BBC News reports on re-healable concrete.
The concrete contains limestone-producing bacteria, which are activated by corrosive rainwater working its way into the structure. The new material could potentially increase the service life of the concrete – with considerable cost savings as a result. The work is taking place at Delft Technical University, the .Read more...
Sandy has been a particular challenge for New York’s MTA and the subway system. Fast Company shows how the MTA is utilizing social media to document the damage.
To date, the MTA has posted nearly 600 photos from Hurricane Sandy, documenting everything from damage at the South Ferry station to the .Read more...
PBS’ website takes an interactive look at proper earthquake-resistant construction.
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Skyscraperpage.com looks at America’s tallest buildings with the pending completion of the new ‘One World Trade Center’.
An IEEE article from Alexis Kwasinski looks at disaster forensics.
It’s my job to drive straight into the heart of disaster zones.
On 11 March, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake triggered a monstrous tsunami that smashed into Japan’s northeast coast, killing more than 15 000 people in minutes and reducing entire towns to rubble. In the .Read more...
The Wall Street Journal looks at the innovations in the automobile industry that could lead to cars driving themselves or, perhaps, communicating with each other to avoid collisions. Ford Motor Company and Executive Chairman Bill Ford are leading advocates of the advances.
Mr. Ford outlined a future of what the auto .Read more...
Wired Magazine looks at a new book visualizing the effect of skyscrapers.
Kate Ascher’s 2005 book, The Works: Anatomy of a City, was essentially a wiring diagram of the city of New York—every city, really—intricately detailing the mechanics of urban infrastructure. (You’ll never be more enthralled by a sewage-system infographic.) Now Ascher’s .Read more...
Fast Company looks at Saudi Arabia’s bid for tallest building in the world.
Saudi Arabia is set to shatter the record for the tallest building in the world, with a slender, asymmetrical spire that rises at least 3,280 feet in the air — more than twice the size of the Willis Tower, .Read more...
Guest Post by Eve Hinman, Hinman Consulting Engineers
Sometime in 2009 I decided that I wanted to have a greater impact on influencing policy at a high governmental level. I wrote down my thoughts and did some planning around it. I had no idea how it was going to manifest itself .Read more...
William Yardley and the New York Times examines the common themes of politics, development, city planning, the environment, traffic, and how to move forward. The issue at hand: the Alaskan Way Viaduct:
For a decade, since a 2001 earthquake exposed the viaduct’s vulnerability, this ambitious but frequently indecisive city has been .Read more...
The Cirque du Soleil entertainment company is famous for some of the world’s best performers, musicians, and stage productions. They also have a legacy for some of the world’s most remarkable engineering projects. Take for example, the 150-ton hydraulic stage they commissioned for the MGM Grand Show ‘KA‘. The marvel was .Read more...
The New York Times takes a fascinating look at Japan, before and after the earthquake and tsunami.
