Building Design & Construction articles from January 2003

Building Design & Construction archives from January 2003

Learning from the ground up. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2003... Editor's note: Numerous recipients of our electronic newsletter responded to Senior Editor Larry Flynn's coverage of the U.S. Green Building Conference in Denver: To view these reports, go to www.bdcmag.com and click "E-newsletters" on the tool...

Coulda shoulda woulda. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2003... Your coverage and e-mails are fantastic, and I've been looking forward to receiving them for the past few days. Even though the e-mails are brief, I always click on the links to get more info. I wish I could have been there. Maybe next...

Into the `Future Projects' file. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2003... I appreciate your short, concise, informative reports from the IGBC. We are planning a new laboratory here, so I'm saving your reports for review and reference later when we get to conceptual design. Jerry McCarthy Senior Project...

Now for the hard part. (Editorial).(World Trade Center designs have been unveiled)(Editorial)
January 1, 2003... One encouraging outcome of the unveiling of the World Trade Center designs December 18 was the positive public reaction. An informal poll of friends, acquaintances, and office mates revealed a sense of excitement, wonder, and inspiration with...

Latest WTC proposals under evaluation. (News & Trends).(World Trade Center)
January 1, 2003... Facing yet another monumental challenge in the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site, officials plan to select a final master plan for the site by February. After a period of public comment, the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. and Port...

Seismic upgrading work begins for Washington state capitol dome. (News & Trends).(Washington State Legislative Building)
January 1, 2003... Work is under way to repair the dome of the Washington State Legislative Building in Olympia, which was damaged by the 6.8 magnitude Nisqually earthquake in February 2001. The $10 million dome repair is part of a more than $100 million...

A $120 million concert hall. (Projects awarded).(David M. Schwarz/Architectural Services Inc. and Paul Scarbrough of Akustiks, L.L.C. awarded contracts )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... * A $120 million concert hall for the Nashville Symphony will feature an auditorium accommodating 115 musicians, 1,900 seats, and 150 choir members. Washington D.C.-based architect David M. Schwarz/Architectural Services Inc. and acoustic...

The $135 million Virginia Beach Convention Center. (Projects awarded).(Mid-Atlantic office of Turner Construction Co. awarded contract)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... * The Mid-Atlantic office of Turner Construction Co. has been commissioned to build the $135 million Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia Beach, Va. Other Building Team members include Sussex Development Corp., Virginia Beach, and...

A 151,000-sq.-ft. hospitality management training facility. (Projects awarded).(Welbro Building Corp. to provide construction management services for University of Central Florida facility)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... * Welbro Building Corp., Orlando, Fla., will provide construction management services for a 151,000-sq.-ft. hospitality management training facility for University of Central Florida. Architects are Helman Hurley Charvat Peacock/Architects,...

New headquarters building. (Projects awarded).(Swinerton Builders to provide preconstruction services for California State Compensation Insurance Fund building)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... * Swinerton Builders, San Francisco, will provide preconstruction services for the California State Compensation Insurance Fund's new headquarters building in downtown San Francisco. The 11-story, $82 million project will begin construction...

A 53,000-sq.-ft. freezer addition. (Projects awarded).(to the Consolidated Distribution Corp. designed by Kiferbaum Construction Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... * A 53,000-sq.-ft. freezer addition to the Consolidated Distribution Corp., Lemont, Ill., designed by Kiferbaum Construction Corp., is currently under construction. The new freezer space will feature a 30-ft. clear ceiling height, 14 exterior...

More input sought on WTC disaster. (News & Trends).(National Institute of Standards and Technology seeks additional photographs and videotapes concerning the collapse of World Trade Center Towers 1 and 2)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) last month issued the first interim report on its investigation of the Sept. 11, 2001 World Trade Center disaster. NIST Director Arden Bement said his agency is seeking from the...

`Excellent reporting'. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2003... I hope your excellent and informative reporting from Austin (Texas) encourages evolution of the building industry into the twenty-first century. David Warren Construction Management Specialist Newark (N.J.) Public Schools Have...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2003... An item in our December issue (Reader Service 306) described Timely Industries' steel door frames as "pre-assembled." They are "prefinished." We regret the error. In "Big names on campus" (BD&C, December, p. 44), we incorrectly implied...

First he broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive-game streak now long-time baseball great Cal Ripken Jr. will test his hand at designing professional ballparks. (Firm Announcements).(forms Ripken Management & Design)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... First he broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive-game streak, now long-time baseball great Cal Ripken Jr. will test his hand at designing professional ball parks. Ripken has formed Ripken Management & Design (RMD), a Lutherville, Md.-based management...

Ross & Baruzzini. (Firm Announcements).(has been purchased by former managers; to be reformed under the name of BRiC Partnership )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Tom Buchheit, Andy Rein, Eric Rogers, and Bruce Coleman, former managers of a St. Louis-based Ross & Baruzzini's satellite in Belleville, Ill., purchased the unit and will reform a new partnership under the name BRiC Partnership, Belleville.

Luckett & Farley Architects. (Firm Announcements).(completed ownership transition)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Luckett & Farley Architects, Louisville, Ky., completed an ownership transition in which four of the firm's officers took over a fourth of the company, while Dennis DeWitt remains president and major shareholder.

Environ. (Firm Announcements).(merges with Harley Ellis)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Harley Ellis, Detroit, has merged with Chicago-based architect Environ.

FdG Associates. (Firm Announcements).(has acquired the business and assets of specialty contractor Limbach Facility Services Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A New York-based private equity firm, FdG Associates, has acquired the business and assets of specialty contractor Limbach Facility Services Inc. from the defunct Enron Corp. The new company, Limbach Facility Services LLC, will be co-owned by...

3D/International Inc. (On The Move).(Walker Lee Evey to join company as national practice leader for federal programs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Walker Lee Evey, whose 30-year government career included leading the Pentagon Renovation Program and the Phoenix Project (rebuilding the Pentagon following 9/11), will join 3D/International Inc. as their national practice leader for federal...

Bliss & Nyitray. (On The Move).(appointed Ronald M. Jezerinac vice president)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Bliss & Nyitray, Miamim has named Ronald M. Jezerinac vice president.

Ah, the joys of estimating! (Computer Applications).
January 1, 2003... Estimating. By its very name, hardly an exact science. And in the slim-margin world of design and construction, a critically important yet monumentally complex task. Some say the practice is more art than science. But because it is...

Ultimate climate control: the reconstructed U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory's integrated mechanical systems provide tailored environments for 4,000 varied plants. (Innovative HVAC Design).
January 1, 2003... A $33.5 million renovation of the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory on the U.S. Capitol grounds in Washington has not only enlarged the 70-year old facility by 40%, but has made it substantially more able to provide optimum environments for the...

The war against mold: mold-related lawsuits and escalating insurance premiums are threatening the pocketbooks of America's Building Teams, but the good fight goes on. (Special Report).(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2003... Largely ignored by professionals in the design and construction industry as recently as five years ago, mold is now the focus of countless industry seminars, research studies, and magazine articles. And with good reason, as damages from mold...

From brutal to beautiful: decorative and tilt-up concrete add texture, color, and style to a new range of building types, and Building Teams are putting them to work. (Concrete Trends).(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2003... Brutalism is the architectural term perhaps most closely associated with concrete. Stark in nature, dull in color, big-box retail and industrial buildings are more apt to come to mind than more elegant structures. But in their quest to...

Protect the walls. (EIFS).
January 1, 2003... EIFS sheathing has a gold alkali-resistant surface coating and a patented water-resistant core. According to its maker, the Dens-Glass Gold has 50 to 100% greater flexural strength than ordinary sheathing and is fire-resistant. It comes with a...

Positive drainage. (EIFS).
January 1, 2003... EIFS incorporates a grooved foam insulation board that allows positive drainage of incidental water that may enter the system through various penetrations on the wall. Therm PB-Drain GF also features a redundant weather barrier, with a...

Built in heaven. (at work).
January 1, 2003... St. Mary's Catholic Church in Rockledge, Fla., needed a waterproof barrier to protect its walls against heavy summer afternoon showers. W&J Construction Corp. of Cocoa, Fla. chose EIFS NEXT, which applies vertical ribbons of adhesive that allow...

New-old downtown. (at works).
January 1, 2003... Downtown Pleasant Hill, in the San Francisco Bay area, is a mixed-use redevelopment project with townhomes, a hotel, a civic center, restaurants, parking, and a multi-screen movie theater. Vila Construction Inc. of Richmond, Calif., applied the...

Around the bend. (Products EIFS).
January 1, 2003... Exterior wall system for harsh environments in high-traffic commercial and institutional buildings is made of a 100% acrylic polymer base coat, which repels water, and a cement board for puncture resistance. The Cement-Board Stucco bends to a...

Wind breaker. (Products at work).
January 1, 2003... The 70-year-old Beacon Towers high-rise apartment building needed to improve its energy efficiency and moisture protection. The problem was so severe that 30 of the 100 units were left vacant. The owner, theSeattle Housing Authority, chose the...

Sealed tight. (Products at work).
January 1, 2003... Silicone sealants and extruded silicone seals are key weatherproofing components in the new 35-story Mayfair Renaissance condo project in Atlanta, part of a twin high-rise structure designed by Atlanta-based Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart,...

Built to last. (Products at work).
January 1, 2003... Kier Construction of Ogden, Utah, chose a Direct-Applied Exterior Finish System (DEFS) for a 14-acre retail/office complex in Clearfield, Utah, in order to achieve a smooth look. The 170,000-sq.-ft. town square development has water-durable...

Concrete to last. (Moisture Protection).
January 1, 2003... Concrete admixture acts as a sealant in parking garages, bridges, wastewater treatment plants, or any other facilities subject to accelerated and corrosion concrete failure induced by the environment. According to the American Concrete...

Sealant approved. (Moisture Protection).
January 1, 2003... Polyurethane sealant achieved AAMA 802.3 Type I and Type II Certification for use as a back bedding glazing compound. The Sikaflex-221SF is solvent-free to be environmentally friendly and available in 10.3-ounce cartridges and 20-ounce unipacks...

On the surface. (Moisture Protection).
January 1, 2003... Fiberglass duct liner is, according to its maker, 40% more moisture resistant than its predecessor. The surface helps alleviate moisture that may enter a duct system due to improperly sealed duct joints or poorly installed and maintained duct...

Hot seal. (Moisture Protection).
January 1, 2003... Sealant series is spray applied hot, literally curing as it bonds to a substrate, to create a permanent, seamless, airtight seal for steel and concrete applications. The RSM Series is made of crumb rubber from recycled tires, polyurethane,...

Call for entries: Building Team Project of the Year Awards.
January 1, 2003... Building Design & Construction invites Building Team members to enter recent projects for its sixth annual Building Team Project of the Year Awards, which recognize buildings whose design and construction reflect the successful collaboration of...

Change of color. (Moisture Protection).
January 1, 2003... Gray silicone sealant is less visible and offers less contrast than the standard black silicone sealant, creating a more seamless aesthetic look in building, says the manufacturer. Used to insulate glass products, the gray sealant has the same...

Cooling off. (Moisture Protection).
January 1, 2003... Heat-reflective coatings, developed for metal construction applications, meet the EPA's Energy Star specifications for "cool roofs." The Ultra-Cool coatings were created by the Cool Metal Roofing Coalition to prevent the "urban heat island"...

Wood look-alike. (Miscellaneous).
January 1, 2003... Door and sidelight frame system is fire resistant, with the look of wood. DuraStraight-20 has a positive pressure fire rating of 20 minutes; DuraStraight-45, 45 minutes, according to the manufacturer. Cawood. Reader Service No. 309

Grainy opening. (Miscellaneous).
January 1, 2003... Wood-grained steel doors are available in multiple designs and are warranted for use on interior or exterior openings. According to the maker, GrainTech doors will not warp, crack, or bow and are UV- and graffiti-resistant. Available in...

Dry hands. (Miscellaneous).
January 1, 2003... Warm hand dryer weighs only 9.5 lbs. and activates automatically when hands are present. With no buttons to push on the Model LE Series, hand sanitation is improved. The dryer is 125-in. thick with a cast aluminum cover and white powder-coated...

Silver coating. (Miscellaneous).
January 1, 2003... Round, nonresidential ductwork with AgION antimicrobial pre-coated steel contains silver ions in a zeolite matrix, which inhibits the growth of bacteria, molds, mildew, fungi, and other microbes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Food...

Lock box. (Miscellaneous).
January 1, 2003... Recessed light box replaces the need for manually built fire barrier around recessed lights to maintain the fire rating of floor-ceiling assemblies. E.Z. Barrier Box is designed to fit on both 16- and 24-in. on-center applications with four...

Express clean. (Miscellaneous).
January 1, 2003... Lavatory system surface resists stains, burns, chemicals, and impact, accommodating up to three users at a time, says manufacturer. The Express Lavatory System is ADA compliant and is infrared activated. The system includes p-trap, stainless...

A step in the right direction: nonresidential construction took a hit in 2002, but the coming year offers hope for recovery. (Construction Forecasts 2003).(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2003... Following a stagnant 2001 and a decidedly down 2002, total construction spending (not including single-family housing) should be up on the order of 3.8% or so during the year ahead--not anything to make your pulse quicken, but a step in the...

Accentuating the positive: several sectors offer America's Building Teams better-than-average opportunity for growth in the coming year. (Construction Forecast 2003).(Illustration)(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2003... The outlook for the construction industry as a whole during 2003 depends, as always, to a large extent upon the timing and strength of the overall economic recovery. In general, the fluidity and unpredictability of the year ahead means that the...

Tracking the hot markets: Oakland's East Bay region tops industrial and retail markets, while Cincinnati leads office development, says this forecaster. (Construction Forecast 2003).(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2003... The forecast of Glenn Mueller, Ph.D., a professor at John Hopkins University's Real Estate Institute, should prove useful to Building Teams in their 2003 strategic planning. The graphs depicted here show a skewed bell curve, a model...

The big picture: construction activity should pick up somewhat in 2003, but only if corporations and the public do their bit. (Construction Forecast 2003).
January 1, 2003... Make no mistake: The U.S. and global economies face continued challenges in the year ahead. On balance, however, it's reasonable to assume that if at least some things go right, overall economic growth rates during 2003 will be at least a bit...

Institutional construction: the saving grace of 2002. (Construction Forecast 2003).(Illustration)(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2003... At an estimated $220.2 billion, the value of nonresidential building construction spending (for both new and remodeling/retrofit/reconstruction work) during the first nine months of 2002 was 8.1% less than during the same period of 2001....