Category: Design and Construction

Smog on the NYC skyline

Are We Entering a New Era of Green Buildings?

You may have heard that New York City (NYC), the most populous city in the United States, has passed a groundbreaking law limiting building GHG emissions in an effort to meet its ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target—80 percent by 2050. The new regulation is having a major impact on building owners and facilities managers […]

Photograph of the Griffith Park brush wildfire and the Woolsey fire in California

Wildfires in the West Fueled by Land Use Policy

The summer of 2018 was particularly devastating for much of the wildfire-prone western states. And though the drought has broken in some of the most devastated regions — helping to alleviate some of the immediate danger — wildfire risk remains high in 2019. The lessons learned from battling the Carr and Camp fires can hopefully […]

Infographic: New vs. Used Furniture: Which is Better for Your Facility?

When you or your tenants are looking to design the work spaces at your facility, form should tend to follow function. You need a design, and the furniture, that makes the most sense for your organization’s goals. In the planning stages, then, you’ve got an important choice to make: which furniture option makes the most […]

Worker using a demolition robot

Demolition Robots Pose Injury Hazards for Construction Workers

Facility managers have numerous tools available when it comes to construction, rehab, or demolition work at their facilities. Increasingly, robots are among those tools. Among their appeal is that the operator controlling the robot is at a distance, away from potentially unsafe or outright dangerous work. While the robots assume most of the risk, however, […]

Facility manager reviewing drawings with a contractor

How to Spot an Unqualified Contractor

The process of hiring a quality contractor can be complicated and tiring. Many contractors will claim they are the perfect candidates for a job or that their workmanship is superior to others offering the same service. When it comes to investing in your facility, you want to hire the most qualified contractor for the project.

Worker wearing PPE

NIOSH, OSHA, and CPWR Stand-Down to Prevent Construction Falls

Whether you’re building a new facility, or maintaining and/or renovating an existing structure, there’s always a fall risk involved. Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the workplace, particularly in construction, accounting for one-third of industry worker deaths, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSH and OSHA, along with […]

asbestos week infographic thumbnail

Asbestos Awareness Week Infographic

Last week was Global Asbestos Awareness Week—check out this infographic from the Mesothelioma + Asbestos Awareness Center (MAA) for valuable information regarding this persistent environmental, health, and safety hazard.

olar Panel Array, Parking Lot

Solar Power Canopies Over Parking Areas Require Extra Planning

Making your facility sustainable through solar power has many benefits beyond the immediate and long-term impacts to your bottom line. It’s helpful to the local and global environment through a reduction in your carbon footprint, and it makes a statement to the communities in which you operate. Although solar installations are typically associated with roofs, […]

Engineer working on a solar panel install

Cut Out Power Conversion Process to Increase Energy Efficiency

The electrical grid in the United States – including generation, transmission, and distribution – is based on alternating current (AC). However, an increasing number of devices required by modern life (e.g. computers, mobile devices, and LED lights) run on direct current (DC), requiring that the power be converted before it can be used. As it currently […]