COLUMBUS, Ohio — Architecture and construction plans for ProjectONE, an expansion project for The Ohio State University that will significantly advance the Medical Center’s education and research programs and improve patient care, were approved today on September 18 by The Ohio State University Board of Trustees. This is one of the largest job-generating initiatives in Ohio's history. It is projected to create as many as 10,000 new full-time jobs and more than 5,000 construction jobs. ProjectONE will provide the community with $1.7 billion in annual economic impact by 2015, which is in addition to the more than $4 billion in … Read more

The importance of concrete polishing in construction has been given official recognition with the creation of a new section in the MasterFormat system published by the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and Construction Specifications Canada (CSC).   The new section number and name, 03 35 43 – Polished Concrete Finishing, underscores the burgeoning use of polished concrete, and gives design professionals a unique category for specifying appropriate materials- and performance-requirements.   The new section was created in response to a proposal initiated by David Loe, a veteran concrete polisher and president of Lythic Solutions, Inc., Vancouver, WA, makers of colloidal silica-based … Read more

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Concrete contractors with exemplary safety records were recognized by the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC), St. Louis, Mo., at the association's Annual Conference, September 17, in Atlanta, Georgia. The W. Burr Bennett Awards for Safety Excellence were given to Lewis Construction, Inc., Schofield, WI, specialty contractor, and McCarthy Building Companies, general contractor, St. Louis, Mo.   These awards are presented in partnership with CNA, Chicago, to contractors that place the highest priority on safety.   Entries were judged on three years of safety performance indicators, values and trends; a self-assessment checklist of company safety practices; … Read more

CHESTER, S.C., Sept. 16 — The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) today officially broke ground for its disaster safety research center in Chester County, South Carolina. Unique in all the world, this lab will have the ability to subject full-sized, 2,000 square foot, one- and two-story homes, light commercial construction and agricultural buildings to a variety of hazards, including realistic Category 3 hurricanes, wind-blown fire (mimicking wildfire embers), and hailstorms. The primary purpose of this $40 million multi-peril research facility – funded entirely by property insurance companies, reinsurers and brokers – is to identify effective methods of minimizing … Read more