Graphene replaces sand to make lighter, stronger concrete

When you think of resources we’re running out of, sand might not be high on your list, but it’s up there thanks to our high demand for concrete. Scientists at Rice University have now shown that substituting graphene can not only save sand, but makes c… Continue reading Graphene replaces sand to make lighter, stronger concrete

Could Data Capture, Management Technologies Prevent Construction Quality Slippage in 2024?

Recent Australian residential construction industry failures revealed a pressing need for capturing, sharing and collaborating on construction project data across stakeholders in common data environments. Continue reading Could Data Capture, Management Technologies Prevent Construction Quality Slippage in 2024?

Heavy duty wheeled crane lifts turbine blades to nacelle 107 meters up

China’s Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group recently took its new XCA3000 wheeled crane to a wind farm in the Liaoning Province to lift a 25-ton blade some 107 meters above the ground, before it was installed in the turbine hub.Continue ReadingCategory… Continue reading Heavy duty wheeled crane lifts turbine blades to nacelle 107 meters up

Self-healing concrete patches up cracks with dormant bacteria

Concrete may seem strong and permanent, but it can be surprisingly vulnerable to the elements. Now researchers at Drexel University have demonstrated a type of self-healing concrete embedded with “BioFibers” that use bacteria to patch up cracks as they… Continue reading Self-healing concrete patches up cracks with dormant bacteria

Climbing crane shimmies up turbine towers like a kid up a coconut tree

To build or maintain today’s colossal wind turbine towers, you either need an absolute monster of a crane – or something like this. The KoalaLifter self-climbing crane is quick, compact, handles heavy loads and creeps up turbine towers of any height.Co… Continue reading Climbing crane shimmies up turbine towers like a kid up a coconut tree

Climbing crane shimmies up turbine towers like a kid up a coconut tree

To build or maintain today’s colossal wind turbine towers, you either need an absolute monster of a crane – or something like this. The KoalaLifter self-climbing crane is quick, compact, handles heavy loads and creeps up turbine towers of any height.Co… Continue reading Climbing crane shimmies up turbine towers like a kid up a coconut tree

Bricklaying robots can now build tennis-court-sized walls in 4 hours

The extraordinary Hadrian X bricklaying robot rocks up to a building site looking like a regular truck, then extends a 32-m (105-ft) boom arm and starts precisely laying up to 300 large masonry blocks an hour. It’s pretty remarkable to watch.Continue R… Continue reading Bricklaying robots can now build tennis-court-sized walls in 4 hours

Hackaday Links: September 3, 2023

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Right-to-repair has been a hot-button topic lately, with everyone from consumers to farmers pretty much united behind the idea that owning an item should come with a plausible path to …read more Continue reading Hackaday Links: September 3, 2023

Low-cost additive turns concrete slabs into super-fast energy storage

MIT researchers have discovered that when you mix cement and carbon black with water, the resulting concrete self-assembles into an energy-storing supercapacitor that can put out enough juice to power a home or fast-charge electric cars.Continue Readin… Continue reading Low-cost additive turns concrete slabs into super-fast energy storage