Biomimicry: reverse engineering nature
Biomimicry comes in two forms. The first is simple imitation of the appearance of nature. The ancient Greeks proportioned their buildings according to the golden ratio φ = (1 +√5)/2, […]
Insights
Resilient engineering for climate change
Resilient engineering is design of infrastructure to withstand and recover from such major hazard events as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. It goes beyond design for life safety. It also […]
What is a pooled sample?
The engineers’ code of ethics requires us to “hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public“. Here’s one way public health officials use statistics to do just that. […]
New product innovation Q & A
Q: I’M INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING A NEW CEMENTITIOUS PRODUCT BUT NEED HELP FIGURING OUT A FORMULATION TO MEET THE SPECIFICATIONS. IS THIS SOMETHING BETON HAS EXPERIENCE WITH? A: The products […]
Death by PowerPoint
One of the most memorable presentations I ever attended was at once both a highly engaging talk about archeometry and a parody of bad presentations. (In case you didn’t know, […]
ASTM C1866 Promotes sustainability
A new standard, ASTM C1866, specifies ground glass for use in concrete. It’s part of a trend to promote sustainability by making use of marginal and recycled materials in concrete. […]
When concrete cures at elevated temperatures
In our blogs about mass concrete and hot-weather concreting, we’ve alluded to what happens when concrete cures at elevated temperatures. Now let’s take a look at the materials science behind […]
Hot-weather concreting
As the weather warms up, it’s good to review best practices for hot-weather concreting. The American Concrete Institute defines hot-weather concreting as “one or a combination of the following conditions […]
Concrete: adaptive and resilient engineering for climate change
Julie Buffenbarger will present a FREE webinar on June 3 titled “Concrete: Adaptive and Resilient Engineering for Climate Change.” The presentation has been approved for 1 AIA LU. All attendees […]
Alternative cements Q & A
Q: I’m a designer who’s concerned about carbon emissions. Are alternative cements more environmentally-friendly than portland cement? A: It depends. The best way to find out if an alternative cement […]