The push to eliminate fossil fuels from buildings has gained remarkable momentum across the United States, with dozens of cities enacting policies that restrict or prohibit natural gas connections in new construction. Known as the electrify everything movement, this campaign aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing gas-burning furnaces, water heaters, and cooking ranges […]
The green building movement has long focused on reducing energy consumption, selecting sustainable materials, and earning certification points. While these goals remain important, a fundamental shift is underway. The conversation is moving from how to prevent climate change to how to survive its consequences. This new emphasis on Building Resilience represents a more urgent priority
The California Superior Court ruling that ordered Sherwin-Williams Company, NL Industries, and ConAgra Grocery Products to pay $1.1 billion for lead paint abatement sent shockwaves through the construction and building materials industries. This December 2013 decision, which followed a five-week non-jury trial before Judge James Kleinberg in San Jose, arose from a public nuisance lawsuit
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History made headlines in 2011 when it announced an unusual addition to its “Climate Change: The Threat to Life and a New Energy Future” exhibition. Alongside displays about melting ice sheets and shifting weather patterns, the museum would host a full-scale 2,500-square-foot home built to the rigorous Passivhaus standard on
The concept of triage has its origins on the battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars, where military medics developed a system to allocate limited medical resources among large numbers of wounded soldiers. Today, triage principles apply far beyond emergency medicine, offering a powerful framework for construction professionals managing projects, clients, and teams under pressure. Understanding how
The Potwine Passivhaus project in Amherst, Massachusetts, set out to answer a fundamental question: Is it possible to build a comfortable, energy-efficient home without burning fossil fuels? Designed to meet net-zero energy performance through the rigorous Passive House standard, this single-family home relied on several critical construction details to achieve its ambitious goals. Among the
Running a construction or contracting business demands constant attention to jobsites, client relations, material procurement, and crew management. But how often do you step back and take a proper inventory of the business itself? Regular self-assessment sharpens your focus and reveals opportunities you might otherwise miss. Business owners who pause to evaluate operations, expenses, and
For years, construction companies large and small have followed an end-of-year tradition: handing out Christmas bonuses to employees as a reward for a year of hard work. It feels right. It seems fair. And yet, as builder Michael Chandler argued in a now-classic article for GreenBuildingAdvisor, this well-intentioned practice can backfire in ways that hurt
The rise of factory-built housing represents one of the most significant shifts in residential construction since the introduction of dimensional lumber. When Zeta Communities opened a 91,000-square-foot factory in Sacramento County in 2009, the company made a bold bet on prefabrication at scale. That facility, occupying a converted Air Force hangar, was designed to produce
In road construction, ensuring proper bonding between pavement layers is essential for long-term durability. A tack coat is a light application of bituminous binder applied to an existing pavement surface before placing a new overlay. This thin layer bonds old and new pavement layers, preventing delamination and extending road service life. Engineers must perform accurate
