Category: Design and Construction

Roof garden terrace with brise soleil sun breakers on modern office building facade, heat protection, global warming, sustainable living concept

Greenbuild 2018 Wraps Up with New Initiatives and LEED Updates

Each year the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) teams up with Informa to put on the largest green building conference in the world, with the goal of fostering a broader interest in sustainable built environments. This year, they landed in Chicago, where thousands of attendees gathered to be inspired, and learn about the developments […]

Tarp covering damaged roof

‘Blue Roof’ Recommendations from OSHA

The recent hurricane season has apparently prompted OSHA to issue a fact sheet on safely installing plastic tarps on damaged roofs. Reinforced plastic tarps, commonly referred to as a blue roof, provide temporary protection for buildings following severe weather.

olar Panel Array, Parking Lot

U.S. Green Building Council Releases 2018 International Green Construction Code

Whether you’re building a new facility for the ground up, or overhauling an existing property, it doesn’t hurt to consider incorporating sustainable strategies and materials into the project at the design phase. Too often, the trickier issue is seeking out appropriate guidance about how best to meet sustainability goals and while maintaining your facility, your […]

Industrial garbage bin blue construction debris container filled with rock and concrete rubble.

Should You Test Your Building Materials for PCBs?

During a recent panel discussion, “Managing PCBs in Buildings: Renovations, Transactions, Demolition, and More” at the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) Energy & Environment Conference on May 18, 2018, in Farmington, Connecticut, the discussants tackled the question of whether to test or not to test for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The panel, comprised of three attorneys […]

Glass Globe on Forest Floor

U.S. Green Building Council Awards Leaders in Sustainable Building

On November 1, 2018, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the winners of its 2018 Leadership Awards. Each year, the USGBC, an organization dedicated to creating a sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy conscious design and construction,  recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations at the forefront of the green building movement. The recipients of the […]

Fixed Ladder with fall protection

Standards for Fixed Ladders Change This November

November 19, 2018, is a key date for facility managers with existing outdoor fixed ladders that extend more than 24 feet (ft) above a lower level. Ladders that were in place prior to that date must be equipped with at least one type of fall protection device that will prevent workers from falling. Ladders erected […]

Create Sustainable Facilities Using the Three R’s

Over the past few decades sustainability has become more than a buzzword. More and more, clients and employees are looking to a business’s impact on the environment and in the community before deciding where to spend their money or where to work. One way to drive sustainability is to implement the 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse, […]

Opioids

CDC: Rate of Drug Overdose Deaths Highest in Construction

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examined unintentional or undetermined overdose deaths for 26 occupation groups. The data shows that construction occupations had the highest proportional mortality rates (PMRs) of deaths from both heroin and prescription opioids.

Aerial view of sunset over downtown San Jose in California

Security Concerns Feature in YouTube’s Campus Expansion Plans

It was far too easy for a disgruntled content creator to walk onto YouTube’s property in San Bruno, California, last April and open fire on employees in a courtyard. The incident shone a bright light on existing security issues built into Silicon Valley’s open campus culture. Big tech companies have long desired to create a […]