Solution found for challenging skylight project | US rolls out Million Women in Construction drive | As temperature rises, so does value of solar panels
A skylight project at the Justice Institute of British Columbia required no loading of the roof to accomplish in an active lobby, and SkyTruss met the challenge with a clear-span solution. The system used SkyTruss' light unit beam system to create its own roof supported by gantries on either side while distributing load to exterior walls, as Lindsey Anderson explains.
The US Commerce Department is ramping up its bid to get more women into the construction industry. The new Million Women in Construction Community Pledge is aimed at helping to fill growing demand for skilled labor in the industry, where women now account for "less than 11% of jobs in construction and only 4% in skilled trades," says Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
New research published in Nature Climate Change shows that rooftop solar panels will become more valuable in a warmer world due to increased energy demands for cooling. The study, which analyzed 17 cities, found that by 2050 and 2100, the value of rooftop solar will rise in nearly all locations, with Miami seeing a 14% increase by the end of the century due to higher cooling demands and less cloud cover.
Over the past seven years, digitization has played a key role in construction by directly addressing the labor shortages and helping attract new talent, writes Khalid David, CFO of TracFlow, an online financial management tool for contractors. David explores how this is playing out with digital solutions spreading to smaller contractors and enticing the next generation to enter the industry.
The White House's strategy of nudging companies toward producing greener building products such as low-carbon concrete seems like it's working, according to an update from the General Services Administration. There have been about 17,000 new environmental product declarations over the past year, including a 15% increase in the concrete sector, GSA says.
The Justice Department has released a proposal to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug, which, if approved, would ease restrictions and potentially allow more research on its medical use. Public comments on the proposal will be accepted for 60 days.
