Proving its Long-term Mettle: Longevity, whole-building LCAs, and stainless steel Whether the project is a new building or major renovation, sustainability is an increasingly important factor in decision-making. Whole-building life cycle assessment (LCA) makes it possible to look at all phases of a building, from material extraction through construction to decommissioning and, when possible, recycling into a ‘new’ useful material. |
Discover the Best Tools for the steel frame trade Marino\WARE® helps build America. As a 100 percent wholly U.S.-owned and operated steel framing manufacturer, the company produces a complete line of steel construction products and services used in commercial building across the country. |
More on duplex stainless steel and bridges In the May 2015 issue of The Construction Specifier, Catherine Houska, CSI, discussed how duplex stainless steels are being specified for numerous structural applications. This complementary web piece looks at a few additional projects from around the world that make use of this versatile material’s attributes. |
Walking the Walk Energy distributor makes efficiency top priority By Kevin Hutchings Maximizing energy efficiency is a key concern on virtually every new commercial construction project. When the construction happens to be for the electric provider itself, it is easy to understand how the priority takes on even greater importance. This was the case for Washington Electric Cooperative, an energy distributor located in Marietta, Ohio. The company had been operating for years out of three separate … |
Passive Fire Protection and Interior Wall Assemblies To ensure optimal fire protection, building codes require interior wall assemblies to be evaluated by industry standards to determine their fire performance. This article gives examples of fire-rated wall assemblies and passive firestop systems, describing the testing they must go through to achieve their fire ratings. It also covers best practices for the specification and installation of each. |
Specifying non-structural steel studs for interior walls With a history spanning more than a half-century in non-combustible commercial construction, cold-formed steel (CFS) is a popular material choice for framing non-structural interior walls, load-bearing interior and exterior walls, curtain walls, and floor joists. Its many performance-based characteristics and ‘green’ attributes have enabled architects to design safe, durable structures that are both dynamic and sustainable. |