Construction

Expansive soils are present in various regions around the world and pose significant challenges to buildings and infrastructure. These soils are characterized by their capacity to swell when they absorb water and shrink upon drying. This expansion and contraction cycle can exert pressure on foundations, roads, and underground utilities, leading to damage that can be costly to repair.

Here’s what you, as a homebuyer, should know about SIPs and their benefits from a construction standpoint.

Here's how 3D printing is being scaled up to massive sizes and being used in the construction industry.

Let’s look at how standardization is bringing construction into the modern age.

Being in construction is a dangerous line of work, requiring the use of power tools and heavy machinery. Without adequate safety measures put in place, workers face a high likelihood of being injured, often fatally. In other words, workplace safety on construction sites should be the first thing on every contractor’s mind. 

Choosing to build construction components offsite results in higher overall project performance and efficiency. Offsite building processes are identical for each component constructed, which means that it takes less time to construct these components than if the raw materials were first delivered on-site and then integrated, one by one, into an existing structure. 

The Design-Manufacture-Construct delivery method, which incorporates all development activity under one contact, is one of these paradigms. Here’s what you need to know about this delivery method, how it works, and how it stacks up to other methods. 

The unique nature of modular construction makes it versatile, affordable, and an excellent alternative to on-site construction for many. This process is only going to become more popular as time goes by – the next house you live in just might be modular as well.

Using engineered wood in construction projects is one of the best ways to add durability and strength to structural elements of any building. The relative cost of many engineered timber products represent savings when compared to solid wood because their construction often makes use of castoffs and other byproducts that would otherwise go to waste. 

When you’re house-hunting, a new build carries an unmistakable allure. You could live in a home someone else previously occupied–and deal with outdated plumbing, carpets that need to be torn out, and the smell of previous owners’ pets–or you could live in a pristine new home that no one else has occupied.

Structural engineers are licensed professionals that are trained in engineer design configurations for man-made structures. A structural engineer focuses on the design and physical integrity of tunnels, buildings, and bridges. Their purpose is to ensure the physical structure will be able to handle the loans and force it will encounter and remain structurally sound. 

The design phase involves “a detailed consideration of the alternative solutions defined in the planning phase and results in the determination of the most suitable proportions, dimensions and details of the structural elements and connections for constructing each alternative structural arrangement being considered.”

Ultimately, structural engineering is a very important and valuable form of engineering as it ensures that our homes, buildings, bridges, and other structures are built safely and securely. When you hire an engineer, they can provide a variety of services to oversee the planning, construction, and ongoing support of a wide variety of real estate and infrastructure projects.

A commercial property condition assessment can provide a wealth of crucial information for anyone interested in (or concerned about) the current state of a property and its surrounding site.

Failing to comply with U.S. and state building codes may result in hefty fines, authorities deeming a building uninhabitable or closure of a commercial business building. In severe cases of noncompliance to building codes, individuals relevant to building the structure could even face jail time.

Here are a few questions to ask when considering an off-site built structure.

Expansive soil is a common problem for structures worldwide, and can be found in all 50 U.S. states. In fact, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, as many as 25% of U.S. homes are at risk of damage due to expansive soils and the problem causes more financial losses in a typical year than all natural disasters combined.