If you plan to build, start with soil testing . It sounds basic, yet it can save you from cracks, drainage headaches, and surprise costs later. Dallas soil can look calm on top. However, a few feet down, clay can act like a sponge. It swells when it gets wet and shrinks when it dries out. So the ground can move, even when your plans look perfect. Dallas clay isn’t “bad,” but it plays by its own rules Many North Texas sites sit on clay-rich soils. Clay holds water longer than sand, so it stays soft after storms. Then it dries out during hot weeks and tightens up. In other words, moisture changes can make the soil change shape. That matters because buildings need steady support. When the ground shifts, you may notice doors that stick, cracks in drywall or brick, or sidewalks that lift and settle. Also, you may see water pooling near the house because the soil won’t absorb it fast enough. Here’s the key link: soil behavior and drainage behavior go together. When the soil traps water, surf...
Road construction feels like part of daily life in a growing city, but lately Knoxville residents are showing more frustration than ever. A recent study looked at thousands of local social media posts and found that construction-related topics caused the highest negative reactions of all traffic issues. People complained more about roadwork than detours, traffic signals, or slowdowns. This matters because public pushback slows down projects and shapes how a traffic engineer plans safer and smoother roads for Knoxville. Knoxville is growing fast. New neighborhoods, schools, and business areas bring jobs and opportunities. Yet they also push more cars onto older roads that were not built for this level of traffic. Even small upgrades—like repaving a lane or fixing drainage—can now cause long delays. When drivers face these delays without warning, frustration builds quickly. Many residents say construction zones feel endless or confusing. Some say detours take them too far out of the way...