Articles tagged with "structural-engineering"
Used concrete can last up to 100 years in new construction: Study
A new study by researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Tampere University reveals that used concrete from dismantled buildings can be safely reused in new construction for up to 50 to 100 years. Traditionally, concrete slabs are crushed and repurposed as road rubble, but this research demonstrates that with proper assessment and treatment, structural concrete elements retain their strength and durability. The team developed a performance-based framework using extensive data and computer simulations to predict the lifespan of “middle-aged” concrete, accounting for factors like carbonation and corrosion—two main threats that degrade concrete over time, especially when exposure conditions change. The study highlights carbonation as a critical risk, particularly when concrete moves from dry indoor environments to wetter outdoor settings, which accelerates corrosion of steel reinforcement. However, the researchers found that applying silicone-based or water-repellent coatings can reduce corrosion rates by up to 70%, significantly extending the lifespan of reused concrete components. This approach not only enhances structural safety but also supports environmental sustainability by reducing
materialsconcrete-recyclingsustainable-constructioncircular-economycorrosion-protectionbuilding-materialsstructural-engineeringWorld's first bamboo structural manual targets low-carbon buildings
The University of Warwick, in collaboration with international partners including the University of Pittsburgh, Arup, INBAR, and BASE, has developed the world’s first structural engineering manual for bamboo. This comprehensive guide aims to fill a longstanding gap in engineering standards that has limited bamboo’s use in modern construction despite its strength, low cost, and sustainability. Bamboo, a fast-growing and effective carbon sink, has historically been sidelined as industrial building codes favored steel, concrete, and masonry. The new manual, published by the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and freely accessible globally, provides detailed design principles for using bamboo poles as primary structural elements and introduces Composite Bamboo Shear Walls to enhance resilience in earthquake- and typhoon-prone areas. Targeted primarily at engineers working in tropical and subtropical regions where bamboo is abundant, the manual seeks to promote safe, durable, and low-carbon bamboo buildings worldwide. It addresses critical safety concerns such as fire performance and risk mitigation, although it does not cover scaff
materialssustainable-constructionbamboo-engineeringlow-carbon-buildingsstructural-engineeringbio-based-materialsgreen-building-materials7 tallest skyscrapers in the world and the engineering behind them
The article highlights the seven tallest skyscrapers in the world as of 2026, emphasizing their architectural innovation and engineering feats that push the limits of vertical construction. Leading the list is Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, standing at 2,717 feet with 163 floors, featuring a distinctive Y-shaped buttressed core system inspired by regional floral and Islamic designs. This structural approach enhances wind resistance and torsional rigidity, supporting its mixed-use program of residences, offices, hotels, and observation decks. Following is Malaysia’s Merdeka 118, completed in 2023 at 2,227 feet with 118 floors, combining hospitality, retail, and observation spaces to serve as a national landmark and economic hub in Kuala Lumpur. Other notable buildings include Shanghai Tower in China, the third tallest at 2,073 feet with 128 floors, which integrates advanced sustainability technologies such as wind turbines and cogeneration systems to reduce energy consumption by up to 54%. Its spiraling form improves wind and seismic
materialsstructural-engineeringskyscrapersarchitectural-innovationsustainable-buildingconstruction-technologyenergy-efficiencyChina’s 80,000-ton nuclear-proof floating facility to turn blast shocks into light impact
China is developing an 80,000-ton semi-submersible floating research facility designed to withstand nuclear blasts and operate in harsh sea conditions. The twin-hull platform, named the Deep-Sea All-Weather Resident Floating Research Facility, will use specialized metamaterial sandwich panels to convert nuclear blast shocks into gentle impacts, enhancing its resilience. With a crew capacity of 238 and the ability to operate for four months without resupply, the facility aims to support continuous deep-sea scientific research, including marine equipment testing and seabed mining exploration. It is expected to enter service by 2028. The platform combines mobility and permanence, capable of cruising at 15 knots while enduring powerful tropical cyclones due to its semi-submerged design, which keeps most of the structure below the waterline for stability. Developed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University and China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the facility includes critical compartments with emergency power, communications, and navigation control systems, emphasizing nuclear blast protection. While framed as a major
materialsmetamaterialsnuclear-blast-resistancefloating-research-facilityenergy-resiliencemaritime-technologystructural-engineeringRenewable Energy Infrastructure Resilience Tested as a Supertyphoon Approaches the Philippines - CleanTechnica
The article from CleanTechnica discusses the resilience of renewable energy infrastructure in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Fung-Wong (Uwan) approaches, potentially reaching Category 5 strength. It highlights the critical challenge faced by the country, which experiences an average of 24 tropical cyclones annually, in balancing the urgent transition to renewable energy with the need to withstand extreme weather events. The Philippines serves as a unique case study for engineering renewable energy systems that must not only operate efficiently under normal conditions but also survive and recover quickly from powerful typhoons. Key engineering strategies for resilience include prioritizing structural survival and rapid recovery alongside energy generation capacity, which may require sacrificing some efficiency. Material science and structural engineering play vital roles, with installations like the 150-MW Solar Philippines Concepcion Solar PV Park employing deep concrete foundations anchored to stable soil or bedrock to resist uplift forces and maintain integrity despite heavy rainfall and soil saturation. Additionally, the use of Galvalume-coated steel provides corrosion resistance in humid, coastal
renewable-energyenergy-infrastructuretyphoon-resilienceclimate-adaptationsolar-powerstructural-engineeringmaterials-scienceNew 3D print method reduces plastic use without losing strength
MIT researchers from CSAIL and the Hasso Plattner Institute have developed SustainaPrint, a hybrid 3D printing system that significantly reduces plastic waste without compromising structural strength. The method uses simulations to identify stress-prone zones in a 3D model and selectively reinforces these areas with high-performance plastics, while printing the rest of the object with biodegradable or recycled filament. This targeted reinforcement approach cuts down plastic use and maintains durability, addressing the common trade-off between eco-friendliness and strength in 3D printing materials. In tests using Polymaker’s eco-friendly PolyTerra PLA and Ultimaker’s stronger PLA, SustainaPrint required only 20% reinforcement to regain up to 70% of the strength of fully reinforced prints. In some cases, the hybrid prints matched or even outperformed fully strong prints, demonstrating that strategic material mixing can enhance performance depending on geometry and load conditions. The system includes an open-source software interface for uploading models and running stress simulations, along with
3D-printingsustainable-materialsplastic-waste-reductionmaterial-sciencestructural-engineeringeco-friendly-manufacturingMIT-researchWooden walls can withstand 100 kilonewtons of pressure, research finds
Swiss researchers at Empa, led by PhD student Nadja Manser, have demonstrated through large-scale experiments that timber frame walls containing window openings can withstand horizontal loads exceeding 100 kilonewtons. This finding challenges the longstanding engineering assumption that windowed timber walls provide little to no structural support and are treated as voids in design models. The research, conducted in collaboration with ETH Zurich and Bern University of Applied Sciences, involved testing full-scale two-story timber walls under controlled lateral pressure until failure, revealing that such walls contribute significant bracing capacity. This breakthrough addresses a critical gap in timber engineering regulations, which currently lack guidelines for horizontal load-bearing in walls with window openings. Manser is now developing a computational model to accurately capture the horizontal stiffness of these walls, enabling engineers to predict wall behavior under lateral loads without relying on overly conservative assumptions. The research suggests that in some buildings, the need for concrete cores to achieve stiffness might be reduced or eliminated, potentially leading to more efficient and sustainable timber construction
materialstimber-constructionstructural-engineeringload-bearing-wallsbuilding-materialstimber-frameconstruction-researchExplained: The physics behind Eiffel Tower's growing height in summer
The Eiffel Tower experiences a measurable increase in height during summer due to the thermal expansion of its iron structure. Originally designed to stand 300 meters tall for the 1889 World’s Fair, the tower’s iron lattice expands when heated because atoms in solids vibrate more and push apart as temperature rises. The coefficient of thermal expansion for the tower’s iron is about 12 × 10⁻⁶ per °C, meaning that for every degree Celsius increase, a one-meter iron piece lengthens by roughly 12 micrometers. Given Paris’s temperature swings from below –20 °C in winter to around 40 °C in summer, the tower can theoretically grow by up to 36 centimeters (about 14 inches) at its full height. In practice, engineers observe a seasonal height variation of about 12 to 15 centimeters (5 to 6 inches), which aligns with theoretical predictions once the tower’s complex lattice structure and uneven heating are considered. Additionally, sunlight causes one side
materialsthermal-expansionironEiffel-Towerstructural-engineeringtemperature-effectsmetallurgyEmbodied carbon is the next big challenge for structural engineers
The article highlights the growing importance of addressing embodied carbon in structural engineering as operational emissions decline. Embodied carbon refers to the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with a building’s materials throughout their lifecycle—from extraction and manufacturing to installation and eventual demolition. It often accounts for over half of a building’s total lifecycle emissions in the first few decades, making it a critical focus area since these emissions are largely fixed once construction materials are in place. Given that the construction industry contributes around 40% of global emissions, reducing embodied carbon early in the design process has become a priority for engineers, regulators, and clients alike. Measuring embodied carbon is complex due to inconsistent data sources and project variability, requiring lifecycle assessments (LCA) and tools such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (WBLCA) software, and carbon factor databases. However, quantification challenges remain, especially for materials like engineered wood or recycled content, forcing engineers to rely on proxies and assumptions. To effectively reduce
energyembodied-carbonstructural-engineeringsustainable-designlifecycle-assessmentconstruction-materialscarbon-emissions