What civil engineers are reading this week

• University of Florida dominates again, repeats as 2025 ASCE concrete canoe champions

  What’s the magic in the Gators’ concrete mix? Florida’s team again wins the Concrete Canoe Competition finals at this weekend’s ASCE Civil Engineering Student Championships.

• Carbon capture reimagined: New material removes CO2 from air like a tree

  Scientists have designed a new living material that captures carbon dioxide directly from the air using photosynthetic bacteria to trap carbon dioxide in both organic and mineral forms.

• Centennial celebration: Society’s Arizona Section keeps meeting the moment, looking ahead

  Civil engineers created modern Arizona. The rise of the ASCE Arizona Section, which began with 29 members, mirrors that of the state. That means members have had a lot to celebrate.

• Bill Gates-backed AirLoom begins building its first power plant

  “We have a lot of headwinds,” says Neal Rickner, CEO of startup Airloom Energy. But he argues his company, which takes a different tack, could emerge a winner if it can weather the next five years. 

• Project risks are inherent, but the right management tools can limit them – here’s how

  Used effectively, risk registers and responsibility assignment charts will reveal mitigation approaches and lead to more positive outcomes for engineers and owners. Get familiar with these tools.

• Something strange is happening 1,700 miles beneath your feet

  Earth’s innards are rumbling, and it’s not indigestion. Right on the edge of the liquid metal outer core, geoscientists have detected an unusual acceleration of seismic waves.