For this reason, Iranian civil engineers are interested in using it in structures as diverse as dams and sewage pipes and are working on improving it.

ECONOMIST: Bunker-busting

Don Riley, director of civil works for the Army Corps of Engineers.

CNN: Concerns about New Orleans-area levee ease

In 2009, when assigning grades for 15 sectors of America's infrastructure, the American Society of Civil Engineers awarded 11 D's and 4 C's.

CNN: America isn't ready for superstorms

The Society of Civil Engineers ( Failure to Act Studies) gives its price tag for restoring a first-world infrastructure.

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