infrastructure

New strategies aim to give wood the strength to replace concrete in construction

By April Gocha / February 9, 2018

Despite its material strength, concrete’s weakness is its huge carbon footprint. New methods are emerging to process wood into a high-performance structural building material that could someday take concrete’s place in buildings and beyond.

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Centimeters-thick concrete roof uses steel cables and fabric layer to support unique structures

By April Gocha / October 17, 2017

ETH Zurich researchers have used computational modeling to design an ultrathin concrete roof for that optimizes strength while eliminating extra material and weight.

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Video: Corning’s glass and more materials enable latest consumer electronics tech in store at CES 2017

By April Gocha / January 4, 2017

Glass and ceramic materials are enabling technologies that make a ton of today’s tech possible, even though the materials’ role in these products is often overlooked.

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Other materials stories that may be of interest

By April Gocha / October 15, 2014

Acoustic imaging for cracks, greener cement, DIY device printing, rediscovered ultrahigh temperature ceramics, and other materials stories that may be of interest for October 15, 2014.

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DOE doles out $67 million to advance nuclear research, clean energy innovation

By Jessica McMathis / August 25, 2014

Last week, the Energy Department announced a $67-million funding infusion for research on nuclear energy and clean energy innovation, which, according to a DOE news release, builds on the Obama administration’s efforts to expand such innovation.

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How highway bridges sing—or groan—in the rain to reveal their health

By Eileen De Guire / November 6, 2012

Professor Brian Mazzeo tests acoustic-based measurement techniques in his lab. Credit: BYU. [Editor’s note: Sometimes simple is best, as this research for bridge testing shows. Following their lead, here is…

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