MDOT deploys unique technology to inspect underwater infrastructure
March 11, 2021
Inspecting bridge scour – sediment around the substructure of a bridge – is difficult for all agencies, especially during high water or severe weather events. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Great Lakes Engineering Firm have used a small, autonomous boat-like device called EMILY to inspect scour beyond what is usually possible during......
Stationary Reading Bikes Help Power School
July 06, 2017
Avoca Elementary School in Avoca, Michigan began a new “Green Read and Ride” program near the end of the 2015-2016 school year and is continuing the innovative program. The bikes are equipped with a bookstand and generate electricity for the school as the students ride. The program is believed to the first of its kind......
Michigan’s Recreation Passport
March 07, 2017
State parks’ budgets are often targeted for budget cuts during economic downturns. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources used their budget crisis to rethink how they generated revenue through the sale of yearly passes. By doing away with a daily pass and offering residents the opportunity to purchase a yearly Recreation Passport license plate tab......
Managing Construction Electronically
February 16, 2017
The Michigan Department of Transportation estimates that the agency has saved approximately $12 million annually due to better efficiency, along with six million pieces of paper – that’s a lot of trees! It has reduced its average contract modification processing time from 30 days to three days. The agency used technology on a $150 million......
February 16, 2017
The City of Holland, Michigan was facing high demand for power coupled with aging existing facilities. In lieu of a planned and permitted coal-fired project, the Board of Public Works worked with the community to develop a forward-looking energy plan that included significant investment in renewable energy. In 2015, construction began on a $200 million......
February 16, 2017
Altogether, the 140 harbors and channels that comprise the Great Lakes are the fourth largest economic zone in North America. The Great Lakes are also the largest freshwater system in the world. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has the responsibility to operate and maintain these harbors and channels, but turned to a P3......
