Finding new ways to solve problems | Chongqing GRP Pipe Inc.

Mike Van Duyne, an architectural engineer in Bismarck, entered the industry to scratch an itch.

“I love the jigsaw puzzle a building brings. It’s never the same, never cut and dry. It’s that creative problem solving that that project has. Every day is different, every project is different,” he said.

The greatest thing about engineering is the variety of career paths it offers, Van Duyne said, and the growth path is wide.

“I don’t think that’s well discussed in college and I think it should be,” he said.

Van Duyne works for Bartlett & West, a Topeka, Kansas-based company whose motto is, “We want to make our communities a better place to live.” Engineers are doing just that, day in and day out, using new technology to upgrade infrastructure, using renewable energy sources to convert to clean energy, and increasing sustainable transportation and fuels, among other initiatives.

Jame Todd, a civil engineer with Bartlett & West and leader of its Bismarck office, said having a strong connection to higher education programs has helped fill open positions. He estimates between 80-90% of their engineers are graduates of North Dakota State University’s engineering program. And the University of Mary in Bismarck has a new engineering program which his office has benefitted from – some of their first engineering graduates are now working there.

Todd enjoys the industry because he can see the fruits of his labor, whether that’s a water treatment plant or roadway construction.

“As a civil engineer, it’s pretty cool to say, ‘Hey, I worked on that project, or I helped design or build that very thing.’”

One of the technological developments that grows more popular by the day is the use of drones in engineering. Drones are equipped with high-quality cameras that can shoot photos from many angles and elevations, allowing engineers to create three-dimensional models of an area. In addition to flying drones, there are also underwater drones, which can assist in inspections of potable water storage tanks, for example.

Todd said his office has picked up more work because of their underwater drone, which is safer and more efficient than sending personnel into a tank that first must be drained of hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. The unique tool has helped to ensure successful project completions with no surprises, he said.

Advancements in mobile apps are also driving changes in engineering, allowing surveyors to use their cell phones on site for projects. The data collected is not as high-tech as LIDAR (light detection and ranging) or survey-grade, but can collect enough data, in addition to photos, for certain projects such as sidewalk assessments.

Scott Schaefer, practices director at AE2S, Maple Grove, Minnesota, has been incorporating energy efficiencies into projects for some time, with the primary motivation being renewable energy and gas generation, as well as solar power. The company is currently in the design phase of the Grand Forks wastewater treatment project, and was part of the completed drinking water treatment facility in the city.

“It (energy efficiency) generally makes economic sense. That’s where we find the most adoption, when the dollars make sense, and you’re also doing good by the environment, finding those win-win spots. There are times when we’re doing energy reduction for the sake of energy reduction, but that’s a minority. The efficiency part is a fabric of what we do,” he said.

On the wastewater treatment side, he is seeing more membrane bioreactor projects over the last five years, noting membranes aren’t new but are more thoroughly being adopted, in part due to regulatory demands.

“New is a relative term, things change very slowly in our industry and most of our large projects are on a five-year time cycle,” Schaefer said.

His team is involved in a large PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) -reduction project in Woodbury, Minnesota, primarily using activated carbon. It’s not a new technology, but it’s a newer application of that technology to remove PFAS.

“A lot of piloting work went into that to verify effectiveness and now we’re just presenting the design for that project,” he said.

Just as in most industries, workforce shortages are affecting the engineering sector. Rising costs of material and equipment coupled with extended lead time for delivery of material and equipment is causing a crunch. Some firms are a year or two behind in projects due to either lack of engineers or lack of skilled construction labor, even with ample infrastructure funding. Being in demand is a good problem to have, but if shortages are threatening clients to go elsewhere, it’s a hindrance to business. The hope is that the delays and shortages are short-term, but if not, industry advancements will find a way to keep business moving forward.

Bob Schlieman, a civil engineer with APEX Engineering, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, said technological advances in materials are giving longer life to infrastructure systems, the foundation of all communities.

“On the construction side, it affects the way we look at projects and design things – trenchless technologies that weren't around 20-30 years ago, for example. They keep getting more and more advanced. We’ve got directional drilling, jacking and boring, slip lining, cured in place pipe. It just allows us as engineers to look at projects in different ways,” Schlieman said.

Even the way information is stored is changing, allowing for more detailed and accurate records. GIS (geographic information systems) technology allows engineers to store and access information more efficiently than past record-keeping practices.

“A lot of the technology we use for design, whether it’s CAD MicroStation, things like that, keeps advancing and making our practices and efforts a lot more efficient,” he said.

Trending alternative delivery methods for projects include the design-build model. Jon Markusen, associate vice president of transportation with KLJ Engineering’s Grafton, North Dakota, office, said design-build isn’t new but is becoming more common. It allows collaboration between the engineer and the contractor at a different level and allows for more innovation to be seen, which ultimately saves the client money in the end, he explained.

An aspect of project planning that’s gained traction over the past few years is the public involvement and engagement piece. The way engineers are presenting the information is also evolving.

“Project owners want to gather public input early in the process to avoid having projects that won’t meet the needs that people are looking for and then carry that out through construction,” Markusen said. “They really want to keep the public engaged through the entire project. To do that, we’re seeing a lot more visualizations and renderings of how it will look. We’re using interactive maps during public meetings. In some projects we’re getting actual animations.”

The better the input up front, the better planners can address issues or concerns of a project.

Improving safety is always at the forefront of civil engineering design, and can be as simple as better reflectivity on highway striping paint to advanced warning systems that are safer for pedestrians.

“Technology is a big driver of safety,” he said.

Before any technology gets to commercialization and adoption, it goes through research and development, which can often happen at higher education institutions.

Adam Gladen, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at North Dakota State University, Fargo, is leading a Department of Energy grant of approximately $1.74 million to develop a novel thermochemical adsorption material for energy storage. The research team is working to embed a framework of nanocellulose with hygroscopic salt, according to NDSU. The material will be the basis for economical and highly efficient thermal energy storage systems. These alternative energy storage technologies are driven by the need to diversify.

“There’s a real strong push to diversify our energy portfolio,” Gladen said of North Dakota. In March, the state produced 40-45% of its electricity from renewable energy sources, much from wind energy. Wind and coal are the state’s two biggest energy producers.

“I feel that we’re task people, tasked to be good stewards of what we’ve been given and that includes our energy resources – natural gas, petroleum, coal, solar, biomass – and using those effectively to help,” Gladen said. “In North Dakota, we see it in our economy – commodity prices go up, it’s booming. Commodity prices go down, North Dakota is hurting. If we can diversify that, it helps mitigate those risks. It’s like diversifying your portfolio.”

Thermal energy storage and electrical energy storage at larger scale are investments that individual states and the country as a whole are investigating. With the explosion in popularity of electric vehicles, engineering students are learning about the need for energy storage and what that could look like.

Another area of Gladen’s research is getting funding for studies on more ambient energy – utilizing low quality, low temperature energy for things like passive energy design and new building envelopes (walls and windows), he said. The intent is to make the envelope retain heat when it’s wanted and let that heat out when it’s not needed.

“The Department of Energy just set up a new thermal energy consortium to try to push that, just set up this year, for transfer of thermal energies,” Gladen said.

With technology advancing at such a rapid pace, engineering students may encounter challenges in the profession they didn’t have practical experience with in school.

Sanjeev Kumar, dean of engineering at South Dakota State University, has the answer to that. Although students are being trained for future industries and occupations that may not even exist yet, the key is to teach them critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This way, no matter what they encounter, they will be able to break down the problem into smaller parts and work their way through to a solution.

“Engineering is something you can apply to any field – genetics, health care, whatever the topic we can bring engineering to it. It’s already being applied,” Kumar said.

Kumar sees the workforce shortage as temporary and emphasizes the importance of partnering higher education with industry.

“Industry needs to collaborate and we need to collaborate with industry to train our future engineers to take care of the short-term issue of the labor force and not lose the focus of the future,” he said.

For those wondering if engineering is the career path for them, Kumar advises students to take math and science courses, as they will open up a world of job opportunities.

“You just bring your passion and if you want to be an engineer, we’ll make sure you become an engineer,” Kumar said.