Reston, Va. –  The latest publication from American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Resilient and Sustainable Buildings, Infrastructure Resilience Publication (IRP) 7, provides a high-level overview of the methods and outcomes of four major projects funded by the National Science Foundation that focus on different aspects of resilient and sustainable buildings (RSB), ranging from a single building to a full community. The format is four chapters, with the first chapter providing the motivation and a short summary of each project chapter.

Topics addressed include a comprehensive overview of the four multi-year research efforts, commonalities between the projects, differences between the projects in methods as a function of scale and hazard, multiresilient and sustainable soil foundation structural envelope (SFSE) building systems, and decision frameworks for selecting among alternative building system designs.  This title will appeal to a wide range of civil engineering readers including graduate students, urban planners, engineers and social science practitioners interested in learning about the direction of RSB research.

To purchase online, visit the ASCE Library.

Limited review copies are available for book reviews. Please contact Leslie Connelly at lconnelly@asce.org.

IRVING, Texas –  A new technical document that addresses techniques for the safe and proper use of spray polyurethane foam insulation on and around plastic pressure pipe materials has been published by the Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) with input from the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA).  

Prepared by PPI’s Building & Construction Division, PPI TN-69 Recommendations when Applying Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation on and around Plastic Pressure Pipes & Fittings discusses the proper application of spray polyurethane foam insulation to avoid damage due to  heat generated by the foam. Pipe and fitting materials include CPVC, PEX, PEX/AL/PEX, PE-RT, PP-R, PP-RCT, PSU, PPS, PPSU, and PVDF. 

PPI and SPFA recommend that when there are plastic pipes and fittings in a wall, ceiling, or floor cavity, the SPF installer should apply one layer of foam until it touches the pipe but does not encase the pipe. SPF installers should let the first layer of foam cure for a sufficient amount of time while heat is released from the foam and the pipe remains partially exposed before installing the second layer of foam. These procedures are described in detail within PPI TN-69.  

Plastic pressure pipes and fittings are commonly used in applications such as hot- and cold-water plumbing, fire protection, and hydronic heating and cooling systems, including radiant distribution systems. In certain instances, pipes and fittings are installed inside areas that must be insulated, such as within a ceiling or wall cavity. In other installations, the pipes and fittings themselves must be insulated to reduce the transfer of heat through the pipe wall. 

According to the SPFA, Spray Polyurethane Foam, or SPF, is a high-performance insulation material commonly used in homes and buildings of all types, and has been used as insulation for decades.

“The spray polyurethane foam curing reaction is exothermic,” explained Richard Duncan, Ph.D., P.E., executive director of SPFA, “which means that heat is generated during the foam reaction. The heat of reaction is highly dependent on the SPF formulation and is also based upon the overall intended application or lift (i.e., layer) thickness installed. Peak temperature within the layer of foam typically occurs within 5 to 15 minutes of application, followed by gradual cooling.”

According to SPFA documents, the chemical reaction that takes place during the application and curing of SPF will generate exothermic temperatures above the 120°F – 130°F setpoint temperatures of the proportioner and hoses. Peak temperatures at the mid-thickness of a pass can exceed 200°F for several minutes and reach peak temperatures 250°F – 275°F for a minute or two, especially for closed-cell SPF, when applied at the maximum pass thickness.

“Plastic pipes and fittings in both residential and commercial plumbing, residential fire protection, and most hydronic applications are typically required to have pressure ratings at 180°F (82°C) operating temperature,” explained Lance MacNevin, P. Eng., director of engineering for PPI’s Building & Construction Division.

MacNevin continued, “The plastic pipes and fittings referenced in PPI TN-69 will withstand short-term exposure to temperatures above 180°F. However, exposure to temperatures above the rated operating temperature of each material, which may occur if pipes are encased in a thick pass of closed-cell SPF, are likely to have negative effects on these materials, potentially leading to premature failure. It is important that SPF insulation is installed correctly to prevent overheating of pipes and fittings.”

Access the full content of PPI TN-69 at  https://plasticpipe.org/common/Uploaded%20files/Technical/TN-69/PPI%20TN-69.pdf

or by scanning: 

Additional information and data about pressure pipe materials used for plumbing and mechanical systems are available from the PPI Building & Construction Division at www.plasticpipe.org/buildingconstruction

Reston, Va. – The latest technical report from American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Premise Plumbing Modeling, examines various aspects of premise plumbing systems and how they have been and could be modeled for purposes of effective engineering design and operation. Premise plumbing covers water system devices (e.g. water heaters, showers, and sinks) that are connected to the main distribution system via service lines. In this new publication, the Premise Plumbing Modeling Task Committee paid special attention to the challenges and research gaps in current premise plumbing modeling efforts. 

Topics covered in this book specific to premise plumbing systems include modeling water demands, hydraulic modeling, water quality, hot water systems, instrumentation, modeling applications and limitations, future modeling, and design and management. This practical guide will benefit practicing engineers and water utility personnel, but also water researchers and graduate students in environmental science and engineering.

To purchase online, visit the ASCE Bookstore.

Limited review copies are available for book reviews. Please contact Leslie Connelly at lconnelly@asce.org.

This version reflects significant changes made to the wind load provisions from the previous version of the standard, ASCE 7-16. This guide has been reorganized to follow the chapter organization in ASCE 7-22 and the step-by-step procedures provided in the standard. 

Important revisions to the ASCE 7-22 wind load provisions that are covered in this guide include:

• Simplifications to external Component and Cladding (C&C) roof pressure coefficients for steep slope roofs, 
• Use of ASCE design wind speed maps that include terrain speedup effects, 
• Changes to the definition of the Wind-borne Debris Region, and 
• Deletion of the Simplified Procedures.

With 19 real-life design problems applying the appropriate use of analytical and simplified procedures for calculating wind loads for various common structure types, this guide is an essential reference for practicing structural engineers.

To purchase online, visit the ASCE Bookstore.Limited review copies are available for book reviews. Please contact Leslie Connelly at lconnelly@asce.org.

Prepared by PPI’s Building & Construction Division, PPI TN-67 Chlorine Dioxide and Plastic Hot- And Cold- Water Plumbing Distribution Pipes focuses on the application of chlorine dioxide within buildings and its potential effects on plastic hot- and cold-water plumbing distribution pipe materials.

While chlorine dioxide is rarely used as a secondary (i.e., residual) water disinfectant in public potable water systems, in certain types of large facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, apartment buildings, and large office buildings, it is sometimes added to plumbing distribution systems to treat or control outbreaks of harmful bacteria such as Legionella which can occur in these systems. In such facilities, following outbreaks of Legionella or other pathogens in the plumbing distribution system, specialized chlorine dioxide generation devices can be added to inject ClO₂  in measured doses directly into the piping system before hot water is delivered throughout the building.

Starting in 2020, a team of experts from PPI member companies began a research project to investigate the potential effects of chlorine dioxide on pressure piping materials CPVC, PEX, PE-RT, PP-R, andPP-RCT.

“Currently, only limited North American industry data is publicly available to predict the impact that chlorine dioxide may have on specific plumbing distribution pipe materials,” explained Lance MacNevin, P. Eng., director of engineering for PPI’s Building & Construction Division. “PPI TN-67 addresses this topic based on data that has been collected through an extensive analysis of published research combined with the experience and expertise of PPI members.”

Chlorine dioxide is a dissolved gas and is highly volatile and efficient as an oxidizing agent for disinfection. It is used in different concentrations than free chlorine or chloramines and has a different mechanism of attack on the various materials and substances to which it is exposed.

MacNevin continued, “Based on the data that has been analyzed by our association regarding the effects of chlorine dioxide on piping materials in hot- and cold-water plumbing systems, it is apparent that this compound can be very aggressive to certain piping materials. PPI recommends caution when considering its use of as a chemical disinfectant to treat water for the control of Legionella or other pathogens.”

PPI recommends contacting each piping system supplier for guidance on the use of their pipe and fitting material(s) in circumstances where chlorine dioxide has been selected as the disinfection chemical.  

Access the full content of PPI TN-67 at https://plasticpipe.org/common/Uploaded%20files/1-PPI/General%20Literature/Technical%20Notes/PPI%20TN-67/PPI%20TN-67.pdf

Additional information and data about piping materials used for hot- and cold-water plumbing systems and other applications are available from the PPI Building & Construction Division at www.plasticpipe.org/buildingconstruction

AISI D250-23 provides a general discussion about the national model codes of the United States and Canada and a general review of the basic principles of thermal dynamics of a building envelope. It also provides thermal design examples covering wall and roof assemblies constructed using AISI S250, a method to address custom or proprietary cold-formed steel wall framing, and thermal design examples covering floor assemblies constructed over unconditioned spaces using the International Code Council (ICC) International Energy Conservation Code, 2003 Edition.

“This document is designed to meet a variety of user needs,” said Jay Larson, P.E., F.ASCE, managing director of AISI’s Construction Technical Program. “Designers and builders will find information on the specific thermal properties of materials and elements in a building envelope assembly to comply with a local or state adopted code. They will also be able to determine the level of performance in an energy code or high-performance rating system. Additionally, individuals interested in whole-building performance will find detailed information on simulation tools or calculation methods, and software developers will benefit from the latest cold-formed steel thermal characteristics and calculation methods for various cold-formed steel assemblies. In all cases, it is recommended that users refer to the adopted codes in effect where the building or structure will be constructed.”

Larson noted that AISI D250-23 is an update of the “Thermal Design Guide for Exterior Walls” originally published by AISI that was updated and revised in 2008 and 2015. It addresses recent changes in codes and standards and incorporates information from research conducted by AISI. 

AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace steelmakers, and associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s websites at www.steel.org and www.buildusingsteel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook, LinkedIn,  Twitter (@AISISteel), @BuildUsingSteel or Instagram.      

The Report found that damages to underground utilities, which pose severe risks to public safety and interrupt commerce, have trended upward over the last three years. Excavation activity continues to increase as states work to improve infrastructure, along with a significant influx of funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Three-year modeling from 2020-2022 reveals that damages per construction spending rose 12.35% and damages per 1,000 transmissions rose 9.34% between 2021 and 2022. A regression analysis of consistent 2020-2022 data which considered additional variables including weather, population and infrastructure density further confirms that damages were at best flat and likely increasing. 

The annual DIRT Report provides a comprehensive accounting and analysis of damages to buried infrastructure in the U.S. and Canada to help stakeholders understand the current damage landscape and the factors contributing to underground facility damages. As excavation activity continues to increase, the Report underscores the importance of addressing the ongoing causes of damages to vital facilities to drive these damage numbers down. 

The Report analyzed all 2022 data submitted voluntarily to DIRT by facility operators, utility locating companies, 811 centers, contractors, regulators and others from the U.S. and Canada and contextualized the data as part of a three-year trend analysis (2020-2022). Reflecting excavation/construction stakeholders’ increased engagement with damage prevention, that key group was the leading source of damage reports for the first time in 2022. 

The analysis of 2022 data indicates that a few persistent challenges are responsible for nearly 76% of damages that occur, including no notification to the 811 center; failure to pothole and/or maintain sufficient clearance; facilities not marked or marked inaccurately due to locator error; and other improper excavation practices. No-notification damages make up more than 25% of all damages, with 77% of no-notification damages attributed to professional excavators. Focusing industry efforts and outreach on these top challenges is key to making measurable progress in reducing damage and near-miss incidents. 

The Report urges stakeholders to commit to working within organizations and across stakeholder groups to generate new solutions to the persistent, systemic issues causing the majority of damages. Recommendations provided to address specific root cause groups included:

• No-Notification Root Cause: Focus excavator outreach on behavioral change—namely consistent and effective use of 811—and help restore excavator confidence in the system through improved locating processes. 
• Excavation Root Causes: Prioritize tolerance zone safety, address contracts to provide adequate compensation for potholing and provide excavators with access to map visualizations. 
• Locator Error Root Causes: Enhance facility maps to GIS-grade, address contract structures to emphasize timeliness and accuracy, and increase efficiency through effective use of the 811 system. 

The Report also provides recommendations to enhance reporting and analysis of damages to better understand and address trends, including the implementation of standardized data collection fields and the creation of damage prevention indices to gauge progress over time. Stakeholders are also encouraged to participate in the Damage Prevention Institute’s (DPI) accreditation and peer review processes to help develop the next generation of industry performance metrics. 

“Earlier this year, we challenged the industry with the ambitious goal of reducing damages by 50% over the next five years,” said CGA President and CEO Sarah Magruder Lyle. “The findings of the DIRT Report are critical to focusing the industry on key areas contributing to more than three-quarters of all damages to buried infrastructure. To make significant change and reverse damage rates, it’s critical that our industry rapidly adopts the recommendations outlined in this Report to target the most persistent challenges.”

To illustrate that the 50-in-5 challenge is achievable, the DIRT Report includes a case study from 811 Chicago, which reduced underground utility damages in the city by 50% over five years through collaboration and mapping efforts. The case study serves as a resource for other organizations to improve their processes and focus their investments on proven strategies that reduce damages so they can contribute to the 50-in-5 industry challenge. 

“We’d like to thank the dedicated damage prevention organizations that make the DIRT Report possible each year through their voluntary submission of damage and near-miss data,” said Louis Panzer, executive director of North Carolina 811 and CGA Data Reporting & Evaluation Committee co-chair. “The data makes it clear that we have areas we need to improve upon, but offers us a great direction forward to definitively reverse these concerning damage trends. With the new influx of data from excavators, as well as the monthly reporting required for Damage Prevention Institute participants, we can look forward to unprecedented insights that will help shape the future of damage prevention and drive industry progress.”

The complete DIRT Annual Report for 2022 is available for download at dirt.commongroundalliance.com, and stakeholders interested in submitting data to the 2023 Report or establishing a Virtual Private Dirt account should visit the DIRT site at www.cga-dirt.com.    

About Common Ground Alliance

CGA is a member-driven association of nearly 3,200 individuals, organizations, and sponsors in every facet of the underground utility industry. CGA has established itself as the preeminent source of damage prevention data and information in an effort to reduce damages to underground facilities in North America through shared responsibility among all stakeholders. For more information, visit CGA on the web at http://www.commongroundalliance.com.

Packaging waste has emerged as a significant challenge within the built environment industry, contributing to economic and environmental concerns. This report addresses these critical challenges and whilst focusing on the housebuilding sector, known for its substantial packaging demands, its insights extend beyond and are relevant for wider construction, facilities management, infrastructure, and more. 

Ten School Partners have collaborated to co-fund this project, with a total of over 30 organisations joining forces to make this report possible. It encompasses real-world, actionable examples of packaging optimisation, including source elimination, reuse strategies, and optimal recycling conditions. It covers various packaging types, offering a comprehensive guide to implementing effective change.

Importantly, the report sheds light on the policy challenges that organisations dealing with significant packaging volumes are likely to encounter. It addresses key concerns such as the Plastic Packaging Tax and Extended Producer Responsibility, providing essential insights for navigating regulatory landscapes.

Key highlights of the report:

• Real-world examples of successful packaging optimisation strategies
• Insights into source elimination, reuse, and recycling optimisation
• Coverage of major packaging types and their optimisation potential
• Examination of common barriers to change and ongoing trials to overcome them
• Analysis of policy challenges faced by organisations dealing with substantial packaging volumes

Packaging remains a substantial cost and environmental burden for businesses. The UK construction industry alone generates around 55,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually, with an estimated 35,000 tonnes originating from packaging. Less than half of this plastic packaging is recycled, reinforcing the urgency of effective solutions.

Matt Nichols, Regional Director at Reconomy and Chair of the School’s Waste and Resource Use Leadership Group, said: “Packaging and the waste created by its treatment remains a major contributor to cost and carbon across the entire built environment.  Our Housebuilding sector is not alone in experiencing major challenges to address this problem, so this opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in the industry whilst drawing upon insights from so many expert stakeholders within the School partnership could not be missed.  This project report contains content applicable not just for Housebuilding, but for anyone interested in optimising and reducing the endless flow of packaging arriving at project sites every day. I cannot recommend it enough”.

Mark Turner, Waste and Resource Management lead for the Supply Chain Sustainability School, highlighted the collaborative effort behind the report: “This has been a brilliant opportunity to help deliver our School mission to enable a sustainable built environment through knowledge and collaboration. We have worked closely alongside four of the UK’s largest Housebuilders and in total over 30 leading organisations within the built environment to produce this report. Insights from the Housebuilders, their suppliers, product manufacturers, along with waste management and policy experts have provided a window into the opportunities for packaging optimisation. Most crucially, all of these organisations have entered into the spirit of open collaboration, providing solutions and practical examples for others to follow. We can only thank them.”

To access the full report and contribute to sustainable packaging practices in the housebuilding sector and the broader built environment, read the full report here.

The full report is available on the Supply Chain Sustainability School. Anyone can sign up for a free account to gain access.

• Project observations and insights from the architect, construction team and local officials, including advice to architecture students.
• Specific needs and challenges for the unique facility, including addressing neighbors’ concerns, a tight budget and the desire to create an inviting yet practical space.
• Photos, drawings and design graphics that highlight important aspects of the project.

 
MBMA’s previous publications in the Architectural Significance in Metal Buildings series spotlight the Alamo Beer Company in San Antonio; the Boston Sports Institute in Wellesley, Massachusetts; the Michelle and Barack Obama Sports Complex in Los Angeles; the Haulover Marine Center in North Miami Beach, Florida; the Jacksonville University Basketball Performance Center in Jacksonville, Florida; and the Arbogast Performing Arts Center in Troy, Ohio.

In recent years, substantial progress has been made in the field of supply chain sustainability, with sustainable procurement garnering global awareness. However, although numerous organisations are taking action to become more sustainable themselves, they often fall short in extending this to their supply chains.  

In response to this, Action Sustainability has published a ‘Sustainable Procurement Progress Report 2023’, drawing from their evaluations of various organisations against the ISO 20400 Sustainable Procurement Standard. 

Findings in this report indicate that, while organisations that invest in sustainable procurement have some level of sustainability embedded in their procurement activities, more progress needs to be made for this to be perceived as business-as-usual and to fully realise all benefits. The report provides valuable insights to organisations aiming to start embedding sustainability into procurement practices, as well as those seeking to further develop their existing approaches. 

Key highlights from the report: 

• In-depth analysis of the current sustainable procurement landscape across industries, with a specific focus on construction, train operating companies and utilities. 
• Real-world case studies from various organisations sharing their sustainable procurement journeys, including the challenges they have faced and the opportunities they have seized. 
• Best practices and actionable recommendations to help organisations realistically achieve sustainable procurement goals. 

Central to the report’s vision is the need to embed sustainable procurement across each spending area and continually seek improvement. It advocates for a collaborative approach, emphasising communication, knowledge-sharing and partnership throughout the value chain as key to shaping a more sustainable future. 

Shaun McCarthy OBE, Director of Action Sustainability, said: “This report provides useful case studies and advice from some of the numerous people we have worked with over the years. We have not taken a scattergun approach to this work, reporting on sectors based on flimsy research, we have focused on those sectors where we have comprehensive, hands-on experience and insight. It is not a complete overview of sustainable procurement; it is our attempt to share what we really know.” 

Dale Turner, Head of Procurement & Supply Chain at Skanska, added: “Over the last 10 years, there has been greater alignment between our customers and extended supply chain. The hierarchy of the relationships are aimed at encouraging collaboration and achieving more value together.  A sustainable procurement approach also drives a more diverse supply chain which helps to manage risk and understand where innovation can be applied down the tiers of the supply chain to make our projects more efficient and productive.” 

To access the complete report and gain an in-depth understanding of the sustainable procurement landscape, visit Action Sustainability’s website here. 

“Supplement 3 includes many significant changes and additions to the North American Specification,” said Jay Larson, P.E., F.ASCE, managing director of AISI’s Construction Technical Program. “AISI created these design examples to assist engineers in understanding those changes, to aid programmers in including them in updates to their software, and to demonstrate to designers how to incorporate them into future projects.” He noted that the Smath Studio software required to access the design examples is free of charge to use.

The changes in Supplement 3 will be included in the next edition of AISI S100, which is expected to be published in 2024 and adopted in the 2027 edition of the ICC model building codes. The list of the changes in Supplement 3 is included in the Preface to AISI S100-16(2020) w/S3-22, which can be downloaded free of charge from the AISI Design Resources section at http://www.buildusingsteel.org or directly at https://ow.ly/hI1s50PF9ti.

AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace steelmakers, and associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s websites at www.steel.org and www.buildusingsteel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (@AISISteel), @BuildUsingSteel or Instagram.      

Perhaps the words Silvia Dalla Valle, Stone Italiana’s Marketing Director, chose for her introduction to the third edition of the Sustainability Report are the best summary of how last year went for Stone Italiana on an economic, social and environmental level. It was a complex year to face, one marked by the continuing geopolitical crisis and an ever more demanding market. Nonetheless, the Italian Company posted a 7% increase in net profits compared with 2021 and a 21% reduction in direct CO₂ emissions.

These are encouraging figures that echo the significant results it has attained in terms of its commitment to the environment, reducing the consumption of paper for waybills by 62% (compared with 2020), consolidating the figure of 11% recycled base materials out of the total purchased and increasing the percentage of recovered waste to 83%.

“While it is true that responsibility has been part of the Company DNA since it was founded in 1979,” continues Dalla Valle, “it can’t be denied that Stone Italiana is now committed to a more conscious way of doing business, by planning precise objectives on a large scale, objectives which go far beyond the simple manufacture of eco-friendly products. In the last two years, we have undertaken initiatives to improve our sustainability process, from the environment – with a growing focus on responsible consumption, recycling and limiting emissions – to social welfare and economic sustainability, which allows us to face our challenges and create value.”

The international launch of Cosmolite®, Stone Italiana’s unique, high-performance New Materia made 100% from recycled minerals, forms part of this drive. The formulas employed for the different collections contain varying amounts and grain sizes of mineral oxides, but are linked by a common thread: their low crystalline-silica content. The minerals are sourced locally in Italy, leading to the additional advantage of reducing energy consumption and transport costs. The resin used to bind the grains together is made using plant-based ingredients.

The fruit of years of research and experimentation, Cosmolite® has become the symbol of the future for Stone Italiana. It’s a bright new opportunity for designers who, whether following their own consciences or because they know it enhances the value of a product, seek out green solutions.

“For the past three years” explains Paola Dalla Valle, Chief Sustainability Officer at Stone Italiana, “drafting the Report has meant taking stock in order to see clearly which goals we have achieved and the areas we still have to work on. For us, the Report is always an exciting starting point and something we’re glad to share with all our stakeholders. What’s more, I strongly believe that being sustainable means first and foremost ensuring that we continue to do business in the best possible way for our partners, our staff, the local area and the environment at large.”

Stone Italiana’s increased focus on environmental welfare is flanked by a daily commitment to improve the Company’s worker welfare and safety practices, which includes performing periodical internal audits in order to assess and monitor all the various factors pertaining to risks in the workplace. 

In 2022, Stone Italiana’s Staff – counting five more members than the previous year – were able to enjoy a coffee allowance, the option to have lunch in the new staff canteen, and a new relaxation area designed for recreational activities and team building.

Lastly, the Company’s investments in cyber security and digitalization are continuing. As regards cyber security, Stone Italiana has decided to adopt major measures designed to augment the levels of protection of its own and third-party data, while the digital transformation process has seen the adoption of a new MES (Manufacturing Execution System) designed to ensure product traceability, logistics management for base materials and monitoring of machine downtimes. This last measure will provide useful information about machinery performance and preventive maintenance operations.

Innovation and care for both the environment and social welfare are the main focuses of a structured, robust corporate agenda aimed at consolidating Stone Italiana’s position as a flagship for the sector. 

The project team brings together experts from across WSP’s global footprint and includes Deltares, a not-for-profit Dutch and U.S.-based water and subsurface knowledge institute. The project aims to answer several questions, including how utilities can expand or upgrade their infrastructure to adapt to future risks and challenges to their operations.  

“We are honored to lead this WRF project team that is developing guidance for the water sector to help water utilities around the world navigate many uncertainties that have emerged in recent years and are further complicated by climate change and other stressors,” said Maya Buchanan, PhD, principal investigator for WSP on this study and newly elected director of the board for the American Society of Adaptation Professionals—the leading association for climate change professionals. “Water resource managers recognize the importance of adaptive planning for multiple scenarios in the face of highly uncertain futures, which has led to the development of several academic frameworks. For some utilities, these frameworks have been incredibly useful. But others have faced significant challenges implementing and communicating them — we aim to help address this gap.”

WSP will conduct a series of validation steps to better understand the barriers these utilities face on the ground, as well as any opportunities for them to use some methods of scenario and adaptive planning to think through how they can better anticipate, prepare for, and respond to unexpected events.

The project also aims to address other challenges, like helping water utilities inform long-term plans and investment decisions, and address critical questions, such as: How can water infrastructure be expanded and upgraded to meet future needs and adapt to uncertain future risks, like changes in climate, supply and demand, regulations, economics and aging infrastructure?  

This project will have three phases:

• Explore: Phase 1 will gather data and information from water utility partners and technical experts in applied scenario and adaptive planning to identify key trends, leading practices and approaches and case studies for adaptive and scenario planning;
• Design: Phase 2 will design a Water Utility Scenario and Adaptive Planning Framework and testing it with a set of international water utilities (in the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand) to evaluate effectiveness and applicability; and
• Guide: Phase 3 will develop supplemental guidance for water utilities to use and share these approaches with their internal and external stakeholders.  

“Another critical aspect of this project is that we’re working directly with several utilities to identify and share the lessons that they’ve learned from their own experiences,” Buchanan said. “That information will be categorized by the size and context of each utility, so that we can eventually share it more broadly as a resource, which can hopefully get other utilities further along in their planning processes, regardless of their starting point. Our aim is to distill guidance that is useful for water utilities (and more broadly for other service utilities and owners of large infrastructure), particularly for those in underserved and resource-constrained communities.” 

Partners involved with WRF are looking forward to this next stage of their involvement with the foundation.

“Adaptive and scenario planning is enabling our organization to plan for multiple future stressors and respond to changing water system conditions as they happen,” said Kavita Heyn, a representative for the Portland Water Bureau and the Water Utility Climate Alliance. “The adaptive planning paradigm and the guidance that will result from WRF 5184 will help water utilities become more nimble, flexible and adaptive, and will support resilient and reliable water supply investments in the water sector.”

“American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP) is excited to participate in the WRF 5184 study on scenario planning,” added John Phillips, a representative of ASAP. “Scenario planning is an excellent tool for communities to plan for vitally important needs, such as water supply, in an uncertain future and fosters the ability to put adaptive behaviors into practice.”

The funder of this project, WRF, is the leading research organization advancing the science of all water to meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. WRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization that funds, manages and publishes research on the technology, operation and management of drinking water, wastewater, reuse and stormwater systems — all in pursuit of ensuring water quality and improving water services to the public. 

About WSP USA  

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering, environment and professional services firms. Recognized on Fast Company’s Brands that Matter List for 2022 as a top Community-Minded Business, WSP USA brings together engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals who are dedicated to collaborate in the best interests of serving local communities. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,500 employees in 300 offices across the U.S., WSP partners with its clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com 

HAMILTON, N.J. – August 7, 2023 — The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Dodge Construction Network, declined 0.9% in July to 193.4 (2000=100) from the revised June reading of 195.1. Over the month, the commercial component of the DMI remained relatively flat, ticking down 0.2%, while the institutional component fell 1.9%.

“While both segments of the Index fell this month, underlying project data points to divergent trends in the nonresidential sector,” said Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting for Dodge Construction Network. “In comparison to January 2023, commercial planning activity is down 10% through July, while institutional planning is up 16%. Distinctly large institutional projects entering planning in May temporarily inflated month-to-month trends, but activity has since ticked down. As we progress through the remainder of 2023, weaker commercial activity, resulting from tighter lending standards and higher interest rates, will counter sturdier institutional activity, bolstered by public funding and less sensitivity to interest rates.”

All commercial sectors pulled back, or remained flat, over the month of July. Hotel planning saw the largest month-over-month decay, marking four months of consecutive decline in the sector. July also saw a deceleration in the number of education and healthcare projects entering planning — the two largest institutional segments. While two sizable public projects entered planning and pushed activity in the sector to double-digit gains, it was not enough to push the institutional portion of the Index positive. Year over year, the DMI remains 21% higher than in July 2022. The commercial and institutional components were up 13% and 35% respectively.

A total of 15 projects valued at $100 million or more entered planning in July. The largest commercial projects to enter planning included the $400 million Kraft Heinz Distribution Center in DeKalb, Illinois and the $190 million PTC warehouse/distribution facility in San Antonio, Florida. The largest institutional projects to enter planning included the $240 million Lexington High School in Lexington, Massachusetts, the $216 million courthouse improvement project in San Luis Obispo, California, and the $200 million Solano Hall of Justice courthouse in Fairfield, California.

The DMI is a monthly measure of the initial report for nonresidential building projects in planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year.

Watch Associate Director of Forecasting Sarah Martin discuss July’s DMI here.

The four papers were published in July 2023 as part of the SFPE Foundation Grand Challenges Initiative. Now, the SFPE Foundation is soliciting comments from the public on four ten-year plans for strategic cooperation in research and education to advance fire engineering on the topics of: 

• Climate Change
• Digitalization, Artificial Intelligence, and Cybersecurity
• Energy and Infrastructure
• Resilience and Sustainability

The papers can be downloaded from sfpe.org/foundation; all comments are requested by October 31, 2023.  

“For us to meet the grand challenges that face society on a global scale, we need to strategically invest in the research, education, and outreach initiatives that will advance fire engineering as it relates to climate change; digitalization, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity; energy and infrastructure; and resilience and sustainability,” stated Leslie Marshall, Ph.D., Director, SFPE Foundation. “While we – the 33 GCI Founding Partner organizations and 80 GCI Working Group members – believe that these four papers appropriately identify future areas for prioritization and cooperation, feedback from the greater community is needed to provide additional insight, improvement, and alignment.”  

To facilitate broad community participation and comments, the SFPE Foundation is hosting a series of free virtual Grand Challenges Initiative meetings on July 25, 27, and August 2, 3, 2023, to provide additional insight into the research, education, and outreach priorities identified in the papers, with on-demand viewing of the meetings to follow. The SFPE Foundation will also be sharing updates and soliciting feedback in person at the SFPE Annual Conference & Expo in Washington, D.C./Bethesda, and at the SFPE Engineering Solutions Symposium for Fire Safety and Sustainable Building Design in Ljubljana, Slovenia. 

The SFPE Foundation launched the Grand Challenges Initiative in 2022 to prioritize the pressing global challenges where fire safety science and engineering can contribute to ongoing discussions that affect the daily lives of billions. These four papers, and the entirety of work on the Grand Challenges Initiative, are led by experts serving on four working groups and made possible with the financial support of SFPE, Fire Safety Research Institute/UL Research Institutes, Code Red Consultants, FM Global, Harrington Group, Jensen Hughes, and additional corporate, academic, and research partners.  

Additional information about the SFPE Foundation, its Grand Challenges Initiative, and the public comments on these four papers is available at sfpe.org/foundation. 

“Digital twins and enabling technologies are revolutionizing how we approach even the simplest of tasks, from managing the flow of stock in a warehouse to designing, deploying and maintaining a fleet of aircraft,” said Dan Isaacs, GM & CTO, DTC. “Digital twin systems accelerate digitization as they provide organizations the means to operate more efficiently, effectively and adhere to best practices and guidelines.”

The guide discusses the IT/OT infrastructure, virtual representation, service interfaces, applications, and mechanisms for synchronizing real-world data. The guide reviews commonly adopted technological approaches and standards and emphasizes the importance of security, trustworthiness, and governance.

“The Platform Stack Architectural Framework: An Introductory Guide answers fundamental questions such as “What are the critical constituent parts of a digital twin system?” and “What elements take a solution from being a great model or simulation to qualifying as a digital twin?” said Dr. David McKee, Entrepreneur and Portfolio CTO at Counterpoint Technologies, and Co-Chair of the Capabilities and Technology Working Group, DTC. “The guide also helps business leaders and developers understand how to design and architect digital twin systems with best practices for scalability, interoperability, and composability to realize their transformative value.”

The guide discusses five use cases of varying maturity levels with examples of how designers can use the architecture in practice. The use cases include buildings as batteries, emergency communication services, manufacturing quality control via remote operator, scope 3 carbon reporting emissions, and infectious disease management. Technology Readiness Levels (outlined in the guide) help designers understand the technical maturity of a system as it moves through the following stages:

• Technical modeling and simulation, starting with theoretical models and improving to being based on real-world data
• Digital twins as individual components based on actual data and validated in the real world through synchronization.
• Digital twin systems in production and operational environments, with system integration and clearly defined synchronization at a specified frequency

The guide is the first in a series of digital twin publications OMG consortia will publish in the coming months. For more information, please download the Platform Stack Architectural Framework: An Introductory Guide from the DTC website.

About Digital Twin Consortium

Digital Twin Consortium is The Authority of Digital Twin. It coalesces industry, government, and academia to drive consistency in vocabulary, architecture, security, and interoperability of digital twin technology. It advances digital twin technology in many industries, from Aerospace to natural resources. Digital Twin Consortium is a program of Object Management Group. For more information, visit https://www.digitaltwinconsortium.org.

Steel imports with large increases in June permits vs. May final imports include reinforcing bars (up 189%), heavy structural shapes (up 89%), ingots and billets and slabs (up 55%), hot rolled sheets (up 48%) and line pipe (up 34%). Products with significant year-to-date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2022 include standard rails (up 48%), oil country goods (up 36%), electrical sheet and strip (up 27%), cut lengths plates (up 24%) and line pipe (up 21%).

In June, the largest steel import permit applications were for Canada (601,000 NT, down 4% from May final), South Korea (427,000 NT, up 95%), Mexico (423,000 NT, up 50%), Brazil (288,000 NT, up 20%) and China (108,000 NT, up 134%). Through the first six months of 2023, the largest suppliers were Canada (3,614,000 NT, up 1%), Mexico (2,331,000 NT, down 21%) and Brazil (1,946,000 NT, up 25%).

*Note that import permits data are counts of tonnages requested in applications for licenses to import steel products and are not actual import volumes. For a number of reasons, permit tonnages may understate or overstate actual import volumes for the month, preliminary estimates of which will be available later this month.

AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace steelmakers, and associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s website at www.steel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (@AISISteel) or Instagram.

Exponent will also offer a live and archived webcast of the conference call, accessible from the Investor Relations section of the company’s website, http://www.exponent.com/investors. A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available until Thursday, August 3, 2023 by dialing (877) 344-7529 or (412) 317-0088 and entering passcode 1934428#. 

About Exponent
Exponent is an engineering and scientific consulting firm providing solutions to complex problems. Exponent’s interdisciplinary organization of scientists, physicians, engineers, and business consultants draws from more than 90 technical disciplines to solve the most pressing and complicated challenges facing stakeholders today. The firm leverages over 50 years of experience in analyzing accidents and failures to advise clients as they innovate their technologically complex products and processes, ensure the safety and health of their users, and address the challenges of sustainability.

Exponent may be reached at (888) 656-EXPO, info@exponent.com, or www.exponent.com.

“The standard plans, developed by the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance, will greatly enhance our ability to specify steel bridges for future short span projects,” said Joseph Neeley, district one design section head at the West Virginia Department of Transportation. “With over 7,000 bridges to maintain in West Virginia, we anticipate that these plans will help to create a more cost-effective and efficient infrastructure system within our state.”

The plans were developed by Karl Barth, Ph.D., co-director of the SSSBA Bridge Technology Center and associate professor at West Virginia University and Gregory Michaelson, Ph.D., P.E., co-director of the SSSBA Bridge Technology Center and associate dean and professor at Marshall University, in a collaborative effort with the West Virginia Department of Transportation.

Dan Snyder, SSSBA director and vice president, construction program for the American Iron and Steel Institute commented: “We provide this complimentary service to state DOTs interested in developing state-specific standard bridge plans that conform to both AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) and owner-specified criteria. This service is available to states across the nation.”

He noted that the SSSBA has developed standards for the Ohio DOT and is currently working on plans for New York and Tennessee. He anticipates more states taking advantage of the complimentary service as funding for off-system bridges becomes available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and demand increases for resilient, cost-effective short span bridge solutions.

More information on SSSBA’s complimentary service is available by downloading the document “Automated Production of Robust Owner-Specific Steel Bridge Design Details.” Additional information on the WVDOT plans is available here.  

The Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (SSSBA) is a group of bridge and buried soil steel structure industry leaders who have joined together to provide educational information on the design and construction of short span steel bridges in installations up to 140 feet in length. For more news or information, visit www.shortspansteelbridges.org or follow us on Twitter (@ShortSpanSteel), Facebook and LinkedIn.

The latest installment of HDR’s Experts Talk interview series features Brad Robinson, HDR’s director of project controls, and Brandon Joy, HDR’s commercial management director, describing new tools that streamline the development of project dashboards to help leaders better deliver infrastructure.

Citing examples from large and small projects and programs, Robinson and Joy explain the benefits of these new tools and outline the incremental approach that works for developing staff and building the experience to apply these solutions. They describe systems used to manage the CA$10 billion-plus Ontario Line Subway in Toronto that integrated over a dozen data sources, and smaller installations for change and quality management for fast-track design-build projects, large and small. Republication of the article or separate interviews with Robinson and Joy are available on request.

“For a reasonably low cost, we develop a single source of truth — a data hub that includes workflow and notifications — that gets you running quickly,” Joy said. “Some black-box solutions can take a year to get modules going; we can be up and going in a fraction of that time.”

“Simply by eliminating side files — those Excel sheets you create to analyze data from multiple sources — it’s useful for any size project,” Robinson said. “Because these applications sit on top of clients’ existing systems, they’re economical both in simple form for a small $100K project and in more complex form for billion-dollar projects, so the solution scales really well.”

HDR’s Experts Talk interview series shines a light on various aspects of transportation infrastructure design and delivery. Each subject matter expert offers unique expertise and insights about new and ongoing trends, emerging technologies and the human side of infrastructure.

Topics include optimal distribution of material within a structure, satisfying strength criteria during the optimization process, unitless design parameters for spanning trusses, vibration serviceability considerations in a truss selection, and design assumptions and truss types considered in provided design charts. Structural engineers working on truss design will find this report a valuable resource to select truss designs.

To purchase online, visit the ASCE Bookstore

Limited review copies are available for book reviews. Please contact Leslie Connelly, lconnelly@asce.org.

               Dry dock accidents have occurred many times over the last two decades, attributable to inadequate maintenance and inspections. The intent of this standard is to minimize the risk to personnel and the ships being drydocked. In addition, emphasis on maintenance and inspection provides the insight for facility owners and operators to enable repairs before the catastrophic loss of their capital assets.

This standard is intended for use by dry dock owners, Dockmasters, dry dock maintenance engineers, engineers engaged in dry dock inspection and certification, ship owners, and port engineers.

To purchase online visit the ASCE Bookstore

The performance-based approach in this standard allows engineers maximum flexibility when finding solutions. Guidance is given about risk assessments and avoidance, as well as characteristics that enhance collapse resistance including the strength, ductility, deformation capacity, and robustness necessary to resist collapse without exceeding relevant limit states. It includes threat-specific and non-threat-specific methodologies and identifies direct design and indirect design approaches.

This standard is intended to address the same structures covered by ASCE 7, Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, and structural engineers, architects, and those engaged in preparing and administering local building codes will benefit from this guidance.

To purchase online visit the ASCE Bookstore

“This report provides equations that will make it easier for engineers and architects to use the Direct Strength Method for their projects, which can result in more cost-effective and sustainable designs with less embodied carbon,” said Jay Larson, P.E., F.ASCE, managing director of AISI’s Construction Technical Program.

He noted that RP23-01 is the result of a project selected through AISI’s Small Project/Fellowship Program, which identifies and provides funding for research projects that will significantly impact the reliability, performance and cost-competitiveness of cold-formed steel in construction. The research is conducted by project teams which include a student, an academic advisor from the student’s academic institution and an industry advisor. The project team for RP23-01 included Chu Ding, Ph.D. and Professor Benjamin Schafer, Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University.

AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace steelmakers, and associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s websites at www.steel.org and www.buildusingsteel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (@AISISteel), @BuildUsingSteel or Instagram.       

On a year-to-date basis through May, total construction starts were 6% below the first five months of 2022. Residential starts were down 25%, nonresidential starts were 1% lower, and nonbuilding starts gained 25%. For the 12 months ending May 2023, total construction starts were 9% higher than the 12 months ending May 2022. Nonbuilding starts were 30% higher, while nonresidential building starts gained 26%. However, on a 12-month rolling basis, residential starts posted a 15% decline.

“May’s data is another sign that the construction sector is slowly splitting in two,” said Richard Branch, chief economist for Dodge Construction Network. “Public dollars are flooding into the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors, leading to significant growth over the last year. Meanwhile, the mostly private sectors of the building market like offices, multifamily and retail are struggling under the weight of higher interest rates, tightening lending standards and declining demand. The second half of the year is shaping up to be a challenging one. But, the insulation provided by manufacturing and infrastructure starts will stabilize the industry and lead to modest overall growth.”

Nonbuilding

Nonbuilding construction starts rose 24% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $347 billion. Utility/gas plants powered the increase as it jumped 53% over the month. Street and bridge starts moved 22% higher, and environmental public works increased 3%. Meanwhile, miscellaneous nonbuilding starts showed no change. Year-to-date through May, nonbuilding starts gained 25%. Utility/gas plants rose 76%, and miscellaneous nonbuilding starts were up 27%. Highway and bridge starts gained 16%, and environmental public works were up 11% on a year-to-date basis.

For the 12 months ending May 2023, total nonbuilding starts were 30% higher than the 12 months ending May 2022. Utility/gas plant starts rose 68%, and miscellaneous nonbuilding starts were 27% higher. Highway and bridge starts were up 22%, and environmental public works rose 18% on a 12-month rolling sum basis.

The largest nonbuilding projects to break ground in May were the $5.3 billion first train for the Port Arthur LNG project in Port Arthur, Texas, the $1.5 billion Southeast Connector Interchange highway project in Fort Worth, Texas, and the $925 million Amtrak/Metro Norwalk Bridge Replacement project in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Nonresidential

Nonresidential building starts rose 8% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $412 billion. The driving force behind the increase was manufacturing starts, which more than doubled in May. Commercial starts tumbled 20% in May due to a sharp pullback in office and retail starts, while hotel starts moved higher. Institutional starts fell just 1% in May with education starts falling, but healthcare increasing. On a year-to-date basis through May, total nonresidential starts were 1% lower than that of 2022. Institutional starts gained 12%. Meanwhile, manufacturing starts were 11% lower, and commercial starts were down 7%.

For the 12 months ending May 2023, total nonresidential building starts were 26% higher than the 12 months ending May 2022. Manufacturing starts were 72% higher, institutional starts improved 22%, and commercial starts gained 12%.

The largest nonresidential building projects to break ground in May were the $1.9 billion Steel Dynamics aluminum plant in Columbus, Mississippi, the $1.9 billion Eli Lilly & Co facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the $1.5 billion Ford Ohio EV plant in Sheffield.

Residential

Residential building starts lost 4% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $356 billion. Single family starts retreated, falling 2% in May following four consecutive monthly gains. Multifamily starts shed 8%. On a year-to-date basis through May 2023, total residential starts were down 25%. Single family starts were 31% lower, and multifamily starts were down 12%.

For the 12 months ending in May 2023, residential starts were 15% lower than that of  2022. Single family starts were 26% lower, while multifamily starts were up 9% on a rolling 12-month basis.

The largest multifamily structures to break ground in May were the $414 million North Cove mixed-use building in New York, New York, the $190 million Albany Terrace and Irene McCoy Gains apartments in Chicago, Illinois, and the $190 million The Kaye Luxury apartment tower in Seattle, Washington.

Regionally, total construction starts in May fell in the Northeast and West, while gaining in the Midwest, South Atlantic and South Central regions. Watch Chief Economist Richard Branch discuss May Construction Starts here.

May 2023 CONSTRUCTION STARTS

“Our Building Systems members produce some amazing metal building systems,” notes Bouquot, “and I get to see them when I visit companies across the country. We thought this would be a great opportunity for others to see, in a fun and lighthearted way, some of these great facilities. Additionally, if you have a unique metal building that may be a good place to visit, contact us and we’ll see if we can film a future episode there.”

The first video in the new series follows along as Tony pays a visit to Starshine Texas, which includes a 10,000-square-foot metal building sitting on 25 wooded acres in the heart of Houston. “A metal building is an ideal choice for the facility and it showcases the possibilities of this popular building type,” Bouquot says. “It has a soaring roof, open layout that can be modified for various group sizes, custom walls with a warm wood interior, plenty of windows and a large, overhead door that can open up and welcome the outdoors in.

Upcoming videos will visit a variety of metal buildings in different settings across the country, and MBMA plans to produce two to three new episodes each year. In addition to “Travels with Tony,” there are more than 30 videos available to view for free at MBMA’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/@MBMAMEDIA.

“The new Quality and Craftsmanship module is a valuable resource for contractors, erectors and anyone who works with metal roofs,” says Keith Wentworth, MBI president. “This video gives them the background they need to provide their team and customers with the most up-to-date information on a retrofit roof.”

Retrofit Roofing is intended to provide contractors and erectors with a basic understanding of retrofit applications over existing, flat, conventional-type roofs and existing, sloped, metal roofs. It explains the types and methods of retrofit options as well as the details involved in a renovation project.

The full video includes:

• Retrofit roofing benefits and best practices.
• Methods for metal over metal roofing.
• Materials and preparation, including necessary tools for the job.
• Insulation and condensation considerations.
• Flat roofs and slope build-up details.
• What to know about roof penetrations and fenestrations.

Retrofit Roofing, the first module in the Quality and Craftsmanship 200 level of educational resources, was produced by the MBI through the generous support of The Ketenbrink Foundation and the following sponsors: Gold level: Roof Hugger, TopHat Framing Systems, ACI Building Systems, the Metal Construction Association (MCA); Silver level: Butler Manufacturing; Bronze level: S-5! and Chief Buildings.

“Thanks to the Ketenbrink Foundation and all of our sponsors for their support,” adds Wentworth. “Their generous donations enabled this new module to come together and provide the metal roofing community with this valuable resource.”

MBI has four training modules in its Quality and Craftsmanship series as well as the Temporary Bracing Guidelines design guide. They are available for purchase at http://www.metal-buildings-institute.org.

PPI MS-7 includes detailed specifications for four plastic piping materials which have been proven in ground-source heat exchange systems: HDPE, PE-RT, PEX, and PP (PP-R and PP-RCT).  According to PPI, the definitions, terms and other information can be readily used in bid documents, for example.  The model specification provides language related to pipe and tubing materials, fittings, and joining procedures.  Installation and pressure testing recommendations are also provided.  It complements another PPI document, PPI TN-55 Plastic Piping Materials for Ground Source Geothermal Heating and Cooling Applications.

“High-density polyethylene (HDPE) has been the primary piping material used in geothermal ground loops for decades and is a proven resource for this application.  The product standards and specifications for HDPE piping, however, have evolved in recent years, so a specifier that uses outdated language for piping systems may inadvertently specify a product that no longer exists in the market, or one that is simply less capable than the current state-of-the-art.” explained Lance MacNevin, P. Eng., director of engineering for PPI’s Building & Construction Division.  “Also, two other types of HDPE-based piping materials, PEX and PE-RT, are now approved in model codes for geo ground loop and are important options for certain projects.  In addition, PP-R and PP-RCT piping systems are recommended for indoor piping.”

Because geothermal systems significantly assist with decarbonization and deliver energy savings when heating and cooling buildings, this is the most exciting time in the geothermal industry in terms of market acceptance and new opportunities.  Ground source heat pump systems are one of the most sustainable applications of plastic piping systems.

The team of experts from PPI member companies that developed MS-7 consulted with the latest model codes and standards from ASTM, CSA, IAPMO, ICC, IGSHPA, and NSF when developing the content.  The new model spec also includes an entire section on Indoor Piping Products which are typically installed in mechanical rooms to connect the outdoor ground loops with heat pumps and hydronic distribution systems.

Additional information and data about piping materials used for both outdoor ground loop and indoor mechanical room piping materials is available from the PPI Building & Construction Division at www.plasticpipe.org/buildingconstruction.

As NCCER’s flagship curriculum, Core provides individuals with foundational skills and knowledge such as basic safety, tool usage, and construction math. The new updates to NCCERconnect for Core Sixth Edition take this already robust training curriculum even further by introducing additional learning assets to enhance learners’ application and understanding of the material while empowering instructors with valuable resources.

Key features that will benefit trainees and help instructors:

• Self-guided interactive learning: Each module now includes self-guided learning, allowing learners to get engaged with interactive, narrated walk-throughs of module content. These interactive experiences augment the trainee guide materials with visually engaging elements, making class time more efficient and improving knowledge retention.
• Hands-on projects for a range of skill levels: The updated NCCERconnect course also features an extensive library of hands-on projects designed to make it easier for instructors to lead activities in the classroom or use as homework. Developed and provided by real NCCER instructors, this collection of projects will offer additional ideas for engaging classroom activities that align with both the program’s learning objectives and performance requirements.
• New math study questions: Recognizing the importance of math skills in construction, the enhanced NCCERconnect for Core includes a new, robust math question bank that covers the Study Problems in the Introduction to Construction Math module. Learners will also benefit from new videos with helpful tips and tricks for understanding construction math.
• Augmented reality (AR) learning experiences: NCCERconnect for Core now includes augmented reality experiences in partnership with SENAR. Learners can engage with simulations of Basic Safety and Rigging through their smartphones, gaining hands-on understanding of these essential aspects of the construction industry.

The course also features an improved navigation system and on-screen layout, aligning with other recent Level 1 craft curricula in NCCERconnect. This ensures a consistent experience for instructors and trainees across all modules.

To learn more about the new features for Core Sixth Edition, sign in or register for NCCERconnect.

NCCER develops and distributes its curricula in partnership with the world’s leading learning company, Pearson, and ensures that it complies with the Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship requirements for time-based training. Individuals who successfully complete these training programs through an NCCER Accredited Training Sponsor will earn industry-recognized credentials. To learn more about NCCER curricula and purchasing options, click here.

AEC firms must offer variety, identify employee interests, and create a positive work environment to retain top talent. 

AEC employees across the industry are getting bored with their current firms because the work has become routine and they desire a variety of projects, personal growth opportunities, a flexible work environment, and the list goes on and on. 

In the one-hit wonder, “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes, a man reads the personal columns in the newspaper and spots an ad that catches his attention. It’s a woman seeking a man who is into the same things he’s into including those dangerously delicious piña coladas. The man responds to the ad and they arrange to meet at a bar called O’Malley’s where they will plan their escape. Upon arrival, he quickly realizes the mystery person was actually his current partner. They have a drink and talk about how they have more in common than they had known and that they do not have to look any further than each other for what they seek in a relationship. 

Could this same scenario be playing out with the principals and staff in architecture, engineering, and construction firms? A few things to consider: 

The importance of variety. AEC firms can offer a range of opportunities to their employees to keep them engaged and motivated. This can include opportunities for career advancement, training and development, cross-functional projects, and exposure to new clients, projects, and business functions like marketing or strategic planning. Providing variety in the work can help employees to remain engaged, maintain their interest in their job, reduce burnout, and ultimately, retain them within the organization. 

Identifying employee interests and passions. To provide employees with variety and new opportunities, it is important to identify their interests and passions. AEC firms can do this by offering regular feedback and conducting performance reviews. By understanding an employee’s strengths, areas for improvement, and interests, firms can offer tailored opportunities that align with their career aspirations. This approach can lead to higher job satisfaction, engagement, and ultimately, retention. Hundreds of firms participate annually in Zweig Group’s Best Firms To Work For Award program to gain valuable insights into their employees’ feedback. 

Creating a positive work environment. Creating a positive work environment is also critical for retaining top talent. This includes offering a flexible work schedule, promoting work-life balance, and providing opportunities for collaboration and teamwork. Firms can also offer social activities, such as team-building events and happy hours, to promote a positive work culture and foster relationships among employees. According to the 2022 Best Firms To Work For overall results, more than 90 percent of respondents from these firms agreed or strongly agreed that positive relationships were present among employees and leaders. 

In the AEC industry, retaining top talent is critical for the success of the firm. To do this, AEC firms need to provide variety and new opportunities within the organization, identify employee interests and passions, and create a positive work environment. By offering competitive compensation and benefits packages and recognizing and rewarding employees, firms can improve retention rates and drive success. It’s time for AEC firms to take the friendly warning from Rupert Holmes and find ways to keep their employees engaged, motivated, and away from the job posting ads. 

CEO Roundtable Retreat is a unique opportunity for AEC firm leaders to engage and interact with industry peers to discuss current issues facing firms today, explore industry trends and next practices, and confront the biggest challenges they face leading their firms. Join us June 22-23 in Napa Valley, California. Click here to learn more! 

Amaza Lee Meredith’s life, which included designing a summer destination for middle-class African Americans in Sag Harbor on the East End of Long Island in 1947, will soon be in the popular imagination: Actor Laurence Fishburne is producing a new HBOMax series based on Colson Whitehead’s novel Sag Harbor.

Amaza Lee Meredith’s audio documentary will be found here https://bwafnewanglevoice.libsyn.com (and everywhere people get their podcasts) later this month. 

Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF) executive director Cynthia Phifer Kracauer is available to talk about the series and the episode on Meredith. She conceived and produced the audio documentaries with noted writer and editor Alexandra Lange Ph.D. and the acclaimed producer Brandi Howell. The production team traveled to Charlottesville, Richmond, and Manassas, Va., to interview Baptist preachers and historians who document how Meredith founded a department at a university, taught art at Virginia State, and more.

While studying at Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute in Petersburg, Va., Meredith “began a sporadic but long-term love affair” with her teacher, Edna Meade Colson (1888-1985), according to historian Jacqueline Taylor in her book Suffragette City. In 1947, Meredith enrolled at Teachers College in New York City.

This time in New York influenced her work. The building image attached shows Azurest South (1939) in Petersburg, Va., one of Meredith’s best documented works. The architect shared the International Style house with her partner Colson, a leading Black educator and activist.

Azurest South was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993, and National Historic Landmark status is pending. On Sag Harbor, Azurest North — which Meredith developed with her sister Maude Terry — has been listed since 2019 as part of the Sag Harbor Hills, Azurest, and Ninevah Beach Subdivisions (SANS) Historic District. The Sag Harbor work includes two residences by Meredith, including her family’s cottage where Meredith’s drafting table could be found.

The podcast will debut soon. I’d be glad to connect you with the team behind New Angle: Voice, if it’s of interest.

This report explains how firestop failures in the event of a fire can trigger fiascos that put people at risk, while raising serious questions and liability for architects, engineers, and construction professionals. The industry must ensure these critical components meet the highest standards for safety.

Safe Piping Matters reviews issues related to firestopping assemblies for various plastic piping materials including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), polyethylene (PE), and crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) plastic, as well as non-combustible piping materials such as copper, iron, and steel. Key concepts include:

• How pipe combustibility impacts firestopping requirements
• Why complexity is the main challenge of firestopping
• Comparisons of typical firestop assemblies
• Common problems to avoid
• Recommendations to improve safety and reduce liability

“Designing and installing firestop assemblies for piping penetrations requires a demanding process. Teams must understand which code requirements apply to their situation, select appropriate components, and install them correctly,” said Paul Hagar, Executive Director of Safe Piping Matters. “This valuable report features experts who address critical firestopping issues that occur throughout the construction process and gives recommendations to make buildings safer.”

The report surveyed over one thousand of its members across the country to get their thoughts on what is important to their organisation and supply chain, plus offered insights into how the School has continued to positively impact organisations and supply chains, through its free practical learning and support.

The past few years have been challenging for the built environment industry; the pandemic made for a very unsure time, closely followed by the global economic downturn putting pressures on the industry with material shortages and steep rises in costs. However, sustainability remains firmly at the top of the agenda worldwide, meaning more opportunities for the School to continue to grow and widen its impact.

Reflecting this, the Supply Chain Sustainability School’s engagement figures are up significantly, with 24,160 (+44%) individuals from 5,503 companies (+30%) actively learning through the School. This has driven a 35% increase in resource views compared to the previous year. At the same time, quality ratings for the training received by the members remain very high, with 95% rating the training as good or excellent.

Shaun McCarthy OBE, Chair of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, commented: “It’s been another brilliant year for the School and we are thrilled to have over 24,000 individuals training through our learning platform. However, we recognise that there is still a way to go to achieve our vision of an industry where everyone will have the skills and knowledge to deliver a sustainable future. To achieve mass impact, technology will be a key focus moving forward. It is our hope that this additional technological investment and expertise will not only support the School’s growth, but ensure it is armed for arising opportunities so we can continue to provide membership with accessible and credible learning.”

Organisations are becoming increasingly interested in understanding sustainability and embedding more sustainable practices. Many members have identified the School as a powerful tool to help them do this. Almost three-quarters of members (73%) reported that the School has helped them to better understand their organisation’s sustainability impacts. The School has also helped 65% of members improve their understanding of modern slavery, and 54% to increase their understanding of Fairness, Inclusion and Respect.

Members also shared how the School has helped them to improve their sustainability impacts. This includes reductions in carbon emissions (52% of members) and total waste (50%), as well as increased community engagement (57%) and apprentice numbers (50%).

Julia Barrett, Chief Sustainability Officer at Willmott Dixon, commented: “The School continues to drive massive change for the industry by providing free virtual learning across a huge range of subjects. This year once again, it’s proven that through collaboration the industry can thrive. To increase our sustainability impacts further, we would love more members to register and learn through School, and more Partners to work with us to identify key issues and share new ideas.”

The School is part-funded by CITB and industry Partners, with over 190 Partners leading the direction of the School. Working in collaboration, Partners share knowledge and free resources to inspire the UK built environment to drive positive change. Last year, the School was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development in recognition of the significant environmental, social and economic benefits it has delivered to its Members and Partners.

Sign up as a FREE member this Spring to benefit from over 400 training sessions, tailored assessments with action plans and a library of over 3,300 online resources. https://www.supplychainschool.co.uk/ 

Topics addressed include characteristics of resilience and sustainability; incorporation of resilience and sustainability into projects; practical guidance; policy, project definition, and planning; design, procurement and construction; and case studies. Providing practical guidance on integrating sustainability and resilience into projects, IRP 6 will be of interest to engineers, economists, and sociologists working to integrate social science, policy, and economics into the planning, design, and management decisions surrounding physical infrastructure. 

To purchase online, visit the ASCE Bookstore 

Limited review copies are available for book reviews. Please contact Leslie Connelly, lconnelly@asce.org.  

Titled “Future Ready: Your Organization’s Guide to Rethinking Climate, Resilience and Sustainability,” the book serves as a guide for business, government and other infrastructure organization leaders to set and implement sustainability and resilience strategies in complex project and operating environments, in addition to other environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals.

The book, published by Wiley, is co-authored by Alastair MacGregor, executive business line leader for Property and Buildings at WSP; and Tom Lewis, a climate, resilience and sustainability consultant. The book offers bold perspectives from a team of WSP practice leaders and subject matter experts with deep expertise in risk assessment, planning, engineering, finance, project and program implementation, and advisory consulting.

In “Future Ready,” the authors share practical examples and case studies that draw on hundreds of completed WSP projects across a full range of client organizations, markets, sectors and scales. Their insights show readers how to proactively engage with stakeholders and successfully plan, implement and measure the impacts of their initiatives, while also effectively communicating their results.

“Every day, we help clients align their sustainability goals with core business and organizational goals, and we know how essential it is to go beyond the ‘why’ to provide practical guidance on how leaders can confront increasingly complex challenges in this space,” MacGregor said. “Grounded in our proven Future Ready® process, this book equips readers with practical strategies that can reduce risk, make the most of existing resources, and drive return on investment.”

The book explores ways that leaders and project managers can confront four megatrends: climate change, shifting societal trends and a growing focus on equity, increasing pressure on natural resources and ecosystems, and rapidly developments in technology. Using WSP projects as examples of successful approaches to these megatrends, MacGregor and Lewis identify effective ways readers can take action.

The first part of the book is a tour of a dynamic and changing world, looking at how climate impacts are driving innovation, sustainability and equity in buildings, transportation, infrastructure, resources, cities and organizations. The second part of the book is a roadmap for organizations to start or accelerate their journey to a more sustainable and resilient future via target setting, tools and technologies, risk assessment and reporting, nature-based solutions and climate finance, among others.

The foreword to the book was written by Spiro N. Pollalis, Harvard Design School professor and director of the Zofnass Program for the Sustainability of Infrastructure; and Anthony Kane, president and CEO of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure.

The book centers on helping readers identify and deliver the “right” project in the “right” way for the greatest possible impact across multiple measures of success. Since financing those projects can be a critical challenge, the afterward written by Stacy Swann, WSP executive vice president for climate finance, ESG and sustainable investment, takes a forward-looking view into the challenges and opportunities in climate finance, drawing on her 25 years of experience in the field. “Future Ready: Your Organization’s Guide to Rethinking Climate, Resilience and Sustainability” is now available for purchase at Amazon.com,  BarnesandNoble.com and other online retailers.

Fourth Quarter and Year End Financial Highlights:

• As of April 28, 2023, the Company has an aggregate Sales Pipeline¹ and Sales Order Backlog² of $16.16M. This represents a 46% growth from the previous disclosure on November 29^th, 2022 and is an indication of the accelerating momentum behind Wastewater Energy Transfer (“WET”) projects.
  
• Revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2022 (“Q4 2022”) is $0.81M compared to $0.98M from the three months ended December 31, 2021 (“Q4 2021”) while Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 (“YE 2022”) is $1.94M compared to $2.7M (“YE 2021”) for the year ended December 31, 2021. It is anticipated that the volatility of Revenue will smooth out as the Company’s Sales Pipeline matures and as the Company diversifies its Revenue generating opportunities.
  
• Gross margin for Q4 2022 and YE 2022 was 23.5% and 28.9%, respectively. This compared with Gross margin of 26.2% and 36.8% for Q4 2021 and YE 2021, respectively. The decline in Gross margin was due to one-time inventory write offs and true ups of costs which created margin pressure in the quarter. Furthermore, the Company earned lower margin on a higher percentage of Revenue where the Company acted as a general contractor managing the installation of a SHARC WET system. SHARC Energy foresees Gross margins will improve in 2023 to YE 2021 levels.
  
• The Company reported an Adjusted EBITDA³ loss of $0.77M and $2.62M and a Loss of $1.27M and $4.82M for Q4 2022 and YE 2022, respectively. The Company continues to strategically balance its investment into Sales Pipeline growth, which would include increasing head count in Sales and Operations and marketing activities, while taking into consideration working capital commitments in the near term.                                                     

Hanspaul Pannu, CFO of SHARC Energy, said, “As we continue to pioneer the growth of the Wastewater Energy Transfer industry, our focus on a sales distribution model has driven significant market awareness and penetration across North America. Our strategic efforts are reflected in the remarkable 46% growth in our sales pipeline and sales order backlog since November 2022, reaching $16.16M. This demonstrates the accelerating momentum behind our WET projects and the increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions.”

Pannu added, “We remain committed to our objective of building a strong sales pipeline. We have strategically balanced spending and working capital, acknowledging the initial volatility in our revenue from 2021 to 2022. As our sales pipeline matures and we diversify our revenue-generating opportunities, we anticipate the volatility to smooth out.”

He continued, “With our strategic partnerships, such as with Subterra Renewables and Salas O’Brien, and emerging policy, such as the Inflation Reduction Act in the US and the Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit announced in the 2023 Federal Budget in Canada, and our strong representative network, our sales pipeline has been augmented for incremental growth. As a result of these factors and where our current sales pipeline sits, we expect 2023 to be the largest revenue year in the company’s history and we remain confident we have created the pathway to profitability in the years to come.”

Pannu concluded, “Since going public in 2015, SHARC Energy has invested less than $35 million to create an industry and our products remain the premier scalable solutions for the Wastewater Energy Transfer market. We are proud of our progress and look forward to accelerating our growth in the coming years.

YE 2022 Highlights and Subsequent Events

• False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility (“NEU”) Expansion. During Q4 2023, the Company commenced work on the supply and maintenance agreement with the City of Vancouver for the provision and maintenance of five SHARC systems for the False Creek NEU Expansion. This project is expected to increase the capacity of the current 3.2MW WET system to 9.8MW, making it the largest operating WET project in North America upon completion, with an additional carbon emission reduction of an estimated 4,400 tonnes per year. The project is expected to be completed in Q2/Q3 2023.
• Snowmass Base Village, Colorado installs PIRANHA. A PIRANHA T15 WET system will be installed in Aura’s 21 slope-side residences, powered 100% by renewable energy resources within the residential building. Aura’s team is led by East West Partners, a developer of high-end mountain resort communities, and supported by SHARC Energy’s Colorado distributor, LONG Building Technologies. It is anticipated this unit will ship in Q2 2023.
• PIRANHAs in Canada’s Capital. HTS Ontario, a representative of SHARC Energy products, has been selected to supply two PIRANHA T15 WET systems to be installed in Ottawa. This deal is a key milestone as it marks the beginning of HTS’s growing SHARC Energy pipeline turning over and it validates the Company’s strategy to support and leverage its representative network to help grow awareness and sales for its products in key markets. These units shipped in Q1 2023.

• Partnership with Salas O’Brien. The Company has entered into an agreement with Salas O’Brien, an employee-owned engineering firm with 55 offices, 1,600+ team members and more than 360 registered professionals. Together, the companies intend to establish and cultivate a collaborative and strategic relationship that will support the market with turnkey solutions tailored to carbon reduction and energy efficiency goals. SHARC Energy anticipates that this relationship will help accelerate the growth of the WET industry and accordingly, generate accretive pipeline growth of SHARC Energy WET products.
• Partnership with Subterra Renewables. The Company and Subterra Capital Partners Inc. (“Subterra Renewables”), a leading full-service geothermal drilling provider with a proprietary Energy-as-a-Service (“EaaS”) model known as Aura, announced on April 27, 2023, a strategic partnership to revolutionize the renewable thermal energy transfer landscape across North America. By combining SHARC Energy’s innovative WET technology with Subterra’s geothermal exchange systems, the partnership aims to bring unparalleled solutions to the market, capturing a greater share for both companies.
• First Bite of the Big Apple. SHARC Energy is supporting Egg Geo, LLC, a global leader in geothermal, in the first proposed combined WET and geothermal system in the world. This innovative and groundbreaking system will utilize thermal energy transfer from the ground and wastewater to provide 100 percent of the heating, hot water and cooling load for 316 affordable housing units in two – 20 story multi-family towers. This one-of-a-kind project will be located in the Bronx, New York.
• New York State Leverages SHARC. New York State Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent announcement that construction has begun for the transformative $1.2 billion redevelopment of the former 27-acre Brooklyn Developmental Center property in Brooklyn’s East New York neighborhood. The initial $373 million phase will create 576 affordable homes, a new 15,000-square-foot outpatient medical clinic, and 7,000 square feet of ground floor retail space. The initial phase of the development is comprised of two buildings with the current design having one featuring a SHARC WET System and the other a PIRANHA WET System.

• Sustainable Living Innovations (“SLI”). SHARC Energy’s PIRANHA and PIRANHA HC T5, T10 and T15 WET Systems have been selected by SLI for six new projects in design or under construction. The Company has received a purchase order from California-Columbia Hydronics Corporation (“CHC“) for the first of six projects, which is a PIRANHA T5 HC for SLI’s new project in Seattle at 8601 Aurora Avenue. This was shipped in Q4 2022. The remaining five projects currently in the design phase are anticipated to use a mix of 7 PIRANHA and PIRANHA HC T10 and T15’s for the various project’s heating and cooling needs and have expected shipment dates in 2024.
• Seattle SHARC WET System. SHARC Energy has received a purchase order from CHC for a SHARC WET system that will be installed in the heart of Seattle, a few minutes from the Space Needle, marking the first SHARC WET system showcasing the power of wastewater in the heart of the Pacific Northwest USA. The system shipped in Q4 2023.
• National Western Center. The National Western Center in Denver, Colorado, is pioneering the largest-scale wastewater district-energy innovation operating in North America to date. The National Western Center will rely on two SHARC wastewater recovery systems placed in the heart of its 3.8-megawatt (MW) district energy system, creating a low-carbon campus that is sustainable and regenerative. The first phase of development is expected to recover the thermal energy from 3,000 gallons of wastewater every minute, preventing 2,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually from being emitted into the atmosphere. The project was commissioned in Q1 2022.
• lelǝḿ. A Vancouver, B.C. 1,200 residential unit master-planned development’s heating and cooling needs will be met by utilizing a SHARC Energy low-carbon wastewater energy exchange system as part of a centralized energy facility. The system installation and commissioning completed in Q1 2022.

Wastewater Energy Transfer Industry Supporting Policy

The outlook for the Wastewater Energy Transfer industry is experiencing signs of scale-up due to new supportive regulations and funding in several key markets across North America.

Both the United States, under the Inflation Reduction Act, and Canadian government, under the Federal budget, have created investment tax credits allowing for a 30% tax credit on the capital cost of a number of renewable energy technologies including Wastewater Energy Transfer systems.

Also, the Washington State Building code will be the 1^st state building code in the US that requires all new residential buildings over 3 stories and all commercial buildings are proposed to require all electric space heating and a minimum of 50% electric hot water heating. The code takes effect on July 1, 2023.

Furthermore, the King County Wastewater Heat Recovery Pilot Project program being pioneered by the King County Wastewater Treatment Division is a first-of-its-kind initiative in North America that allows for private parties to utilize the thermal energy in publicly-owned wastewater infrastructure for 3 years free of Wastewater Energy Transfer (“WET”) Fees in exchange for the operational data of the WET systems used for heating and cooling buildings. Currently, SHARC Energy is listed on 1 of a possible 3 projects with 2 project spaces remaining available. After the launch of this pilot program, both the City of Toronto and the State of New York implemented similar but varying programmes of their own.

The City of Toronto has launched the Wastewater Energy Transfer (“WET”) Program. WET projects involve a connection to City wastewater (sewer) infrastructure for the noncontact exchange of renewable thermal energy to displace fossil fuel use in buildings, which is Toronto’s largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Enabling WET projects is therefore a key part of implementing the TransformTO Net Zero Strategy. Toronto’s sanitary trunk sewer network is estimated to have the capacity to potentially support well over twenty WET projects. Once in operation, these projects would reduce approximately 200,000 tonnes of GHG emissions annually while unlocking value for the City through the sale of thermal energy.

On July 5, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed three bills including legislation A.10493/S.9422, which allows utilities to own, operate, and manage thermal energy networks, as well as supply distributed thermal energy, with Public Service Commission (PSC) oversight. Heating and cooling networks – also referred to as community thermal or district energy systems – are a resilient, energy efficient, and clean solution that can also help New York State meet its ambitious climate goals. By leveraging multiple sources of existing waste heat (such as water, wastewater, and geothermal, among others) and connecting a diverse set of building types on a shared loop, thermal energy networks can provide significant operating and energy cost savings when compared to more traditional heating and cooling methods, while also reducing demand on the electric grid. 

This legislation will promote the development of thermal energy networks throughout the State, providing benefits by reducing fossil fuel usage for heating and cooling through community-scale infrastructure solutions, along with employment opportunities for existing utility workers and new workers. The enabling legislation will build on the progress of, and complement, NYSERDA’s active community thermal program, which to-date has funded feasibility studies, detailed design studies, and other advanced project construction incentives to more than three dozen sites across the state. 

Finally, New York City has voted to pass Local Law 154 that will prevent building developers from installing fuel-burning systems in new buildings and most gut renovations starting in 2024, forcing them to instead design buildings with all electric heating, hot water and cooking appliances. This will, starting in 2024, affect small buildings (buildings of 7 stories or less) and starting in 2027, buildings of 7 stories or more.

These policies along with the growing number of cities across North America implementing natural gas bans are conducive to the continued adoption and market share of SHARC Energy WET products.

For complete financial information for the year ended December 31, 2022, please see the Audited Financial Statements and Management Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

CEA management will host the conference call, followed by a question-and-answer session.

Date: Monday, May 15, 2023
Time: 4:15 p.m. ET
Dial: 1-973-528-0008
Access Code: 704185
Webcast URL: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2893/48284

Interested parties may submit questions to the Company prior to the call by emailing info@ceaindustries.com. For those unable to participate in the conference call at that time, a replay will be available for two weeks in the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.ceaindustries.com beginning on May 15, 2023, at 4:15 p.m. ET.

RCM Technologies reported preliminary revenue of $67.1 million and preliminary operating income of $5.7 million for the thirteen weeks ended April 1, 2023. RCM’s preliminary operating income includes a discreet gain on sale of assets of $0.4 million.

Participants may access the call at 1-877-451-6152, international callers may use 1-201-389-0879, and request to join the Intuitive Machines earnings call. A live webcast of the earnings conference call can also be accessed here.

Following the conference call, participants may access the telephonic replay at 1-844-512-2921, international callers may use 1-412-317-6671, and enter access code 13737679. A webcast replay will be available through the same link or on the investors portion of the Intuitive Machines website at https://investors.intuitivemachines.com.

Please visit the Investor Relations website at https://investors.intuitivemachines.com on Thursday, May 11, 2023, to view the earnings release before the conference call.

The Builders website is targeted to middle and high school students, educators, counselors, colleges and universities, and industry professionals nationwide. TAP’s goal is to help build the next generation of construction workers and managers, connecting classroom science and technology with meaningful career paths that are critical to society. The site features videos of young construction professionals at their jobs; information on how to get started and training opportunities; and how current and emerging technology is being integrated into construction industry operations.

The basis for the site is the highly touted book, Those Amazing Builders, produced by Trilogy Publications LLC, with over 25,000 copies nationwide. Trilogy has donated the books and the copyright of Those Amazing Builders to TAP. States Rose Reichman, Executive Director of TAP, “The web version of Those Amazing Builders makes the content universally accessible. It also allows us to easily update and adapt the material in response to teacher and student feedback.”

Early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with key industry players excited about the site’s potential to present construction as a highly desirable career option. “Not every student follows the same path,” says Reichman, “and construction offers incredible avenues for non-traditional learners and kids whose talents tend toward using their hands and minds in bringing some amazing plans to life.”

As a key action item included in Alberta’s Emissions Reduction and Energy Development Plan released April 19, 2023, the Government of Alberta is providing $3 million for the creation of a national CCS knowledge sharing hub that will be an important tool for Canada to meet its ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The mandate of the CCS knowledge sharing hub will be to collect and curate best practices and lessons learned from Canadian CCS projects past, present and future – drawing on knowledge from as many projects as possible from initial planning and feasibility studies, through to construction and ongoing operations – to enhance the success of CCS projects and promote continuous learning and improvement in CCS technology. Expansion of CCS is also a crucial step for creating and maintaining vital jobs in all heavy emitting sectors provincially and nationally in such areas as cement, iron and steel, power generation, petrochemicals, fertilizer, and oil and gas.

“Bringing large-scale CCS projects to life at the speed and scale that is required to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 requires unprecedented collaboration between industry, government, academia and other partners. The most effective way of reducing risk, lowering costs and improving performance of these multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects is to share our proven expertise and apply the experience gained across heavy-emitting industries in order to build a sustainable future for all,” said James Millar, president and chief executive officer of the International CCS Knowledge Centre.

“We are very grateful to the Government of Alberta for stepping up with this critical support, allowing us to launch the CCS knowledge sharing hub and ensure lessons learned from dozens of CCS projects planned across Canada are documented and made available to anyone who can benefit from them,” Millar added. “I would be remiss in not singling out the strong leadership of Environment and Protected Areas Minister Sonya Savage in helping to ensure this initiative moves forward.”

“Carbon capture and storage is a critical part of Alberta’s path to achieving a net-zero economy. With projects such as the Quest CCS facility operated by Shell Canada, and the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line, we have led the world in developing CCUS facilities and proving the capability of this technology to drastically cut CO₂ emissions from the industries that are the bedrock of our economy and are the lifeblood of our communities. We look forward to working with the Knowledge Centre to ensure that Alberta and Canada remain at the forefront and capture the enormous opportunities that are before us as the world undertakes an aggressive expansion of CCS to curb rising emissions and address climate change,” said Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Sonya Savage.

The CCS knowledge sharing hub will be developed and operated by the International CCS Knowledge Centre to assess and identify best practices and frameworks to get CCS projects to final investment decision. Key to the initiative’s long-term success will be coordination and proactive promotion of the sharing of knowledge on CCS gathered from companies large and small to ensure the timely and efficient transfer of CCS best practices across Alberta, Canada and the globe – outcomes where industry and government jointly benefit. Sharing critical information on the development of projects from study stage into operation will greatly increase the transfer of crucial learnings, leading to better outcomes and inevitably a greater level of CO₂ emission reductions in Canada.

At a global level, the world can’t afford not to pursue large-scale CCS as a key tool for meeting international climate commitments. The International Energy Agency and the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have concluded a massive investment in large-scale CCS is required in order to achieve the emissions reductions needed to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 2ºC. The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Synthesis Report Summary for Policy Makers forecast that the cost of climate mitigation would increase by 138 per cent without the application of CCS technologies.

Background:

The International CCS Knowledge Centre provides independent consultation and technical advisory services on large-scale CCS projects around the world, including a number of Alberta companies pursuing CCS projects as part of their long-term sustainability plans, including:

• Completing the feasibility study (with funding provided by Emissions Reduction Alberta) and supporting front-end engineering and design (FEED) planning for the world’s first full-scale CCS facility on a cement plant at Heidelberg Materials’ Edmonton plant.

• Supporting early-stage engineering work on CCS projects planned by several members of the Pathways Alliance, a coalition of the six largest oil sands producers that is planning to invest more than $24 billion in CCS and other emissions reduction technologies by the end of the decade in order to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

• Partnering with Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) to provide successful applicants of the ERA’s Carbon Capture Kickstart with up to 200 hours of support on their pre-construction design and engineering studies for carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) projects, with funding provided by ERA. The 11 successful projects represent an estimated $20 billion in capital expenditures in a wide range of industrial sectors, including power generation, cement, fertilizer, forest products and oil and gas.

“As a long-time supporter of the SDSIC community, this event is a great opportunity to reconnect with customers and partners and listen to challenges facing the energy and utility sector,” says Bill Zavadil, president and chief operating officer Rand Worldwide, the parent company of IMAGINiT and ASCENT. “Participating in conferences like this allows us to deepen our expertise and knowledge to better support the long-term success of our customers. We are excited to have five speakers who will share lessons learned from projects we have delivered with leading players in the utility and energy sector. Our deep expertise with Autodesk software and our ability to craft custom enterprise solutions, makes us uniquely poised to help utility companies achieve their substation design initiatives.”  

Recently named Spatial Business Systems’ (SBS) principal training partner, IMAGINiT’s energy and utilities professionals bring a comprehensive array of utility modernization services including technical consulting for substation design implementations as well as data and document management, asset management, 3D scanning solutions and CFD and FEA simulation. To support sustainable long-term success for utility customers, ASCENT integrates custom courseware development and workflow documentation with training, eLearning and support to facilitate widespread adoption of new technologies and processes.  

Five Educational Sessions 

IMAGINiT and ASCENT experts will share best practices from a range of large-scale consulting and training engagements during the following sessions:  

Autodesk Vault Gateway – A Welcomed Solution for Engineering Service Provider Data Exchange and Collaboration 

Dominic Cheff, an experienced project management engineer with more than 25 years of industry experience will cover Vault Gateway which allows VPN-less access to Vault data behind the firewall.  This provides a method for contractors to work directly with source data that meets the security of the most stringent enterprise security models. This session explains considerations for implementing Vault Gateway, the benefits, the challenges, and future opportunities it presents.  

Autodesk Construction Cloud – Capturing Field Data Photos and Forms 

Scott Wolslager oversees the engagement engineering team at IMAGINiT and has almost 30 years helping companies identify and implement technologies that improve efficiency and operations. His presentation will focus on how Utilities can use photos and forms in the Autodesk Construction Cloud to capture, store and share data.   

Working with Substation Design Suite  

In his second session, Mr. Wolslager will cover the key components of this powerful software platform including how to extract assets from a model, progress tracking, customizing asset management workflows, tracking critical asset milestones and more. 

Grading Optimization 

Richard Morrow, an engagement engineer at IMAGINiT with over 20 years of civil engineering experience, will show attendees how to save both time and energy when identifying grading objects on a substation site. Mr. Morrow will also demonstrate how to reduce costs by identifying challenges earlier in the grading process, minimizing material waste and optimizing earthwork volumes. 

Supporting Substation Design Teams with Learning and Documentation 

Jennifer MacMillan, ASCENT’s Instructional Design Projects Manager, an Autodesk Certified Professional, and an Autodesk Certified Instructor with over 20 years of developing CAD courseware, will show how workflow documentation and a strategy that embraces continuous learning helps substation design teams more effectively adopt solutions such as those from Spatial Business Systems or Autodesk.  

Our experts will be on hand to talk about how our comprehensive and integrated service offerings help utilities achieve efficient and effective adoption of advanced technologies to optimize substation modernization success. If you are not attending the show, you can reach us via phone at 1-800-356-9050.

 According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 4,764 workers died on the job in 2020. Employees in construction and extraction occupations accounted for 20% of those deaths. Many were struck by a vehicle or mobile machinery on construction sites. Although the construction industry has enlisted the help of safety experts, a great number of fatalities and injuries still occur.

“The point of our research project was to enhance safety of workers and equipment on a construction site by tracking their location,” said Alireza Ansaripour, a computer science doctoral student at UH and first author of the study. “By tracking their location, we can monitor location-based policies related to the safety of workers and equipment in construction sites.”

These location-based safety policies are created during the planning stage of the construction site such as when Internal Traffic Control Plans are made. These policies define safe areas for workers and equipment or define a safe distance between them when equipment is operating in the construction site. ViPER+ automates the monitoring of these policies and detects any violations of the policies while workers and equipment are working.

ViPER+ utilizes ultra-wideband technology for location tracking. “These radios use large bandwidths to communicate, which enables them to perform location tracking more accurately compared to other wireless radios,” Ansaripour said. “This was the technology we used to track the locations of workers and equipment.”

The team’s ViPER+ system surmounts challenges of other ultra-wideband based real-time safety monitoring systems primarily because it overcomes non-line of sight situations. These are instances in which trucks, construction loaders and other equipment block the signal between the transmitter and receiver in ultra-wideband radio transmissions.

Ansaripour and his colleagues implemented a correction method in their localization, or location tracking algorithm to reduce the error caused by non-line of sight.

Testing ViPER+ in Construction Zones

ViPER+ is an updated and improved version of the group’s initial system ViPER. The greatest difference between the two is the enhanced location tracking on ViPER+, which is more accurate in non-line of sight situations.

The team tracked locations through tags and anchors. Tags are small ultra-wideband radio transmitters, mounted to workers and vehicles to monitor their locations. Anchors are ultra-wideband receivers that receive signals from tags. The researchers then collected data from anchors to their computer server and estimated the location of vehicles and people in a construction site.

They tested their system twice in actual construction zones in Houston that was cordoned off for their experiment. But instead of real construction workers, students had to play that part.

“In our evaluation, all four construction workers had tags mounted. We also had one vehicle, either a truck or bulldozer with multiple tags on it, and another static vehicle was used to create a non-line of sight situation.”

The first evaluation was in 2019 when researchers set up tags in an area about 8,600 square feet called the tracking zone. Four students operated as workers in the tracking zone while Ansaripour was managing the data flow of the system and made sure the experiment ran smoothly. In 2022, a similar scenario was set up but at a different construction site.

“Alireza is one of those students with brilliant ideas and the work ethic to see these ideas to fruition,” said Omprakash Gnawali, associate professor of computer science at the UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and co-author of the study. “Having that combination is important to get these technical projects to be successful.”

Future Improvements

Future changes to the system include ironing out user design issues such as alerting construction workers when they are too close to moving machinery.

“We also have an issue creating a tracking zone that covers all of a construction site, not just a portion of it,” said Ansaripour. “There are still some improvements that need to be made for this to become a commercial product, but our work provides insight on how a real-time safety monitoring system can be used for safety tracking in construction sites.”

Other authors of the study include UH’s Milad Heydariaan, and from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, corresponding author Kyungki Kim and Hafiz Oyediran.

This research project was funded through the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Idea of the National Academy of Sciences under the award NCHRP-206.

In Q1 of 2023, total construction starts were 9% below that of 2022. Year-to-date, residential starts were down 29%, nonresidential and nonbuilding starts grew 6% and 12% respectively. For the 12 months ending March 2023, total construction starts were 11% higher than the 12 months ending March 2022. Nonresidential and nonbuilding starts were 33% and 21% higher, respectively, while residential starts lost 11%.

“Construction starts activity has yet to see the impact of tightening financial conditions in the wake of the failure of Silicon Valley and Signature Banks,” said Richard Branch, chief economist for Dodge Construction Network. “Several large manufacturing projects are breaking ground; pushing nonresidential buildings higher, while a nascent recovery in single family starts has been supporting residential growth. Construction starts began the year with gusto, but that is likely to erode as the year progresses, as seen by the declining trend in the Dodge Momentum Index, which tracks projects entering the earliest stages of planning.”

• Nonbuilding construction starts gained 17% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $263 billion. Miscellaneous nonbuilding was the only category to post a month-over-month loss. Environmental public works rose 35%, utility/gas plants gained 16%, and highway and bridge starts were up 13%. Year-to-date across Q1, nonbuilding starts gained 12%. Miscellaneous nonbuilding starts were up 43%, environmental public works rose 22%, utility/gas plants moved 8% higher, while highway and bridge starts gained 1%.
  
  For the 12 months ending March 2023, total nonbuilding starts were 21% higher than the 12 months ending March 2022. Utility/gas plant starts rose 32%, and highway bridge starts increased 16%. Environmental public works and miscellaneous nonbuilding starts were up 20% and 23%, respectively, on a 12-month rolling sum basis.

The largest nonbuilding projects to break ground in March were the $606 million I-35 Capital Express North Lanes in Austin, Texas, the $445 million Klamath River Renewal Project, in Oregon, which involves the removal of hydroelectric dams, and the $375 million 360 MW Atrisco Solar Farm in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

Nonresidential building starts increased 33% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $492 billion. Manufacturing starts more than doubled over the month and once again were the driving force behind the gain as three very large projects got underway. Without these projects, total nonresidential starts would have only gained 3%. Commercial starts rose 28%, with retail as the only category to fall, while institutional starts improved 11% due to numerous healthcare projects getting underway. On a year-to-date basis through three months, total nonresidential starts were 6% higher than the first three months of 2022. Institutional starts gained 21%, manufacturing starts were 1% higher, while commercial starts were down 5%.

For the 12 months ending March 2023, total nonresidential building starts were 33% higher than the 12 months ending March 2022. Manufacturing starts were 122% higher, institutional starts improved 22%, and commercial starts gained 18%.

The largest nonresidential building projects to break ground in March were the $5.5 billion Hyundai EV plant in Ellabell, Georgia, the $3.0 billion Panasonic Energy North America Battery Manufacturing Plant, and the $780 million third phase of the BASF MDI chemical plant in Geismar, Louisiana.

Residential building starts increased 5% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $335 billion. Single family starts rose 4%, and multifamily starts increased 8%. On a year-to-date basis through three months, total residential starts were down 29%; single family starts were 37% lower, while multifamily starts were down 12%.

For the 12 months ending in March 2023, residential starts were 11% lower than the 12 months ending in March 2022. Single family starts were 23% lower, while multifamily starts were up 16% on a rolling 12-month basis.

The largest multifamily structures to break ground in March were a $400 million mixed-use project in Jamaica, New York, the $225 million Chestnut Commons Affordable Housing project in Cypress Hills, New York, and the $268 million Knox mixed-use development in Dallas, Texas.

Regionally, total construction starts in March rose in all five regions.

Watch Chief Economist Richard Branch discuss March Construction Starts here.

40 to 70 percent of a construction company’s total spending stems from procurement, and McKinsey’s research reveals that many chief procurement officers (CPOs) in the industry believe that consistent application of best-in-class procurement practices could lead to up to 12 percent cost savings. Despite this, and the significant margin impact, the construction industry is far behind others in implementing these best practices.

The role of Procurement is also rapidly elevating in strategic importance. The construction industry is directly and indirectly impacting 25% of global carbon dioxide emissions mainly through the production processes of the ingoing materials and the energy efficiency of the structure through its lifecycle. As 90% of emissions for construction companies are Scope 3, our report highlights that procurement, as the main interface with the construction value chain, should be in the driver’s seat to reduce the carbon footprint of construction projects and meet corporate sustainability targets.

McKinsey points that Procurement will play a pivotal role in making cost and sustainability trade-offs, identifying the most sustainable suppliers, and securing access to many sustainable materials and technologies that will be in short supply. That requires new skill sets, data and insights, and new decision-making process and involvement in the construction projects by the procurement professionals.

In the near-term, procurement teams of construction companies will need to create transparency and estimations for the CO2 footprint across the value chain, gain granular perspective on costs and emissions from different materials and available suppliers and work with engineering and project management teams to manage trade-offs of cost / value vs emissions to prioritize solutions that can drive both profits and sustainability.

These actions will be enabled by three key themes:

• Talent and expertise – construction companies will need new expert roles focused on collecting reliable information, guiding, and recommending trade-offs between alternative materials and technologies – tailored to each category and project – assessing design simplifications against impact on value and assessing risks / assessing unproven approaches.
• Roles and mandates – new roles should not only be embedded in the procurement organization but also integrated closely with engineering and design functions and project teams to drive recommendations or alternatives, optimize trade-offs between profitability and sustainability targets, as well as securing access to scarce materials (potentially recommending M&A opportunities).
• Data and market intelligence – procurement teams will need to collect and curate reliable information on the different existing alternatives. This should be built in partnership with suppliers but will require to build own databases, conduct research, and even perform tests when needed. This needs to be complemented with new digital tools, such as dashboards (similar to those used to manage customer relationships) to collect, display, and interpret data.

Erik Sjödin, Partner at McKinsey said: “The role of the CPO in construction companies is at an inflection point. Those who act now will position themselves as attractive partners to leading developers in the future in making cost and sustainability trade-offs, identifying the most sustainable suppliers, and securing access to many sustainable materials and technologies that will be in short supply. This strategic element will put construction company CPOs in the driver’s seat as they navigate the dual mission of improving profitability in volatile times whilst decarbonizing construction.”

These estimates were based on actual dam rehabilitation costs for non-federal dam repairs over the past ten years and estimated costs for known upcoming projects. It included nationwide cost data for more than 500 projects, including dam removals. Project costs ran from $10,000 for small projects to more than $500 million for large complex projects.

Two years ago, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act was passed and provided once-in-a-generation funding for dam rehabilitation; however, ASDSO’s report illustrates the urgent need for ongoing investment. The Act, which provided more than $4 billion towards dam rehabilitation, is only a step towards adequately addressing the nation’s backlog of dam rehabilitation projects.

“To ensure the safety of our nation’s dams, we must maintain high funding levels to address the thousands of dams needing rehabilitation,” said ASDSO’s task force member Sharon Tapia. “We cannot return to previous funding levels, typically less than one percent annually of the investment made in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.”

Rehabilitation becomes necessary as dams age, technical standards and techniques improve, and downstream populations and land use change. However, the cost of rehabilitation can be high, and the costs are rising significantly. This is due to a combination of factors, including escalated costs for construction materials and labor and the increased breadth of current engineering studies and analyses.

Additionally, the overall number of dams needing rehabilitation has increased due to the identification of deficiencies outpacing the completion of rehabilitation projects. Funding and permitting constraints contribute significantly to the slower rate of completion.

To view the full ASDSO report, The Cost of Rehabilitating Dams in the U.S.: A Methodology and Estimate, visit DamSafety.org/RehabEstimate.

ASDSO is a national, non-profit association dedicated to building a future where all dams are safe. ASDSO works to improve the condition and safety of dams and lower the risk of dam failures through education, support for state dam safety programs, and fostering a unified dam safety community.

Financial Milestones Achieved and Strong Execution of Operational Strategy

Financial and corporate highlights for the year ended December 31, 2022 and subsequently include the following:

• For the year ended December 31, 2022, our total revenue was $2,663,212 compared to $1,300,439 for the same period in 2021; revenue grew 104% in 2022 compared to 2021.
  
• For the year ended December 31, 2022, our gross profits increased to $1,174,196 from $610,407 for the same period in 2021; gross profit grew 92%. in 2022 compared to 2021.
  
• For the year ended December 31, 2022, our net profit was $147,395 compared to $297,551 for the same period in 2021. This is due to one-time increased professional fees, and interest and financing expenses, attributed to the Nasdaq up-listing application and it also reflects the gain discussed below.
  
• For the year ended December 31, 2022, we recognized a gain on debt settlement of $2,556,916 from the GE note write off compared to $868,502 for the year ended December 31, 2021 due to several liabilities statute of limitations had expired.
  
• We raised approximately $1.2 million in Regulation A equity offering in Q1 2022 at $3.20 per share.
  
• For the year ended December 31, 2022, our stockholder’s equity was $1,878,196 compared to stockholder’s deficit of $1,721,712 for the same period in 2021.

Subsequent to the year end results, the company’s equity position has increased substantially during the first quarter of 2023 evidenced by the subsequent events and company’s recent filings, mainly due to the recent public offering with gross proceeds of $3.9 million, the full conversion of a convertible note valued at $666,250, and gain from a $324,000 convertible note payoff. The company has demonstrated profitability for two consecutive years and is no longer in default to any major creditors. It is the Management’s opinion that the Company has sufficient operating capital and can continue to deliver profitability in its current state. The Company’s ability to access capital has also significantly improved as it listed on Nasdaq on March 23, 2023. Management believes through streamlined operations and scaling global sales, the Company can maintain long-term profitability and sufficient capitalization. 

Metal cutting machines are in great demand, due to factors such as the rising adoption of Industry 4.0 systems, the growing need for automatic metal cutting technologies, and the rapidly developing worldwide building and construction industry. Another important factor driving the sales of metal cutting machines is the rising growth of metal additive manufacturing.

As the same setup may be used to cut a variety of shapes and material thicknesses, laser cutting machines do not require tool changes for each cutting task. Moreover, these metal cutting machines make intricate cuts with ease. Precision is a key benefit of laser cutting machines over other cutting technologies. Thus, all such factors are boosting the demand for laser cutting machines across the world.

Key Takeaways from Market Study

• Worldwide sales of metal cutting machines are expected to reach US$ 13.7 billion by 2033.
• Metal cutting machines are widely used in the production of aerospace & defense products in the United States.
• The presence of key market players in Germany is aiding market growth.
• Demand for waterjet cutting machines is expected to increase at a healthy pace during the forecast period due to their high productivity rates.

“Use of metal cutting machines increasing rapidly in construction industry due to high need for perfect metal fabrication and cutting,” says a Fact.MR analyst.

Recent Market Developments

• Star Micronics Co., Ltd. introduced the SX-38, a highly functional big diameter (38 mm) model, in September 2019. It is an automatic Swiss-style lathe made specifically for industrial operations in the automobile, aerospace, and healthcare industries.
• In June 2022, Milwaukee Tools launched its cutting-edge wrecker with a NITRUS CARBIDE SAWZALL Blade. The tool is made to work more efficiently on various metals and is perfect for use on construction sites during demolition and remodelling projects.
• More Valuable Insights on Offer

Fact.MR, in its new offering, presents an unbiased analysis of the global metal cutting machine market, presenting historical demand data (2018 to 2022) and forecast statistics for the period (2023 to 2033).

The study divulges essential insights on the market based on product (laser cutting machines, waterjet cutting machines, plasma cutting machines, flame cutting machines), application (automotive, fabrication & industrial machinery manufacturing, marine, aerospace & defense, construction), and distribution channel (online, offline), across five major regions of the world (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and MEA).

These insights are based on a report on Metal Cutting Machine Market by Fact.MR.

• Insights and commentary from the architect, construction team and metal building manufacturer.
• Special requirements for the project, including the need to meet code requirements designed for withstanding a Category 5 hurricane.
• Photos, drawings and design graphics that highlight important aspects of the project.

 
This is MBMA’s fifth Architectural Significance in Metal Buildings folio. Previous publications spotlight the Alamo Beer Company in San Antonio; the Boston Sports Institute in Wellesley, Massachusetts; the Michelle and Barack Obama Sports Complex in Los Angeles and the Jacksonville University Basketball Performance Center in Jacksonville, Florida.
 
_________
Founded in 1956, MBMA serves manufacturers and suppliers as it works to promote the metal building systems industry. For over 60 years, its membership has supplied high-quality buildings for use in commercial, retail, office, industrial, institutional and other end uses. The association provides a wealth of useful information on its website, MBMA.com, for anyone who works with or is interested in metal building systems. Resources include technical materials, research reports, videos and design guides. The MBMA blog provides the most current research and ideas to propel the industry. MBMA also provides graduate and undergraduate educational resources at MBMAeducation.org.

Based on input from more than 1,000 senior executives, Hexagon’s study shows that construction firms are turning to technology to help mitigate and manage challenges, many of which have been exacerbated by the economic instability of the past few years. Notably, respondents cited operational issues including supply chain (39%), productivity/efficiency (36%) and labour shortages (35%) as the most pressing priorities near-term, while driving new business/growth (34%) and managing ESG regulations and programmes (34%) were ranked as top priorities over the next three to five years. And 81% of global respondents stated that their top three challenges represent a “moderate to significant” bottom-line impact on their business.

The survey also shows the industry embracing autonomous technology as one of the most promising solutions. “Construction firms are turning to autonomous solutions to mitigate risks better and improve the effectiveness of operations, which are both key to overcoming the productivity, sustainability and profitability issues they face every day,” said Thomas Harring, President of Hexagon’s Geosystems division. “Progressive firms, which are adopting autonomous solutions at a faster rate and in more areas of their business than their competitors, know that this technology does a lot more than automate tasks. Autonomous tech makes jobsites safer, more efficient and less wasteful by closing the ‘data leverage gap’ – that ever-widening chasm that exists between the data created during the lifecycle of a project and the data actually used to produce meaningful insights, outcomes and opportunities for growth. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Autonomous technology is transformative technology that will define the next era of construction. The key right now is to help the industry leverage technology in a way that ensures optimisation and lasting, scalable results.”

Wide range of autonomous tech provides benefits, but not always aligned with pain points

Survey results show the types of autonomous technology used among construction firms varies greatly — from software and tools to self-driving construction vehicles and robotics — as does the level of autonomy. Project management was cited as the most popular application (32%) followed closely by workplace safety (28%), quality control (26%), surveying (26%) and vehicle operation, document management and verification/project inspection (all at 25%). And among the autonomous technologies used, almost half are partially or conditionally autonomous (requiring human oversight and/or intervention to complete tasks), while the remaining 23% and 30% are split between limited autonomy and full autonomy, respectively.

Interestingly though, even with a wide variety of solutions available, firms appear to have trouble identifying the best autonomous or automated technology to solve their specific challenges and pain points. For instance, among survey respondents who stated that improving supply chain management is a top priority in the next 12-18 months, only 28% reported their companies had invested in autonomous monitoring technology, one of the top reported technologies that aid in this area. Additionally, 37% of respondents found fully autonomous robotics drove sustainability benefits, the leading priority in the next 3 to 5 years, yet only 17% of firms are investing in this type of technology. So while construction firms are reporting clear benefits across key business areas, their use of autonomous solutions is not always aligned to their most pressing challenges.

Continued investment creates major opportunities for bottom-line impact

The disparity between technology selection and business priorities represents a significant opportunity to help firms better address specific challenges and pain points through more targeted autonomous technology adoption. A little over half the firms surveyed plan on investing an average of $7.1M in autonomy within the next three years — with 30% planning to invest over $10 million. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the larger the firm, the larger the planned investment in autonomy.

These investments among many other priorities competing for resources, indicate that the industry sees value in autonomous technology in the long-term. In fact, the majority of respondents believe autonomy will be “very” to “extremely” impactful in supporting profitability (63%), sustainability (62%), market competitiveness (62%), and owner satisfaction (62%).

So, the more aligned these solutions are with a firm’s growth strategies and pain points, the better the return on investment they will achieve in the future.

In conclusion, Thomas Harring adds, “The firms that will redefine this industry are no longer defining themselves as construction companies but rather as hybrid companies with technology, engineering and construction at their core — and autonomous technology will play a major role in this evolution. Companies are already seeing how autonomous technology can improve collaboration and streamline production, but the even greater value comes from its ability to help businesses accelerate innovation while maintaining business resiliency. At Hexagon, we’re focused on helping construction firms of all sizes realise those benefits.”

For a copy of Hexagon’s Autonomous Construction Technology Outlook white paper, “Achieving better project outcomes through autonomy”, visit hexagon.com/contechreport. 

“We are continuously expanding our API and integration capabilities from our platform,” said Matthew Brinker, Global Product Manager at Command Alkon. “This will enable our customers to leverage their data with other systems, whether they are Command Alkon systems or not, and have information from Command Alkon Dispatch flowing to that system for production, truck tracking, or any other piece of the operation.”

Operational visibility through API integrations enables field and other personnel – sales, quality control, and management – to have real-time insight into dispatch operations. Dispatch integrates with Command Alkon solutions to share data across all aspects of your operations – from sending production requests and receiving batch weights with COMMANDbatch, to sharing ticket data with TrackIt to inform drivers, and TrackIt sharing vehicle locations and status times with Dispatch. Command Alkon Dispatch can also easily export or integrate with ERP data for invoicing, purchasing, and financials.

Command Alkon Dispatch leverages the Command Alkon Platform, which is secure, scalable, and ready for real-time, mission-critical operations.

“Being a technology company, we completely understand the importance of security, and we value our customers’ trust in us to be a steward of the data in their operations,” said Matthew. “The Command Alkon Platform sits on top of Amazon Web Services and security measures are taken to the next level through regular NIST audits and compliance verification.”

For more information, click here.

Recovered $2.4 million of Cash Following Settlement of Prior Litigation on March 27, 2023

Announces First Quarter Earnings Call on May 10^th at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time

urban-gro, Inc. (Nasdaq: UGRO) (“urban-gro” or the “Company”), an integrated professional services and design-build firm offering solutions to the Controlled Environment Agriculture (“CEA”) and commercial sectors, today announced the signing of more than $40 million in contracts in the first quarter 2023, bringing the Company’s total backlog to a record $123 million as of March 31, 2023.

The Company also reiterated its guidance, and in the first quarter of 2023, the Company received $2.4 million of cash following a settlement with its former bank.

“We are carrying strong momentum into 2023 and are excited to announce the growth of our backlog to a record $123 million as of the end of our first quarter, following the signing of more than 25 contracts in that same period. This traction with our clients demonstrates the impact that our integrated professional services and design-build platform is having in the marketplace,” said Bradley Nattrass, Chairman and CEO of urban-gro. “We remain focused on optimizing our platform and leveraging our resources to maximize our productivity and return to positive adjusted EBITDA in the near-term. With the incremental cash from the settlement, combined with the growth in the business we are forecasting through the balance of 2023, we believe we have adequate non-dilutive financial resources available to navigate the current environment. We look forward to updating the market during our first quarter earnings call in May.”

These incremental contracts that were signed in the first quarter were generated from its diverse set of clients, including its growing presence in the commercial sector.

urban-gro First Quarter 2023 Results Conference Call

The Company will report its financial and operating results for the fiscal first quarter ended March 31, 2023, after market close on May 10, 2023. urban-gro’s management team will host a conference call and audio webcast that afternoon at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time consisting of prepared remarks followed by a question and answer session related to the Company’s operational and financial highlights.

Event Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Time: 4:30 p.m. Eastern time
Participant Numbers: 877-407-3982 (U.S.), 201-493-6780 (International)
Event Link: https://ir.urban-gro.com/news-events/

For interested individuals unable to join the conference call, a dial-in replay of the call will be available through May 24, 2023 and can be accessed by dialing +1-844-512-2921 (U.S.), +1-412-317-6671 (International) and entering replay passcode: 13737965.

Booth demonstration – Maximizing Value with Live Digital Twins Demo
Radix is unlocking data to maximize value creation by providing pulp & paper manufacturers solutions and tools that improve a mill’s consistency, process stability, and regulatory control. Through a live Digital Twin Demo, in which we use AWS TwinMaker in Radix booth #413, we will emphasize the importance of data to reduce cost, variability, and improve production quality.

Commented Elliott L. Bell, Global Head of Pulp & Paper at Radix: “The ability to capture the data and make it available for use by anyone able to create value drives the primary strategy of creating a data driven environment. By eliminating data silos (i.e., unlocking data) it is possible to increase the number of employees and SME’s that can take part in diagnosing issues. The fundamental difference between trying to be digital and being data driven is the desire to automate versus the desire to leverage every source of data to drive value creation by de-risking future decisions.”

For more information on Radix’ solutions for the Pulp and Paper Industry: https://content.radixeng.com/radix-tappicon

Presentations

Monday, April 24

1. What Does a Digital Integrated Asset Data Lifecycle Mean for Industry 4.0, by Elliott Bell. Session PIMA Track 4: Innovation Moving Forward, 3:30-5 p.m.

Tuesday, April 25

1. Data Driven Solutions: Multivariant Solutions for Wet-End Process Control by Elliott Bell, Session 4: Wet End Operations (Joint Session w/Molded Fiber), 2-3:30 p.m.
2. Maintenance Planning Strategies in the Post-Pandemic World by Bruno Baggio. Digital Poster Presentation, 11 a.m. – noon
3. The 5 Levels of data Infrastructure Governance Programs by Justin Conroy. Digital Poster Presentation, 11 a.m. – noon

Wednesday, April 26

1. How to Achieve Success Through a Process Control Improvement Program by Elliott Bell and Barbara Oliveira, Papermaking Technology Track, Session 6: Success Stories Taking Action I, 8-9 a.m.
2. Three Methods for Enterprise PIMS Deployment by Stephen Janes, PIMA Track, Session 8: Technology in the Industry: Perform Better, Live Better (Panel Discussion), 8-9 a.m.

Presenter Bios

Stephen Janes is a Professional Mechanical Engineer and Project Management Professional with more than 10 years of engineering experience. For the past 5 years, Stephen has led and managed PIMS deployments and system integrations for the Pulp and Paper industry and others at Radix. He has had the privilege of working with industry leaders such as Georgia-Pacific, Kimberly Clark, WestRock, and Cascades. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Stephen is passionate about leveraging technology to enhance manufacturing operations and is known for creating innovative solutions. At TAPPICon he has been invited to be member of the YP (Young Professionals) panel discussion centered around the impact technology can have to not only to improve mill performance, but also pose an opportunity to create a better, more predictable work life for future mill engineers with a specific focus on employee retention.

Elliott L. Bell is a board member at the pulp and paper Division at ISA – International Society of Automation and Global Head of Pulp and Paper at Radix. He is a lead speaker and session chair during the RPTA Seminar at TAPPICon.

Elliott has over 28 years of experience in heavy industry, with the majority being in Pulp and Paper, Non-Wovens, and Utilities. Previously he held numerous positions with Georgia Pacific, most recently Senior Director of Advanced Process Solutions, where he championed the collection and use of business and process data for Digital Transformation purposes. He is a process control Subject Matter Expert, and has extensive experience in management, organizational transformation, process controls, maintenance, capital project engineering, and project management. Elliott is Six Sigma Black Belt certified and trained in Lean methodology, Four Step Problem solving techniques and center lining. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Clemson University.

• Beam Connectivity are pioneers in connected vehicle systems and have developed a high performance, versatile and secure end-to-end connected vehicle solution.

• The global connected market was estimated to be worth $60bn in 2021 and is forecast to grow to $160bn by 2028.

• WAE has been working with Beam Connectivity on a variety of projects since 2020, including telematics for electric vehicle programmes, and the investment will accelerate commercialisation of the Company’s connectivity solutions.

WAE is pleased to announce a strategic equity investment in Beam Connectivity Limited (Beam Connectivity or “the Company”), pioneers in the connected vehicle space.

Beam Connectivity was formed in 2020 to address the fragmented nature of the connected vehicle systems market, seizing the opportunity to develop a full end-to-end solution. The founders recognised that connected vehicle solutions offered an underwhelming experience for both end users and the organisations that deploy them and established Beam Connectivity to address this issue.

By developing a high performance, versatile and secure end-to-end connected vehicle solution, Beam Connectivity are aiming to capitalise on the growth predictions of the connected vehicle market which, according to Mordor Intelligence, is forecast to reach $160bn by 2028 driven by the growing need to monitor fleets of vehicles in real time and the opportunity for efficiency improvements including over the air software updates and implementation of vehicle connectivity legislation and standards.

WAE’s investment will support Beam Connectivity to scale its connected vehicle solutions, helping to build its commercial team and accelerate the Company’s growth. Having worked with Beam Connectivity on a number of telematics projects previously, the team at WAE are committed to working together to offer long term solutions to customers and capitalise on new market opportunities. Alex Burns OBE will join Beam Connectivity as Non-Executive Chairperson to help navigate the Company’s growth trajectory. The investment further demonstrates WAE’s focus on advanced mobility, bringing digital solutions to market that will make mobility cleaner, safer and more convenient. 

Craig Wilson, CEO of WAE, said: “Beam Connectivity are a key supplier to WAE and have built an excellent relationship with our engineering team. We are delighted to further our relationship through this investment which will bring Beam Connectivity’s class leading connectivity solutions to market faster.”

Thomas Sors, CEO of Beam Connectivity, commented: “Beam Connectivity supports several vehicle manufacturers, providing them with a best-in-class connectivity system and high value vehicle insights. This investment will enable us to grow our commercial team and accelerate the deployment of our Connected Vehicle as a Service platform. We have strong alignment with WAE and are pleased to strengthen our relationship with them through this investment.”

Alex Burns OBE (Non-Executive Chairperson of Beam Connectivity) added: “I am delighted to be joining Beam Connectivity at this exciting time for the Company. Beam Connectivity has an excellent management team and a class-leading connectivity solution. The investment and support from WAE will help the team to accelerate the growth of the business by providing their solution to their growing customer base.”

This is the fourth quarter in a row that GeoHECRAS has been featured as the top Civil Engineering Design Software with an average of 4.8 out of 5 rating from over 150+ real user reviews on G2. In achieving the highest ranking in this sector, GeoHECRAS yet again outperformed market veterans represented by Bentley MicroStation and AutoCAD Civil3D. Reviewers stressed CivilGEO’s “seamless workflows”, “simple-to-learn model build processes” and technical “army of support”.

CivilGEO’s GeoHECHMS grabbed the #2 spot in the Top 20 Civil Engineering Design Software category.

“We are thrilled to be recognized as a leader by G2. The recognition highlights CivilGEO’s commitment to empower thousands of engineers with intuitive, user-friendly software design that delivers highly accurate computer model simulations.” – said Chris Maeder, Engineering Director at CivilGEO.

G2 has built a worldwide reputation providing timely and accurate analytics for investors, market leaders and other professionals that make strategic business decisions and require the best solutions. Basing its analytics on customer feedback, performance surveys, rigorous product comparisons and market research, G2’s quarterly reports synthesize data relating to key software performance metrics for major business sectors.

To learn more, view G2’s Spring 2023 Report.

To know more about CivilGEO, click here.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00029844/

Global Bearing Steel Market Growth Drivers:

• Increasing demand for bearings from various end-use industries such as automotive, aerospace, and industrial machinery.
• Growing preference for high-quality bearings with superior durability and fatigue resistance.
• Advancements in technology leading to the development of new and improved bearing steels with enhanced properties and performance.
• Increasing investments in research and development activities to improve the properties and performance of bearing steels.
• The rise in construction activities and infrastructure development in developing countries, leading to increased demand for industrial machinery.
• The growing trend of using renewable energy sources and the subsequent need for wind turbines and other equipment that require high-performance bearings.
• The increasing demand for electric vehicles, which require high-performance bearings for the transmission and wheel assemblies.
• The growing trend of using additive manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing to produce customized bearing designs.
• The increasing demand for high-quality bearings in the Asia Pacific region due to rapid industrialization and urbanization.
• Overall, the Bearing Steel market is expected to witness significant growth in the coming years, driven by various factors such as increasing demand from end-use industries, technological advancements, and government initiatives promoting sustainable materials.

Global Bearing Steel Market Recent Developments:

• Increasing demand for high-performance bearing steels, such as vacuum-melted steels, to meet the growing demand for high-quality bearings with superior durability and fatigue resistance.
• Development of new and advanced bearing steels with enhanced properties and performance, such as increased fatigue life and improved wear resistance.
• Adoption of advanced manufacturing techniques such as hot isostatic pressing (HIP) and powder metallurgy to improve the properties and performance of bearing steels.
• Increasing investments in research and development activities to improve the properties and performance of bearing steels.
• Growing demand for bearing steels in the wind energy sector, due to the increasing use of wind turbines and other equipment that require high-performance bearings.
• Increasing demand for electric vehicles, which require high-performance bearings for the transmission and wheel assemblies.
• Launch of new products and solutions by leading players in the market to expand their product portfolio and cater to the increasing demand from various end-use industries.
• Growing trend of using digitalization and automation in the manufacturing process to improve the quality and efficiency of bearing steel production.
• Overall, these recent developments in the bearing steel market indicate a growing demand for high-performance, durable, and wear-resistant bearing steels, particularly in the wind energy and electric vehicle industries. Manufacturers are increasingly investing in research and development activities to develop new and improved bearing steels to meet the evolving needs of these industries.

Purchase Premium Copy of Bearing Steel Market Growth Report (2022-2028) at: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPRE00029844/

Asia Pacific held the largest revenue share of the global bearing steel market in 2022. Asia Pacific is home to significant semiconductor and automotive companies, including Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Sony Group Corporation; SK Hynix Inc.; Toyota Motor Corporation; Tata Motors Ltd.; Hyundai Motor Company; Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.; and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Bearing steel is widely used in electric motors in automotive and industrial machinery as it exhibits various properties such as long service life, capability to withstand low and high pressure, and cost efficiency. According to a report published by the China Passenger Car Association, in 2022, Tesla Inc delivered 83,135 made-in-China electric vehicles, indicating growth in sales of electric vehicles from 2021. As per the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers report, in 2021, motor vehicle production in Asia Pacific was ~46.73 million units. Thus, the growing automotive industry in Asia Pacific is expected to create favorable business opportunities for the bearing steel market in the region during the forecast period.

Growing Demand for Bearings from Automotive Industry to Escalate Bearing Steel Market Growth:
Bearings are a vital component of automotive parts and are commonly used in engines, generators, motors, wheels, gearboxes, transmission shafts, steering shafts, and steering gears. Their load-carrying characteristics and ability to facilitate torque transfer improve the overall performance of rotating parts in an automotive system. Based on their specific applications, the performance of bearings can be enhanced by the correct selection of bearing steel, technology, and lubrication while manufacturing. Carbon steel and stainless steel are widely used to manufacture bearings. Moreover, manufacturers are utilizing new raw materials, such as lightweight steel alloys, to fulfill automotive companies’ demand for lightweight materials. Using lightweight materials also allows them to keep up with the changing emission norms.

Global Bearing Steel Market: Segmental Overview
Based on type, the global bearing steel market is segmented into carbon steel, stainless steel, and others. Carbon steel is an alloy of carbon (up to 2.1% by weight), iron, and other elements. Carbon steel offers optimum strength, load capacity, ductility, and weldability. It provides long service life due to its high strength-to-wear ratio. Carbon steel is used to manufacture semi-precision or commercial-grade bearings and bearing components. Carbon steel used for bearing requires oil and grease application, as it lacks corrosion resistance. Therefore, it is used to produce bearings required for rolling draws, shopping carts, bikes, roller skates, locks, and other applications where bearing lubrication does not affect the industrial process.   

Based on end use, the bearing steel market is segmented into energy and power, industrial machinery, automotive, electrical and electronics, aerospace, and others. The automotive segment is expected to account for the largest market share during the forecast period. In the automotive industry, steel-based bearings have applications in various components, including wheels, electric motors, steering columns, driveshafts, engines, and automotive transmission systems. Bearings have a significant role in improving vehicle performance and efficiency, as well as dampening shocks and vibrations caused by sudden brakes. Moreover, bearings such as tapered roller bearings, deep groove ball bearings, and thrust ball bearings developed from high carbon chromium steel and chrome steel are widely used in automotive component manufacturing. Manufacturers utilize high-precision bearing steel to design and produce customized bearings to meet the rising demand for innovative components from the automotive industry.

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Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Bearing Steel Market:
The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted various economies across the world. The pandemic significantly hampered the bearing steel market growth due to adverse effects on various end-use industries such as energy & power, industrial machinery, automotive, electrical & electronics, and aerospace. Labor shortages, logistical restrictions, material unavailability, and other restrictions slowed the market growth. Further, many bearing steel manufacturers suffered from a shortage of raw materials, resulting in rising raw material costs and lengthening lead times. However, the automotive, energy & power, and other end-use industries of bearing steel revived with the resumption of operations in 2021. This positively impacted the bearing steel market growth.

Global Bearing Steel Market: Competitive Landscape
Ovako AB, Dongbei Special Steel Group Co Ltd, Ezm Edelstahlzieherei Mark Gmbh, Fushun Special Steel Co Ltd, Hbis Group Co Ltd, Saarstahl AG, Kobe Steel Ltd, Baosteel Group Corp, Benxi Iron and Steel Group Co Ltd, and Sanyo Special Steel Co Ltd are among the key players operating in the global bearing steel market. Market players focus on providing high-quality products to fulfill customer demand. They also focus on strategies such as research and development investments, new product launches, and production capacity expansion.

Go through further research published by The Insight Partners: (Purchase with 10% Instant Discount):
Bearing Market Forecast to 2028 – Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis

Stainless Steel Market – The global stainless steel market size is expected to grow from US$ 196,994.83 million in 2021 to US$ 266,781.48 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2022 to 2028.

Super Precision Bearing Market – The global super precision bearing market size is expected to grow from US$ 8,780.12 million in 2022 to US$ 13,100.28 million by 2028; it is estimated to register a CAGR of 6.9% from 2022 to 2028.

Vacuum Bearing Market – The global vacuum bearing market size was valued at US$ 9,967.73 million in 2021 and is projected to reach US$ 16,678.55 million by 2028. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.7% from 2022 to 2028.

Slewing Bearing Market – The global slewing bearing market is expected to grow from US$ 4,025.1 million in 2021 to US$ 5,831.2 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2021 to 2028.

Sliding Bearing Market Forecast to 2028 – COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis

Coated Steel Market Forecast to 2028 – Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis

Air Bearing Market Forecast to 2028 – Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis

Sensor Bearing Market Forecast to 2028 – Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis

Mounted Bearing Market Forecast to 2028 – COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis

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Another significant factor driving this market’s growth is the increasing trend of outsourcing engineering services by companies to reduce costs and enhance efficiency. The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated this trend as businesses have sought ways to cut costs during these challenging times. As a result, there has been an increase in demand for engineering services outsourcing, particularly in software development, cloud computing, and cybersecurity.

Moreover, globalization has played a significant role in driving the engineering services outsourcing market. Many companies are exploring new markets, particularly in emerging economies, and outsourcing engineering services to gain a foothold in these markets. As a result, there has been an increase in demand for engineering services, especially in product localization and customization.

Digitalization, Automation, and Innovation: The Current Shift in the Global Engineering Services Outsourcing Market

The global market is currently experiencing a shift towards digitalization, automation, and innovation. With the increasing adoption of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT), there is a growing demand for engineering services that can integrate and optimize these technologies.

Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated this shift towards digitalization and automation, as companies are looking to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and enhance their digital capabilities. This has led to an increased demand for engineering services in areas such as digital transformation, cybersecurity, and cloud computing.

Moreover, there is a growing need for engineering services that can help companies innovate and stay competitive in today’s rapidly changing business environment. This has led to an increased demand for engineering services outsourcing market in areas such as product design and development, prototyping, and testing.

Furthermore, there is a trend towards more strategic outsourcing partnerships, with companies looking for engineering services providers that can offer end-to-end solutions and help them achieve their business objectives. This has led to an increased focus on building long-term relationships and partnerships between clients and service providers.

More than 15% Revenue in Global Engineering Services Outsourcing Market is to Come from Process Designing Services

Outsourcing has become a popular choice for companies looking to design and develop their processes. This trend is driven by a variety of factors, including cost savings, expertise, flexibility, scalability, faster time-to-market, and reduced risk.

According to recent surveys, outsourcing has become a popular choice for companies looking to design and develop their processes. The trend is driven by a variety of factors, including cost savings, expertise, flexibility, scalability, faster time-to-market, and reduced risk. A survey by Astute Analytica found that 57% of companies outsource process design to improve cost efficiency, while 47% do so to gain access to specialized skills and knowledge. It was also found that 90% of executives believe outsourcing enables them to scale up or down more easily. Outsourcing process design to countries with lower labor costs allows companies to save money on salaries, benefits, and overhead expenses associated with hiring and managing an in-house engineering team.

Moreover, outsourcing to a specialized engineering firm provides companies with access to experienced engineers who are well-versed in the latest technologies and best practices, which can help reduce the design cycle time and bring products to market faster. By leveraging the expertise of experienced engineers, companies in the global engineering services outsourcing market can identify and mitigate potential risks early in the design process, thereby reducing the risk of costly mistakes and delays. As outsourcing continues to grow in popularity, it is likely that more and more companies will rely on outsourcing to drive their innovation and growth.

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC): https://www.astuteanalytica.com/industry-report/engineering-services-outsourcing-market

Telecom Industry is Leveraging Engineering Outsourcing Services for Growth and Innovation and Generate More than 22% Revenue

The telecom industry has emerged as the largest consumer of engineering outsourcing services in recent years. By 2031, the segment is projected to generate more than 22% revenue share in the global engineering services outsourcing market. This trend is driven by several factors, including the rapid growth of the telecommunications sector, the need for specialized engineering expertise, and the increasing pressure to reduce costs and improve efficiency. The telecom industry relies heavily on engineering outsourcing services for a range of activities, including network planning and design, software development, product testing, and customer support.

Outsourcing these activities allows telecom companies to focus on their core competencies, reduce costs, and improve agility. Moreover, outsourcing to specialized engineering firms provides telecom companies with access to expertise and experience that may not be available in-house. As the demand for high-speed internet and mobile communication continues to grow, the telecom industry is expected to remain a major consumer of engineering outsourcing services in the coming years.

Capgemini Set to Make Significant Contribution to the Engineering services outsourcing market with More Than 7% Market Share

The market is highly competitive, with several players operating in the market. The top 5 players are projected to hold a revenue share of more than 29% by 2031, owing to their wide range of engineering services, including product design, simulation, testing, and prototyping.

According to Astute Analytica’s recent report on the engineering services outsourcing market, Capgemini’s position as one of the largest players in the market can be attributed to the company’s focus on innovation and digital transformation. The company has been investing heavily in technologies like artificial intelligence, IoT, and cloud computing, which has enabled it to offer cutting-edge engineering solutions to its clients.

Capgemini’s extensive experience in the engineering industry and its ability to provide end-to-end engineering services have also been key factors in its success. The company has a strong track record of delivering complex engineering projects on time and within budget, which has helped it build a loyal customer base.

Despite its leading position in the market, Capgemini faces intense competition from other major players in the industry. To maintain its market share and continue growing its business, the company will need to keep investing in new technologies and adapting to the changing needs of its clients.

Some of the Top Market Players Are:

• Accenture
• AKKA Technologies
• Altair Engineering, Inc.
• ALTEN SA
• ASAP Holding GmbH
• Assystem
• AVL List GmbH
• Bertrandt
• Capgemini SE
• Cognizant
• Cyient
• EDAG
• ESI Group
• Ferchau
• Genpact
• Geometric
• HCL Technologies Limited
• IAV
• IGate
• Infosys
• IBM
• ITC Infotech
• KPIT
• L&T Technology Service
• Neilsoft
• QuEST Global
• Ranal Inc.
• Segula Technologies
• Semcon
• Tata Consultancy Services
• Tata Elxsi
• Tata Technologies
• Tech Mahindra
• Wipro
• Other Prominent Players

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Exponent will also offer a live and archived webcast of the conference call, accessible from the Investor Relations section of the company’s website, http://www.exponent.com/investors. A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available until Thursday, May 4, 2023 by dialing (877) 344-7529 or (412) 317-0088 and entering passcode 6019209#. 

Zweig Group recently released the 2023 Valuation Report of AEC Firms, an annual publication administered by Zweig Group for more than 30 years. 

When it comes to estimating the value of a business enterprise, it is important to understand exactly what is being valued and for what purpose.  Without an established market in which a firm’s shares are actively traded, an appraiser can only estimate the market value through the application of pertinent measures and indicators of value from relevant data.  The compilation of data contained in this report is intended to provide benchmarks and metrics that allow firms to see how their own value ratios compare to industry norms.  

The median firm in the sample had 53 FTE, six owners, book value of $2.4 million, NSR of $7.6 million, $900,000 pre-bonus profit, EBITDA of $1.1 million, and $6.7 million of backlog.

The report contains six different value ratios (value vs. FTE count, net service revenue (NSR), EBITDA, pre-tax, pre-bonus profit, backlog, and book value), comprising Zweig Group’s Z-Value formulas. Four different values (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4) are calculated based on the reason for the valuation. For example, the Z3 formula is determined by valuations that were done explicitly for internal ownership transitions. Each Z-Value represents a different cross section of the survey sample, and indicates value based on different circumstances. 

Zweig Group looks back on 10-years of valuation data to capture trends, consistency, and variability in these metrics. This most recent report revealed that over the past decade, value/FTE showed the greatest degree of change from year to year. This metric continues to increase at a steady pace (roughly 4.4 percent per year) as inflation and cost of living increases drive prices up. For similar reasons, value/NSR, generally a more stable metric, showed an average year-over-year increase of 1.2 percent. Over the 10-year period, value/EBITDA has historically shown 0 percent average change, however it rose to show an average 1 percent per year increase as we included data from 2022. This indicates we’re in a period of increasing EBITDA multiples over the last few years.

EBITDA is often cited as the gold standard metric for value determination as it represents cash flow through the business. Larger firms are generally valued higher from a value to EBITDA ratio standpoint than smaller firms, because there is greater confidence in the underlying growth of their cash flow. For most firms, as they mature and grow, the relative value of the firm also grows. 

Zweig Group’s 2023 valuation data indicate that most metrics followed their historical patterns of slight year-over-year increases since 2016. For EBITDA multiples, this is the first year we saw the previous high in 2007 get eclipsed. The only metric that continued to buck the upward trend was the equity value/book value metric. Historically firms have carried about 15 percent of their total assets in cash, but over the last couple of years, we have seen firms hold around 28 percent of their total assets in cash which has resulted in higher book values, driving this metric down.

Valuations conducted for the purpose of a potential or actual acquisition yielded  values that were nearly a 40 percent premium compared to values that were developed for minority level internal transactions. We saw an increase in the number of formal valuations submitted with more than 50 percent of the sample representing valuations done by an appraisal and not a formula. The increase in ownership transition activity across the industry has prompted more firms to request a third-party, independent appraisal as they prepare for a transaction. For internal share transfers, the median minority level discount was 16 percent.

To learn more about the 2023 Valuation Report of AEC Firms, visit this link or contact research@zweiggroup.com. 

Will Swearingen is principal and director of Ownership Transition at Zweig Group. He can be reached at swearingen@zweiggroup.com.

The purpose of this manual is to provide stakeholders with general information, and design and construction guidance for the DSPT installation. Divided into eight chapters, the book begins with the history of DSPT, delves into methods, planning, site investigation, and design, with contract documents and construction considerations covered at the end.  

MOP 155 serves as a contribution to the DSPT engineering practice to benefit engineers, owners, contractors, equipment manufacturers, and other project and industry stakeholders. 

Dr. Andy Robinson, President and COO of Standard Lithium commented, “We’re excited to discover this outstanding resource and to add it to our expanding portfolio of select projects in the Smackover Formation. We have built a large and technically diverse team of Smackover specialists who have been working for almost three years to understand the most prospective areas to secure the highest quality brine resources in East Texas. The technical group has been supplemented by a strong team of mineral and land professionals who have been securing the extensive brine rights in these key project areas. Based on this work, the Company acquired the rights to one existing well and to drill a new deep well. We are delighted that sampling from the new well has led us to find lithium brine with, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, the highest grade in North America.”

“These very high-quality lithium brine resources, located in the heart of the Gulf Coast region, are close to, and highly complementary to, Standard Lithium’s existing lithium projects and have the potential to play a key role in future lithium production as part of the Company’s development and commercialization program. We look forward to working with the local communities and building our presence in East Texas, and we will be releasing further technical reports defining the project areas in the near future.”

Analysis and Testing Details

Over the past three years, the Standard Lithium team has been developing a thorough understanding of the Smackover Formation in Texas, via analysis of existing petro-physical logs, 2D seismic data and existing core sample analysis (retained from previous drilling activity). This understanding has been supplemented by sampling and analytical testing of produced water from existing oil and gas production wells from the Smackover Formation in the East Texas area. As a result of this data gathering and interpretive work, the Company identified a select number of highly prospective lithium brine project areas in the Smackover Formation in East Texas and began an extensive brine leasing program in the key project areas. The greatest level of effort to date, and the Company’s principal brine leasing focus, has been in the region close to the Arkansas and Louisiana state lines. As the Company has been securing brine rights in the key project areas over the last 18 months, it also secured access to a pre-existing oil and gas production well and drilled a new exploration borehole (see news release dated October 27^th, 2022).

The pre-existing well was re-entered using a workover rig and the existing production casing was perforated at various depth intervals to gather new brine samples from different levels in the Smackover Formation. The new exploration borehole was advanced and cased using a drill rig, and subsequently sampled using a workover rig. Figures 1 and 2 below show images of the two recent project sites.

Brine samples taken from these two wells, in addition to samples taken from other closely adjacent wells completed in the Smackover Formation in East Texas, are shown in Table 1 below. All brine samples were analyzed at multiple analytical laboratories (both third-party and also at the Company’s analytical facility in El Dorado, Arkansas) in order to confirm sample quality and maintain QA/QC procedures. The Standard Lithium data provided in Table 1 below were all analyzed, performed, and reported by Western Environmental Testing Laboratories of Sparks NV, a third-party, accredited testing facility. Additional representative lithium brine analyses from other lithium brine projects in North America are provided for context.

Table 1: East Texas Lithium Brine Analyses in Standard Lithium Project Areas

Notes:
[1] Smackover Formation descriptors (Upper, Middle, and Lower) are a local project area naming convention.
[2] For East Texas wells, average of all samples taken from the wellbore, including duplicates where applicable to provide a representative brine sample.
[3] Average brine sample from Salton Sea, Table 1, Warren 2021. Techno-Economic Analysis of Lithium Extraction from Geothermal Brines. Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. NREL/TP-5700-79178.
[4] Average brine analysis from Table 7, E3 Lithium 43-101 Technical Report: Lithium Resource Estimate, Bashaw District Project, central Alberta, Report date: August 23, 2022, Effective date: July 11,2022
[5] Indicated Resource Concentration, Anson Resources, Paradox Lithium Project, Total JORC Mineral Resource estimation, DFS, September 2022
[6] Average Clayton Valley lithium brine composition, Table 14-3, Pure Energy Minerals, Preliminary Economic Assessment (Rev. 1) of the Clayton Valley Lithium Project Esmeralda County, Nevada, March 23, 2018

Quality Assurance
Steve Ross, P.Geol., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the relevant scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Mr. Ross is a consultant to the Company.

The course examines how pipe used for water, drain/waste/vent, and fire-suppression systems impact the health, safety, and sustainability of buildings. It is based on issues and recommendations from the Plumbing Specification Guide that Safe Piping Matters recently published. The course is approved for continuing education from the American Institute of Architects, including health, safety, welfare (HSW) credits.

At the end of the course, participants will achieve several learning objectives, being able to:

• Assess strengths and weaknesses of common materials used for drinking water and wastewater systems, including cast iron, (C)PVC, copper, HDPE, PEX, & steel, in contrast with failed piping materials such as lead and polybutylene plastic.
• Describe sustainability issues and relative product lifecycles of piping materials starting from production, through use, and after demolition.
• Give examples of fire risks and firestopping considerations that impact the health and safety of occupants and first responders.
• Understand how material characteristics relate to other important health and safety factors such as leaching, permeation, and water age.

“Our first few sessions of this course have proven very successful. We are encouraged by the positive feedback and good discussion with building professionals,” said Paul Hagar, Executive Director of Safe Piping Matters. “We believe this course can help improve the safety and sustainability of pipe systems that run throughout homes and businesses,” he added.  

Safe Piping Matters offers the course at no cost to participants. Interested parties can visit the SafePipingMatters.org website to schedule a session.

RCM Technologies reported revenue of $70.2 million for the thirteen weeks ended December 31, 2022 (the current period), an increase of 8.2% compared to $64.9 million for the thirteen weeks ended January 1, 2022 (the comparable prior-year period). Gross profit was $20.5 million for the current period, a 15.0% increase compared to $17.8 million for the comparable prior-year period.  The Company experienced GAAP operating income of $6.8 million for the current period compared to $7.1 million for the comparable prior-year period.  The Company experienced GAAP net income of $4.8 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, for the current period compared to $6.0 million, or $0.52 per diluted share, for the comparable prior-year period. The Company experienced adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) of $7.0 million for the current period compared to $5.3 million for the comparable prior-year period.

RCM Technologies reported revenue of $284.7 million for the fifty-two weeks ended December 31, 2022 (the current period), an increase of 39.6% compared to $203.9 million for the fifty-two weeks ended January 1, 2022 (the comparable prior-year period). Gross profit was $82.9 million for the current period, a 56.1% increase compared to $53.1 million for the comparable prior-year period.  The Company experienced GAAP operating income of $28.8 million for the current period compared to $14.1 million for the comparable prior-year period.  The Company experienced GAAP net income of $20.9 million, or $2.00 per diluted share, for the current period compared to $11.0 million, or $0.95 per diluted share, for the comparable prior-year period. The Company experienced adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) of $29.5 million for the current period compared to $11.1 million for the comparable prior-year period.

Bradley Vizi, Executive Chairman of RCM Technologies, commented, “Our fiscal 2022 performance is a compelling demonstration of our strategy of investing behind world-class talent in secular growth markets. As a result, we believe RCM is well positioned to provide attractive returns for many years to come.”

Kevin Miller, Chief Financial Officer of RCM Technologies, commented, “We finished 2022 strong, demonstrating robust growth in revenue, EBITDA, and earnings per share while investing heavily in the future. In addition, the Company’s strong discretionary cash generating characteristics provided us over $28 million in cash flow from operations in 2022, which we expect to assist the Company in producing enhanced returns over the long-term.”

Arup, a global sustainable development consultancy, developed the snapshot to prompt cities to ask: how spongy am I? The authors of the survey are calling on leaders to move beyond concrete interventions and instead look to nature for solutions to climate-related challenges, such as managing heavy rainfall.

Authors have studied sample areas of approximately 150km² in ten diverse global cities with Toronto joining Auckland, London, Montreal, Mumbai, Nairobi, New York, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney – to assess how well their existing natural infrastructure helps them absorb rainfall.

This analysis comes as the IPCC predicts that water-related risks will increase with every degree of global warming, with around 700 million people currently living in regions where maximum daily rainfall has increased.

Toronto ranked third in the sponginess snapshots, just ahead of Montreal and tied with New York City, Singapore, and Mumbai. Over one quarter (29%) of the land analyzed in Toronto is covered in trees. The city’s sponginess rating is also based on the soil’s classification and run off potential.

Toronto’s sand and clay soil mix is comparable to New York City, though Toronto’s ability to absorb runoff is slightly lower. Both North American cities have the same level of green and blue spaces in their downtown core (39%), but with different concentrations and characteristics. In comparison, Mumbai and Singapore have a much higher blue-green cover of 45%, while both also have much less permeable soil than Toronto or New York. As a result, all four Snapshot cities have a sponginess rating of 30%, based on different land cover compositions.

By comparison, London and Shanghai align much more with the “concrete jungle” stereotype, with a higher percentage of hard surface in their urban centres: 69% and 67% respectively. This places them as the two least “spongy” of the cities surveyed.

In Toronto, the study area includes approximately 150km² of the city including the high-density downtown core, a mix of medium- and low-density housing, and major urban parks. The Snapshot shows Toronto’s ravines function as a network of urban green infrastructure which mitigates flooding risks. The city’s interconnected ravine system, one of the largest ravine networks in the world, links with natural watercourses to receive, filter, and transport stormwater from urban landscapes to Lake Ontario. Toronto has already begun expanding blue-green infrastructure across the city, particularly along the lakeshore to the south. Arup has been involved in the design of many of these projects, including the Queens Quay revitalization, Corktown Common, Aitken Place Park, and Love Park (now under construction). These projects, along with the City of Toronto’s newly published Green Infrastructure Standards, led by Arup and landscape architect DTAH, are establishing green infrastructure as a City priority.

To create the calculations, Arup’s team used an advanced digital tool, Terrain, which applies machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to accurately quantify the amount of green infrastructure (e.g. grass, trees) and blue (e.g. ponds, lakes), versus the amount of grey (e.g. buildings and hard surfaces). The survey was based on detailed satellite imagery covering a snapshot of approximately 150 square kilometres of each city’s main urban centre. Authors supplemented this analysis with insight on soil types and vegetation, enabling them to estimate how much rainwater would be absorbed in a defined heavy rainfall event.

Arup Global Sponge Cities Snapshot: Full results

The field study compared fuel burned, pass count and total time required to complete a compaction operation performed manually and using the Horizontal Steering Control functionality for Trimble® Earthworks Grade Control Platform for Soil Compactors. Trimble Earthworks Horizontal Steering Control automatically steers a soil compactor using a 3D model or compaction pass line, which helps to improve compaction productivity and quality by precisely controlling overlap between passes.

“We know that horizontal steering control makes operators of all skill levels more productive, efficient and accurate, but we wanted to put our own technology to the test in the field to determine exactly what improvements were possible, especially when it comes to carbon emissions and the environmental impact of a job,” said Michael Granruth, director, Business Development, Trimble Civil Infrastructure Solutions. “We must work together as an industry to address environmental sustainability, and we are pleased that the data from this study shows we’re making small steps in the right direction through the use of technology.”

Results were released in the study “Quantifying Productivity and Sustainability” at ConExpo 2023, North America’s largest trade show for construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines, construction vehicles and construction equipment. The Trimble booth is located in the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall #W-41522.

To ensure consistent data for analysis the study team established control variables that included area to be compacted, machine type and soil composition. Comparing the results to manual operation, the use of assisted steering functionality that was tested provided:

• Reduced time to complete the task by an average of 29.36 percent
• Reduced fuel consumption by 26.46 percent
• Potential carbon savings of 15,262 pounds, or an average of 26.46 percent
• Potential labor savings of up to 40 percent

While phase one of Trimble’s testing was focused on quantifying the productivity and sustainability of horizontal steering control for soil compaction, future field studies are planned to validate similar findings across various machine types, including excavators, dozers and motor graders.

To download the study, visit https://heavyindustry.trimble.com/productivity-and-sustainability-study.

An update of the 2011 version, this revision substantially updates requirements for materials detailing. Requirements related to lightweight concrete have been relaxed, but new requirements for welding structural steel are added. Sections are added for composite construction, both for concrete-and-steel composite and for fiber-reinforced polymer composite members. Methods to analyze glazing performance are updated, and a simplified approach to assess fragmentation is added to the provisions, with the more elaborate approach retained in the commentary.

Building owners and developers in the private and public sectors, and their design consultants including structural engineers, architects, and security experts will benefit from this standard.

To purchase online visit the ASCE Bookstore

This will be driven by capture, storage and usage of CO₂ from cement and concrete production, re-use of energy from waste material and recirculation of materials and minerals across the built environment. The Circular cement value chain: Sustainable and profitable report projects that adoption of circular technologies could also decarbonize 80 percent of all cement and concrete emissions by 2050.

Adoption of circular economy principles is estimated to offset more than half of the losses to the cement industry from rising costs and reduced demand. And adoption of circular technologies could be further accelerated by rising CO₂ prices, landfill costs and decarbonization subsidies. The report reveals that recycling and re-using construction materials and minerals alone will add nearly €80 billion of annual EBITDA while reusing concrete modules and structures will drive an estimated €24 billion of net value by 2050. Regions with high landfill costs and construction and demolition waste will also reap major benefits from the use of alternative fuels from waste material with the global average share of alternative fuels reaching 43 percent by 2050.

Technologies with high potential include the use of CO₂ for enhanced recarbonation of construction and demolition waste, recycling of waste into gravel for roadbuilding, and use of alternative fuels from energy waste. McKinsey suggests this will be achieved by cement companies adopting circular business models such as digital marketplaces for waste and using circular technologies to react to evolving business risks in each region.

Jukka Maksimainen, global co-leader of McKinsey’s Global Energy & Materials practice said: “Applying circular economy principles to cement and concrete would not only help decarbonize the built environment but generate enormous economic value. The cement industry is perfectly positioned to create closed loops for CO2, materials and minerals, and energy. We estimate each of these circular technologies will be value-positive by 2050, while some are already more profitable than today’s typical solutions. This will also drastically reduce global emissions and 30 to 40 percent of the world’s solid waste created through construction and maintenance of the built environment.”

Sebastian Reiter, Partner at McKinsey’s Global Energy & Materials adds: “Cement and other industry players should engage in circular business building and use circular technologies to react to evolving financial risks. The total value at risk from rising CO₂ prices and landfill costs could reach approximately €210 billion by 2050 and this will significantly accelerate uptake of circular technologies. For example, our research shows that technologies utilizing CO₂ such as curing ready-mix or precast concrete can create positive economic value at carbon prices of approximately €80 percent of CO₂ while using construction waste as aggregates for concrete production avoids landfill costs.”

To take advantage of these opportunities, McKinsey suggests two key actions:

• Engage in circular business building: Embracing digital marketplaces for waste materials, using technologies that facilitate design and standardization and creating customer-centric circular economy businesses. Cross-sector collaboration to enable CO₂ offtake opportunities in other industries, for example using CO₂ as a feedstock for hydrogen production.

• Use circular technologies to react to the evolving financial risks: Building cost-benefit positions based on locally varying CO₂ prices, landfill costs and regulatory frameworks and the amount of waste material available in each region. Ensuring offtake agreements are available for circular products in each country such as the 100 construction companies across ten countries that recently joined the UN Race to Zero campaign.

To read McKinsey’s findings in detail, click here.

GAITHERSBURG, Maryland – The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the world’s leading professional society for fire protection and fire safety engineering, announces the opening of registration for its first 2023 Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Fire Protection Exam Review Course.  

Taught by 12 expert instructors with backgrounds across all areas of fire protection engineering, the SFPE PE Exam Review Course and leverages the deep knowledge from SFPE’s member community to prepare candidates for the PE Exam in Fire Protection Engineering.  All courses are live, online, and conveniently offered twice weekly beginning in June 2023, with recorded sessions available on-demand afterward.   Additional review sessions, online discussions, practice problems, and office hours with the instructors are included – providing the comprehensive preparation needed to head into the exam with confidence. 

“The SFPE PE Exam Review Course focuses on the fundamentals of each topic area of fire protection engineering while preparing attendees to think critically, adapt to the exam, and be successful Professional Engineers,” stated Stephen Dale, Chair, SFPE PE Exam Review Subcommittee.  

Each year, engineers who enroll in the 18-week SFPE PE Exam Review Course are more prepared for the PE exam than those who don’t. An additional SFPE PE Exam Review Course will be scheduled in late 2023 to prepare engineers for the new spring exam schedule commencing in 2024.

“Past participants of the SFPE PE Exam Review Course report a 90% pass rate on the exam – notably higher than the NCEES reported first-timer pass rate of 74%,” stated Nicole Boston, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, Society of Fire Protection Engineers. “Our instructors are some of the most recognized and well-known engineers practicing today, and they ensure that course participants are well-equipped with the knowledge to pass the exam.”

Additional information about the SFPE Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Fire Protection Exam Review Course is available at sfpe.org/2023peexamreview. 

3D models or point clouds can lower the cost, time, and developer training to view an object or environment with AR information such as instructions, warnings, or routes overlaid on the physical world. Despite its relatively young presence in the enterprise sector, AR technology has rapidly evolved into a powerful tool with broad versatility and a thriving community of experts.

AR technology is already being leveraged with 3D mapping data to provide strategic tools for site planning, instructional guidance, or real-time navigation. As AR technology advances, so will its capabilities to leverage 3D mapping data.

“3D mapping technology has become pervasive throughout various industries to capture objects and environments in a digital format such as point clouds or 3D models,” said Mark Sage, Executive Director of the AREA. “It allows for rapid visualization, communication, and prototyping without the additional physical overhead. Our new report offers developers, business decisions makers and companies interested in AR, information about 3D mapping technology and techniques to eliminate resistance to augmented reality (AR) adoption.”

“This research helps to inform enterprise on how 3D mapping technologies can be utilized to capture accurate, cost-effective digital representations of real-world environments, how this data can be leveraged in augmented reality applications, and why these concepts can be useful in industrial environments,” said Samuel Neblett, Senior AR/VR Software Developer and 3D Modeler, Boeing Research & Technology.

The new AREA research report provides steps companies can take to ensure accurate and successful capture of objects and environments. A supporting sample project demonstrates a real-world example that leverages 3D scan data for an AR-assisted use case.

“The AREA research project is very valuable for corporations looking to use AR technologies. It offers a good overview of available 3D mapping solutions (including our AR solutions), and outlines the advantages of each,” said Markus Meixner, CEO, ViewAR.

Please view an executive summary of the 3D Mapping Solutions for Enterprise AR research report from the AREA website. Please also view executive summaries of other AREA resources and enterprise guidance from the AREA website.

The document comes at a time when road owners are increasingly specifying diamond grinding to improve ride quality, friction and drainage capabilities of new bridge deck surfaces. Because diamond grinding involves removing a thin layer of concrete from the road surface, and because diamond grinding machines have long wheelbases and need to transition slowly into grade changes, the IGGA, in its capacity as a technical resource for the roadbuilding industry, is offering the tip sheet as guidance for accommodating the grinding process.

Expansion joints are placed at intervals along bridge decks and at the end of a bridge where it meets the roadway. The joints themselves, and bridge components under the joints, must be protected from damage during construction and surfacing operations. Failure to do so can result in financial penalties and repair costs for contractors performing the work. Grade control (i.e., creating even surfaces on either side of the joint), installing proper concrete thickness to accommodate removal of a layer during diamond grinding, and placing steel components at a proper depth within the concrete are examples of quality control measures that should be taken during construction. These recommendations, and others, are detailed in the tip sheet. Following the recommendations will allow contractors to reduce the risk of damage to vital bridge components—and to avoid penalties—while providing the driving public with smooth, safe and quiet bridge deck riding surfaces.

“With the increased focus on rideability and the desire to eliminate the ‘bump at the bridge,’ many contractors are turning to diamond grinding to deliver that smoothness. The guidance provided within the tip sheet will help them achieve their goals with confidence and minimum risk of damage to the structure,” said John Roberts, executive director, International Grooving & Grinding Association.

Read the tip sheet at igga.net.

“The Dodge Momentum Index returned to growth in February after falling 9% last month,” stated Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting for Dodge Construction Network. “The continued elevation in the DMI should provide hope that construction activity will grow in 2024. Owners and developers tend to put projects into planning until well after economic conditions weaken. During the Great Recession, for example, the DMI did not substantially decline until 2009. Therefore, the anticipated mild economic growth in 2023 could cause the DMI to moderate over the year, but it is unlikely to fall below historical norms.”

Commercial planning in February was bolstered by almost 20% growth in office planning activity, as data centers continued to steadily enter the planning queue. Institutional planning was driven higher by growth in education and healthcare projects, notably the continued investment in research laboratories. On a year-over-year basis, the DMI remains 43% higher than in February 2022. The commercial component was up 55%, and the institutional component was 22% higher.

A total of 22 projects with a value of $100 million or more entered planning in February. The leading commercial projects included the $500 million Northwestern Mutual Headquarters in Milwaukee, WI, and the $375 million Legacy Highlands warehouse and retail project in Beaumont, CA. The leading institutional projects comprised of the $500 million University of Michigan Residence and Dining Hall in Ann Arbor, MI, and the $213 million Center of Innovation laboratory building in Emeryville, CA.  

The DMI is a monthly measure of the initial report for nonresidential building projects in planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year.

Watch Associate Director of Forecasting Sarah Martin discuss February’s DMI here.

February 2023 DODGE MOMENTUM INDEX

“The U.S. economy is at a critical juncture. We need to re-shore manufacturing, decarbonize energy, and upgrade our infrastructure,” said Boyd Worsham, CEO of NCCER. “As we continue to struggle in building a workforce to fulfill these needs, we must recognize that we are not effectively appealing to the largest percentage of the population — women — in our recruiting and retention efforts.”

NCCER’s goal was to go beyond the numbers and statistics that are typically presented in research about women in construction. The white paper highlights the unique benefits women bring to the construction workforce, the obstacles they encounter getting in and staying in the industry, and their advice on what contractors can do to recruit and retain more women.

“Regarding women simply as a way to make up for the quantity gap in the construction workforce ignores the unique qualities they bring to the jobsite,” said Dr. Tim Taylor, Director of Research for NCCER.

Women also shared their recommendations on how to better recruit and retain women on project sites and, ultimately, in the industry. They provided guidance on how to tackle obstacles that the industry has worked on for years and brought up other hurdles that may be surprising for some. Overall, their suggestions were thoughtful and based on their lived experience in the field.

This white paper has been designed to inform and provide steps that can be taken by construction leaders to start making changes today that will improve project outcomes for tomorrow.  

“With an expected shortage of 1.9 million craft professionals through 2025, there is tremendous opportunity for women to get involved in an industry that offers competitive wages, benefits, and career growth,” said Jennifer Wilkerson, NCCER Vice President of Innovation and Advancement. “If we want construction careers to be a viable option for all people, we have to change the culture and perception of our industry, starting with our own projects.”

The complete white paper, In Her Own Words: Improving Project Outcomes, is available for free at https://www.nccer.org/in-her-own-words.

The “Steel Bridge Education Lectures: From Concept to Delivery” webinar series will cover the many aspects of designing, fabricating and constructing steel bridges, which provide durable, efficient and sustainable infrastructure solutions. The online lectures will be held on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT during the weeks of March 20 – April 5, 2023. The lectures can be viewed synchronously (in real time) and asynchronously (recorded version).

The lectures will be delivered live by Michael Barker, Ph.D., P.E., professor of civil and architectural engineering at the University of Wyoming, via the WyoLearn Learning Management System. Dr. Barker has over 30 years of experience in bridge design and construction.

To earn a Certificate of Completion at the end of the series, participants must complete and pass a quiz after each lecture. The certificate can be used to build resumes or fulfill continuing education requirements.

More information on the lecture series, course syllabus and registration details are available here.

The Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (SSSBA) is a group of bridge and buried soil steel structure industry leaders who have joined together to provide educational information on the design and construction of short span steel bridges in installations up to 140 feet in length. For more news or information, visit www.shortspansteelbridges.org or follow us on Twitter (@ShortSpanSteel), Facebook and LinkedIn.      

Land subsidence is a phenomenon wherein the Earth’s surface sinks downwards. It occurs mainly due to human activities, such as excessive groundwater extraction. It is a major global concern, affecting 19% of the world’s population. In Japan, some parts of the Tokyo metropolitan region are already sinking. This process can accelerate the flooding of coastal areas and cause damage to buildings and infrastructure. Therefore, monitoring land subsidence is crucial.

In Japan, observation wells are utilized to measure changes in the land surface and groundwater levels every few months. Additionally, the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is also popular. However, observation wells are more reliable because atmospheric effects can modify GNSS observations. Observation wells require regular maintenance of their machines, which is expensive. Further, there is an anticipated shortage of engineers qualified to undertake the job as the Japanese population gets older with a declining birth rate. In this light, a new land subsidence monitoring technique—interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR)—is gaining attention.

Recently, Katsunoshin Nishi, a Ph.D. student at the Graduate School of Science and Engineering at Chiba University, Japan, along with a group of researchers, applied consecutive differential InSAR (DInSAR) to investigate land subsidence in Yokohama, Yokosuka, and Miura cities of Kanagawa prefecture in Japan. They compared the results obtained with those of other monitoring techniques. Their work was published in Volume 38, Issue 1 of the Geocarto International journal on 28 December 2022.

“InSAR is a remote sensing technique that uses two satellite SAR images to measure surface elevation. It exploits the phase of the satellite signal waves for the purpose. Going a step further, Consecutive DInSAR can measure millimeter changes in the elevation in time series, thus detecting land subsidence. It is quantified in terms of subsidence rate or land surface velocity,” explains Mr. Nishi. The work also involved contributions from Masaaki Kawai from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Japan, Bowo Eko Cahyono from the University of Jember, Indonesia, Mirza Muhammad Waqard from Lumir Inc, Korea, Kaori Nishi from Bella Earther, Japan and Josaphat Tetuko Sri Sumantyo Chiba University, Japan and Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia.

In their study, the researchers analyzed the images acquired by Sentinel 1 European Space Agency satellite program—from August 2017 to March 2022 using SARPROZ software, which implements DInSAR. In addition, they also formulated a new computation model called “the law of material conservation.” It uses surface pressure values to calculate groundwater level and the amount and cause of land subsidence.

The researchers found that Consecutive DInSAR results were consistent with both observation well and GNSS data. Its mean subsidence rate of 1.58 cm/year was respectively within 0.02 cm/year and 0.90 cm/year of their corresponding values. Also, its mean Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) was respectively 0.39 cm/year and 0.46 cm/year of their corresponding values. Further, the land subsidence mechanisms could be accurately identified through the proposed law.

In conclusion, Mr. Nishi highlights the long-term potential of the new monitoring technique. “By utilizing Consecutive DInSAR and satellite data, the government can take effective and timely measures to tackle land subsidence. Further, determining the extent and cause of land subsidence will enable the administration to set land subsidence thresholds and limit groundwater use. Consequently, people in coastal regions or previously-land subsided areas can live safely and securely.”

Overall, Consecutive DInSAR can potentially substitute the land subsidence observation well technique in future.

The revised curriculum contains key updates to reflect modern tools, approaches and best practices. The fourth edition also features new practical math scenarios and an overall improved focus on the most relevant job skills. All content has been updated to remain consistent with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 13 code. 

NCCER’s Sprinkler Fitting curriculum includes four levels: 

• Sprinkler Fitting Level 1, Fourth Edition (©2021): 147.5 Total Hours  
• Sprinkler Fitting Level 2, Fourth Edition (©2022): 152.5 Total Hours  
• Sprinkler Fitting Level 3, Fourth Edition (©2022): 150 Total Hours  
• Sprinkler Fitting Level 4, Fourth Edition (©2023): 145 Total Hours 

To learn more about Sprinkler Fitting Levels 1-4, Fourth Edition, contact your Pearson executive director or visit the Sprinkler Fitting craft page on the NCCER website.   

NCCER develops and distributes its curricula in partnership with the world’s leading learning company, Pearson, and ensures that it complies with the Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship requirements for time-based training. Individuals who successfully complete these training programs through an NCCER Accredited Training Sponsor will earn industry-recognized credentials. To learn more about NCCER curricula and purchasing options, visit the bookstore.  

Mirian Velay-Lizancos, a Purdue University assistant professor of civil engineering from the Lyles School of Civil Engineering in the College of Engineering, is addressing these issues. She and researchers in her laboratory have developed a patent-pending, scalable, automatable process that improves upon the traditional method to incorporate phase change materials, or PCMs, into construction materials.

The incorporation of PCMs like paraffin, esters and salt hydrates into building envelope elements moderates the effect of outside temperature changes on the indoor environment. They convert changes in thermal energy into phase changes by transitioning from a solid into a liquid, or the opposite. They provide useful cooling or heat by absorbing or releasing energy during those transitions.

“Incorporating PCMs reduces energy consumption in buildings, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions and operational costs,” Velay-Lizancos said. “It also decreases water permeability of construction materials.”

PCMs are used in a building’s envelope, or the doors, exterior walls, foundations, roofs, windows and other components that create a barrier between the indoors and the outdoors. The thermal properties of building envelopes play a key role in a building’s energy consumption.

“Increasing the heat storage capabilities of building envelopes would reduce the effect of temperature fluctuations in a building,” Velay-Lizancos said. “This would increase the thermal comfort of the building and decrease energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and related economic costs of heating and cooling. It also would make buildings more resilient and energy independent and less susceptible to power outages and other energy supply issues.”

Mirian Velay-Lizancos, a Purdue assistant professor of civil engineering, has developed a process that improves upon the traditional method to incorporate phase change materials into construction materials. (Purdue University photo/John Underwood)

Velay-Lizancos said traditional methods to add PCMs in construction materials have drawbacks.

“Currently, PCMs are incorporated into other materials via microencapsulation or macroencapsulation,” Velay-Lizancos said. “However, these methods limit the use of PCMs. Microencapsulation has a negative effect on the strength and durability of construction materials. Macroencapsulation limits the shape and production method of construction materials.”

Velay-Lizancos’ method uses liquid immersion and a vacuum to incorporate PCMs after construction materials like bricks, drywall and concrete have already been formed. A two-minute video of the method is online.

“This increases the strength, enhances the durability and increases the thermal inertia of the construction materials,” Velay-Lizancos said. “This new method also distributes PCMs so they are concentrated in the surface layer of the construction materials. More of the PCMs are in contact with external surfaces of the building envelope, which makes the PCMs more effective.”

Velay-Lizancos’ method requires only a vacuum system, which she said is very accessible and easy for manufacturers to work with.

“Users will need to be familiarized with the process, but they will not need special training,” Velay-Lizancos said. “The process could be easily automatized and incorporated into the production chain of precast elements like bricks, concrete panels, drywall and pavers, among others.”

Velay-Lizancos and her research group tested the innovation at the Pankow Laboratory in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering. The initial tests were conducted with commercial bricks and 15 minutes of vacuum time.

A large experimental campaign was conducted on cement mortars with three water-to-cement ratios and, therefore, different initial porosity levels. PCMs were incorporated into the mortars for three different vacuum periods: 15 minutes, 1 hour and 4 hours. Velay-Lizancos and her team observed an increase on the thermal inertia of 24% and over a 22% of increase in the compressive strength, with just 7% of the volume of the element filled with PCM.

Velay-Lizancos said the uneven distribution of the PCM concentrated in the surface layer makes the PCM more effective in enhancing thermal properties.

“The method used in this study introduces the PCM into the layer of the material that is closer to the material’s surface, meaning that more will be in contact with the external surfaces of the building envelope, resulting in more effective usage of the PCM,” Velay-Lizancos said. “Furthermore, this method pushes the PCM material into the capillary pores through the vacuum. Due to the capillary forces, leakage of PCM was not observed, even when the final composite was exposed to high temperatures well above the melting point of the PCM used.”

A paper about Velay-Lizancos’ research methods and results has been published in the March 2023 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Construction and Building Materials (Elsevier).

The next milestone to develop the PCM incorporation method is to build a full-scale prototype.

“This will allow us to visualize with cameras and sensors the thermal performance of the building envelope,” Velay-Lizancos said. “Clients will have the hard data and also be able to visualize the advantages of this technology.” 

Velay-Lizancos disclosed the innovation to the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization, which has applied for a patent on the intellectual property. Industry partners seeking to further develop this innovation should contact Parag Vasekar, psvasekar@pf.org, about reference number 2022-VELA-69766, “Novel Building Envelope Materials with Enhanced Durability That Reduce Energy Consumption.”

Velay-Lizancos and her team received support from the Lyles School of Civil Engineering and the Frederick N. Andrews Fellowship from The Graduate School at Purdue.

Turnover grew by 12 per cent to DKK 7.3 billion, compared to DKK 6.6 billion in 2021. Profitability, the EBIT margin, went up by 0.9 per cent from 3.3 per cent in 2021 to 4.2 per cent in 2022. And cash flow improved by DKK 153 million in 2022 to DKK 382 million.

Jens Højgaard Christoffersen, Group CEO, says: “Sustainability has become a competitive edge to everyone. Our commitment to promoting sustainable solutions resonates strongly with our customers’ ambitions and challenges. In that light, I’m pleased that we have strengthened our customer relations and joined forces to create value for our customers and societies, the future generations and ourselves.”

Number of employees grew by ten per cent in 2022

The strong performance reflects a vast increase in the number of employees. In 2022, the COWI Group welcomed the equivalent of 691 full-time employees, corresponding to a growth of ten per cent, and now has 7,501 employees.

“Indeed, our goal of shaping a greener future acted as a magnet to attract and retain employees. That’s highly encouraging when considering that everyone craves the same pool of talent. Thanks to this, we have boosted our competitive strength and are able to accelerate our growth ambitions,” adds Jens Højgaard Christoffersen.

All of COWI’s business units saw growth, especially the wind and renewable energy business, which delivered a growth of more than 25 per cent last year. Growth was in particular driven by our business in Denmark, Norway, North America and the UK.

Growth to continue in 2023

“Predicting how the market will develop has become far more difficult. And given the lurking recession and a new geopolitical situation, it would probably be prudent to exercise financial caution in certain areas. However, we cannot pause climate change, and from what I’m seeing, the public and private sectors will continue their high investment level in the green transition in the coming year. In that perspective, we expect to continue our growth, albeit on a slightly lower level than in 2022,” concludes Jens Højgaard Christoffersen.

According to CGA’s Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report, the annual rate of damages to buried infrastructure in the U.S. has remained stagnant for most of the last decade and costs the U.S. a staggering $30 billion every year. Each of the hundreds of thousands of dig-ins to underground utilities that occurs annually has the potential to cripple communities and businesses by cutting them off from critical services, cause injury or even loss of life.

CGA’s “50 in 5” challenge aims to address damages to our Nation’s critical assets head-on by bringing damage prevention advocates together around a targeted set of strategic, data-driven priorities. The “50 in 5” call-to-action encourages the damage prevention industry to concentrate on three focus areas that prioritize critical issues identified by CGA’s Next Practices Initiative and the top damage root causes that contribute to more than 76% of damages to buried infrastructure (according to CGA’s most recent DIRT Report):

1.    Effective and consistent use of 811: Despite DIRT data and market research which indicate that 811 awareness is very high – particularly among professional excavators – 60% of damages to underground utilities are caused specifically by professional contractors not contacting 811 prior to digging. CGA is unveiling a refreshed 811 tagline and animated logo this spring, which will join a new video series and other outreach tools that damage prevention advocates can use to implement behavior change campaigns around 811 usage.

2.    Key excavator practices (potholing, maintaining clearance, etc.): Potholing (test holing) to confirm the location of buried utilities and then maintaining the required clearance around those utilities, along with miscellaneous improper excavation practices, are key steps for protecting the integrity of underground infrastructure. Targeted and consistent excavator outreach around these two CGA Best Practices (5.19 and 5.20) could dramatically reduce damages to buried infrastructure. CGA’s Next Practices Initiative also highlights damage reductions achieved by operators who contractually compensate excavators for potholing.  

3.    Accurate, timely utility locating: CGA’s Locator White Paper and the work of the Next Practices Initiative reveal that improving the accuracy of facility maps and implementing electronic white-lining would help locators complete their work more quickly and accurately. Efforts like a Minnesota coalition’s pilot program to make 811 ticket-level facility map visualizations available to locators and other 811 system end users have the potential to increase locating efficiency, among other systemic benefits. Decreasing over-notification practices utilized by both contractors and facility owner/operators themselves would also help decrease overall 811 request volume so locators’ workloads are more manageable.

“The Common Ground Alliance’s damage prevention stakeholders have worked diligently to make communities safer by reducing dig-ins – but we are now at an inflection point as an industry,” said Sarah K. Magruder Lyle, president and CEO of CGA. “I encourage every stakeholder to meet our ‘50 in 5’ challenge and commit their organizations to making bold choices and investments as we look to cut annual damages in half by 2028. With the massive funding authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the pace of current construction activity, now is the time for the industry to seriously examine how we can make the next dramatic reduction in annual damages and protect critical infrastructure.”

“The CGA board of directors felt strongly that the industry must commit to taking concrete steps to significantly reduce damages to underground utilities,” said Josh Hinrichs, chair of CGA’s board and president of UtiliSource. “We must focus on taking damage prevention to the next level in order to keep our communities safe and connected to the utilities we depend on every day.” 

With National Safe Digging Month set to kick off in April, CGA will be releasing a variety of new tools and outreach materials in line with the “50 in 5” call-to-action. The annual DIRT Report will continue to be the industry’s primary gauge of annual damages, and data and metrics collected by CGA’s Damage Prevention Institute will also help inform key interventions and strategies for damage reductions in the coming years.

For more information about CGA and annual damages to buried infrastructure, visit www.commongroundalliance.com and dirt.commongroundalliance.com.

About Common Ground Alliance

CGA is a member-driven association of more than 2,700 organizations representing every facet of the underground utility industry. Established in 2000, CGA is committed to saving lives and preventing damage to North American underground infrastructure by promoting effective damage prevention practices. CGA’s Damage Prevention Institute is focused on providing the industry with powerful insights and opportunities to reduce damages through a metrics-focused, peer-reviewed model. CGA has established itself as the preeminent source of damage prevention data and information in an effort to reduce damages to underground facilities in North America through shared responsibility among all stakeholders. For more information, visit CGA on the web at http://www.commongroundalliance.com.

The report begins with a historical and geological overview of this stretch of highway along with a description of the embankment failure. Specific data collection activities such as terrestrial LiDAR and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data acquisition, exposure mapping and sampling, radiocarbon dating of soil samples, precipitation and geospatial analyses, and satellite-based assessments, used by the investigative team, are outlined in the book. GSP 337 concludes with the roadway repair and recommendations to avoid future embankment erosion. 

Civil engineers interested in designing and constructing resilient infrastructure to accommodate future extreme events will benefit from this case study showcasing a failure of US infrastructure in the face of climate change and cascading natural disasters.

To purchase online, visit the ASCE Bookstore

Limited review copies are available for book reviews. Please contact Leslie Connelly, lconnelly@asce.org.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation’s infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency.

ASTM F1962-22, Standard Guide for Use of Maxi-Horizontal Directional Drilling for Placement of Polyethylene Pipe or Conduit Under Obstacles, Including River Crossings was revised and updated in December 2022 by an ASTM Subcommittee led by Dr. Lawrence M. Slavin to include pipe made with PE 4710 compounds.  In addition to ASTM, ASME and CSA standards, PE 4710 was incorporated in AWWA (C901, C906, M55), FM 1613 and others.  The pipe is used in force main, potable water and other projects.

According to PPI, the major North American trade association representing the plastic pipe industry, PE 4710 is the highest performance classification of HDPE piping material for water applications.  “PE 4710 compounds offer utilities and designers a greater level of performance,” stated Camille George Rubeiz, P.E., F. ASCE, senior director of engineering for the Municipal and Industrial Division of PPI and is also the co-chair of the HDPE Municipal Advisory Board.  “This translates to the ability to utilize HDPE with increased flow capacities plus increased resistance to surge pressure, fatigue and slow crack growth.  According to an industry survey, HDPE is the most used pipe material for HDD.”

ASTM F1962-22 focuses on maxi-horizontal directional drilling (maxi-HDD) that is typically used for longer distances and larger diameter pipes common in major river crossings.

“Numerous HDD under waterway installations are being done,” Rubeiz offered.  “One in Atlantic City saw 32-inch diameter HDPE PE 4710 pipe run for 1,500 feet, 80 feet under the Beach Thorofare waterway.  This critical force main line project was done with a drilling rig that had a pulling force capacity of 250,000 pounds and a torque capacity of 40,000 ft-lbs.  This is the typical maxi-HDD project referred to in ASTM F1962 with its sections on sites, regulations, the bore path, plus other significant topics.

“Another remarkable waterway project was the 4,000 feet of 20-inch HDPE pipe embedded 60 feet under the bottom of Florida’s Biscayne Bay to deliver potable water to the area.  It replaced a 25-year-old leaking cast iron transmission line that was attached to the Rickenbacker Causeway. 

“We encourage utilities, designers and contractors planning a maxi-HDD HDPE pipe project to use F1962, the only ASTM Standard for HDD.  This coupled with PPIPACE – Pipeline Analysis & Calculation Environment – and PPI-BoreAid free software programs will provide the information for planning the design.”

Additional information can be found at the PPI Municipal & Industrial Division website:  www.plasticpipe.org/municipalindustrial. 

In 2022 the audio documentary series, which blossomed into a national hit with tens of thousands of dedicated listeners, won major grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the prestigious Graham Foundation. The second season’s premiere on March 8, International Women’s Day, presents an insightful and rich narrated history of Ray Eames (1912-1988), whose pioneering contributions in the arts, architecture, graphic design, textile design and furniture innovation have had a profound effect on the trajectory of those fields. 

“Our original story about Ray Eames draws on new research of her years as a painter in New York, from archival footage and audio of her media appearances as well as interviews with Eames family members and employees of Eames Office, their design studio in Venice, California,” says Cynthia Phifer Kracauer AIA, creative leader of the series and executive director of Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF). “The interviews also offer a deep-dive into manufacturer Herman Miller’s archives, showcasing the bold ideas sometimes obscured by Ray’s self-effacing public persona.”

The pioneering audio series New Angle: Voice is created and produced by BWAF and its executive director Phifer Kracauer, who is joined in conceiving and producing the audio documentaries by noted writer and editor Alexandra Lange Ph.D. and the acclaimed producer Brandi Howell. The primary sponsor of New Angle: Voice is MillerKnoll, a collective of dynamic brands and an influential modern design company.

Following the debut episode on Ray Eames, new episodes of New Angle: Voice in 2023 will include the amazing stories of trailblazing African American architect Amaza Lee Meredith (1895-1984), the architect and industrial designer Anna Wagner Keichline (1889–1943), and famed Wall Street Journal architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable (1921-2013).

Season Two Premiere: Ray Eames

The introductory episode on the legacy of Ray Eames is informed by interviews with Eames Foundation board members Lucia Dewey Atwood and Llisa Demetrios, the film art director and production designer Jeannine Oppewall, as well as Library of Congress collaborators Meg McAleer and Tracey Barton. In addition, the design curator Donald Albrecht and design historian Pat Kirkham contribute to the Eames episode.

Later this second season, episodes feature interviews with architecture and design critics Christopher Hawthorne, Eric Gibson and Karrie Jacobs on the life story of Ada Louise Huxtable. For the episode featuring Black architect Amaza Lee Meredith, insights come from a senior executive of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and leader of the “Where Women Made History” campaign, Christina Morris. The episode on Anna Keichline includes comments from Sarah Lichtman, dean of the Parsons School of Design, as well as from industrial designer Nancy Perkins, who is Keichline’s great-niece. Background on a Cambridge, Mass.-based firm The Architects Collaborative, with founding members including Jean B. Fletcher (1915-1965) and Sarah P. Harkness (1914-2013), comes from Bloomberg Green editor Amanda Hurley and the professor of architectural history Michael Kubo.

“The New Angle: Voice series pulls forward the stories of women who’ve helped to define the fields of architecture and design,” says Amy Auscherman, Director of Global Archives and Brand Heritage at MillerKnoll. “With the spotlight on Ray Eames in the debut episode, season two kicks off with a bang, taking a deep look into Ray’s significant oeuvre across many disciplines. Ray’s contributions to the work of the Eames Office were severely overlooked during her lifetime. This episode helps to rectify that and includes digitized interviews culled from our archive that provide an intimate look into her problem-solving approach to design.”

In its opening season 2021-2022, the New Angle: Voice audio documentaries covered the stories of Julia Morgan, the first woman to attend the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, and Norma Merrick Sklarek, the African American architect who oversaw the construction of the largest U.S. shopping mall. Other episodes spotlight the pioneering women Natalie de Blois, Helen Fong, and Florence Knoll, and can be found on Apple Podcasts. The work by BWAF’s Kracauer and team earned wide praise and major grants from the NEA, the NEH and the Graham Foundation — along with tens of thousands of listeners globally.

New Angle: Voice embodies the mission of BWAF, to lead a cultural revolution in the building industry that will acknowledge, cultivate, and value women’s contributions and achievements — past, present, and future. The series shines a spotlight on the often untold or forgotten stories of American women who broke barriers of gender, race, and education, offering the recognition they deserve for redefining the physical landscape of this country and reinventing the role of women in leadership.  

“Fighting the sexism and misogyny of white male-dominated American architectural offices, these women design leaders overcame prevalent issues of professional disrespect for mothers and the persistent mythology of the individual creator,” says Kracauer. “Our goal with New Angle: Voice is to document and preserve these important but easily overshadowed or forgotten achievements as we also correct the record of our greatest leaders in architecture and design.”

Adds Kracauer, “We’re excited to debut our second season in observance of International Women’s Day, and share with others globally the essential mission of elevating the voices of women. around the world.”

The primary objective of this research project was to characterize the environmental and health impacts of wildland and structural, large-scale fire events. Led by Jamie L. McAllister, P.E., Ph.D., Brendan McCarrick, P.E., Zelda Q. Zhao, and Curtis Fagan, the work included a literature review of large-scale fire incidents, identification of current large-scale incident impact monitoring capabilities, identification of standards and industry best practices for quantification of large-scale incident impacts, and a gap analysis. The findings have been published in the free report titled “Environmental and Health Impacts of Fire and Fire-Suppression Activities During Large-Scale Fire Events” available on sfpe.org/foundation. 

On March 16, 2023, the SFPE Foundation is hosting a free webinar to review findings of the research, the gap analysis, and future work recommendations. Learn more and sign up at sfpe.org.

“This research provides foundational insight while highlighting the need for the fire engineering community to align research efforts and collaborate with a diverse array of stakeholders to advance our understanding of the impacts of fire and fire suppression activities during large-scale events,” stated Leslie Marshall, Ph.D., Director, SFPE Foundation. “The SFPE Foundation remains committed to advancing the science of resilience, sustainability, and fires in the wildland-urban interface, as prioritized in the SFPE Research Roadmap.”

Financing for SFPE Foundation-funded research is provided through the generous support of donors, including SFPE, SFPE chapters, SFPE members, governmental agencies, leading companies and organizations, and others.  Demand for SFPE Foundation research funding support far exceeds available funds.  The SFPE Foundation periodically invites research proposals through both open calls and specific requests for proposals.  

Additional information about the SFPE Foundation, its programs, and this research project is available at sfpe.org/foundation.

Comparatively, total construction was 14% lower in January 2023 than in January 2022. Nonresidential building starts were down 2%, nonbuilding starts rose 10%, and residential starts lost 34%. For the 12 months ending January 2023, total construction starts were 13% higher than the 12 months ending January 2022. Nonresidential starts were 36% higher, residential starts lost 6%, and nonbuilding starts were up 19%.

“January’s decline in construction starts should not be taken as the beginning of a cyclical downturn in the industry,” said Richard Branch, chief economist for Dodge Construction Network. “Numerous mega-projects have begun over the last few months, obscuring the underlying trend in construction activity. While some construction sectors will face stress as the year progresses, current fundamentals point to an industry that is fairly well positioned to weather the storm.”

• Nonbuilding construction starts fell 16% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $237 billion. Behind the decline was a very large drop (-76%) in utility/gas plant starts following a brisk December. Elsewhere, environmental public works starts rose 22%, miscellaneous nonbuilding increased 17%, and highway and bridge starts rose 1%.
  
  For the 12 months ending January 2023, total nonbuilding starts were 18% higher than the 12 months ending January 2022. Utility/gas plant starts rose 28%, and highway bridge starts were 20% higher. Environmental public works starts and miscellaneous nonbuilding starts were up 17% and 5% respectively on a 12-month rolling sum basis.
   
  The largest nonbuilding projects to break ground in January were the $750 million High Banks wind farm in Belleville, KS, the $570 million first phase of the Highway 69 express toll lanes in Overland Park, Kansas, and the $492 million CEPP/EAA reservoir in Palm Beach, Florida.
  
  
• Nonresidential building starts lost 38% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $340 billion. Manufacturing starts led the pullback in January, falling 91% following the start of several large projects in December. In January, commercial starts dropped 11% with office being the only category to post a gain; while institutional starts increased by 3% thanks to a large gain in education starts.
  
  For the 12 months ending January 2023, total nonresidential building starts were 36% higher than the 12 months ending January 2022. Manufacturing starts were 190% higher, commercial starts gained 22%, and institutional starts moved 17% higher on a 12-month rolling sum basis.
  
  The largest nonresidential building projects to break ground in January were the $1 billion Prime Data Center campus in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, the $515 million Amazon data center in Hilliard, Ohio, and the $460 million CoStar Group corporate campus in Richmond, Virginia.
  
  
• Residential building starts fell 20% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $289.2 billion. Single family starts lost 5%, and multifamily starts fell 37%. For the 12 months ending in January 2023, residential starts were 5% lower than the 12 months ending in January 2022. Single family starts were 16% lower, while multifamily starts were up 21% on a rolling 12 month basis.
  
  The largest multifamily structures to break ground in January were a $200 million mixed-use building in Gowanus, New York, a $172 million mixed-use building in Greenpoint, New York, and the $150 million The Cove residential community in Sacramento, California.

Regionally, total construction starts in January fell in all five regions.

Watch Chief Economist Richard Branch discuss January Construction Starts.

January 2023 CONSTRUCTION STARTS

The article focuses on the concept of lateral confinement and how it relates to hoop stress in geocells. Through the
process of lateral confinement, horizontal earth pressures are converted into upward resisting shear forces, making it
possible to construct over weak subgrade materials with the use of suitable base reinforcement. The article also explains
the relationship between hoop stress and lateral confinement in geocells, including how hoop stress develops and can
be estimated.

To demonstrate the effectiveness of geocells, the article includes a summary of estimated hoop stresses under standard
AASHTO load conditions. As the article shows, the tensile forces that develop under working loads are relatively modest
and well within the elastic region of the material. This means that even after repeat traffic loads over many years, no
permanent deformation or “creep” is expected to occur.

In conclusion, this article is a must-read for engineers looking to deepen their understanding of the power of geocells in
load support applications. The article provides valuable insights into the relationship between lateral confinement and
hoop stress, making it an important resource for anyone in the civil engineering and construction industries.

You can find the article here: https://www.prestogeo.com/blog/understanding-hoop-stress-in-geocells/.

The 11 guides can be downloaded by TSA members from the TSA website. The diverse range of topics included encompass all aspects of managing a modern business. The guides cover everything a business manager needs to know, from building a brand, to finance, productivity, mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, digital marketing, business resilience, sustainability and much more.

The guides contain top tips and recommendations of best practice in every area of business. With some academic content included, the guides also provide practical checklists, models and questions for the audience to apply and consider in order to support and guide their decision-making.

Chiefly targeting SMEs, the guides are aimed at any size of business, at whatever its stage of development. Whether a member is just setting up a new business for the first time and needs to put systems and processes in place or has a more established firm and is now looking to healthcheck existing practices or introduce new ideas, the guides are ideal for ‘time poor’ TSA members, who are looking for effective, yet easy to implement, solutions.

Each of the guides has been authored by a different expert in that particular field, from human resources and marketing specialists to experienced practitioner academics, all providing top tips on strategy and implementation, as well as suggestions for further reading and other helpful resources.

Sam Roberts, Director at Met Geo Environmental Ltd and Technical Committee Chair for TSA, who has spearheaded the production of the business guides, says,

“Our membership of land survey professionals is made up of a huge range of people, all of whom have at least one thing in common – they are very busy people, working extremely hard for their customers, with little spare time to spend on business development. To help them achieve best practice and assist them in their constant drive for business improvement, we have been delighted to work together with The Retail Institute at Leeds Beckett University, one of the UK’s leading academic research centres, to provide these in-depth business guides.

“One of our vision statements at TSA is, ‘TSA will help you build a better business’. These guides are designed to do just that, and we hope our members will find them informative, practical and helpful.”

The first guide, Good Mental Health, is already available for TSA members to download from the website. Members should go to https://www.tsa-uk.org.uk/members-area/ to find out more. For information on how to become a member of TSA, go to https://www.tsa-uk.org.uk/membership/

Fixed-wing drones provide fast, efficient and reliable service to law enforcement and military forces. This is because police and the military need quick and relevant information to respond quickly to any incident. These drones are a cost-effective option relative to man-hours and can help ensure public safety during investigations.

Get To Know More: https://www.factmr.com/report/fixed-wing-drone-market

According to the Police Forum, 80% to 90% of police worldwide are under-resourced and prefer cheap fixed-wing drones as an alternative to helicopters. Thus, the market growth for global fixed wing drone is expected to expand during the forecast period.

Key Takeaways from Market Study

• The global fixed wing drone market is projected to reach US$ 34,643.5 million by 2033.
• The market witnessed 15.4% CAGR between 2018 and 2022.
• Filming & Photography in application segment dominates the market with 24.4% market share in 2023.
• Under sales channel, offline channel fixed wing drone dominates the market and are valued at US$ 5,445.6 million in 2023.
• Based on region, demand for fixed wing drone expected to increase at CAGR of 18.3% in East Asia during the forecast period.

“Agricultural Industry Preference for Low Cost Fixed Wing Drones to Boosts the Revenue Scale,” says a Fact.MR analyst.

Market Development

Smart spraying and sowing is not the only way to increase efficiency, reduce costs and increase yields across the farm. Drones can also be used to map areas and gain new insights. DJI drones so far has spread over 350,000 square kilometres in terms of fleet penetration and coverage area. Over the expected period, these factors are likely to contribute to the growth of the global fixed-wing drone market. Farmers manage their crops to ensure efficiency of inputs such as water and fertilizer to maximize productivity, quality and yield. The term also includes minimizing pests, unwanted flooding, and disease. Drones allow farmers to constantly monitor the condition of their crops and livestock from the air, quickly spotting problems that ground-level spot checks cannot.

Within 11 minutes, a magnitude 6.7 aftershock convulsed a region 60 miles north. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said an earthquake of this magnitude is unusual anywhere in the world. 

Husam Najm, a professor of civil and environmental engineering in the Rutgers School of Engineering who specializes in the study of various advanced concrete materials and the design of novel forms of concrete bridges, discusses the unfolding tragedy, its causes and efforts to design earthquake-resistant structures to stave off such catastrophic losses in the future.

USGS scientist David Wald said, “an earthquake this size has the potential to be damaging anywhere in the world, but many structures in this region are particularly vulnerable.” What is it about buildings with older types of concrete frames that makes them prone to collapse in a strong earthquake?

Although the Turkish Building Code includes seismic design and retrofit requirements to make structures like buildings and bridges resistant to earthquake damage, many of the buildings in Southeast Turkey were older buildings and were designed and built prior to the implementation of the seismic code requirements. Most likely many of these buildings are built from reinforced concrete frames or unreinforced masonry that do not have sufficient ductility capacity and energy dissipation ability – especially at joint locations – that they can’t sustain the ductility demand imposed on them from a large magnitude earthquake.

Reports indicate the two largest earthquakes in the recent series were relatively shallow, with the main earthquake 11 miles deep, and the aftershock about 6 miles deep, leading to intense shaking on the surface. Can you describe what excessive ground motion does to a building? Why can’t buildings simply absorb the motion?

Excessive ground motion can cause large forces on buildings because of the acceleration of the ground motion. These forces will be amplified if the building weight is large and the soil on which the foundations are built is soft. These forces will produce large horizontal movements, shaking, of the building. If the building is not designed to accommodate these movements or absorb the energy generated by the ground motion, collapse can happen.

Current seismic codes in countries with high seismic activities like the U.S, New Zealand, Japan, Turkey, Iran, Greece, South America and China have seismic design and retrofit requirements that allow buildings to absorb the energy generated by the ground motion and accommodate the movements.

What is it about the design of some buildings that makes them resistant to earthquakes? Are more such buildings being constructed? Are most people now living in buildings designed to withstand earthquakes?

A building designed with enough ductility capacity to accommodate the demand put on it from an earthquake should be able to resist earthquake ground motion and only suffer minor damage – mostly nonstructural damage. This is achieved by designing building columns, walls, braces, and joints to resist the ground motion forces. Proper detailing is also essential to provide the needed ductility. Detailing in concrete building means how the steel and the concrete are connected and the type of concrete used, such that the concrete is always confined so that it can provide the needed ductility. For steel buildings, detailing means how the bolts and welds are made and what type of steel material is used to ensure the needed ductility of steel.

More buildings in high seismic zones are designed and constructed to withstand large ground motions. There are many people living in buildings designed to meet seismic code requirements. But unfortunately, older buildings – if not retrofitted to meet current seismic code requirements – may not stand large earthquakes and there are many people around the world still living in those buildings.

What is the potential for new science and engineering approaches to protect people during earthquakes in the future?

It is still difficult to predict when an earthquake will happen and how big it will be. There is a lot of current research on this topic. Hopefully, we can get there soon – even if we can get an early warning of a few minutes, it will make a big difference. We learn a lot from every earthquake that happens, and we update our seismic design requirements. There have been a lot of advances in seismic design and ductile materials. The other thing that needs to be done is to retrofit older buildings and historic buildings. That is not an easy thing because it is very expensive and disruptive to people and businesses.

As the management tool and technical resource for manufacturing processes and the production of quality precast products, the manual is reviewed and updated to keep pace with advancing technologies in the precast industry.

NPCA certification is recognized by 40 states and more than 75 municipalities across the United States.

The NPCA Quality Assurance/Quality Control Committee voted in January and approved the following section changes along with editorial changes to the 2023 QC Manual.

• Section 3.2.4.3 Dry-Cast Concrete – Added requirements.
• Section 4.6.5 Plant Requirements – Added option to requirement.
• Under Section 1.1.5.2, NPCA Certified Plants are required to review their plant-specific QC manual. It is recommended that the plant complete this review by including a review of all critical section that apply to the products produced at the plant.

Click here to download the QC Manual and view a summary of changes.

“This is the first document of its kind that provides the rationale, data and formulas for determining the proper wall thickness for a fused, highly ductile, flexible HDPE water main in a seismically sensitive area, subjected to an induced lateral spread,” stated Camille George Rubeiz, P.E., F. ASCE, co-chair, Municipal Advisory Board and senior director of engineering, Municipal and Industrial Division of PPI. 

MAB serves as an independent, non-commercial adviser to the Municipal & Industrial Division of PPI, the major North American trade association representing the plastic pipe industry.

The MAB-9 Task Group was made up of industry experts who volunteered their time.  It was headed by Michael O’Rourke, Ph.D., P.E., F.SEI, M.ASCE, professor emeritus civil engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY).

“Experience suggests that high-density polyethylene pipe does very well in earthquakes,” O’Rourke said, “but engineers like to have ways to calculate and substantiate their design. Listening to what somebody else says that, ‘Oh yes, the pipe is great’,  but they still are faced with the question of ‘what wall thickness do I need?’  ‘I have this particular diameter pipe and it’s going to be buried this far underneath the ground so what wall thickness do I need for some expected seismic event?’  The goal is to have HDPE pipe that will be able to withstand the expected earthquake loads on this inherently ductile material.  With that in mind, MAB thought it would be useful to develop a document that provides designers with some relationships, tables, formulas, et cetera, that they can use to figure out how thick the wall would need to be for an expected lateral spread.  And that’s the purpose of the MAB-9.

“HDPE is known as a continuous pipe, which means the pipe segments, which are 40 feet to 50 feet long, are fused together,” he continued.  “The ductile iron or cast iron pipe has joints every 15 or 20 feet, and the damage from a seismic event frequently occurs at those joints.  Continuous pipe, whether it’s welded steel or high-density polyethylene, usually does better than segmented pipe in earthquakes.  HDPE has the added advantage over steel (and all other materials) in that it is highly ductile, flexible and corrosion resistant and so it can move with the earth as opposed to trying to resist the deformations that the earth is imposing on it.”

Rubeiz elaborated, “MAB-9 is essential for many reasons.  Proper wall thickness is very important, especially with earthquakes, and ground movement.  Plus, there continues to be a dire need to replace the aging infrastructure, especially pipes that are older and brittle that many seismic events will cause them to crack.  HDPE pipe and the information contained in MAB-9 will help in those replacement programs to provide a proper and resilient  water main system.

“We would also like to thank the other MAB members and supporting engineers who provided their time and expertise to the project – Robert Diamond, P.E., City of Palo Alto, CA; Casey Haynes, P.E., City Utilities, Springfield, MO; Bill Heubach, P.E., M. ASCE, Seattle Public Utilities, WA; Harvey Svetlik, P.E., GPPC, TX; and Gerry Groen, P.Eng., Infra Pipe Solutions, ON.”

MAB-9, Design of HDPE Water Mains for the Lateral Spread Seismic Hazard can be found at:  https://www.plasticpipe.org/common/Uploaded%20files/1-PPI/MAB%20Publications/MAB-09/MAB-9%20Final%201-17-2023.pdf

Beginning with a description of the early observations of natural phenomena, such as lightning and thunderstorms, and the effects of these on aircraft flying through thunderclouds, the book describes the early laboratory measurements carried out to understand the physical processes behind charge separation and generation of high voltages at the freezing interface. The review concludes with examples of field studies and proposes the need to continue the studies to use the method as a geophysical tool to study the freezing of ground in cold regions.

Encouraging future researchers to continue this work in a more systematic way, this publication is useful for undergraduate and graduate students who wish to pursue a career in cold regions engineering, and for scientists and engineers working on the design of infrastructure in cold regions.

To purchase online, visit the ASCE Bookstore

Limited review copies are available for book reviews. Please contact Leslie Connelly, lconnelly@asce.org.

Since then, advancements in the paint additives industry have come a long way. Latest formulations are mainly designed to add up new useful characteristics that can provide environmental, decorative, as well as functional benefits.

At present, the industry utilizes a wide range of coating additives, and leading manufacturers are constantly investing in research activities to expand their existing portfolios. They are, hence, enabling enhancements such as preventing growth of mildew, quick drying paints, and superior adhesion.

Numerous companies are focusing on improving the antibacterial properties and smell of coating additives. As the demand for enhanced characteristics such as UV protection, dispersion of solids, scrub resistance, gloss control, wetting, improved leveling, and foam-reduction is skyrocketing, key companies are striving to refine their product offerings to generate high shares.

Alongside these improvements, a long line of stringent norms has come along as a result of consumer and political pressure. These norms aim to prevent harm to the environment and human beings by compelling manufacturers to develop new paints that would contain zero volatile organic compounds. Surging desire to upgrade the way paints work and lower their negative influence is expected to pave the way for new coating additives.

Fact.MR, a leading market research firm, mentioned that the global coating additives market is estimated to surpass US$ 9.3 billion in 2023 and exhibit considerable growth at a CAGR of 5.0% in the next ten years from 2023 to 2033. Increasing utilization of innovative coating additives in construction paints to improve the surface effectiveness, as well as viscosity of substrates, is one of the prominent factors propelling sales.

Burgeoning demand for architectural and industrial applications is another vital factor that is estimated to bode well for the coating additive industry. Consumers are expected to choose those exterior coating additives that are highly effective against algae, fungi, and bacteria. On the back of changing demand, prominent companies are likely to focus on introducing high-quality coating additives in the foreseeable future.

TEGO Powder Aid D01 from Evonik Industries AG to Change the Game for Powder Coating Formulators

In December 2022, Evonik Industries AG, a renowned specialty chemicals manufacturer based in Germany, introduced a new multifunctional polymer additive named TEGO Powder Aid D01. It can be used for powder coating formulations and would help to make them disperse by effectively reducing melt viscosity, as well as promoting pigment wetting during extrusion.

The newly launched additive can ensure better Distinctness of Image (DOI) and optimize gloss development on the surface of coatings. TEGO Powder Aid D01 is also versatile in nature as it can be utilized in formulations containing both organic pigments such as carbon black and inorganic pigments & fillers.

As per Evonik Industries AG, its product can generate a significant effect in small amounts and is ideal for those looking for an individual multifunctional additive for numerous powder coating systems. The product can also act as a synergist with a wide range of additives. Over coating is set to be possible with the help of the new product as it does not contain surface-active wax.

Solvay Ushers in an Era of Aesthetic Emulsion with Launch of Reactsurf 2490 Additive

Solvay, a multinational chemical company headquartered in Belgium, introduced a new alkylphenol ethoxylates (APE)-free1 polymerizable surfactant called Reactsurf 2490 in November 2022. It is a cutting-edge emulsifier that can accelerate the performance of coatings and additives. It was mainly designed to act as a primary emulsifier for styrene-acrylic, vinyl-acrylic, and acrylic latex systems.

The new product can boost performance of emulsion to provide superior aesthetic and functional benefits in pressure sensitive adhesives, as well as exterior coatings. It can perform well even at high temperatures, unlike conventional surfactants. According to Solvay, Reactsurf 2490 can be utilized in building & construction, paint binders, paper coatings, nonwoven & textile binders, and sealants & adhesive applications.

Clariant Unveils ClariCoat, a 24/7 Digital Tool to Help Formulators Choose the Right Additive

Increasing preference for sustainable formulations and stringent government norms associated with products that emit volatile organic compounds are encouraging key manufacturers of paints and coatings to launch eco-friendly products. They are also creating awareness either with the help of social media campaigns or by developing digital tools to help consumers get a better understanding of numerous additives.

In October 2022, Clariant AG, a multinational specialty chemicals manufacturer based in Switzerland, for instance, unveiled a results-focused web application named ClariCoat for additives. It enables customized property selection that covers a wide range of performance criteria- right from sustainability and workability to liquid paint stability.

Once the user completes criteria selection, the product recommendation engine offers results of suitable additives that would meet the requirements of paint formulators. The new digital tool would help address high demand for sustainable coatings and paints. Surging inclination toward water-based paint systems is another factor that would push sales of paints and coatings additives. Hence, Clariant AG aims to provide formulators with proper guidance through ClariCoat 24/7.

What Does the Next Decade Hold for Coating Additive Manufacturers?

One of the most prominent trends in the coating additive industry that is anticipated to progress in the next ten years is development of water-borne formulations. Consumers are set to shift toward powder-based and water-borne coating additives from solvent-borne products due to strict environmental regulations.

Demand for fluoropolymer coating additives is further estimated to catapult the coating additive industry. These additives deliver excellent protection against corrosion, chemicals, temperature, and abrasion among others. Expansion of both residential and commercial sectors in the USA, China, Germany, Canada, India, and Japan is another vital factor that would fuel demand for coating additives as they are extensively used to protect buildings.

In the USA, for instance, around 90% of all architectural coatings sold are water-based, finds Fact.MR. Increasing demand for these coatings for the development of a vast network of infrastructure such as electrical grids, ports, and bridges is projected to drive sales.

Fact.MR further states that total exports of acrylic polymer from the USA is anticipated to reach US$ 1490 million by 2023, while imports are likely to go up by US$ 1178 million during the same year. Surging use of acrylic additives in water-borne coatings for applications in outdoor glazing, especially in construction and architecture would accelerate sales of coating additives in the country.

In Canada, on the other hand, investments in non-residential construction were up by 0.2% in November 2022 and reached US$ 5.5 billion, whereas single-family home construction investments fell by 2.0% to nearly US$ 14.9 billion in the same month.

The aforementioned factors prove that booming building and construction activities, especially in the non-residential and commercial sectors would augment demand for superior coating additives for protecting the exteriors of structures. Leading companies are predicted to soon adopt eco-friendly manufacturing processes for keeping up with strict guidelines provided by government bodies worldwide.

These insights are based on a report on Coating Additives Market by Fact.MR.

Author Bio:

Yash is a Client Partner at Fact.MR, with a proven experience in market research & consulting industry and has been closely working on Chemicals & Materials vertical. Yash is instrumental in developing strategies and providing consultancy at Fact.MR, as well as holds expertise in providing Go-No-Go decision recommendations, plant feasibility studies, route to market, long term production capacity and utilization planning, demand projections, sensitivity and plant location analysis, price benchmarking among other key skills.

Yash is an MBA in Marketing and a Graduate in Automobile Engineering. 

“The Dodge Momentum Index weakened in January, after 10 consecutive months of gains. While planning activity slowed, the Index remains elevated, and the volume of projects remains steady,” stated Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting for Dodge Construction Network. “After such strong growth in 2022, we expect the Index to work its way back towards historical norms this year, in tandem with weaker economic growth. Overall, levels of planning activity remained comparatively strong over the month — which bodes well for the construction sector.”

Weakness in commercial planning in January was broad-based, with office, warehouse, retail and hotel activity declining. Slower activity in education and amusement projects drove down the institutional portion of the Index, nullifying the impact of gains in healthcare and public planning over the month. On a year-over-year basis, the DMI remains 32% higher than in January 2022. The commercial component was up 40%, and the institutional component was 16% higher.

A total of 26 projects with a value of $100 million or more entered planning in January. The leading commercial projects included the $325 million Westfield Data Center in Westfield, MA, and the $275 million Illinois Medical District Data Center in Chicago, IL. The leading institutional projects comprised of the $315 million USC Discovery and Translational Hub laboratory building in Los Angeles, CA, and the $211 million Granary Lab and Office Building in Salt Lake City, UT.  

The DMI is a monthly measure of the initial report for nonresidential building projects in planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year.

Watch Associate Director of Forecasting Sarah Martin discuss January’s DMI here.

Paints and coatings industry is one of the significant drivers for the global de-aromatic solvent market. The increasing demand for water-borne paints and coatings, that use less volatile organic compounds, is anticipated to drive de-aromatic solvent demand during the forecast period. Currently, paint & coatings formulation segment holds around 27.2% share of the global market.

Key Trends:

• Growing demand for bio-based de-aromatic solvents is witnessed in the market. These are made from renewable raw materials and are more environmentally friendly.
• Companies are investing in R&D to develop new de-aromatic solvents with improved performance characteristics, which will drive growth in the market.
• As consumers become more environmentally conscious, there is a growing demand for bio-based solvents made from renewable sources such as corn, sugarcane, and potatoes. These solvents are considered more sustainable and biodegradable than traditional petrochemical-based solvents.

Drivers:

• De-aromatized solvents offer various benefits such as low VOC content, high occupational exposure limits, and low toxicity. These features offer various benefits that act as a driver for the growth of the market.
• Growing paint and coat industry is expected to boost the adoption of de-aromatic solvents during the forecast period. Apart from this, demand for paints from various other industries such as marine, and aerospace is expected to drive the adoption of the solvents.
• De-aromatic solvents are less toxic than traditional aromatic solvents, which makes them a safer alternative for workers in industries such as printing, coatings, and cleaning.
• There is a growing demand for products that are less harmful to the environment and de-aromatic solvents are becoming increasingly popular in the formulation of eco-friendly products. Besides this, the development of new de-aromatic solvents with improved performance characteristics is driving the growth of the market.
• Development of more efficient and cost-effective production processes: Companies are investing in new technologies to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of de-aromatized solvent production processes. This includes the use of catalytic processes, alternative synthesis routes, and improved distillation methods.

Restraints:

• De-aromatic solvents are more expensive than traditional aromatic solvents. Besides this, the production of de-aromatic is limited which can offer supply constraints.
• There is limited awareness about de-aromatic solvents, which can make it difficult for companies to market and sell them effectively.

Regional Overview:

• The de-aromatic solvents market in the United States is growing at a substantial rate due to increasing environmental concerns, regulations, and demand for eco-friendly products. Government regulations, such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulations on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), are driving the demand for de-aromatic solvents as a safer alternative to traditional aromatic solvents.
• Market in Asia-Pacific is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period due to the major usage of solvents in various industries in China and India. Moreover, in Asia Pacific, there is a growing awareness of the negative impact of toxic solvents on the environment. In fact, governments are also imposing stricter regulations on their usage in the countries.
• Government regulations, such as the European Union’s (EU) regulations on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), are driving the demand for de-aromatic solvents as a safer alternative to traditional aromatic solvents. The coatings, inks, and cleaning industries are major end-users of solvents in Europe, and they are increasingly adopting de-aromatic solvents as a safer alternative.

Competitive Landscape:

Key players in the market are investing in new technologies to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of de-aromatized solvent production processes. These processes include alternative synthetic routes and improved distillation methods.

Large players are investing in new technologies to improve the purity of their solvents and meet the growing demand. The demand for high-purity solvents is increasing, particularly in the pharmaceutical and electronics industries. This is due to the need for solvents with low levels of impurities that can affect product quality and safety.

These insights are based on a report on De-aromatic Solvents Market by Fact.MR.

The scope, accuracy and type of data used were not available until recently, due to technological advances. Using that data, the study sought to identify key areas of inefficiency in the construction industry, as well as to provide objective practical insights into how to maximize efficiency and reduce costs. 

Among its key findings:

• On average, only 46% of areas are utilized on a project during a given week, leaving tremendous potential to increase projects’ turnaround times
• For projects that span over 1,000,000 sq ft, average area utilization is just 10%, whereas smaller projects generally utilize 50% or more
• Nearly 11% of subcontractor visits end with work being left incomplete
• Commercial projects have 57% more subcontractor return visits than residential projects
• Subcontractor output fluctuates greatly from week to week, a significant cause of project delays
• Roughly 10% of activities at a given construction site are performed out of sequence

The research was based on anonymized data collected and analyzed via the Buildots platform from 64 global construction projects undertaken between 2018 and 2022. The projects totalled over 82 years of combined construction time and 14M sq ft of built space – more than six times the area of the Empire State Building. They represented multiple regions and project types throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Europe, Japan, Israel, and elsewhere. Slightly more than half were residential, while the rest were office fit-outs, hospitals, schools, and industrial projects. The average project size was 221,000 sq ft and took 16 months to complete. 

Due to the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity of large-scale construction projects, the industry previously lacked access to this type of real-time data, capable of accurately quantifying inefficiencies.

“Construction companies today lack complete visibility regarding the productivity of their projects and the effectiveness of their management methods,” according to Buildots CEO Roy Danon. “The information published in this report not only indicates the issues found across a wide-range of international construction projects, but also presents suggestions of how to address them. This holds tremendous potential to drive the industry forward into a new era of data-driven efficiency and progress.”

The award-winning technology is currently being used by leading construction firms on dozens of large-scale projects across the US, UK, Europe and the Middle East. 

The report is now available online: https://pages.buildots.com/inefficiency-of-construction-mgmt-pr

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Global Industrial Annunciator Market – Report Scope:

Global Industrial Annunciator Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments

ABB Ltd., AMETEK, Inc., Eaton Corporation plc, NOTIFIER, and Apex Automation Solutions are the top five key players profiled in the industrial annunciator market report. Several other essential market players were analyzed for a holistic view of the market and its ecosystem. The report provides detailed market insights, which help the key players strategize their growth. A few developments under the industrial annunciator market are mentioned below:

In October 2018, ABB Ltd. announced an investment of US$ 150 Mn in Shanghai, China. The investment is aimed to build the most advanced, automated, and flexible robotics factory. This production line will focus on machine learning, digital and collaborative solutions and the R & D team will focus on AI research.

In November 2019, AMETEK France opened a Technology Solutions Centre as a regional headquarters in Élancourt City to support the growth of its electromechanical product and electronic instrument businesses in France. Moreover, the center was opened to serve as a hub of innovation for the European markets.

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Growing Demand for Noise Immune Industrial Annunciators to Provide Lucrative Opportunities for Global Industrial Annunciator Market Growth during (2020-2027):

The latest annunciator designs nowadays offer a very high immunity to noise, which helps in reducing the extent of false alarms caused by a huge amount of noise generated in industries. Over 90% of these calls are false alarms. With ever more systems being installed, the overall demand for noise-immune industrial annunciators is increasing. False alarms interrupt both business and staff. Repetitive false alarms cause complacency and thus result in alarms being ignored. Reliability and flexibility are essential requirements in the industrial process. Alarms owing to false signals may lead to shutdown and evacuation, which can be very costly, thus it is also vital to reduce false alarm incidents. Alarm noise in an industrial environment can create chaos with process control systems. Any industry wherein false alarm incidents happen repeatedly face hefty losses owing to production disruption and fines; thus, several industries are switching or replacing their old annunciators with noise immunity annunciators. It provides a prosperous growth opportunity to the players operating in the industrial annunciators market.

The industrial annunciator market growth in North America is growing rapidly. North America includes developed economies, including the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The increasing adoption of factory automation in countries such as the US and Canada owing to increasing labor costs and availability of developed infrastructure is expected to boost the market for industrial annunciator in the region. Moreover, stringent government regulations related to the safety of industries are another significant factor propelling the growth of the market. The trend towards smart factories in the US is increasing, accelerating the deployment of advanced software and connected equipment and procedures. For instance, in 2019, Schneider Electric announced to open of its first smart factory in the US, which will result in reducing the mean repair time by ~20%. Such initiatives are expected to boost the deployment of industrial annunciators across factories in the country and contribute to the growth of the industrial annunciator market growth in North America.

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Industrial Annunciator Market: Industry Overview

The industrial annunciator market has been segmented on the basis of type, end-user, and geography. Based on type, the industrial annunciator is segmented into conventional annunciators and dedicated annunciators. Based on end-user, the industrial annunciator is segmented into process and discrete industries. Based on geography, the industrial annunciator market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), the Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South America (SAM).

The industrial annunciator market in Asia Pacific is projected to witness impressive growth during 2020–2027. APAC region comprises several developing economies that are witnessing high growth in their manufacturing sector. The region has become a global manufacturing hub with the presence of diverse manufacturing industries. Among China’s evolution into a high-skilled manufacturing hub, other developing countries, such as India, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, are attracting several businesses that are in the quest to relocate their low to medium-skilled manufacturing facilities to neighboring countries, offering lower labor cost. Further, the governments of these countries are making developments to improve investment ideas. This dramatic growth in manufacturing spending and the adoption of novel technologies are the key factors fueling the industrial annunciator market growth in Asia Pacific.

The manufacturing & industrial sector in Europe is one of the most technically advanced and innovative sectors worldwide. Also, European manufacturing is a leading component in international trade, dominating the world in the fields of machinery, automotive, and agricultural engineering. The growing use of sensors, the development of wireless communication and networks, the installation of intelligent robots and machines in the European industrial sector has transformed manufacturing processes. The rising automation has resulted in increased electrification of industries, which is expected to drive the industrial annunciator market growth in Europe

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Today, as we emerge post-pandemic, nearly everyone in construction has experienced disruption in the form of unanticipated delays or shutdowns of projects over the last 2-3 years.  As a result, many have considered triggering force majeure to provide relief from losses caused by those delays or shutdowns by attempting to link them to the illness, because it was unforeseeable and beyond the control of either party.  Many of those attempts failed because the boilerplate wording neglected to adequately define the force majeure, link it to the damages and specify what needs to happen once that force majeure is encountered.

Said James Gallagher, principal at Resolution Management Consultants, “It may come as a surprise to many who felt comfortably protected by their force majeure clause, however, just because a contract has a force majeure clause doesn’t necessarily mean that one can recover damages from the unexpected.  If Covid-19 itself didn’t specifically cause your disruption, it is unlikely that you will be permitted relief from the contract and/or recover any damages.  To succeed in an action, one must demonstrate that the contractual obligation can’t in fact be performed and that the experience isn’t just an inconvenience.”

Gallagher believes that the pandemic has provided a teachable moment for the construction industry regarding the wording of force majeure clauses.   Future contracts must make the clause more relevant to the disruption, adding in more effective wording for definitions, damages and timelines.  He suggests 7 points for consideration:

1) What connotes a force majeure?  Future contracts will need to broaden the definition of force majeure to include the recent unanticipated calamities, such as “epidemic” and “pandemic”, as well as “government action” and “national emergency”.

2) At the same time, one must be careful not to define force majeure too tightly or the courts might take your list to be all-inclusive and reject anything not specifically stated.

3) The wording should also take into account potential indirect causes for a delay or shutdown.  For example, if a federal inspector is not permitted to visit a federal project, due to state health regulations, that may cause a delay or shutdown since without the inspector the job cannot continue to the next steps.

4) Define the potential damages more effectively.  Until now, remedies in force majeure cases tended to focus on providing extra time to complete the contract.  If a delay or shutdown causes monetary losses, price increases, personnel issues or other damages, extra time may not be enough to remedy the damages.

5) Specify a window of time to provide notice of force majeure so that you preserve your rights under the contract.  Most current force majeure clauses offer no timetable or allow too little time for determining a loss, notifying other parties and making a claim.

6) Take a global view.  Since many materials come from around the world broaden your definition to include unexpected activities happening in other countries that affect your project by affecting other countries where raw materials, manufacturing, delivery and other goods and services originate.

7) Remember insurance.  Make sure your insurance coverage is compatible with your force majeure definition.

Said Gallagher, “It’s not as though these issues were not there prior to the pandemic.  However, experiences over the last 2-3 years have put a spotlight on disruption and the weaknesses in many force majeure clauses that had rarely needed to be considered.”

• Interviews with university personnel, the architect and construction team.
• Design insights that delve into the need for a campus-friendly yet accommodating and flexible space.
• Photos, drawings and design graphics that highlight important aspects of the project.

This is MBMA’s fourth Architectural Significance in Metal Buildings folio. Others spotlight the Alamo Beer Company in San Antonio, the Boston Sports Institute in Wellesley, Massachusetts and the Michelle and Barack Obama Sports Complex in Los Angeles.

_________
Founded in 1956, MBMA serves manufacturers and suppliers as it works to promote the metal building systems industry. For over 60 years, its membership has supplied high-quality buildings for use in commercial, retail, office, industrial, institutional and other end uses. The association provides a wealth of useful information on its website, MBMA.com, for anyone who works with or is interested in metal building systems. Resources include technical materials, research reports, videos and design guides. The MBMA blog provides the most current research and new ideas to propel the industry.

Commercial and multifamily construction has made impressive gains in 2022 largely driven by rising demand for apartments and condos. Not to be outdone, commercial starts also posted strong gains fueled by increased demand for hotel, data center, and retail projects.

The New York metropolitan area was the top market for commercial and multifamily starts in 2022 at $37.1 billion, an increase of 37% from 2021. The Dallas, TX, metropolitan area was in second place, totaling $16.7 billion in 2022, a 51% gain. The Washington, D.C., metro area ranked third during 2022 with $11.4 billion in starts — a 38% gain over 2021.

The remaining top 10 metropolitan areas through the first half of 2022 were:

• Miami, FL, up 35% ($11.0 billion)
• Atlanta, GA, up 43% ($9.6 billion)
• Houston, TX, up 41% ($8.7 billion)
• Phoenix, AZ, up 33% ($8.4 billion)
• Austin, TX, up 48% ($8.1 billion)
• Chicago, IL, up 42% ($7.2 billion)
• Seattle, WA, up 1% ($6.8 billion).

In 2022, the top 10 metropolitan areas accounted for 40% of all commercial and multifamily starts in the United States, up from 37% in 2021.

Commercial and multifamily starts are comprised of office buildings, stores, hotels, warehouses, commercial garages, and multifamily housing. Not included in this ranking are institutional projects (e.g., educational facilities, hospitals, convention centers, casinos, transportation terminals), manufacturing buildings, single family housing, public works, and electric utilities/gas plants.

In total, U.S. commercial and multifamily building starts rose 25% from 2021 to $308.4 billion. Commercial starts climbed 25% to $159 billion, and multifamily starts gained 25% to $149.4 billion. In 2022, across the top 10 metro areas, commercial building starts rose 34% to $60.4 billion, and multifamily starts gained 40% to $64.6 billion.

“The year 2022 will go down as a banner year for construction starts,” stated Richard Branch, chief economist for Dodge Construction Network. “Even when adjusted for inflation, commercial and multifamily starts were impressive as construction activity began to move back towards downturn urban cores. This pace of activity, however, is unlikely to be sustained in 2023 as the economy is slated to slow and approach stall speed. Commercial and multifamily construction starts are likely to take this on the chin and post declines for the year.”

In the New York, NY, metropolitan area, commercial and multifamily construction starts rose 37% in 2022 to $37.1 billion. Multifamily starts were up a stellar 76%. The largest multifamily projects to break ground during 2022 were the $800 million Two Bridges mixed-use building and the $680 million first phase of the One Journal Square building. In 2022, commercial starts were down 15% as office and warehouse starts posted sizable declines offsetting gains in retail and hotel starts. The largest commercial projects to get started in 2022 were the $540 million 520 Fifth Avenue mixed-use building and a $400 million hotel on Eighth Avenue.

Commercial and multifamily starts in the Dallas, TX, metro area rose 51% in 2022 to $16.7 billion. Commercial starts increased 52% with only the hotel sector to fall during the year. The largest commercial projects to get underway during the year were the $314 million Hall Park D1 mixed-use building and a $206 million Walmart distribution center. Multifamily starts rose 48% over the year. The largest multifamily projects to start were the $119 million Hanover Preston Hollow residential building and the $177 million third phase of the Trinty Green apartments.

In the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, commercial and multifamily construction starts rose 38% to $11.4 billion. Multifamily starts moved 3% higher in 2022. The largest multifamily projects to break ground were the $329 million Reston Next Block D tower and the $163 million 113 Potomac Ave SW building. In 2022, commercial starts rose 78% thanks to a large increase in office and hotel starts, while retail construction fell. The largest commercial projects to get underway during the year were the $940 million Digital Dulles Data Center Buildings 7 and 9 and the $675 million Dulles Berry Data Center LC8.

Miami, FL, commercial and multifamily starts were 35% higher in 2022 than the year prior at $11 billion. Commercial starts in Miami gained 38% as office starts more than doubled during the year. The largest commercial projects to get started during 2022 were the $300 million Royal Caribbean headquarters and the $91 million One Flagler office building. In 2022, multifamily construction rose 33% from 2021. The largest multifamily buildings to get started were the $700 million Aria Reserve building and the $450 million Waldorf Astoria hotel and residences.

The Atlanta, GA, commercial and multifamily building starts rose 43% in 2022 to $9.6 billion. Commercial starts in Atlanta gained 55% with hotel starts the only sector to decline. The largest commercial projects to start during the year were the $224 million 1020 Spring Street office building and the $160 million “The Bailey” mixed-use building. Multifamily starts meanwhile rose 29%. The largest multifamily buildings to break ground in 2022 were the $143 million Society mixed-use building and the $135 million Rhapsody apartments.

Commercial and multifamily starts in the Houston, TX, metropolitan area climbed 41% in 2022 to $8.7 billion. For the year, multifamily construction rose 29%. The largest multifamily structures to break ground during the year were the $101 million X Houston apartments and the $90 million Resia Ten Oaks apartments. In 2022, commercial starts in Houston moved 48% higher, fueled by more gains in warehouse and retail starts. The largest commercial projects to get started during the year were the $168 million Project Channel fulfillment center and the $150 million Great Wolf Lodge hotel.

In Phoenix, AZ, commercial and multifamily starts were up 33% in 2022 to $8.4 billion. Multifamily starts were up 16% for the year. The largest multifamily projects to break ground during the year were the $345 million 601 N Central mixed-use building and the $184 million Saiya/McKinley Green residential tower. In 2022, total commercial starts rose 44% compared to 2021. This growth was mostly led by the warehouse sector, although retail and parking structures also posted solid growth while office and hotel starts fell. The largest commercial projects to get underway were the $460 million Park 303 warehouse building and the $224 million The Hub @ 202 industrial complex.

Austin, TX, commercial and multifamily starts were 48% higher at $8.1 billion in 2022. Commercial starts in Austin more than doubled over the year, mainly due to office construction, supplemented by all other commercial sectors. The largest commercial projects to get started during 2022 were the $520 million Waller Creek mixed-use building and the $375 million The Republic office building. In 2022, multifamily construction rose 17% from 2021. The largest multifamily buildings to get started were the $300 million Modern Austin residences and the $262 million Union on 24^th building.

Chicago, IL, commercial and multifamily construction starts were up 43% to $7.2 billion during in 2022. Commercial starts moved 86% higher during the year led by sharp gains in office and hotel construction. The largest commercial projects to break ground were the $840 million CloudHQ Data Center and $230 million Microsoft data center. Multifamily starts fell 3% in 2022. The largest multifamily structures to break ground during the year were the $140 million Fulton River District apartment tower and a $140 million apartment building at 210 N Aberdeen St. In Seattle, WA, commercial and multifamily starts were up 1% to $6.8 billion in 2022. Multifamily starts were up 8% from 2021. The largest multifamily projects to get underway during the year were the $400 million Civic Square condominium building and the $371 million Seattle House mixed-use building. Commercial starts were down 4% for the year due to pullbacks in office and warehouse construction, while retail and hotel starts improved. The largest commercial projects to break ground during the year were the $350 million Omni South Lake Union office building and the $265 million Washington 1000 office tower.

Metal-Cutting Machine Market Scope and Research Methodology

The market intelligence report on Metal-Cutting Machine Market covers key drivers, challenges, lucrative opportunities and recent development in the market. Key offerings include market size, growth rate, demand and pricing analysis of the Metal-Cutting Machine Market. Thus the report acts as a toolkit for clients to grasp the growth prospects and formulate business strategies.

For regional analysis, manufacturers are presented with insights such as regional market size, market penetration and regional dominance. Segment-wise analysis of the market by Application, Product Type is conducted to understand the market structure and provides valuable information on the fastest growing segments with probable reasons for growth. A competitive landscape of the Metal-Cutting Machine Market is drawn by listing key manufacturers along with new entrants in the industry. This is carried out based on indicators that include the revenue generated by the manufacturers, financial status, marketing tactics, advertising, adoption of technical advancements, mergers and acquisitions and joint alliances.

A mix of qualitative and quantitative analysis to gain a clear understanding of the market dynamics was conducted. The market size was estimated using a bottom-up approach in the report. Primary and secondary data collection methods were used to collect data for the analysis of the Metal-Cutting Machine Market. To estimate the Metal-Cutting Machine Market size, a bottom-up approach was used, the inferences of which were validated using primary research. The tool employed for analysing the market includes SWOT, PESTLE and Porter’s Five Force analysis. The analysis helps manufacturers understand the pattern of demand for the product, market gaps and new opportunities for the growth of the market.

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Metal-Cutting Machine Market Overview

Metal cutting machines are used to cut metals to achieve the desired shape from chips or blocks of metal. These machines include lathes, drilling machines, milling machines, grinding machines and machining centres. Common metal-cutting processes include drilling, turning, boring and milling. Factors that are considered during the metal-cutting process include the type of metal, temperature, force, power and finish to name a few. Over the forecast period, digitization and growing use by developing countries due to the rapid growth of various end-use industries is expected to fuel the growth of the Metal-Cutting Machine industry. However, the high cost of advanced machines is expected to retrain the market growth.

Metal-Cutting Machine Market Dynamics

The incorporation of digitization in the industry is expected to be the primary driver of the Metal-Cutting Machine Market over the forecast period. Digitization in the industry would not only reduce work time but also improve accuracy, increase productivity and significantly increase cash flows in the Metal-Cutting Machine Market. Examples of the same would be digital tool organisation, machine-readable tool setup data and many more. Digitization in the industry is also expected to result in a smoother implementation of automation and tackle the problem of an ageing labour base by easing new engineers in the Metal-Cutting Machine Market.

Developmental activities in countries like India, China, Brazil and Mexico are also driving the Metal-Cutting Machine Market growth. Increasing urbanisation and industrialisation in these economies have opened up new opportunities for the growth of the Metal-Cutting Machine industry. This is especially true for the construction industry where metal needs to be cut precisely in terms of measurement, thickness and form. End-use industries such as manufacturing, aerospace and defence and automotive are expected to fuel the industry growth. Governments across the world are increasing their expenditure on defence which is expected to increase demand for Metal-Cutting Machine Market. However, the high cost of advanced metal-cutting machines is expected to restrain the Metal-Cutting Machine Market growth over the forecast period.