HEADLINES ARCHIVE
Anchor Rod on Bay Bridge May Have Snapped: News Report
Engineers working for the California Department of Transportation are reported to have found evidence that one of the 25-foot-long rods that anchor the new Bay Bridge eastern span’s tower may have snapped after it was installed.
Improved Traffic Signal Management Could Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
A study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says that better programming of a city's traffic light could reduce delays, improve efficiency and reduce vehicle emissions.
Construction Costs Driven Lower by Falling Oil and Commodity Prices
Construction costs fell in March, according to IHS and the Procurement Executives Group (PEG). The headline current IHS PEG Engineering and Construction Cost Index (ECCI) registered 44.7 in March, a slight uptick from February’s record low, but still considerably below a neutral reading.
Flood Resistant Design and Construction Standard Receives Update
Standard ASCE/SEI 24-14, Flood Resistant Design and Construction, updates and replaces the previous Standard, ASCE/SEI 24-05. It provides essential guidance on design and construction to structural engineers, design professionals, code officials, floodplain managers and building owners.
Global Water Use May Outstrip Supply by Mid-century, Spur Innovation
Population growth could cause global demand for water to outpace supply by mid-century if current levels of consumption continue. But it would not be the first time this has happened, a Duke University study finds.
Water System Retrofit to Withstand Quakes Could Cost Billions, Los Angeles Utility Says
Retrofitting Los Angeles, Calif.’s, water infrastructure to better withstand a major earthquake could cost up to $15 billion over the next 20 years, the city's water engineers say in a report released March 23.
Membranes Deliver Clean Water More Efficiently
Researchers from the Melbourne School of Engineering at the University of Melbourne, in conjunction with Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, have developed new membranes or micro-filters that are expected to clean water in a more energy efficient manner using layer-by-layer polymer assembly.
Smart Sensors Hit the Road
Engineering360 looks at how electronics sensors are playing a role in monitoring U.S. infrastructure.
BRE Global and UL Environment Recognize Product Declarations
Built environment certification body BRE Global and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Environment, a research and standards body that supports businesses and manufacturers to be more sustainable.
BRE Global Launches Certification for Thermal Performance of Details and Products
BRE Global is launching a certification scheme which aims to reduce the level of thermal bridging that can arise in buildings and homes causing heat loss.
Engineering Solutions That Support Resilient Infrastructure
Talk focuses on the aging infrastructure in the U.S., but there is relatively little action to back it up.
Report Addresses Energy Performance Gap in Buildings
A new report produced by the BRE Trust and the Energy Services and Technology Association aims to help facilities managers and building operators bridge the energy performance gap in their building portfolio, so consumption and costs can be reduced for business benefit.
ISO Standard Planned for Resilient and Sustainable Cities
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) will help pioneer an ISO standard—ISO 37120—for resilient and sustainable cities.
Ultrasonic Technology Pinpoints Cracks and Weakness in Metal
Engineers at Bristol University in the UK say they have developed a way to use ultrasonic nonlinear imaging techniques to find structural weakness and cracks in materials used in things like bridges and airplanes.
Drone Aircraft May Help Assess Infrastructure Damage
Researchers from the University of New Mexico (UNM) are working with BAE Systems and San Diego State University to use remote sensing and cameras mounted on unmanned drones or low-cost aircraft to detect and map transportation infrastructure damage.
Beijing Plans World's Largest Airport Terminal
Beijing plans to be the home of the world's largest airport passenger terminal.
ASTM Consolidates Six Standards on Structural Fasteners
A new ASTM standard consolidates six current standards on structural fasteners.
Ground Penetrating Radar Used for Bridge Inspections
The risk of bridge failures has led U.S. engineers to seek better methods of surveillance and inspections. Tarek Zayed, a professor in the department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering at Concordia University, has developed a visualization method that could improve the quality and and reliability of bridge inspections.
Scraping the Sky: The 1 km-Tall Kingdom Tower
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has long served as a port for Muslims arriving by sea for the Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. With a population of 5.1 million, Jeddah is the second largest city in Saudi Arabia and ranks as the largest city on the Red Sea. If all goes as planned, by 2020 pilgrims flooding the city will be treated to a modern marvel, a skyscraper more than 1 km in height called the Kingdom Tower.
Engineering Buildings That Rock in an Earthquake
Buildings that rock during an earthquake and return to plumb would withstand seismic shaking better than structural designs commonly used in vulnerable zones, according to a researcher at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.