This audio is automatically generated. Please let us know if you have any comments.
Infrastructure builders must change their thinking as environmental pressures increase and generational needs change, according to the new president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Marsia Geldert-Murphey.
He takes the reins of the nation’s oldest engineering trade group amid an increase in federal infrastructure funding from the Infrastructure Jobs and Investment Act, as well as a time of increased industry interaction with federal officials.
“You need engineers, civil engineers, at the table to help understand how initiatives affect the long-term sustainability, resilience and safety of our communities,” Geldert-Murphey said. “We have a perfect storm right now where we have funding for infrastructure, and we have an administration and lawmakers who are listening.”
Marcia Geldert-Murphey
Courtesy of ASCE
In addition to her work as a licensed engineer and policy expert, Geldert-Murphey has founded two companies: Kaskaskia Engineering Group, based in Belleville, Illinois, and Sequoia Engineering and Environmental, based in St. Louis. Based in the St. Louis, is currently regional director of the Lochmueller Group, a 270-person Midwest consulting firm, and is responsible for operations in its Missouri and Illinois offices.
His background and experience mean he has seen firsthand the impact of new federal infrastructure funding.
“It took a little while, but I can definitely see it’s rocking and rolling,” Geldert-Murphey said. “At my own company we hired 35 people last year in our region alone, and I still need more.”
Here, Geldert-Murphey talks to Construction Dive about attracting underrepresented populations to the construction industry, the politics of infrastructure funding, and how to build structures that withstand extreme weather and serve the next generation.
The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Immersion in CONSTRUCTION: What do you plan to do in your new role as ASCE President?
MARSIA GELDERT-MURPHEY: One of the things I’m excited to do is get more people interested in civil engineering, especially women and underrepresented populations, because the fact is our needs are bigger than the pipeline we have.
I was a first generation college student and didn’t even know what a civil engineer was until I was practically selecting [a major] to school. Personally, I feel that people who live in a lifestyle where you have to be resourceful (you have to fix things, things don’t get fixed for you and you’re used to using things until they’re at their last ) are very large. engineers
To this day, I can still fix almost anything that breaks in the house. That’s not because I’m an engineer, it’s really because of my education. I think we’re missing a really valuable source of potential engineers who just need to know that this profession exists and that it’s a possibility for them to be a part of it.
We also have what we call the silver tsunami: we have all these members of our profession who are retiring, and they’re brilliant, they have a lot of wisdom. They can help mentor this next generation of students and young engineers, so I’m trying to get them more engaged, stay involved with civil engineering.
How can a change in administration affect infrastructure funding? Do you think infrastructure is becoming a more bipartisan issue?
It’s always hard to take the temperature of what’s going on in DC, because I think what we see is very sensationalized. But I absolutely feel that regardless of your political affiliation, everyone now recognizes the power of infrastructure.
Of course, we now have an administration that invested in infrastructure. We are very excited, we want to continue, but I think this would end if the administration changes? None of us can really say for sure. I hope not, I really hope not.
Because what you have to remember, and people who are in the investment world will appreciate this, is that for an industry to have certainty, to understand that there will be consistency and funding available, they’re going to invest, they’re going to grow, they’re going to hire, they’re going to buy new equipment, it’s good for everyone So we have to keep that infrastructure funding, it has to be consistent funding, we just have to do it.
What is the most underfunded infrastructure sector in our country?
Public transport and public transport always seem to be underfunded. They actually received significant funding in this last bill, but they’ve suffered from flat revenue for so long that it’s going to take a while.
I think, really, this is also a generational thing. Many of our legislators are from an older generation. And the younger generation—I know, I have kids from 22 to 28—and they use public transportation constantly. They prefer it. So, especially when you have people moving into an urban area and you need to accommodate bicycles, pedestrians, public transportation, those are going to be key areas to move forward.
People are moving to urban areas, because that’s where their jobs are, that’s where the trade schools and universities are. We need to ensure that this large influx of population can live safely and comfortably, and we can do it efficiently.
Personally, I think the cities with the best public transportation systems will win with this Gen Z. They will want to go where they can move more freely and not have to worry about a car. So we really need to change our thinking and look to the future.
How can we build better infrastructure?
I had two grandfathers who were in the trades. One was a carpenter, another a plasterer. And I remember them talking, “We’re doing this for you, this is for you.” They took it seriously, because they knew they were building an infrastructure system that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to enjoy in their lifetime.
My generation, likewise, we must do it for the next generation. The next 50 years, the next 100 years, what are we putting in place now that will serve them? When you think about it, we had a horrible year last year. There was one unprecedented number of billion dollar environmental disasters — there were 28 of them — and our infrastructure built back in the day was not designed to survive in those circumstances.
We know these circumstances exist. And so we need to design forward with resilience, meaning it can withstand the effects of climate change we’re feeling now and also adapt to the changing needs of this emerging generation.
Last year ASCE launched a first guide of its kind on how to develop and implement sustainable solutions throughout the entire life cycle of a project. What needs to be done to build more sustainably and resiliently?
In a marching band, you are all playing your individual instruments, but your movements are synchronized and you are playing to the same sheet music. We must do the same with our codes and standards. If everyone is adopting the most up-to-date codes in a consistent and synchronized manner, this will allow material producers, suppliers and contractors to anticipate and understand what is needed.
We need to have an unambiguous, time-stamped way that says “this is the minimum requirement for this process or this design.” If we could do that, it would be so powerful and the effects would be so profound.
People are used to LEED certification for buildings. So they can have a LEED-Platinum building that’s sustainable, resilient, etc., but it’s like a balloon sitting on the prairie. It does nothing, does not add or subtract anything to the surrounding area it is in. We need to start looking at things more holistically, we need to look at what’s going on outside the walls of this building and do the same when it comes to our transport infrastructure.
We also need to look at construction methods, for example materials that can withstand some of the high wind loads. Flooding is a huge problem and we need to redesign how we’re approaching it and look at how we’re going to protect our neighborhoods and our communities when we have these severe weather events more frequently. We need to move from “me, me, me” to “we, us, us” and consider what is best for all of us.
