Robert Reid

Reston

Senior Editor and Features Manager at Civil Engineering Magazine

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Articles

Leveling down - way down - with modular, reconfigurable undersea habitats

2 weeks ago | asce.org | Robert Reid

Living and working for extended periods in underwater habitats is not by itself anything new. The French aquanaut and oceanographer Jacques Cousteau did it first in 1962 with his Conshelf habitat, which was placed off the coast of Marseille, France, at a depth of 33 feet underwater. Cousteau experimented with larger habitats at greater depths throughout the 1960s, as did the U.S. Navy with its SEALAB program.
Swiftwater rescue training facility coming to Houston

1 month ago | asce.org | Robert Reid

Houston is going to be home to an advanced training facility aimed at preparing first responders to conduct rescue operations in fast-moving floodwaters. The Swiftwater Training for Operation and Rescue Missions facility will be constructed on 27 acres of undeveloped land that belongs to the Harris Fort Bend Emergency Services District #100, which services an area within Harris and Fort Bend counties on the west side of Houston.
After the wildfires: Rebuilding and protecting Los Angeles

1 month ago | asce.org | Robert Reid

By Robert L. ReidCivil engineers have a critical role to play in the aftermath of the January wildfires that devastated the Los Angeles region. Los Angeles has long ranked high on ASCE’s annual list of the Best Places for Civil Engineers, which generally focuses on such criteria as salaries, cost of living, and job availability.
In Bordeaux, France, the Simone Veil Bridge does more than cross a river

Feb 11, 2025 | asce.org | Robert Reid

By Robert L. ReidThe Simone Veil Bridge in Bordeaux, France, was designed to be a public space as well as a river crossing. Its seemingly simple design belies a wide range of potential applications. The new Simone Veil Bridge, which crosses the Garonne River in Bordeaux, France, is something of a contradiction in concrete and steel.
Looking for anxiety-free EV driving? In-road charging holds promise

Feb 5, 2025 | asce.org | Robert Reid

The lack of easily accessed electric vehicle charging systems and the accompanying “range anxiety” that your battery might be depleted before you reach your destination are some of the greatest roadblocks to widespread adoption of EVs. But what if there was a way to recharge your EV that was not only as easy as refueling your gas-powered vehicle, but in fact even easier?
Space shuttle Endeavour stands tall in California Science Center display

Jan 2, 2025 | asce.org | Robert Reid

BOLDLY DESIGNED 1/1/2025 18 min read By Robert L. ReidSeismic concerns guided the design of a new exhibit for the retired space shuttle Endeavour. But first the orbiter and its various components had to be moved and lifted into place.
Extension to Swedish science museum features unique timber framing

Jan 2, 2025 | asce.org | Robert Reid

BOLDLY DESIGNED 1/1/2025 10 min read By Robert L. ReidAn extension to Stockholm’s science museum relied on a complex, free-form timber structure. Interestingly, most of the crisscrossing roof beams that cover the facility’s 3D experience dome were bent on-site. Wisdome Stockholm is a new 1,325 sq m extension to Sweden’s National Museum of Science and Technology that features a unique timber design.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s small but iconic theater at Taliesin restored

Jan 1, 2025 | asce.org | Robert Reid

The 100-seat theater that architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed and used as part of his 800-acre estate known as Taliesin, near Spring Green, Wisconsin, has been restored and its facilities improved following years of water infiltration, structural damage, and a lack of certain amenities for audiences and performers.
Architecture, engineering, construction business activity spikes, analysis shows

Sep 30, 2024 | asce.org | Robert Reid

By Robert L. ReidA survey of firms in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, together with an analysis of data from technical report activity generated by these firms, indicates that an initial “general optimism” about the year 2024, as recorded in January, actually turned into “dramatically” improved business activity by midyear, says Chris Connell, CEO of Quire, which provides technical report management services to the AEC sector.
What does it take to engineer under snow and ice?

Sep 2, 2024 | asce.org | Robert Reid

By Robert L. ReidUnderground work in cold regions can feel familiar at times, and at other times it may seem unique, even strange. From climate change and the impermanence of permafrost to the varying conditions under which ground must either be thawed or frozen, the subterranean world of cold regions is always challenging for civil engineers. The design and construction of underground engineering projects in the Northern Hemisphere’s cold regions can sometimes seem counterintuitive, even surreal.