http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/construction/ Engineering and Construction News. From electronic walls to new corrosion-resistant building materials, read about new materials and methods for the construction industry. en-us Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:05:02 EDT Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:05:02 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/construction/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002095018.htm Researchers are working to create electronic systems that can diagnose and heal their own faults in ways similar to the human immune system. The project is called SABRE (Self-healing cellular Architectures for Biologically-inspired highly Reliable Electronic systems). Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002095018.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003122707.htm Future buildings -- especially tall structures -- should be increasingly resistant to fire, more easily evacuated in emergencies, and safer overall thanks to 23 major and far-reaching building and fire code changes approved recently by the International Code Council based on recommendations from the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology. The recommendations were part of NIST's investigation of the collapses of New York City's World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003122707.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915164612.htm Want more power and longer battery life for that cell phone, laptop, and digital music player? "Flower power" may be the solution. Chemists are reporting development of flower-shaped nanoparticles with superior electronic performance than conventional battery materials. Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915164612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916154922.htm Researchers have used scanning tunneling microscopy to confirm remarkable changes in the fundamental electronic behavior when double-walled carbon nanotubes are subject to radial deformations and torsional strain. The work reported in Nano Letters reveals that squashing and twisting a double-walled nanotube opens an electronic band gap in an otherwise metallic system, which has major ramifications on the use of carbon nanotubes for electronic and NEMS applications. Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916154922.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908105402.htm An aircraft is held together by hundreds of thousands of rivets. Fully automatic machines install rivet holes and rivets with precision in numerous materials. A new hybrid technology combines this mechanical joining technique with adhesive bonding. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908105402.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080827104702.htm The solely wind-driven Ventomobile constructed by a team of students in aerospace engineering came in first at the Aeolus Race in the Dutch town of Den Helder last Friday. Racing the extremely stylish and lightweight three-wheeler, the vehicles of five European universities and research centres had difficulties to catch up. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080827104702.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825103529.htm This week, inaugural tests at The University of Western Ontario's 'Three Little Pigs' project at the Insurance Research Lab for Better Homes will get underway. This facility is the first of its kind in the world to subject full-scale houses to pressures that simulate the effects of winds as strong as a category 5 hurricane -- or 200 mph -- all within a controlled environment. Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825103529.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080822131253.htm Engineering researchers have concluded months of rigorous earthquake simulation tests on a half-scale three-story structure, and will now begin sifting through their results so they can be used in the future designs of buildings across the nation. Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080822131253.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804123039.htm Students have constructed a vehicle that is solely powered by wind energy, the Ventomobile. It took them many months of intense construction work to reach this goal. First wind tunnel testing produced very promising results. The extremely stylish three-wheeler features a two-bladed rotor on top, with a diameter of two meters. The efficiency of this setup proved to be extremely good. Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804123039.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804124949.htm Oxide scales are supposed to protect alloys from extensive corrosion, but scientists have discovered metal nanoparticle chinks in this armor. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804124949.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717210023.htm Materials that can stop a crack and then self-heal have been brought a step closer to reality. New research will focus on carbon fiber polymer composites - materials made by combining extremely stiff and strong fibers with polymers to create strong, durable and lightweight materials. These are particularly important in the aerospace and transport industries, which use carbon fiber composites to make aircraft wings, helicopter rotor blades and ship hulls. Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717210023.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717140421.htm Researchers have revealed how a growing crack interacts with the 3-D structure of stainless steel. By using a new technique, they could determine the internal 3-D structure of the sample without destroying it. Afterwards, they initiated a crack and studied how it grew between the grains. The results could be useful to make more performing materials for, for example, safer power plants. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717140421.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709110842.htm More than ever before, building design and construction can be significantly improved to reduce wind pressures on building surfaces and to help better resist high winds and hurricanes in residential or commercial construction, said one architecture professor. Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709110842.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708110517.htm How stressed are we? A sensor vest will soon be able to tell us. From sports training to computer games, the garment registers the electrical excitation of the muscles at any given time and determines the level of physical stress. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708110517.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080617114723.htm Expert in the integration of solar cell technology in architecture are creating designs for flexible photovoltaic materials that may change the way buildings receive and distribute energy. Sat, 21 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080617114723.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080619094002.htm Advanced ground penetration radar, originally developed to investigate the soil structure on the moon and other planets on ESA planetary missions, is now being used in Canadian mines to spot hidden cracks and weaknesses in mine roofs. Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080619094002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080610122111.htm A professor on sabbatical in China has created a prototype of a sturdy, quick-to-build bamboo house designed to help the vast number of people made homeless by the May 12 Sichuan earthquake. Mon, 16 Jun 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080610122111.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080604115310.htm With new bridge-building materials, industrial production methods, and an efficient construction process, it will be possible to start using a bridge only two weeks after construction starts on the site. Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080604115310.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506100322.htm It is a great shame that the most creative professional group in the building trade, the architects, rarely apply themselves to existing housing, researchers assert. A large proportion of the Netherlands' climate targets will need to be achieved through modifications to existing housing. Wed, 07 May 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506100322.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/2008/04/080411103051.htm Technical structures may soon have their own nervous system. Developers and users expect this to bring greater safety, maintenance activities only when required, and a more efficient use of material and energy. Sophisticated systems of sensors, actuators and signal processing devices detect cracks, rust and other defects at an early stage in order to prevent damage -- especially in critical places that are difficult to reach. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411103051.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410101210.htm People could live in glass houses and look at the world through rose-tinted windows while reducing their carbon emissions by 50 percent, thanks to new Australian research. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410101210.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326195000.htm Researchers have made a case study of a green community. The report "Green Schemes: Sustainable Urbanism in Garfield Park" presents 80 concepts such as filtration gardens, narrowed roadways, and an elevated bikeway adjacent to the Green Line tracks. Graduate students and faculty in urban planning, architecture and landscape architecture conceived the schemes. Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326195000.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313203209.htm Learning how to control the movement of electrons on the molecular and nanometer scales could help scientists devise small-scale circuits for many applications, including more efficient ways of storing and using solar energy. A theoretical chemist has been researching theoretical techniques used to understand the factors affecting electron movement. Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313203209.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/2008/01/080123104527.htm Istanbul is at such high risk for a devastating earthquake that engineers at Purdue University and the Republic of Turkey have come up with a bold new proposal: build a second city. A second, satellite city would provide immediate refuge to inhabitants of the old city in the event of a catastrophic earthquake and soften such an event's effects on the nation's economy. Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123104527.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104121757.htm When someone mentions a mobile home or "house trailer," the image usually doesn't make others green with envy. Mobile homes haven't earned recognition for long-term quality, environmental friendliness or return on value. But "green" is exactly what one professor wants mobile homes to be. He hopes to toss traditional thinking about the structures into the recycling bin. Wed, 09 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104121757.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/2007/10/071024133812.htm As housing developments sprout across the United States, smart growth proponents have urged communities to cluster developments in concentrated pockets, instead of the more standard and familiar "sprawl." Now a new study finds that while cluster development is indeed much easier on the surrounding environment, the location of housing developments is key. Fri, 26 Oct 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071024133812.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/2007/09/070917145509.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/2007/09/070914163132.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/2007/08/070823200556.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/2007/08/070814102510.htm In construction, affordable and green are often contradictory terms. What makes for an environmentally conscious building -- such as the use of natural building materials or systems to generate alternative forms of energy -- often also makes for an expensive one, leaving sustainable design a choice only a few can afford. A team of faculty, students and community organizations, however, is out to construct a new reality: green housing that doesn't require as much up-front expense. Tue, 21 Aug 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070814102510.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/2007/08/070812090616.htm An analysis of accidents in the home reveals that the design of our houses and their condition that could be more to blame than toy cars left on stairways or loose electric cables lying across walk ways. Almost three million hospital visits occur in the UK each year because of accidents in the home, with a million of those due to a slip, trip, or a fall, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Unfortunately, about three thousand of those accidents are fatal. Mon, 13 Aug 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070812090616.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 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070803183511.htm North Carolina A&T State University has developed a technology that could have possibly prevented the bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minn. The technology involves using commercially available sensors deployed in a unique configuration to acoustically monitor structural integrity to remotely detect and address standard flaws via acoustic emission signals. Sun, 05 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070803183511.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070721191854.htm Networks of sensors mounted on commercial aircraft might one day check continuously for the formation of structural defects, possibly reducing or eliminating scheduled aircraft inspections. Like nerve endings in a human body, in situ sensors offer levels of vigilance and sensitivity to problems that periodic checkups cannot, says Dennis Roach, who leads a Sandia National Laboratories team evaluating some of the first sensor systems for aircraft. Mon, 30 Jul 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070721191854.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070628073037.htm Government officials have acknowledged the transportation system's vulnerability to terrorist attacks. Bridges are among the most vulnerable. Because of this reality, researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia are working with federal highway officials to develop a new technology that can protect bridges against such attacks. Mon, 02 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070628073037.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070620110720.htm A new study shows that a newly redesigned generation of Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems, or EIFS, walls perform better than several other wall types tested for moisture and thermal performance. Thu, 21 Jun 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070620110720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070619155735.htm Certain home shapes and roof types can better resist high winds and hurricanes, according to new research. The researcher spent two years examining the findings of research centers that have studied the best designs and construction materials and methods needed to withstand extreme wind events and hurricanes. Thu, 21 Jun 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070619155735.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070605120919.htm Earthquakes and explosions grab the headlines when structures are toppled, but often the Achilles' heel of engineering is fire. Fire is the follow-up act in disasters. Yet in a research world awash in data keeping skyscrapers, bridges and buildings upright and safe in disaster, fire remains largely unstudied. Sun, 10 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070605120919.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070531102336.htm It will huff, and puff, and blow the house in -- but only for research purposes. Wind engineers just unveiled the world's largest portable hurricane wind and rain simulator. Civil and coastal engineers plan to use the simulator to blast vacant homes with winds of up to 130 mph -- Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale -- and high-pressure water jets that mimic wind-driven torrential rain. Fri, 01 Jun 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070531102336.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070509160945.htm Bridges that "dance" during earthquakes could be the safest and least expensive to build, retrofit and repair, according to earthquake engineers. Thu, 10 May 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070509160945.htm