ACEC

The AI Revolution

Andrea Keeney — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 00:46:15 +0000

Engineering Inc. magazine

Artificial Intelligence is Transforming How Engineers Work

Human ingenuity has always been at the center of great engineering. Throughout the centuries, the accumulated knowledge of design, engineering, and construction experts has led to an impressive array of projects—from canals and viaducts to bridges and modern high-rise buildings.

But suddenly the ground is shifting. The rapid advance of artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI (GenAI) tools that incorporate large language models, is redefining what it means to be an engineer. Although technology is nothing new to the profession—CAD and BIM tools have automated numerous processes, for example—AI is now extending the scope and boundaries of engineering.

The opportunities are substantial. AI can help firms streamline and improve processes, increase efficiency, understand costs, assist with design functions, predict failures, and identify maintenance requirements for projects. It also can aid in decision-making and unlock innovation at scale—and even generate ideas that humans have never considered.

Click here to continue reading this article.

Study Shows Continued Strong Optimism in the Engineering Industry

Jeff Urbanchuk — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:23:41 +0000

Study Shows Continued Strong Optimism in the Engineering Industry

But Lack of Qualified Workers Signals Potential Danger

Washington, DC—The ACEC Research Institute released the results of its Q3 2024 Engineering Business Sentiment Study. The report showed that optimism within the industry remains extremely high. For the first time since the Institute began its quarterly surveys, industry executives are optimistic across all market sectors for future growth.

The results were unveiled in a webinar hosted by Institute Executive Director Daphne Bryant and Senior Research Consultant Joe Bates, who led the study. Bates noted that “the engineering industry is bullish on the future, with broad optimism in the growth of critical markets and a reduction in concern over the impact of inflation and the potential for an economic slowdown.”

The Institute found that future industry sentiment is positive in all sectors for the first time and is highest in Energy and Utilities (+46), Transportation – Roads and Bridges (+42), and Transportation – Airports (+41). Concern over inflation (+48) dropped seven points since last quarter’s poll. The perceived likelihood of a recession dropped six points from one year ago.

If there is one area of concern among industry executives, it continues to be the supply of well-qualified candidates for employment. Even though seventy-one percent of respondents predict that there will be an increase in hiring over the next 12 months, seventy-eight percent see a lack of qualified workers as a barrier to growth. Nine out of 10 (89%) of firm leaders say it is difficult to find qualified engineers, while 62 percent see challenges in finding non-engineering staff.

“We’re simply not graduating enough engineers, and many of those who do graduate are international students who have difficulty staying in the country to apply the skills learned in American universities,” said Daphne Bryant, Executive Director of the ACEC Research Institute. “The workforce challenge remains one of the most pressing barriers to growth in our industry, which has significant implications for America’s economic growth and the future of our critical infrastructure.”

Both ACEC and the ACEC Research Institute are addressing the workforce challenge. In April, ACEC held its first Engineering and Public Works Workforce Summit with its partners, the American Public Works Association (APWA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), which resulted in the creation of an Engineering Workforce Consortium to develop potential policy solutions to the workforce crunch. The Institute is engaged in a research project looking at the engineering “Firm of the Future” to explore what talent and skills will be needed to staff the firm of 2035.

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The ACEC Research Institute is the independent research arm of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) — the business association of the nation’s engineering industry. The ACEC Research Institute’s mission is to deliver knowledge and business strategies that guide and elevate the engineering industry and to be the leading source of knowledge and thought leadership for creating a more sustainable, safe, secure, and technically advanced built environment.

ACEC Engages Lawmakers at Democratic National Convention

Andrea Keeney — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 18:47:42 +0000

Several members of ACEC’s Advocacy team spent the week at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, with our team’s basecamp serving as a hub for events with state and Congressional lawmakers. We hosted members of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, while ACEC Illinois held a fundraiser saluting the chair of the Illinois Senate Transportation Committee. We also held events throughout the week with the Congressional Black Caucus. All in all, a busy and successful five days, marked by making new connections and reinforcing existing ones.

ACEC California Joins ACEC Research Institute Founder Circle with Major Donation

Allison Schneider — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 15:32:03 +0000

The ACEC Research Institute today announced a major donation from ACEC California, a state member organization within the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) federation. The contribution joins a growing list of donations to the Institute.

“ACEC California’s donation is critically important to ensuring the Institute can continue to deliver the research necessary to guide and elevate the engineering industry,” said Michael J. Carragher, PE, chair of the ACEC Research Institute and chair and CEO of VHB.

The ACEC Research Institute is an independent nonprofit with an emphasis on original data including economic insights that capture the contributions of the engineering industry, measure engineering executives’ perceptions of the business and political climate with the Business Sentiment Report, and provide data-driven forecasting of how engineering firms will evolve in the future.

ACEC California Executive Director Brad Diede believes it is important to support the mission of the Institute. “Our members recognize the Institute’s vital role in improving the engineering industry through timely forecasts and trend analysis while also identifying the positive impact engineering has on communities. This information from the Institute also provides useful data to assist with advancing policy that is important to our industry.”

The ACEC Research Institute’s data is often cited by the media and is available on the Bloomberg Terminal. Its sought-after experts are also frequent contributors to industry podcasts.

ACEC California joins a growing list of donors that have stepped forward over the past three years to support the ACEC Research Institute at the highest level, Founder Circle, many of which were early contributors that helped launch the Institute:

ACEC California

ACEC Florida

ACEC Life/Health Trust

ACEC Minnesota

ACEC New York

ACEC North Carolina

Autodesk

Benesch

Bentley

BST Global

John and Karen Carrato

Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine

Deltek

DJ&A

HDR

Kimley-Horn

POWER Engineers

RS&H

Stanley Consultants

STV

Baker Smith

Terracon

The Joni & Gary Raba Family Foundation

VHB

The ACEC Research Institute, through the generous support of all its donors, will continue to expand its research activities. By harnessing the collective expertise of its members and stakeholders, the Institute aims to develop transformative solutions that address the pressing challenges of our time, ensuring a safer, more sustainable, and resilient built environment for future generations.

Individuals, firms, and foundations interested in supporting the ACEC Research Institute should reach out to Daphne Bryant, executive director, at dbryant@acec.org.

Firm News: Sanderson Bellecci, Inc., becomes Sanbell

Allison Schneider — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 15:00:39 +0000

Sanderson Bellecci, Inc., which formed in
2023 by combining four firms, Sanderson Stewart, Bellecci and
Associates, Summit Engineering, and Coleman Engineering,
has completed its merger and will now officially be known as
Sanbell. Sanbell has offices in Billings, Bozeman, and Helena,
Montana; Fort Collins, Colorado; Concord, Pleasanton, and
Roseville, California; Elko and Reno, Nevada.

For more information, visit www.sanbell.com.

Greetings from Chicago

Chris Grindler — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 18:55:52 +0000

The following message was sent to ACEC members on 8/20/24 via email as part of Linda Bauer Darr’s ongoing Tuesday Letter series. To sign up for ACEC’s emails, please visit: https://www.acec.org/email-newsletter/

Greetings from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago! ACEC is here in the Windy City all week, hosting a suite of events with House and Senate Democrats. The Convention kicked off last night with the previous two Democratic presidential nominees: Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden. Minnesota Gov. and Vice-Presidential nominee Tim Walz is set to take the stage tomorrow night and Vice President Harris is slated to speak on Thursday.

As we did last month during the GOP Convention in Milwaukee, ACEC is spending the week meeting with lawmakers, including members of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. ACEC Illinois held a fundraiser Monday night saluting the chair of Illinois Senate Transportation Committee. We also are hosting events throughout the week with the Congressional Black Caucus, including a drop-in event tomorrow morning at which we expect House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY).

We are here in Chicago to advance the interests of our industry and to spotlight the essentiality of engineering. Tens of thousands of people are converging on this city this week, using transportation infrastructure designed by engineers, staying in hotels made safe and sustainable by engineers, and gathering in event spaces developed by engineers. So much of what we do is woven into the expectations of modern life. Of course there are roads, bridges, airports, arenas. It’s our job to remind lawmakers that we make it all possible.

Two hundred miles from here, in the state capital of Springfield, an engineering firm was recently instrumental in unearthing artifacts from a site that was recently designated a national monument. The Springfield race riot of 1908 left dozens of homes destroyed – and presumably lost forever. Springfield-based engineering firm Hanson Professional Services Inc. took the lead in searching for buried historical items as part of an environmental impact statement prepared for a rail improvement project in the city. Their search would yield the remains of brick foundations of seven homes – five of which had been torched during the 1908 riot. On Friday, President Biden held a ceremony at the White House to sign the proclamation establishing the site as a monument. In attendance: Hanson CEO and Chairman (and former ACEC Chair) Sergio “Satch” Pecori. Hanson’s work on this site is a great example of the often-untold story of our industry. Engineering doesn’t just pave the way to a brighter future. It also helps preserve our past.

Finally, our Engineering and Public Works Roadshow is set to make another stop next week, this time in Golden, Colorado to celebrate the Clear Creek Canyon Park Gateway Segment. Just in time for back to school, the event will feature educational stations for middle and high school students to conduct experiments along the trail. We’ve always said solving our workforce shortage is a long game that requires a multi-pronged approach. The Roadshow is a very important prong. It’s an opportunity to spotlight the human side of what engineers do, to connect engineering to daily life, and to make the case for how genuinely rewarding engineering can be.

ACEC Research Institute Founder Circle Grows with Major Donation from ACEC New York

Allison Schneider — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 19:49:57 +0000

Washington, DC – The ACEC Research Institute announced a major donation from ACEC New York, a state-member organization within the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) federation. The contribution joins a growing list of donations to the Institute.

“The ACEC Research Institute continues to advance first-of-its-kind research for the engineering industry, and ACEC New York’s donation comes at an important time as more projects come underway,” said ACEC Research Institute Chair Michael J. Carragher, PE, and chair and CEO of VHB.

Robust original economic data from the ACEC Research Institute has quickly established the independent nonprofit as a leader in benchmarking the quantifiable contributions of the engineering industry.

The Institute’s Firm of the Future initiative is forecasting the evolution of engineering firms and exploring topics like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the ever-changing workforce, positioning the Institute as the go-to source for engineering industry data for researchers, journalists, and engineering executives.

ACEC New York President and CEO John Evers said it’s important to support the mission of the Institute for the betterment of the whole engineering industry. “The insights the Institute provides are invaluable. They help our members design infrastructure that improves lives through shorter commutes, safer streets, and a cleaner environment. We’re proud to support the Institute’s work with this donation,” Evers said.

The ACEC Research Institute’s data is often cited by the media and is available on the Bloomberg Terminal. Its sought-after experts are also frequent contributors to industry podcasts.

ACEC New York joins a growing list of donors that have stepped forward over the past three years to support the ACEC Research Institute at the highest level, Founder Circle, many of which were early contributors that helped launch the Institute:

ACEC Florida
ACEC Life/Health Trust
ACEC Minnesota
ACEC New York
ACEC North Carolina
Autodesk
Benesch
Bentley
BST Global
John and Karen Carrato
Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine
Deltek
DJ&A
HDR
Kimley-Horn
POWER Engineers
RS&H
Stanley Consultants
STV
Baker Smith
Terracon
The Joni & Gary Raba Family Foundation
VHB

Individuals, firms, and foundations interested in supporting the ACEC Research Institute should reach out to Daphne Bryant, executive director, at dbryant@acec.org.

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Engineering Inc – Issue Two-2024 Digital Magazine Now Available

Andrea Keeney — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 13:50:38 +0000

Click here to read all the news and feature articles, including:

2024 Engineering Excellence Awards

Complete coverage of the 2024 Engineering Excellence Awards, including the year’s Grand Conceptor Award Winner, MTA Grand Central Madison by AECOM, as the year’s most outstanding engineering achievement.

The AI Revolution

From automating tedious tasks to solving complex problems, artificial intelligence is transforming how engineers work.

Meeting the Workforce Challenge Head-On

The Engineering and Public Works Workforce Summit addresses the industry’s talent shortage.

Annual Convention Wrap-Up

The Council and the industry are stronger and better positioned for the future.

A Focus on the Future

Tech, talent, and teamwork are top priorities for the 2024-2025 ACEC Executive Committee.

Shining a Light on Engineering Ingenuity

ACEC Member Organization and member firm highlights from 2024 National Engineers Week.

Lead By Example

California sets the tone for many policies nationwide. ACEC California is planting seeds for the future.

V3’s Vision of Volunteerism

The firm and its employees are passionate about making an impact and building lasting relationships.

Click here to read the issue.

The Impact of Engineering at the Olympics 🌍

Jeff Urbanchuk — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 14:42:59 +0000

To the ACEC Community,

Sunday marked the end of the Olympic Games in Paris. The Olympics were a triumph for Team USA, which took home 126 medals. (Two of those medals were courtesy of Penn State engineering grad and “Pommel Horse Guy” Stephen Nedoroscik, who became something of a social media sensation during the games.)

While Pommel Horse Guy was one of nine engineers representing the U.S. at the games, the influence and ingenuity of our industry was on display throughout the Olympics. Like so much else, the Olympics would not have been possible without engineers. From technology and equipment to transportation and logistics – and to the infrastructure that propelled it all – engineering was integral to the planning, execution, and operation of the Games.

And now that Tom Cruise has secured the Olympic flag and brought it to Los Angeles for the 2028 Games, the American engineering industry is set to take the world stage. LA Mayor Karen Bass has announced that the Olympics will be a car-free, transit-first event. To that end, Los Angeles has initiated an effort called 28-by-28, a plan to complete 28 transportation infrastructure projects before the July 2028 start of the Olympics. While many of these infrastructure projects were already in progress before LA was awarded the Games, their completion will now be accelerated. Once again, engineers lead the way.

There really is something special about the Olympics, wherever they are. Even beyond the absolutely jaw-dropping feats of athleticism (Simone Biles, anyone?!), I think it’s the feeling of the world coming together, and that even amid the competition there is still that sense of camaraderie. The Games were a wonderful, welcomed break from our intensely polarized politics here at home. They are a reminder that it’s still possible to be adversaries without being enemies.

For more than a century, the Olympic motto was, “Faster, Higher, Stronger,” until the IOC approved a change in 2021 to signify the unifying power of sports. The new motto: “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together.” A small change, but one with enormous weight. As we head into the thick of what is certain to be a very nasty campaign season, one hopes that both ends of the political spectrum heed the lesson of the Olympics. Our industry knows better than most that there is strength in being united; the very work we do serves as proof that nothing can be sustained on a weak foundation. Who better than engineers to remind our leaders that a house divided against itself cannot stand?

Have a great week.

PS: Speaking of coming together, there is still time to take advantage of earlybird pricing for our Fall Conference in New Orleans, scheduled for October 20-23. We’ve secured some fantastic speakers who you won’t want to miss. Register today!

Looking Back on a Busy July

Shreya Jain — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 21:01:35 +0000

The following message was sent to ACEC members on 8/6/24 via email as part of Linda Bauer Darr’s ongoing Tuesday Letter series. To sign up for ACEC’s emails, please visit: https://www.acec.org/email-newsletter/

To the ACEC Community,

July was a busy month at ACEC. Our new Market Intelligence Committee (MIC) leadership is now in place, with the appointment of its new chair and vice-chair. Also in the Market Intelligence space: we held the first of two complimentary test drives of our new Market Intelligence Dashboard at the end of July, with a second session scheduled for the end of August. The dashboard provides a new level of interactivity for ACEC members to analyze critical market indicators. Check it out here.

The Research Institute is making plans for its next Firm of the Future workshop – which will be held in Boston at the end of September – and is finalizing several research products to be released after Labor Day. Our communications team is finalizing details for our award-winning Engineering and Public Works Roadshow’s next stop, scheduled for Golden, Colorado. (Yes, award winning! The Roadshow – a joint effort by ACEC, APWA, and ASCE, was selected last month by the American Society of Association Executives as a “Power of Associations” honoree.)

On the advocacy front, we were on the ground in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, where we held meetings with 45 key lawmakers. With this morning’s announcement that Vice President Harris has selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, the Democratic ticket is now set. We’ll have a strong presence in Chicago later this month for the DNC. Closer to home, we also held four events at our Capitol Hill residence, hosting 17 Members of Congress. Our Minuteman Fund approved a grant for ACEC Louisiana to help them push for transportation infrastructure funding in the Pelican State.

Finally — registration is now open for our Fall Conference, scheduled for October 20-23 in New Orleans. Early bird rates apply until mid-September, but spots are filling fast! Register here to secure your spot today.

Here’s a recap of what our departments were working on throughout July:Advocacy:

A Minuteman Fund grant was approved for ACEC Louisiana to help defray the cost of advocating for increased transportation infrastructure funding in the state.
ACEC participation with the RNC Convention in Milwaukee featured meetings with 45 key lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (LA), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY), NRSC Chair Sen. Steve Daines (MT), NRCC Chair Rep. Richard Hudson (NC), Ways & Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (MO), and T&I Committee Chair Sam Graves (MO).
The House of Representatives cleared the $10 billion Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), and companion legislation has cleared the Senate.
The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee passed the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, a bipartisan bill reforming the permitting process for critical energy and mining projects. ACEC wrote a statement stating the bill was a positive step in enhancing the country’s energy infrastructure and will continue to engage with committee leaders as the bill moves through the legislative process.
Hosted four events at the residence in June, including the ACEC Florida congressional reception, which featured 17 total Members of Congress, two Senatorial candidates, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

Meetings, Exhibits & Awards:

2024 Fall Conference Registration is open and already more than 200 people have registered. The General Session speaker line-up will include Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, Astrophysicist and Former Space Science Education Lead for NASA, and author of a critically acclaimed memoir, A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Streets to the Stars; Sebastian Terry, Creator of 100things Philanthropic Movement; and Didem Un Ates, AI Chief Executive and CEO of LotusAI.co.uk, where she supports Private Equity firms and PE-backed companies with their AI strategy, innovation, and implementation efforts.
The event will also offer 20 concurrent education sessions and 10 partner presentations, new Rapid-Fire Industry Sessions, and the opportunity to visit the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway West Closure Complex – the largest pumping station in the world.

Communications and Marketing:

The Engineering and Public Works Roadshow, a joint effort of ACEC, APWA and ASCE, was awarded a “Power of Associations” Award by the American Society of Association Executives.
The Roadshow is preparing for its next event in Golden, Colorado on August 29th, spotlighting the Clear Creek Canyon Gateway Segment. More information can be found here.
The department began development of the 2023-2024 ACEC Annual Report.
The department assisted the ACEC Research Institute with developing the communications and marketing strategies for its upcoming research releases on Lump Sum, firm of the future, and scholarships.

Membership, MO Services & BRE:

ACEC chair Gary Raba appointed Mark Borushko, Bowman’s Senior Vice President, West Region Strategic Growth Leader as chair and Mark Baum, Barry-Wehmiller Design Group’s Partner, Commercial Strategy, as vice chair of ACEC’s new Market Intelligence Committee (MIC). This open committee aims to identify and analyze key market developments and trends impacting the engineering industry and guide the development of educational programming and resources for member firms operating in both public and private markets. If you are interested in joining the MIC Committee, learn more and sign up.
Registration for the 2024 Annual Forum event in Denver, September 22-24, has already exceeded last year’s numbers with nearly four hundred registered this year. The HR, Finance, and IT Forums will be joined this year by the Business Development & Marketing and the Women’s Leadership Forum. These co-located events offer a mix of education, networking, and idea-sharing. Learn more and register.
ACEC’S Geoprofessional Coalition teamed up with Stambaugh Ness to offer a successful online class focused on attending, retaining, and developing the next generation of leaders.
The first of two complimentary sessions highlighting the new Market Intelligence Dashboard was held on July 31 and a second is scheduled for August 28. Members can sign up here to learn how to use the interactive dashboard and understand industry specific data, which can be downloaded and used internally for your firm’s analysis.
Don’t miss the last two sessions in the Digital Transformation Series tailored for AEC professionals and designed to guide the transition from a traditional business approach to a technologically advanced approach. The remaining sessions focus on harnessing the power of big data to drive decision making and how to deliver projects digitally with precision. Learn more and sign up.
ACEC wrapped the final session of its new Communication Bootcamp, a five-part online course on techniques and strategies to strengthen professional communication and public speaking skills. Eighty participants signed up for the course, which was taught by experts from the D.C. based Communications Center.

ACEC Research Institute:

Institute Summer Board Meeting: focused on preparation for our September Firm of the Future workshop.
Held Donor Review meetings with leadership of 36 donor firms.