Posts Tagged ‘civil engineering’
How to build a better wind farm
IOWA STATE (US) — A turbine only ten inches high is helping researchers understand how hills, valleys, and tower placement can affect the productivity of onshore wind farms. Continue…
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 12:23 - 2 Comments
Earth & Environment - Dec 16, 2011 10:26 - 2 Comments
Greener commutes with eco-routes
U. BUFFALO (US) — The path of least emissions may not always be the fastest way to drive somewhere, but it’s possible for drivers to cut emissions without significantly slowing travel time, researchers say. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Nov 4, 2011 8:36 - 0 Comments
Steer clear: Bats 3x less active by roads
U. LEEDS (UK) — Bat activity is as much as three times lower near major roadsides, according to a new study that could have legal consequences for road builders. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Oct 24, 2011 10:02 - 3 Comments
No real warming from urban ‘heat island’
STANFORD (US) — The urban ‘heat island’ effect contributes less than 5 percent to overall global warming, far less than greenhouse gas or black carbon, new research shows. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 6, 2011 11:31 - 1 Comment
Post 9/11: Steel that withstands heat
PURDUE U. (US) — Ten years after 9/11, engineers are continuing work to improve the fire safety of buildings, bridges, and other steel structures. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jul 29, 2011 12:56 - 0 Comments
Low-cost system spots failing bridges
U. MARYLAND (US) — An engineer says his new wireless monitoring system could avert the kind of bridge collapse that killed 13 and injured 145 along Minneapolis’ I-35W on August 1, 2007. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jan 28, 2011 12:09 - 1 Comment
Stop superbugs by turning up the heat
U. MINNESOTA (US) — One effective way to fight the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, known as “superbugs,” may be to treat municipal wastewater solids at higher temperatures. (more…)
Society & Culture - Jan 13, 2011 13:39 - 0 Comments
More corruption, more collapse in quakes
U. COLORADO (US) — More than 80 percent of all deaths caused by building collapse during earthquakes in the last three decades occurred in countries considered to be unusually corrupt. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Jul 1, 2010 12:07 - 1 Comment
Is black carbon a climate change quick-fix?
U. ILLINOIS (US)—One immediate way to reduce the current levels of global warming—and avert rapid climate change—researchers say, would be to focus on pollutants with short atmospheric lifetimes, like soot, also known as black carbon. (more…)
Science & Technology - May 12, 2010 16:42 - 1 Comment
Hinged pole could keep the lights on
IOWA STATE (US)—Engineers have designed a new type of transmission pole that is hinged, making it easier to install and repair. It also resists the kind of cascading failures that can lead to widespread power outages. (more…)
Science & Technology - May 5, 2010 12:35 - 1 Comment
Pressurized water feature in maya plumbing
PENN STATE (US)—A water feature found in the Maya city of Palenque, Mexico, is the earliest known example of engineered water pressure in the new world, according to a collaboration between an archaeologist and a hydrologist. (more…)
Science & Technology - Apr 22, 2010 5:12 - 10 Comments
Could plug-in cars zap the power grid?
U. CHICAGO (US)—President Barack Obama has called for one million plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to hit the road by 2015. If the demand for plug-ins skyrockets, a flood of new electric cars could strain America’s power networks to the limit. (more…)
Science & Technology - Mar 10, 2010 12:57 - 6 Comments
Are LED lamps a best buy for cities?
U. PITTSBURGH (US)—Light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights strike the best balance between brightness, affordability, and energy savings over their lifespan—from production to disposal—a new bulb comparison shows. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Feb 22, 2010 17:40 - 0 Comments
Quake drill points to shaky communication
U. COLORADO (US)—Researchers who devised the largest earthquake preparedness event ever undertaken in the United States say one of the biggest challenges was translating devastation projections from a hypothetical magnitude 7.8 San Andreas Fault temblor into timely, usable information to the more than 5 million California participants in 2008. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Feb 16, 2010 11:42 - 0 Comments
Giving roads a green grade
U. WASHINGTON (US)—A new rating system does for road construction what the Energy Star system does for appliances—provides a sustainability performance metric for new and reconstructed or rehabilitated projects. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jan 26, 2010 18:35 - 3 Comments
Earthquake engineer reports from Haiti
U. BUFFALO (US)—Days after arriving in earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince, a team of French-speaking structural engineers led by Andre Filiatrault, University at Buffalo civil engineering professor, was appointed by the United Nations as its interim lead coordinating team for organizing and initiating building assessments. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Jan 18, 2010 13:02 - 1 Comment
Thirsty cities should mix it up
PENN STATE—To save money, avoid surpluses, and reduce shortages, urban water planners should combine three approaches to buy water: permanent rights, options, and lease. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Jan 14, 2010 12:57 - 2 Comments
Energy from Haiti quake like nuclear blast
STANFORD—Anne Kiremidjian, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford, talks about the devastating earthquake in Haiti and why so many buildings collapsed. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Jan 13, 2010 17:38 - 0 Comments
Stirring up question of PCBs
U. IOWA—The Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and scientists are unsure whether planned dredging in the next few years will help or hurt the situation. (more…)
