Scientists studying termite mounds in Namibia have suggested that elements of the mounds’ design could be copied by architects to create a comfortable climate in human buildings with little energy. The scientists investigated the ‘egress complex’ of Macrotermes michaelseni termites, which appears to promote moisture regulation and gas exchange. They showed that the layout of … [Read more...] about Termite mounds offer tips for creating living, breathing buildings that use less energy
Construction
Designing oyster-based shoreline protection
A University of Central Florida (UCF) engineering scientist is part of an international team of experts working to design and build oyster-based shoreline protection for US coastlines. The research is being conducted as part of a US$12.6 million Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency-funded initiative to develop self-repairing, biological and human-engineered … [Read more...] about Designing oyster-based shoreline protection
New construction guides aim to reduce risk of future tragedies
Engineers Australia has launched two new publications aimed at assisting built-environment professionals in maintaining a building throughout its life cycle. According to Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew, the two publications – Guide for design engineers and building certifiers, and Managing building defects: roles, responsibilities and collaboration among owners, … [Read more...] about New construction guides aim to reduce risk of future tragedies
Earthquake testing underway on ten-storey mass timber building
Practical testing is underway at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) on a ten-storey building made of cross-laminated timber, the tallest full-scale building ever to be constructed and tested on an earthquake simulator, or shake table. The shake table will simulate earthquake motions recorded during prior earthquakes covering a range of earthquake magnitudes from … [Read more...] about Earthquake testing underway on ten-storey mass timber building
New sensor lets concrete do the talking
An innovative new sensor that allows concrete to ‘talk’ is increasingly being used to monitor US highways. Embedded directly into a concrete pour, the sensor sends engineers more precise and consistent data about the concrete’s strength and need for repair than is possible with currently used tools and methods. ‘Traffic jams caused by infrastructure repairs have wasted four … [Read more...] about New sensor lets concrete do the talking
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