In June of 2022, the area around Yellowstone National Park saw catastrophic flooding. The combined effects of rainfall and snowmelt overwhelmed waterways and washed out many roads and other structures Keep reading
Tag: civil engineering
When Reservoirs Run Dry
With the ongoing megadrought in the U.S. Southwest, more and more reservoirs are reaching historic low water levels. So it’s worth asking: what happens when a reservoir runs dry? And Keep reading
Treating Water
In an ongoing series, Practical Engineering is looking at how civil engineers deal with sewage and wastewater. In this video, Grady looks at how wastewater gets treated to remove contaminants. Keep reading
How Wells and Aquifers Work
When rain falls, some of that water turns into run-off in storm systems but much of it seeps into the ground. What happens to that water? In most places, it Keep reading
Pumping Waste
Sewage systems rely on gravity to remove waste from our homes and carry it toward treatment plants. But that constant downward slope can’t always be maintained. Sometimes we have to Keep reading
The Best of FYFD 2021
A year ago I observed what a strange year 2020 had been, and in many ways, I could say the same of 2021. Before the pandemic, I spent quite a Keep reading
Dune Invasion
Migrating sand dunes can encounter obstacles both natural and manmade as they move. Dunes — both above ground and under water — have been known to bury roads, pipelines, and Keep reading
Pressure At The Dam
Hydrostatic pressure in a fluid is based on the fluid’s depth. You’ll rarely see a more dramatic example of that power than with a water release from a dam. Here Keep reading
Zuiderzee Works
Few countries have to contend with water the way the Netherlands does. With 26% of its area and 21% of its population living below sea level, water control is critical. Keep reading
How Sinkholes Form
Growing up in the Ozarks, I explored my fair share of caves and sinkholes. These geological features form when flowing groundwater erodes soil, sand, and even rock underground. The Ozark Keep reading