"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Engineering
Nature-Based Adaptation
07/11/19
“How can we make climate-change adaptation in accordance with nature?”
With the rising temperatures, humans will have to adapt drastically to climate change. Part of this will be utilizing nature such as rain gardens to make Nature-Based Adaptation.
Sea Level Rise Resilience
07/10/19
“Why do we need to protect against sea level rise?”
As the climate changes, sea levels will also rise. This will cause great devastation to coastal communities that were not designed with such high levels in mind. To solve this, institutions, municipalities must implement Sea Level Rise Resilience through walled barriers or managed retreat. Although the upfront cost may seem like a large investment, it will protect against much costlier long-term consequences.
Cross Laminated Timber
07/09/19
“How can we make buildings quicker, more sustainably, and more resilient to fire?”
The built environment is going through a crisis. Not enough housing is being developed, the cement used in construction emits a voluminous amount of embodied carbon, and they are prone to destruction by fire. So how can we use our engineering mindset to solve this? Well, what if we were to take many thin wood planks, glue them together to make a series of squares, and then attach these squares perpendicular to each other with adhesives? Not only is this material extra durable, but is also tough against fires and feaster to build in comparison with cement. The added efficiencies add by Cross Laminated Timber can help with societal decarbonization and fixing the housing crisis.
Image credit images.adsttc.com
Embodied Carbon
07/07/19
“How can we quantify the carbon emitted by a building during construction?”
Buildings energy efficiency is one of the most widely studied topics in combating climate change. However, these operational emissions are not the only cause of emissions. In addition, there is the carbon emitted during manufacturing, transport, and construction of the building. What makes this Embodied Carbon special is that once the building is finished its embodied carbon cannot go down, unlike operational carbon which can be lowered through energy efficiency programs. That’s why more research needs to go into lowering the carbon intensity of construction.
Rail Freight Transportation
07/06/19
“How is cargo moved by rail?”
Most cargo is traded by sea. However, many communities live inland and far away from any port. So how do they receive cargo? Well, quite simply, their items are loaded onto a train and moved around via Rail Freight Transportation. Rail freight transport can be extremely cost effective, costing only 2.5 US cents to move one ton a kilometer.
Image credit http://www.nscorp.com
Stormwater Bumpout
07/05/19
“How can we keep stormwater in an enclosed plant area to build flood resilience?”
Plants and soil are great for absorbing stormwater runoff. However, it can be hard to keep the water inside the necessary area. So how can we use our engineering mindsets to solve this? Well what if we were to create a curb that would encircle an green area with a small opening so water could enter? This is the idea behind a Stormwater Bumpout, a smart, easy, and sustainable way to manage incoming stormwater.
Image credit phillywatersheds.org
How the Weight of Tanks Harms Urban Infrastructure
07/04/19
“Why is it not a good idea to have tanks moving in a civilian city?”
Tanks are some of the most powerful pieces of military technology on the planet. And as such, many world leaders like to parade them to show off their power. Even through this may make them feel good, it comes with dark consequences. Specifically, civilian urban infrastructure such as roads and bridges are not designed to withstand the weight of a tank, leaving damage in its wake. Therefore, for leaders who want to concentrate on infrastructure buildup, they must take into consideration How the Weight of Tanks Harms Urban Infrastructure for their parades.
Stormwater Tree Trench
07/03/19
“How can we have a natural flood resilience system almost naked to the human eye?”
Urban stormwater resilience will be one of the biggest topics in the new climate. However, a lot of times solutions leave the surface exposed. So how can we use our engineering mindsets to solve this? Well, what if we were to just have a series of trees with an engineered system in the sidewalk that would siphon water to move underneath their roots? This is the idea behind a Stormwater Tree Trench, which are used in a variety of cities to manage their stormwater.
Image credit http://www.phillywatersheds.org
Rain Gardens
07/01/19
“What is a simple way to build resilience against urban water runoff?”
With the advent of the changing climate, flood resilience will be a hot topic for urban areas. One of the simplest green stormwater infrastructure methods is to simply build Rain Gardens which can divert runoff water into depressed areas with soil to grow greenery. This is a simple and cost-effective method to enhance climate change resilience.
Image credit radioadelaide.org.au
