Hydraulic Fracturing and Contamination of Groundwater

The world’s near-future energy needs are primarily dependent on oil & natural gas. There are various techniques involved in the extraction of additional crude oil from underground oil and gas reservoirs. Hydraulic fracturing—informally called fracing (pronounced “fracking”) or hydrofracing—is the most common of these techniques. A significant number of oil & gas wells in the [...]

Re-engineering the Wheelchair

The world of automation has always amused me. I have always wondered what it would be like if we can automate our day-to-day activities to an extent where just the thought of doing something could actually translate into execution of that activity. For instance, I think of turning on a television set or switch to [...]

No Water Under The Bridge

“There is a water crisis today. But the crisis is not about having too little water to satisfy our needs. It is a crisis of managing water so badly that billions of people – and the environment – suffer badly.” (An excerpt from the World Water Vision report published by the World Water Council)

Newest Wonders of the World

I never cease to be amazed at how technology allows us to continue to push the barriers of what is possible. It seems that when rapidly evolving technologies are mixed with creative and ambitious people, groundbreaking projects always ensue. As a civil engineer, I continue to marvel at what humans have accomplished and are currently [...]

Engineering with Google

This past decade, Google has given us much. They have basically perfected the internet search, allowing anyone with a connected device to find information on anything they seek. With Adwords and Analytics, they have empowered web developers, giving them timesaving and efficient tools to manage their creative endeavors. They’ve given us Gmail and Blogger. We [...]

The Math Behind The Economic Meltdown

Now I know what happened with those guys in Washington, DC…

Enough Infrastructure Spending Planned?

Only about $26 billion (just 9 percent) of President Obama’s proposed $274 billion stimulus effort is aimed at infrastructure spending… Is that enough?

Wave-Piercing Speedboat

When I saw the video of this speedboat in action, I thought that it was some sort of ultra-modern military ship that could evade radar and the enemy. This mean machine from New Zealand has a unique wave-piercing hull that slices effortlessly through water.

And—as if that is not enough—this speedboat circumnavigated the globe in 60 days 23 hours 49 minutes. Maybe some of us will start to realize that renewable fueled vehicles can have both power and performance.

Homemade Car gets 105 MPG

Some days back, my four-year old asked me, “Say, Dad, can you make me a car?”

As I ruffled his hair fondly, I was reminded of my own childhood when I had posed the same question to my Dad.

Except that, this time the answer was “Sure.”

How Does Surveying Work?

All Americans are familiar with the roles of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as American Presidents, but many may be unaware of their lifelong association with surveying.

Considered the second oldest profession in the world, surveying (or surveying engineering) has come a long way. Though the basic principles of surveying (namely, marking, describing, and mapping property ownership) have changed little over the ages, the tools that surveyors use today have evolved tremendously. I am talking here about GPS units, laser range finders, plumb bobs, satellite communications, optical levels, endoscopes, and in-depth software.