http://www.bossintl.com/blog Civil Engineering Software and more... Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:07:21 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en [caption id="attachment_710" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Courtesy by fuelalternative.com"] [/caption] In the recent past, there has been a lot of discussion and interest around the viability of first generation biofuels as environment-friendly alternatives to foreign oil, primarily because of their possible competition with food crops and the use of non-sustainable practices for their ... http://www.bossintl.com/blog/microalgae-and-alternate-energy/ [caption id="attachment_680" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Courtesy of southasia.oneworld.net"][/caption] In our fight against climate change, biofuels are considered as an eco-friendly alternative to oil-based fossils fuels, primarily because they help reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Any solid, liquid or gas fuel that is derived from biomass such as plants, metabolic waste, and organic waste, ... http://www.bossintl.com/blog/is-biofuel-a-cure-for-climate-change/ [caption id="" align="alignright" width="299" caption="Courtesy of STW Resources, Inc."][/caption] 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 ... http://www.bossintl.com/blog/hydraulic-fracturing-and-contamination-of-groundwater/ [caption id="" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Courtesy by engadget"][/caption] 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, ... http://www.bossintl.com/blog/re-engineering-the-wheelchair/ [caption id="" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Courtesy of TravelBlog"][/caption] Although the hydrologic cycle can be simplistically defined as the movement of water in various forms across the planet, it is definitely not as easy to accurately track, measure or estimate in detail the individual processes and constituents that form the entire cycle. One of the ... http://www.bossintl.com/blog/new-technique-to-determine-snowmelt-without-on-the-ground-measurements/ [caption id="" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Courtesy of Water Encyclopedia"][/caption] Air and water, the most vital elements for our survival as a species, are also the swiftest and deadliest transmitters of contaminants and pollutants. They are the most susceptible to contamination due to natural disasters, industrial spillage, and even sabotage, capable of wiping ... http://www.bossintl.com/blog/new-method-at-detecting-water-contamination/ [caption id="" align="alignright" width="260" caption="Courtesy of Goulburn River High Country Rail Trails, Australia"][/caption] "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 – ... http://www.bossintl.com/blog/no-water-under-the-bridge/ [caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="  Courtesy of University of Michigan, News Service"][/caption] Looks like the brittle concrete has been tamed at last! A team of researchers at the University of Michigan has developed a concrete material that bends like rubber, cracks very little, heals itself with no manual intervention, and is almost ... http://www.bossintl.com/blog/flexible-concrete-no-longer-an-oxymoron/ [caption id="attachment_452" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Replacement of a Glen Canyon bridge"][/caption] I came across a great new website for civil engineering professionals the other day: Rebuilding America's Infrastructure. This is a new site from StagnitoMedia, publishers of CENews.com. It provides news and insights into the U.S. infrastructure industry with a focus on bridges ... http://www.bossintl.com/blog/rebuilding-americas-infrastructure-a-useful-new-site/ Last week, the EPA went live with Watershed Central, a new website which provides information to aid in the design, implementation and management of watershed projects. According to the EPA, "the site includes guidance, tools, case studies, and data sets to help you share information, analyze data, and identify opportunities ... http://www.bossintl.com/blog/new-watershed-site-from-the-epa/