Following hot on the heels of electric cars, solar-storing roof tiles, and the super-fast Hyperloop transport system, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has begun work on yet another city-shaping concept: a network of underground of tunnels that will ease congestion in gridlocked cities. Musk has founded a new firm, drily named The Boring Company, to develop the concept – with the first tunnel network visualised for Los Angeles. A video has

A team of engineers in Saudi Arabia has proposed how stadium seats in the near future could be made more sustainably using the fibres of palm trees. A five-member group from Al Faisal University submitted the plan as part of a regional innovation competition established by the Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, which is overseeing the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the country. The team’s method involves using

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) have formed their own specialised BIG Engineering unit, which will be dedicated to “ensuring the structural, mechanical integrity and resilience of BIG buildings globally.” Duncan Horswill, the former chief operating officer of Copenhagen company Søren Jensen Engineers, has been hired to lead the new team. Studio founder Bjarke Ingels said the move would allow the practice to “stretch the boundaries of the physical, financial, regulatory and

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has released a new video exploring the architectural inspiration and complex engineering challenges facing its forthcoming branch in Dundee, Scotland. The new film features interviews with the building's architect Kengo Kuma, the executive director of Dundee City Council Mike Galloway and some of the engineers and builders charged with realising the ambitious vision for a cultural landmark capable of reigniting the city’s waterfront. They

Molecules 10,000 times narrower than the width of a human hair could hold the key to building towering wooden skyscrapers in the future, new research has found. A father and son team at the Universities of Warwick and Cambridge in England have unlocked the mystery of how key sugars in cells bind to form strong, indigestible materials – a finding they believe could lead to the creation of super-strong skyscraper-supporting

Elevating new buildings above existing transport infrastructure is an increasingly viable way of unlocking commercial value from previously undevelopable properties, a leading engineering consultant has told CLAD. Ian Washbrook, associate at Entuitive, believes that innovative new technologies and engineering solutions can ensure downtown areas continue to develop even as available sites become more scarce. The firm’s Canadian office, which Washbrook leads, is currently building Calgary’s New Central Library above the

Hyperloop One, the Los Angeles firm racing to build the world’s first Hyperloop high-speed transport system, has signed a deal with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to pursue a passenger and cargo network in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In a high-profile ceremony held in in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa today (8 November), the company offered a first glimpse of how its hyperloop system could work, and showcased how the

A Dutch design agency is developing a new solution to moving vertically between floors in a building: a system that relies on “vertical walking.” The Rombout Frieling Lab has created a prototype for a new technology called Vertiwalk that makes it easier for the ageing population and people with disabilities to move vertically between floors. This “smart staircase” features vertical rails and a gripping system and is operated without the

American architect Steven Holl has been honoured for creating urban environments that actively use daylight to boost quality of life, human health, wellbeing and performance. The architect has been named the winner of the 2016 Daylight Award in Architecture; an accolade presented by three charitable foundations formed by civil engineer and skylight innovator Villum Kann Rasmussen. Holl will be honoured at an awards ceremony in Copenhagen on 2 November. The

The largest and highest observation wheel in the world is taking shape on Dubai’s Bluewaters Island, with the structure’s hub and spindle safely placed on top of its 126m (413ft) high legs. Two of the world’s largest cranes have assembled the key components of the wheel, which will be called Ain Dubai. The current weight of the structure is 1,805 tonnes – equivalent to four Airbus A380 aircraft. The hub

Transport officials in New York are considering expanding the city’s historic Brooklyn Bridge due to the congestion caused by swathes of pedestrians, tourists, vendors and cyclists. Global engineering consultancy AECOM have been commissioned to begin a seven-month engineering study assessing how much weight the 133-year old bridge can carry and considering options for expansion. Mooted suggestions include widening the promenade. The bridge contains a crossing for cars at a lower