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Color Caulk Hides Installation Imperfections Manufacturer introduces a new line of acrylic color caulk, with exact color matches to all of its 86 wall base colors. The sealant/adhesive caulk is developed for floor and wall base-finish touch-ups. It also can be used to fill gaps or irregularities during installation of rubber or vinyl wall base, wall base corners, stair treads, tile, mouldings and other flooring finishes. The color caulk hides installation imperfections and is available in a 5.5 fl oz squeeze tube. BurkeMercer Flooring Products; 800/447-8442; www.BurkeMercer.com New Glass Type Lower Reflectivity Advantage Reflective Low-E glass is an architectural pyrolytic

SECURITY PRODUCTS Locking Blade Deadbolt Upgrade Compatible with almost any type of deadbolt hardware, the MacLock Blade Locking System is an alternative entry door-protection system ideal for multi-tenant buildings. MacLock distributes force over a much greater area than single deadbolts and has surpassed the BHMA Grade 1 Blow testing by 600%. The MacLock’s locking blade extends from the door through steel strike plates located in the door and jamb. It provides 28 in. of surface area and door-to-jamb locking power. The system is compatible with various commercial grade electronic keyless systems. MacLock Industries; 866/ 297-7233; www.maclock.com Downlight Fire-Rated Fixture Specifically

HOOKED Crane book tells all. (Photo left courtesy of Historical Construction Equipment Association) Crane technology started to evolve substantially during the rough-and-ready post-war buildup in 1945-1955, when need for speed forced the development of hydraulic power transmission. New controls made the machines quieter, smoother, faster and safer in the hands of operators. The industry’s adoption of hydraulic cylinders has replaced clutches and cables on many thousands of cranes and excavators. The telescopic “boom” hoisted once-underfunded manufacturers to the top, while many diversified company giants lost their edge and fell into the junk yards of construction lore. Longtime crane guru Stuart

GALLENTINE (Photos courtesy of LatchTool Group) A group of entrepreneurial engineers based in Colorado Springs, Colo., has designed a new type of self-enclosed, hydraulic pump and cylinder that is showing much promise for use on small hand tools where hydraulic fluid power could outperform a simple mechanical connection. Logger-turned-inventor Bill Gallentine leads the 15-member group. Its engineers recently tested a prototype cylinder that weighs 12 oz and costs about $8 to buy. With a 50-lb squeeze of a makeshift handle, the tiny unit’s piston produces 1.5 tons of force on the business end, an advantage of 60:1. The group so

Instant Camera For the Constrution Industry The new One600 JobPro camera allows professional contractors, specialty tradesmen, subcontractors and building inspectors to capture works-in-progress, create before and after shots or take general jobsite photographs. It features a simple point-and-click operation and new AutoSharp technology for capturing detailed shots as close as two feet, no matter what the size of the project, says the maker. One600 JobPro includes all the features and benefits of instant photography, along with a tripod mount and viewfinder dust shield. Polaroid Corp.; 212/613-4920; www.polaroid.com Truck-Mounted Aerial Turntable Rotation Model SI 105 HDT is an insulated telescoping and

Rotating Laser One-Button Leveling Designed for exterior horizontal leveling and slope setting applications, the new PR 20 rotating laser operates at 300 rpm and offers a range of up to 1,300 ft in diameter. It has large rubber-coated handles and fully enclosed and sealed rotating heads. A simple-to-operate control panel with one-button leveling allows for setting grades, aligning formwork or pouring concrete. The system comes with the PR 20 rotating laser, PRA 20 electronic laser receiver, PRA 75 laser receiver holder and PRA 52 slope calculator. Hilti Inc.; 800/879-8000; www.us.hilti.com Maxi-Lite Towers With Generators Models 15330 and 20330 portable light

Clamp-Down Mounting Base Flexible and Reusable This clamp-down mounting base for concrete-placing booms can be clamped down to a foundation or structure, provided the structure is strong enough to absorb reaction loads. When used with self-climbing form systems, the base can become part of the framework and ride with the form scaffolding. The clamp-down base can be used with or without a tower. It can be attached to an 80-ft, freestanding tower for climbing to a 20-ft tower within a form-frame system, or merely clamped to floor truss work. Putzmeister America; 800/884-7210; www.putzmeister.com Shot Blaster Strips, Cleans in One Pass

BREEZY Air studies may boost fuel economy. (Photo courtesy of FreightLiner LLC) For one West Coast-based manufacturer, research gained from studying the aerodynamics of heavy-duty trucks will be a critical next step in squeezing efficiency out of cleaner, pricier diesel engines and fuel. On April 13, Freightliner LLC unveiled the world’s first truck-specific wind tunnel, which it financed and built near its headquarters in Portland, Ore. A subsidiary of Stuttgart, Germany-based DaimlerChrysler, the truck manufacturer claims that the new steel-framed facility was the most-rapidly built and lowest-priced, full-scale wind tunnel on the planet. The 12,000-sq-ft building and wind tunnel were

An air-pollution district in metropolitan Los Angeles overstepped its authority when it enacted six "fleet rules" in 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court decided on April 28.