Green building is big business these days and it’s expected to account for 1/3 of all construction projects in the United States by the year 2018. LEED, being the poster child for green construction and the world’s most widely used green building rating system, is expected to directly contribute to 386,000 jobs by 2018, as well. Though green building is a concept used significantly throughout the world, as seen in projects like the world’s first zero energy hotel, the United States absolutely dominates the industry with respect to LEED.
Read moreStudy: Cement Absorbs Percentage of Greenhouse Gases It Creates
Cement factory in China. Photo by Jonathan Kos-Read, CC BY-ND 2.0
Concrete is one of the world’s favorite building materials; it’s strong, simple to mix, and generally widely available. Its dirty little secret has always been centered around one of its main ingredients: cement. To make cement, crushed rock and other ingredients are fed into a kiln that heats the components at temperatures reaching 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit. Those extreme temperatures cause large amounts of carbon dioxide to be released into the air and, combined with the carbon dioxide that’s produced just to burn the fossil fuels to heat the kiln, it makes cement one of the largest producers of greenhouse gases in the world, 5% in total.
Read moreTests Have Begun on “Living Wall” to Cover Scaffolding with Grasses, Plants
via Arup
One of the toughest aspects of construction in heavily populated or close-quarters areas is the control of noise and other pollutants. The public’s worries about these items can stall or kill projects before they begin. If and when they project actually begins, complaints can roll into the governing agencies causing project delays and/or fines.
Arup, a design, engineering, and consulting team in the United Kingdom, has been developing a living wall system, which they think can reduce the noise and improve the air quality surrounding ongoing construction projects.
Read more1933’s House of Tomorrow to Finally Be Restored After Falling into Disrepair
via the National Parks Service
World’s fairs have been held in varying locations across the globe since 1844 and are responsible for some of the most memorable buildings and structures that still stand today. The Eiffel Tower in Paris was originally built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge was built to coincide with the 1939 World Fair, and Seattle’s Space Needle was designed and built for the 1962 World’s Fair (you can check out photos of the construction here), just to name a few.
At the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago, 16 homes were constructed for display to promote new building products and materials to the fair-goers.
Read moreThinking Ahead: How Rio Plans to Reuse 2016 Olympic Structures in the Future
Rio's Olympic Aquatic Stadium. Photo by Leandro Neumann Ciuffo, CC BY 2.0
Billions of dollars are spent by cities and countries to prepare for summer and winter Olympics. Many stadiums, housing and other infrastructure are built to not only be able to handle the games, but also the enormous amount of people that will eventually inhabit the city for a few weeks. But, that’s just it, it’s only for a few weeks. What happens after the games are over and there’s no longer a need for an International Broadcast Center or a handball venue? In the past, the answer has been to let the area rot away and be a hotbed of vandalism, but Rio has taken a different approach.
Read moreThe Next Green Construction Material: Recycled Plastic Bottles
Principal Engineer with RePlast blocks made of recycled plastic. Photo via ByFusion
Plastic bottles are probably inside more buildings than we’d care to know about, as I’ve personally (and unfortunately) been on enough job sites to see way too many bottles thrown around the job site, outside of trash containers. A large percentage of the bottles that are lucky enough to make it in a dumpster, end up in a landfill where it takes them an estimated 500 years to fully decompose! In an effort to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in our nation’s landfills, one startup company is hoping to turn recycled plastic into the next green construction material.
Read moreMissouri is Testing Out Solar Roadways Along Historic Route 66
Image courtesy of Solar Roadways
Imagine a world where the millions upon millions of square feet of roadway and parking lots across the world actually served a greater purpose than a flat surface to drive and park a vehicle. That’s the world that Scott and Julie Brusaw, creators of Solar Roadways, imagine and their dream is becoming closer to reality after years of testing and research.
Read more[Infographic] 8 of the Most Incredible Green Office Buildings From Across the World
Green construction isn’t just a fad, it’s becoming a large part of the construction industry. It has been estimated that 1/3 of all construction projects in the United States will be green by 2018, which is now just a short 2 years away. It’s not just an American thing either, countries all over the world have embraced the trend and have brought incredible new designs and green features to light.Green construction isn’t just a fad, it’s becoming a large part of the construction industry. It has been estimated that 1/3 of all construction projects in the United States will be green by 2018, which is now just a short 2 years away. It’s not just an American thing either, countries all over the world have embraced the trend and have brought incredible new designs and green features to light.
Read moreHow Building Green Can Help Your Company and the Customer
[Guest Post] Green innovations have served to change the construction industry in many ways. Building green is the way of the future, so adapting can have benefits for both construction firms and the customers that will use the new buildings. While materials may cost more and it may take a little effort to acquire certifications for green building, having the ability to offer green building expertise can help construction firms stand out. Operating from a green building can also help clients in several ways.
Read moreWorld’s First 3D Printed Office Completed in 19 days
Back in June of 2015, Dubai announced their plans to design and build the World’s first fully functional 3D printed office building. On May 23, 2016, that office building has officially opened, as announced by the Government of Dubai. The building was a part of Dubai’s 3d Printing Strategy, which they hope will propel the country to World leader status in that arena
Read more