What civil engineers are reading this week

• ASCE 2020 president aims to bring engineering concerns to global stage as leader of WFEO

  K.N. Gunalan – he says please call him “Guna” – applies a concern for global sustainability to his candidacy for president-elect of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations.

• US, UK firms in deal to develop small nuclear reactors at former coal-fired power station

  Holtec International, EDF UK, and Tritax Management have agreed to develop Holtec’s SMR-300 reactors at the former Cottam coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire.

• Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern reach deal to coordinate service

  The railways’ new domestic intermodal service will tap Union Pacific’s network to connect western and southern markets with Norfolk Southern’s facilities in Louisville, Kentucky.

• After devastating Texas summer floods, what can engineers do to foster change, bolster safety?

  The flash floods in Texas in July that claimed about 140 lives have shifted the conversation around flood infrastructure. What steps do civil engineers with expertise in this area suggest?

• Seattle’s human population is up, but its car population isn’t

  Between 2017 and 2023, the city added 35,000 households but just 3,300 cars, new census data reveals – news that is music to urbanists’ ears.

• Which form of energy is the cheapest? Experts weigh in

  The emergence of renewables as a viable alternative to oil, gas, and other fossil fuels raises questions about which form of power offers the best value – a debate made more urgent by climate change.