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 Mon, 12 May 2008 03:05:01 EDT Mon, 12 May 2008 03:05:01 EDT 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/2008/05/080502170713.htm Wool is less susceptible to burning than synthetic fibers. This makes it an ideal fabric for uniforms worn by U.S. troops, firefighters and others whose occupations expose them to fire. Chemist have discovered and patented a heat-resistant material that can be incorporated into wool and other fabrics to match the flame resistance of commercial firefighters' uniforms. Sun, 04 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502170713.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416094958.htm Incorporating health and safety concepts into building plans reduces accident rates and safety costs. Workplace accidents are currently a great human, social and economic problem. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416094958.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401141543.htm A government lab in the UK has taken on its biggest sample for analysis to date -- a 14-ton footbridge. The bridge will be used as a demonstrator to try out different techniques for monitoring structures for a government project to encourage UK industry and UK infrastructure to use monitoring to maximize the lifetime and minimize maintenance costs for civil engineering structures. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401141543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327172322.htm Scientists have developed a new form of stretchable silicon integrated circuit that can wrap around complex shapes such as spheres, body parts and aircraft wings, and can operate during stretching, compressing, folding and other types of extreme mechanical deformations, without a reduction in electrical performance. Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327172322.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318221759.htm Students have produced a fairly simple mechanical device that people in developing countries can use to process anything from corn to barley. If it's successful, the grain crusher can help produce food for residents of Third World countries and enable some people to generate an income as they travel from community to community crushing foodstuff for a price. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318221759.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311120617.htm While every mode of transportation in the United States will be affected as the climate changes, potentially the greatest impact on transportation systems will be flooding of roads, railways, transit systems and airport runways in coastal areas because of rising sea levels and surges brought on by more intense storms, says a new report from the National Research Council. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311120617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306190859.htm The method to the madness of quasicrystals has been a mystery to scientists. Quasicrystals are solids whose atoms aren't arranged in a repeating pattern, as they are in ordinary crystals. Yet they form intricate patterns that are technologically useful. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306190859.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307103832.htm Wires made of individual carbon atoms could be used to reduce the size of today's microchips several-fold. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) were researched in the past few years and used in initial experimental applications. Nano-engineering now has the task of developing production technologies to make CNT applications commonplace even for the mass market. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307103832.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306223745.htm Researchers are developing a new, eco-friendly technology that could generate as much electricity as 50 wind farms. They are investigating ways of painting solar cells onto the flexible steel surfaces commonly used for cladding buildings. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306223745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307102657.htm Strong, tough but light is the rare but desired combination of properties for numerous artificial materials. Now a new material is similar to natural mother-of-pearl, but twice as strong. Nacre, or mother-of-pearl, is one of nature's outstanding examples of a durable brick and mortar structure. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307102657.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304153747.htm A new gadget can identify weaknesses in structures ranging from massive bridge construction to the tiniest elements of nanotechnology no larger than a speck of dust on a pinhead. The deformation prediction instrument uses the technology of optical interferometry to make precise measurements that identify weak spots in a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics and other products. Sat, 08 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304153747.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306161934.htm Scientists have created a version of Harry Potter's famed "invisibility cloak" for nanoparticles. Researchers demonstrate that controlling the structure of nanoparticles can "shrink" their visible size by a factor of thousands without affecting a particle's actual physical dimension. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306161934.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080221114244.htm A new green roads program that develops criteria for what makes a roadway green has been established. A lot of the infrastructure in this country needs to be re-built, and it could be done in a more environmentally-friendly way than it has been done in the past. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080221114244.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303190531.htm Engineers have developed a model that shows while metals tend to be stronger at nanoscale volumes, their strengths saturate at around 10-50 nanometers diameter, at which point they also become more sensitive to temperature and strain rate. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303190531.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214114448.htm Researchers in civil and environmental engineering reveal that the strength of a biological material like spider silk lies in the geometric configuration of structural proteins, and the small clusters of weak hydrogen bonds that work cooperatively to resist force and dissipate energy. This structure makes protein-based materials as strong as steel, even though the hydrogen bonds that hold them together are 100 to 1,000 times weaker than the metallic bonds in steel. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214114448.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130130652.htm DNA is the blueprint of all life, giving instruction and function to organisms ranging from simple one-celled bacteria to complex human beings. Now researchers have used DNA as the blueprint, contractor and construction worker to build a 3-D structure out of gold, a lifeless material. Using just one kind of nanoparticle the researchers built two very different crystalline structures by changing one thing -- the strands of synthesized DNA attached to the tiny gold spheres. Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130130652.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124094006.htm A new NIST laboratory will evaluate tests, materials, mechanical properties and standards for hydrogen pipelines. The facility will include the nation's biggest hydrogen test chamber. Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124094006.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080109173747.htm Engineers and researchers designing and building new microelectromechanical systems can benefit from a new test method developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology to measure a key mechanical property of such systems: elasticity. The new method determines the "Young's modulus" of thin films not only for MEMS devices but also for semiconductor devices in integrated circuits. Fri, 11 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080109173747.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104145322.htm A new method for developing mechanically-reinforced polymer nanocomposites has been developed. The incorporation of nanoparticles into polymers is a design approach that is used in all areas of materials science, according to one of the scientists, adding that in the past, the broad technological utilization of polymer nanocomposites has been stifled by a lack of effective methods to control nanoparticle dispersion in materials. Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104145322.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071212201424.htm Researchers have completed the first detailed study ever done to assess the potential for building wind farms offshore along the California coastline. Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071212201424.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071212201434.htm In China, bamboo is used for furniture, artwork, building scaffolding, panels for concrete casting and now, truck bridges. The sustainable design is the first of its kind: the 10-meter span in Hunan province was assembled in days without heavy equipment and easily carries 8-ton vehicles. Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071212201434.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206145231.htm Engineers have designed the first simple process for manufacturing materials that strongly repel oils. The material, which can be applied as a flexible surface coating, could have applications in aviation, space travel and hazardous waste cleanup. Sat, 15 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206145231.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127153945.htm Researchers have demonstrated a mechanical fatigue process that eventually leads to cracks and breakdown in bulk silicon crystals -- a phenomenon that's particularly interesting because it long has been thought not to exist. Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127153945.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127105523.htm A new catalyst-free, self-healing material system offers a far less expensive and far more practical way to repair composite materials used in structural applications ranging from airplane fuselages to wind-farm propeller blades. Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127105523.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071031094952.htm In general, thinking in engineering is carried out conceptually, the concepts being processed in the computer virtually and, in the end, the object or the part is obtained. In the case of inverse engineering, however, the path to be followed is exactly the reverse: the object or the part that physically exists ends up transformed into something virtual. Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071031094952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030114048.htm Researchers studying the architecture of proteins have finally explained why computer models of proteins' behavior under mechanical duress differ dramatically from experimental observations. This work could have vast implications in bioengineering and medical research by advancing our understanding of the relationship between structure and function in these basic building blocks of life. Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030114048.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071023173425.htm Blocks of carbon nanotubes can be used to create effective and powerful pressure sensors, according to a new study. Taking advantage of the material's unique electrical and mechanical properties, researchers repeatedly squeezed a 3-millimeter nanotube block and discovered it was highly suitable for potential applications as a pressure sensor. No matter how many times or how hard they squeezed the block, it exhibited a constant, linear relationship between how much force was applied and electrical resistance. Fri, 26 Oct 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071023173425.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019183459.htm The stress and strain absorbed by your backpack could one day recharge your cell phone. Researchers have designed a strap that will capture the energy generated by the up-and-down movement of a hiker's pack and turn it into enough voltage to power small electrical devices. Tue, 23 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019183459.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019175317.htm Researchers have developed technology that uses the vibrations caused by passing traffic to power wireless bridge monitoring sensors. Wireless battery-powered sensors that monitor bridges and report changes that may lead to failure are easy to install, but it is unwieldy to provide power for the sensors. Each bridge needs at least several sensors, many installed in hard-to-access locations. Replacing millions of batteries could become a problem, adding to the expense of maintaining the bridges. The researchers have found a way around this problem. Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019175317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071016101452.htm Lab tests are planned to determine whether lignin, a co-product of ethanol produced from plant fiber, could be mixed with soil to improve soil strength in roadbeds. Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071016101452.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071016101504.htm Paratransit buses, or the smaller buses, are a fairly common sight on the roads of most American communities. Public transit and social service agencies, among others, often use the 16- to 20-seat vehicles to provide access to public transportation for people with disabilities in support of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Surprisingly there are no mandated standards related to dynamic rollover and side impact for these vehicles. Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071016101504.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071014173915.htm With the goal of saving lives and preventing environmental and structural damage during real tsunamis, Princeton Engineering researchers have been creating experimental mini-tsunamis. Existing models for predicting the impact of tsunamis focus on the incoming rush of water while largely ignoring the effect of the powerful forces that a tsunami wave can exert on the earth beneath when it draws back into the ocean. Wed, 17 Oct 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071014173915.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071011154124.htm Sometimes life-saving technologies seem beyond the reach of the average person. If you put residential fire sprinklers in that category, think again. Economists ran the numbers. Their benefit-cost analysis found that for new home construction, a multipurpose network sprinkler system that connects to a house's regular water supply and piping makes good economic sense. Mon, 15 Oct 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071011154124.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071010171345.htm A study of roofing damage incurred by Gulf Coast structures following Hurricane Katrina has found that buildings with steep sloped roofs held up better against the high-wind storm damage than buildings that had low sloped roofs. The study determined that steeper sloped roofs held up better due to the fact the building materials composing the roof structure defend better against wind uplift forces that occur during hurricanes. Sat, 13 Oct 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071010171345.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071004143114.htm By mimicking a brick-and-mortar molecular structure found in seashells, researchers created a composite plastic that's as strong as steel, but lighter and transparent. It's made of layers of clay nanosheets and a water-soluble polymer that shares chemistry with white glue. Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071004143114.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070926094727.htm Building aircraft wings with a special aluminum fiber combination makes them nearly immune to metal fatigue. The application of this technology, will lead to substantial savings. The unusual qualities of this special material can make a significant contribution to the development of truly energy-efficient, 'green' aircraft. Lower fuel consumption and reduction of maintenance costs could lead to worldwide savings as high as $100 billion. Fri, 28 Sep 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070926094727.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070917145509.htm In the wake of the tragic bridge collapse in Minnesota and last year's shut down of an oil pipeline in Alaska due to corrosion, researchers are facing increased pressure to develop better protective coatings to help save aging infrastructures. Protective coatings and paints, such as epoxy resins and polyurethanes, are designed primarily for warding off corrosion in metal-based structures such as bridges, storage tanks and buildings. Sun, 23 Sep 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070917145509.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070913081035.htm Computer models now under development could enhance the design of sports equipment to help people of all abilities realise their sporting potential. The models, more sophisticated and more specialised than others previously used in sports equipment design, produce unprecedentedly realistic simulations of how potential ball designs, for instance, will actually behave when in use. Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070913081035.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070914163132.htm These days, a drive across a bridge is not always a pleasure cruise. Mindful of the war on terrorism, it can often be a cautious experience. In one scenario, someone sets off a series of bombs to weaken the cables and the key structural connections of a major city bridge, all during rush hour. Not easy to do, but now thinkable. This summer, the possibility of sabotage was quickly examined--then dismissed--when the I35W bridge in Minneapolis tragically collapsed into the Mississippi River. Fri, 21 Sep 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070914163132.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070914170323.htm More than 60,000 miles of United States roadways are in the 100-year coastal floodplain, making them vulnerable to attacks from water surges and storm waves generated by hurricanes. A new study introduces methodology that integrates state-of-the-art models as effective tools for engineering design and hurricane emergency management. According to U.S. census data, more than 50 percent of the population lives within 50 miles of the shoreline, and that coastal population continues to grow. Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070914170323.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070917115319.htm Scientists have developed nanowires capable of storing computer data for 100,000 years and retrieving that data a thousand times faster than existing portable memory devices such as Flash memory and micro-drives, all using less power and space than current memory technologies. Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070917115319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070909213942.htm Shaking and tapping is often the only way to get the last drop of ketchup out of the bottle. But in future, even this final drop will slide out easily onto the barbecued steak -- thanks to a special coating on the packaging. We all know the problem with ketchup or mayonnaise: No matter how we shake or tap the bottle, some of the content refuses to come out. In some cases, up to 20 percent is left in the packaging when it is dumped in the trash can. This is not only annoying for consumers, but also poses difficulties when recycling. Mon, 17 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070909213942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070829191414.htm This October, a mechanical engineering senior student will attempt to become the fastest college student to be propelled by his or her own power. He will try to break the collegiate human-powered land speed record of 61.5 mph Oct 1-6 in Battle Mountain, Nevada. Seated in a bullet-shaped bicycle, he will be pedaling down a remote highway in Battle Mountain that is said to be one of the straightest, fastest and smoothest surfaces in the world. Thu, 30 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070829191414.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823184223.htm In 2004, the treated wood industry abandoned a once common but potentially harmful wood preservative from lumber in residential construction. New statistics show that since this change, imports of arsenic, a toxic metal used in the wood-treating chemical chromated copper arsenate, have plunged. Now, the challenge is to figure out what to do with millions of board feet of CCA lumber still in service nationwide. Some structures pose a potential hazard now, while others will face demolition as they age, with all CCA-treated wood waste requiring special care. Wed, 29 Aug 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823184223.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823200556.htm Engineers are researching methods to establish the safe load capacity of aging concrete bridges. The six year project aims to lead to the development of evaluation equipment that might help prevent tragedies such as the Minneapolis bridge collapse. The lack of documentation for the aging bridges presents a challenge for the engineers in collecting adequate information about the bridges' materials and reinforcement properties. Thirty percent of U.S. bridges lack critical documentation. Tue, 28 Aug 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823200556.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070811213550.htm Networks of small, permanently mounted sensors could soon check continuously for the formation of structural defects in I-beams and other critical structural supports of bridges and highway overpasses, giving structural engineers a better chance of heading off catastrophic failures. Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070811213550.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070809095155.htm Researchers have developed new technologies to obtain cheaper water of higher quality that would also reduce unwanted mud production. Research is particularly interesting if the current drought is taken into account, as well as the lack of space many municipalities have when the number of inhabitants grows, which makes it impossible to enlarge their water treatment plants. Results of this research were recently published in several prestigious scientific journals: Journal of Environmental Science Health, Part A; and Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. Fri, 10 Aug 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070809095155.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070808094037.htm A new "skin" for bridges, buildings and airplanes could be a sixth sense for inspectors looking for cracks and corrosion that could lead to a catastrophic failure like the recent Minneapolis bridge collapse. Thu, 09 Aug 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070808094037.htm