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
Sustainability
Staple-like particles reveal new path to strong materials
A team of engineers and materials scientists in the Paul M Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at University of Colorado Boulder is exploring a new class of materials that’s built on interlocking particles. Their inspiration comes from the behaviour of tightly packed balls of office staples. Try to pull the ball apart and the tangled metal resists like a solid object, … [Read more...] about Staple-like particles reveal new path to strong materials
Advanced airliner concept delivers 17 per cent better efficiency
A new turboelectric airliner concept capable of delivering 17 per cent better efficiency over 2050 projections for standard airliners has been unveiled at the AIAA AVIATION Forum. The aircraft design project, led by the hybrid-electric aviation company Electra and assisted by engineers from the University of Michigan, is part of NASA’s Advanced Aircraft Concepts for … [Read more...] about Advanced airliner concept delivers 17 per cent better efficiency
Engineering students unveil impressive concept to tackle nightmare junction
Students investigating one of Scotland’s most congested road junctions have developed an innovative conceptual redesign. The idea explores how a minimum-interruption approach, based on alternative junction layouts, could significantly improve traffic flow and environmental performance while avoiding the scale of disruption often associated with major infrastructure … [Read more...] about Engineering students unveil impressive concept to tackle nightmare junction
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