Posted: Mar 26, 2019

Microbes May Be Our Friends

By Scott Kriner

The talk in some circles in Washington, DC is turning back to a green agenda. Some have called it the “green new deal”. The effort is to eliminate fossil fuels in order to minimize or eliminate carbon emissions. So again we hear about potential global warming due to man’s use of fossil fuels. Amidst the market and politics, companies do their best to do the right things to stay in business. And, there are companies that are innovating to be superior.

Posted: Feb 19, 2019

Tackling Trash On The High Seas

By Scott Kriner

Normally, I never watch CBS’s Sixty Minutes on a Sunday Evening on television. But recently I was stopped with my remote in hand when I heard that the show that night would feature people that were planning an enormous undertaking.

Posted: Jan 22, 2019

Designing With Insulated Metal Roof Panels

By Kira Rogatnik

Combining both utility and aesthetics, insulated metal roof panels (IMPs) are growing in popularity. Once used primarily for cold storage, this versatile building solution is ideal for numerous commercial and industrial projects. The IMP roof panels provide air, water and vapor barriers all in one product. Office buildings, schools, community buildings, athletic facilities, data centers, retail centers and industrial warehouses are ideal applications.

Posted: Jan 15, 2019

China's Successes Are Not So Secret Anymore

By Scott Kriner

China has historically been mysterious to the Western world. In today’s news, China is mentioned in regard to currency and international tariffs, as well as dumping some products. What was once very closed within China is now open to the world.

Posted: Dec 26, 2018

How To Select An Insulated Metal Wall System That's Right

By Dave Poltynski

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.

Posted: Dec 11, 2018

Greenbuild Demonstration Reminds Us To Look To The Future

By Scott Kriner

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.

Posted: Dec 04, 2018

The Difference Between Using Social Media Personally Versus Social Media Marketing

By Jasmine Roberts

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.

Posted: Nov 13, 2018

The Debate On Climate Change Continues

By Scott Kriner

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.

Posted: Nov 06, 2018

Differences Between Installing IMPs Vertically Or Horizontally

By Paul Collyer

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.

Posted: Oct 16, 2018

Performance Expectations For UV-Durable Coil And Aluminum Extrusion Coatings

By Scott Moffatt

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.

Posted: Sep 11, 2018

Changing Times Reflected In The Plastic Straw Ban

By Scott Kriner

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.

Posted: Aug 14, 2018

Water Water Everywhere

By Scott Kriner

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.

Posted: Jul 10, 2018

A Reminder That Not All Government Spending Is Wasteful

By Scott Kriner

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.

Posted: Jun 05, 2018

Is Net Zero Energy Really Within Reach?

By Scott Kriner

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.

Posted: May 08, 2018

LEEDv4.1 To Begin Beta Testing

By Scott Kriner

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.

Posted: Apr 10, 2018

Those Future Generations? They're Already Here

By Scott Kriner

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”.

Posted: Mar 13, 2018

Congress Acts On Expiring Cool Roofing Tax Credits...But The Process Wasn't Pretty

By Scott Kriner

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.

Posted: Jan 16, 2018

Avoid Liability With Rooftop Snow Retention

By Brandon Jensen

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?”

Posted: Jan 09, 2018

Resilience Gets Real

By Scott Kriner

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.

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