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Engineering Projects that will make an impact in 2023
Engineers are the ones who shape our everyday world. The more impactful the projects are, the better our lives become.
Here are five projects and firms to look out for making waves in Engineering. A common thread connecting them is technology spearheading a more sustainable future.
1. A Silicon Valley Leads the Way for Low-Carbon Timber Construction
San Mateo County’s new office building (COB3) is the first net-zero-energy civic building in the United States constructed with mass timber. Timber is a renewable resource that requires 85% less structural embodied carbon than conventional concrete or steel construction. It’s proving critical infrastructure can still be built and engineered with timber.
2. New York Brand Onyx Solar turns Glass into Generators with Photovoltaic Glazing
Onyx Solar continues to spearhead photovoltaic (BIPV) glazing, which helps buildings generate electricity by turning the whole building envelope into a solar panel. As well as saving on energy bills and earning feed-in tariff revenues, its cost is only marginal over traditional glass since construction and framework costs remain. In contrast, cladding and shading system costs are replaced.
3. UK company Pavegen converts kinetic energy into electricity in the United States
A massively crucial civil engineering technology under development is kinetic energy. Pavegen provides a technology that enables the flooring to harness the power of footsteps. The technology best suits transport hubs where many people will pass over it. While based in London, they continue to step into the US markets with projects in LA, San Francisco, and Chicago.
4. California Firm CyberCity 3D Conceptualizes Fresh Ways to Build
CyberCity3D (CC3D) is a geospatial-modeling innovator producing intelligent 3D building models. It creates smart digital 3D buildings to help the architectural, engineering, and construction sectors visualize and communicate design and data with CC3D proprietary software. New structures can be engineered faster and cheaper with this technology.
5. Florida Company Uses NASA-inspired Insolution in Future Homes
Aerogel, a technology developed by Nasa for cryogenic insulation, is considered one of the most effective thermal insulation materials. Thermablok is a spin-off from Florida that has adapted it using a proprietary aerogel in a fiberglass matrix. Thermablok can help increase the effectiveness of insulation by up to 40%, which decreases heat and energy lost in future homes.