Columns/Blogs

Innovations in building science are enabling contractors, builders, architects and property managers to meet new performance and aesthetic goals. Insulated metal panels provide a simple solution with a variety of looks and appearances, combining both design freedom and functionality. This versatile product provides a simple solution for retrofit and new construction applications alike.

This year’s Greenbuild conference and expo (held in Chicago, November 14-16) showcased the usual products, systems, and technologies developed to help to lower carbon emissions and energy usage, while also reducing water consumption and waste. In addition, the show provided education on Sustainability, Resilience and even Adaptability for roof system applications. Much of the education is done with actual case studies in the construction industry. Much of the information is applicable to the metal construction industry.

As someone who spent their middle years practicing HTML coding to perfect their MySpace profile page and their high school and college years scouring Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for content, growing up to become a social media manager seems like an occupation that would come naturally to me. Though many people today have adapted to the language of social media, there are stark differences in using social media for personal purposes and using it for the sake of social media marketing.

The debate on climate change continues. Recently a protester appeared on television and compared the consequences of not doing anything to stop climate change to the carnage from World War II! Let’s hope that is just one person's radical position.

Insulated metal panels (IMPs) can be installed either vertically or horizontally. With most manufacturers’ wall panels, the exact same panels are used for either orientation. However, there are key differences in how the supporting wall system must be designed to accommodate the panel direction. In addition, the details used to design and the labor used to install vertical vs. horizontal panels can be quite different.

In recent years, some manufacturers have sought to imply that silicon-modified polyester (SMP) and ultra-durable polyester coatings can offer the same long-term performance benefits as 70% PVDF or FEVE fluoropolymer coatings. Such assertions are misleading for two reasons.

Product longevity is usually a good thing. It's certainly a great selling point for metal roofing, but it's also the reason why plastic drinking straws are in the cross hairs of environmental groups and government regulators worldwide.

Environmentalists have focused on global warming caused by mankind. This has been somewhat controversial when scientists turn to graphs that show increasing temperatures of our atmosphere, especially as to whether it is caused by mankind or whether it is just a heating cycle as what took place before mankind showed up on the Earth. That’s a topic for another day.

The US Government has its Departments and Agencies that work on a wide list of topics to improve the United States of America. Many are in the news on a regular basis, which reveals the inner working of these Departments and Agencies. But some, including the Department of Energy, we don't hear much about. That is not to say, however, that the agency isn't hard at work for the betterment of not only the United States, but the entire world.

Do you remember the Architecture 2030 initiative that challenged the building industry to build or retrofit all buildings to net zero energy standards or net zero Carbon by the year 2030? This was led by architect Edward Mazria in 2002. When it was first suggested 2030 seemed a long way off. Since then, more organizations jumped on the bandwagon since it seemed to be the right thing to do. This was supported by AIA and by individual states and even some territories.

While I was attending the GreenBuild Conference and Expo in Boston last fall there was conversation just about everywhere about the potential of yet another version of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) in the near future. The buzz was filled with speculation, rumors, fake news and even leaked information. For a moment I thought I was in Washington, DC.

This column has covered numerous topics over the years but never have I written a column on a baby. So this is something different. The baby is no ordinary baby. It is my first grandson. He was born into this world on St. Patrick’s Day. He is now representing the “Future Generation”.

Some say that creating legislation in Washington, DC is like watching how sausage is made. We may like the taste of sausage, but as a kid who was frequently taken to a butcher shop, you DO NOT want to know what goes into that meat product. And if you want to know about what goes into Scrapple (a staple for the Pennsylvania Dutch) it’s even more eye-opening.

If I would have chosen a different profession in life, I might have found myself working in the field of biomimicry. I find this field of study not only fascinating, but also important to the life of our planet.

There are several factors that one must evaluate when determining if a particular building requires a snow retention system. The first question you should pose is: “What would happen if snow slides off the roof?” The second question is: “Do we care?”

Some believe that the topic of "Resilience" is the next movement within the design community, similar to what we have seen with sustainability over the years. There are many definitions of the term but the American Institute of Architects (AIA) defines resilience as the ability to respond to known and unknown risks and successfully adapt to changes caused by shocks and stresses in the built environment.

In 2013 the USGBC launched LEED version 4 to eventually replace LEED 9. In 2016, LEEDv4 became mandatory for new projects. The change from LEED9 to LEEDv4 was significant. The newer version moved away from single attributes and replaced them with systematic approaches toward credit points. LEEDv4 was also much more complex than previous versions. With the new version in place for four years, USGBC announced at the 2017 Greenbuild conference in Boston they will be fast-tracking development of a new iteration, LEEDv4.1.

The federal government has provided incentives to home owners and commercial building owners since President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which changed U.S. energy policy by providing tax incentives and loan guarantees for energy production of various types and energy efficiency. That legislation paved the way for home owners to receive tax credits for installing cool metal roofing.

A quick search on Google for information on 3D printing in construction reveals a great many headlines. Developed in the 1980s, 3D printing has seen many improvements in printing equipment, increasing both the speed and complexity of the items produced. Among the industries to embrace 3D printing and its immense potential is construction. The technology has been used to produce everything from individual components to entire structures.

Summer of 2017 has just drawn to an end and, unfortunately, it will long be remembered for one of the most devastating hurricane seasons that the U.S. and Caribbean region have ever experienced. The 2017 hurricanes have caused a tragic loss of life, property and sense of security that may not be fully calculated until years in the future, if ever. We at DesignandBuildwithMetal.com offer our condolences to the millions of people who were touched by these tragedies.