Emerging examples demonstrate how digital transformation can yield tangible benefits. In Boulder, Colo., Civil Engineering Manager Brian Wiltshire pioneered the use of digital sensors during the pouring of concrete on Arapahoe Avenue. These sensors continuously monitor the concrete’s real-time temperature and strength, replacing the traditional method of collecting core samples for lab analysis. The results: greater precision versus the lab-cured individual cylinders; less material tester time and expense from the casting, transporting and possible breaking of cylinders; fewer errors during the casting and breaking of cylinders; roads and multiuse paths opening to the public faster; and potentially significant reduction in the use of cement (the most expensive and environmentally damaging concrete component).
Material innovation is an important aspect of making smarter and greener infrastructure. For example, Joe Shetterley, CEO of E5 Nano-Silica Technologies, has supplied nano-silica components to Kentucky, Kansas, Ohio and Indiana, which allows states to reduce cement powder requirements by 10 to 15 percent while increasing bridge life cycles by 50 percent.
Smaller jurisdictions have also reported substantial value from adopting these technologies. Dave Pracht, assistant director of public works in Manchester, Mo., used the same sensor technology to save costs by reducing guesswork in concrete mixes and minimizing road closure times. As Jesse Jonas, the contractor partner on the project, noted, Manchester used the lowest cement content in the St. Louis region on the project while exceeding design strength targets, solidifying the case for smarter processes over outdated routines.
Despite these successes, incorporating new approaches remains the exception, not the rule. The full promise of digital and material innovation is stifled by procurement, risk aversion and rigid top-down national standards. To move innovation from the margins to the mainstream, deliberate action is needed on several fronts:
1. Foster Cross-Sector Partnerships
2. Prioritize Total Value, Not Just Low Price
Procurement must reward bidders for maximizing preventive maintenance and life cycle value, not merely slashing initial construction costs. By insisting on return on investment and long-term outcomes, governments can incentivize innovation that endures instead of penny-wise shortcuts that unravel.
3. Streamline Technology Approval and Recognition
More multistate recognition of validated technologies, coupled with the robust sharing of pilot project outcomes and open data on real-world performance, can shatter silos and ease the path for promising solutions.
4. Structure Academic Partnerships for Impact
Last but certainly not least is the inclusion of academic and research partners. For example, the relationship between the Indiana Department of Transportation and Purdue University, which produced embedded sensors to test concrete’s strength under heavy traffic, illustrates how continuous, structured collaborations can rapidly drive research and implementation. Replicating this model elsewhere will ensure innovation is a shared and sustained endeavor.
A better approach is possible, as evidenced by these examples, but the speed and frequency of digital innovation must accelerate.
This story originally appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of Government Technology. Click here to view the full digital edition online.
