Living well in middle age
While I’m not a fan of new year’s resolutions, I do think it’s helpful to set priorities for the coming year. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about Deborah Copaken’s […]
Insights
Deicing salts
Every December I try to remember why I ever left California. Last week Minnesota had a series of snowstorms, followed by subzero (Fahrenheit) temperatures. When it’s really cold, the snow […]
The power of an apology
A couple of months into a new job, I was struggling to get things under control. On the “L”, I checked my phone to see what fire I’d be putting […]
Ranked choice voting
Earlier this month we had municipal elections in Minneapolis. Although I have sometimes voted early or by mail, I prefer voting in person on election day. It helps that my […]
Technical writing through the looking glass
In teaching technical writing, I often quote Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. That may seem strange until you realize that Charles Dodge, who […]
The good, the bad, and the ugly
Sampling may be part of a forensic investigation. As we’ve discussed in previous blogs, it isn’t practical to obtain enough concrete cores for a proper statistical representation. Most owners don’t […]
ASTM C595 Type IL cement
In 2012, ASTM C595 and AASHTO M240 began to include Type IL cement, which contains 5 to 15% ground limestone. In the past few years Type IL cement has become […]
Diagnosing ASR
Alkali-silica reaction is a common deterioration mechanism in concrete. Some silicate minerals in aggregates react with hydroxide ions in concrete pore water, forming a gel that imbibes water and swells. […]
Rendering an engineering opinion
To protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public, states regulate the engineering profession. We’ve discussed previously what it takes to obtain a license as a Professional Engineer. Public […]
What makes a good explanation?
One summer I visited some Norwegian friends who lived near Stockholm. The husband and their two-year-old son took me to the airport for my return flight. There, Håkon eagerly explored under […]