A Bridge That Monitors Itself

Minneapolis's new bridge is designed with a mind to the future
By John Brandon
 
Just a few weeks ago, the new St. Anthony bridge in Minneapolis opened, to a heavy stream of commuter traffic. On August 1, 2007, the original bridge collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring more than 100.

The Future Of Flight: 3-D Printed Planes

NASA, Boeing, and others are using 3-D printed parts in their aircraft. Next up? A printable private jet.
By Davin Coburn
 
Last fall, GE Aviation quietly purchased two small 3-D–printing companies, Morris Technology and Rapid Quality Manufacturing, and in doing so made a loud statement: 3-D printing will shape the future of aircraft.

For the past decade, aerospace manufacturers have used additive printing to prototype select parts. The process is fast and affordable.

The Tallest Mobile Crane

This portable crane can hoist millions of pounds all day long, then drive home like any other 18-wheeler
By Michael Dumiak
 
Built for tasks like lifting 55-ton generators to the top of 300-foot windmills, the Liebherr 11200-9.1 might just be the world’s most monstrous truck. The 108-ton 18-wheeler doubles in weight when the boom—-which with extensions can reach 47 stories—-is attached. Fully assembled, it can lift up to 2.6 million pounds.

Inside China's Secret Arsenal

The Chinese government is rapidly building a bigger, more sophisticated military. Here’s what they have, what they want, and what it means for the U.S.

In a single generation, China has transformed itself from a largely agrarian country into a global manufacturing and trading powerhouse. China’s economy is 20 times bigger than it was two decades ago and is on track to surpass the United States’ as the world’s largest. But perhaps most startling has been the growth of China’s ambitious and increasingly powerful military.

A Smooth, 3-D-Printed, Multicolored, High-Resolution Vase

Desktop 3-D printers often have a resolution problem. Resolution refers to the size of the stream of molten plastic laid down by the machine in layers; if the layers are too big, they become visible, so you can see and feel the grooves in the finished product. Not good! But the ProDesk3D from botObjects, an as-yet-unreleased 3-D printer, says they've conquered this problem.

Ferrari Engineers Create an All-Weather, All-Wheel-Drive Supercar

The mere existence of a 208mph Ferrari wagon confounds expectations. But the $300,000 Ferrari FF also upends the conventional approach to all-wheel drive. And when we tested it in Italy’s Dolomites, we learned what cost-no-object engineering can build: the world’s fastest four-seater and the first foul-weather Ferrari.

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