{"id":5480,"date":"2025-04-30T18:07:03","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T18:07:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/?p=5480"},"modified":"2025-05-01T16:02:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T16:02:37","slug":"trends-may-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/index.php\/2025\/04\/30\/trends-may-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Trends May 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In this section,<\/span>\u00a0Informed Infrastructure<\/span>\u00a0compiles infographics from trusted sources that reveal insight on infrastructure spending. We also compile some of the top infrastructure stories that shouldn\u2019t be missed. For ongoing news coverage, turn to\u00a0<\/span>Informed Infrastructure<\/span>\u00a0online (<\/span>www.informedinfrastructure.com<\/span><\/a>), our Twitter feed (<\/span>@IInfrastructure<\/span><\/a>) and our weekly e-newsletter.<\/span><\/p>\n

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EIC Report Warns of Climate Shortfall as North America Expands Both Renewables and Oil and Gas<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to a report from the Energy Industries Council (EIC), a global energy trade association and data and analytics provider, North America\u2019s energy sector is charting two paths: a historic surge in renewable energy projects as well as fossil fuel expansion that\u2019s threatening the continent\u2019s climate commitments.<\/p>\n

The region added 214 utility-scale energy facilities last year, with more than half being wind, solar and storage installations. Yet simultaneous record growth in LNG exports, oil drilling, and petrochemical production is a clear indication that conventional and new energies will walk hand in hand at least during the next few years.<\/p>\n

\u201cGovernments are scaling renewables to meet climate goals but doubling down on fossil fuels to hedge economic and geopolitical risks,\u201d said Rebecca Groundwater, EIC\u2019s head of external affairs. \u201cThe situation mirrors global struggles to balance decarbonization with energy security.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Report: AI Skills are Top Hiring Priority as Leaders Face Talent Shortages<\/strong><\/p>\n

In April 2025, Autodesk released its \u201c2025 State of Design & Make\u201d report, exploring sentiments from leaders across Design and Make industries on managing cost control, embracing emerging technologies, and addressing the talent and skills gaps. Despite experiencing geopolitical and economic uncertainty, the majority of leaders continue to invest in AI and technology advancement, acquisitions and sustainability across the board. Although AI and tech investments have slowed post-2024 hype, early adopters are beginning to benefit and refine their strategies.<\/p>\n

Access the full report at\u00a0bit.ly\/42mYPkF<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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ASCE Infrastructure Report Card Trends Slightly Upward<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"\"The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) \u201c2025 Report Card for America\u2019s Infrastructure\u201d assigned an overall grade of C to the nation\u2019s infrastructure, the best since ASCE began determining grades in 1998. The previous grade in 2021 was a C-, so the assessment is considered minor, but important, progress with much work still to do to have U.S. infrastructure deemed sufficient.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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To access the full report, an executive summary, charts, state by state reports, and various videos and infographics, visit\u00a0infrastructurereportcard.org\/<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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NTSB Recommends 68 U.S. Bridges be Evaluated for Risk of Collapse from Vessel Strike<\/strong><\/div>\n

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In March 2025, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that 30 owners of 68 bridges across 19 states conduct a vulnerability assessment to determine the risk of bridge collapse from a vessel collision, part of the ongoing investigation into the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.<\/p>\n

The NTSB found that the Key Bridge, which collapsed after being struck by the containership Dali on March 26, 2024, was almost 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for critical or essential bridges, according to guidance established by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).<\/p>\n

During the year since the collapse, the NTSB identified 68 bridges that were designed before the AASHTO guidance was established\u2014such as the Key Bridge\u2014that don\u2019t have a current vulnerability assessment. The recommendations are issued to bridge owners to calculate the annual frequency of collapse for their bridges using AASHTO\u2019s Method II calculation.<\/p>\n

The report does not suggest the 68 bridges are certain to collapse, but it recommends that these 30 bridge owners evaluate whether the bridges are above the AASHTO acceptable level of risk and, if so, develop and implement a comprehensive risk reduction plan.<\/p>\n

The NTSB found that had the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) conducted a vulnerability assessment on the Key Bridge based on recent vessel traffic, MDTA would have been aware that the Key Bridge was above the acceptable risk and would have had information to proactively reduce the bridge\u2019s risk of a collapse and loss of lives associated with a vessel collision with the bridge.<\/p>\n

The full NTSB Marine Investigation Report is available at\u00a0bit.ly\/4jnHpKT<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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TOP Stories<\/strong><\/p>\n

The following are the top stories from the last few months (in terms of traffic) on the\u00a0<\/span>Informed Infrastructure<\/span> website. This also reflects key coverage areas that are regularly refreshed online and via our weekly e-newsletter. Simply search key words on\u00a0<\/span>Informed Infrastructure\u00a0<\/span><\/a>online to find the full story.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Buildings<\/strong><\/p>\n