The Lower Thames Crossing has revealed the winner of its low-carbon footbridge contest. According to National Highways, the winning design, from Arup and Seán Harrington Architects, has set a new benchmark for sustainable design that could be used on the new road and replicated across roads countrywide. The winning design beat 32 other entries, which were judged on their … [Read more...] about Winner of low-carbon footbridge design contest announced
Materials
Individual layers of synthetic materials can collaborate for greater impact
A team of engineers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and elsewhere have found a way to mimic the physical-stress-dissipating behaviour of the layered material found in the shells of marine organisms, such as seashell nacre, by programming individual layers of synthetic material to work collaboratively under stress. The new material design is poised to enhance … [Read more...] about Individual layers of synthetic materials can collaborate for greater impact
Fire-safety engineering delivers lifesaving value
A Johns Hopkins civil engineer has developed a computational tool that predicts how fire affects structures, leading to more resilient designs and enhanced public safety. As wildfires threaten densely populated areas worldwide with increasing frequency and intensity, Thomas Gernay, an associate professor in civil and systems engineering at Johns Hopkins University is … [Read more...] about Fire-safety engineering delivers lifesaving value
MIT engineers create metamaterial that is both strong and stretchy
MIT engineers have found a way to fabricate a metamaterial that is both strong and stretchy. The base material is typically highly rigid and brittle, but by printing it in precise, intricate patterns it can be made to form a structure that is both strong and flexible. Metamaterials are synthetic materials with microscopic structures that give the overall material exceptional … [Read more...] about MIT engineers create metamaterial that is both strong and stretchy
New 3D-printing method enables colour-changing, stress-responsive materials
A multidisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, Duke University, University of California Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have developed a cutting-edge method to 3D-print cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCEs), opening the door to dynamic, colour-changing materials that can respond to mechanical … [Read more...] about New 3D-printing method enables colour-changing, stress-responsive materials