Top-five lists are fun. They’re interesting . There’s inherently some suspense about what’s going to be ranked at the top.

But in the case of a list of the five most-read stories on ASCE’s Civil Engineering Source news and information hub, the rankings do more than simply generate intrigue. Taken together, they provide a quick portrait of the year that was in civil engineering; a year-end industry snapshot.

Here are the year’s five most-read stories on the Source:

5. A Cities of the Future primer

photo of still from Cities of the Future MacGillivray Freeman Films

ASCE launched its second foray into giant-screen movies with the release of Cities of the Future in February.

Read more

4. Shock, heartbreak fill civil engineering community as tragedy strikes iconic Baltimore bridge

photo of Francis Scott Key Bridge aftermath Alyssa Sooklal

Disaster struck in the early morning hours of a March night in the Port of Baltimore.

Read more

3. Engineers often need a lot of water to keep data centers cool

rendering of data center Shutterstock.com/Gorodenkoff
[Edit photo caption]

Turns out big data demands a lot of resources.

Read more

2. Civil engineering salaries rising, ASCE report finds, but should they be even higher?

photo of a check

 

Workforce challenges continued to be a huge topic in the civil engineering industry. Unsurprisingly then, talk of salaries followed closely. 

Read more

1. Get ready for an all-new P.E. exam format; here’s what you need to know

photo of engineer working in the office Jason Dixson Photography

The P.E. exam changed significantly this year - moving away from testing general civil knowledge.

Read more

What was the civil engineering story of 2024 that dominated your year?