Technical Hires

It’s not often we come across a bridge described as one of the “scariest” drives in the world! The 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 was first opened in 1952 and is an impressive 186 ft high, five lanes wide and cost around $200 million to build (including the second three lane span added in 1973). Back then it was the ‘world's longest continuous over-water steel structure!’ 😱 Considered scary due to its height, narrow spans, lack of a hard shoulder and low guardrails, the bridge is also regularly battered by high winds and has been closed on no less than four occasions due to weather related incidents! No wonder it can make some people nervous. 🚀 That is not to take away from its impact. Analysis has shown that by connecting the more rural Eastern shore to its more urban West Maryland, properly values rose in the former 3000% between the 50’s to 90’s.  Also increasing the population dramatically in the same period by 88%. 🌱There has been speculation recently about the need to expand the bridge due to its high traffic congestion, in no small part due to the population explosion there. However, there are also some concerns over the environmental impact on the Bay itself of such an expansion. 💰There is also the issue of cost. A 2015 estimated the cost of maintaining the bridge alone would total $3.25 billion over the next fifty years, even without an additional span. This could be an opportunity for civil engineering innovation, exploring greener construction techniques and other tools such as traffic analysis to identify the best solution. Either way its yet another case study of the impact civil engineers make in our lives! #civilengineering #maryland #bridge

Texas Department of Transportation is reaching out to the public for input on its 10-year transportation plan for the state. Considering the impact on local communities it’s great to see public consultation on such a crucial project. The ‘Unified Transportation Program’ for 2025 proposes a massive, but much needed, $104 billion for transportation spending. The second year in a role that the UTP budget has exceeded $100 billion. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗧𝗣 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗱𝗼? · 𝗧𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: The plan aims to address the chronic problem of traffic congestion in Texas (a topic discussed by Technical Hires in previous posts). · 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆: Enhancements are planned across public transport, cycling paths, pedestrian walkways, and road quality. · 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲: The initiative will positively impact trade through improvements to aviation, rail, freight, and ports. 𝗔 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝘅𝗗𝗢𝗧: "TxDOT's strategic 10-year blueprint aims to advance projects that prioritize safety, delivery, innovation, and stewardship," says Marc Williams, Executive Director. This plan is not just about transportation—it's about enhancing the quality of life for all Texans. 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝘆: The public comment period starts this week and ends on August 5th. To participate, visit the TxDOT website for more details on how you can make your voice heard. (link in the comments). #civilengineering #transportation #texas #Urbanplanning

Happy Fourth of July! 🇺🇸 Wishing everyone a safe holiday with family, friends, fun, and fireworks!

Daniella Glaeze is turning heads on TikTok with millions of views for documenting her new 3D printed home in Wolf Ranch (great name) in north Austin. The neighborhood, developed by Lennar, showcases the future of housing with a community of 100 ‘printed’ homes. 🔧 𝗖𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴-𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: The homes are being crafted with “lavacrete” a special type of concrete, using Icon's impressive printing technology. This printer is an impressive 45.5 feet wide, 15.5 feet tall and named Vulcan - another great name! 🌟 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲? • 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: These homes stand out with unique aesthetics, featuring curved walls and a textured layering unlike traditional homes. • 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Lavacrete is well-insulated against heat and robust against heavy rainstorms, even withstanding hurricane-force winds—essential for Texas living! • 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆: While the purchase costs align with other area homes due to Lennar's pricing strategy, the utility costs are significantly lower, thanks to the material's insulating properties. 🌿 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 As with all new technology, this is just the beginning. The 3D printing approach to construction promises to become faster, more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable. Daniella Glaeze loves the seamless, clean lines and the peace and quiet her new home offers, thanks to the thick, well-insulated walls. Check out the video to see the technology in action and stay tuned for more civil engineering innovation news with Technical Hires. #Civilengineering #Texas #Sustainability #3DPrinting #Innovation

North Texas may soon see a new wave in transportation innovation. Several cities, including Arlington, Dallas, DeSoto, Frisco, and Plano, are in discussions with Swyft Cities to potentially install an advanced aerial gondola system known as Whoosh. Developed initially at Google and commercialized by Swyft Cities, Whoosh "creates personalized, point-to-point transportation for passengers or goods traveling in smart electric vehicles on a light and flexible elevated cable and rail network." Similar to a lift at a ski resort or aerial cable car. 🔍 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁? The system could dramatically reduce traffic congestion by utilizing direct routes inaccessible to traditional transport. Plus provide a scenic view as an added perk! 📅 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: Previously, Austin explored a similar project with Wire One Austin, which proposed an 8.7-mile aerial gondola line. Although the project was eventually shelved, the current discussions in North Texas reflect a renewed interest in exploring alternative urban transport solutions. Is this the future of urban mobility or just a high-flying idea? Regardless, it’s exciting to witness creative approaches to solving traffic congestion. Stay tuned to Technical Hires for more updates on transportation innovations and civil engineering developments. #Transport #Innovation #Texas #Dallas

Technical hires ‘bridge of the week’ is the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, a pivotal part of Dallas's Trinity River Project. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, this cable-stayed bridge is recognized for its distinctive 40-story arch that dramatically enhances the city skyline. 🛠️ 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Stretching 1,206 feet with a 603-foot main span, the bridge features a striking array of 58 white strands descending from a 400-foot-high arch. It connects downtown Dallas to West Dallas, improving urban connectivity with six traffic lanes built for strength and durability. 🏆 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Since its opening in 2012, the bridge has received accolades including the 2012 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award and a European Steel Design Award, acknowledging its innovative design and structural integrity. 🌟 𝗜𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: More than a transportation route, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge serves as a symbol of innovative urban planning and has become a key landmark in Dallas. It's truly rewarding to engage with and place civil engineers, witnessing the significant contributions their projects make to enhancing community life - and do so, with style! 👷♂️ #EngineeringExcellence #UrbanDevelopment #Dallas #CivilEngineering

Women's Engineering Society (WES) CEO Elizabeth Donnelly predicts it will take "another 50 years for engineering to reach gender parity." In her interview with the New Civil Engineer on June 23rd for International Women in Engineering Day—a WES initiative—Elizabeth discusses the ongoing efforts and progress in closing the gender gap in civil engineering. Key takeaways: 📚𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: “Engineering is harder to get into as a girl. Schools will generally funnel girls towards law or medicine”. 📈 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹: The number of women taking up engineering has almost doubled in the last decade to 500,000. 📺 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Like doctors and lawyers, engineers need greater representation in media to spark widespread interest in the profession. Interestingly, female representation in medicine and law was only 15-20% in the 1980s, similar to the current levels in civil engineering today, and is now closer to 40%. It’s hard to believe that in 1969, only 0.5% of the total workforce were women. It only goes to show change is possible! Check out the full article in the comments and follow Technical Hires for more content. #INWED24 #CivilEngineering #Texas #Diversity

A quick update on the Texas job market! Nearly 42,000 jobs were added to the labor market in May, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. Although this represents a slight decrease from April, the overall momentum remains strong. 📈 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: • 𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗝𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘆: The state added 42,000 jobs, increasing total nonfarm employment to 14,195,600. • 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵:  Since May 2023, over 200,000 people have joined the Texas workforce, underscoring the state’s lead in year-over-year employment expansion. 👥 𝗨𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: • 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲:  Texas maintained a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4%, matching the national rate. • 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: Dallas-Fort Worth reported a 3.6% unemployment rate, while Austin-Round Rock showed an impressive rate of 3.2%. 🏢 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿-𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵: • 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲, 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: This sector added 13,300 jobs in May, leading the charge in job creation. • 𝗟𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: This sector also saw significant growth with nearly 7,000 new jobs. 🔍𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸: It's great to see a buoyant job market as this can impact people in every sector. Civil Engineering in particular is going through a book due to the high levels of recent infrastructure investment. This work also significantly impacts trade, transportation and utilities sectors. 🔗 Follow us for more updates on Texas’ economic and employment trends. #Employment #Texas #Engineeringjobs #CivilEngineering

One of the most impressive, and expensive, roads can be found on the beautiful French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. The Nouvelle Route du Littoral (NRL), with its staggering cost of £1.56bn ($2.74 billion), is not just transforming connectivity but also claiming the title of the world’s most expensive road. This monumental project links the capital, Saint-Denis, to La Possession, enhancing both the landscape and local infrastructure. 🌍 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬: • 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡: 12.4 kilometers (7.7 miles), with 8 kilometers currently operational. • 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭: Estimated at £1.56bn ($2.74 billion). • 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Targeted in four years, despite significant challenges. 🔧 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: • 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧: Features include suspended viaducts and breakwaters built on the seabed. • 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲: Replaces an old road prone to landslides, enhancing safety for the island’s 60,000 daily commuters. 📈 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐬: • 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲: Aims to ease congestion and improve transport reliability. • 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬: Faced material shortages, technical difficulties, and scrutiny over financial irregularities. This ambitious project demonstrates the transformative power of advanced engineering in overcoming natural and logistical hurdles, setting new standards for infrastructure projects worldwide. Be sure to follow Technical Hires for more civil engineering insights. #CivilEngineering #Infrastructure #Innovation #Transportation

 𝐈𝐬 "𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠" 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 "𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠"? In our latest analysis, we uncover a concerning trend: while 69% of engineers report burnout, only 21% feel their companies genuinely care about their well-being, a sharp decline from 49% in 2020. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠? It's when companies offer superficial perks like mindfulness training, which don't address the deeper issues of workplace culture that lead to stress and burnout. It is akin to "greenwashing," where companies falsely advertise their environmental efforts. 👉 Dive into our full Technical Hires article in the comments to understand the causes of carewashing, its impact on the workforce, and how both employees and employers can take meaningful steps to foster a truly supportive work environment.