Despite concrete being the second most consumed material in the world, the global construction industry currently is experiencing a cement shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn how a recent decision by the Swedish Supreme Land and Environmental Court may complicate Sweden’s cement production further in the coming months and years.
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In recent years, China has undergone a glass bridge building boom as local authorities seek to entice tourists. Despite the brittleness of glass, civil engineers explain how careful design can ensure the safety of bridges built from this material.
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Despite being on the market for decades, braille displays remain very costly, typically in the range of several thousand dollars. Dot Incorporation, a company cofounded by South Korean entrepreneur Eric Ju-Yoon Kim, created a smartwatch featuring a braille touchpad that only costs a few hundred dollars—and the technology can be applied to other devices as well.
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To celebrate World Oceans Day, which took place June 8, we’ve collected some of our recent CTTs on challenges and solutions related to the world ocean.
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The heat island effect is a major problem for many big cities, and relying on air conditioning for cooling can be expensive and increase air pollutants. Several initiatives in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, look to combat the heat using environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions.
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Titanium dioxide is widely used in food products to achieve a bright white color—but that may soon change. The European Food Safety Authority recently published an updated assessment of TiO2 as a food additive that characterizes the substance as unsafe.
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The United Nations General Assembly approved the formal resolution to declare 2022 as the International Year of Glass! Read the statement from Alicia Durán, president of the International Commission on Glass and chair of IYOG2022.
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Figurines created by people of the Tumaco-La Tolita culture give insight into their ancient society and ideology. Researchers in Colombia and the United Kingdom investigated use of a reverse engineering framework to complement conventional stylistic and iconographic analyses of these figurines.
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Academic and industrial ceramic researchers alike are exploring ways to minimize waste and maximize reuse in ceramics manufacturing. Several articles published in International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology demonstrate the resulting ecological and economic benefits of these activities.
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Greenland is at the center of many recent discussions on establishing new rare earth mining operations outside of China. Greenland’s election on April 6, however, gave a different party its first-ever chance to form a government, which will likely shape the island’s future mining decisions.
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