Building in the Gateway City

The gateway to the West is symbolized by an impressive arch in The Show Me State that demonstrates the ingenuity of civil engineering St. Louis. This arch was initially built after the Louisiana purchase nearly doubled the size of the country, and it's only one of several impressive structures in St. Louis. It's up to civil engineers to design these structures and ensure that they met the demands of a growing population. Civil Engineering is a challenging field that requires a sharp and creative mind.

Growing in The Show Me State

As Saint Louis continues to grow, there will be an increased need for shopping facilities. The Market at Tower Place is a prime example of a new shopping facility near The Gateway City. The shopping complex is located in the suburb of Arnold, Missouri and it provides residents of this quaint community with a place to shop and socialize. There's an AT&T store located in the complex as well as a Five Guys restaurant, an OrangeLeaf, Sports Clips, a Wal-Mart and a Shoe Carnival. Residents of the area probably put little thought into the thought process involved to erect the impressive site but the engineers who designed it face a litany of challenges. Check out this site to learn more.

Challenges Faced by St. Louis Civil Engineers

Civil engineers in this great city are faced with the challenge of accommodating an ever expanding population. This includes designing new roads, bridges, homes, businesses schools and government facilities. Engineering is an ever changing field and civil engineers must keep pace with the new technological advances. Civil engineering once consisted of creating blueprints and designs on a drafting board, but advances in the digital realm have made these practices obsolete. Most drafting is now done with the aid of a computer and advanced software. Civil engineers must also accommodate the citizens who are demanding the use of more environmentally friendly practices, and these demands are also changing the civil engineering field.

Going Green

Asphalt is one of the most important materials used in civil engineering. Without it, all of out fancy vehicles would be reduced to show cars. However, asphalt can wreak havoc on the environment in more ways that one. There's enough asphalt on American roads to stretch to the moon and back three times. All of those paved roads lay in places where there were once trees. Building new roads displaces forests and trees that process the carbon in the air. Fewer trees equate to a warmer planet and smaller polar ice caps. Secondly, the process of heating the asphalt releases harmful greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Fortunately, cold mixing may help civil engineers remedy the latter of these two issues.

Cold mix asphalt and concrete is as strong and sturdy as traditional concrete, but it's produced in a means that eliminates the need to heat it. This is done by emulsifying the mix in water with a soap-like substance to decrease its viscosity. The emulsified asphalt is more pliable and it doesn't have to be heated first. Civil Engineering St Louis doesn't have to conflict with nature anymore because green practices are more readily available.