Miles of Midwest land under 10 feet of water, a major bridge collapsing to the ground, a flood-ravaged New Orleans – these are all images we won’t soon forget. But how can we keep history from repeating itself yet again? Our nation’s infrastructure is in dire shape. If the past few weeks of flood coverage following the Midwest’s 30-plus deadly levee breaks doesn’t convince you, think back a year or so ago. Just last summer, the collapse of the I-35W Bridge left many of us pondering the safety of our highways and byways. And who could ever forget the shocking images of post-Katrina New Orleans? If you’re wondering what America has done in response to these disasters, the answer is ‘not nearly enough’ – and that does not bode well for the future. Each of these infrastructure breakdowns could have been prevented. Take the Midwest floods, for instance. In 1993, the same areas experienced massive flooding that resulted in over $10 billion in damage as well as loss of life. The current flooding has so far cost $1.5 billion and that number is sure to grow. It makes you wonder: What went wrong? Why weren’t proper […]
Monday, August 25th, 2008
Failing to Protect: Saving America’s Crumbling Infrastructure
Author: BARRY B LEPATNER
Source: Occupational Hazards
Publication Date: 22-Jul-08
Link: Failing to Protect: Saving America’s Crumbling Infrastructure
Source: Occupational Hazards
Publication Date: 22-Jul-08
Link: Failing to Protect: Saving America’s Crumbling Infrastructure
Stephan: This trend has been on a downward slope dating back to the Kennedy era, after the Interstate System had been begun under Eisenhower, and suddenly national infrastructure took on a new meaning. Now it is all, literally, tumbling down. Billions of dollars of delayed maintenance has come due.
This essay comes from the professional field that concerns itself with these issues. It is not a happy picture.
The Author: Barry B. LePatner is the founder of the New York City-based law firm LePatner & Associates LLP. For three decades, he has been prominent as an advisor on business and legal issues affecting the real estate, design and construction industries. LePatner is widely recognized as a thought leader in the construction industry. His new book, Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets: How to Fix America's Trillion-Dollar Construction Industry (The University of Chicago Press), which was reviewed in the Wall Street Journal, has created a national debate among owners, designers and other key stakeholders.