Resilient grains could promote food security
Most of the world looks to either wheat or rice as the staff of life. Wheat has been in the news since the Russian invasion of Ukraine disrupted shipments from […]
Sustainability
Supply chain ethics of electric vehicles
Engineering students must demonstrate “an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, […]
Prescription to performance
As part of its Prescription to Performance (P2P) initiative, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association surveyed its members. They wanted to know which prescriptive requirements kept them from optimizing concrete. […]
Recycling wind turbine blades
The rise of wind power has been crucial in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and tackling climate change. Minnesota has been a leader in deploying wind turbines, and wind accounted for […]
Rebuilding for resilience in Pakistan
We’ve discussed in previous blogs how rebuilding after a natural disaster could mean continuing to do the same thing while expecting the results to be different. The problem is becoming […]
Overdesign and sustainability
Acceptance of concrete delivered to the job site is usually on the basis of compressive strength tests in accordance with ASTM C31 and ASTM C39. To compensate for variability in […]
Is rebuilding always better?
Now that the 2022 hurricane season is over, rebuilding is underway. Because of its intensity and where it made landfall, Hurricane Ian was the costliest weather event in Florida’s history. […]
Accessory dwelling units in Minnesota
Accessory dwelling units provide additional living space separate from the main house. You could use the unit as additional housing for extended family members to give them both privacy and […]
How fish overcame the tragedy of the commons
The tragedy of the commons occurs when individuals acting in their own interest cause widespread harm. It can take the form of overuse of common resources, or of air- or […]
Indigenous fire management
Growing up in California, I remember summer as fire season. Every year the vegetation in the hills around us would dry out. Then it would take just one careless camper […]