Home retrofit drive could create future e-waste problem, researchers warn. The UK's push to make homes more energy efficient could create a new waste problem if low-carbon technologies aren't designed with their full lifespan in mind, researchers have warned. Heat pumps, solar panels and home battery systems are expected to play a major role in helping the UK cut carbon … [Read more...] about Researchers urge lifecycle approach to home retrofits
Construction
Engineering safer buildings: The latest advances in earthquake-resistant design
The recent earthquakes in Venezuela, which caused widespread structural damage and left thousands affected, have once again highlighted the devastating impact seismic events can have on buildings and infrastructure. While earthquakes themselves cannot be prevented, engineers continue to develop new materials, structural systems and vibration-control technologies designed to … [Read more...] about Engineering safer buildings: The latest advances in earthquake-resistant design
Computer model could enable bridges and buildings that use less material
Researchers at MIT have developed an approach for generating more buildable structures, bridging the gap between optimised design and real-world construction. A technique called topology optimisation can design structures that reduce the amount of material used, in some cases by as much as 90 per cent, which would represent a multi-gigatonne reduction in construction-related … [Read more...] about Computer model could enable bridges and buildings that use less material
A simple calculation could change the way we use misfit wood
Urging industry to make better use of wood that’s wasted or burned for energy, researchers have released the first structural tests of non-straight, forked and double-curved roundwood logs used as columns. In his mission to normalise the use of ‘misfit wood’, Aalto University architect and researcher Jaakko Torvinen (pictured above) has shown how standard, business-as-usual … [Read more...] about A simple calculation could change the way we use misfit wood
International project targets future coastal defence standards
As rising seas and extreme weather place growing pressure on coastlines worldwide, researchers at the University of East London (UEL) are launching an international project to rethink how coastal communities are protected. The project aims to help shape future international engineering guidance for coastal infrastructure as climate change increases the risk of storm surges, … [Read more...] about International project targets future coastal defence standards