IAMC INSIDER

he heart is the engine of the body. It pumps oxygen-rich, nutrient-laden blood to the cells throughout the body while transporting carbon dioxide and waste products away from the cells for ultimate removal from the body. The arteries and veins within the body are the conduits of this vital, life sustaining process. If an educated work force is the heart of economic development, then infrastructure must be the arteries and veins.

   Water systems gather, store, purify and transport water for drinking, manufacturing and recreation. In a similar manner, wastewater systems collect, store, treat and dispose of liquid waste streams. Crude oil, natural gas, electric power and steam lines carry various forms of energy to our homes, offices, schools, and manufacturing plants. Telephone lines, fiberoptic cables, cell phones, radio/television transmission towers and satellite systems move information through out our economy. Interstate highways, primary and secondary roads, railroads, inland waterways and airports provide corridors through which hard goods and people travel.

   Lack of health care, improper health care, diet and personal habits all impact the ability of the arteries and veins to effectively carry out their mission. Fatty deposits can constrict or block blood flow. The prolonged effects of high blood pressure can reduce the elasticity of the arteries and veins. Structural weak spots in the walls of the arteries and veins can lead to sudden and catastrophic failure. Physical impairment, reduced quality of life and even death can result.

   In a similar manner, old water lines, exposed to repeated cycles of thermal expansion and contraction, can break. Deferred maintenance of wastewater pump stations may lead to system failure. Petroleum pipelines corrode and fail if not properly maintained. The acute stress of peak electrical demands in the summer (and winter) lead to brownouts (aka restricted supply) and blackouts (catastrophic collapse). Aged steam lines explode. The chronic stress of heavy wheel loads, thermal cycles and corrosion lead to failure of pavements, highways and rail bridges.

   When preventative health care, good nutrition, proper diet and good personal habits are ignored, chronic and acute medical conditions may occur, some times requiring emergency intervention. So it is with our infrastructure: System improvements are delayed and preventive maintenance is easily deferred only to return as a future crisis or catastrophic failure. We in the economic development and corporate real estate communities are the gatekeepers to the sustainability of our infrastructure, the life-bearing arteries and veins of our economy.

   Investments in infrastructure, be they system improvements or routine maintenance, are somewhat like investments in one’s health: Early, consistent and continued efforts are rewarded with longer, more prosperous, higher quality of life.

Scott Reed

IAMC Chair