Reconstruction Blog
The World’s Best Roofing Blog is authored by Duro-Last® Roofing to be an information source for commercial roofing industry professionals: contractors, architects, specifiers, consultants, building owners, and facility managers who are involved in the roof decision-making process. We include articles on roof technology and materials, safety, sustainability, and more. We also report on happenings at Duro-Last, such as featured roofing projects and company activities. Many posts are authored by subject matter experts at Duro-Last; others are re-posted from industry media or provided by other industry sources.
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The market for school rehabs and modernization has plenty of room for growth. The National Education Association estimates more than $300 billion is needed to modernize and repair school buildings nationwide. The Society of Civil Engineers gave American schools an overall grade of “D.” According to...
Minnesota’s 107-year-old capitol building restoration completed a highly visible phase recently when its refurbished golden finial was unveiled. This phase is part of a multi-year renovation that is expected to cost over $200 million if fully funded. The current bond allocation of $44 million...
Almost a million square feet of new and renovated retail space is being developed in Lower Manhattan. The World Trade Center, World Financial Center, Fulton Center, and South Street Seaport are all competing to fill hundreds of store spaces. Developers and brokers said there is plenty of pent-up...
Tocci Building Cos. transformed the nearly 150-year-old, 239,000 sf Abbot Mill in Westford, Mass. into a 131-unit residential tower. The project made use of recycled materials from the site, and now features a roof covered by 40,000 sf of solar panels capable of generating 331KW of electricity. It...
A survey of energy consumption of New York City’s largest buildings aims to encourage and guide building owners toward pursuing energy retrofits. The report, released by the city's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, tracked the energy use of more than 15,400 buildings in 2010 and...
Amtrak recently unveiled a plan for a $7 billion overhaul of Union Station in Washington, D.C. It includes the addition of a train shed, construction of new passenger concourses and street entrances, as well as commercial, retail, and residential spaces. Amtrak said the renovations will make it...
Financing energy efficiency building retrofits continues to be challenging for owners. Experts offer three private sector strategies that could boost the retrofit market in this article. One would have energy-service companies (ESCOs) purchase the equipment and pay for retrofit activities while...
After a retrofit, a dilapidated 3,000 sf building in New York become the city’s first net-zero energy structure. Green developer Voltaic Solaire outfitted the building's facade with thin-film PVs and solar thermal tubes for hot water, and installed a roof awning with solar panels. The solar thermal...
Repairs due to earthquake damage will require the 555-foot Washington Monument to be closed and shrouded in scaffolding into 2014. The $15 million project will necessitate the temporary removal of part of the granite plaza surrounding the monument, and the bracing of huge stone slabs that now rest...
A plan to transform Oakland’s former US Army base into a warehousing and logistics center serving the nearby port passed a crucial hurdle when a city council committee recently voted in favor of the proposed project. After four years of negotiations and environmental studies, the city and...
