The Venturi Effect was discovered by Italian physicist Giovanni Battista Venturi who lived between 1746 and 1822. In practice there were a number of other physicists who were involved in the Venturi Effect but Giovanni Venturi is generally accepted as the first person to discover and explain the effect. So, what is the Venturi Effect …
What are the 7 main types of bridges? What are the 5 main types of bridges? Which type of bridge is strongest? What is the most expensive type of bridge to build? What is the best type of bridge? What is the most common type of the bridge? There are 7 main types of bridges: …
The Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge is a marvel of modern day bridge engineering. It is 164.8 km (more than 100 miles) in length and has literally taken bridge building to a whole new level. Even though it may have lost its title as the world’s longest sea crossing bridge, to the recently built Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, …
What does a manometer measure? A manometer gauge is an extremely basic but very effective device which is used to measure pressure. In the majority of cases this will relate to a gauge which consists of a U-shaped glass tube which is filled with mercury or some other liquid. Traditionally one end of the manometer …
Before we look at the many reasons why you would use thermochromic paint, it is worth reminding ourselves exactly what we are talking about. In simple terms, thermochromic paint contains either liquid crystals or leuco dyes which literally change colour depending on the temperature of the surface to which have been applied/immediate atmosphere. It is …
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge opening was seen as a massive political coup for China. The political tensions between Hong Kong, Macau and China have unfortunately overshadowed what is an amazing feat of modern day engineering. We will now take a look at the history of the project. The cost in terms of money, lives and …
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge – the world’s longest Read More »
The world of engineering has created some amazing feats over the years some of which are fairly recent while others go back hundreds of years. We therefore thought it would be interesting to take a look at the Top 10 Great Engineering Feats although it has to be said there are many more other amazing …
Even though cooling towers are not as common today as they were in years gone by, you will almost certainly come across at least one cooling tower in your daily travels. They play an integral part in many different industries and while on the surface they seem fairly straightforward, these are actually extremely well structured, …
Cooling Towers Explained: How does a cooling tower work? Read More »
You could argue that the world today is full of innovative products which literally changed lives. We see new services and products rolled out on a regular basis but sometimes we overlook products which were innovative at the time beyond recognition. Our list of the top 10 most innovative products may look like a blast …
Top 10 Most Innovative Products of All Time – what are yours? Read More »
Named after a Venezuelan war hero, the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge is situated in western Venezuela. It connects Maracaibo with the rest of the country, stretching more than 8 km over Lake Maracaibo. The bridge has been in the news of late with extensive focus on Italian engineer Riccardo Morandi who not only designed the …
Born on 1 September 1902, Riccardo Morandi is very much in the news even though he passed away on 25 December 1989. Renowned as a groundbreaking figure in bridge engineering throughout his career, the collapse of the Genoa Bridge (official name Ponte Morandi) in 2018 cast a dark shadow across his reputation. While it is …
Riccardo Morandi – Profile of a revolutionary bridge designer Read More »
On 14th August 2018 the Morandi Bridge (Ponte Morandi) in Genoa collapsed with initial fears that more than 30 people lost their lives. As you might expect, the Genoa Bridge collapse has created concern and confusion in the engineering sector and politicians have already started the blame game. This will go down as one of …
Genoa Bridge collapse 2018 – how did it happen, could it have been avoided? Read More »
The Khan Academy (khanacademy.org) is something which will become more visible in the years to come especially for those who have young children at school. It is a non-profit educational organisation built by Salman Khan in 2006 with the aim of “creating a set of online tools that help educate students” all free of charge. …
The Khan Academy – any good for science and engineering? Read More »
Even though the original concept of a steam hammer dates back to James Watt in 1784 it was not until the 1840s that the first working steam hammer was produced. The first working machine was built by François Bourdon in France and led to a very heated dispute with British inventor James Nasmyth who claimed …
While many of us will be well aware of the dangers of working in a steel mill, the excessive temperatures and molten steel, few people will have heard of the steel mill cobble. Unfortunately for those working in these challenging and dangerous environments the term “steel mill cobble” does not really reflect the dangers associated …
Extreme manufacturing danger: the steel mill cobble Read More »
When officially opened by the Queen on 4 September 2017 the total duration of the Queensferry Crossing project was a decade from the initial idea to completion. It is officially the longest three tower cable-stayed bridge in the world and while the bridge itself is 1.7 miles in length when you include changes to the …
While it is highly likely that many people have never heard of Invar this is an alloy which has been round for more than 100 years. The importance of this material must not be underestimated because it is a low expansion alloy which is commonplace in many everyday items. We need to go back to …
For many people the world of mechanical engineering is based upon the challenge to change and improve systems of years gone by. The two-stroke and four-stroke engine perfectly illustrates an inability of some people and some companies to even consider there may be better designs out there. The Bourke Engine was created by a man …
Revealed: The amazingly efficient, but UNUSED Bourke Engine from the 1920s Read More »
Like so many of the most influential feats of industry the vast majority of us will have no idea what Marlex is, what it does and the fact it is all around us. While the discovery itself dates back to 1951 with the Phillips Petroleum Company the foundations for this actually date back to 1925. …
Rilsan is the trading name for Nylon 11/Polyamide 11 which is a polyamide and bioplastic member of the nylon family of polymers. In basic terms it is produced using castor beans and the polymerisation of 11-aminoundecanoic acid. In its usable form, Rilsan is a fine powder which has an array of thermoplastic characteristics and extreme …
Wacker Group is the leading light in the world of silicones with a history going back to 1903. Engineers across the globe will forever be grateful that the company introduced its wide range of silicones which it began manufacturing in 1947. As with so many leading products in the world of engineering, you will come …
The Whitestone Bridge (also referred to as the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge) is a suspension bridge in New York City which connects the borough of Queens, Long Island to the Bronx on the United States mainland. It is now an integral part of the landscape and the value of his engineering masterpiece can literally be measured in …
The Whitestone Bridge – An Engineering Masterpiece Read More »
StruCalc was originally created as an in-house software package exclusively for StruCalc engineers back in 1993. This package has now taken on a life of its own and is widely used within the design engineering sector. One of the main advantages of the StruCalc structural analysis software tool is its simplicity. The ability to stress …
What is StruCalc design software? A brief overview Read More »
Stellite® is a non-magnetic alloy which contains a variety of different metal components with the main elements being cobalt and chromium. The material itself has been around since the 1900s and was originally seen as a substitute for traditional metal cutlery which suffered from general wear and tear and was also prone to staining. Invented …
Before we look at the personality traits of mechanical engineers let us consider what this particular career entails. In essence mechanical engineering involves “the design, production and operation of machinery” and while this can cover a massive range of different activities the base personality traits are very similar. However, you will find that many of …
Kovar is an iron nickel cobalt alloy with a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to that of hard glass. This might make sense to those of a more engineering technical mind but in layman’s terms what does this actually mean and what is it used for? Main benefits of Kovar The coefficient of thermal expansion is THE most …
It is universally recognised that William Fairbairn created the Lancashire Boiler back in 1844 although some believe he created the idea of a twin fire tube boiler as opposed to the actual Lancashire Boiler itself. Over the years there have been a number of modifications and improvements and while modern boilers are seen as more efficient, relatively large …
Karl Benz has a name synonymous with cars not to mention a career which literally changed transport around the world. Born in Germany on 25 November 1844, who would have guessed that he would patent his first vehicle in 1885 and leave a stamp on the world of transport which still reverberates round industry today. …
The date September 11, 2001 will be forever etched in the minds of millions of people around the world. This was the day that the World Trade Center Twin Towers were attacked by terrorists using airplanes as their weapons of choice. It is difficult to comprehend both the construction excellence which brought the towers to …
ASME is vital to the world of engineering but if we were to take a straw poll on the streets today asking the general public how they believe engineers have impacted their lives how many would be oblivious to the role which engineers play. It is only when you sit back and look at the buildings …
During World War II the Allies were struggling to penetrate the heartland of industrial Germany where weapons were being manufactured. It is well documented that Hitler saw the dam walls protecting the vital area of Ruhr as impenetrable but one British military engineer by the name of Sir Barnes Wallis saw this as a potential …
British military engineering at its best: The Bouncing Bomb Read More »
At first glance, to work for NASA seems very glamorous, very satisfying but ultimately something for the “nerdy” types who like to work on their own. However, in reality life as a NASA mechanical design engineer is very different to the impression you get when you watch rocket launches from Cape Canaveral! Finding a job …
What’s It Like to Work for NASA as a Design Engineer? Read More »
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