Photo Courtesy of FEMA Plaza Tower Elementary School, which was reduced to rubble after an EF-5 tornado raked Moore, Okla., did not have a safe room. Seven children died. Some argue that safe rooms are too costly. Related Links: Joplin Rebuilding Stymied by Dispute Over Wage Rates Tuscaloosa Grapples With Reconstruction From April Twister's Wreckage As emergency workers address the aftermath of an EF-5 tornado that struck Moore, Okla., on May 20, lawmakers and industry members are grappling with whether regions vulnerable to EF-4 and EF-5 events should require safe rooms in schools and other non-residential facilities.The Moore tornado, which

Africa's tallest tower planned to rise 99 stories in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by 2017. Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa, may boast Africa’s tallest building by 2017. While a 58-story building had been announced, plans unveiled by a private Chinese developer now call for a 99-story office-hotel tower. Guangdong Chuanhui Group has not revealed the building's estimated cost or other details, including financial arrangements or the names of the architect and engineer.The site for the Chuanhui International Tower is at the new Addis Ababa Exhibition Centre. The developer says it has acquired the 41,000 sq meter site and the building plans

Related Links: Boston Building Uses a Little Of Everything to Gain Foothold CEO John Fish Has 'Big, Audacious' Goals For Suffolk Construction Construction of two high-rises is expected to revitalize the 14.5-acre Christian Science Plaza, Boston's largest privately owned public space.The First Church of Christ, Scientist announced on Jan. 23 that it has chosen Carpenter and Co., Cambridge, Mass., as master developer of a 20-story and a 50-story tower. Upon topping out, the taller tower would be one of the tallest structures in Boston.The two project sites are situated on Belvidere and Dalton streets in Back Bay, south of the

Related Links: ENR Building News The World's Tallest Building The essential function of all tall towers is to enable broadcasters to transmit line-of-sight signals to their customers."Broadcasting is a big stick industry, where one tower can cover a whole market," according to Kelly Williams, senior director of Engineering for the National Association of Broadcasters. "You put up a tower to facilitate broadcasting wirelessly."Towers host a wide variety of antennae, which transmit over the air (analog) television signals, AM and FM radio, telco long lines (which transmit data), pager signals and emergency service channels (including two-way radio).But tower owners have long

Sports facilities range from Olympic and World Cup venues, professional team stadiums, to high school and college facilities. Professional sports team owners often push the envelope in their quest to build excitement for and attendance at their events. Some major residential and resort developers also build record-breaking recreational facilities as drawing cards.The sports construction market sector has suffered along with the overall market downturn in recent years. According to McGraw- Hill Construction Research & Analytics, the value of construction starts of sports facilities in the U.S. has declined from $4.8 billion in 2006 to $2 billion in 2011.Some firms have

Courtesy of Yad Hanadiv A planned new library (foreground), set for completion in 2017, will replace an outmoded structure that was built in 1960. Hebrew University will use the existing building, which likely will be renovated. Related Links: Website of the National Library of Israel Despite architects' rage, competition to design Israel's new National Library moves forward A contract is set to be signed in October with New York City-based architect Rafi Segal and collaborators, who were selected in a global competition to design the new $70-million National Library of Israel, located in Jerusalem.Segal, born and educated in Israel and

Rendering courtesy of LAVA Design for Ethiopia's national stadium and sports village evokes natural forms, incorporates traditional architectural and construction practices, and introduces modern materials and engineering. A consortium led by Australia’s LAVA has won an international competition to design a national stadium and sports village in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Its concept blends traditional Ethiopian architectural and construction practices with new technology to create a quality, modern piece of infrastructure.LAVA, or the Laboratory for Visionary Architecture, is an international network of designers with offices in Sydney, Shanghai, Stuttgart and Abu Dhabi. LAVA's consortium partners are Doha-based DESIGNSPORT and Ethiopia’s JDAW.The

Courtesy of PANYNJ Rendering of 408-ft-tall spire of future tallest building in the Western Hemisphere shows no cladding. Courtesy of PANYNJ Older rendering shows a spire with a wrapping, as designed by SOM. The future 408-ft-tall spire of the under-construction One World Trade Center has officially lost its cladding. On Aug. 7, the developers—the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and the Durst Organization—issued 13 new renderings of the 3-million-sq-ft project, which is planned at a height of 1,776 ft. It is touted as the future tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.News broke about the design change several

In October, the National Science Foundation Directorate for Engineering expects to issue a "re-competition" solicitation for four to six national earthquake engineering research centers. The competition to create the infrastructure for the George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation 2, or NEES2, will take place in fiscal 2013 and 2014. NEES2 funding is expected during fiscal 2015-19. Contingent on the availability of National Science Foundation funds, the Directorate for Engineering expects to seek approval for a NEES2 cooperative agreement in mid-2014.In 2004, the National Science Foundation created NEES to give researchers the tools to learn how earthquakes and