Building Material

Snow and ice accumulation on pavements and runways presents a persistent challenge for transportation infrastructure, costing billions annually in delays, accidents, and chemical treatments. Traditional approaches such as plowing, deicing salts, and chemical sprays are labor-intensive, environmentally damaging, and often insufficient during severe weather events. Over the past decade, researchers have been developing a promising […]

The mass timber movement has accelerated rapidly across North America, and at the heart of this transformation stands a facility that redefines what is possible with engineered wood. When Katerra opened its 270,000-square-foot cross-laminated timber (CLT) factory in Washington state, it became the largest facility of its kind on the continent and signaled a new

Steel is one of the most versatile and widely used materials in the construction industry, offering an exceptional combination of strength, durability, and design flexibility. From high-rise office towers to industrial warehouses and residential framing, steel provides structural integrity that few other materials can match. Understanding the properties, applications, and best practices for working with

Winter weather poses significant challenges for infrastructure owners, property managers, and municipalities who must keep pavements, driveways, and airport runways clear of snow and ice. Traditional methods rely on chemical deicers, salt applications, and mechanical snow plowing, but these approaches carry environmental costs, cause surface deterioration over time, and demand constant labor during storm events.

In the construction industry, verifying that concrete has reached its design strength is a critical step before formwork removal, post-tensioning, or opening a structure to service loads. For decades, the industry has relied on standard cylinder break tests to make these determinations. However, traditional testing methods come with inherent uncertainties related to curing conditions, handling,

When stretched, most materials grow thinner. Auxetic materials do the opposite — they grow thicker when pulled and denser when compressed. This counterintuitive behavior, inspired by designs found in nature, opens new possibilities for protective equipment in construction. Understanding auxetic materials is essential for anyone involved in modern construction materials selection and application, as these

Concrete is one of the most versatile construction materials available, capable of taking virtually any shape that its formwork dictates. However, achieving intricate, curved designs with thin cross-sections has historically been challenging due to the material’s weight and the complexity of traditional forming systems. Recent innovations from researchers at ETH Zurich have changed this paradigm

Wood has served as a primary window framing material for centuries, valued for its natural insulation, aesthetic warmth, and structural reliability. But researchers are now asking whether wood itself can become the transparent glazing material as well. A team from the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), the University of Maryland, and the University of Colorado has

Concrete has served as the backbone of modern construction for centuries, prized for its compressive strength, durability, and affordability. Yet every builder and engineer knows its fatal flaw: concrete is brittle. When forces pull it apart rather than push it together, it cracks, spalls, and eventually fails. This inherent weakness in tensile strength has driven

Winter road maintenance is a persistent challenge for municipalities worldwide, costing billions of dollars annually in snow removal, chemical de-icers, and infrastructure repairs. Salt and chemical treatments, while effective in the short term, accelerate corrosion in vehicles and bridge decks, damage roadside vegetation, and contaminate groundwater. Engineers have long sought a more sustainable, long-term solution,