http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/civil_engineering/ Civil Engineering News and Research. From new mathematical models for building better structures to new corrosion-resistant composites, read all the latest discoveries in civil engineering here. en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:05:02 EST Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/civil_engineering/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000801.htm A newly designed straw house -- built of pre-fabricated straw-bale and hemp panels -- has fire resistance as good as houses built of conventional building materials, according to researchers in the UK. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000801.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123152222.htm Researchers have developed a technique for fabricating 3-D, single-crystalline silicon structures from thin films by coupling photolithography and a self-folding process driven by capillary interactions. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123152222.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118160627.htm Engineering researchers have developed a unique and robust method to prevent cloning of passive radio frequency identification tags. The technology, based on one or more unique physical attributes of individual tags rather than information stored on them, will prevent the production of counterfeit tags and thus greatly enhance both security and privacy for government agencies, businesses and consumers. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118160627.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118120312.htm Sulfate groups are crucial building blocks for many molecules but are difficult to handle. Chemists have now discovered how sulfate groups can be protected during the construction of a molecule. Thanks to his method new molecules, which could be used for the production of medicines, can now be constructed far more easily. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118120312.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111111259.htm Researchers are flying the idea that insect wings could act as a model for making self-cleaning, frictionless, and superhydrophobic materials. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111111259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112171411.htm Novel nanomaterials are scheduled to blast off into orbit on November 16 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. The project seeks to test the performance of the new nanocomposites in orbit. The materials will be mounted to the International Space Station's outer hull and exposed to the rigors of space. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112171411.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123029.htm Engineering researchers have fabricated a palm-sized, automated, micro-injector that can insert proteins, DNA and other biomolecules into individual cells at volumes exponentially higher than current procedures, and at a fraction of the cost. This will allow scientists to vastly increase preclinical trials for drug development and genetic engineering, and provide greater control of the process. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123029.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111101400.htm Mathematicians have created a method to design underground lines whereby a city's historical buildings are unaffected. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111101400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161253.htm Scientists have developed a new building material that is fire resistant to temperatures in excess of 1100 degrees Celsius, is made largely from recycled material and is as versatile as concrete. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161253.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021115002.htm Aerospace, automotive and airplane construction count on lightweight construction. But to make sure that lightening the load does not come at the cost of safety, researchers are working on new quality assurance systems for material testing. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021115002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924123310.htm During flights simulating the moon's low gravity, researchers find that sifters can separate soil particles and produce the best feedstock for an oxygen generator. Scientists are designing and testing components of the generator, which would provide oxygen needed for a lunar or Martian outpost. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924123310.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019134709.htm Coastal towns and cities in the northwest are woefully unprepared for a large-scale natural disaster. In response, geotechnical engineers are working to develop a series of tsunami evacuation buildings up and down the northwest coast. They would be the first buildings of their kind in the United States. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019134709.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105317.htm Houses on stilts, small scale energy generation and recycling our dishwater are just some of the measures that are being proposed to prepare our cities for the effects of global warming. A new study outlines how major cities must respond if they are to continue to grow in the face of climate change. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114351.htm More students than ever before have been accepted onto science and engineering related degree courses this autumn, according to the University and Colleges Admissions Service in the UK. Science is also now the most popular subject at school according to a new poll of children aged 5 to 18. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114351.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105631.htm Could sustainable architecture address pollution, climate change and resource depletion by helping us build self-sufficient, off-grid, housing from "waste," including vehicle tires and metal drinks containers? That's the question researchers in Australia are trying to answer. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902122325.htm Weather conditions such as wind and snow loads can cause failure and collapse of supporting structures in roofs and similar constructions. Based on new hybrid intelligent construction elements (HICE), researchers in Germany have developed a shell structure which is able to adapt to changing environmental conditions. In a further step, the scientists will now use their knowledge to develop machines from these new structural elements which will also be able to react to their environments and adapt to given conditions. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902122325.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007081532.htm Coastal roads and harbors are traditionally protected from sea erosion by giant blocks of rock or geosynthetic bags filled with material, all locally sourced where possible. In the Arctic and other cold northern regions, where good quality material is often scarce, the prohibitive economic and environmental cost of importing suitable matter has led to a demand for solutions that make use of whatever low quality soil or other material is available. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007081532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922095701.htm Results from Australia's largest study of young drivers have shown that they are at significant risk of crash on rural roads. According to researchers from The George Institute, young drivers living in rural areas are more likely to be involved in serious crashes than those in urban areas. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922095701.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923105817.htm Every year European roads are built and repaired to the tune of several billion Euros. Intensive efforts are underway all over the world to get 'more road for your money' by developing better methods for both design and quality control of materials. One problem is that today there are no good methods for checking how robustly and safely the roads were built. Therefore they often don't last as long as they were supposed to and more money has to go to road construction. But now a young scientist has developed a method where sound waves can reveal what a road looks like underneath and thereby show whether it is being properly built. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923105817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917131550.htm In finally answering an elusive scientific question, researchers have shown that the selective placement of strain can alter the electronic phase and its spatial arrangement in correlated electron materials. This unique class of materials is commanding much attention now because they can display properties such as colossal magnetoresistance and high-temperature superconductivity, which are highly coveted by the high-tech industry. Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917131550.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909141639.htm In the 2,000 years since the Roman Empire employed a naturally occurring form of cement to build a vast system of concrete aqueducts, researchers have analyzed the molecular structure of natural materials and created entirely new building materials such as steel. Oddly enough, the three-dimensional crystalline structure of cement hydrate had eluded scientific attempts at decoding, until an MIT team tackled the problem. Sat, 12 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909141639.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910121811.htm To protect from potential terrorist attacks, federal buildings and other critical infrastructures are made with special windows that contain blast-resistant glass. However, the glass is thick and expensive. Currently, researchers are developing and testing a new type of blast-resistant glass that will be thinner, lighter and less vulnerable to small-scale explosions. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910121811.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908125129.htm The introduction of K-12 engineering education has the potential to improve student learning and achievement in science and mathematics, increase awareness about what engineers do and of engineering as a potential career and boost students' technological literacy, according to a new report from the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908125129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090819164319.htm A new study looks at the highly sophisticated structure of teeth and how this structure could be applied to aircraft and space vehicles of the future. Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090819164319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902112759.htm A new earthquake-resistant structural system for buildings, just successfully tested in Japan, will not only help a multi-story building hold itself together during a violent earthquake, but also return it to standing up straight on its foundation afterward, true and plumb, with damage confined to a few easily replaceable parts. During testing on a massive shake table, the system survived simulated earthquakes bigger than either the 1994 Northridge earthquake or the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902112759.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901164048.htm Going back to the drawing board is much easier now that researchers have developed a new type of design program called FEAsy. The program allows the designer to sketch a rough concept of the part and then analyze the part's characteristics while it is still only a drawing. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901164048.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810162113.htm Researchers are developing a new class of tiny mechanical devices containing vibrating, hair-thin structures that could be used to filter electronic signals in cell phones and for other more exotic applications. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810162113.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825151002.htm It takes just seconds for tall buildings to collapse during earthquakes. Knowing what's happening in those seconds can help engineers design buildings that are less prone to sustaining that kind of damage. But the nature of collapse is not well understood. That's why researchers are trying an innovative "hybrid" approach to testing that may provide a safer, less expensive way to learn about building collapses. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825151002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090821135030.htm Cystorm, Iowa State University's second supercomputer, is capable of a peak performance of 28.16 trillion calculations per second. It will help researchers advance their work in materials science, power systems and systems biology. Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090821135030.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720102010.htm Tough new fire-resistant coating materials called HIPS ("hybrid inorganic polymer system") are showing they can take the heat. HIPS coatings can withstand temperatures of over 1000°C compared to current commercial coatings used on building materials and structures which break down at between 150-250°C. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720102010.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090714211527.htm A student is combining engineering and nature to design a more affordable and more sustainable lighting source for those living without electricity. Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090714211527.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090723081758.htm Researchers have developed aluminum foams using calcium carbonate, a low cost and easy to use foaming agent that could multiply the many applications of these materials in different sectors of industry. Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090723081758.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716093512.htm Could straw houses be the buildings of the future? That’s what researchers will be testing this summer by constructing a “BaleHaus” made of prefabricated straw bale and hemp cladding panel. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716093512.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090714103524.htm How can rescue units be better protected during disaster operations or avalanche victims be found quicker? A new localization system connects satellite-based positioning systems with terrestrial locating aids and situation-dependent sensory systems. Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090714103524.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629165605.htm Composite materials such as fiberglass, which take on a mix of properties of their constituent compounds, have been around for decades. Now, a materials scientist is taking composites to the nanoscale, where entirely new properties, not found in any of the original compounds, can emerge. Sat, 11 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629165605.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626141231.htm Researchers are studying the effects of integral bridge expansion resulting from heat to make integral bridges a more viable alternative. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626141231.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617123435.htm Scientists have found evidence of an important similarity between the behavior of polycrystalline materials -- like metals and ceramics -- and glasses, research that could lead to better predictions of how many valuable materials behave under stress. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617123435.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702080523.htm Scientists have developed a new material by applying a biotechnological treatment to paper sludge. In many cases, the new material could replace plastic packaging and certain building materials. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702080523.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163113.htm Researchers have devised a microscale tool to help them understand the mechanical behavior of biofilms, slimy colonies of bacteria involved in most human infectious diseases. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163113.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623150137.htm Engineers aim to improve the reliability of lead-free soldering alloys that are used to make electronic devices. This would help with the implementation of environmentally-friendly materials in electronics production. Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623150137.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615171507.htm Civil engineers have for the first time identified what causes the most frequently used building material on earth -- concrete -- to gradually deform, decreasing its durability and shortening the lifespan of infrastructures such as bridges and nuclear waste containment vessels. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615171507.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618085752.htm A more effective way to build plastic scaffolds on which new tissues and even whole organs might be grown in the laboratory is being developed. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618085752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608182553.htm Bad practices that many students believe will make them become expert engineers are the ire of managers who hire recent engineering graduates. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608182553.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144213.htm Experts have evaluated the best building design and construction practices to reduce wind pressures on building surfaces and to resist high winds and hurricanes in residential or commercial construction. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608071947.htm Trains, planes, buses and automobiles do not only effect the environment via their exhaust pipes. There is a full lifecycle of processes associated with getting from A to B that we rarely acknowledge. Researchers have now created a framework to help us calculate the true environmental cost of travel. Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608071947.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601121708.htm Nanoelectromechanical systems devices have the potential to revolutionize the world of sensors: motion, chemical, etc. But taking electromechanical devices from the micro scale down to the nano requires finding a means to dissipate heat output. Researchers say the solution is to build these devices using a thermal material that dissipates heat from the device's center through a hierarchical branched network of carbon nanotubes. The template for this thermal material's design: a living cell. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601121708.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602192559.htm The secret of a successful sandcastle could aid the revival of an ancient eco-friendly building technique, according to new research. Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602192559.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529185009.htm The fifth largest and newest water tunnel in the United States has just been completed. The tunnel has been under construction for more than a year, holds thousands of gallons of water and has taken more than 5,000 man hours to build to its current state. Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529185009.htm