A civil engineering professor at the University of California at Berkeley is working on a novel way of maintaining a building's structural stability after an earthquake or terrorist bomb. The team of researchers working with the professor have designed and tested a system that uses cables for backup support in case main support beams failed. This site is the homepage of the professor leading this...

The British Columbia Institute of Technology maintains this Web site, which contains "a combination of text and graphics to introduce the field of civil and structural engineering." Several examples of important modern and historical developments in these fields are cited. The latter category includes discussions about the Roman aqueducts and Galileo's insights into engineering mechanics, while...

Civil Engineering is a monthly publication of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Although full access to the magazine is reserved for subscribers, each month's feature story is provided free on this Web site. These in-depth articles examine some of the most outstanding spectacles in the world of architecture and construction. Feature stories dating back over a year are archived and can still...

Civil and structural engineers face a challenging task when designing buildings and other infrastructure. They have to account for a multitude of safety issues related to fire, floods, and natural disasters. That challenge is twofold with the additional risk of terrorism, because blast protection could be a major concern for high-profile structures. California's Golden Gate Bridge is in the...

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) has been a government and industry partner since 1934 and has branches throughout the United States and Ireland. Visitors will definitely want to click on the "Industry Solutions" on the homepage to get an idea of the industries GTRI works in, such as "Health and Human Systems", "Energy/Environment", and "Information and Communications Technologies". ...

Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures (ISIS) is a joint program between several Canadian universities. Its work is spread across such disciplines as "civil, mechanical, materials, aerospace, and electrical engineering." The ISIS Web site has detailed information about four main research focuses, including fibre optic sensors, remote monitoring, innovative structures, and structural...

First aired on November 19, 2002, the Sinking City of Venice is a fascinating episode of the NOVA television series that focuses on the threat of rising tide levels for the exposed Italian city. Venice has many historical treasures and centuries-old architecture, which is forcing the government to turn to engineers for possible solutions to safeguard the city. A very ambitious proposal that is...