What civil engineers are reading this week

• Errors aren’t automatically negligence: Pros can diverge on design approaches

  Individual civil engineers can take different design solutions, with each satisfying the professional standard of care. Here’s why investigations into project errors should not rush to conclusions.

• WSP hits record backlog, remains bullish on infrastructure, power work

  “I think it’s a buoyant market. The demand is there. More importantly, the needs are there, and we have seen backlog growth in the U.S. market,” CEO Alexandre L’Heureux says.

• US DOT issues more than $1B in Safe Streets grant funding

  The Department of Transportation has issued more than $1 billion in “Safe Streets and Roads for All” grants to localities covering 297 projects across 50 states, Puerto Rico, and tribal lands.

• New credential provides project utility engineers a mark of excellence

  ASCE’s new Board-Certified Project Utility Engineer certification helps ground a specialty considered still in its infancy. What are the requirements needed to be worthy of a BC.PUE credential?

• Analysis evaluates the best US cities for biking and walking

  New York City and Boise, Idaho, are tops in bicycle miles traveled per capita, while Orlando, Florida, and Boston rank highest in pedestrian miles traveled per capita, according to Streetlight Data research.

• Bio-based smart coating combines fire protection, early warning, and upcyclability

  Researchers have developed a multifunctional fire-protective coating that not only shields materials from extreme heat but also provides an early warning of fire and can be recycled into new flame-retardant materials at the end of its life.