Red tape, or the boom of bureaucracy in the U.S., is slowing down its infrastructure projects. According to The Hill's article, "A boom in bureaucracy won't build America back any better," Washington's "red-tape and duplicative oversight" only serves to constrain the country's ability to repair …
Philippines’ Migrating Rivers Threats to Bridges and Critical Infrastructure
River migration in the Philippines presents a serious hazard to its bridges. According to a Prevention Web article, "Monitoring moving rivers: Analysing threats to critical bridges in the Philippines," hydrometeorological threats or extreme events like flash floods, coastal flooding, landslides, …
Will $2.3 Trillion Solve the US’ Infrastructure Problem?
One might wonder why the world-leading power with so many economic resources still has roads with many potholes, where railway accidents are common, and bridges that collapse due to lack of maintenance. Repairing and upgrading its infrastructure will have implications for the US' competitiveness, …
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Reusing Water from Toilet to Tap to Solve Shortage
Traditional water sources worldwide, such as natural snow and rainfall basins, are declining as the climate continues to change faster than anticipated. The water reservoir - a staple piece of water infrastructure that has been used consistently and globally, is now being labelled 'the dinosaur' …
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America’s Infrastructure Plan Deals with Aging Structures, Climate Change, Pandemic Recovery, and Social Issues
America unveils its "giant infrastructure plan" with a price tag of US$2 trillion. This plan features investments in critical infrastructures like roads, bridges, rail lines, and ports. The package will also address climate change challenges, recovery from the pandemic, and racial and social …
Nairobi’s Sewer Infrastructure System Needs Urgent Attention
The old sewers of Nairobi broke down and have been unable to be adequately repaired or maintained. With wastewater runoff making its way into the Nairobi River and the environment, officials are concerned that the already scarce supply of drinking water for the city is diminishing much too …
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Re-Visioning Water in the Arid Regions of the US
Lake Mead, which sits on the state border between Nevada and Arizona, and the Colorado River, which makes a state border in the same region, face a severe drought. Since 1985, the lake's water levels have dropped significantly, which is a bad sign for the regions that depend on it. According to …
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Infrastructure Management Innovations – Creating Wastewater Treatment Plant Resorts
There is no shortage of innovation in sewage and wastewater treatment plants in the western regions of the United States. In Washington State, Oregon, and California, some wastewater treatment facilities have taken a bold move and converted their concrete tanks and pipes into world-class nature …
Proactive Pipe Monitoring in the D.C. Area
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) is one of the largest water utilities in the U.S. and one of the oldest, having just celebrated its centennial last year. The utility currently serves almost 2 million residents living within 1,000 square miles and has installed 5,768 miles of …
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Urban Planning is Key to Solving Dili’s Recurring Floods
Despite the recurring flooding in Dili, Timor-Leste’s capital city, the city’s response to mitigate the risk and prepare for the extreme event has been an ongoing work-in-progress. The Interpreter reports that the heavy rains between 29 March to 4 April have caused flooding and landslides, …
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Household Water Treatment – Future of Wastewater Sytems?
Modern infrastructure is based on a system that the Romans came up with close to two thousand years ago. While arguably this system has worked well over the course of history when employed, pumping fresh water into cities from water sources and pumping wastewater out, rural solutions may be the …
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Better Critical Infrastructure Management Using Acoustic Emissions Sensing
Regular monitoring of critical infrastructures is essential at different stages of its life. Aging infrastructures and the risks it presents, like sudden collapse and failures require regular and efficient monitoring of its structural and health conditions to prevent this event from …
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