The Cowled Engineer

I have had a long fascination with tall buildings. Whenever I hear about a new building project, the one statistic I really want to know is how many storeys high the building is. On some deep level I am awed by the extent to which the engineer has beaten gravity. People were amazed and just a bit scared by the first concrete and steel skyscrapers that were built over 100 years ago.  I suppose there was a fear that they might collapse under their own weight.  It's a good thing that structural engineers know what they are doing, because almost nobody worries about skyscrapers collapsing any longer. Reinforced concrete (and some steel) skyscrapers have become the norm in cities all around the world, but they are now being challenged by the oldest engineering material known to humankind, WOOD ! The tallest timber building in the world at the moment is known as Brock Commons.  It is 18 storeys and located in Vancouver (see above and below).  The lift cores of this building are

The 'Truther' conspiracy theory claims that the World Trade Centre buildings collapsed as a result of a controlled demolition.  Truthers put forward as their evidence the speed and uniformity of the collapse.  They also claim that the steel did not get hot enough as a result of burning jet fuel to cause a collapse. My 2nd year civil engineering students know better than the truthers. Steel is an impressively strong material with excellent strength to weight ratio.  Steel also has a unique capability (compared to other metals) of being able to withstand unlimited stress cycles provided that the stresses are below a certain stress threshold.  For these reasons, steel is a great material to use in structural applications such as buildings and bridges.  But, there are three serious downsides to using steel.  Firstly, steel rusts.  Secondly, steel loses strength as it gets hotter.  Thirdly, steel expands due to heat. To ensure the structural integrity of a building, we have

It is World Environment Day, 2018.  A perfect day to write my first blog. To be perfectly honest, the rate of global warming gives me the willies.  I can't even discuss the topic with Natalie because just thinking about the ramifications of rapid climate change terrifies her so much.  She has said that she doesn't know what she can possibly do to make a difference, so why even talk about it.  I understand her reaction.  I really do.  But, for me, I need to know.  I need to know how climate change works and I need to figure out what I can do about it. Some years ago, I had a back-and-forth email exchange with my brother, Mark, about climate change.  At the time, he believed it was a storm in a teacup.  As I recall, Mark accepted that global warming was occurring, but he didn't believe humans were responsible.  I'm sure he'll correct me in the comments if I've mis-characterised his point of view. Mark also had the opinion that 'climate science' wa