Building & Design News

August 15th, 2006 - Volume 1 Issue 7

A straight line: it's the shortest distance between two points. Technically speaking, Switzerland's Gotthard Tunnel routes have not been designed to run in a straight line, but the principle remains the same. Utilizing state-of-the-art excavating and tunneling equipment, the tunnels are presently being channeled through the Swiss Alps. Upon completion, they will decrease the present mountainous road route through Switzerland to other European destinations by as much as 25 miles. But the challenges are many. While engineers attempt to bridge the Piroa Syncline underground river with hydraulic arms, tunnel workers eliminate "buttery" soft rock with Shotcrete injections. With Switzerland being Europe's most centrally located country, the new tunnels will provide a more effective means for increasing trade, commerce, and tourism throughout the continent.

Mobile Cooling Technologies introduces "The Cooling Machine." Its on-board diesel power plant eliminates the need for outside power generators or direct electric sources, or having to make a permanent capital investment in your facility. Simply drive it on to the site, attach the ducts, flip the starter switch, and begin!

At R.W. Conklin Steel Supply it is our goal to grow and prosper by developing and marketing Domestic Structural Steel products, which are 100% melted and manufactured in the U.S.A.

Save 20% and get Free Shipping on SKECHERS Work. Choose from steel toe, electrical hazard, slip-resistant, and more shoes, boots, and sneakers that meet ANSI and ASTM standards. Use Code WRKGBL at www.skechers.com to apply your discount during checkout.

It's a sure sign of the times: a Polymer Modified Gypsum plaster that stands up to bomb blasts and projectiles. But in fact, Gypsum plasters have been utilized by designers and builders for decades for their ability to stand up to extreme temperatures and for their sound reduction qualities. With the increase in worldwide terrorist activities, the need for an even stronger Gypsum material has led to the Polymer Modified Gypsum plaster or the "Defense Matrix Material." Manufactured with plastic polymers including PTFE, the polymer boasts a "three-dimensional stability and strength" not found in any other plaster material.

Death and taxes are not the only sure things in life as any mason will attest. When it comes to working with concrete, you can count on two more sure things: first, concrete hardens like a rock. Second, it is prone to cracks. Especially when poured out over a flat surface to form a floor. The universal question: How is it possible to work with one of the world's most ancient construction products while avoiding one of its most ancient problems? The answer? While modern day additives can be a great help, crack-free concrete is all about the preparation and the layout.

Ever get the feeling you'll be spending the rest of your working life inside an impersonal 4X4 cubicle? What if you were able to control your own environment by having the ability to increase or decrease lighting levels at the flip of a switch — your very own switch? Recent research studies have concluded that employee productivity rises when employees are happy inside their individual working environment. The installation of DALI-based lighting controls inside employee cubicles, reports ARCHI-TECH Magazine, has been found to give the individual the same sense of control and warmth they have inside their own home.

Glass topped convex-curved silhouette storage tables; acoustical noise-reducing ceiling panels that float like the clouds; floor up-lighting; wall-mounted sinks... These are the new architectural interior products that are making international waves in the commercial and home building industry. Discover the latest...

Now available exclusively from THOMPSON. Properly radiused blunt tip air terminals combined with threaded, high strength, UV safe, nylon personnel protectors afford maximum safety from any possible impalement hazard with no compromise in performance. Other products offered having large metal disks or knobs do not meet optimum air terminal performance diameters specified in NFPA 780.

Leed Fabrication Services, Inc. provides complete construction and excavation services for many industries. They are experts at repairing, modifying, and maintaining oil and gas production equipment, wells, pipelines, refineries, and processing facilities. They work closely with their customers to provide turnkey operations taking a project from grading through the installation of equipment.

It's something we rarely think about: wheels. But if your job is to run a skid steer or compact tractor, you might come to depend upon your wheels like a fisherman and his net. Simply said, you can't always rely upon the same set of wheels for the wide variety of projects you will encounter in the field. There's a science to choosing the right tire for the right job, as Compact Equipment demonstrates in this "Hot Wheels" report.

Now there's no excuse for not enjoying the benefits of fingertip computer technology in the field. With the launching of Tripod Data System's TDS Recon X-Series Rugged Handheld Computer Systems, the days of construction-site computer mishaps might just become a thing of the past. The Recon X-Series boasts powerful wireless capabilities and features a 400 MHz processor. Just as important, it meets all military specifications for collisions, severe temperatures, drops, water, and dust contamination.

You've just enjoyed a nice hot shower, but you dread stepping out onto the cold tile. Now you can put an end to the discomfort of a cold hard floor by installing the prepackaged bathroom floor-warming system by Honeywell. The WarmlyYours package is easy to install and easy to control with thermostats that adjust to any desired temperature. Areas as large as 40 sq. ft can be warmed, while every system comes complete with no-cost 24-hour system design service.

The climate is changing. More hurricanes and violent storms are being forecast than ever before. With energy costs also on the rise, it's no wonder builders and designers are looking to newer, more efficient ways of making durable and energy-efficient door and window systems. One solution can be found in impact-resistant glass. Wood frames and doors might also take a back seat to the lighter-weight but more-durable fiberglass. Plastic casings and frames, once considered too commercial for residential construction, are being reexamined for their ability to maintain structural integrity and homogenous color, virtually eliminating the need for paint.

The EVERSWITCH Piezo door unit, from Barantec inc., is designed for indoor or outdoor use. The combination of the rugged anti vandal WVWRSWITCH Piezo keypad and card reader, results in slick looking units with high-end features not found in other door units. The card reader accepts low or high-coercively magnetic stripe cards with standard track two encoding.

Hansen Corporation of Princeton, IN has developed an innovative encapsulated coil which prolongs the life of small synchronous motors that operate timing devices, vents, and valves in heating and air conditioning (HVAC) units. The encapsulated stator coil replaces the older, tape-wrapped coils which provided limited resistance to the humid conditions created in HVAC equipment.

DiceEngineering.com offers thousands of quality engineering jobs at top technology and engineering companies. Find jobs in your area of expertise. Search now.

RedVector provides continuing education for the Contractor and Design Build industry — 100% online. 850+ courses are designed to meet state board requirements. Search courses now or call us at 1.800.471.5166.

It's a fact of the building restoration game: period homes equipped with restored architectural antiques present a unique attraction to those buyers who crave not only originality in design and construction, but historical accuracy. That said, the business of architectural salvage and antique building materials is no longer "cottage." It is a booming industry filled with career opportunity.

HiringHall.com is an on-line service that links construction workers, estimators, project managers, and engineers with thousands of potential employers all over the United States. The service is free and allows you to post a resume along with a personalized description of your employable talents.

These days, company Web sites are like opinions: everybody's got one. The question is: What can you do to make your Web site stand out in the crowd? Adding streaming video to your menu of features is one surefire way to grab the public's attention. Says one Virginia roofing professional after introducing video to his company's site: "Our internet leads went from non-existent to increasing exponentially."

Homes that create as much energy as they use accomplish a status of "net zero energy consumption." While the Zero Energy Home connects to a traditional utility grid, it also utilizes a system of rooftop mounted photovoltaic panels. At off-peak periods, the home generates more power than it requires by teaming renewable energy technologies with its energy-efficient design and construction. Even more attractive is that these three-bedroom, two-bath homes are priced at less than $200,000. (Simple registration required)

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