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"During this health emergency [COVID-19 pandemic], material engineers have been actively discussing materials that may help to prevent the ability of bacteria and germs to cling to surfaces," writes Ed Dahlquist of Lorin Industries. "Some interesting studies have come to light – which we think may be useful to those planning projects and investigating what type of material to use for surfaces."

Prior to the winter of 2019 - 2020, Alpine SnowGuards constructed a real-world test facility at its headquarters in Morrisville, VT, to examine the performance of various snow guard types and configurations on a variety of roof surfaces. This article reveals the corrugated metal roofing results.

Occupant wellbeing, health and comfort are key design considerations when it comes to creating buildings and interiors for people to work in. Seeing as employees spend 39.2 hours a week on average in the workplace, it is crucial to design workspaces that ensure employees feel comfortable, motivated and proud of where they work. Ceilings play a critical role in the interior design, aesthetically and functionally.

PPG unveiled a new series of colors for its PPG Duranar™ MXL and PPG Durabrite™ metal coatings at METALCON 2019. The new Mineral Series color line offers architects new design options that blend seamlessly into urban landscapes with semi-transparent earth tones that subtly shimmer when exposed to sunlight. Following is a brief Q-and-A with David C. Story, chief stylist and manager of color science, coil and building products, PPG, who was instrumental in the development of this new PPG color palette.

Nationwide, severe weather and geological events are causing astronomical property damage. The consequence: communities strained by a loss of resources, security and access to shelter. Certain areas are so devastated that recovery seems next to impossible.... An increasing number of industry experts are proactively responding to these challenges by specifying more resilient building products. Standing-seam metal roofs, which offer superior protection against the elements, fit this category.

It's no wonder metal walls are popular in both commercial and residential construction. They offer a multitude of design capabilities and a sustainable barrier to weather. While most often utilized in commercial office, educational and manufacturing buildings, metal wall panels also have unique uses in residential homes and condos.

Working now as Product Manager for the new OneDek™ roof deck system from All Weather Insulated Panels, Mark Munley sees a revolutionary product. “I consider OneDek™ the most significant development within the commercial roofing space during my career,” he said.

Cable rail in-fill systems are increasingly being specified by architects and contractors. On the surface, the reasons appear obvious. The sleek, streamlined cables are well-suited for both indoor and outdoor settings, and complement a variety of architectural styles while helping to preserve the view. But the appeal goes much deeper.

Standard sizing of lumber products began nearly a century ago to create a shared understanding between the lumber mills and the markets. That same understanding is still required and is one of the reasons why Metl-Span's various factory-insulated metal wall and roof panel systems are offered in recommended standard sizes.

In late October 2018, Prescient began assembly of its 19th project in the Denver, CO area. Phase II of the Colorado Christian University (CCU) Resident Hall joins eight other buildings currently under construction using Prescient’s light-gauge steel framing system, accounting for more than 2.9 million square feet of construction.

In Europe, the use of insulated metal panels (IMPs) comprises about 50 percent of building projects in the commercial-industrial category. In North America, IMPs, though growing, remain in the minority – about one in 10 projects use them. More telling, however, is that the vast majority of IMPs in Europe are for roof applications. In America, it’s walls.

Whether it’s to entice blue-chip athletes or to appeal to the fitness interests of prospective students in general, colleges and universities know the importance of having facilities that make a good first impression. Fresh and modern is almost always a must and for both ground-up new construction projects and makeovers to existing structures, products from Banker Wire have shown to be an ideal design complement.

In 1999, CENTRIA launched Formawall® Dimension Series®, the first architectural insulated composite wall system in the industry to provide variable panel thickness, multiple reveal depths, and a variety of profiles. The latest evolution of Formawall enables the architectural community to push the envelope further and create a more sustainable building environment, thanks to the removal of red-list halogens from the product’s insulating foam core.

Contractors make their livings on the job site, not sitting at a desk, so estimating software is not the something they readily think about. Ray Smith of AppliCad USA wants that to change and in a bylined article, explains the time and cost savings associated with his company's industry-leading Roof Wizard roof and cladding software program.

While metal products have proven to offer many benefits when compared to competing cladding materials, few are as uniquely suited to exterior architectural applications as coil-anodized aluminum.

Integrated Project Delivery is often hailed as a collaborative process that increases project efficiency by bringing all stakeholders together early and often, eliminating misunderstandings and redundancies. In one case, however, its benefits were even greater, leading to the development of a new metal panel profile now offered by Morin, a Kingspan Group Company.

Duane Ellifritt, a renowned engineer, college professor and artist, and the first Director of Research and Engineering for the Metal Building Manufacturers Association, passed away January 22, 2018. Just a few days earlier, MBMA’s current Director of Research and Engineering, Lee Shoemaker, PE, Ph.D., was invited to the Ellifritt home in Gainesville, FL, where he interviewed Dr. Ellifritt about his life with MBMA, his teaching career and his love of art.

Normally, at this time of year, we have already forgotten all about winter and things like snow and ice. This year, however, is a little different. Our calendars say that spring is here, but winter has been clinging to relevance with all its might. If you are a home or building owner, this is the perfect time of year for you to begin thinking about – and researching – snow retention

What do you do when you decide to put a pool where you originally planned to install a solar power system and the roof won’t work? You get TRA Snow and Sun to help you think outside the box and create an innovative concept. That’s what contractors of a Bourne, Massachusetts home did when they encountered this issue on the project being constructed in a beautiful wooded area with a steep hillside at the back of the property.

Customer service is a hallmark of Showmotion, a mobile marketing company based in Denver, CO. The same can be said of Schweiss Doors, one of the world’s premier manufacturers of bifold, hydraulic and designer doors, many of which are custom designed. Schweiss recently supplied a hydraulic door for a custom trailer Showmotion was constructing for an oversees aircraft corporation. It was not only the door application that challenged Schweiss, it was the time frame. They needed the 28’ x 7’-11” hydraulic-actuated door—manufactured and installed—in just eight days!