Let's Be Civil: An Infrastructure Podcast

We continue our deep dive into the Federal Highway Administration’s EDC-8 initiatives by exploring Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE), one of the key innovations aimed at improving project delivery and reducing costly utility conflicts. Host Nate Binder is joined by Kaustubh Page of 4M Analytics to discuss how modern utility discovery and engineering practices are evolving beyond traditional loc...

In the first episode of our EDC-8 series, we're joined by David Unkefer, a BIM and Digital Delivery Advisor who recently retired from his Senior Engineering role with the Federal Highway Administration, where he led several Every Day Counts initiatives. David provides a historical perspective on how EDC has evolved alongside the industry and deep dives into one of the latest EDC-8 initiatives,...

Get the full spectrum of Let's Be Civil's Sock Talks at TRB with all interviews in one long podcast, perfect for your next commute or neighborhood stroll. Nate sits down with industry leaders, consultants, students, and researchers to talk about all the happenings at TRB, the AI-driven technological revolution, and other concurrent industry trends.

On our last Sock Talks of TRB, we catch up with former LBC guest Ev Tripolitis, a Senior Advisor on Construction Technology for Cliff. Ev shares the #1 question she brought to TRB and the ways that transportation project delivery has changed over the years. Learn more Cliff at https://www.firsttojump.com/ .

Randy Iwasaki is the President & CEO of Iwasaki Consulting Services and the incoming Vice Chair of the TRB Executive Committee. On Sock Talks, he speaks to the value of international collaboration, shares some advice for TRB first timers, and reflects on the refreshing and surprising aspects of the TRB Annual Meeting.

Fresh off her panel discussion on demystifying AI, Shannon McGrath, Director of Asset Management Planning at WSB, stops by to talk about upskilling the next generation of industry professionals, shares some advice about getting the most out of TRB, and paints a picture of successful AI adoption in the industry. Learn more about WSB at https://www.wsbeng.com/.

Ben Shinabery, Land Survey Director at Qk4, joins us to discuss the future of surveying, insights from TRB, an AI applications in the survey world. Learn more about Qk4: https://www.qk4.com/

Trimble's Jeff Blanton joins Sock Talks to talk about what the industry is still doing the hard way and what the future of integrated construction inspection looks like. He also shares details on how Trimble is bringing augmented reality to construction with Trimble SiteVision. Learn more about SiteVision at https://geospatial.trimble.com/en/products/software/trimble-sitevision .

As Sock Talks continue, we're joined by William Dunwoody, Construction Bidding Administrator with the Georgia Department of Transportation. William tells us the one thing that AI will never replaces, and gives his thoughts on thematic consistency at this year's TRB conference.

ASCE President Marsha Anderson Bomar joins Sock Talks at TRB to share her thoughts on the importance of data integrity in AI implementations, the rise of 3D printing in infrastructure construction, and more. She also shares details on ASCE2027, a transformative conference experience coming in March 2027. Learn more about ASCE2027 at https://experience.asce.org/.

Sock Talks at TRB 2026 continue! ASCE's Managing Director of Grants and Business Development, Lindsay O'Leary, goes three for three on AI and shares her perspective on AI adoption in the transportation industry. Lindsay also shares a few details on ASCE2027, the organization's upcoming industry conference. Learn more at https://experience.asce.org/ .

Sock Talks at TRB 2026 continue! Nate sits down with Paul Anderson, a Research Engineer with Texas A&M Research Institute to talk about the role of AI in decision-support, the importance of industry collaboration, and more.

The first of our Sock Talks at TRB 2026, Nate sits down with University of Michigan civil engineering student Marina Campoy-LoVasco for a chat about what makes TRB a such special event.

We are joined by Mark Yerington, Utiliy Solutions Manager for Muscatine Power & Water in Iowa and GIS Manager for the Muscatine Area Geographic Information Consortium (MAGIC) to discuss how the usage of GIS in the infrastructure industry has evolved over time. Our conversation also covers specific GIS use cases, change management, and what the future of GIS usage looks like as it becomes an es...

Joined by three former DOT leaders, the Let's Be Civil crew dives into the recent FHWA memo on anti-competitive bidding and breaks down the agency's recommendations, anti-competitive bidding methods, and the valuable role that cost-based estimation and pre-award analysis can play in ensuring fair competition. Host: Nate Binder, Infotech Guests: About Infotech: ⁠https://www.infotechinc.com/

Esri's Transportation Industry Director Terry Bills joins us to reflect on major changes over time in the infrastructure industry and how the current state of data management will fuel future trends. Infotechers Mike Bousliman and Ron Perkins also join to lend their insight and perspective. Host: Nate Binder, Infotech Guests: Terry Bills, Esri Mike Bousliman, Infotech Ron Perkins, Infotech Abo...

We’re joined by a mix of Infotech experts on everything from field inspection to cybersecurity to explore what an AI-driven future holds for the construction industry. Plus, we’ll dive into challenges like data governance, workforce concerns, and the energy consumption question. Host: Nate Binder, Infotech Guests: Adam Dawidowicz, Sr Construction Technology & Sales Manager Andy Martin, Chief T...

We’re joined by Autodesk’s Senior Transportation Solutions Executive Keith Warren to discuss the lessons the infrastructure industry can learn from its vertical counterparts, including emphasizing interoperability, embracing technology to attract and retain talent, improving the benefits offered by state agencies, and more. Hosts: Nate Binder & Chad Schafer, Infotech Guest: Keith Warren, Autod...

In this infrastructure industry podcast, Josh Gray, Vice President of Consor Engineering in South Carolina and industry thought leader Adam Dawidowicz share some of the underrated and unexpected benefits they experience from using digital project delivery solutions, including how tech helps attract young talent, managing complex funding structures, and using construction administration tools to ev...

In the latest episode of Let's Be Civil, Chad and Nate are joined by Infotech's John Oberdiek, former Montana DOT CIO Mike Bousliman, and current Montana DOT Digital Delivery leader Pat Lane to explore the role of change management in adapting to new technological and process innovations. As the rate of change increases, the importance of instituting a positive culture of change management...

In the latest episode of Let's Be Civil, Chad and Nate are joined by Adam Dawidowicz, CCM, and Mike Ossa, PE, to discuss human-centric and technology-centric approaches to construction industry safety. The panel discusses the differences in safety for horizontal and vertical construction, the role of different technologies in both eliminating or increasing risk, and how an evolving philosophy...

In the latest episode of Let's Be Civil, BIM expert Ron Gant and technology leader Andrew Martin will explore the overall goals of IFC and how implementing these standards in a bidding platform is the best way to connect the owner and contractors. As the civil infrastructure industry adopts a necessary digital transformation, we have to look at each phase of the project lifecycle collectively...

Social sustainability. Workforce development. Technology adoption. These areas may feel distinct, but they all center around the same essential thing: people. In the latest episode of Let's Be Civil, a panel of experts from Trimble, HDR, and Infotech discuss how adopting a holistic, people-first mindset can maximize connection, collaboration, and innovation in our industry. This podcast is present...

Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, is a foundational technology for the future of construction project management. In a special new episode of Let's Be Civil, we sit down with Adam Carnow, an Industry Public Works Specialist for Esri. Adam takes listeners through emerging GIS trends, the benefits of geo-enabled field data collection, and takes a look at the future of geo-enabled field managem...

Digital project delivery; paperless construction. It’s a goal of many organizations, especially those embracing Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology. In the latest episode of Let’s Be Civil, our hosts will break down the top insights shared on a recent BIM panel discussion. DOT, FHWA, and consultant representatives shared their perspectives on the importance and evolution of BIM - and we...