The artwork is shown on the inside of the concrete canoe entry from Utah State university before the National Concrete Canoe Competition in Homer, Ill., Saturday, June 22, 2013. The American Society of Civil Engineers National Concrete Canoe Competition is held annually in June to provides students with a practical application of the engineering principles […]
Automotive/Transportation
Engineers Float Concrete Boats
Does concrete float? For the hundreds of civil engineering students at the annual National Concrete Canoe Competition, the answer is “yes.” View: Photos of the Day: Concrete Canoes Teams representing 23 schools vied last week to design, build and race canoes made of concrete. Some vessels were as long as 22 feet and weighed as much […]
Engineers Without Borders
Working together to meet global infrastructure needs through practical engineering solutions ITT Corporation has announced a partnership with Engineers Without Borders USA, an organization that partners with communities around the globe to develop sustainable solutions for basic infrastructure needs. ITT’s initial $10,000 contribution will help fund ongoing EWB-USA initiatives and support a current infrastructure project […]
Statistical Tolerance Analysis
Dimensional tolerances specify allowed variability around nominal dimensions. We assign tolerances to assure component interchangeability while meeting performance and producibility requirements. In general, as tolerances become smaller, manufacturing costs become greater. The challenge becomes finding ways to increase tolerances without sacrificing product performance and overall assembly conformance. Statistical tolerance analysis provides a proven approach for […]
Volvo Demonstrates the Ingenious Self-Parking Car
Volvo Car Group has developed an ingenious concept for autonomous parking. The concept car, which will be demonstrated at a media event next week, finds and parks in a vacant space by itself, without the driver inside. The smart, driverless car also interacts safely and smoothly with other cars and pedestrians in the car park. […]
What vs. How
During my manufacturing career I spent many hours in customer waiting rooms. I always read the company mission statement if they were bold enough to have it mounted on the wall. I must admit up front that I have never been comfortable with the idea of mission/vision statements because I always thought that it was […]
Boost for Cars or Bust? Ethanol Debate Heats up
It’s a dilemma for drivers: Do they choose a gasoline that’s cheaper and cleaner even if, as opponents say, it could damage older cars and motorcycles? That’s the peril and promise of a high-ethanol blend of gasoline known as E15. The fuel contains 15 percent ethanol, well above the current 10 percent norm sold at […]
Tesla & the Ethics of Publicity
A few weeks ago I mentioned that an eminently qualified historian of technology has written a biography of Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), the inventor of the eponymous Tesla coil, the induction motor, and numerous other ingenious contraptions. While Tesla has been the subject of numerous popular biographies and even a film or two, earlier treatments tended […]
Investigators to Examine Heat Exchanger
State and federal officials investigating the cause of the deadly blast June 13 at the Williams Companies Inc. plant near Gonzales plan to inspect a key element of the facility this week that one federal investigator said “failed catastrophically.” Investigators tell The Advocate (https://bit.ly/134OurY ) they hoped to get a close look at a heat […]
Boost for Cars or Bust? Ethanol Debate Heats Up
It’s a dilemma for drivers: Do they choose a gasoline that’s cheaper and cleaner even if, as opponents say, it could damage older cars and motorcycles? That’s the peril and promise of a high-ethanol blend of gasoline known as E15. The fuel contains 15 percent ethanol, well above the current 10 percent norm sold at […]