Tag: materials

August 7, 2023

Across the skylines of the largest cities in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Mississippi, boom cranes are a common sight, a signal that the construction industry continues its post-pandemic growth. But with gain comes pain as the lack of talent […]

July 21, 2023

Nowadays, homes are built in increasingly smaller spaces in densely populated cities. The kitchens, which today serve not only to prepare meals but also as meeting spaces where we receive guests, are the places that have undergone the most transformations […]

July 7, 2023

The cost of popular construction materials has been hard to nail down since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. About 82.5% of construction materials have experienced a significant cost increase since 2020, with an average jump of 19%, according construction […]

May 10, 2023

Professionals in the AEC industry are well aware of the issues that grapple the built environment. That the construction industry is the largest consumer of materials and is responsible for 40% of all carbon emissions is a commonplace fact. Construction […]

February 23, 2023

It started with a mystery: How did molten salt breach its metal container? Understanding the behavior of molten salt, a proposed coolant for next-generation nuclear reactors and fusion power, is a question of critical safety for advanced energy production. The […]

September 19, 2022

“We should admit nature as an immense multitude of forms, including each part of us, who are part of everything”, says Ailton Krenak, renowned indigenous leader, in his book Ideas to Postpone the End of the World. The culture of […]

September 15, 2022

Considering the time, energy, and environmental impact of a construction process, architecture must explore different methodologies that work with the existing built environment. For example: how to give life to a forgotten building? Adaptive reuse gives new opportunities to abandoned […]

July 26, 2022

For some time, Chicago-area builders relied on their sand and gravel stockpiles, but a month into the strike, contractors had to turn to other states to find materials for jobsites. Though some contractors found ways to continue concrete work, other […]

June 8, 2022

Before Miami-based Eden Multifamily had even begun site work on EDEN Crystal Lake in Port Orange, Florida in March 2021 (pictured above), it already had a container filled with fiberglass bathtubs ready and waiting to be installed in the apartments […]

June 6, 2022

Drive through any residential development today and you’ll be struck by the boldness of the colors and the diversity of materials that clad the exterior of new homes. This range of design opportunities extends to remodels as well, with homeowners […]

June 1, 2022

Flood noted that his firm’s data center clients still want to build. “They said that they have never been building at this pace, and that pace going forward is only going to increase,” Flood said. But the triple threat of […]

November 23, 2021

Generally made from kiln-fired clay, it is estimated that bricks have been used since 7000 BC, as examples were discovered in the ancient city of Jericho. Since then, bricks have been omnipresent in the history of architecture, combining constructive ease, […]

November 2, 2021

For almost two decades, Will Pender has been preparing for his new role, Gulf States president at Adolfson & Peterson (A&P). After graduating from college, Pender started working at Seattle-based R.W. Beck, where his father was principal and senior director. […]

October 15, 2021

You may have recently heard the term “resilient design” being used more frequently within the construction and architectural industries. And with extreme global weather events and consumer concerns regarding sustainability, discussion around best building practices and resilient construction and materials […]

September 17, 2021

Between COVID-19, the five named storms that hit the state in 2020 and the industry’s ever-present labor shortage, Louisiana contractors have spent the last year trying to get by with a maxed-out workforce and pandemic-related supply chain shortages. Hurricane Ida […]

May 25, 2021

Popularly known as the lotus, the aquatic species Nelumbo nucifera has a useful particularity. Its leaves are self-cleaning, or ultra-hydrophobic. This means that no particles of dirt or water adhere to its leaf, which is especially useful in the humid […]

March 15, 2021

Another round of steep price increases and supply-chain disruptions are wreaking hardships on contractors, driving up construction costs and slowing projects, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. The data comes […]

December 31, 2020

While early builders proved that construction with primitive tools and materials is possible, it would take them generations to accomplish what modern teams can do in a few months. Today’s equipment takes much of the weight off workers’ shoulders, but […]

January 27, 2020

The materials the United States and other countries plan to use to store high-level nuclear waste will likely degrade faster than anyone previously knew because of the way those materials interact, new research shows. The findings, published today in the […]

January 24, 2020

It has been a banner year for Kate Simonen and her burgeoning band of embodied carbon busters, bent on reducing the negative environmental impacts of building production. On Nov. 19, Simonen and her EC-reduction champions debuted the first free-to-use digital […]