“Sensor, heal thyself,” goes an old saying, and North Carolina State University researchers have given it a new spin. Structural stress monitors can break during, say, an earthquake or explosion: just when you most need information about a building’s integrity. So the
NCSU crew added a reservoir of ultraviolet-curable resin; if their sensor cracks, the resin flows into the gap, where a UV light hardens it. An infrared light, which does the actual monitoring, then has a complete circuit through which to pass, and voila: stress data flows once more, aiding decision-makers. Obviously we never tire of
UV-reactive gadgetry, especially for making safer buildings, and we’re doubly glad to see
self-healing that doesn’t involve the phrase “he’s just not that into you.” To see the self-repair in action, check the picture after the break, and hit the source link for more info.
Continue reading NC State builds self-healing structural stress sensor, moves on to other alliterative projects
NC State builds self-healing structural stress sensor, moves on to other alliterative projects originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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You may or may not have heard about NASA‘s project to build the most sustainable federal building in Moffett, California. The project began about two years ago, and will supposedly be finished this May. The experimental, earthly ‘space station’ cost $20.6 million to build, and includes 50,000 square feet of work space on two floors. The building also includes radiant ceiling panels, heating panels on walls, and radiant concrete flooring. When completed, the Sustainability Base will use 90 percent less potable water than a regular office building of the same size, and it will be able to create 22 percent more energy.
NASA’s Sustainability Building, the government’s greenest building, opening in California this year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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This is definitely an idea that I am pretty certain that I will never see.
Imagine a world where you no longer have to go grocery shopping. Instead, a company called Foodtubes brings the groceries to you!
The idea is to build gigantic underground tubes that are as thick as a truck, and can move underground at 60 miles an hour.
They are powered by air pressure or linear induction motors, and they are essentially big pneumatic tubes, like the type in old office buildings. I always wondered what happened to that system of communication. I remember it being out-of-date before the age of email.
Anyway, Foodtubes states that food transport is a very wasteful system, with trucks spending 92 percent of fuel just hauling their own weight, as well as increasing our carbon footprint. Foodtubes says that there is more to establishing this system than just laying tracks. Listen to what they had to say about the freight industry “man”:
The freight industry is deeply entrenched at every level of government and commerce. . . they claim rights to profit from dominating our roads, shaking our buildings and polluting our air. Many traditional politicians and food bosses are oil-junkies, dedicated to keeping things as they are–whatever the social costs.
Apparently, Foodtubes intend to test this out on a five mile above-ground test circuit, and then create a track for the entire UK.
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See more here:
The Future of Food: Underground Tubes
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