-
What can facility managers learn from coronavirus?
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsA seemingly impossible feat of engineering, construction, and facilities management has been accomplished in the face of a global pandemic based in the People's Republic of China. The feat of modern facility creation started in late January when the Chinese government announced it would build a 1,000-bed hospital to house patients battling the Wuhan coronavirus in just six days. The actual construction time was closer to eight days, but the result was the same. The building was created using prefabricated materials to make the process move along quicker.
-
Advocating for the aftermarket at HDAW 2020
Bianca Gibson ManufacturingThe recent Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week, held for the first time at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas, gathered aftermarket professionals nationwide for an impactful event. With a captivating keynote delivered by "Shark Tank's" Daymond John, multiple informational sessions and a lively showroom, attendees were given plenty of avenues for education and inspiration. For those eager for industry insight, the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association hosted "Chasing the Aftermarket" on Jan. 26. The meeting was a TED Talk-style presentation, delivered by four aftermarket thought leaders.
-
Creeping prices keep lid on home sales
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsLow mortgage rates helped drive home sales in December. At the same time, shrinking inventories combined with increased demand to push home prices higher. That left some buyers, especially those at entry level, with fewer or no options, holding down the number of potential sales. Nevertheless, analysts are optimistic that market conditions will remain positive in 2020. Sales of existing homes rebounded from a 1.7% drop in November, climbing 3.6% month-over-month in December. Much of that gain came from condo and co-op sales, which soared 10.7% for the month.
-
US, China sign partial trade pact, but economic danger remains
Seth Sandronsky Civil & GovernmentThe nearly two-year trade war between the U.S. and China has cooled down since President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a "phase one" pact to reduce hostilities. On one hand, the pact calls for China to buy an additional $200 billion in U.S. goods over the next 24 months. That total includes $40 billion of American agriculture. For the short-term, there is long-awaited relief for soybean farmers in the Midwest. Is it time to pop the champagne corks? Not exactly.
-
How hospitality will become more sustainable in 2020
Bambi Majumdar Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementIt seems that hotel sustainability is going to top all hospitality trends in 2020. The industry is adopting a dual approach to become more sustainable, featuring a blend of behavioral change and implementation of relevant technologies. According to research, hotels must reduce their carbon emissions by 66% by 2030 to ensure that growth in the sector is sustainable. Many are using the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) to measure and report on their carbon footprint in a consistent way.
-
Feeling the way to better acoustics
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesDozens, if not hundreds, of studies have demonstrated the negative impact noise has on occupants. Yet, even with advances in materials and technology, noise continues to be a major challenge to designing today’s interior environments. Perhaps the solution lies deeper than controlling for noise. It may have to do with how we respond emotionally to the sounds around us. Much of the controversy concerning noise in interior environments has followed from the widespread adoption of open-plan and active space layouts.
-
Construction work begins on JFK’s Terminal 8
Matt Falcus Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementWork has begun on the expansion and rebuilding of New York JFK’s Terminal 8, a project that will cost $344 million and usher in passenger improvements to the airport. The work is a joint venture between American Airlines and British Airways, who are both Oneworld partners. Once completed, British Airways will move to Terminal 8 from its current Terminal 7, which itself will be closed and redeveloped. Terminal 8 is currently the largest at JFK. It is set to be redeveloped and expanded with five additional wide-body aircraft gates and four additional remote parking stands.
-
‘Opportunity zone’ tax breaks shown as duplicitous development…
Michelle R. Matisons Civil & GovernmentOpportunity zones are a new real estate tax scheme that government officials, city planners, and investment firms are using to convert low-income real estate or already developed areas into large tax break incentives. When Amazon announced plans to move to Long Island City, the controversial opportunity zone tax break, created from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, was cited as a possible incentive for that location. This caused a flurry of controversy, and Amazon gave up the idea, which includes paying zero taxes on gains from assets held for a decade, because it’s bad public relations.
-
Remodeling activity holding steady for now
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesEarly indications suggest that, as it has for the previous two quarters, growth in remodeling activity remained more or less flat in the fourth quarter of 2019. Current projections show that trend will continue for much of the coming year. Remodelers, however, are more optimistic, pointing to current project backlogs and a recent uptick in project inquiries. The outlook for remodeling business in 2020 varies depending on what part of the market one is looking at.
-
Infographic: 15 things that can be hacked in your life
Christian Castillo Science & TechnologyBefore, all we had to do was install antivirus software, and we'd be safe from anything online. But thanks to the internet of things, computers and credit cards aren't the only things that can be hacked. Everything from cranes on a construction site to the fridge in your home can be accessed by a malicious hacker. Education is the first line of defense, however, and this infographic will show you a list of some of the most hackable things in your life right now.
All Construction & Building Materials Articles