Let's Be Civil: An Infrastructure Podcast

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, InfotechGuests: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 About Infotech: ⁠https://www.infotechinc.com/

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 Technology Officer Jen Basener, Assistant Director of Product Management Marty Provost, Vice President of AASHTOWare Products About Infotech: ⁠https://www.infotechinc.com/ e-Merge Early Registration: https://solutions.infotechinc.com/e-merge-conference-2025-earlyregistration

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, Autodesk About Infotech: ⁠https://www.infotechinc.com/

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 evaluate bids against the engineer's estimate. Are you getting the most out of your digital project delivery efforts? Listen to find out. Learn more about Infotech: https://www.infotechinc.com/

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 grows alongside it. How is your organization approaching change management?  Hosts: Nate Binder & Chad Schafer, Infotech Guests: Pat Lane, Montana Department of Transportation Mike Bousliman, Infotech John Oberdiek, Infotech About Infotech: ⁠https://www.infotechinc.com/

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 and workforce are impacting the industry approach to safety. Hosts: Nate Binder & Chad Schafer, Infotech Guests: Adam Dawidowicz, Infotech Mike Ossa, GM2 Associates About Infotech: https://www.infotechinc.com/

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 and connect the disparate systems in order to support full asset lifecycle management. The industry is shifting toward the development and use of open data standards to support interoperability. By adopting Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) into online bidding software, organizations can begin building the foundation for asset management. Hosts: Nate Binder & Chad Schafer, Infotech Guests: Andy Martin, Infotech Ron Gant, Infotech ASCE Session: https://www.asce.org/education-and-events/explore-education/on-demand-webinars/bringing-ifc-to-bidding/ About Bid Express: https://www.infotechinc.com/bidexpress/

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 presented as a follow-up to InfraTalk America's Chasing Innovation roundtable webinar, which can be found at https://infratalkamerica.com/social-sustainability-and-the-path-toward-a-stable-technologically-literate-workforce/. Hosts: Nate Binder, Infotech & Matt Sprague, Trimble Guests: Tara Blythe, Infotech Ev Tripolitis, Trimble Jennifer Steen, HDR

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 management. Don't miss this deep dive into the world of GIS! Hosted by Nate Binder.

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're here to talk about it. From the team that brought you detailed dives into the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and industry cybersecurity, comes a new exploration of the technologies that will drive the future of decision-making, maintenance, reporting, and more.

Cybersecurity - the notion of protecting digital systems and assets from intrusion - is not a new concept, but one that increases in relevance every year. In the past few years alone, entire DOTs have been shut down due to cyber attacks. The ways we protect our networks is more important than ever. In the second episode of Let's Be Civil, cybersecurity experts Marty Provost, Doug Couto, and Ben Smith break down cybersecurity trends, philosophies, and best practices in a moderated discussion led by Chad Schafer and Nate Binder.

What will $550 billion in federal funding mean for your corner of the industry? New reporting requirements, staffing needs, and technology expectations could mark a tectonic shift for the heavy civil infrastructure industry when the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passes. In the first episode of Let's Be Civil, Infotech's new podcast, industry veterans Ron Perkins, Meg the Losen, and Joe Rowland discuss the most important industry development in years. Don't miss this 45-min primer on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act!