Global engineering, design and consulting firm Arup is to lead the design of a new £31million cycling and pedestrian ‘smart bridge’ across the River Wear in Sunderland. It will work alongside construction company VolkerStevin, specialist bridge architects Knight Architects and local landscape architects Colour to create the new crossing, which is expected to open in … [Read more...] about Arup to lead design of new bridge in Sunderland
Construction
New vaulted floor uses 75 per cent less concrete than traditional flat slabs
An interdisciplinary team of structural engineers, mathematicians and manufacturing experts from the Universities of Bath, Cambridge and Dundee has unveiled a full-scale demonstration of a thin-shell vaulted floor that requires 75 per cent less concrete than a traditional flat slab floor. According to the team, swapping solid slab floors for the vaulted alternative results in a … [Read more...] about New vaulted floor uses 75 per cent less concrete than traditional flat slabs
HS2 releases ‘green tunnel’ images
HS2 has released artist impressions of the longest of three innovative ‘green tunnels’ that will be built in Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire as part of the first phase of the high-speed rail line connecting London and the Midlands. The green tunnels are designed to help the new rail line to blend into the landscape and reduce disruption for local residents. Also known … [Read more...] about HS2 releases ‘green tunnel’ images
New material makes windows more energy efficient
An international research team led by scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, has developed a material that can be used to create ‘smart windows’ that can self-adapt to heat or cool rooms. Windows are among the least energy-efficient components of most buildings. According to a UN report released in 2009, buildings account for 40 per cent of global … [Read more...] about New material makes windows more energy efficient
New tool helps to guide sustainable building design and construction
Northwestern University in Illinois and WWF have partnered to develop an international tool that helps people working in the construction industry to make environmentally responsible decisions when they select, source, use and dispose of construction materials. Originally created by WWF for disaster recovery and reconstruction guidance in the wake of the devastating 2015 … [Read more...] about New tool helps to guide sustainable building design and construction