How Underground Infrastructure Is Leading to Sustainability
If you’ve ever been to an underdeveloped country, you may have seen the horrors of above-ground infrastructure. Wires hang haphazardly above crowded city streets, seemingly ready to start a catastrophe should they fall or be hit by bad weather.
But in the U.S., rules and regulations provide a basis for safety and how to do jobs correctly. The major difference here isn’t with safety; it has to do with space and sustainability. As urban and suburban areas continue to grow, issues with sustainability continuously mount. And that’s what underground infrastructure aims to solve. By putting pipes, wires, and utilities underground, municipalities, business owners, and even homeowners are lending a hand in responsible planning and sustainability.
Why Is Sustainable Infrastructure Important?
At the onset of rapid industrialization around the beginning of the 20th century, not much was known about the effects of urban planning or pollution. Factories were built next to housing and little was done to ensure that the factory wasn’t polluting water or poisoning the local populace.
Fast-forward over a century later, and everything humanity has discovered about air pollution, noise pollution, overcrowding, and even green areas has created a desire for sustainability. As the population continues to grow and people continue to build, sustainable infrastructure, and in particular underground infrastructure becomes vital.
Why Many Municipalities Are Turning to Underground Infrastructure
Despite major advancements in underground infrastructure and construction, many municipalities have widely ignored it. Why? Simply due to budgetary constraints and the urge to save money.
But over time, above-ground infrastructure starts to create problems. It fails due to severe weather, creates traffic disruptions, and leads to noise and possibly air pollution problems.
Yet as public opinion changes, so do cities’ desire to weigh the cost vs. benefit of underground infrastructure. By putting wires and pipes underground, the “out of sight, out of mind” idea couples with more effective ways to improve quality of living.
What once was thought unbuildable due to money is now being replaced with the thought of city beautification and a more aesthetically pleasing place to live. And with fewer repairs necessary as underground infrastructure ages, it’s more sustainable in the long run in terms of feasibility and cost.
And in many communities, perhaps the final hurdle has been cleared. Many politicians and planners have started to create sustainable development goals, or SDGs, that include underground infrastructure. Due to this level of planning, underground infrastructure becomes part of a greater plan to sustainability, which in turn, leads to more opportunities to apply it.
Underground Infrastructure Is Only as Good as the Contractor You Hire
Underground infrastructure undeniably is leading to sustainability, but as a business owner, homeowner, or project manager, infrastructure is only as good as the company you hire. And that’s why you should contact EPS Engineering as your professional firm. With on-the-job experience, the equipment necessary to get the job done, and a professional staff, our underground infrastructure team is the best way to get the work done on time and under budget.
Do you have a project planned? or want to discuss future plans? Give Nick Bechwati a call to discuss our firm’s portfolio and learn more about what’s possible.
