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Frontiers of Engineering Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2009 Symposium (2010) / Chapter Skim
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America's Infrastructure Report Card: Causes, Costs, and Solutions--Kristina L. Swallow
Pages 119-124

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From page 119...
... Unfortunately, due to age, poor maintenance, and higher than predicted demands, much of our infrastructure is in danger of failing, and it is critical that it be brought up to current standards. In 1988, a congressionally chartered commission, the National Council on Public Works Improvement, completed a study on the state of America's infra structure entitled Fragile Foundations: A Report on America's Public Works.
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From page 120...
... Although longterm maintenance and funding for capital improvements can prolong the life of infrastructure systems, effectively improving the nation's infrastructure will require prioritized spending and an understanding of the underlying causes of failure. ASCE found that infrastructure systems across the nation were (1)
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From page 121...
... * The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included $53.6 billion for a State Fiscal Stabilization Fund for education, as of press time, it was not known how much would be spent on school infrastructure.
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From page 122...
... However, ASCE gives the nation's drinking water systems a grade of D-. Despite significant investment at the federal and local levels, ASCE reports that there is still a projected $11 billion shortfall in the funding necessary to replace facilities that are nearing the end of their useful lives (ASCE, 2009, p.
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From page 123...
... Of that amount, they anticipate that there will be a funding shortfall of $549.5 billion. In addition to providing funding at all levels for maintenance and capital improvements, the nation's goals should be not only to improve the condition of roads and bridges, but also to increase research on ways to improve safety, reduce lost time due to construction, and improve overall movement on the roadways.
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From page 124...
... REFERENCE ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers)
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Key Terms

  • drinking water
  • civil engineers
  • useful lives
  • functionally obsolete
  • billion gallons

  • capital improvements
  • structurally deficient
  • continuous service
  • clean drinking
  • local levels

  • report cards
  • design life
  • stabilization fund
  • asce reports
  • developing reclaimed

  • infrastructure grade
  • increase supply
  • time due
  • meet current
  • press time

  • reclaimed water
  • annual funding
  • prioritized spending
  • raw sewage
  • reliable power

  • technological obsolescence
  • state levels
  • flows generated
  • funding shortfall
  • facing technological


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