The Designing a Better Wisconsin Blog features stories and projects from the ACEC WI membership highlighting the critical nature of engineering work, life/saftey impacts, and cost-effective, innovative solutions.
By transitioning to LED fixtures, WisDOT’s annual energy consumption will be reduced by 9,475,000 kilowatt hours – a nearly 50% reduction in energy usage per year. That translates to annual savings of $1,184,700 in direct energy costs across the state. Continue Reading
An outstanding balance of performance, practicality, aesthetics, and historic preservation, the rehabilitated Grand Avenue pedestrian bridge demonstrates the outcomes of effective collaboration and engineering excellence. Continue Reading
Written by Terrence R. Tavera, P.E., CFM, CPESC; Ruekert & Mielke Inc. The City of Greenfield recently struggled with storm events flooding Wildcat Creek to the point of frequent over-topping, structure flooding, and bank erosion. The community voiced concerns during public information... Continue Reading
Written by Greg Marconnet, Mead & Hunt When you think of Wisconsin you probably think of beer, cheese and hopefully sausage. Meat products generate significant revenue and are a vital part of Wisconsin’s economy. Companies across the state, from large, well-known meat processors, to... Continue Reading
Written by Pete Haug, PE, Ayres Associates One of the principles of engineering is that water always wins. Whether contained in a river or falling in a rainstorm, water finds a way to infiltrate basements, saturate soils – and undermine bridges. Bridge Failure & Scour The most common... Continue Reading
Written by Steve Roloff, P.E., LEED AP, raSmith The Hamel Music Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a world-class concert hall that required extreme accuracy in its design. This one-of-a kind music facility required structural and acoustic designs that would work together. Teamwork... Continue Reading
Written by: Diane Thoune, PE, Clark Dietz, Inc. While it's our job as consultants to provide sound technical solutions, we have the responsibility to educate and involve the client in making their communities a better place to live. Clients rely on our expertise not only for immediate concerns but... Continue Reading
Written by: Mark Petersen, PE, Ayres Associates Just ask the eagles: the fishing is good on the Mississippi River. Every winter they glide over its open water in search of fish not hiding under ice, and in the spring they build their nests along the picturesque bluffs in southwestern Wisconsin. So... Continue Reading
Written by Leslie Blaize, Blaize Communications Engineers Week Feb. 16-22 We salute Wisconsin’s hard-working engineers. They take on complex problems and design effective solutions that improve the quality of life in every corner of the state. The American Council of Engineering Companies of... Continue Reading
Written by: Troy Pankratz, PE, Mead & Hunt Once a small, rural community, regional population growth made the City of Fitchburg one of the fastest-growing cities in Wisconsin. Lacy Road had become a main thoroughfare through the city, but there was a problem—the road’s capacity... Continue Reading
Written by: Raine Gardner, PE, MSA Professional ServicesThe Baraboo River in south-central Wisconsin is the longest restored free-flowing river in America, with hopes to become nationally designated as such. Since the last of the dams were removed in the early 2000s, the river is on its way to... Continue Reading
Written by: Lisa Fleming, PE, Ayres Associates When the USH 53 bypass opened in 2006, the roadway divided four quadrants of undeveloped land from the bulk of the City of Altoona. For years the City worked to attract business to the four sectors. The southeast and northeast quadrants, the first... Continue Reading
