Group of West Coast civil engineers developing building standards for tsunamis

A group of civil engineers from around the western U.S. is developing additions to the building code to address the threat of a tsunami. The engineers are taking into account the impact of the tsunami wave itself, as well as debris and the scouring around foundations as the water recedes. Some possible solutions include building on stilts along the coast or including breakaway walls on lower floors to let water flow through.

(http://www.opb.org/news/article/npr-structural-engineers-developing-tsunami-design-code-for-coastal-buildings/)

When it comes to durability, a 50-year building design ideally should include 50-year coatings. Many building products consume substantial amounts of energy, water, and petrochemicals during manufacture, but they can make up for it in the operations phase. The same should be expected from architectural coatings.

| Apr 23, 2013

Building material innovation: Concrete cloth simplifies difficult pours

Milliken recently debuted a flexible fabric that allows for concrete installations on slopes, in water, and in other hard to reach places—without the need for molds or mixing.

| Apr 19, 2013

Must see: Shell of gutted church on stilts, 40 feet off the ground

Construction crews are going to extremes to save the ornate brick façade of the Provo (Utah) Tabernacle temple, which was ravaged by a fire in December 2010.

| Mar 4, 2013

Legendary structural engineer Gene Corley passes away at 77

CTLGroup, an expert engineering and materials science firm located in Skokie, Illinois, is saddened by the news that W. Gene Corley, Ph.D., S.E., P.E., Senior Vice President, died on March 1, 2013 after a brief battle with cancer.

To speed construction of the $110 million Capitol Hill Station light-rail statio

| Feb 25, 2013

Turner employs rare 'collapsible' steel truss system at Seattle light rail station

To speed construction of the $110 million Capitol Hill Station light-rail station in Seattle, general contractor Turner Construction will use an unusual temporary framing method for the project's underground spaces.