Forgive me for skipping around in the list of engineering challenges, but some of them prove to be more interesting than others. Number 6 on the list of Challenges facing Engineering in the 21st Century is restoring and improving urban infrastructure (Engineering Challenge #6).
There should be little doubt that in both major and minor urban areas, many of the resources and systems that the population relies on to make daily city life livable (and bearable, in the case of sanitation) are in various and serious states of disrepair. Recent instances of bridge collapses exposing their frailty (Mississippi Bridge Collapse), New Orleans’ levy system (December 2005 Article on Katrina), and other examples have begun to expose the overuse and under-repair of numerous essential infrastructure resources.
Perhaps the most important challenge facing engineers in terms of addressing our aging infrastructure will be finding ways to extend the life of infrastructure while keeping maintenance and replacement costs as low as possible. This is not only because most states are nearly broke, but also because we (Americans) are notoriously opposed to any increase in taxes or costs.
Labor costs are nearly impossible to control, save for coming up with faster, easier methods to get the job done. Most of the potential savings will have to come from using innovative materials that are perhaps more environmentally friendly, more efficient to manufacture, less costly, or (ideally) all of the above. New developments in road surface materials, structural materials, or recycled materials could provide cost-effective and durable solutions for improving the longevity of bridges, pipelines, etc.
If you happen to have links to web pages or articles related to new materials developments (such as using recycled tires incorporated into road surfaces, etc.), please feel free to post them in the comments. I would definitely be interested in finding out more about potential solutions.
