When integrating lighting into standard ceiling solutions, such as grid, drywall, and open-to-structure ceilings, traditional luminaire form factors, including troffers, downlights, recessed linear, and suspended products, are common and relatively straightforward to integrate. However, as specialty ceiling products have emerged, with often complex, three-dimensional, and organic form factors, so have the challenges associated with the design and installation of integrated, functional luminaire solutions.
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Security entrances play an important role in organizational risk management, safety, and security. Covering a range of factors and considerations for specifications will help make security entrance upgrades or retrofit project a success; however, there are additional factors which can make or break a retrofit project.
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Thermal bridges occur all over a building in transitions, terminations, and penetrations. Foundation to wall transitions, balcony projections, window and door openings, and roof parapets can all serve as thermal bridges. However, while identifying areas where thermal bridging can occur is a relatively straightforward process; some areas were harder to solve until recently, as they involved junctions where masonry loads are applied to the foundation below.
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Specifiers and architects seeking to ensure the mechanical equipment noise does not exceed the ceiling system’s ability to attenuate it can use a straightforward method defined in the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute’s (AHRI) Standard 885 (2008), Procedure for Estimating Occupied Space Sound Levels in the Application of Air Terminals and Air Outlets.
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Instead of overhauling the existing multi-zone rooftop units or replacing them with new versions of the same technology, the firm designed a multi-zone air handler for Victoria, B.C.’s heritage site, Rithet Building, which employed air-to-air heat pump technology exclusively.
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When it comes to shower installation and waterproofing, taking shortcuts can lead to disastrous results, especially when a floor is not properly sloped and/or a waterproofing membrane is carelessly installed. To avoid these issues, construction professionals should have a higher level of knowledge of waterproofing techniques and how they can accommodate jobsite variabilities.
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The push towards HFO-based sprayfoam technology is the latest step in an ongoing evolution to phase out the use of chemicals known to harm the ozone and climate. This article will explain the blowing agent shift and why it matters to those considering the specification of sprayfoam applications in commercial building projects.
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Together, rebar and concrete work to resist tensile forces and increase the utility of a structure. However, the embodied carbon generated while creating and transporting traditional rebar is substantial. Luckily, new alternatives to traditional reinforcement are becoming more present in the market and the steel industry is making strides to build more sustainably.
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Fitness centres present architects and designers with unique challenges: large, open areas with few walls, tall ceilings, and often exposed ductwork—none of which is conducive to sound absorption. Like esthetics, lighting, and air quality, sound is an integral component of the club experience. If managed well, it complements and enhances the environment.
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Based on decades of successful installations and growing confidence in the trade, PEX is gaining ground as a high-performance, cost-effective alternative to copper and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) piping on large-scale commercial plumbing projects.
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