civil engineering Archives

Northeastern CDM Smith professor and chair Jerome Hajjar poses for a portrait in ISEC. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

Northeastern University professor Jerome F. Hajjar elected to National Academy of Engineering

Professor Jerome Hajjar’s career as one of the nation’s leading civil engineers has focused on improving the resilience of bridges and buildings. Now, the National Academy of Engineering has inducted him as a member.

by Tanner Stening February 22, 2022

peter furth wearing neon yellow jacket biking down huntington ave

Where do bikes fit in the infrastructure bill debate?

Biking has been left behind in the debate about critical infrastructure. “I don’t see anything in there that says we’re going to move America ahead on the sustainability front by investing in bikes,” says Peter Furth, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern.

by Tanner Stening October 29, 2021

Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

Our drinking water was always full of microbes. Are the wrong ones thriving in the pandemic?

It’s been months, and life has changed dramatically across the planet. Zooming in where only a microscope can see, Northeastern researchers are trying to determine how the lifestyle changes caused by COVID-19 might be helping harmful bacteria grow in our drinking water.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa June 25, 2020

Michael Tormey, who studies civil engineering and economics Northeastern, was awarded a Marshall Scholarship, which he will use to study transport engineering at the University of Leeds and the London School of Economics. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

This 2020 Marshall Scholar wants to fix the big transportation problems in the US

The scholarship will allow Michael Tormey to study transportation for the next two years in the U.K. He dreams of creating urban systems that will ease congestion, reduce pollution, and save lives.

by Molly Callahan and Ian Thomsen December 9, 2019

Ameet Pinto, Northeastern assistant professor in civil and environmental engineering, studies how to make water filtration systems that mimic the way water is filtered naturally by manipulating the microbial ecosystems. Here Pinto holds a beaker of activated charcoal, one of the particles he adds to water to absorb contaminants. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

He wants to introduce you to the bacteria in your tap water

Deciphering the type and amount of bacteria in filtered water is extremely expensive and complex. To simplify that process, Northeastern professor Ameet Pinto’s lab is developing a low-cost microscope and easy-to-follow procedures that will help regulate how water quality is monitored.

by Emily Arntsen September 27, 2019

Ron Mikulaco, right, and his nephew, Brad Fernandez, examine a crack caused by an earthquake on Highway 178, Saturday, July 6, 2019, outside of Ridgecrest, Calif. Crews in Southern California assessed damage to cracked and burned buildings, broken roads, leaking water and gas lines and other infrastructure Saturday after the largest earthquake the region has seen in nearly 20 years jolted an area from Sacramento to Las Vegas to Mexico. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

After two major earthquakes rocked the state, is California ready for ‘the Big One’?

Two powerful earthquakes shook Southern California in back-to-back days last week, stoking fear among residents that a major earthquake isn’t far off. Jerome F. Hajjar, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern, says it’s not a matter of if California will experience a huge, devastating earthquake, but when. And only some of the buildings in the state are prepared to withstand such a quake, he says.

by Molly Callahan July 9, 2019

Here’s what Boston looked like after a deadly wave of molasses swallowed the North End

Tuesday marks the 100th anniversary of the Great Molasses Flood, which killed 21 people in Boston’s North End when a storage tank ruptured and…

by Gregory Grinnell and January 15, 2019

A crane lowers the pedestrian bridge over the MBTA tracks on October 14, 2018. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

A new Boston landmark arises

The largest piece of the Northeastern University Pedestrian Crossing was put in place Sunday, a key component of the university’s vision to join the Boston neighborhoods of Roxbury and Fenway, and reimagine Columbus Avenue.

by Laura Castañón October 14, 2018

Researchers work to ‘predict’ the future of transit

Through work with London’s transit system, professor Haris Koutsopoulos and a doctoral student are developing real-time predictive models to forecast the ebbs and flows of transit activity. The tools could aid transit operators with real-time system management and help commuters avoid crowded stations or trains.

by Greg St. Martin August 24, 2016

Miniature flying robots automatically inspect, analyze, and assess damage to infrastructure

Northeastern’s Jerome Hajjar and colleagues are developing a sophisticated system that uses autonomous small flying robots coupled with 3-D imaging and state-of-the art planning, modeling, and analysis to inspect structures from bridges to buildings and automatically identify problems, track their progress, and assess the need for follow-up.

by Thea Singer July 1, 2016

civil engineering