After residential success, DOE will test heat pumps for cold climates in commercial sector

All eight manufacturers in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge completed rigorous product field testing to demonstrate energy efficiency and improved performance in cold weather.

Products and Materials

5 multifamily tech products for your next project

Multifamily housing and technological upgrades go hand-in-hand. From the rise in electric vehicle charging needs to the sophistication of smart home accessories, tech products are abound in the multifamily space.

Brick and Masonry

A journey through masonry reclad litigation

This blog post by Walter P Moore's Mallory Buckley, RRO, PE, BECxP + CxA+BE, and Bob Hancock, MBA, JD, of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr PC, explains the importance of documentation, correspondence between parties, and supporting the claims for a Plaintiff-party, while facilitating continuous use of the facility, on construction litigation projects.

Glass and Glazing

Pattern language: An exploration of digital printing on architectural glazing

Architectural Glazing has long been an important expressive tool which, when selected and detailed thoughtfully, can contribute to the successful transformation of architectural concepts to reality.

Aug 11, 2010

SFI releases new sustainable forestry standard

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative has released a new standard. SFI 2010-2014 addresses climate change and bioenergy; strengthen unique SFI fiber sourcing requirements, which broaden the practice of sustainable forestry; complements SFI activities aimed at avoiding controversial or illegal offshore fiber sources, and embraces Lacey Act amendments to prevent illegal logging; and expands requirements for logger training and support for trained loggers and certified logger programs.

Aug 11, 2010

FMI: 2009 was the bottom for residential, non-residential construction still in freefall

While 2009 was likely the bottom in terms of percentage decline, 2010 will be the bottom in terms of dollar volume for non-residential construction, according to market analysts at consulting firm FMI. Residential construction is expected to begin recovering in 2010. The economy may show some signs of improving, but it is just the beginning of the downfall for nonresidential construction.

Aug 11, 2010

Another steep decline in nonresidential construction activity projected for 2010

Despite signs that the overall U.S. economy is beginning to improve, nonresidential construction spending is expected to decrease by 13.4% in 2010 with a marginal increase of 1.8% in 2011 in inflation adjusted terms, according the American Institute of Architects' Consensus Construction Forecast. Commercial and industrial projects will continue to see the most significant decrease in activity. Thanks, in part, to federal stimulus spending, institutional building categories will fare better over the new year. BD+C, January 6

Aug 11, 2010

Construction spending hits six-year low as employment declines in 324 of 337 cities

Construction employment declined in 324 out of 337 metropolitan areas over the past year as spending on construction projects dropped by over $137 billion in November to a 6-year low of $900 billion, according to a new analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of federal figures released recently.

Aug 11, 2010

WattStopper contributes freezer case occupancy sensor to DOE study

WattStopper has participated in a ground-breaking demonstration of solid-state lighting (SSL) technology combined with occupancy sensors in grocery store freezer cases. The project was supported under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solid-State Lighting GATEWAY Technology Demonstration Program. WattStopper contributed FS-705 Wide Angle PIR occupancy sensors to the project.

Aug 11, 2010

New data shows low construction prices may soon be coming to an end

New federal data released recently shows sharp increases in the prices of key construction materials like diesel, copper and brass mill shapes likely foreshadow future increases in construction costs, the Associated General Contractors of America said. The new November producer price index (PPI) report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics provide the strongest indication yet that construction prices are heading up, the association noted.

Aug 11, 2010

Underwriters Laboratories, ICC Evaluation Service announce dual evaluation and certification program for building products

Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the leading product safety testing organization, and ICC Evaluation Service, Inc (ICC-ES), the United States' leader in evaluating building products for compliance with code, today announced a partnership that will provide the building materials industry with a Dual Evaluation and Certification Program for building products.

Aug 11, 2010

The New Yorker's David Owen: Why Manhattan is America's greenest community

David Owen is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of 14 books, most recently Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less Are the Keys to Sustainability, in which he argues that Manhattan is the greenest community in America. He graduated from Harvard and lives in Washington, Conn., where he chairs the town planning commission.

Aug 11, 2010

Economic conditions to cause drag on cement consumption

The conditions facing the construction industry are likely to remain weak for another year or more, causing a drag on cement consumption, according to the most recent economic forecast from Skokie, Ill.-based Portland Cement Association (PCA).