ISABEL RUBIO ARROYO | Tungsteno

Before any woman in the United States earned an engineering degree, Emily Warren Roebling was already leading the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. After the death of her father-in-law and the illness of her husband, she stepped in to take charge of the project, becoming the first female field engineer and overseeing every detail of its completion. Her life and legacy secured her place as a key figure in the history of engineering.

The tragedy that led her to lead the Brooklyn Bridge project

Warren was born in 1843 in Cold Spring, New York, into an upper-middle-class family. She attended the Georgetown Visitation Convent, a prestigious girls-only school, where she studied mathematics and science despite prevailing beliefs that higher education was unnecessary for women. Later in life, at the age of 56, she earned a women’s law course certificate from New York University and won a $50 prize for her essay "A Wife's Disabilities," in which she criticised the legal restrictions on women's financial independence.

Warren met Washington Roebling, a young officer, while visiting her brother at an army camp during the Civil War. They fell in love and soon married. In 1867, before construction of the Brooklyn Bridge began, the coupled travelled to Europe on a belated honeymoon to research technical innovations for the project that her father-in-law, John A. Roebling, had designed. There they studied the use of caissons—pressurised watertight chambers used to build underwater foundations for bridges—as well as other advanced bridge-building techniques.

Tragedy propelled Emily Warren Roebling to the forefront of engineering. In 1869, her father-in-law died of tetanus after an accident on the construction site. Her husband, Washington Roebling, assumed the role of chief engineer, but became gravely ill. Exposed to the dangers of the newly introduced pneumatic caissons used to construct the bridge’s foundations, he developed severe decompression sickness and was confined to bed.

Warren took the lead in building the Brooklyn Bridge. Credit: Intrigued Mind

From self-taught engineer to women's rights activist

With Washington unable to work, Warren assumed a crucial role: she managed her husband's communications, studied his plans, copied his specifications, and relayed instructions to assistant engineers. Washington described her as his "wisest counsellor" and "a woman of infinite tact." She visited the construction site daily, attended board meetings, and oversaw the project, all the while carefully concealing the extent of her involvement in order to protect her husband's reputation. Along the way, she learned about material strength, stress analysis, cable construction and the mathematics of the catenary curve.

Shortly before the bridge's inauguration, she drove a carriage across it to test its vibrations, carrying a rooster as a symbol of victory. On 24 May 1883, she became the first person to cross the Brooklyn Bridge in a carriage during its official opening, and later that day she hosted a reception at her home for US President Chester A. Arthur.

After the bridge’s completion, she travelled alone to Europe, where she met Queen Victoria in London and attended the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II in Moscow. Upon her return, she gave lectures about her experiences in Russia for the Federation of Women's Clubs, becoming increasingly active in the fight for gender equality. She toured the country, speaking in defence of women's suffrage and social services for the poor, and urged women to study law.

The Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it opened on 24 May 1883. Credit: Jf Szekely / Wikimedia Commons

An "everlasting monument" to sacrifice

In 2024, an average of 103,051 vehicles, 28,845 pedestrians and 5,504 cyclists crossed the Brooklyn Bridge every day. This infrastructure has become a living legacy of Warren's vision, effort and determination. "Wife, mother, lecturer, student, world traveller and clubwoman, this multi-faceted Victorian woman was a pioneering example of independence," says the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

As New York Congressman Abram Hewitt said during the opening ceremony, the bridge represents "an everlasting monument" to Warren's dedication and personal sacrifice. "The name of Emily Warren Roebling will...be inseparably associated with all that is admirable in human nature and all that is wonderful in the constructive world of art," he said.

Tungsten is a journalistic laboratory that explores the essence of innovation.

ISABEL RUBIO ARROYO | Tungsteno

Climate change is fuelling longer and drier fire seasons. According to NASA, heat waves are intensifying, rainfall is declining, and conditions are becoming more favourable for large-scale burns. Recent studies confirm that extreme wildfires are becoming more frequent: their occurrence rose 2.2-fold from 2003 to 2023. In this article, we explore how burned landscapes recover, not only environmentally, but also economically and socially.

Decades for forests to 'breathe' again

The recovery of forests after a fire depends on several factors, including the intensity of the blaze, the type of ecosystem, how frequently fires occur, and the degree of human intervention. Vegetation usually returns gradually. Satellite-based analyses show that within the first five years, only about a third of what was lost reappears; after ten years, nearly half; and after thirteen years, just over half. In other words, while landscapes begin to regenerate quickly, it can take decades for a forest to regain its previous maturity. In some cases, full recovery may stretch beyond 40 years.

To speed up the recovery process, researchers recommend a range of techniques, such as covering the soil with mulch to protect it and help it retain moisture, planting fast-growing plant species to reduce erosion, installing physical barriers such as logs or straw mats on slopes, and introducing beneficial microorganisms that enhance soil fertility and structure.

 Flames advance, destroying vegetation in a forest area. Credit: Unsplash

Mobile factories to speed up housing reconstruction

In 2025, large wildfires struck Spain, Portugal, France, Canada, the United States, Cyprus and Colombia, destroying homes and forcing mass evacuations. After such disasters, rebuilding quickly and affordably becomes a top priority. While authorities often provide financial aid and subsidies for the reconstruction of affected areas, some experts offer technical advice to ensure that newly rebuilt homes act as "firebreaks". The focus is on incorporating fire-resistant materials and systems that reduce future risk.

New initiatives are also emerging to accelerate recovery. One, led by ABB Robotics and Cosmic Buildings, deploys mobile robotic microfactories to assemble modular homes directly in affected areas. "With AI-driven robotics and digital design, we are cutting build times by up to 70% and reducing costs by 30%, with near zero waste," explains Marc Segura, president of ABB Robotics.

Mobile robotic microfactories that build modular houses after fires. Credit: ABB Robotics

In addition to destroying homes, forest fires have a major economic impact that spans multiple sectors and can last for decades. The economic impact of wildfires across Europe amounts to several billion euros per year. These fires particularly affect sectors such as agriculture, livestock, tourism and forestry.

When health is threatened by wildfires

Wildfires endanger the health of millions of people. They often cause death, burns, smoke inhalation and displacement. Exposure to smoke raises the risk of respiratory problems, such as asthma and infections, increases hospitalisations, and contributes to cardiovascular disease. It can also worsen pre-existing conditions and have long-lasting impacts on physical and mental health.

Wildfires also take a heavy toll on mental well-being. They can trigger anxiety, depression, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults and children alike. Research shows that children are particularly vulnerable. The loss of housing, forced displacement, and traumatic experiences can leave lasting psychological scars, hinder academic performance, and cause stress-related physical symptoms.

To mitigate these impacts, experts recommend providing a combination of medical care and psychological support. Detecting anxiety or PTSD in children and ensuring that older adults continue their treatments are crucial. Several studies also highlight the importance of strengthening social assistance through financial and housing support, as well as encouraging activities that relieve stress and foster resilience to aid full recovery.

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Tungsten is a journalistic laboratory that explores the essence of innovation.

Industrialization brings factory-style processes into the construction sector, enhancing productivity and introducing a high degree of automation. It encompasses research and innovation in mechanizing and assembling components in a factory setting, applying these techniques to prefabricate various elements like bathrooms, facades, and technical partitions.

This approach is faster and more sustainable, minimizing waste and requiring fewer energy resources, while also simplifying maintenance.

Bathrooms and facades are among the first elements to undergo this industrialization, according to Mónica Silva Laiz, Head of Building at Sacyr Engineering and Infrastructure Engineering department in Spain.

"Industrialised construction is here to stay, and we are today one of the pioneering companies in carrying out this transformation. It is a new way of conceiving construction," explains Mónica Silva.

Sacyr is implementing industrialization as a key component in projects across Chile, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy.

In Chile, we operate a factory assembling prefabricated bathrooms for three hospitals: Sótero del Río, Cordillera, and Buine Paine.

The construction of the Milan Hospital in Italy also incorporates industrialized bathrooms and facade sections.

In Spain, we've employed these factory processes at the 12 de Octubre Hospital, installing prefabricated GRC (glass fiber reinforced concrete on a metal frame) facades, among other elements. These methods are also being implemented in residential developments across several Spanish regions.

At the New Velindre Cancer Center in Cardiff (Wales, UK), we're constructing prefabricated facades using light steel frames with external finishes in wood and copper sheets, incorporating windows and glazing. The facade modules are manufactured in Spain and shipped to the UK for on-site assembly.

Furthermore, through the Valdesc project, we're exploring a novel industrialized construction system for facade envelopes using recycled materials, ensuring high rates of circularity and decarbonization. This system will enhance thermal efficiency and simplify component dismantling, combining efficiency, productivity, and safety.