Hacker News with Generative AI: Construction

Startup enables 100-year bridges with corrosion-resistant steel (news.mit.edu)
Allium Engineering, founded by two MIT PhDs, is tripling the lifetime of bridges and other structures with a new technology that uses a stainless steel cladding to make rebar resilient to corrosion.
Construction, Engineering, Materials Science, Sustainability
6 points by FinnKuhn 6 hours ago | 1 comments
Startup enables 100-year bridges with corrosion-resistant steel (news.mit.edu)
Allium Engineering, founded by two MIT PhDs, is tripling the lifetime of bridges and other structures with a new technology that uses a stainless steel cladding to make rebar resilient to corrosion.
Civil Engineering, Materials Science, Startups, Construction
3 points by gnabgib 2 days ago | 0 comments
Startup enables 100-year bridges with corrosion-resistant steel (news.mit.edu)
Allium Engineering, founded by two MIT PhDs, is tripling the lifetime of bridges and other structures with a new technology that uses a stainless steel cladding to make rebar resilient to corrosion.
Civil Engineering, Construction, Materials Science, Startups
3 points by rbanffy 2 days ago | 2 comments
Launch HN: Opusense (YC X25) – AI assistant for construction inspectors on site (ycombinator.com)
Hi HN, we're Roya and Michael, co-founders of Opusense AI (https://www.opusense.com/), a tool to help engineers and consultants automatically generate construction site reports from typed or voice notes, plus photos.
Construction, Artificial Intelligence, Startups, Software
33 points by rcody 3 days ago | 19 comments
We Know Why Ancient Roman Concrete Lasts Thousands of Years (sciencealert.com)
The ancient Romans were masters of building and engineering, perhaps most famously represented by the aqueducts. And those still functional marvels rely on a unique construction material: pozzolanic concrete, a spectacularly durable concrete that gave Roman structures their incredible strength.
Ancient Rome, Engineering, Construction, Materials Science
29 points by tomcam 6 days ago | 15 comments
Improving Naval Ship Acquisition (construction-physics.com)
US Naval vessels today regularly take far longer to build than scheduled, and greatly exceed their already-high cost estimates.
Military, Engineering, Construction
72 points by Luc 8 days ago | 129 comments
Show HN: PLAttice, for assembling structures much larger than the 3D printer bed (zachfred.in)
PLAttice: it's an assembled lattice, built entirely out of 3D printed parts made from PLA.
3D Printing, Hardware, Open Source, Design, Construction
24 points by zakqwy 13 days ago | 6 comments
Solar Panels to Be Fitted on All New-Build Homes in England by 2027 (theguardian.com)
Almost all new homes in England will be fitted with solar panels during construction within two years, the government will announce after Keir Starmer rejected Tony Blair’s criticism of net zero policies.
Solar Energy, Environmental Policy, England, Government Policy, Construction
4 points by m463 21 days ago | 4 comments
Solar panels to be fitted on all new-build homes in England by 2027 (theguardian.com)
Almost all new homes in England will be fitted with solar panels during construction within two years, the government will announce after Keir Starmer rejected Tony Blair’s criticism of net zero policies.
Solar Energy, Renewable Energy, Government Policy, Construction, England
10 points by edward 22 days ago | 5 comments
Eco-voxels: reconfigurable building blocks for Earth and space construction (techxplore.com)
For centuries, innovations in structural materials have prioritized strength and durability—often at a steep environmental price.
Construction, Sustainability, Materials Science, Space Exploration
4 points by PaulHoule 22 days ago | 0 comments
The quest to build islands with ocean currents in the Maldives (technologyreview.com)
An alternative to dredging aims to capture moving sand to protect the archipelago from erosion and rising seas.
Climate Change, Maldives, Environmental Engineering, Sustainability, Construction
4 points by pavel_lishin 31 days ago | 0 comments
50 Things I've Learned Writing Construction Physics (construction-physics.com)
I’ve been writing Construction Physics since September of 2020. Over the past four and a half years I’ve written 186 essays, totalling around 600,000 words. The newsletter was originally focused on understanding the problems of construction productivity (though it’s never been entirely about that), but I have branched out to write more about a variety of topics, including energy, transportation, and scientific and technological progress.
Construction, Productivity, Writing, Newsletter, Technology
10 points by bookofjoe 34 days ago | 0 comments
Spray-on concrete innovation could transform bridge repairs (techxplore.com)
More than 40,000 bridges in the United States are deemed structurally deficient, and as many as 221,000 are deemed in need of repair, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. Florida International University (FIU) researchers have developed a system that could play a key role in restoring them.
Infrastructure, Construction, Engineering, Innovation, Transportation
7 points by PaulHoule 40 days ago | 1 comments
Only 1 building fell in Bangkok during quake: China construction firm in focus (hindustantimes.com)
At least 18 people have been killed after a 33-storey under construction building collapsed in Thailand's Bangkok on Friday when a massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit neighbouring Myanmar.
Earthquake, Thailand, Construction, Building Collapse, Disaster
3 points by suraci 53 days ago | 0 comments
Understanding Solar Energy (construction-physics.com)
The biggest energy story of the last fifteen years is the rise of solar photovoltaics, also known as solar PV or simply solar panels.
Solar Energy, Renewable Energy, Construction, Physics
261 points by chmaynard 64 days ago | 258 comments
Ohio One Construction Timeline Update (intel.com)
Intel’s Foundry Manufacturing leader announces planned construction completion dates for the company’s Ohio One site.
Construction, Ohio, Intel, Manufacturing, Technology
90 points by ChrisArchitect 84 days ago | 26 comments
Launch HN: Bild AI (YC W25) – Understand Construction Blueprints Using AI (ycombinator.com)
Hi HN! We're Roop and Puneet, the founders of Bild AI (https://www.bild.ai). Bild AI uses machine learning to read construction blueprints and extract detailed material quantity and cost estimates.
Construction, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Startups, Business
98 points by rooppal 85 days ago | 39 comments
How will the Trump tariffs affect construction? (construction-physics.com)
Earlier this month the Trump administration announced hefty 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, along with an additional 10% tariffs on Chinese imports.
Tariffs, Construction, Economics, Trade
8 points by juliangamble 97 days ago | 1 comments
Good old mud can lower building costs (techxplore.com)
Buildings cost a lot these days. But when concrete buildings are being constructed, there's another material that can make them less expensive: mud.
Construction, Building Materials, Cost Reduction
6 points by PaulHoule 98 days ago | 1 comments
Fit Irregular Shapes with 'Ticking Sticks' (popularwoodworking.com)
The trick to fitting wooden pieces into impossible recesses is to learn about “ticking sticks.” These simple sticks – plus a sheet of paper – can make monstrous tasks into a easy job. Here’s how they work.
Woodworking, DIY, Tools, Construction
5 points by riffraff 100 days ago | 0 comments
Government planned it 7 years, beavers built a dam in 2 days and saved $1M (voxnews.al)
In the Czech Republic, beavers built a dam in two days, which local authorities had planned for 7 years.
Environmental Engineering, Wildlife, Government, Construction
229 points by croes 108 days ago | 129 comments
HD Hyundai set to debut production 14 ton hydrogen wheeled excavator (electrek.co)
HD Hyundai is set to unveil a production version of its hydrogen fuel cell powered HW155H 14-ton wheeled excavator – one of ten updated or all-new machines rumored to making their debut at this year’s Bauma construction trade show.
Construction, Heavy Machinery, Excavation
90 points by zfg 115 days ago | 112 comments
Sand Castle Holds Up a Car – Mechanically Stabilized Earth [video] (youtube.com)
Civil Engineering, Construction, Video, Mechanics
4 points by thunderbong 117 days ago | 0 comments
Good old mud can lower building costs (news.mit.edu)
Buildings cost a lot these days. But when concrete buildings are being constructed, there’s another material that can make them less expensive: mud.
Construction, Building Costs, Materials
4 points by rbanffy 119 days ago | 0 comments
Building a Medieval Castle from Scratch (guedelon.fr)
Architecture, History, Construction, Medieval Times
315 points by CharlesW 120 days ago | 118 comments
Why Hong Kong uses bamboo scaffolding, and meet the spider-men who climb it (scmp.com)
Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding in construction. It’s flexible, strong and cheaper than steel and aluminium — metal alternatives that are now more commonly used in mainland China and elsewhere in Asia.
Construction, Hong Kong, Culture, Sustainability
14 points by thunderbong 132 days ago | 2 comments
Innovative ways to float skyscraper-sized wind turbines (mena-forum.com)
Record-tall Wind Turbine Towers with 3D-printed Concrete Bases were in the news a few years back. Today, here are six innovative ways to float skyscraper-sized wind turbines. These enormous turbines can reach up to 240m tall—about the size of a skyscraper. Since they are so tall, strong winds far above the sea surface tend to cause the turbine to tilt, so platform designs focus on minimising this tilt while still being cost-competitive with other forms of energy.
Renewable Energy, Engineering, Wind Power, Construction, Sustainability
30 points by yread 133 days ago | 12 comments
The engineering behind the San Antonio River Walk (practical.engineering)
I am on location in downtown San Antonio, Texas, where crews have just finished setting up this massive 650-ton crane. The counterweights are on. The outriggers are down. And the jib, an extension for the crane's telescoping boom, is being rigged up. This is the famous San Antonio River Walk, a city park below street level that winds around the downtown district.
Engineering, Construction, Urban Design, Tourism
197 points by impish9208 136 days ago | 49 comments
The Evolution of Tunnel Boring Machines (2023) (construction-physics.com)
Tunneling is an important technology for modern civilization, as a tunnel is often the only reasonable way to create a direct path between two points.
Construction, Engineering, Technology, History
93 points by chautumn 138 days ago | 88 comments
Epic Construction Site in the Saudi Desert Is a Hazard for Workers (wsj.com)
Billed as a futuristic city-state with dazzling architecture including parallel 106-mile-long skyscrapers taller than the Empire State Building, Neom is the centerpiece of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plans to transform his oil-rich country into a modern diversified economy.
Saudi Arabia, Construction, Architecture, Labor, Economy
5 points by Jimmc414 146 days ago | 0 comments