Additions Eligibility for LEED Certifications Have Limits

Dan Overbey of Browning Day Mullins Deirdorf Architects has created a paper discussing the limits and restrictions for additions regarding LEED-EB and LEED-NC.

Check it out here.

Carbon Cast Concrete

Guest Post by K. Phillips

Carbon Cast concrete is an innovative technology that uses conventional steel for primary reinforcing and C-GRID epoxy-coated carbon fiber composite grid for secondary reinforcing and shear transfer. This allows the material to be very lightweight compared to normal reinforced concrete.

It has greater long-term durability, increased insulating properties and greater sustainability on top of the benefits of other concretes. This technology is the first advancement in precast concrete in over 50 years. These precast panels can weigh up to 66% less than the normal precast.

Advantages of using CarbonCast Concrete panels

• Energy efficient
• They are light weight as a lot of the concrete mass in traditional precast panels is not needed
• The panels are dry and mould free
• Superior compared to ordinary precast concrete panels at load bearing
• Non-combustible
• The panels are quickly erected as they are light
• The heating costs in the finished structure are reduced due to the insulation used in the panels
• Carbon fibre will not corrode

The development Habitat for Humanity in New York City was constructed using Carbon Cast concrete panels. The houses could be erected very quickly as the panels are very light and much smaller machinery could be used to manoeuvre them into place. This meant that the project could be completed in a short space of time and families had homes a lot earlier than they would have had otherwise. Carbon Cast panels will last longer than the usual framed structures that are used. Carbon fibre reinforcement is used in the face of the panels instead of welded wire mess.

This allowed 50% of the concrete content to be removed as it is usually used to protect the steel mess from corroding and this will not occur with carbon fibre. As a lot of the mass has been removed EPS insulation could be incorporated in the panels. This will reduce the energy costs for the occupant significantly. As there is still concrete in the panels noise levels in the houses will be reduced. Concrete helps to keep internal noise inside and street noise on the outside. This improves the living conditions in the houses compared to conventional frame construction or brick dwellings.

These panels are resistant to insects, pests, mould and fire. This gives the occupier piece of mind that their home is safe. The external surface of the Carbon Cast panels can be made to look like most materials. This gives the designer the freedom to make their building attractive without compromising the structural properties.



Fiona is an Architect and has written and published numerous articles. She is engaged and lives with her partner Ryan. http://www.articlewritingtoday.info
http://www.dogbreedsworld.info
http://www.youandyourgarden.info

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_899566_33.html

Self-consolidating Concrete (SCC)

Guest Post by K. Phillips

Concrete is a compound material, which has been used in construction for over 2000 years. It is made from a mixture of sand, cement and gravel. It is thought that the Romans, in their roads and aqua ducts, first used it. The Romans mixed horsehair and animal blood into their concrete. The horsehair helped to reduce shrinkage and the blood created small air bubbles in the mix, which made it more durable.

In 1824 Joseph Aspdin invented Portland cement. He created this material by burning ground limestone and clay together in a kiln. By adding iron rods to concrete Joseph Monier invented reinforced concrete in 1849.

Self-consolidating Concrete (SCC)

Self-consolidating concrete is a material that has all the benefits of conventional concrete with some added improvements. High-range water-reducing admixtures and increased fines content allow this concrete to become very fluid without losing compressive strength or compromising durability.

Also known as self-compacting and self-levelling concrete, SCC has allowed architects to be more creative with the forms used in their designs. It has also allowed for the materiality of the building surface to be exposed as SCC has very few or no surface defects.

Advantages of using SCC

• It can be poured much faster than normal concrete
• No mechanical vibration is needed
• Near perfect surface finish so no need for surface touch ups:
• Easily fills confined spaces
• Bonds to reinforcement much better than conventional concrete
• Allows the creation of shapes and finishes not achievable with normal concrete
• Savings can be made on labour
• Mixing trucks do not have to move around the site as much
• Improves site safety
• Project time is decreased
• Elimination of vibrator noise means sites can work longer hours
• Reduces the wear on equipment

Self-consolidating concrete can be tested using the slump flow test. This is the most common field test used for this material. It involves filling the slump cone to the top without consolidation and then lifting the cone allowing the concrete mix to flow out onto a flat area. The concrete then levels out and the spread is measured. Spreads range from diameters of 18 inches to 32 inches.

The viscosity of the concrete can also be estimated using the slump test. It is estimated by timing how long it takes for the concrete to spread to 20 inches from the time the cone is lifted. Self-consolidating concrete with a high viscosity value is appropriate for use in structures with congested reinforcement or deep sections. A low viscosity value in concrete will make the mix good for use in long horizontal distances.

Resistance to segregation can be measured using the Visual Stability Index (VSI). As the concrete spreads out the person carrying out the evaluation should be observing whether there is bleed water at the leading edge. They also need to check if aggregate collects in the centre of the spread. The VSI value ranges from zero meaning highly stable to three which means unacceptable stability.



Fiona is an Architect and has written and published numerous articles. She is engaged and lives with her partner Ryan. http://www.articlewritingtoday.info
http://www.dogbreedsworld.info
http://www.youandyourgarden.info

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_899576_33.html

Infobarrel.com Articles

I am trying out an article posting site called Infobarrel.com (affiliate link).  I have a couple articles posted there already and will announce additions as they are accepted.

http://www.infobarrel.com/Julys_Incredible_Holidays

http://www.infobarrel.com/When_to_Make_the_Switch_from_PayPal_to_a_Merchant_Account

http://www.infobarrel.com/When_to_Ask_for_a_Rate_Review_on_Your_Merchant_Account

Time and Motion studies In Construction

Guest Post by K. Phillips

Time and Motion studies are a procedure where analysis of a job or group of jobs is conducted to check the effectiveness of the equipment, work method and the employees. The outcomes of these studies were used to help improve operations.  Time and motion studies were first used in the USA by Frederick Winslow Taylor in the early 20th century.

Frank and Lillian Gilbreth’s work was separate from Taylor’s but the two became interconnected. Time and motion studies are a major part of Scientific management. The practice of these studies has continued to increase throughout the industrialized world.

Frank Bunker Gilbreth and Lillian Gilbreth were a husband and wife team who wanted to make techniques more proficient by reducing the number of movements involved. Frank was an American bricklayer to trade and he came up with the idea of motion study whilst watching his colleagues at work. He noticed that nobody was using the same process to move and then lay the bricks.

Whilst studying them he reduced their movements to eighteen simple motions. Including hold, grasp and transport load. Gilbreth named these motions threbligs, an anagram of their name. They saw their approach as more concerned with workers' welfare than Taylorism, which workers often seen as primarily concerned with profit.

Gilbreth developed scaffolding which allowed quick adjustments to be made for changing the height at which they were working. This scaffolding had a shelf for the bricks and mortar to sit on so that the bricklayer did not have to bend down to pick them up. This improved efficiency and helped to reduce the previous eighteen motions down to four and a half.The Gilbreths’ work is very relevant to today’s construction industry as companies welcome almost anything that will improve efficiency and increase output.

If construction companies today used the Gilbreths’ techniques to show their workforce the one best way to do the job they would be able to complete projects on or even before the deadline that has been set. This could be shown by getting a modern day bricklayer to work with the four and a half threbligs found just as the Gilbreths’ got their bricklayers to do. This would let them try out the theory and see for themselves how quick their job can be done and how much it can be simplified. The same could be done in a drawing office. If one person sat down and found the best way to enter commands into a computer and then showed everyone else the office would be more efficient.


Fiona is an Architect and has written and published numerous articles. She is engaged and lives with her partner Ryan. http://www.healthstyletoday.com
http://www.healthandexercisetoday.info
http://www.acnetoday.info

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_899578_33.html

3 Business Cards as Unique Marketing Tools for Freelance Architects

Guest Post by Nikki Sabato

Being a freelance architect gives the advantage of making a distinctive mark when it comes to promoting services. As opposed to being in a firm, freelance architects can opt to design the look of their own marketing materials. One highly-effective example of a customizable marketing material is business cards. The following are the benefits of using business cards as unique marketing tools for a freelance architect:

1. Customized Shapes – Business cards can now be printed with various die-cut shapes that instantly make a business card stand out. Die-cut shapes specifically come in forms such as leaf, round, half-circle sides, and, 2x2 inch squares with rounded edges. For ease and convenience, online printing companies provide downloadable die cut business card print templates that can be edited in basic photo-editing software like Adobe Photoshop or Corel Draw.

2. Full-Color Printing – Business cards can strengthen an architect’s identity by featuring full-color designs of the architect’s personal logo, design statement, and, business colors. Carrying them in trade shows, meetings, conventions, and, seminars give the architect freedom for quick distribution. Freelance architects can print vivid business cards with online printing companies that offer front, back or, front and back full-color offset printing. Online printers also offer high-gloss, matte, or uncoated finishes for a sleek or refined look.

3. Customizable Designs – Freelance architects have the freedom to create their own business card design concepts. They can email customized designs and print them on online printing companies’ websites. They can also make use of easy to download print templates in standard editing formats such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or Corel Draw.

Freelance architects have the freedom to create their own style and promote their services using various business identity materials. Business cards can be used as a creative business identity tool with die-cut shapes, customizable designs and full-color graphics and images.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1078345_64.html

Nikki is a writer with experience in design. Currently, she works in the field of marketing.

Impressive Architectural Presentation Drawings

Guest Post by Nikki Sabato

The Value of Architectural Presentation

Architectural presentation drawings are the key marketing materials of architectural firms when pitching their designs. They not only serve as mediums to communicate the proposed design but they also serve as their business’ promotional tools. The quality of these presentation drawings therefore must not be sacrificed. No matter how perfect or professional the drawings are, they will not create that desired impact or illicit that great impression from the client if the printing or final presentation is overlooked.

Professional Presented Boards

From the architectural thesis presentation, architectural presentation drawings have always been printed and mounted on boards. An architect is all too familiar with spending night after night or day after day drafting and rendering drawings for presentation. After drawing and rendering the drawings, mounting the drawings serve as the final icing on the cake and the cherry on top of it. Mounting presentation drawings give off that professional edge, ready for exhibiting to the client. Some of the best uses for architectural presentation drawings include:

• Presentation Drawings as Concept Boards-Architectural concepts, themes, motifs or images of a design are commonly printed on large format posters in order to effectively convey the feel or mood of the design. Usually, a design is better communicated and understood when there are supplementing images to suggest a look, a finish, a color or shape.

• Presentation Drawings as Schematic Design Boards-Architects make use of boards that have sketches or preliminary schemes in order to illustrate the design process. Often, these also serve as supplementary images to graphically reinforce the design concept or idea.

Poster Printing and Mounting

In architectural presentation; students, architectural firms or free lance architects commonly avail of poster printing services that print posters and other large format drawings. Despite being computer generated, rendered or drafted, having them printed out and mounted like posters enable clients to approach them and take a closer look. This can be the best way for clients to effectively see details, scale relationships, and variations in texture or color.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_921770_64.html

Nikki is a writer with experience in design. Currently, she works in the field of marketing.

10 Reasons to Use an Architect for a Commercial Relocation

Guest post by John Hannigan, Principal of Choyce Peterson, Inc.

Many commercial tenants search for new office space with pre-determined concepts. Here are 10 reasons to break that mold by enlisting the services of a professional architect:

1. Architects can reduce your square footage requirements.

Workplace configurations and build-out options need to be considered for any new headquarters. Architects know the limitations and opportunities for any office space you are considering. By making the most out of your office, and thus reducing square footage needs, they can save you money over the entire life of your lease.

2. Architects will consider the nature of your business.

For example, legal firms require more perimeter offices (with a window!) to satisfy their partners and senior colleagues. If your company holds frequent meetings, then you may wish to arrange for more conference or huddle rooms.

3. Architects will evaluate your space needs over time.

If you are a rapidly growing company, you may need additional support areas such as kitchen facilities, mail rooms, etc. If your firm is struggling, you may need structural alternatives to reduce your office space in a timely manner.

4. Architects can affect employee productivity.

The size, adjacencies and locations of workstations, offices, huddle rooms and conference rooms   can affect workflow as well as employee work habits and output.

5. Architects can evaluate the building you select.

An office building may have structural limitations based on a number of factors. Architects can evaluate these elements, even when your prospective landlord may hesitate or be uninformed about these matters.

6. Architects know how to evaluate space-related statistics.

Architects are conversant with terms used to measure square footage including building loss factors, rentable square feet, carpetable square feet, etc., terms likely to come up during negotiations and in the boilerplate of your lease.

7. Architects can suggest ways to build your I.T. infrastructure and ensure scalability.

The lack of scalability, a key watchword for many industries, can limit your ability to add new technologies as they become available. Architects consider these factors in all their permutations, an especially intricate task when we do not know what the next new technology will be.

8. Architects can interface and supervise key staff during construction.

Architects know how to interface with general contractors and related specialists to ensure your office space achieves its full potential. They can also work with structural design and HVAC engineers, furniture vendors and other essential suppliers.

9. Architects can evaluate a building’s design elements and their effect on your customers.

Does the building and/or your new office project a sense of stability, modernity, hi-end service, etc.?

10. Architects work closely with real estate brokers and legal representatives to ensure all your needs are met.

Some issues cut across architecture and deal terms that are negotiated by a broker and may also have legal ramifications. Experienced architects know how to work as a team with your other advisers to help obtain the best space possible.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1182527_15.html

Occupation: commercial real estate broker

John Hannigan is Principal of Choyce Peterson, Inc. To see his other articles, go to commerical real estate tips or visit his company's blog at Space is Money.

http://www.choycepeterson.com