With the increased push from nearly all major tool manufacturers to ditch the cords and convert your toolbox to battery power, it’s important and interesting to learn about where all that lithium is coming from. Not only are lithium ion batteries in power tool batteries, but, as you probably know, they also power smartphone batteries and electric cars.
Read more[Infographic] Top 10 US States for LEED Green Building
USGBC
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 moreFLIR Updates Thermal Imaging Smartphone Accessory for Pros
FLIR
Announced at the start of the new year, FLIR has released specs on its new and updated line of thermal imaging devices and accessories. We have talked about the many reasons that contractors should use a thermal imaging camera and the FLIR ONE mobile accessory in the past and it has returned in 2017 with a new Gen 3 Pro Model. They have also announced their FLIR C3, which is the size of a standard digital camera, offering great accuracy and detail in a compact form. Lastly, FLIR is also offering the FLIR Duo, which will remind you of an action camera. Intended to be used on that fancy new drone quad-copter you got your kids for Christmas.
Read more[Infographic] Modular vs Traditional Construction
Adding more space to premises, be it a domestic property or another premises such as a clinic, school or college, comes at a price.
It is expensive to have the building designed and built, especially using traditional methods. There are is also the question of disruption with contractors on site.
There is a viable alternative: modular construction.
Read moreIncredible Video Captures Demolition of 19 High Rise Buildings At Same Time
via Youtube
We saw some pretty awesome demolition videos in 2016, like this super slow motion bridge demolition and this video of 116 excavators working side by side to demolish an overpass overnight, but this new video is already on top of the leaderboard for best demolitions of 2017.
Read more[VIDEO] Watch a Piece of #11 Steel Rebar Snap in Half in Super Slow Motion
via Youtube
Steel rebar, the world’s favorite reinforcement material for concrete, greatly increases tensile strength in concrete. Due to concrete’s rigidness and tendency to shrink and expand, reinforcement is necessary in many cases to reduce cracking and slow structural failure. This material is elementary to most of throughout the construction industry, but what you may not be familiar with is how much stress steel rebar must be under before it completely snaps in half.
Read more3 Construction Workers Died in Florida After Collapsing During Underground Work
Tragedy struck a Florida construction company last week after 3 construction workers passed away while working underground below a newly paved road. Another volunteer firefighter is in critical condition, and possibly in a coma according to WSVN Miami, after entering the manhole trying to save the victims.
Read more[VIDEO] 6 Story Parking Garage Collapses During Demolition
via Youtube
No matter how fun demolitions and demolition videos might be, there’s an inherent danger to performing them that cannot be overlooked. Just last year, a different parking garage collapsed during a demolition in Houston, Texas, which landed on one of the excavators performing the work. Thankfully, no one was injured in that collapse, but it could have been much worse.
Read moreAmazon's Alexa, Interoperability, and What Construction Can Learn
The following is a guest post by Dustin Chapman.
If you haven’t seen it yet, the “in” gift this past Christmas turned out to be a product by Amazon called the Echo. Echo comes in different sizes, shapes, and price ranges, but the one thing that makes the Echo special is Amazon’s artificial intelligence called Alexa.
Read moreCraftsman Brand Tools to be Sold to Stanley Black & Decker
Sears' iconic brand, Craftsman, is leaving the mothership and being bought by Stanley Black & Decker for around $900 million. This announcement comes on the heals of Sears planning to close 150 Sears and Kmart stores nationwide this year. The deal for the 89-year-old Craftsman brand allows Stanley Black & Decker to manufacture and sell Craftsman products in non-Sears stores. Sears will also continue to sell the Craftsman brand in its dwindling retail stores.
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