HEADLINES ARCHIVE
Database and Structural Shortcomings Cited in Bridge Collapse
Analysis found structural and human failures that contributed to the accident, in addition to variable vertical bridge clearance.
Timber-Concrete Composite Safe for Construction
While timber-concrete systems have been in use in Europe since the 1990s, they are only now being looked at in the U.S.
Transparent Wood Provides Lighting and Insulation
Transparent wood provides better thermal insulation and lets in nearly as much light as glass, while eliminating glare and providing uniform and consistent indoor illumination.
Underground Radar for Post-Katrina Damage
The technology is a pipe-penetrating scanning system that uses ultra-wide-band pulsed radar.
Non-powered Dams: An Untapped Source of Electricity?
An Energy Department report says U.S. hydropower could grow to 150GW of capacity by 2050, much of it from currently non-powered dams.
Engineers Without Borders USA: Fast Response After Natural Disasters
Volunteer teams of engineers responded rapidly to Nepal and Ecuador to help accelerate earthquake recovery efforts.
Seawalls and Forests Help Mitigate Tsunami Destruction
Seawalls of 10 meters in height were associated with a 5% to 6% decrease in destruction rate.
A Faster, Cheaper Way of Repairing Steel Bridges
The repair method uses ultra-high performance concrete encasings to retrofit the corroded ends of steel bridge girders—one of the most prevalent deficiencies in steel bridges.
Army Corps Breaks Ground on Shore Protection
The Army Corps says the ocean-side measures are estimated to provide protection against inundation from storm surges from a 100-year event.
Harnessing Earthquake Power to Generate Energy
The students' idea is to use an electromagnetic generator to act as a damper.
Developer, City Sued Over Sinking High Rise
The complaint alleges that "construction failures" are causing a 58-story residential tower to sink and tilt.
Fabric Structures: Ancient Approach, Modern Aesthetics
Fabric architectural elements have found a permanent home in airports, stadiums, outdoor shopping centers and other commercial applications.
Hardening the Energy Coast
Efforts are under way to make the U.S. Gulf Coast more resilient in the face of hurricanes, wetlands loss, climate change and sea-level rise.
Explaining the Origins of Concrete "Creep"
Calcium-silicate-hydrates tend to dissolve at high-stress regions and re-precipitate at low-stress regions.
Cyber-Physical Systems Research Aims for Safer Construction-Site Temporary Structures
While CPS has already been implemented in the manufacturing, transportation and healthcare industries, its benefits to the construction industry are still being explored.
Tire-Derived Aggregate Seen as Possible Backfill for Civil Projects
A TDA-soil backfill mixture is lightweight but reinforces the strength of the foundation soil.
Biofilm Protects Mortar Against Damaging Moisture
While water droplets' contact angle is typically 30 degrees or less on untreated mortar, it is three times as high for drops on the hybrid mortar.
ASTM Standard Developed for Large-size Concrete Pavers
The specification provides a baseline acceptance standard using any of three manufacturing processes: dry cast, wet cast and hydraulically pressed.
Bendable Water Pipeline Passes Quake Tests
Wave features help absorb large ground deformation during earthquakes and landslides.
Modular Construction in the Oil and Gas Industry
Oil and natural gas producers are looking to modular construction as a way to maintain margins in a tough business environment.