Civil engineers’ workplaces look remarkably different than they did in the 1960s. As portrayed on our cover, back then, an engineer’s "magic" happened on a tall stool, probably with no lumbar support, situated in front of his drafting board. (And no, I didn’t forget to say, "his or her drafting board" because, let’s face it, in those days, it was very rare to have a her at the board!)

Today, an engineer spends much of the day in front of a computer screen (or two), sitting on an ergonomically correct office chair with wheels. Most of his or her work happens while several programs are running simultaneously, including an e-mail program, a civil engineering software solution, Microsoft Excel, an internal project management system, and maybe a third-party analysis software program. A desk phone and cell phone are within reach at all times, and maybe even a Blackberry. Most offices don’t have a drafting board, but some relics are still around, now mainly used for spreading out large paper plan sets, rather than for making "magic."

Yes, these are changes we can see easily, just by walking the halls. But my curiosity lies deeper with actually how we are using the modern tools and for what purpose. For example, how are civil engineers using the advanced features of civil engineering software, specifically 3-D modeling? Are they incorporating GIS into their workflows? And are GPS machine control and 3-D laser scanning becoming common?

These questions and more prompted a recent, comprehensive survey about the state of practice of civil engineering technology. I’d like to thank personally all of our readers who took the survey. Your feedback is much appreciated, and you and your peers will benefit tremendously from the results presented in this issue (see "Civil engineering technology: The state of practice").

To maintain competitive advantage over your peers, either individually or as a firm/organization, you need to keep abreast of the state of practice in engineering and what is anticipated for the future. Much of what you need to know regarding technology is presented here. Our report goes into the most depth about 3-D modeling since the majority of respondents (33.8 percent) said it was the technology they are most interested in learning more about. (In case you are wondering what’s of secondary interest to your fellow civil engineers, GIS/CAD interchange was close behind.)

And there’s more. A webcast on Nov. 13 will provide even more findings, as well as the first-hand perspective of a civil engineering firm professional. Join Todd Nochomson of Miller Legg and me for a lively discussion about more industry trends, challenges, and future expectations. Sign up for the free webcast here.

Although how we conduct designs has changed dramatically, some things have stood the test of time. Nothing beats a cup of coffee and a red pen when it’s time to review plans or specs, and just like we see on this month’s cover, collaborating with colleagues is an irreplaceable step in the design process.