Questions tagged [infrastructure]
The infrastructure tag has no usage guidance.
15
questions
11
votes
5answers
5k views
Why are some public benches made with arm rests that waste so much space?
While watching a YouTube video today, I noticed this public/park bench somewhere in the USA:
It looks strange to me the way the arm rests on each side are so far into the bench, wasting a rather ...
9
votes
7answers
4k views
Why do we pave roads instead of making them from removable parts?
If roads were made of removable parts, we'd probably have fiber cable internet everywhere by now I'd say.
It'd be so much easier to install e.g. new electricity and water infrastructure and to ...
7
votes
4answers
4k views
Why do water mains break in the winter?
It may just be my perception, but it seems like water main breaks (at least in Pittsburgh PA) are more common in the winter during the cold weather. It may just that they are more news worthy in the ...
6
votes
2answers
200 views
Is there a way to reduce leaks and infrastructure damage when turning water on and off at the scale of city?
Cape Town, South Africa is experiencing an extremely serious drought, with estimates putting April 21, 2018 as the day that the city will be forced to shut off all municipal water supplies and begin ...
5
votes
6answers
171 views
Why don't public transport networks have more routes to each terminal?
When using public transport, we often need to change routes in the middle of the journey. These changes have costs – I can think of the following, but there may be more.
If we're reading, working, ...
3
votes
1answer
209 views
Electricity generation via piezoelectric roads, stairways, is it plausible?
I've been wondering if roads and stairways laced with piezoelectric generators be a viable method in clean energy generation?
I'm currently unfamiliar with all engineering aspects of ...
3
votes
1answer
44 views
Why culmination points in tunnels?
The shortest connection between two portals would be a tunnel with constant gradient. Why do long tunnels instead rise from both portals to a culmination point, introducing unnecessary steep gradients?...
3
votes
0answers
120 views
How many Technical Rescue: Collapse Units are there in the US? [closed]
In a story about today's Miami bridge collapse, I saw this photo:
In the upper left, there is a white box truck which seems to say "MIAMI DADE FIRE RESCUE / TECHNICAL RESCUE / COLLAPSE UNIT," even ...
3
votes
0answers
108 views
How does a cable-laying ship retrieve a partly-laid cable?
I was reading an article in the press this week about a project to lay an undersea cable across the Tasman Sea. The ship had had to return to port for repairs and return to complete the job later.
...
1
vote
2answers
180 views
Oil refinery pipeline direct to gas stations
I know major oil pipelines do exists either underground or under the seabed. However, these usually move crude/unrefined oil from refinery to refinery. Yet we don't have refined petroleum or gas ...
1
vote
0answers
33 views
Why is there such a strong focus on 5G in context of remote surgery
Almost every time I see an article or advertisement on 5G, a reference is made to remote surgery. The point that is being made is that 5G has lower latency and remote surgery would be more practical ...
0
votes
4answers
125 views
How can one reliably prevent pedestrian access to a parking garage, but allow vehicular access? [closed]
Consider a typical private parking garage for a condominium or apartment building.
There is currently a typical garage gate that opens and closes (slowly) to allow vehicles to pass safely through the ...
0
votes
2answers
515 views
How is the energy production of solar and wind compared with the prospect of nuclear fusion? [closed]
I am trying to find reliable information and comparisons about the energy production of renewable energy technologies, specifically, how solar and wind alternatives compare to nuclear fusion.
Why is ...
0
votes
1answer
415 views
At what cold ambient air temperature will power lines fail?
I'm wondering just how cold it would have to be before electric power can no longer flow through overhead power lines. I know power lines generate a certain amount of heat just as a side effect from ...
0
votes
0answers
30 views
Are gas distribution networks tree-like?
I was wondering, if it is justified to say, that gas distribution network graphs (primarily in Europe) are typically tree-like. By gas distribution networks I mean municipal and regional distribution ...
