New materials should help boost sustainability in cities by 2020

Cities could push the envelope on sustainable development, and new building materials are key components of that effort.

An enhanced focus on green building materials and a sustainable supply chain that ensures that other communities are benefiting from local choices should be a part of the plan.

New construction methods can increase lighting during cloudy or rainy weather and cut down on heat penetration during hot, sunny days. Newer developments include windows made with nano-crystals that control intense heat penetration while lighting living areas from the outside.

(http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/12/smart-city-2020-ecological-partnership/)

The editors of Building Design+Construction present 10 “Great Solutions” that highlight innovative technology and products that can be used to address some of the many problems Building Teams face in their day-to-day work. Readers are encouraged to submit entries for Great Solutions; if we use yours, you’ll receive a $25 gift certificate. Look for more Great Solutions in 2012 at: www.bdcnetwork.com/greatsolutions/2012.

| Dec 10, 2011

BIM tools to make your project easier to manage

Two innovations—program manager Gafcon’s SharePoint360 project management platform and a new BIM “wall creator” add-on developed by ClarkDietrich Building Systems for use with the Revit BIM platform and construction consultant—show how fabricators and owner’s reps are stepping in to fill the gaps between construction and design that can typically be exposed by working with a 3D model.