Timber-concrete composite floor systems for tall buildings

Mass-timber construction, a growing industry in the United States, includes elements such as glued-laminated timber (glulam), cross-laminated timber (CLT), and nail-laminated timber (NLT). These wooden elements have a natural resistance to fire through charring, similar to traditional heavy timber. The fire safety of mass-timber combined with high load-carrying capabilities...
+ Read More

Opening the door to hydraulics in Seattle

Sam’s Tavern in Seattle, Washington, has been described as a “whimsical bar.” In order to increase the restaurant and bar’s overall capacity, owner James Snyder opted for two hydraulic doors, designed to open to an outside courtyard. Clad in glass to maximize natural light, the doors lay at a...

+ Read More


Employing PSA tapes in HVAC applications

Pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape is actually a multifaceted and versatile product with usage going beyond its more understood “stickiness.” PSA tape technologies have properties for insulating a building from environmental events such as precipitation, vapor ingress, extreme cold and heat, as well as external noise.
+ Read More

Evolution of sound masking in closed rooms

Typing the word “privacy” into a search engine yields a lengthy stream of entries describing the many ways in which privacy can be violated, including reports of hackers acquiring credit card information, law enforcement agencies mining social networking sites, and voice-activated electronics with the ability to eavesdrop on their...
+ Read More