Leslie Connelly

Reston

Director, Publications Marketing at American Society of Civil Engineers

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Articles

First-ever pedestrian bridge inspection process proposed

1 week ago | asce.org | Leslie Connelly

Pedestrian bridges have evolved from merely functional to works of art that often integrate with a city’s design plan. With improved appearance come more complex structural design elements and construction challenges. Ensuring bridge integrity and pedestrian safety becomes more significant with more complicated fabrication. Surprisingly, pedestrian bridges have no standard in-service inspection criteria, often leaving inspectors to resort to implementing highway bridge standards.
Enlightening the public effectively reduces water usage during shortages

2 weeks ago | asce.org | Leslie Connelly

Urban water usage in the United States spikes in the summer, with Americans watering their lawns to ensure their property values. Despite growing awareness of the importance of conservation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that as much as 50% of water is used for lawn and landscape irrigation. Sadly, a good portion of this potable water is wasted due to broken lines, misdirected sprinklers, and leaks.
Digitizing construction site layout planning optimizes efficiency and safety

3 weeks ago | asce.org | Leslie Connelly

A well-organized construction site has a huge impact on a project’s success. A site’s safety and efficiency can be directly correlated to construction site layout planning – the identification, sizing, and strategic placement of temporary facilities to optimize objective functions. Today, construction site managers use their intuition and experience, along with manual drafting (using tools like Microsoft PowerPoint), to create an overlay drawing of the building plan.
Prepare for disasters by incorporating hazard risk into community planning

1 month ago | asce.org | Leslie Connelly

Hazard mitigation planning can substantially minimize the impact of natural disasters. Identifying the risks and vulnerabilities begins at the local level but can often be fragmented. Compartmentalization, separate funding streams, differing mandates, and low priority classification can make identifying and planning for hazards a challenge for urban planners. Communities are more likely to develop independent plans rather than a holistic plan that incorporates comprehensive solutions.
Crunching 12 years of data with AI helps predict oil pipeline failure causes

1 month ago | asce.org | Leslie Connelly

Did you know that 64% of U.S. energy commodities are transported via pipelines? The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which monitors the transport of crude oil and natural gas, is dedicated to ensuring the safe transportation of energy and hazardous materials. It reported 297 incidents in 2023, resulting in 44,000 barrels spilled. To minimize the severity of future incidents, developing effective disaster response and management strategies is necessary.
Stuck at an intersection? You may need a ‘leading pedestrian interval’ for safety

1 month ago | asce.org | Leslie Connelly

Traffic intersections can be dangerous, particularly for pedestrians. Pedestrian safety is important, and many pedestrian crashes occur at intersections where the walk sign gives the pedestrian the right of way. Vehicle drivers, however, may be distracted or not see the pedestrian. Several studies have been conducted that identify solutions to improve pedestrian safety.
Improve railway safety with new way to analyze track conditions

2 months ago | asce.org | Leslie Connelly

Ever since the first steam locomotives in 1804, trains have transformed transportation of both people and freight. The 140,000 miles of track in the U.S. supports transport for essential goods like agricultural and manufactured products but also offers a sustainable travel option. Some 1.5 billion tons of goods move annually and more than 28 million passengers traveled via rail in 2023, according to the ASCE 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.
Can water treatment plant sludge be recycled into a shield from gamma radiation?

2 months ago | asce.org | Leslie Connelly

Just hearing the term gamma radiation might make you think of The Incredible Hulk, the giant green comic antihero transformed due to exposure to gamma rays. And you’d be forgiven if the title of a new study, “Utilization of Water Treatment Plant Sludge for Creating Green Bricks and Examining Its Gamma Radiation Shielding Potential,” would make you ask if water treatment plant sludge could have protected Bruce Banner (the Hulk’s normal-human alter ego).
Option contracts improve urban water security in drought conditions

2 months ago | asce.org | Leslie Connelly

The increased number and severity of weather events resulting from climate change have a big impact on water quality and availability. Water scarcity and drought are often a result. Drought is a silent, slow-moving natural hazard whose effects such as dwindling reservoirs and declining crop yields take time to appear and have wide-ranging impacts.
Predict pavement conditions on a budget using datasets and AI

2 months ago | asce.org | Leslie Connelly

Pavement sure takes a beating. If it’s not road traffic, it’s the weather, particularly extreme weather and climate change. The heat expands the pavement and cold contracts it, resulting in poor road conditions. Our society is very automobile-centric, so reliable roads help foster community resilience and safety. The ability to predict pavement conditions has a big impact on maintenance. However, collecting data, using sensors, and conducting lab experiments can be costly for many communities.