N E WSBR I E FS

majoR SEISmIC EVENt IN CaLIFoRNIa pREdICtEd

(3 m) in height in dry conditions and yet tolerates heat, saline conditions, and floodingcan be used to create both ethanol and food. this marks an improvement over corn, the crop traditionally used to make ethanol in the united states. each stalk of corn can be used only once to produce either food or ethanol. But because the grain in sweet sorghum is located at the top of the stalk, it can be removed for food processing before the stalk is crushed to produce the sugary liquid that is used to create ethanol. the institute has also found that, in contrast to corn-based ethanol, which uses one and a half times more energy in being produced than it offers as an end product, sweet sorghum produces eight units of fuel for every unit of fuel used to make it. the institute has joined forces with the tata Group, headquartered in Mumbai (Bombay), India, to produce more than 10,000 gal (37,850 L) of ethanol daily from locally grown sweet sorghum. According to the institute, because sweet sorghum grows in arid areas it does not create the same deforestation issues that are encountered in producing biofuels based on palm oil, which are made in southeast Asia, or sugarcane-based biofuels, which are made in Brazil.
reuters news service

here is a 99 percent probability that california will experience an earthquake with a magnitude 6.7 or more on the richter scale within the next 30 years, according to a new study sponsored by the u.s. Geological survey (usgs), the california Geological survey, and the southern california earthquake center. In northern california, the most likely location of an event with a magnitude of at least 6.7 is along the Hayward-rodgers creek Fault, and the probability of such an event occurring within the next 30 years is 31 percent. In southern california the probability of a quake with a magnitude of at least 7.5 occurring in the next 30 years is put at 46 percent. the forecast also finds a 10 percent chance that the 750 mi (1,207 km) long cascadia subduction Zone, which is located off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and a portion of northern california, will experience an earthquake of magnitude 8 to 9 somewhere along its length. surprisingly, the new probabilities calculated in southern california for the elsinore and san Jacinto faults are about half those previously determined. the new earthquake study, formally the uniform california earthquake rupture Forecast, is the first to include statewide probability figures. conducted by a multidisciplinary group of scientists and engineers known as the Working Group on california earthquake Probabilities, the study combines information from the fields of seismology, earthquake geology, and geodesy.
u.s. Geological survey

to the islands and remove waste, while damping and mooring systems will stabilize the islands to give occupants the experience of being on solid ground. Minor shaking is anticipated only if large storms sweep through. the firms partners hope that the floating architecture they develop will change the notions that people have about where it is possible to build.
national Public radio

CEmENt uSE IS ExpECtEd to dECLINE

he Portland cement Association (pca), based in skokie, Illinois, has announced that it expects the current downturn in the u.s. economy to significantly affect the nations cement consumption and the construction industry. the pca forecasts that the nations consumption of portland cement will drop 11 percent this year and an additional 5.5 percent in 2009. the peak-to-trough decline in consumption will total nearly 30 million metric tons, making it one of the worst industry downturns since the Great Depression. representatives of the organization say that high fuel costs, slow job creation, and tight lending standards will probably be a drag on new construction activity. residential construction, nonresidential construction, and public projects are all expected to slow, but there is hope: the pca predicts that all regions of the united states will see strong growth in cement consumption by the second half of 2010.
Portland cement Association

FLoatING ISLaNdS to WRItE out aRaBIC poEm

lans are moving forward to build a series of floating islands in Dubayy (Dubai) that will write out a poem written by sheikh Mohammed bin rashid Al Maktoum, the vice president and prime minister of the united Arab emirates and the crown prince of Dubayy. Approval to build the string of islands, which will feature hotels, restaurants, and other amenities, has been granted to Dutch Docklands, a company that specializes in floating structures and has an office in the city of Dubayy. According to the firm, flexible pipes will convey water and electricity

SWEEt SoRGhum pRoduCES GREEN EthaNoL

RoCkEt-dEStRoyING oSCILLatIoNS REpLICatEd IN LaBoRatoRy

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he International crops research Institute for the semi-Arid tropics, headquartered in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, has found that individual stalks of sweet sorghuma plant that grows to approximately 10 ft

strange wave phenomenon has plagued rocket scientists for decades: powerful, unstable sound waves that can develop sufficient force to destroy a rockets engine at any given moment but that cannot be replicated in a laboratory. But
Civil Engineering June 2008