click to purchase Integrated Practice in Architecture: Mastering Design-Build, Fast-Track, and Building By George Elvin Publisher: John Wiley & Son's Inc., 2007 272 pages This comprehensive book explains how design-build, fast-track and life-cycle management are reshaping architectural practice today. Based on over 50 interviews and the author's own experience in design and construction, the secrets of integrated practice and the strategies and techniques used by leading firms are revealed. Chapters cover teambuilding, planning, communication and risk management. click to purchase James Marston Fitch: Selected Writings on Architecture, Preservation, and the Built Environment Edited by Martica Sawn Publisher: Norton Books for
Test Drive: Rubber Tracks Go Almost Anywhere It takes less than 10 minutes to master the simple, go-anywhere Scout, but your ears might be ringing for awhile longer. Just about the only thing that shields the diesel engine and hydrostatics from the standard, two-seat open cab is a thin plastic hood. It snaps off for easy oil-changing, but makes for a rattlesome ride. Still, the Scout's super-low ground pressure of 2.5 psi, silky-smooth suspension, 50-hp Perkins and payload capacity of 4,000 lb should be music to the ears of anyone who needs to venture into rugged terrain. The nimble Scout
Full-Size Pickup: Standard V-8 Engine On sale soon is the 2008 Nissan Titan, a full-size pickup that comes with a standard 5.6L V-8 with 317 hp and 385 ft-lb of torque. The truck has added a long-wheelbase model that sports a 7-ft-long bed with a crew cab body and an 8-ft-long bed with an extended cab. Also new is the PRO-4X trim level, featuring an off-road suspension and an automatically-locking rear differential. Flexfuel engines are offered as a no-cost option. Electronically controlled two and part-time four-wheel drive also is available. Maximum tow capacity is 9,500 lb. Chrysler Group; 800-423-6343; www.dodge.com
Lanco International Inc. Early boom truck. Some suppliers like to brag out loud that they �think globally, act locally.� One crane company tucked away in Chicago�s south side does it without making a lot of noise. Just about the only thing that the closely held firm shouts is its slogan, “Where Service is Golden.” Clients have heard that every time they call the office of Hazel Crest, Ill.-based Lanco International Inc. since it set up shop in 1955. Lanco is better known by its subsidiary, Mi-Jack Products Inc., a moniker that 80-year-old founder Jack Lanigan Sr. forged by combining the
Tudor Hampton/ENR Wutzlhofer: 'Awareness' can quash patent pilferers. German engineers kicked off an explosive industry show in Munich by lobbing verbal grenades toward the Far East. Always proud of their technical heritage, the German equipment makers at this year’s Bauma convention blamed engineering “piracy” and “copycat” patent infringement in China and other countries for costing them billions of dollars each year in lost sales. Instead of keeping a low profile, Chinese equipment vendors stuck out their necks at the Munich megashow by upping their exhibit footprint by a factor of seven, for a total of 13,200 sq meters, since the
Respirators: Half and Full-Face Devices Draeger Safety Inc. is offering a trade-in program on its new X-plore half and full-face pieces. Trade in existing masks from any maker for new ones, on a one-to-one basis, at no cost beyond the purchase of the appropriate filters and cartridges. The X-plore 3500 half-mask is manufactured with a proprietary Draeger-Flex material that is hypoallergenic, soft and comfortable to wear. The X-plore 5500 full face piece is made of an EPDM material with an exclusive triple edge seal, providing three sizes in one mask. Draeger Safety Inc.; 800-615-5503; www.draeger-safety.com Protective Eyewear: New Lens Colors
Roll-up giant United Rentals Inc. has hung a “For Sale” sign on its front door as part of an executive-level reshuffling. United’s board of directors announced in a regulatory filing and press release on April 10 that the rental operator is exploring “a broad range of strategic alternatives...including a possible sale of the company.” The world’s largest rental company also noted that chief executive Wayland R. Hicks plans to retire at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on June 4. Michael J. Kneeland, who is chief operating officer, executive vice president and an aerial work platform guru, will succeed Hicks as
Mobile Generator: For Easy Transport The 29-kW John Deere rental-grade mobile generator set with trailer offers a full-blown construction site product as well as the ability to be a backup power source for a facility. The generator offers a mobile platform and multiple voltage with the turn of a switch. It is offered with a 2-year/1,500-hour limited warranty, aluminum rust-proof enclosure and a built-in fuel tank, allowing up to a 48-hour run time. It is designed to be quiet, operating at 68 dB, and can be switched from three phase to single phase using an advanced voltage change-over switch. Triton
Humidity Assessor/Digital Hammer: Two New Products James Instrument Humitest System measures bore hole humidity in hardened concrete, according to the manufacturer. The product allows the concrete practitioner to monitor and ensure that a new structure is dry enough to start the next phase of construction. This is especially critical for concrete structures requiring a coating, carpeting or similar floor or covering treatment. The James D-W-2000 digital test hammers are an automated system for estimating concrete compressive strength. Its calculation, memory and recording functions allow for quick, easy and accurate test results. The unit comes with an integrated alphanumeric digital display
When DaimlerChrysler says its 2007 Dodge Sprinter is longer, wider and taller than previous models, it¹s not kidding around. DaimlerChrysler New Sprinter offers more cargo space. Any husky electrician, plumber or other craft worker who needs ample room to work will find it in the 2007 Dodge Sprinter, with some models offering as much as 600 cu ft of storage space. Earlier versions could accommodate a 6-ft-tall person standing up in the back cargo area, but the 2007 edition has been heightened in some cases to an impressive 7 ft. The increased headroom is one of many new features that
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