courtesy of Caltrans
Asphalt is the material of choice for much of the roadways in the United States, but as everyone that’s ever driven in a car knows, the material is prone to cracking and potholing, creating a considerable maintenance problem. A new process being tested in California is showing promising results by using cold in-place asphalt and recycled plastic bottles.
Read moreIn 2016, Elon Musk and Tesla announced that they had developed an innovative solar roofing tile that looks almost identical to traditional roof shingles currently on the market. Standard solar panels look be large and clunky on a roof, which made many excited about a nearly “invisible” solar tile option. After 3 years, we recently got a major update into how the installations of the product is going.
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It’s no secret that the United States dominates when it comes to LEED certified construction projects. The US actually has more total gross square meters and number of LEED projects than the the other top 10 countries combined, by almost 3 times, totaling 336.84 million gross square meters over 27,699 LEED projects! China, Canada, and India are ranked number 2, 3, and 4, respectively.
The US Green Building Council recently released their annual top 10 list of states for LEED construction in 2016.
Read moreGreen 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 more[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 morePhoto by PROMalte Sörensen, CC BY 2.0
Harnessing the power of the sun has been on the top of many scientists’ lists for quite some time. It’s just hanging out up there, making everything warm, so it’s a seemingly endless supply of wireless energy. The problem is, we haven’t been able to make them cheap, powerful, or light enough to make them economically feasible. A team of researchers believes they solved one of those problems as they’ve revealed a solar cell so light that it can rest on a soap bubble without popping it.
Read moreNet zero buildings, which are buildings that produce as much energy as they use, are gaining popularity throughout the world. The earth has a lot of energy to share with us, but actually harnessing that energy is a science that’s still developing. When people are willing to invest in energy manufacturing technologies, scientists gain what is otherwise unattainable inside a laboratory, real world examples in real world situations.
Read moreSteel has had a foothold on the construction industry for roughly 100 years, because it’s high in strength and aids in the tensile strength of concrete. But is it the best material for reinforcing concrete? Swiss architect Dirk Hebel doesn’t think so.
Read moreGreen building is not just a trend anymore, it is making huge impacts all across the construction industry, whether by government regulation or market shifts. According to the US Green Building Council, the Green Construction Industry will account for 1/3 of all construction projects by the year 2018. That’s certainly something to pay attention to. But it’s not just building practices that are affected by green building trends, products are affected, as well. A startup company in Raleigh, North Carolina has a solution for the high carbon dioxide emissions created by firing bricks in kilns: growing them in a plant with bacteria and water.
Read moreAccording to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), solar electricity use in the United States increased by 34% in 2014 versus 2013. This solar technology could turn a standard window into a viable energy source.
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