Archives for the 'General' Category
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 | No Comments
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 | No Comments
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 | No Comments
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 | No Comments
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 | No Comments
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 | No Comments
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 | No Comments
Dual Glazing Fisticuffs
This story sort of speaks for itself. In the UK, home improvement salesman do not appreciate soliciting multiple quotes.
“A double glazing salesman launched a violent assault on a customer moments after discovering they had spoken to a rival company, a court was told yesterday.”
Link to Article
25 October 2007 | Construction, Construction and Law, General | No Comments
Caveat Emptor: Collapsible Ladders Are Dangerous
OK folks, these things are dangerous. We have seen these collapsible/folding ladders before on inspections. Some are better than others at promoting self injury and property destruction. Choose wisely.
Link to Video
18 October 2007 | Construction Defect, Consulting, Experts, General, Inspections | No Comments
Tools, tools and more tools!
We’re catching up on some stories that have been circulating around the internet. In this post we’ll tackle some of the hot new products in the world of tools.
At the top of this year’s holiday wish list for anyone in the construction defect investigation business is the Rigid SeeSnake micro Inspection Camera. This would almost [...]
8 October 2007 | Construction, General, Inspections | No Comments
