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Deadly EF4 Tornado Rips Oklahoma

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:16:11 +0000

A deadly tornado just devastated Oklahoma City early afternoon. The National Weather Service initially classified the storm as an EF4, the second-strongest type, with winds of 166 to 200 mph. ...

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Dubai Could Strengthen Building Code Standards

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:38:04 +0000

Dubai has been rated by geologist as an area that has minimal earthquake risks. However as and extra safety measure the government is increasing their building code requirements against earthquake, by requiring all buildings 10 floor or higher design able to withstand forces created by an earthquake of up to a magnitude of 5.9 Buildings with between four and 10 floors will need withstand earthquakes ranging between 5.0 and 5.5. It is expected that these new building code requirements could add as mush as 8% of additional costs on these projects as beams and columns will be larger and heavily reinforced.

The modifications will affect the requirements of the structural design and sector loads related to earthquakes, while those related to wind speed have not been changed and remains the same. Local builders are also claiming that with all these new regulations some shovel-ready project will need to go back once again to the drafting table before they can be started, causing additional delays to the local industry.

FIU Establishes Cat 5 Hurricane Wind Testing Laboratory

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:59:25 +0000

FIU has created the Wall of Wind testing land, a lab that will demonstrate how building materials behave during a real category 5 hurricane. The University hopes this will identify and provide actual data to improve building codes once they know how different materials perform during wind conditions. The Wall of Wind, created by the Florida International University in Miami, its made of 12 high speed fans that, when working together, simulate a category 5 hurricane, enough to provide more than 255,000 cubic feet of air per minute. The laboratory has already provide significant data allowing Florida agencies to enhance their building codes, as these huge fans can test anything from nails to shingles to roof-top air-conditioning units.

The WOW can test the following materials:

Roofing materials
Wall cladding
Building rooftop equipment
Windows, doors, curtain walls
PV systems
Bridges, road signs, light poles, traffic signals
Electrical transmission structures

and many more.

_{Photo Courtesy AP}

Critical Fargo Flood Protection Project Still Needs $800 Million

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:54:08 +0000

The Fargo-Moorhead flood diversion project is one step closer to reality when the U.S. Senate authorized the $1.8 billion project. However, the project which really is needed to protect against annually disastrous flooding, still needs to get approval by the House and one additional important thing: get funding approved. There are indications that the project might be amended to include taxes that can be used to cover part of the funding needed for the project. The project has received opposition from some sectors as normally these projects could be completed under a budget significantly higher than original and could bring future problems due to insufficient funding. The project includes a design for a 1,500 foot wide channel that will reduce the 100-year flood event from 42.4 feet to 35 feet at the Fargo gage. In addition, the FM Diversion would give the area a chance by reducing the river level in Fargo from 46.7 feet to 40 feet during a 500-year event. Politics are pushing the House to authorize the project this year, so it can be ready to start construction during 2014.

_{Photo © Simminch}

$1.3 Bayonne Bridge Improvements Starting Before the End of the Month

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:13:30 +0000

During the next weeks the $1.3 billion project to raise the Bayonne Bridge will start construction after it received the environmental approval from the U.S. Coast Guard. The NY and ...

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Bangladesh Building Team Might Face Criminal Charges

Mon, 13 May 2013 21:32:01 +0000

The collapse of a factory building in Bangladesh might spark a criminal investigation after several irregularities have been found as part of the construction process. The Bangladesh building collapsed two weeks ago, and more than 1,000 have been found dead behind the rubble and debris from the accident. The National Fire Service has found evidencing demonstrating that the building has violated codes and even part of it was built without the necessary permits. The government will start a deeper and thorough investigation asking the building's owners why the allowed workers in the building after large cracks appeared in the building's walls, days before it collapsed. The UN asked the government to improve their National Building Code and strengthen its implementation because more than 40 million people live in seismic zones. Following this disasters retail associations around the world are increasing their building standards to prevent this type of disasters.

Women Building Program Reaches Milestone Before Mother's Day

Sat, 11 May 2013 11:19:59 +0000

The week leading to Mother's day has been once again, as has been the tradition, the week where several hundreds or thousands of women who participate in the Women Build program from Habitat for Humanity...

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Is the World Trade Center the Tallest Western Hemisphere Building?

Fri, 10 May 2013 22:14:34 +0000

Now that the World Trade Center has been topped by the spire, there is an ongoing discussion whether or not the building could claim the title of the tallest building in the western hemisphere. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat will decide later this year, whether the World Trade Center reigns over Chicago's Willis Tower. The controversy is based on the fact that some experts claim that the antenna is not an essential part of the building and could be removed. However, a spire is something that is part of the building's architectural design and should be considered part of the building. The World Trade Center has reached the 1,776 feet height mark, while the Chicago skyscraper rises up to 1,451 feet. The Port Authority said the LED-powered light would be activated in the next few months. The tower is scheduled to open next year.

Last Big Post-Katrina Project Receives US Corps of Engineers Approval

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:48:59 +0000

The US Army Corps of Engineers has given the green light for the commencement of a $600 million plus contract on what will be the last big project involving rebuilding the New Orleans levee system after Hurricane Katrina. The corps has selected PCCP Constructors to build set of permanent closure and pumping station buildings at the canal entrances to Lake Pontchartrain.

These news structures are designed to block storm surges during the so called 100 year storm event. The pumps should be capable to pump water out so fast, at 12,500 cubic feet per second, that water levels will not be overtopping the floodwalls. The project shall be starting by this fall by a JV formed by Kiewit Louisiana Co., Traylor Bros. Inc., and the M. R. Pittman Group LLC, and must be completed by January 2017. The project can now move forward after the bid award was protested by Bechtel Infrastructure Corp. and CBY Design Builders in challenges filed with the Congressional Government Accountability Office. The contract will need to have at least 22 percent of the subcontracted firms classified as small business subcontractors, including small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, HUBZone small businesses and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.

North America's Tallest Wood Structure in Progress

Mon, 06 May 2013 22:13:41 +0000

A six story wood structure will start construction during the next weeks and once completed will be recognized as North America's tallest wood structure. Michael Green Architecture, a Vancouver-based firm is the one in charge of this iconic project that will rise 90 feet high. The $24.5 million project will be equivalent to a nine story traditional building because of the high floor-to-floor ratio. The Wood Innovation and Design Center (WIDC) in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada will be build using only local woods, that will also spark this industry. Douglas fir, spruce, hemlock, and Western Red Cedar are among the types of wood that the building will have, that will also be available to visitors for smelling, touching and admiring these pieces at the main lobby. The building will have concrete foundations, attached to the wood slabs by metal connectors. However, the wood slabs, the elevator, the stair core, the building's columns and beams, and the floor will be made of wood.