Articles on General Construction and Engineering

The Greening of Building Codes

I. Introduction Building codes are the “minimum requirements” to safeguard public health, safety, and general welfare through structural strength, means of egress facilities (emergency exits), stability, sanitation, adequate light and ventilation, energy conservation, and safety to life and property. These codes protect the public from fire and other hazards attributed to the built environment and provide safety to fire fighters and emergency responders during emergency operations. ...[Full Article] [Article PDF]

Pre-engineering Program Launches Star Students, part 2

This article is the second in a two-part series about how Project Lead the Way (PLTW) and the Houston Independent School District’s (HISD) Chavez High School are making a difference in students’ lives and the engineering profession. According to PLTW’s director of research and evaluation, Gary Edelson, Ed.D., the mission of the program “is to provide the engineers this country needs for the next 50 years.” Successes in other parts of the country include Wheaton High School in Montgomery...[Full Article] [Article PDF]

Pre-engineering Program Launches Star Students

An article in Time reported “the U.S., the world’s greatest technological civilization, is running short of engineers.” It stated that the shortage also meant that “most engineering graduates have a least a half dozen offers, with an average starting salary of $350 a month.” Not a bad salary for April 21, 1952, when the article was published. It was a time when “the basics” were not emphasized in school and fewer students were entering science, engineering, and math careers. Scientists and...[Full Article] [Article PDF]

Opportunities Abound for Construction/Building Science Grads

Colleges around the nation prepare future construction managers for promising careers Construction management-bound college graduates today are finding that, more and more, universities are responding to the challenges of an ever advancing field. Higher education programs around the nation are collaborating with industry leaders and accreditation agencies to develop specialized curriculums to prepare students for successful careers. As engineers and architects try to keep up with global... [Full Article] [Article PDF]

A New Day Dawning For Houston’s East End Students

This article is the first in a two-part series about how Project Lead the Way, HISD’s Chavez High School, and the East End Chamber of Commerce are making a difference in students’ lives and the engineering profession. In the United States, the number of college graduates earning engineering degrees each year is rising slowly after a major decrease a decade ago. While this is good news, the number of US engineering professionals retiring in the next ten years is out-pacing the number of new...[Full Article] [Article PDF]