Archived News for Engineering Professionals

In the wake of the Typhoon Haiyan crisis in the Philippines, the efforts of transport, logistics and emergency management crews are keeping people alive.

Billions banked on bus-rail build

The Queensland Government has unveiled plans to build a $5 billion dual bus and train tunnel across 5.4 kilometres of Brisbane’s CBD.

Hyundai's hydro debut set

For years people have said that the only real replacement for internal combustion engines would be a hydrogen-driven motor, but that is too far off. Not anymore.

Jobs lost as mine slowing flows to supplier's pockets

Hundreds have lost their jobs as prominent mining equipment manufacturer Caterpillar continues to feel the strain of a not-quite-booming resources sector.

Legs and limits stretched for Van Damme good demo

Jean-Claude Van Damme has made a bold show in the name of safety, stretching his body to the limit to advertise electronically-assisted steering.

Maven makes Mars-bound leap from Earth

NASA has sent its most recent robotic explorer into space, launching the Maven spacecraft towards Mars

Plan would see Port sold to fund road fix

The Victorian Labor party claims it will get 5000 trucks per day off congested Melbourne roads with a $6 billion transport plan – if it wins next year’s state election.

Sand mine expansion sees Government backing, community outrage

The expansion of a silica mine in New South Wales has been recommended for approval by the Department of Planning, but will face continuing clashes with activists opposed to the 15 million tonne dig.

Toll sought to patch inter-state Tanami track

The thousand-or-so kilometres of highway between the southern end of the Northern Territory to the northern end of Western Australia may become a sealed toll road for trucks, if a local group gets its way.

New search to single-out solar improvements

Cambridge researchers have gone back to the drawing board for solar cells, looking to redesign the entire system to allow better efficiency with cheaper materials.

Next level X-ray to put eyes on energetic atoms

An anode upgrade means Melbourne is now home to the most powerful X-ray machine ever developed.

Students given online keys to 27,000 degree plasma rig

A new project gives any student or teacher with an internet connection remote access to real a physics lab, and all the scientific discoveries they hold.

Commission plots the best path to road re-vamp

The Federal Government has unleashed the Productivity Commission on the task of investigating infrastructure costs, looking for the best way to deliver on their promise for significant improvements.

Fallout already in China's huge water-moving plan

China is planning an incredible geo-engineering effort that would see nature re-worked for the benefit of agriculture.

Jobs take flight as Qantas culls to cut costs

Qantas has dropped the axe on hundreds of engineers at its Avalon maintenance base, devastating families in an effort to cut costs.

Mini-microphone plan plots road to future

An internationally-renowned Australian microphone manufacturer has given itself some future leg-room, moving to a new site and eyeing new manufacturing methods.

Robot revolution digs on snails and clams for help

Engineers have - as they often do - taken more cues from the designs nature developed millions of years ago.

3D-printed body parts brought closer by long-life liver

A company in the United States has created a small section of human liver, which was alive and able to filter toxins and retain nutrients for 40 days.

Cheap trick yields new world of power supply

Researchers and engineers in the United States have designed a new method for generating electricity, which gathers power from lost energy sources such as microwave signals, sounds or even Wi-Fi.

Green lights in DNA-driven train track trial

Scientists have developed a remarkable new system for chemical transport within the body, using nano-scale motors controlled by DNA.

Helium injection boosts pitch for disk-based drives

While many are moving to solid-state hard-drives for increased speed in their personal computing, a new method has squeezed more life out of the traditional spinning disk drive.