Innovation

Building materials made from organic waste could help boost bio-economy Organic waste could be used to make building materials and then fed back into the biological cycle at the end of their service life, claims a new report from Arup. Currently managed through landfill, incineration and composting, certain forms of organic waste could be diverted to help the global construction industry reduce its use of raw materials. In the UK alone, WRAP estimates that the construction industry accounts for 60 per cent of all raw materials consumed. Capturing organic waste streams from cities and the countryside could provide the industry...

Building Performance Assessment For Earthquakes Breaks New Ground With Study On Critical Orientation Using Lateral Force Analysis One of the main purposes of the earthquake-related standards (e.g. EAK 2003; CEN 2004; Regulatory Guide 1.92 2006; NTC 2008; ASCE 2014) is to provide guidelines for the safe design and construction of structures against seismic loads. Modern standard provisions, however, are restricted by the current level of knowledge. One aspect in which our knowledge is still limited is the ability to predict the exact location of the next earthquake. Taking this into account, in order to reassure that our structure will be...

The Water Footprint Of Hydroelectric Dam Construction   Freshwater availability is limited. During many periods of the year and in many places around the world, the demand for freshwater for human use exceeds what is sustainably available, while growing populations, increasing wealth, and climate change all aggravate the already dire current status. Historically, we turned to constructing dams in order to regulate freshwater availability. Building and operating dams and reservoirs brought humanity much good, to this present day. But it also gave rise to associated costs, both in (socio)economic and ecological terms. It is therefore increasingly acknowledged that reservoirs are...

Drones trialled for the inspection of large railway structures The LNE&EM route Structures asset management team is trialling the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to inspect large structures in a safer and more cost efficient way. The vehicles, commonly known as drones, are being used to get a closer look at five arch viaducts on the route, including the Grade 1 listed, 28-span Royal Border Bridge in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland. Since 2017 the Structures team has been working alongside AECOM consulting engineers, Network Rail’s Air Operations team and Cyberhawk – a company that operates UAVs – to carry out the...

LEGENDARY GAME UNIVERSES AND ESPORTS SUPERSTARS TAKE CENTER STAGE AT BLIZZCON® 2017 Dominating runs by world-class competitors in Overwatch®, StarCraft® II, Hearthstone®, Heroes of the Storm®, and World of Warcraft® esports thrilled live attendees and viewers around the globe IRVINE, Calif.—November 2017—At BlizzCon® 2017, more than 30,000 players gathered to experience the latest updates to their favorite Blizzard games and cheer on top esports competitors, with millions more joining online. Over two days packed with developer panels, friendly competition, and live entertainment, the Blizzard community learned about and went hands-on with new heroes, new gameplay updates, and new expansions coming...