Sock Talks at TRB: All Interviews

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 locating and record research, why underground utility data remains such a major challenge for agencies, and how SUE connects with broader industry shifts toward digital delivery and model-based workflows. About 4M Analytics: https://www.4manalytics.com/

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, Integrated Digital Project Delivery. Questions? Want to be a guest? Reach out to Nate Binder at [email protected].

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/.