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AEC Tech

Lack of organizational readiness is biggest hurdle to artificial intelligence adoption

Managers of companies in the industrial sector, including construction, have bought the hype of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative technology, but their organizations are not ready to realize its promise, according to research from IFS, a global cloud enterprise software company. An IFS survey of 1,700 senior decision-makers found that 84% of executives anticipate massive organizational benefits from AI. 


Codes and Standards

Updated document details methods of testing fenestration for exterior walls

The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) updated a document serving a recommended practice for determining test methodology for laboratory and field testing of exterior wall systems. The document pertains to products covered by an AAMA standard such as curtain walls, storefronts, window walls, and sloped glazing. AAMA 501-24, Methods of Test for Exterior Walls was last updated in 2015. 


MFPRO+ News

World’s largest 3D printer could create entire neighborhoods

The University of Maine recently unveiled the world’s largest 3D printer said to be able to create entire neighborhoods. The machine is four times larger than a preceding model that was first tested in 2019. The older model was used to create a 600 sf single-family home made of recyclable wood fiber and bio-resin materials.

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Once the project is completed, the building must be managed by someone, or it cannot live up to its full functionality. Owners and facility managers are the unsung heroes of many iconic works of architecture, making sure that buildings remain in good condition and are utilized to their fullest potential.

Jim Young | Sep 30, 2013

Smart building systems key to new Wisconsin general aviation terminal’s net zero target

The Outagamie County Regional Airport’s new 8,000 sf general aviation terminal was designed to achieve net zero.

Sep 27, 2013

NYC releases first year-to-year energy performance data on commercial properties

A new report provides information on energy performance of New York City's largest buildings (mostly commercial, multi-family residential). It provides an analysis of 2011 data from city-required energy “benchmarking”—or the tracking and comparison of energy performance—in more than 24,000 buildings that are over 50,000 square feet.

Sep 27, 2013

ASHRAE/IES publish first standard focused on commissioning process

ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 202, Commissioning Process for Buildings and Systems, identifies the minimum acceptable commissioning process for buildings and systems as described in ASHRAE’s Guideline 0-2005, The Commissioning Process. Standard 202 is ASHRAE’s first standard focused on the commissioning process.

Sep 26, 2013

Sheep's wool insulation, bio-brick among Cradle to Cradle product innovation finalists

Ten finalists are competing for $250,000 in prizes from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Make It Right.  

Sep 26, 2013

6 ways to maximize home-field advantage in sports venue design

Home-field advantage can play a significant role in game outcomes. Here are ways AEC firms can help create the conditions that draw big crowds, energize the home team to perform better, and disrupt visiting players.

Sep 26, 2013

Literature review affirms benefits of daylighting, architectural glazing

The use of glass as a building material positively impacts learning, healing, productivity and well-being, according to a white paper published by Guardian Industries and the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. The findings highlight the significant influence daylighting and outside views have on employees, workers, students, consumers and patients.

Sasha Reed | Sep 26, 2013

Mobilizing your job site to achieve a paperless project: fact or fiction?

True mobility in the field has rapidly evolved from lock-box kiosks on each floor to laptops on rolling carts to tablets and iPads loaded with drawings sets stored in the cloud. And WiFi-ready job sites have gone from “nice to have” to “must have” status in just a little over a year.

Sep 24, 2013

See who's attending BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in SF

Balfour Beatty, Gensler, HDR, and JE Dunn are among the AEC firms sending their rising stars to BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in San Francisco, October 9-11.

Sep 24, 2013

8 grand green roofs (and walls)

A dramatic interior green wall at Drexel University and a massive, 4.4-acre vegetated roof at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City are among the projects honored in the 2013 Green Roof and Wall Awards of Excellence. 

Steven Burns | Sep 23, 2013

The art of rewarding employees

What’s the best way to reward those employees who go the extra mile, particularly when it’s not always feasible to give large financial bonuses? According to author and “recognition expert” Dr. Bob Nelson, the most effective employee rewards are also the least expensive. 
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