August 2007 Archives

UMR's own "Moondust Miners" (aka Lunar Miners) got a mention in the September 2007 edition of Wired magazine. Ok, so they only mention the students as being from the University of Missouri, but we know the truth.

The tallest of the bunch, standing about 5 feet high, is a clattering assemblage of aluminum scoops mounted on a red conveyor. It represents a year and a half of work by 11 University of Missouri students, two of whom drove 30 hours to get the thing here. They're still scrambling to apply the finishing touches, slapping masking tape on the cups and adjusting bungee cords to keep it upright.

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson visited UMR today to hear about research into renewable, economical and environmentally-friendly biofuels. UMR is conducting research on microalgae (more info on algae as a potential source of oil here and here) and jatropha in addition to other sources of biodiesel. Above, Emerson got a demonstration of how smokescreens could potentially be deployed/employed on the battle field. This is a small jet engine that is normally produced for high-tech model jet airplanes. A UMR graduate student is running the engine on biofuel to produce smoke that doesn't harm humans or the environment. Among the other topics covered during Emerson's visit was power generation at Fort Leonard Wood. The idea is to generate power at some point in the future using the surrounding forest as fuel. Since the forest needs to be periodically thinned out anyway -- why not use some of the wood for energy?

<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-mine23aug23,1,2943697.story?coll=la-headlines-nation"> Utah mine to close permanently
Los Angeles Times (Thursday, Aug. 23)
Jerry C. Tien, a professor of mining engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla, said he was not surprised by Murray's decision to close the mine -- both because of the apparent safety problems at the site and the questionable economics of the operation.

<a href="http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/othersports/story/33117EDDE9F036208625733F001076E2?OpenDocument"> From haymaker to playmaker
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Wednesday, Aug. 22)
If you think the broiling Midwestern heat makes your job unbearable, imagine spending the summer months the way Ashton Gronewold spends them: bailing hay. ... The centerpiece of Missouri-Rolla's high-powered passing offense, he's a farm-grown All-American, a Say Hay Kid.

Records refute Crandall Canyon owner, show mining plan changed - possibly boosting cave-in risk
Salt Lake Tribune (Wednesday, Aug. 22)
"It's a significant change in terms of pillars or no pillars or robbing the pillars," said Jerry Tien, a mining engineering professor at the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Mine safety should concern everyone
KRCG (Tuesday, Aug. 21)
Missouri is not known for its coal mines, but there are experts here who have studied and trained in mines for years. KRCG's Mallory McGowin travelled to the University of Missouri-Rolla Tuesday to talk to a mining professor and a mining student to learn about the struggles miners face.

Local university trains for mining disaster
KY3 (Friday, Aug. 17)
After nearly two weeks, the rescue operation to find six trapped minors is suspended. Now, a mining company officially in Utah says it's likely their bodies may not be found. ... "There's just so many things that could be in the way," Adam Kresler says. Adam is a senior at the University of Missouri in Rolla.

It's been a busy media week following the Minnesota bridge collapse. Here are a few clips for you to enjoy:

• Kansas and Missouri bridge infrastructure/Future of bridge building technology


• Bridge inspections under scrutiny after collapse


• Monitoring Missouri's bridges


• Cracks in the system?


• Rigid review of our bridges


• Chances of collapse small

UMR is one of four universities slated to receive $3 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation for new research, the DoT announced late last week. The allocation is part of an $18.5 million in transportation research funding for 13 U.S. universities through DoT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration.

Speaking of UMR transportation research, be sure to tune in the PBS's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on Monday night to catch some of UMR's transportation researchers discuss their work and the state of the nation's infrastructure.

I spent today with a crew from the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer as they talked with UMR researchers about the future of bridges (about everything from bridge ratings, improved tools for inspectors and how "plastic" can be used to retrofit ailing bridges and in new construction).

We even took a road trip to St. James, Mo., to see a bridge UMR researchers built without using any concrete. Then we took old Route 66 to see Devil's Elbow, built in 1923.

I learned a lot about corrosion, fatigue, the bridge inspection process and "plastic" bridges. You can too, by tuning into your local PBS station Friday night (Aug. 10). And if your air conditioner is working, I'll guarantee it'll be at least a cooler way to learn.

In the wake of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse in Minnesota, many Missourians are wondering if the same tragedy could strike in their state.

It’s an important question, as a recent study found many of Missouri’s bridges are in desperate need of repair. Of the state’s 24,024 bridges, nearly 20 percent (or 4,595) were deficient, according to a 2006 study by the Federal Highway Administration. Only Iowa, Pennsylvania and Oklahoma have more bridges in poor condition, according to the study.

How do we fix the problems? How do we know when a little crack doesn't spell disaster? These are questions UMR researchers -- like DJ Belarbi, Genda Chen, Nick Marianos, and John Myers, to name a few -- are tackling.