Engineers draw attention to the ‘new asbestos’ affecting worker health: silica dust
Sometimes touted as the ‘new asbestos’, exposure to silica dust during tunnel construction poses a serious safety issue. Australian engineers ...
Tag: building materials
Opal Tower a symptom of “significant and concerning” problems in Australia’s building industry
In the wake of the Opal Tower evacuation, Engineers Australia has urged the NSW Government to adopt recommendations from a ...
This “inexpensive and ubiquitous” material could protect buildings from earthquake damage
Geotextiles are already used in building foundations. But their flexibility, thinness and strength might also help save properties - and ...
Semitransparent solar cells could be a boon for building energy efficiency
Researchers at UNSW are trying to take solar power one step further with semitransparent solar cells, which could see windows ...
New roadmap plots a course to reach zero emissions by 2050
If Australia is to achieve the carbon milestones it agreed to in Paris, it needs a plan to make its ...
This rising star of Perth’s skyline is setting a new building sustainability standard
After years of careful planning, hard work and engineering ingenuity, central Perth's newest skyscraper is complete, and it is casting ...
New strength and safety tests pit timber against concrete and steel
Thanks to innovative construction materials like cross laminated timber and laminated veneer lumber, wooden buildings are no longer mere houses ...
The world’s most used synthetic material is getting a makeover
A team of civil and materials engineers has developed micron-sized calcium silicate spheres they say could lead to stronger and ...
3D-printing swarm robots pave the way for new construction possibilities
A new method that allows robots to concurrently 3D print concrete structures could bring on-demand design to construction sites.
Industry-driven protocol will help quantify fire risks from cladding
Combustible cladding, which caused Melbourne’s Lacrosse building and London’s Grenfell Tower fires, could be present in thousands of buildings across ...
