Construction

Construction begins on vertical solar project in the Alps The 2.2 MW vertical solar plant, built on a dam wall at an altitude of almost 2,500 meters above the sea level, is expected to be commissioned within four months. The 2.2 MW project is being built at an altitude of almost 2,500 meters above sea level. Switzerland-based energy company Axpo and power provider IWB announced that construction began on the 2.2 MW vertical PV system they have planned for the Muttsee dam in the Swiss Alps, at an altitude of almost 2,500 meters above sea level. Axpo said it secured...

Chengdu reveals "futuristic" stations for its first fully-automated metro line J&A and Sepanta Design have created a series of station interiors based on forms and patterns found in nature for the first unmanned metro line in Chengdu, China. Designed to provoke emotion among their visitors, the 13 stations feature fluid forms and cellular patterns informed by the local tradition of silk weaving as well as the flora and fauna found in surrounding parks. Above: Jincheng Avenue Station features lilac-coloured columns. Top image: Cuqiao Station is one of 13 stations designed by J&A and Sepanta Design The fully‐automatic, 22-kilometre line has...

ICON builds 3D-printed houses from disaster-proof concrete in Texas Developer 3Strands and construction technology company ICON have built four 3D-printed houses in Austin, Texas, from concrete that's designed to cope with extreme weather. Named East 17th Street Residences, the houses are made from ICON's Portland cement-based material Lavacrete. The Vulcan is ICON's own 3D-printer Lavacrete is designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and is also mould-resistant. "ICON's proven 3D-printing technology provides safer, more resilient homes that are designed to withstand fire, flood, wind and other natural disasters better than conventionally built homes," the company told Dezeen. In 2019, ICON produced...

Foster + Partners presents idea for double-decker Hammersmith Bridge Architecture firm Foster + Partners has developed a proposal for repairing London's Hammersmith Bridge while reopening it by inserting a separate double-decker road raised over the original structure. An extra deck would allow vehicle traffic to drive over the top of a pedestrian and cycle path, freeing up space for workmen to carry out essential repairs. The temporary crossing, which wouldn't rest on the bridge, could be built in two parts and inserted across the bridge from both sides to meet in the middle. Supported by truss structures on both sides,...

"World's first full-scale ship tunnel" gets go ahead to be built in Norway The 1.7-kilometre Stad Ship Tunnel, which will have a pair of stone entrances designed by Snøhetta, has been given the green light and construction is now set to begin in 2022. The Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) received an assignment letter from the Ministry of Transport and Communications to begin preparing for the construction of the project. Designed to make shipping safer along the west coast of Norway, the  Stad Ship Tunnel will connect the Kjødepollen bay and Vanylvsfjorden so that cargo and passenger ships of up to 16,000...