Building & Design News

March 21st, 2006 - Volume 1 Issue 2

It might be the dawn of the 21st century, but after a fifty year hiatus, railroad construction has taken the Twin Cities by storm. Today's railroad systems are not about connecting vast open territories, as they were in the mid-nineteenth centuries. Today, it's about connecting one point of commerce with another. Nearly one billion in tax payer monies have been allotted to connect downtown Minneapolis and its massive Nicollet Mall to the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport and the famous Mall of America. This rail system is fully modern, engineered to provide state-of-the-art transportation via a system of newly constructed overhead platforms as well as an intricate system of excavated tunnels. Not only has the "light rail system" made shopping easier in the mid-west, it has also succeeded in connecting dozens of multi-cultured urban neighborhoods. Read the full story in Design Build magazine.

Landscape architects and designers can now specify American Liberty Elms... the only elm on the market with a Lifetime Warranty against Dutch elm disease. Liberty Elms are hardy, long-lived, fast-growing, classically vase-shaped, and thrive in urban environments. 2-4 in. caliper Liberty Elms will be ready for delivery this Spring.

Learn more about Elm Research Institute.

Design-phase building projects, including LEEDS Certified, from our customizable database especially for manufacturers, sales managers, engineers, and architects... if you have a product or service to be specified, you need The "BUD" Report. Stay in front of the competition with comprehensive, accurate, and timely data to increase sales.

More information about Buildings Under Design is available here.

The home builder's relationship with quartz surfacing is best described as love/hate. Builders love to use the beautiful stone material to beautify their kitchens. But traditionally speaking, quartz stains easily. It can also break upon installation, forcing the builder to "start from the start," with a brand new piece of stone. But nowadays it isn't the quartz that's being broken. It's tradition. Newly designed "resin" reinforced quartz products are making way for a brand new generation of nonporous stone surfaces impervious to scratches, stains, chipping, and even breaking. As for available colors, these surfaces are designer savvy and run the full spectrum from natural limestone to bright green. Read a Quartz Surface Review here.

The d'ac Lighting Company of downstate New York has introduced a ceiling-mounted lighting fixture that significantly reduces all glare but at the same time features a "sandwiched" waffled paneling system that creates aesthetically pleasing patterns. A designer's alternative for the otherwise garden variety board or conference room. View the product announcement.

It's no longer enough to have "a room with a view." With skyrocketing heating/energy prices, designers have been forced to go back to the drawing broad in order to combine the warm aesthetic of a window finish with optimum energy efficiency. The Warm Window® Insulated Shade System is said to prevent as much as 80% heat loss during the cold winter months while warding off solar radiation during the summertime. It also stops those harmful glares that will fade out your furniture and floor/wall finishes.

It used to be the place we shooed our guests away from, preferring instead to entertain them in the more suitable living room. But the 21^st century kitchen has become the focal point of the home. Not only have designers improved upon the high tech gadgetry of yesteryear, such as drawer-style microwaves and thermal convection ovens, but they have torn down the walls and reconfigured the traditional kitchen layout. No kitchen is complete without islands that can also house mini-freezers, trash compacters, or even sport an extra cook top. With an array of beautiful finishes and natural hardwood cabinetry, the open spaces of the modern kitchen promise to provide both the comfort of a well prepared meal and a heck of a place to entertain both family and friends. Read more about the "Top New Trends in Kitchens."

The Duro-Last® roofing system is a prefabricated, reinforced thermoplastic single-ply for commercial and industrial (flat, low-sloped, new, or retrofit) applications. It is energy-efficient, leak-proof, virtually maintenance-free, durable, resistant to fire, grease, chemicals, and high winds and is easily installed by authorized contractors without any disruptions, fumes, or hazardous materials.

Electrical Substation Control Buildings by Trachte are cost efficient, long term solutions to your building needs. Trachte Electric Substation Buildings transport easily, set in place quickly, and come with "on time" delivery dates. Inherent features of the Trachte Steel Building have made it the preferred Control Building by many Utilities.

When plans were implemented in 2004 to rebuild the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge that connects the U.S. with Canada at Niagara Falls, Rankin Construction of Canada utilized an assortment of slab-lifting and breaking attachments that proved strong enough to demolish the existing concrete, while retaining the bridge's structural integrity. What's more, by using such versatile attachments such as the Kenco Slab Crab and the Hammeroc HR50 Breaker, they were able to keep all of the demolished material from falling into the Niagara River below. Equipment Today has the story.

Laser welding has been a relative stranger in the U.S. building industry. With improved beam qualities and clamping procedures, however, the "spot" precision of laser welding is being touted as the wave of the future. Fabricating & Metalworking magazine explores advancements and benefits of the laser-beam welding process. For a complimentary subscription to the GlobalSpec e-Newsletter, Machine Tools & Metal Working, sign up here.

Replacement of more than 350 windows, each with a demanding list of specifications and requirements that served the interests of disparate parties, was the driving force behind the recent restoration of an historic Sacramento, CA, school. This article in Building Design & Construction details how the contractor worked with the architect, hardware suppliers, and city government to overcome design challenges and complete the project on time and on budget.

The newest in "high-performance" glove wear (just in case you've never heard of the expression) is being designed and manufactured by the Illinois Glove Company. These are not your grandmother's gardening gloves. With reinforced, shock-absorbing knuckle padding and a smartly designed Spandex back, these gloves protect the field worker's hands from daily pounding while offering the flexibility for working with small tools and parts.

Over a short period of time, pre-cast concrete wetwells will deteriorate due to exposure to waste water gases such as Hydrogen-Sulfide. Decaying concrete wetwells are in constant need of costly repairs. LFM has solved the problem of costly repair and maintenance with its fiberglass wetwell liners.

When changes in your business create new demands for in-plant space utilization, PortaFab modular offices and enclosures give you unlimited flexibility to respond quickly and cost effectively. As a leader in the design and construction of modular office systems, PortaFab features the most extensive selection of interchangeable wall panels, stud choices, and accessories in the industry.

It's no secret that China is undergoing its largest commercial building boom in its long history. International engineering and construction firms have literally flocked to the region over the past dozen or so years in search of opportunities. Beijing responded by sponsoring the 2004 Global Construction Summit. It proved such a success that China's capital city will again be sponsoring the all important summit in April of this year. Among the topics of discussion will be the increasing supply problems inherent with a growing $4.2-trillion global construction marketplace. Follow this link to register.

Restoration and revitalization is one of the fastest growing sectors of the construction and design industries. More and more architectural firms and builders are specializing in restoration and renovation than they are new construction. To aid them is a new magazine of community renewal and natural resource restoration, entitled Revitalization. Take a look at the premier issue here.

They are designed to be the tallest skyscrapers in one of China's oldest cities. In Guangzhou, work has begun on two towers: a 610 meter tall television-observation tower and a 432 meter "Mixed Use" West Tower. Both are to be constructed by steel frame, supported by concrete foundations and concrete cores. While the television tower is already being called the Eiffel Tower of the Guangdong's provincial capital, the West Tower will provide a new focal point for the Guangzhou Zhujiang "New Town." Read more.

They've been around for centuries . . . no, make that millennia. The classic column is one of the most powerful forms of exterior and interior architecture known to man. It has been incorporated into structures both new and old for as long as architects and builders have been keeping records. More recently the classic column has been enjoying a resurgence of sorts. While some mistake it as a purely decorative feature, designers are urged to become better educated in its use as both a structural asset and a "Personality" adding architectural feature. This report explains what a column is... and is not.

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