Construction News

August 22, 2016

Stronger Composites With Carbon Nanotube Stitches

One Step Closer to a Real Invisibility Cloak

Probing Quantum Phenomena in a Tiny Transistor

Mantis Shrimp Inspires Ultra-Strong Materials

Latest Headlines

updated 8:16pm EDT

Researchers Test-Bed New Bendable Concrete That Is Stronger and More Durable

Aug. 17, 2016 — A new concrete has been developed to reduce the time needed for road works by more than half, report scientists. This ... read more

Nothing, and Something, Give Concrete Strength, Toughness

Aug. 9, 2016 — What does one need to strengthen or toughen concrete? A lot of nothing. Or something, say investigators in a ... read more

Getting Light in Shape With Metamaterials

Aug. 3, 2016 — Converting light from one wavelength to a shorter wavelength is typically inefficient. To tackle that inefficiency, a team built a structure with metallic cavities that ... read more

Modeling Sunlight Harvesting in Nanostructures

July 30, 2016 — To create the next generation of solar panels, scientists must model how complex interactions occur. Modeling across different scales provides needed insights. In a review article, scientists ... read more

Hybrid Perovskites: Super-Ion Building Blocks

July 30, 2016 — More efficient solar cells will likely be based on a family of materials known as hybrid perovskites. Scientists identified how to control different properties and stability in these solar cell ... read more

Earthquake-Resilient Pipeline Could Shake Up Future for Aging Infrastructure on West Coast

July 26, 2016 — A new earthquake-resilient pipeline has been designed to better protect southern California’s water utility network from ... read more

Coconuts Could Inspire New Designs for Earthquake-Proof Buildings

July 5, 2016 — Coconuts are renowned for their hard shells, which are vital to ensure their seeds successfully germinate. But the specialized structure of coconut walls could help to design ... read more

Can We Beat Mother Nature at Materials Design?

June 28, 2016 — In a review article in Nature Materials, a team of scientists assessed the common design motifs of a range of natural structural materials and determined what it would take to design and fabricate ... read more

Modular Construction on a Molecular Scale

June 30, 2016 — This is the first instance where synthesis of a crystalline framework in which proteins as well as metal ions and organic molecules are vital building components. This ... read more

Laser Manipulates Electronic Properties

June 17, 2016 — A new semiconducting material that is only three atomic-layers thick has emerged with more exotic, malleable electronic properties than those of ... read more

Facebook Opens Lab To Design Hardware, Gadgets

Switzerland's Record-Breaking Train Tunnel Cost Taxpayers $1,000 Each

World's Longest Rail Tunnel Now Open

World's Longest Railway Tunnel Inaugurated

Researchers Combine Simulation, Experiment for Nanoscale 3-D Printing

Aug. 6, 2016 — A research team has created a high-power simulation and design process to print free-standing 3-D structures on the nanoscale using focused electron beam induced deposition. The simulation-guided ... read more

Research Pinpoints Most Dangerous HGV Designs

July 29, 2016 — HGVs with high cabs have the most blind spots and pose the greatest risk to vulnerable road users, research has ... read more

New Nano Tech to Cool Down Buildings

July 27, 2016 — A new system can lower room temperature in ... read more

Sensing Trouble: New Way to Detect Hidden Damage in Bridges, Roads

July 7, 2016 — Engineers have documented a new approach for monitoring the structural health of roads, bridges and other structures. The method applies a noninvasive medical imaging technique to a carbon ... read more

The Gold Standard of Cracking Tests

June 30, 2016 — Scientists used high-speed photography and digital image analysis to observe both the events that cause cracks and the speed with which the cracks ... read more

LED Technology Used in Indonesia to Monitor Safety at Construction Sites

June 17, 2016 — A safety monitoring method called On-Site Visualization has been implemented in metro system construction sites in Jakarta, Indonesia as part of a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) ... read more

Threading the Way to Touch-Sensitive Robots

June 17, 2016 — Smart threads can be woven into pressure-sensitive electronic skin for robots or medical ... read more

Non-Invasive Analysis of Damages to Materials Based on Advanced Signal Processing Techniques

June 2, 2016 — Researchers have developed a non-invasive means of determining the general state-of-repair of all kinds of materials in real time, which will help avoid potential safety ... read more

Finding a New Formula for Concrete

May 26, 2016 — Researchers are seeking to redesign concrete -- the most widely used human-made material in the world -- by following nature's blueprints. In a new paper, the team contrasts cement paste -- ... read more

Making Some of the World's Most Durable Materials Corrosion-Resistant

May 25, 2016 — Borides are among the hardest and most heat-resistant substances on the planet, but their Achilles' Heel, like so many materials', is that they oxidize at high temperatures. Researchers ... read more

Finding the Next New Tech Material: The Computational Hunt for the Weird and Unusual

May 11, 2016 — Scientists are turning to the world of computation to guide their search for the next new material. Their program uses software code developed to map and predict the distinct structural, electronic, ... read more

Seismic Response of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Coupled Walls

May 6, 2016 — Use of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete in construction will allow for the use of less and simpler steel reinforcement while maintaining good structural behavior and potentially reducing the amount of ... read more

Looking to Light Highways With Light-Emitting Cement

May 5, 2016 — Newly created material that can be used on highways absorbs solar energy, and returns it to the environment, it can last for up to 100 years, report ... read more

Speedy Bridge Repair

Apr. 28, 2016 — Normally, it takes weeks to repair the cracking or spalling of columns on just one bridge damaged in an earthquake. Now a team of researchers has developed a new process of fixing damaged bridge ... read more

Flake-Like Nanoparticles Offer Reliable Rust Protection

Apr. 13, 2016 — Large quantities of steel are used in architecture, bridge construction and ship-building. Structures of this type are intended to be long-lasting, and have extensive and durable protection against ... read more

Timber Skyscrapers Could Transform London's Skyline

Apr. 8, 2016 — London's first timber skyscraper could be a step closer to reality this week after researchers presented Mayor of London Boris Johnson with conceptual plans for an 80-storey, 300m high wooden ... read more

Best Ways to Reduce Energy Consumption

Mar. 31, 2016 — Scientists study the most efficient way to conserve energy in hot and cold ... read more

Transparent Wood Could One Day Help Brighten Homes and Buildings

Mar. 30, 2016 — When it comes to indoor lighting, nothing beats the sun's rays streaming in through windows. Soon, that natural light could be shining through walls, too. Scientists have developed transparent ... read more

Applicability of Using Waste Rubber in Structural Applications

Mar. 15, 2016 — Research shows that utilizing recycled rubber derived from scrap vehicle tires can significantly contribute to the development of semi-lightweight and lightweight ... read more

Novel Ocean-Current Turbine Design: Taming Oceans for 24/7 Power

Mar. 3, 2016 — Researchers have proposed a novel ocean-current turbine design. Fossil fuels propelled the Industrial Revolution and subsequent technological advances. However, our future cannot be based on them, if ... read more

Saturday, August 6, 2016

Researchers combine simulation, experiment for nanoscale 3-D printing

Friday, July 29, 2016

Research pinpoints most dangerous HGV designs

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

New nano tech to cool down buildings

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Sensing trouble: New way to detect hidden damage in bridges, roads

Thursday, June 30, 2016

The gold standard of cracking tests

Friday, June 17, 2016

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Non-invasive analysis of damages to materials based on advanced signal processing techniques

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Finding a new formula for concrete

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Making some of the world's most durable materials corrosion-resistant

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Finding the next new tech material: The computational hunt for the weird and unusual

Friday, May 6, 2016

Seismic response of fiber-reinforced concrete coupled walls

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Looking to light highways with light-emitting cement

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Speedy bridge repair

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Flake-like nanoparticles offer reliable rust protection

Friday, April 8, 2016

Timber skyscrapers could transform London's skyline

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Best ways to reduce energy consumption

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Transparent wood could one day help brighten homes and buildings

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Applicability of using waste rubber in structural applications

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Novel ocean-current turbine design: Taming oceans for 24/7 power

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Earthquake research in New Zealand on damaged buildings

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Adapted Trombe wall now used for both building heating, cooling

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Materials with self-healing powers

Monday, February 8, 2016

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Long-lasting rust protection for offshore wind turbines

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Engineer models heart valves, wind turbines for better designs, performance

Monday, January 18, 2016

Chemical study of influence of marine environment on historical buildings

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Making the invisible visible: Color-changing indicators highlight microscopic damage

Monday, January 11, 2016

Guardrails with inbuilt noise- barriers are on the way

Friday, January 8, 2016

'Legos' for fabrication of atomically precise electronic circuits

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Polymers render concrete fire-resistant

Friday, December 11, 2015

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Damaged steel wires on concrete and steel bridges now visible with terahertz waves

Monday, December 7, 2015

First building code improvements adopted based on Joplin tornado study

Friday, December 4, 2015

Door manufacturer benefits from simulation tools

Monday, November 30, 2015

Will our cultural heritage stand up to freak rains?

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Anti-seismic bricks to improve buildings' response to earthquakes

Monday, November 23, 2015

New research into daylight exposure in heritage buildings to help balance access, conservation

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Engineers test taller wind turbine towers made from precast concrete

Friday, November 6, 2015

Low-cost offshore wind turbine created

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Structure of 'concrete disease' solved

Monday, October 26, 2015

Power Roads: Soon our roads, bridges will be paying back the energy used to build them

Friday, October 23, 2015

Concrete innovation makes Seattle skyscraper stable

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Organic semiconductors get weird at the edge

Monday, September 21, 2015

Fukushima disaster was preventable, study suggests

Friday, September 11, 2015

Insights into obscure transition uncovered by X-rays

Friday, September 4, 2015

A new sensor system enables researchers to know the risk of corrosion in reinforced concrete structures in real time

Monday, August 24, 2015

Flood damage after Hurricane Katrina could have been prevented, experts say

Thursday, August 13, 2015

New technology could reduce wind energy costs

Friday, August 7, 2015

Charge density, optical properties of multicomponent crystals

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Heating with the sun: Solar active houses put to the test

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Novel scissor-like bridge structure for use during emergencies

Thursday, July 16, 2015

‘Eco-towers’ will fight climate change

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

First-of-its-kind tornado panels installed in Montgomery home

Friday, July 10, 2015

Graphene-based film can be used for efficient cooling of electronics

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Using muons from cosmic rays to find fraying infrastructure

Friday, June 26, 2015

Project to 3-D print houses begun

Thursday, June 25, 2015

These 'skins' are in: Students' designs give prosthetics a new look

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Designing crack-resistant metals

Friday, June 19, 2015

Straw-insulated houses beat petroleum-based alternatives

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Innovating bridge repair: Avoiding the rush-hour nightmare

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Destructive factors causing deterioration of paints on buildings walls

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

'Green-mix' concrete: An environmentally friendly building material

Friday, May 22, 2015

Physicists develop efficient method of signal transmission from nanocomponents

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Flexible electronics harvest energy from natural motions of human body

Friday, May 15, 2015

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Wood-polymer composite furniture with low flammability

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

New formula for high-strength shotcrete: Protecting tunnels from fires and terrorist attacks

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Wood-derived foam materials

Friday, April 24, 2015

Aid workers should read through archaeologists' notebooks on building houses

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Monday, April 13, 2015

Making battery charges last a lot longer: New ways to see light and store information

Friday, April 10, 2015

Plant cell structure discovery could lead to improved renewable materials

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Improving productivity of welding by reducing groove angle

Monday, March 16, 2015

Maps predict strength of structures

Friday, March 13, 2015

High power and high safety oxide-based negative electrode materials for Li-ion battery

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Laser-assisted fabrication process enables of heat-resistant, crack-free materials

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

'Nano-earthquakes' hold key to smarter electronics

Monday, March 9, 2015

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Making night vision, thermal imaging affordable

Monday, February 23, 2015

Building tailor-made DNA nanotubes step by step

Monday, February 16, 2015

Half spheres for molecular circuits

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Buildings with 'rocking' technology would be more earthquake-resilient

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Cracks in the surface coating of gas turbines are necessary for longer life-span and better thermal insulation

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Engineers develop world's longest 'flat pack' arch bridge

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

On-site visualization of planned buildings

Monday, January 5, 2015

Green walls, effective acoustic insulation

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Self-repairing subsea material

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Demolition planning as part of construction: Reuse and recycling of parts improves the eco-efficiency of buildings