Sustainability

    The Benefits of Fans in Schools

    Four case studies demonstrate how fans can help reduce energy costs and create greener, more comfortable schools. Research shows that student attendance and performance improve when schools go green. In schools that rely on traditional HVAC systems and natural ventilation, fans can be used to give HVAC systems a break and keep both students and teachers comfortable. In the summer, air movement created by fans makes people feel up to 10°F cooler, which means the thermostat can be set higher… Read More »The Benefits of Fans in Schools

      A Sustainable Landmark Incorporates Ceiling Fans

      The Bullitt Foundation, a nonprofit philanthropic organization with a focus on the environment, worked with local real estate firm Point32 to deliver a building at the cutting-edge of sustainable architecture. The building was the vision of CEO Denis Hayes to create “the greenest urban office building in the world” and received the Sustainable Building of the Year award from World Architecture News in 2013. To help meet the low energy targets, ceiling fans were combined with automated windows for passive… Read More »A Sustainable Landmark Incorporates Ceiling Fans

        Indian Megacity Mandates On-Site Construction Waste Recycling

        India, one of the world’s most rapidly growing economies, is projected to grow 12.55% in 2021, according to Nasdaq. The country’s construction sector is more than keeping pace, and is expected to grow 13% in the same period. But growth comes at a price. A new report from a Delhi-based nonprofit, the Centre for Science and Environment, estimates India’s building activity—construction and demolition combined—generates a whopping 165 million tons of waste per year. Despite the national government’s 2016 C&D Waste Management… Read More »Indian Megacity Mandates On-Site Construction Waste Recycling

          The UN’s Latest Climate Change Report: Needs Improvement

          The United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) releases regular reports on the state of the climate. The IPCC released its latest climate change report in early August. The document amounts to yet another warning to humanity about the terrible effects of our largely carbon-based energy economy. The New York Times summarizes the findings of the UN climate change report thus: “Nations have delayed curbing their fossil-fuel emissions for so long that they can no longer stop global warming… Read More »The UN’s Latest Climate Change Report: Needs Improvement

            The Infrastructure Bill: What’s in It? And When Can You Start Bidding for Jobs?

            Get in line. As the Biden administration and Congress work toward a landmark, $1 trillion infrastructure deal, nearly 2,000 corporations and other groups have met with legislators and White House officials in an effort to shape the bill to their own interests. The White House and a bipartisan group of senators announced a preliminary agreement at the end of July, which includes some $550 billion in new spending. As of early August, the bill totaled 2,702 pages, a massive laundry… Read More »The Infrastructure Bill: What’s in It? And When Can You Start Bidding for Jobs?

              Robotics Are Revolutionizing Infrastructure Inspection

              It should come as no surprise that the nation’s infrastructure is in poor shape. The American Society of Civil Engineers has long been sounding the alarm with its recurring infrastructure report card, awarding the U.S. an alarmingly C- for 2021. (And that’s a marked improvement over the D+ overall score from the previous round, in 2017.) The questionable condition of our roads and bridges only foregrounds the necessity for safe and reliable inspections, a concern that Ron Stupi, Senior Vice… Read More »Robotics Are Revolutionizing Infrastructure Inspection

                The Emerging Value of Remote Inspection in Civil Construction – On Demand Webinar

                Even before the COVID-19 crisis, the potential of remote inspections to help automate parts of the inspection process was gaining attention as a means to improve the inspection process, free up inspectors’ time to focus on more high-value tasks and help project owners deal with shrinking budgets. Now the pandemic has put a spotlight on the value of remote inspection to help reduce the number of people on dynamic jobsites to improve safety and health. However, the industry is still… Read More »The Emerging Value of Remote Inspection in Civil Construction – On Demand Webinar

                  A Narrow, Novel Solution for the Nation’s Housing Shortage

                  That the United States faces an acute housing shortage should come as no surprise. Eviction moratoria, increased unemployment benefits, and other measures spared many owners and renters from losing their homes at the height of the economic crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fully one third of renters used some kind of government assistance to pay the landlord, according to a recent article in The New York Times. Unfortunately, lower-income families are still vulnerable, particularly with benefits coming to… Read More »A Narrow, Novel Solution for the Nation’s Housing Shortage

                    Is Technology Reducing Construction Risks? | Construction Podcast

                    Listen to Dodge’s Ben Johnson and Donna Laquidara-Carr discuss the emerging technologies shaping risk management in construction. Below is a transcript of this construction podcast. Ben Johnson:Hello and welcome to this episode of a podcast that builds. I’m your host Ben Johnson, and on today’s show we’ll be discussing the use of technology to help manage construction risks. The data we’ll be using in today’s show came from a new SmartMarket Insight called Using Technology to Improve Risk Management in… Read More »Is Technology Reducing Construction Risks? | Construction Podcast

                      Benefits of BIM and Prevention Through Design: Improved Construction Site Safety | Construction Podcast

                      Listen to “A Podcast That Builds” host Ben Johnson and Dodge’s Donna Laquidara-Carr discuss the benefits of BIM in the construction industry, including how it can improve construction site safety. Also learn how prevention through design could transform the industry’s approach to construction site safety. Below is a transcript of this construction podcast. Ben Johnson:Hello and welcome to “A Podcast That Builds”, construction industry experts keeping you in the know with news, trends and analysis that will shape the future… Read More »Benefits of BIM and Prevention Through Design: Improved Construction Site Safety | Construction Podcast