Leslie Connelly

Reston

Director, Publications Marketing at American Society of Civil Engineers

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asce.org

Articles

Crunching 12 years of data with AI helps predict oil pipeline failure causes

2 weeks 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

3 weeks 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

1 month 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?

1 month 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.
Which brick pattern makes for a stronger wall?

2 months ago | asce.org | Leslie Connelly

Walls that support load-bearing concrete block masonry buildings need to account for a variety of situations. From resisting out-of-plane and in-plane axial combinations, to fire and sound barriers, and possibly serving as an exposed architectural finish. That’s a lot for one wall to manage! And then there are the aesthetics, running bond patterns (think overlapping bricks) versus stack patterns (one brick stacked directly over another). How does this design element change the load for that wall?
3 concrete repair mortars compared for adherence, durability

2 months ago | asce.org | Leslie Connelly

The choice to rehabilitate aging infrastructure rather than start new builds shifts costs to maintenance and repair. Being integral to most projects, concrete ages, erodes, and cracks. To combat this the materials industry has developed repair mortars and identified minimum requirements for strength, compatibility with the substrate, and protection of the structure. With lots of different retrofitting materials available, what combinations work best to repair and ensure continued sustainability?
Evaluating the potential of drones to monitor road conditions

2 months ago | asce.org | Leslie Connelly

Aerial drone usage has exploded with recent technological advances. Use cases include medical supply delivery, insurance risk assessment, and various forms of infrastructure monitoring. The US transportation industry has been using drones for some roadway condition monitoring, an important economic priority, as the American Trucking Association estimates that 72% of US freight is moved by trucks.
Tapping anaerobic digestion’s potential as a renewable energy source

Mar 6, 2025 | asce.org | Leslie Connelly

Anaerobic digestion, or the use of microorganisms to break down wastes, is used by wastewater facilities to improve waste decomposition, remove pathogens, lower greenhouse gases, reduce energy for treatment, and other benefits. Previous findings indicate that mixing biosolids (which have limited biodegradable organic matter) with food waste (highly biodegradable matter) improves anaerobic digestion.