Magazine

  In my 28 years at Dewberry, I’ve learned a lot, much of which I think still applies to young engineers today. I was first hired at Dewberry in 1993, fresh from graduating from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. By the time I was 25, I was working as a project…

  Broadly speaking, the term ‘net zero’ refers to any time the same amount of something is produced as removed or expended. In the building sector, we often hear “net-zero” used in connection with energy or carbon—two words that are not interchangeable but commonly misused as such. Wendy Macdonald, Sustainability Consultant at RJC Engineers, is…

  There is perhaps no issue more pressing in construction engineering than sustainability. By reducing the resources required to build and maintain new structures, engineers are redefining the next generation of construction and paving the way for a safer and more sustainable future. This green future is made possible by the use of sustainable construction materials,…

Facilities management professionals need to find ways to communicate effectively with those they are working with. “Having a process to help executives make decisions in an informed way is very important to everyone,” said Kurt Neubek, a certified facilities manager with the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA), an architect, and a Firmwide Healthcare Practice Leader…

  ATP monitors, broadly speaking, are a rapid testing method used to quickly assess the cleanliness of surfaces or liquid samples. Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is present in all organic material, living or not living, and is the universal unit of energy used in all living cells, whether found in plants, animals, bacteria, mould, or microorganisms….

In late 2020, California and then the United Kingdom took a stand on the future of the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. To me, this moment was the beginning of the end for ICE vehicles: California, the fifth-largest economy in the world and the state with the most new car sales across the U.S.; and…

  U.S. companies are increasingly tracking and reporting their carbon emissions, but many stumble once they try to quantify the impact from their value chain. A company’s carbon footprint is made up of Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Scope 3 emissions result from activities that are not directly owned or controlled…

Weather, structural movement, and stress are constantly attacking your commercial roof. While normal aging will occur on all roofs, problems stemming from neglect, abuse, contamination, or accidents, if not detected early, can result in extensive, costly repairs or premature failure of the roofing system. Plan and start an inspection program during the first year your…

When considering how to handle complex engineering on a new design-build project, weigh these factors in determining the best path forward. It’s common in the design and construction industry to come across design-build contractors who want only MEP subcontractors on their project teams. But is a consulting MEP engineer a better option than an MEP…

  Electric vehicles (EVs) are on the rise in the United States. The Biden administration aims for 50 percent of new light-duty vehicle sales to be zero-emission by 2030. Some states have even more ambitious targets, such as California, Massachusetts and New York, which plan to reach 100 percent new EV sales by 2035. Major…