"Engineering deals with lifetimes, both human and otherwise. If not fatigue or fracture, then corrosion or erosion; if not war or vandalism, then taste or fashion claim not only the body but the very souls of once-new machines ."
--Henry Petroski, To Engineer Is Human
General Sites
Building Big
This PBS site has interactive labs that demonstrate forces, materials, loads and shapes. You can apply this information to building bridges, domes, skyscrapers, dams, and tunnels in simulation. Very nice hands-on activities.
eFunda: Engineering Fundamentals
This site provides free content--materials, design center, processes, unit conversion, formulas, mathematics, career center, more--and membership areas.
Electrical Engineering Circuits Archive
Maintained by the electrical engineering department of the University of Washington, the site collects circuit designs for electrical engineering students' use.
Engineering.com: The Engineer's Ultimate Resource Tool
A portal to engineering schools, an online "library" with textbooks, ethics case studies, biographies and more.
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental cleanup information, laws, regulations and dockets, educational resources.
HowStuffWorks
Developed by a former computer science teacher, the site offers simple, clear explanations with graphics. The "ScienceStuff" channel includes engineering.
Intute: Science Engineering and Technology: Engineering
"The Intute Engineering Gateway provides free access to high quality resources on the Internet. Each resource has been evaluated and categorised by subject specialists based at UK universities. Our target audience is students, staff and researchers in higher and further education."
Martindale's Engineering Center
Provides online information resources such as engineering preprints (articles not yet published in journals), engineering calculators, dictionaries, handbooks, and more.
Nanotechnology
Overview, news, FAQs, links to articles and books, some in full text, such as Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology by K. Eric Drexler, 1986.
Nanotechnology Now
Nanotechnology basics, news, and general information.
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Federal agency created to work "with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements, and standards."
Occupational Safety and Health Organization
U.S. Department of Labor site. "OSHA's mission is to ensure safe and healthful workplaces in America." Some OSHA programs target areas such as construction and manufacturing and build partnerships with industries to focus on specific hazards.
The Online Ethics Center
Their "mission is to provide engineers, scientists, and science and engineering students with resources for understanding and addressing ethically significant problems that arise in their work, and to serve those who are promoting learning and advancing the understanding of responsible research and practice in science and engineering." Provides cases, problems, a help-line and other resources.
A Sightseer's Guide to Engineering
A compilation of the National Society of Professional Engineers, this site promotes the achievements of engineers in their public works and inventions. You can browse the site by state and make suggestions for additions.
U.S. Army Corp of Engineers
This branch of the military is involved in engineering projects all over the country dealing with wetlands protection, dam and reservoir construction, harbor maintenance, and more.