Engineers in Australia have developed a new building material with about one quarter of concrete’s carbon footprint, while reducing waste going to landfill. The innovative material, called cardboard-confined rammed earth, is composed entirely of cardboard, water and soil – making it reusable and recyclable. In Australia alone, more than 2.2 million tonnes of cardboard and … [Read more...] about Cardboard and earth reshape sustainable construction
Construction
Construction of Britain’s longest rail bridge completed
Civil engineering works on HS2’s Colne Valley viaduct – the UK’s new longest rail bridge – have been completed. The 3.4-kilometre-long structure carries Britain’s new high-speed railway across a series of roads, lakes, the River Colne and the Grand Union Canal, northwest of London. Trains will operate at 320km/h on the viaduct’s gentle curve, which is formed of 1,000 … [Read more...] about Construction of Britain’s longest rail bridge completed
Examining the future design of the city of Limerick
The University of Limerick and Limerick City and County Council are collaborating on a new project that aims to examine the future of the Irish city and the way that it’s designed. Staff and students from UL are giving the people of Limerick a chance to have their say on the future of their city as part of a new project based at the UL City Centre Campus. The UL School of … [Read more...] about Examining the future design of the city of Limerick
Game theory proves good engineering makes good neighbours
Researchers in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence at Arizona State University, part of the Ira A Fulton Schools of Engineering, are using game theory to suggest ways to improve the design of shared infrastructure systems. Picture a sun-scorched neighbourhood in the middle of summer. A small canal cuts between homes, quietly delivering water to yards via an … [Read more...] about Game theory proves good engineering makes good neighbours
Optimising geothermal foundations for urban buildings
A research team led by Professor Shinya Inazumi from the College of Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan, has developed an innovative framework to improve the design and performance of energy piles – concrete foundation systems that also serve as heat exchangers using geothermal energy – especially in soft clay soils. As urbanisation increases and climate … [Read more...] about Optimising geothermal foundations for urban buildings