Sustainability

    Emerging Green Building Trends in the U.S.

    By Donna Laquidara-Carr, Industry Insights Research Director With the impacts of climate change becoming more apparent in our everyday lives and having an increased impact on the built environment, the drive for green and resilient building has never been stronger in the U.S. While energy conservation continues to be a top approach to building green and use of renewable energy sources are a well-known strategy, in the past decade several new approaches to building green offer potential to improve the… Read More »Emerging Green Building Trends in the U.S.

    READ NOW

      Hard Hat and a Hammer: Impacts of the Infrastructure Bill

      By Richard Branch, Chief Economist On Friday, November 5, the House of Representatives passed the nearly $1 trillion infrastructure bill, following months of uncertainty. Over the life of the funding, the programs will inject nearly $550 billion in new spending across a multitude of programs such as roads and bridges, water and sewer, broadband internet, rail, and enhancements to the electric grid. Additionally, the vote also approved a long-overdue five-year authorization for surface transportation (replacing the FAST Act) as well… Read More »Hard Hat and a Hammer: Impacts of the Infrastructure Bill

      READ NOW

        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

        READ NOW

          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

          READ NOW

            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

            READ NOW

              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

              READ NOW

                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?

                READ NOW

                  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

                  READ NOW

                    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

                    VIEW NOW

                      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

                      READ NOW