World Watch
LATITUDE
pulp to make foam-like batteries and supercapacitators that can stand shock and stress, says the KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm), which partnered on the project with Stanford University. Unlike regular batteries, these ones can be used to create 3D structures, allowing the storage of more power in less space. Researchers say the batteries could be used in electric car bodies or to line flexible materials such as clothing. The aerogel is made by breaking down tree fibres, making them about a million times thinner. It’s then coated with a special ink that conducts electricity. GREEN CONCRETE MIX INCLUDES ALUMINUM CANS AND FLY ASH Researchers in the civil engineering faculty at the Universiti Teknologi MARA in Malaysia have come up with a way to make concrete more environmentally
BY GAIL HELGASON Freelance Contributor
SCIENTISTS TRANFORM WOOD PULP INTO BATTERIES
CHINESE FIRM BUILDS 57-STOREY SKYSCRAPER — IN JUST 19 DAYS Three weeks might be ample time to build a shed. But a 57-storey skyscraper? A Chinese company has done just that, erecting an office and residential tower in 19 working days, reports the Canadian Consulting Engineer (Toronto). Mini Sky City in Changsha, Hunan province, shot up by three floors a day. It has office space for 4,000 people, plus 800 apartments and 19 atriums. The feat was accomplished by the Broad Sustainable Building Company, using 2,736 pre-assembled modular blocks, that took almost five months to prefabricate. The company’s next goal is to erect Sky City, a 220-storey skyscraper — the world’s tallest — in three months.
Could your jacket soon charge your smartphone? Thanks to Swedish and American researchers, that technology may be getting close to reality. The team has created an aerogel from wood
ON THE SOLAROAD TO SUCCESS
The world’s first solar road is exceeding expectations in the Netherlands, reports Science Alert website. The 70-metre test bike path, dubbed SolaRoad, was built last fall by a government and industry consortium. Paved with glass-coated solar panels, it’s been generating 3,000 kilowatts per hour, sufficient to meet the annual power needs of a small household. Engineers spent five years creating a durable, skid-resistant system capable of supporting a fire truck. The design features solar panels sandwiched between glass, silicon rubber, and concrete.
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD -photo courtesy SolaRoad Since it was installed last fall, approximately 150,000 cyclists have driven on the SolaRoad test bike path, which is the world’s first solar road. An experimental laminate coats the panels and provides protection.
14 | PEG FALL 2015
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker