Stories indexed under: Civil and environmental engineering

Total: 35   RSS feed

• Road block: Fixing aquatic ecosystem connectivity doesn’t end with dams May 29, 2013 Over the last several years, state agencies and environmental nonprofit organizations have targeted dam removal as a way to quickly improve the health of aquatic ecosystems. Dams keep migratory fish from swimming upriver to spawn, block nutrients from flowing downstream, and change the entire hydrology of a watershed. From an ecosystem perspective, taking down a dam and returning a river to a more natural flow seems like a no-brainer.
• 100-year study mirrors U.S. history of concrete Dec. 16, 2010 Almost since the beginning of recorded history, people have used concrete substances in everything from infrastructure to artwork.
• Warning system shows potential for alleviating crashes at dangerous rural intersections Dec. 1, 2010 University of Wisconsin-Madison transportation-safety engineers are testing a system on a northern Wisconsin highway that could help reduce crashes at rural intersections across the country.
• New simulator puts UW-Madison on the map for driving research Nov. 11, 2010 There's only one place in Wisconsin where a driver can send text messages, speed or engage in other risky behaviors with no risk of an accident: the new University of Wisconsin-Madison Driving Simulation Laboratory.
• Mississippi Valley Freight Coalition now the Mid-America Freight Coalition Nov. 4, 2010 An organization that focuses on planning, operating, preserving and improving freight transportation infrastructure and networks throughout the Midwest has a new name, although its mission remains the same.
• New technique shows 50-year history of toxic algae in Lake Wingra Oct. 28, 2010 As public health officials worry about rising concentrations of cyanobacteria - often called blue-green algae - in lakes, scientists are concerned that a warming climate will stimulate the growth of cyanobacteria.
• Long collaboration with sewer district helps city, university Aug. 19, 2010 The passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972 ushered in a revolution in sewage treatment. Faced with tightening restrictions on the water and solids it must release after treatment, the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) turned to experts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for advice.
• UW-Madison engineer lends experience to ambitious bridge-building effort July 8, 2010 Remote and virtually undisturbed, the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge boasts a bounty of flora and fauna, both common and rare species that thrive in the largest delta floodplain in the upper Midwest.
• Pecatonica River provides scientific basis for future restoration projects Feb. 23, 2010 Environmental groups annually spend upwards of $1 billion on projects aimed at restoring streams and former wetland ecosystems to their native states.
• UW-Madison, Beloit partnership produces water-run scooter Dec. 8, 2009 At first glance, a 50-cc Vespa scooter and a squad car may not appear to have much in common.
• Middle East air-quality study bridges borders Oct. 27, 2009 An unprecedented effort to collect air pollution data in the Middle East has united researchers in a region mired in conflict.
• Will a well-mixed, warmer lake doom invasive fish? July 30, 2009 The rainbow smelt, an invasive fish that threatens native species such as walleye and perch, may soon be feeling the heat - literally.
• Engineering students use EPA funding to conserve water at medical school complex April 2, 2009 A group of University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering and science students are working to drastically reduce the amount of water used on the grounds of one of the university's latest building projects, and they've received funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to do it.
• Hydrologist named Gaylord Nelson Professor March 23, 2009 A University of Wisconsin-Madison hydrologist widely known for his work in watershed protection has been named the university's next Gaylord Nelson Distinguished Professor.
• Going green, one moped at a time Feb. 26, 2009 Sixteen UW-Madison engineering students spent last fall figuring out how to make the Vespa scooter more green.
• Common soil mineral degrades the nearly indestructible prion Jan. 14, 2009 In the rogues' gallery of microscopic infectious agents, the prion is the toughest hombre in town.
• Engineering teamwork gives bridge building a lift Oct. 22, 2008
• Engineering students partner with Red Cliff Indian Reservation to improve community infrastructure Aug. 15, 2008 "Hello, or as they say around here, 'boozhoo!'" called out Tim Funk, tribal planner for the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, to four engineering students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB).
• UW-Madison students improve Ecuador water quality Aug. 7, 2008 Civil and environmental engineering students used their senior design capstone project as an opportunity to fix a water pipeline serving five communities in Ecuador.
• Students design ‘disaster’ for Wisconsin rescue training facility June 2, 2008 When University of Wisconsin-Madison civil and environmental engineering students Dan Zignego, Jake Varnes, Bill Schmitz and Nick Bobinski began a design project meant to be the crowning glory of their educational careers, they never thought it would turn into such a disaster.