concrete core

12.03.08

Standing Tall

New designs and materials will make future skyscrapers sturdier, safer, and smarter.

By Michael Dolan Posted 12.11.2001 at 2:34 pm 0 Comments

The idea of building a tower to
touch the sky goes back thousands of years. And within the past century, architects and engineers have designed seemingly impossible structures that stand a quarter-mile high -- a tribute to humanity's need to test the limits, as well as a way to alleviate congestion in crowded cities. But after terrorists crashed two hijacked passenger planes into New York City's tallest buildings on September 11, leveling both of the Twin Towers, iconic skyscrapers around the world suddenly gained a new label: target.

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speedy The Fastest Swimsuit on Earth
"At the Beijing Olympic pool, perhaps the only star bigger than Michael Phelps was his swimsuit. The Speedo LZR (pronounced "laser"), like Phelps, didn't disappoint: 16 of the 32 gold-medal winners wore the full-body suit, and another 13 wore LZR pants."
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speedy A Finish that Repairs Itself
"It won't save you from a key-gouging vandal, but the finish on the 2008 Infiniti EX and FX-model SUVs can erase scrapes caused by, say, car washes or stray branches."
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speedy Boeing Advanced Tactical Laser
"Truck-mounted IED-destroying lasers have already been tested in Iraq, but firing lasers from an airplane is a more difficult proposition."
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speedy A Spit Test for Heart Attacks
"This year, San Antonio EMT crews began using a spit test that detects cardiac arrest faster, more accurately and more cheaply than other diagnostic tests."

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