concrete

The future tallest tower in the world has grown again. His biggest obstacle was not in the concrete

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Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates shared a regional agenda and a particularly close relationship between their leaders for years. Over time, this cooperation began to coexist with an increasingly visible rivalry: both compete to attract investment, gain regional influence and develop economies less dependent on crude oil. If we want to observe that race without resorting to macroeconomic figures, just look at its urban horizons. He Burj Khalifa it turned Dubai into a world reference; A project called to surpass that mark began to rise on the Saudi coast. That project is Jeddah Tower and, after years in detention, it has regained height. The new contract to complete construction It was signed on October 2, 2024but the return of the works also began to be seen on the ground when the structure officially surpassed 100 floors and 400 meters on April 20, 2026. The most recent update from Thornton Tomasetti, published on June 18placed it close to the 104th floor. The work is progressing again; What we have to understand now is why he stopped doing it for so long. The scale helps to understand why the project seemed capable of getting bogged down for purely technical reasons. Jeddah Tower was designed to exceed one kilometer in height and reach 157 plantsleaving behind the 828 meters of the Burj Khalifa. To support it, the engineers proposed a five-meter-thick foundation slab supported on 270 piles, some sunk up to 105 meters. Above, a network of interconnected concrete walls must distribute the building’s loads and limit the effects of wind without resorting to a conventional structure of columns and large beams. Jeddah Tower construction status in May 2026 The project had begun long before Saudi Arabia presented Vision 2030. The tower was announced in 2011 and work started in 2013 with a clear ambition: to build the tallest building in the world in Jeddah and turn it into the center of a new urban development. During its first stage, the structure reached 63 of the planned 157 floors before being stopped. Its revival can now be read in the context of Saudi diversification, but the project was conceived five years before the kingdom presented its major economic transformation program. Jeddah Tower construction status in May 2026 The stoppage came in the midst of a business and financial crisis that affected two fundamental actors of the project. In 2017, Saudi anti-corruption campaign led to arrest of Alwaleed bin Talal, linked to the promoter through Kingdom Holding, and of Bakr bin Laden, then president of Saudi Binladin Group. The contractor was also going through financial difficulties and construction ended up halted in 2018. Jeddah Tower construction status in May 2026 The return needed more than just new announcements and calendars on paper. The completion of the skyscraper was once again in the hands of Saudi Binladin Group, the same contractor that had participated in its first stage, with a planned period of 42 months. If completed without further delays, work should be completed around April 2028, although there is no firm opening date yet. The decisive test came later: the pace of construction was maintained throughout 2025 and into 2026. After years of uncertainty, the project has gotten underway again. Growing back doesn’t mean being close to done. Although the cladding of the façade and the first mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations are already underway, Much of that work still needs to be completed.in addition to the elevators, security systems, finishes and all the necessary tests before opening the building. Until then, the Burj Khalifa will officially continue to hold the world record. Saudi Arabia has already shown that it can return the tower to activity; The next challenge will be to maintain financing and finish the work. Images | Thornton Tomasetti | Saudi Binladin Group In Xataka | In Italy they were promised happiness with a new Roman amphitheater from the 4th century. Until it was discovered that it was a “fake” concrete

Hadrian’s toilet reveals a new secret about the durability of Roman concrete

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One of the best kept secrets of the Roman Empire is What was special about your concrete? so that Agrippa’s Pantheon has been there for 2,000 years (and what remains). From time to time science and archeology believe you have discovered the secret and for example, a button: this half-finished work in Pompeii left clues. We have found the umpteenth attempt to explain why concrete is no longer made like it used to be in an emperor’s toilet. The discovery. To date the explanation for the resistance of Roman concrete is in the reaction between lime and volcanic ash (a pozzolanic reaction), but a new study adds one more ingredient to the recipe: natural carbonation and the progressive formation of calcite were also important for this construction material to withstand the passage of time so well. In addition to the ingredient, the curious thing is where they took the sample from: from the concrete collector located under one of the seats of one of the common latrines in the western complex of the Canopus, in Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli. From a toilet. Why is it important. Because beyond the pozzolanic reaction, what really holds concrete together over the centuries is calcite. So the formation of calcite over centuries also helps the structures of these latrines to remain standing two millennia later. Knowing this mechanism opens the doors to the design of modern cements that are more durable. Context. Before we thought that all the merit fell on the reaction between the lime and the ash and be careful, that explanation is still valid, but it is not the only one. Furthermore, previous research such as this MIT study from 2023 pointed out that the white fragments of lime present in the concrete were proof that the Romans used a “hot mix” technique, which gave this construction material the ability to self-heal when cracks appeared. In detail. From 3D images, the team rebuilt in detail the internal composition of the material and what chemical processes it underwent over the centuries. Thus, they verified that calcite was formed through a slow reaction between lime, humidity and carbon dioxide in the air (carbonation) and that mineral progressively filled cracks and pores, making the concrete denser and blocking the passage of potentially harmful substances or even water. The volcanic rock fragments also reacted with the lime in the edge area, which strengthened the bond. Yes, but. The main limitation of this study is that it is based in a single sample from an indoor environment, so the conclusions obtained cannot be directly extrapolated to other Roman concretes studied outdoors or in marine environments, where Different self-repair mechanisms have been described with salt water. We will have to wait for the results to be replicated in other samples and sites before reaching a general conclusion. In Xataka | Almost 2,000 years ago a Celtiberian soldier visited the most remote frontier of the Roman Empire. Then he returned to Soria with a souvenir In Xataka | The latest victim of mass tourism (and perhaps Game of Thrones): Hadrian’s Wall Cover | Jl FilpoC and Mineralized carbonates contribute to the millennial durability of Roman concrete. Advanced Science

Due to the lack of steel, World War II ships began to be built with an unusual material: concrete

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Close your eyes and think about the main material of a boat. Very possibly wood be first that comes to mind, and it’s normal: we have been sailing in wooden boats for millennia, and we continue to do so. But it is also logical that the steel that dominated the 19th and 20th century shipsand the current sea monstersideas haunt you. And most likely you have not thought about another material: the concrete. But yes, for 150 years we were creating concrete boats, and far from being crazy, it was the most logical idea. And they were even used in the First and Second World War. a french. One fine day in the mid-19th century, a French gentleman named Joseph-Louis Lambot It occurred to him to build a boat. Not just any one: a reinforced concrete one. There was one problem: in 1848, they had no idea what reinforced concrete was. This material, basically, is the mixture between concrete and steel. Both combine to create something with much greater structural resistance and have been the basis of the most imposing skyscrapers, dams and almost any construction of the last century since its invention. Well, it was Joseph-Louis who came up with the idea of ​​combining the two materials. At least, it attributes the invention of reinforced concrete to this man. As always, there is controversy over the dates, who patented reinforced concrete, who built the first slab, etc. But anyway: Lambot wanted to test his invention and built a small boat of less than four meters with the aim of exhibiting it at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855. Quite a few advantages. Basically, the interior was wire mesh covered by cement and Lambot’s idea was to completely replace wood. The invention was liked, but it did not really attract the attention of boat manufacturers. Some barges were created for European canals, but little else. Everything changed when the Italian engineer Carlo Gabellini built the Liguria in 1896. It is what we consider to be the first reinforced concrete ship designed to sail on the high seas. And, really, it made sense to create reinforced concrete ships. It is a material that has great resistance to corrosion, so the marine environment does not damage the hull, reducing maintenance (which also has it) and extending its useful life. It offered good thermal insulation, so perishable resources could be transported in better conditions and there were no fire problems. The Namsenfjord In the absence of bread… A few years later, the construction of these concrete ships expanded and other countries began to build them, especially cargo ships. But of course, we are in 1914 and that means that something happened: the World War I. And beyond the advantages of concrete over other materials, the world was forced to create concrete boats for a very simple reason: there was no steel. The militarization and industrialization of the belligerent forces caused a situation of steel shortage. The ships were important, since the naval supremacy It has always been a determining factor in a conflict, but with the steel necessary for a destroyer many other things could be created. And the problem is that they had to continue building ships because there were resources to move worldwide. The First World War. The revolution came with Namsenfjorda Norwegian ship that, in 1917, demonstrated that self-propelled concrete boats could be made. It was 26 meters long and weighed a whopping 400 tons and most importantly: the United States saw that there was potential in these ships beyond serving as freighters powered by an auxiliary ship. Thus, they created the Emergency Fleet Corporation program with the objective of producing 24 concrete vessels. It was a failure: those that were completed were done after the war, so they had to be used for other things. One was the SS Faithwhich was going to serve in the war, but in the end it was left to be used in transportation work in the United States. It was launched in 1919, was in service until 1921 when it was sold to Cuba and had a length of 97.54 meters. A year after Faith, the SS Selmaan enormous mass of reinforced concrete measuring 129.54 meters in length that was launched just the day Germany signed the Treaty of Versaillesending the First World War. It ended up being used as an oil tanker in the Gulf of Mexico. With sails and a secondary support engine Devastating disadvantages. With the war over, interest in concrete shipbuilding waned. It still had advantages, since building them was much cheaper than making them in steel or iron, but if we mentioned a series of advantages before, it is important to now know the disadvantages (which outweigh them, and by far). To match the strength of a steel hull, a concrete hull is thicker, which has several limitations. On the one hand, it weighs more, so it also has a greater draft, the ship’s movement is slower and more fuel is needed. Being thicker means that there is less interior space for cargo, since the useful volume is reduced. This weight means that the engines must be more powerful and the fuel tanks must also be larger, so the investment in this part is greater. The dam to build it must also be monstrous because parts cannot be welded, as in a steel one, and then there is the impact resistance. Second World War. Metal breaks, yes, but it has greater elasticity than concrete. This material, however, is much more fragile when faced with impacts. A collision causes a crack in the hull, and this in a boat that weighs so much is a condemnation. That is why, after the Great War, the concrete ship project was abandoned, leaving its construction practically limited to cargo barges, but then the Second World War arrived, and the steel needs of the previous one were repeated. However, the US program was not as ambitious as the one they started … Read more

The wind industry has been dreaming for years of a turbine that can be assembled without concrete or machinery. France has said ‘hold my cubata’

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When we think about wind energy, the first thing that comes to mind is turbines with huge shovels that we usually see in the distance when driving on some highways in the country or the infographics of Chinese companies with XXL towers for marine plants. In France, a designer has decided to rethink those ideas and become a question: What if we could have a light, modular wind turbine that did not require complex (and very expensive) installations and was also recyclable and scalable, so it would be useful for both self-consumption and industry? The result is Wind to Watt. Wind power without megaprojects. we like them the megastructures. It’s no secret. That is why it is not strange that when we talk about wind (both onshore and offshore) the projects that resonate the most are those that involve huge turbines, gigantic towers and XL shovelslike the model of 153 meters and almost 90 tons devised by the Chinese company Dongfang Electric (DEC). In the sector, however, there are people who work with another approach: new modular wind turbines that make wind power popular at the domestic leveljust as it has been doing (for many years now) photovoltaics. Squaring the circle (wind). A few years ago the French designer Fabien Brun decided to move in that same direction, that of scalable wind power, asking itself some questions: Would it be possible to design a light, modular turbine, easy to transport, economical, recyclable and that also does not require complicated installations, such as concrete platforms capable of supporting large towers? They are not minor questions. Quite the opposite. They address some of the main challenges that wind power faces, such as how to make installations cheaper or what the hell to do with tons and tons of blades that reach the end of their useful life and are made with fiberglass, carbon, resins and other compounds that complicate their recycling. There are those who estimate that in 2030 only in Europe there will be more than 50,000 wind turbines that will have reached their useful life period, which is usually estimated at 20 years. The result: Wind to Watt. The result of those questions is Wind to Wattwhich is presented as “the first 1 kW wind turbine without the need for civil works, designed for mass production and global scalability.” Unlike conventional wind turbines, what Brun proposes is a light structure made of aluminum tubes and plastic canvas, which has two great advantages. First, it simplifies and speeds up assembly. Second, it prevents you from having to prepare concrete bases or alter the terrain before installing it. “Silent and minimal impact”. Those responsible for Wind to Watt also claim that by using tubes and tarpaulins it reduces costs, facilitates transportation and is manufactured with recyclable materials. They also argue that the generator can be adapted to any type of context, both on land and in marine parks, and that it does not generate noise pollution. “Its operation is silent and has minimal visual impact,” ditch from the company. What about power? The team ensures that their turbine is scalable and they offer six different models. The most basic and smallest measures 1×2 m, generates 0.3 kW and is designed primarily for residential use and self-consumption. The largest measures 10×20 m, has a power of 62.4 kW (more than 1,500 kWh/day) and those responsible assure that it serves to supply energy networks. Of course, in your catalog They include smaller models, 10.4 kW or 20.8 kW, theoretically designed for light industry or data centers. As far as prices are concerned, the company assures that the cost per kW installed is around 2,500 euros and its maintenance costs about 50 euros per year. According to the calculations of those responsible, it saves 500 euros per year and the investment is recovered after five years, a fifth of its useful life (25 years). What phase is it in? It still has a way to go to become a widespread solution, but those responsible defend the path they have already taken. “The company, which has been technically and commercially validated at an international level, is entering the industrialization and commercial structuring phase,” points out Brun, who insists that the turbine is designed “for mass production and global deployment without heavy infrastructure.” Their goal is to begin their pilot deployment this year. Images | Wind to Watt In Xataka | Renewable, coal or nuclear: where each country in the world gets its electricity from, in a detailed graph

Throwing concrete into the sea is usually a disaster or cause for conflict. The United Kingdom is using it to revive an ecosystem

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When huge blocks of concrete are thrown to the bottom of the sea, we can think that whoever is doing it is looking for a territorial conflict or even to ruin the ecosystem, as It was already seen in Gibraltar in 2013 in order to prevent fishing. However, on the coast of the United Kingdom, this same action of throw concrete blocks It has become the spearhead of one of the most ambitious bioengineering and ecological restoration projects in Europe, despite being contradictory. The objective. The objective of throwing these blocks is to bring reefs back to life of native North Sea oysters, lost more than a century ago due to overfishing, pollution and the destruction of their habitat. Heavy engineering. At first glance, it seems simple to take some concrete blocks and throw them over the side of a boat. But in reality the 20 blocks recently deployed off the coast of Tyne and Wear are actually pieces of green high-tech. And it’s no wonder, because have been developed ARC Marine under the name Reef Cubes and made with a special material called “Marine Crete”. Furthermore, they are not small at all, because each of these cubes weighs six tons and measures one and a half meters high. Why this weight? This initiative promoted by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the Wild Oysters project and Groundwork, leaves nothing to chance, since the fact of launching these heavy masses of concrete is explained by the British climate. In the previous phases of this project, the team encountered devastating storms that destroyed all restoration attempts. That is why these six-tonne masses ensure that the violent ocean currents and waves of the North Sea do not move the structures even one centimeter so that they can develop their final objective. Its usefulness. The magic actually happens on the surface of the block, as these cubes are not entirely smooth, but are designed with complex rough textures and artificial pores that perfectly mimic natural marine surfaces. These automatically become the perfect anchorage for life to thrive and an ideal refuge for fish and crustaceans. The role of oysters In addition to the roughness, 4,000 native European oysters have been placed inside each of these 20 immense cubes thanks to the efforts of 190 local volunteers. And it makes all the sense in the world, because beyond their great gastronomic value, oysters They are the great “purifiers” of the ocean. To give us an idea, a single adult oyster is capable of filtering up to 200 liters of water per day. In this way, when they feed they eliminate pollutants, nitrogen and excess nutrients, radically improving the quality of coastal water and allowing sunlight to penetrate deeper, which in turn stimulates the growth of marine flora. In short, these blocks act as a new ‘home’ for the animals that live on the seabed, but also as a way to clean their environment. It already gave results. The robustness of using thousands of tonnes of concrete on the seabed has already been tested in Scotland with great success, and now this project is just the beginning of what is to come. That is why, while these artificial reefs begin to filter millions of liters of water daily in the north, other projects are taking note to scale the idea to titanic proportions. In Norfolk, initiatives such as Oyster Heaven and Norfolk Seaweed are already planning the deployment of 40,000 clay “Mother Reefs” by the end of 2026. Their goal is to house 4 million juvenile oysters, which would officially be crowned the largest restored reef in all of Europe. In this way, throwing blocks into the sea has gone from being a technique to create conflicts between regions to being able to recover part of an ecosystem. Images | Robert Katzki Nicolas Arnold In Xataka | The “green belt” of the Earth had been stable for centuries: now it is moving towards the northern hemisphere in a worrying way

We have been fascinated, confused and intrigued by Roman “concrete” for three decades. Pompeii is going to solve it for us

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Almost 2,000 years have passed since Mount Vesuvius unleashed a pyroclastic hell that devastated everything that was around it. That was what ended Pompeii, but it was also what gave it eternity. The Roman city began to be excavated in 1739 and, we believe, a third of the city is still underground. That’s why it still continues to surprise us. A work half done. That week in the summer of the year 79 AD, the first domes of the X insula of the IX regio was under construction. This is not surprising, of course. All of Pompeii had been under construction for almost two decades (since the earthquake of 62). However, the curious thing is that on the night of August 24, the workers were caught with everything bogged down. Plumb lines, chisels and weights; stacked tiles, tufa bricks; amphorae filled with lime, reused demolition materials and piles of pozzolans scattered on the ground. Everything has remained there, untouched, until a team from the MIT Department of Civil Engineering found and cataloged them. “The weapon of crime.” By reconstructing the scene and studying the processes, researchers concluded that these masons left incontrovertible evidence of how they mixed “hot” quicklime with volcanic ash to create concrete capable of repairing itself. In fact, as Miguel Ángel Criado collectsthings go further: the chemical and crystallographic analysis of the materials reveals quicklime (calcium oxide) in the structural concrete and slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) in the finishing mortars, thus confirming a double differentiated use. Have we finally found the key to Roman concrete? A recurring question. In 2023, I already said that “Every so often, the world rediscovers Roman concrete and is amazed by the durability of a material that allows Agrippa’s Pantheon to stand for 2,000 years.” “While modern concrete cracks after a few decades,” they usually add. By the way, “almost with the same regularity, there is some scientist or engineer who claims to have found the key secret to making this so.” But the truth, the true truth, is that despite its undoubted historiographical interest (and its potential for illuminate our knowledge of the masonry practices of 1st century Rome), the hype is always unjustified. The two mistakes of Roman concrete. When talking about Roman concrete, a lot of mistakes are usually made, but there are two recurring ones: the first is “the survivor’s bias.” As Manuel F. Herrador reminded usprofessor of Structural Concrete at the School of Civil Engineering of the Universidade da Coruña, the idea of ​​the extraordinary quality of Roman concrete comes from studying, precisely, the best structures they made, the ones that have been best preserved. Instead, most of what the Romans built has already completely disappeared and cannot be studied. The second error is even more basic and is based on ignoring that with Roman concrete we couldn’t do even a tenth of the things we do today with modern concrete. For example, today we can make long and relatively narrow “pieces” thanks to reinforced concrete. That was impossible with Roman construction techniques and is what makes our structures corrode faster. Who wouldn’t like a Roman concrete…? We already knew that Roman concrete is not a single miraculous material, but a family of recipes adapted to local environments and resources (ports, temples, roads, thermal baths). This finding only confirms it; but, in a calculated way, it is used to take advantage of the expectation that this material generates in the public imagination. And if it weren’t for making invisible the excellent work of contemporary researchers, it wouldn’t be a problem either. Because what is evident is that we do not make “Roman-style concrete” not because of ignorance; we don’t do it because we don’t want tobecause it does not serve the world we want to build. Image | Andy Holmes In Xataka | We have a problem with concrete: the same technology that allowed us to build the modern world threatens its future

We have a problem with wind blades and another with concrete. Spain has decided to resolve both at the same time

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In the Algete workshops, north of Madrid, the remains of a crushed wind blade await their second life. For years he captured the wind in a park in Cadiz; Today it is part of an experimental concrete slab. Spain is finding an unusual way to unite two environmental challenges: the recycling of thousands of wind blades that accumulate as waste and the urgency of reducing the carbon footprint of concrete, one of the most polluting materials on the planet. From the blades to the ground. Acciona and Holcim have developed successfully a new sustainable concrete made from recycled wind turbine blades. The project, named Blade2Buildis part of a European innovation initiative in the circular economy. The prototype consists of a slab of more than 120 square meters built in the Demoparque of the Acciona Technology Center, in Algete (Madrid). As the company explainsthe composition incorporates materials from wind turbine blades in fiber form as a partial replacement for natural aggregates. In other words, crushed shovels are used to replace some of the gravel or sand normally used in concrete. The mix. The base of the new concrete is an ecological version developed by Holcima type of material designed to minimize its environmental impact. In this case, the formula includes 11% recycled components, including fibers from crushed wind blades. This technology, known as ECOCycle, allows you to reuse materials that would otherwise end up as waste, without compromising the strength or durability of the product. A low CO₂ emission cement is also used, manufactured with less clinker —the substance obtained by heating limestone to more than 1,400 °C and which is mainly responsible for the emissions of traditional cement. According to Holcim This combination reduces the carbon footprint of the final product by almost half. In addition, the glass fibers and resins of the blades act as internal reinforcement, improving the material’s resistance to traction and fractures. The energy that once moved with the wind now settles in the earth. The dilemma of the shovels. In the coming years, thousands of wind blades will stop spinning in Europe. Silent, gigantic, they will remain on dry land after two decades facing the wind. It is calculated which will be about 14,000an avalanche of materials—fiberglass, carbon and resins—that will add up to between 40,000 and 60,000 tons of waste. They are made to last, not to disappear. And that is the great dilemma: their resistance, the same that made them useful, now condemns them. In the United States, the consequences of not planning the end of the cycle have already been seen: in 2020, an aerial photo of a landfill in Wyoming, taken by Bloombergshowed hundreds of half-buried wind blades. The scene went viral and served as a warning to Europe, which is now working on solutions that allow its materials to be recovered instead of burying them. ¿Does it really work? The first trials are promising. According to Holcimthe resulting concrete maintains the necessary structural properties and meets durability standards. The shredded blade fibers not only reinforce the material, but also improve its flexibility and resistance to fracture. It is not the only case. The University of Burgos has been experimenting with its own method for several years, based on the use of TPA (Wind Turbine Blade Grinding), a material obtained by cutting and grinding the blades into tiny fragments. The Sustainable Construction Research group (Sucons) has even paved a 50-meter street on the Milanera campus with this type of concrete. But it is not Acciona’s first project. As part of the #TurbineMade initiative, one of the blades in the Tahivilla park in Cadiz was transformed into a limited series of sports shoes manufactured together with the El Ganso brand. As explained by the companythose recycled soles symbolize their commitment to achieving 100% sustainable materials in their collections. The paradox is unique. The same materials that once helped produce clean energy can now be used to reduce emissions from the most polluting industry. If concrete was the material of the 20th century, perhaps the material of the 21st is the one that manages to build without destroying. And in Spain, at least, they have already begun to do so. Shovel by shovel. Image | FreePik and FreePik Xataka | Spain has become the first European country to break with gas. The only problem is that the invoice says something else.

In 2016, a construction manager lost his 16,000 euro Rolex in a concrete pour. So he sued his company

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The story of a construction manager in Parma (Italy) has hit the local media for having lost a luxurious watch Rolex Daytona valued at around 16,000 euros while working on one of the construction sites that he had to supervise as part of his job. As if it were not striking enough that a construction worker (no matter how much of a construction manager he was) I had a Rolexand took him as if nothing had happened to an environment as hostile as a work in progress, the employee decided to add a twist to the drama of the story: sue the company, accusing it of being responsible for the loss of the valuable watch. Two courts had to show him what seemed obvious. Luxury formwork In May 2016, the person in charge of a construction site in the Italian city of Parma carried out the usual prior verifications when pouring concrete necessary to build the foundation of a building. Apparently nothing out of the ordinary in the reality of thousands of works anywhere in the world, except for the detail that this employee wore a Rolex Daytona on his wrist. In one of these verifications, the person in charge detected that one of the pumps in charge of pumping the concrete into the intended hole was not working properly, which prompted him to take control himself at that precise moment and personally manipulate the nozzle of one of the machines to instruct his colleagues on how to pour it correctly. While holding a metal chain anchored to the end of the concrete mixer chute to control the direction in which the material should be poured, he waited for the staff to reactivate the pump. It was then that, when the spill resumed, something happened that triggered the loss. According to the witnesses called to testify in the trial: “Within minutes of resuming concrete pouring, while still holding the supply pipe as described, another sudden blockage occurred. Without giving him time to break free and move away, the pipe moved with a sudden and violent jerk, with such force that it lifted him off the ground and threw him several meters away.” After the incident, the construction manager composed himself and warned that his Rolex Daytona had disappeared from his wrist: everything indicated that the valuable Swiss watch had disappeared in the middle of the quick-setting concrete. At that same moment, exhaustive searches were launched, even within the mix, but the watch was never recovered. Outraged by the mishap, the employee blamed both the company and the machinery for the accident and filed a lawsuit requesting full compensation for the lost watch due to the malfunction of the concrete pumping system. According to collect The Italian newspaper Corriere di Bologna, in its statement, stated verbatim: “You owe me my Rolex Daytona for 16,000 euros; it is your fault and the machine’s fault.” Common sense two courts Italian justice was clear, and it was clear on two occasions: the responsibility fell on the construction manager for not being sufficiently cautious. After lose the lawsuit In the first instance, the construction manager submitted the first ruling to the Court of Appeal of Bologna, which determined – for the second time – that “it is seriously unsustainable that directing the trunk of a concrete mixer to direct the pouring of concrete on foundations under construction is an activity that can be carried out wearing a 16,000 euro watch”, as literally stated in the ruling signed by judges Rossi, Gaudioso and Mazze who formed the court. In their resolution, the magistrates concluded that the employee did not adopt the essential “expertise and diligence” measures, which made any claim against the company inadmissible. For this reason, the employee not only lost the valuable watch, but was also forced to pay an additional 2,500 euros in legal costs. The Rolex it cost him money even after losing it. In Xataka | Rolex is tired of theft and counterfeiting: they want to use NFT chips and blockchain-based certificates of authenticity Image | Rolex, Unsplash (Troy Mortier)

Raise a wall that protects the entire continent, but instead of concrete, drones

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In recent weeks, a Succession of incursions of drones and airplanes Russians About the heavens From Poland, Romania, Estonia, Denmark and Norway has evidenced the vulnerability of European airspace. The violations have forced to close civil airports, activate NATO fighters and use missiles to tear down devices whose price is just a fraction of the projectiles thrown against them. The alarm has spread from the Baltic to the Atlantic, and in Europe it has taken strength An idea: The answer must be a coordinated effort on the continental scale. The concept “Drones Wall”. Yes, under the impulse of the European Commissioner of Defense, Andrius Kubilius, the idea of A “drone wall” that protects all of Europe in the face of Russian threat. The initiative raises a multilayer system with radars, acoustic sensors, interception platforms, short -range anti -aircraft artillery and defensive drones, all connected to the network to share data in real time between countries. The objective is to achieve interoperability and common coverage that allows detect and neutralize drones In seconds. The project, which will be presented at the Copenhagen informal summit, extends beyond border countries with Russia to cover the entire continent, also integrating spatial capabilities in collaboration with the European Space Agency. Ukraine, the partner. A central aspect is the participation of Ukrainethat after more than three years of war has become the armed force more experienced In the world in defense against Drones swarms. Its manufacturers, supported by the immediate feedback of the front, They have developed industries capable of adapting designs in a matter of weeks, something that contrasts with the rigidity of the European arms industry. kyiv has offered Share knowledge, send technical teams to train NATO armies and participate in the joint development of systems. Several countries, including United Kingdom and Denmarkthey have already begun to weave industrial alliances with Ukrainian manufacturers to produce drones in common, aware that the future of air defense goes through a close integration with the innovative capacity of Ukraine. Politics, money and the EU. The drone wall project advances in parallel to a large -cut financial initiative: a 140,000 million loan from euros to Ukraine based on frozen Russian assets in the EU. Germany, who had been reluctant, has shown willingness to support The plan, convinced that without those funds It will be impossible Replace the void left by the American withdrawal. The formula would avoid direct confiscation of the funds, preserving international legality, but would allow Generate immediate resources to sustain the warlike ukrainian effort. Hungary, despite its proximity to Kremlin, It has not blocked So far the sanctions, but the fear of a veto forces Brussels to explore legal ways that raffle the need for unanimity. The interrelation between financing to Ukraine and the deployment of a continental drone shield underlines that European defense can no longer separate from kyiv’s survival. Berlin’s doubts. Despite the enthusiasm of Brussels and the East countries, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, He has cooled This week expectations. In his opinion, the idea that a wall of drones can be operational in three or four years, when the processes of acquisition and technological development are much slower. Pistorius insists on Prioritize flexible capabilitiesthat allow to adapt to a technology in constant evolution, rather than commit to a rigid and high cost concept. His words reflect a latent tension between those who demand speed and forcefulness, Like the Baltic or Polandand those who advocate prudence and financial sustainability, Like Germany. However, even the most skeptical coincide in the need to spend massively in anti -Didstock defense, even if it is outside the framework of a common wall. UK’s role: Project Octopus. In parallel, the United Kingdom has announced Your own contribution to a joint program with Ukraine, called Project octopusdestined to produce in British factories low -cost interceptors that can be manufactured in series and deploy in a matter of weeks. These devices, effective against The Iranian Shahedthey have a production cost ten times minor that the equivalent systems and could become the backbone of the short -range European air defense. London plans Share intellectual property with kyiv and supply the drones to both Ukraine and NATO countries, thus expanding their strategic influence. British involvement also seeks to compensate for its departure from the EU, showing that it remains a pillar of the European defense against Russia. New strategic balance. The initiative of the drone wall is framed in a broader context: progressive separation of the United Statesdriven by Trump’s policy. The partial abandonment of Washington has crystallized the evidence that the main military ally of Europe is no longer the United States, but Ukraine itselfwhich brings more than 700,000 active combatants, an agile arms industry and the determination to resist Moscow. Europe, therefore, aims to stop seeing kyiv as a mere consumer of military aid and starting to integrate it as a Security provider. The industrial agreements in drones are the first step of a symbiosis that could redefine continental defensive architecture. Between urgency and uncertainty. Under this scenario, Europe faces A crossroads: You need to act quickly to cover its vulnerabilities to Russian drones, but at the same time you must manage expectations and avoid financial or technological commitments that are unfeasible. The drone wall symbolizes EU’s will to build A common defenseinteroperable and sustained, but its success will depend on the ability to reconcile the demands of the eastern flank with the caution of the western nucleus. The Collaboration with Ukrainefinancing based on frozen Russian assets and British involvement They point to a future in which European security is built on its own pillars, or less dependent on the United States. In that transformation, drones do not seem only tactical tools: they have become the emblem of a Europe that desperately seeks shield his sky while redefine your place in the global strategic order. Image | Khamenei.ir, Nara, Rawpixel In Xataka | Russian drones are paralyzing airports in Europe. There is a background reason: 250,000 casualties in … Read more

In 1975 they buried “the worst car in the world” under a 45 -ton concrete vault. Now, they have opened the time capsule

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Is it possible to maintain an unchanged object over the years, the decades or even the centuries? This is what the time capsules try to get, containers in which a sample of various objects is saved with the intention of checking years later if they have resisted the passage of time. Or with the intention that, in the future, the descendants of our descendants have objects that allow them to understand how we lived. Those Time capsules They have buried themselves for scientific purposes (The MIT has several distributed by their facilities that celebrate special events) or have been sent to space. But they have also resulted in crazy particular projects such as Harold Davisson, a local merchant who decided that his was going to contain a car. Specifically, a completely new Chevrolet Vega. Finally open This year, summer in Seward (Nebraska) began in a different way. Hundreds of people gathered in this town of less than 7,000 inhabitants to contemplate what life was 50 years ago. They did not project a documentary on the wall, neither did any of the people live then. They simply opened the one that, in their day, was the largest time capsule in the world. 50 years ago, Harold Davisson, a city place decided to bury thousands of objects so that their grandchildren had a first -hand contact with the past. How did he? Simp NBC News. Among the thousands of objects were letters written by Trish Davisson’s parents, the son who fulfilled his father’s dream when he opened the time capsule. But also thousands of objects donated by neighbors 50 years ago. One of them, they collect in the American environment, was excited to discover the invitation of their wedding. But, without a doubt, the most striking object recovered was a completely intact Chevrolet Vega. The car was a purchase of the creator of the time capsule, who looked around the cheapest car he could buy. Its price was not accidental. The Vega gave so much reliability problems that was known by the nickname “Worse car in the world”. Released in 1970, it is not uncommon for the creator of this time capsule will find the car at a good price. He Chevy Vega was born to be the best car among the most affordable options on the market. From maintenance to fuel consumption, with the Volkswagen Beetle and the first Japanese compacts pressing in the market. But Chevrolet wanted to hurry to throw the car that the result was catastrophic. Fifty years after your purchase, now nobody knows what will happen to this Vega so particular. In MotorpasionTrish Davisson’s words rescue who points to this Vega could be the model with less kilometers from all over the world. With small damage of rust on the hood and in the steering wheel, they now consider if the car will end in a museum although nothing has been confirmed. The Chevrolet Vega was, last July, the crown jewel of the opening of the time capsule. This has also been surrounded by a certain controversy because for years it was the largest time capsule in the world. In 1983, however, Guinness record judges withdrew this category after Oglethorpe University (Georgia, United States) protest ensuring that its time capsule not only It was bigger, it was also older. Angry with the situation Davisson decided that he was going to build a new pyramid -shaped appendix to recover the throne. Since 2000, however, the record has a time capsule designed in Guilford (Surrey, United Kingdom) in which representative objects have been kept on what life was like during the change of millennium. Photo | Isommerer and Sentemalan In Xataka | For Shaquille O’Neal the biggest obstacle to conducting a supercar is its height: they have manufactured a tailored corvette

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