What Brian Potter thinks about infrastructure

@brian-potter · 43 positions · 1 change of mind · On ppll ↗

Structural engineer and writer, author of the Construction Physics newsletter, where he takes apart how large physical things — buildings, ships, semiconductor fabs, aeroplanes — actually get made, and why the cost of making them moves the way it does.

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Only Brian Potter on infrastructure. See everyone on infrastructure

2 dated positions, 2024 to 2025, in their own words. Our reading of what Brian Potter has said — not written or endorsed by them.

2 positions so far — this page is not yet offered to search engines.

1. 28 May 2025

   Our readingCut and cover is still often the cheapest way to build a subway and rich countries have abandoned it anyway, because the disruption is no longer tolerated.

   Their wordsCut and cover will sometimes be the best choice from a basic cost-benefit perspective, as will elevated rail, and both are useful to have in the tunnel construction toolbox for that reason.

   ↗Why we stopped building subways cheaplyworksinprogress.news 2nd of 3 in this piece

2. 12 months earlier

3. 10 Jun 2024

   Our readingData centres and the grid that feeds them run on incompatible clocks: one is a two-year project, the other a multi-decade investment.

   data centersenergy

   Their wordsUtility companies see major electrical infrastructure as a long-term investment to be built in response to sustained demand growth.

   ↗How to Build an AI Data Centerconstruction-physics.com 2nd of 5 in this piece