The Highway Trust Fund is funded through a federal excise tax on gasoline and diesel fuel. The fuel tax, along with supporting revenue from road permits, commercial taxes, and interest payments make up the Fund. The onset of the coronavirus drastically disrupted the normal revenue intake of the Fund, because…
China has not been shy about its expansion into global markets. Through the Made in China 2025 and Belt and Road Initiative, the communist nation has broadcast its intention to be more involved around the world, to project power, and to integrate itself in the infrastructure, economics, and politics…
Public door handles and knobs are some of the most touched surfaces imaginable. The constant entry and egress at stores, restrooms, gas stations, and offices mean people are touching grease, grime, and germs. Perhaps central to conversations around hygiene are bathrooms. Many practices and procedures emphasize hand washing. But…
Under city streets, through countless acres of open fields, across bridges, and over mountains, pipelines quietly deliver energy resources throughout North America. “Pipelines” generally conjure up images of large diameter pipes transporting crude oil. However, there are numerous types of pipelines as well; water, sewage, brine waste, and even…
Lockdowns and stay-at-home orders mean fewer cars on the road. This must mean the nation’s roads get a break from the daily wear and tear of millions of vehicles pounding the pavement. But this historic time only highlights another historic moment: the insolvency of our nation’s Highway Trust…
nnovators and explorers at heart dream of one day terraforming Mars – converting it into a habitable, blue and green world. But there seems to be dichotomy over what humans can truly achieve. With the same breath, some lament humanity’s inability to control the pace and severity of climate…
Excavating any site can be risky. Even when all the proper procedures are followed, the 20 million miles of underground facilities can cause dozens of complications. Maps can be incomplete, locators can mark improperly, and excavators can misjudge their dig. At its worst, these mistakes and oversights can result…
Washington D.C, District of Columbia – April 30, 2020 – The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) today released a new report for industry leaders and public officials entitled ‘Improving Upon Our Dig Laws: Excavation Damage, Data, and Trends for Industry and Policymaker Analysis (2018 Data)’ analyzing the increasing excavation…
Washington D.C, District of Columbia – April 23, 2020 – The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) is officially launching a new Virtual Classroom featured at Aii.org. As COVID-19 keeps students and parents at home, Aii is offering educational resources, lessons, and interactive content to encourage learning. The resource provides…
In November 2018, Italy inaugurated the world’s first high-speed rail service dedicated to … carrying no passengers. Rather than cart people from one place to another at ultra high land speeds, this rail service blasts freight faster than traditional rail, truckers, or ships ever could. The Italian rail runs approximately…
As COVID-19 continues to ravage the nation, Americans have found themselves on a new frontier of fear and uncertainty. As experts began to understand the true severity of the virus, dire actions like closing the economy and ordering individuals to stay home in attempt to flatten the curve became warranted….
For years, the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund has been accumulating billions of dollars. Despite an overflowing fund dedicated solely to ports and harbors, our waterside infrastructure has been in decline. Now, with an emergency coronavirus stimulus package, Congress has remedied this issue. The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii)…
Airless bike tires may sound like an oxymoron, but they are a functional product becoming an increasingly plausible reality. In 2018, the first 3D-printed airless bicycle tire was released, designed using a thermoplastic elastomer that is specially designed to render 3D-printed objects that retain pliability. The airless tire is both…
In March of 2005, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated 811 as the nationwide phone number for excavation damage prevention. Now, 15 years later, we have seen damages decline as everyone from homeowners to construction crews call before they dig. The federal designation unified the nation’s programs into one simple,…
Explosions can destroy homes, cost thousands, and threaten human lives. Worse than a tragic explosion is one that happens in spite of it being entirely preventable. This type of tragedy, whether by willful disregard for the law or lack of competence is why best practices for excavation are so critical….
