Safety is everyone’s concern and new wireless network (Wi-Fi) technology being deployed in the harsh environments of chemical plants and refineries could soon start to show up on construction sites. Read more
World cement production is growing more rapidly than we thought it would just a few years ago. In 2012, researchers at Columbia University told us they expected production to reach between 3.7 billion and 4.4 billion tonnes by 2010. But with the figures for 2014 now available, we find that world production already totalled 4.3 billion tonnes. Read more
The John W. Olver Transit Center zero-net energy (ZNE) project is a high-performance building designed with reduced energy loads, passive design strategies, maximized efficiency of mechanical and electrical systems, and on-site power generation. Read more
The search-engine pioneer is joining some of the biggest companies in technology, communications and aviation — including Amazon.com Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and Harris Corp. — in trying to create an air-traffic control system to prevent mid-air collisions. Read more
The BONE Structure concept was inspired from a combination of LEGO and Meccano — pieces are simply snapped together. The construction includes a lightweight, recycled steel frame, which enables homeowners to have a reconfigurable open-space concept, without intermediate beams or load-bearing walls. Electrical, plumbing, heating and ventilation systems are connected thanks to precut openings acting as veritable “highways” within the structure, just like an airplane fuselage. Read more
Recent research suggests that when it comes to concrete, we can do better. Several universities and corporations have set up research partnerships to make concrete more sustainable. In 2014, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported that by tweaking the ratio of starting ingredients, they had created cement samples with twice the strength of standard Portland cement. Read more
Rising sea levels, epic droughts, massive flooding: the effects of climate change are already here. How do we adapt? From the Netherlands to Manhattan’s Lower East Side, this article explores the cutting-edge engineering – and cultural shifts – that could help. Read more
Prompt Payment Ontario (PPO) is undertaking a survey of multi-employer benefit plans to quantify the cost of damages stemming from delinquent payments, which will form part of the organization’s submission to the Construction Lien Act review. Read more
Canadians are used to driving on damaged, pothole-filled asphalt that always seems to be under construction during the summer. Now a construction company in the Netherlands hopes to improve the quality of roads and reduce waste by using recycled plastic for road construction. Read more
Engineers are using a newly developed carbon-fiber-reinforced geopolymer mortar as a conductor for cathodic protection (CP). The mortar helps to carry an electrical current through the steel frames of structures built before 1960, guarding against corrosion. Read more