/span>\u2014Densely populated areas need to have reliable transit to minimize congestion as well as commuter costs.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Wastewater<\/strong><\/span>\u2014We need to use technology to minimize biosolids that are landfilled.<\/p>\n

Join me in working with local, state and federal officials to communicate the importance of this message. Our industry is responsible for infrastructure. It\u2019s up to us to build the foundation for an exciting, sustainable, resilient and thriving future.<\/p>\n

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About Maria Lehman<\/a><\/h3>\n

Maria\u00a0Lehman,\u00a0P.E., F.ASCE, ENV SP,\u00a0is U.S. Infrastructure Lead for GHD. She is the past president of the ASCE and currently serves as\u00a0vice chair of President Biden\u2019s National Infrastructure Advisory Council; email:\u00a0Maria.Lehman@ghd.com.<\/p>\n

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