Archives for the 'General' Category
The 50 Major Engineering Failures 1977-2007
A fascinating list of the most significant engineering failures over the last three decades compiled by Muhammed Abduh at the Integrity Engineering Blog.
11 May 2008 | Construction, Construction Defect, Experts, General | Comments Off
Creative Home Engineering – One of a Kind
This doesn’t have much to do with construction defects, but it is interesting nonetheless. Creative Home Engineering creates secret passageways, and they do it with style. Below is a quote from an older article that appeared in Phoenix’s East Valley Tribune:
“After crossing the short hallway to the master suite, she shows off her bedroom, the [...]
1 May 2008 | Construction, Design, General, Technology | Comments Off
Taming the Billable Beast
The ABA Journal has an article in the February 2008 issue by David Gialanella, discussing the billable hour alternatives employed by some innovative law firms.
The billable hour is the dandelion of law practice: pervasive and not so popular.
So, when seeking to avoid the neg ative effects of a system that provides the profits for many a firm, [...]
23 April 2008 | Business, Construction and Law, Consulting, Experts, General, Litigation | Comments Off
Philippe Starck Tells Magazine Design Is Dead
From the AFP:
Renowned French designer Philippe Starck says he is fed up with his job and plans to retire in two years, in an interview published in a German weekly on Thursday.
“I was a producer of materiality and I am ashamed of this fact,” Starck told Die Zeit weekly newspaper.
“Everything I designed was unnecessary.
“I will [...]
14 April 2008 | Design, General | Comments Off
Worlds Largest Collection of Construction and Contractor Jokes
Weve gathered all the best construction jokes from all over for your amusement.
Here you will find construction worker jokes, architect jokes, engineer jokes, plumber jokes, funny worksite jokes, blonde construction worker jokes, project manager jokes, you name it, if its a joke about construction, here it is.
If you have a joke that isnt in here, [...]
14 April 2008 | Construction, General | Comments Off
Minneapolis Bridge Collapse Blamed On Error In Design
Undersize gusset plates in the Interstate 35-W bridge in Minneapolis were “the critical factor” in the bridge collapse last year that killed 13 people and injured 100, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.
Chairman Mark Rosenker said the plates, which connected steel beams, were roughly half the thickness they should have been because of a [...]
20 January 2008 | Construction Defect, Construction and Law, Design, General, Inspections, Litigation | Comments Off
Construction Defect Card Game
Buildings rot – it’s a matter of fact rather than a matter of time.
Defects like leaking roofs and windows, breaking insulating, concrete cracks, unfinished finishes and many more wait to be discovered before warranty ends. However, it’s not only the buildings’ age, but the result of increased planning and cost pressure. Even new erected buildings [...]
20 January 2008 | Construction, Construction Defect, General | Comments Off
Medieval Help Desk
Ernest Svenson, an attorney in New Orleans at the forefront of using technology in the legal industry, recently taught a CLE for Louisiana attorneys on the concept of Digital Workflow. As part of the reference materials for his talk, he used the above clip that highlights the perils of new technology, from the perspective of [...]
24 December 2007 | Business, Construction and Law, General, Litigation, Technology | Comments Off
Andreas Bittis: TranslucentConcrete
Apparently it is possible to use optical fiber as an admixture in concrete to create a translucent material that retains the structural and plastic properties of concrete but allows limited light to pass through. Just imagine what Frank Lloyd Wright would have done with a product such as this:
“TranslucentConcrete is a combination of optical fibres [...]
18 December 2007 | Construction, Design, General, Technology | Comments Off
Fall Design Links
Here are some links to some interesting articles related to residential construction, design and innovative new products:
$50 Million for Drywall? Serious Materials is a company that is best known for sound attenuation construction products. Recently they announced development of a new type of drywall that will take 90% less energy to produce resulting in a [...]
11 November 2007 | Construction, Design, General, Green Building | Comments Off
