Science & Engineering FYI: August 2009

The Army has achieved a milestone amid efforts to “go green” and keep up with new North Carolina recycling efforts.

Sponsored by the Fort Bragg Directorate of Public Works, the world’s first thermoplastic composite bridge has been built at Camp Mackall.

The entire structure is made from recycled plastic, except for the bolts holding it together and several metal plates. The new bridge has a weight capacity of 70 tons, more that 10 times that of the previous wooden bridge. Read the article

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As reported in The New York Times, a recent report released from the McKinsey consulting firm outlined opportunities for drastically reducing energy use in the United States.

An unaffiliated energy expert, Michael E. Webber (TX A ’95) supports the findings of the report and says, “The main advantage to efficiency and conservation is that many of the technologies actually exist already.” Read the full story

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At the University of South Florida this week, there was a three-on-three soccer match. The six players, however, were Lego Mindstorms robots.

About 70 people, including 20 children, eagerly watched the action and had plenty of questions for the researchers.
College of Engineering dean, John Wiencek (OH B ’84) said, “A lot of this is to try and make engineering cool and not just a nerdy profession.”

The robots were created by university students through a summer research program. Read article for more

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