What civil engineers are reading this week

• California ingenuity: Solar panels built over canals generate power, save water

  An irrigation district installed the panels over canals to show how such systems can generate electrical power and reduce loss of water from evaporation. How many megawatts of electricity can they produce?

• From plastic to pure water: Scientists turn trash into a super catalyst

  An optimized mechanochemical process produces multifunctional composite particles that remove pollutants from water.

• As the dams feeding Tehran run dry, Iran struggles with dire water crisis

  Iran spends 90% of its water on low-yield agriculture in a pursuit of self-sufficiency that exacerbates drought.

• Michigan celebrates completion of I-475 project

  The Michigan Department of Transportation recently completed a $141 million project to rebuild about 3 miles of Interstate 475 in Genesee County from the Flint River to Carpenter Road. 

• With digital twins poised to transform civil engineering, what are the challenges?

  Engineers see many advantages to having digital twins of assets like bridges, buildings, and utility systems, especially for life-cycle maintenance, but obstacles remain to widespread adoption.

• Newly opened bridge collapses in China due to surrounding landslide

  The 2,500-foot-long bridge linking China with Tibet was closed a day before the incident after cracks were discovered in surrounding roads and hillsides, leading to landslides. No injuries were reported.