"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Tag: Civil Engineering
Floodgates
07/11/18
“How can we use infrastructure to control floods?”
With the advent of climate change, floods are becoming quite more common. But thanks to human ingenuity, this can be prevented through the use of floodgates. Fllodgates are a common form of flood control which can protect towns from nearby flooding by creating adjustable gates that limit water elevation.
Road Surfaces
06/15/18
“What makes up our roads?”
Roads are literally one of the foundations of our modern transportation infrastructure. But like everything in the world of engineering, it must be durable enough to withstand its expected loads. For that reason, civil engineers have constructed road surfaces made out of materials such as cement.
Non-Spinning Reserves
05/12/18
“How can we power the grid with immobile units?”
Spinning Reserves are great for providing a quick response to grid fluctuations. But sometimes they will be completely used up, and we will need more items to keep the grid running. These often include Non-Spinning Reserves that are static and disconnected from the grid. Since they have to start moving, they will have a longer response time as a result of inertia.
All New Homes in California Now Require Solar
05/09/18
“What’s the whole new thing about California, solar panels, and homes?”
Something historic just happened. In a daring first for the U.S, the California Energy Commission has just reached a ruling requiring all new homes and low-rise apartment buildings built in California to have solar panels installed. This is all done in part to lower the state’s greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Although hailed by many in the renewable energy industry, skeptics like to point out that this could be poised to raise the cost of construction even more so, exacerbating the state’s already out of control housing crisis even further. However, the reduced electricity bills from these solar panels have been shown to actually recuperate their cost and even payback money over a 30 year lifetime. However this plays out, it will have drastic effects on the state’s electricity portfolio and could cause other areas to follow suit.
Bolt Preload
05/08/18
“How can we make bolts resilient to stronger loads?”
Bolts are used to keep to keep objects together using compressive forces. However, in order to work, they need to have some initial force applied to them. This Preload is usually a compressive force that allows the bolt to withstand a tensile force equal to the same magnitude. The higher the compressive load, the higher the tensile resilience. However, if the bolt preload is too much, then it can weaken the Proof Strength. Therefore, when making a Bolt Preload, we must take into account both factors.
How Climate Change will Make Renewable Energy Adoption in the Caribbean More Difficult
04/28/18
“How will Climate Change make renewable energy adoption in the Caribbean More Difficult?”
Caribbean Nations are doing their part to combat Climate Change by adopting renewable energy. However, this will become more difficult as global temperatures rise, since the increased frequency of rainfalls and hurricanes make installations more difficult. But by adopting climate change adapted technology such as hurricane-resistant wind turbines, the Caribbean will be able to build itself into sustainability.
Climate Change Adaptation for Infrastructure
04/22/18
“How will infrastructure need to adapt for climate change?”
Climate change is already having drastic effects all over the world. From rising sea levels to increased flood frequencies to omnipresent droughts, things are changing for sure. As a result, we will have to change the way we use our infrastructure to meet the needs of the future. To illustrate, let’s take buildings as an example. Because of the effects of climate change, newer buildings must now use less water as well as be able to withstand all forms of drastic weather conditions. By undergoing climate change adaptation for infrastructure, we can prevent losses from further environmental catastrophes.
Turnkey Projects
04/19/18
“How can we build products so that they work as a general function?”
In the past, most products were built to a user’s specifications. However, many are now built with general guidelines and then sold to a company. These are known as turnkey projects and are prominent in the solar industry.
Distortion Energy
04/17/18
“What is the measure of energy in a strained material?”
When springs are stretched, potential energy is added into their bodies. A similar phenomenon happens when one stretches a solid object. Inside their body will be a value known as distortion energy and is the basis for evaluating the von Mises yield criterion.
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