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September 02, 2010
Member Benefits U.S. Engineering Press Review U.S. Engineering Press Review provides summaries of published articles from a variety of news sources. If you're an NSPE member and want to sign up for free weekly e-mail delivery of this newsletter, use our on-line sign-up form. A sample of the newsletter content is below: Hope Dim for Nuclear Power in State Not Exactly the Jetsons, But Getting Closer Market research firm NPD Group says that the market for robotic and interactive playmates in the United States reached $284 million during the 12 months ended in October 2007, compared to $213 million the previous year. That number is likely to rise with the entry of new products like the i-Sobot from Tomy of Japan, which though only 6.5 inches tall has a total of 17 motors to move its limbs. Robots with 20 or more motors can copy just about all human movement, according to James Kuffner, an assistant professor at the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute, who predicts that within two decades consumer robots will be able to perform many chores humans find dangerous or distasteful. But such robots will need to be bigger, about the size of an average 12-year-old, according to Honda, and standing in the way of mass adoption of such robots is weight and costs; as robots get bigger, they will need more gears, making them heavier and costlier. Also in the future will be robots that look more human, which could cause psychological issues, a condition known as uncanny valley syndrome that was first proposed by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in 1970. The idea behind the theory is that humans are bothered by inanimate objects that look too human. "As you get closer to something human, but it is not a human, it is frightening," says Kuffner. "I have this theory that it goes all the way back to Mary Shelley?s Frankenstein ? that you should not play God." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hope Dim for Nuclear Power in State Locals around the coastal community of Waterford, Conn., are debating whether or not the state should consider building new nuclear reactors after a more than 30-year moratorium. Rising concerns over fossil fuel supplies, rising electricity demand, and federal incentives to build new nuclear power reactors have power companies giving serious consideration to new nuclear power development. Like the rest of New England, Connecticut is cool to the idea of building new reactors; however, there is evidence that attitudes on the subject may be changing. Dominion Resources claims it receives several inquiries a week from state policymakers who do not wish to be identified. Donald Downes, chairman of the state Department of Public Utility Control, attributes their reluctance to go public with their actions to stigma associated with nuclear power. "No one wants to come out and say: 'Guys, build more nukes,'" he explains. Right now, Connecticut plans to concentrate on curbing global warming. Beginning in 2009, the state will join other Northeast states in the nation's first power plant emissions cap campaign. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Gust of Innovation Will Energize a Town on the Jersey Shore By the end of summer 2008, the town of Ocean Gate, N.J., hopes to construct the state's first municipal wind turbine. The cost is estimated to be $300,000. Of that amount, 30 percent will be funded through state energy grants. The remainder is likely to be funded via a 10-year bond, says Mayor Paul Kennedy. Officials received and opened a single bid from a private energy contractor to construct a 135-foot tall, 50-kilowatt wind turbine near Ocean Gate's municipal building. Officials hope the new turbine will help slash the borough's annual electricity bill of $20,000. The turbine is expected to generate roughly 135,000 kilowatt-hours yearly, approximately equal to what the town consumes each year. A study by Rowan University concluded that Ocean Gate and adjacent communities near the mouth of Barnegat Bay have uniform winds with an average daily speed of 6 miles per hour year-round. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The City of Blinding Lights Is Starting to See 'Green' Las Vegas is becoming more environmentally aware, as shown by a new 64-Mw solar thermal plant. The plant is located in the desert and supplies peak power to the city. It was built by a company called Acciona and went online this summer. Nevada is among 24 states that have mandated that a portion of their electricity derive from renewable energy. In Nevada, 5 percent must comprise solar. Another company called Ausra has announced plans to build its North American solar thermal plant in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, geothermal power production in Nevada is expected to quadruple in the next few years. New construction that complies with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) standards will be eligible for rebates on state sales taxes and property taxes. MGM Mirage hopes to obtain LEED certification for its planned 68-acre, $7.5 billion CityCenter project, potentially reducing costs related to air conditioning and electricity. But Launce Rake with the Progressive Leadership Alliance notes that Nevada is also mulling plans for new coal-fired power plants. "It's not like the first thing people talk about is, 'boy, we have to be environmentally sensitive,'" observes Rake. "But it does indicate that when you change the law to give incentives to engage in particular behaviors, the market will respond." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Designers Push to Make Cities More Female-Friendly Urban planners increasingly are taking gender into consideration when they revise building codes, zoning rules, and growth plans, considering that women account for over 50 percent of the urban population nationwide. Additionally, women account for 60 percent of seniors living in urban locales; and many of them live alone. Women are encouraged to leave their homes to exercise, but sidewalks in disrepair and high crime rates pose a challenge. Additionally, women find it difficult to navigate stairs with groceries and, if they have small children, strollers. In response, planners are considering sidewalk repairs, longer pedestrian crosswalk signals, and homes without stairs. Safe walking and biking trails, as well as enhanced security near public transportation, also have been deemed important. The University of Pennsylvania recently held a forum where planners, health officials, researchers, and lawmakers discussed gender-specific needs in growth planning. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How Detroit Will Reach 35 mpg After 20 years of debate, the auto industry has settled on a fuel economy standard of 35 mpg. Auto manufacturers will have to invest billions of dollars in developing new technology and manufacturing to reach that benchmark by 2020, and will have to abolish the predominant "bigger is better" perspective as well. However, experts do not expect that Detroit will begin favoring microcars over SUVs and pickups. Fortunately, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently discovered that by concentrating on lighter cars with more efficient gasoline, diesel, and hybrid drivetrains, automakers can double fuel economy. Therefore, to reduce the weight of their vehicles, automakers will utilize much more aluminum, lightweight steel, and magnesium in the future. Indeed, Ford has pledged to cut 250 pounds to 750 pounds from every car in its fleet between 2012 and 2020. Meanwhile, industry experts predict that initial modifications for improving fuel economy will include subtle changes like enhanced aerodynamics, dual-clutch manual transmissions, and six-speed automatic transmissions. However, most sweeping modifications will happen under the hood. According to Aaron Bragman of Global Insight, "Two-thirds of the U.S. fleet will have to change to direct injection. One-third of the total market will be diesel, and half of those will be diesel-electric hybrids." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Construction Forecast to Grow 5.8 Percent in 2008 A new study by FMI's Research Services predicts that construction put in place will expand by 5.8 percent next year to $1.21 trillion, despite a 3.7 percent decline in 2007. Heather Jones, construction economist for FMI's Research Services, says, "In terms of trends, the aging of the population, immigration, and deteriorating infrastructure will drive much of this growth. The health care, public safety, office, and transportation segments will see the strongest growth in 2008." The report also forecasts that by 2008, $21.2 billion of all new, non-residential construction will incorporate green-building principles, an increase of 58 percent from 2006. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manufacturer's Turn: Following the Rules of Concrete Construction The American National Standards Institute/Steel Deck Institute has approved the use of synthetic macro fiber for placing concrete on steel decks, similar to those for slab-on-ground applications. The new C-1.0 Standard for Composite Steel Floor Deck requirement allows synthetic macro fiber to be used for minimum temperature and shrinkage reinforcement. The construction team for the $30.5 million Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and Colin Powell Youth Leadership Center in Minneapolis chose to use STRUX 90/40 reinforcement over traditional welded wire fabric. The STRUX was preferred because it successfully complied with the project's one-hour Underwriters Laboratory fire-resistance requirements. By eliminating the use of welded wire fabric, workers no longer needed to use a crane to move the wire fabric or be exposed to sharp edges. The deck also avoided the cracking usually seen with welded wire fabric, which requires the cracks to migrate to the steel before they can be controlled. The project entailed using about 1,000 cubic yards of 6-inch slump normal weight concrete containing STRUX 90/40, which was placed on the building's elevated steel decks. Two-and-a-half floors comprising 66,000-square feet were formed, and each 6.5-inch thick floor featured a 3-inch-deep metal deck with a 3.5-inch top slab. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Importance of Safety Standards for Lightning Protection Lightning protection has developed over time, however modern structures produce new challenges, such as induction problems that permit lightning to access a structure via system grounds or energized lines. Fortunately, lightning protection safety standards offer information and outline installation procedures for today's lightning protection systems. Three nationally recognized organizations can be consulted when technical questions arise: the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), and the Lightning Protection Institute (LPI). NFPA 780 is the most comprehensive standard, and is continually updated. Providing lightning with a safe path to the ground is the first priority of a lightning protection system design. Indeed, modern lightning protection systems supply tested solutions for surge suppression, the interconnection of grounded building systems, coordinated bonding, and requirements for communication and data lines. To guarantee the correct system design and installation, professionals should adhere to national safety standards NFPA 780, UL96, and UL96A. Lightning protection systems include multiple elements. To intercept, conduct, and dissipate the lightning discharge, systems include a network of prominent strike termination devices, a network of ground terminations, and a network of conductors interconnecting the strike and ground terminations. To deal with the strike's secondary effects, lightning protection systems supply interconnections with other metallic grounded building systems. Finally, to safeguard connected wiring and equipment from harmful currents, the system includes surge protection devices on all incoming communication, data, and power lines. |
 
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