ICC welcomes new vice president
Zakreski |
The International Code Council (ICC) has named Judy Zakreski vice president of global services. Zakreski has extensive experience in operations management, business development and government relations.
In her new position, Zakreski will coordinate ICC's global programs that facilitate the adoption of the International Codes, provide accreditation and evaluation services, and promote trade and new technologies. She previously served as president and CEO of China Trade Strategies, a boutique firm focused on U.S.-China market entry and export finance, and she speaks Mandarin Chinese.
"The ICC Family of Companies is active in many countries around the world, promoting safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures and communities through a variety of products and services," says Dominic Sims, ICC's CEO. "Judy brings a wealth of international knowledge and expertise to her role at the Code Council, and she will work closely with the senior management team to elevate and expand our global footprint."
Wireless technology helps keep workers safe
As workers and managers grow increasingly comfortable using smartphones and tablets, technology companies are producing wireless devices that can help keep workers safe on job sites, according to Bloomberg BNA.
These new devices often are small enough to fit inside a hard hat or pocket, but they can complete an array of helpful tasks, including detecting whether a worker is connected to a fall-protection lanyard, tracking a worker's body temperature and heart rate, and detecting how close workers are to moving heavy equipment.
Among the construction companies implementing the new technology is general contractor Skansa USA, New York City. The company is working with suppliers to incorporate wearable, wireless technology into safety gear that would notify an employer when a worker attaches a fall-protection harness to a lanyard; use cameras to help detect workers lacking the correct tools or gear and notify workers and supervisors; and use motion sensors to detect changes to how a worker walks to help prevent the start of an overuse injury.
Construction companies can look to other industries for ways to use wearable technology to solve ergonomic problems. A beer distribution company in the Pacific Northwest outfitted its employees with sensors that recorded workers' movements to measure when workers were straining, lifting or bending too much. Some employees wore exoskeletons designed to help with lifting while other employees did not. The company was surprised to discover the workers wearing the exoskeletons were more likely to overexert themselves. It also found constantly moving beer cases poses a larger risk for workers than infrequent lifting of heavy kegs. Based on the information from the wearable sensors, the company is looking for ways to improve how workers fill and unload delivery trucks to cut back on how often beer cases must be moved.
Making sense of the information coming from various sensors used at job sites can pose a challenge for companies. As a result, many technology companies offer advice regarding how to set up systems and analyze the data to ensure employers can use collected safety data to identify trends and leading indicators, helping move safety staff from reacting to accidents to preventing them.
Department of Energy awards $105 million for solar research
On April 17, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced it will award $105.5 million for about 70 research projects, according to Bloomberg BNA. Early-stage research for solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating thermal power will receive funding in an effort to improve the affordability, flexibility and performance of solar technologies.
Forty-six million dollars will be awarded for research to integrate solar power into the electric grid; $27 million will be awarded for research to reduce costs and increase performance of PV solar power; $24 million will be awarded for research and development involving concentrating solar power; and $8.5 million will be awarded to "prepare the solar industry for a digital future" and increase the number of veterans working in the industry. Funding for integrated solar, concentrating solar power and PV solar will require a 20 percent cost-share by the recipient.
Most U.S. solar farms use PV panels. Solar-thermal power plants concentrate sunlight on a central point to heat water or molten salt, which generates steam and can turn an electric turbine at any time; thermal energy can be used to produce electricity when the sun is not shining and can be integrated into other applications.
According to Charlie Gay, director of DOE's Solar Energy Technologies office, the value of PV and solar-thermal power is "like having bite-sized chunks of energy ready to go whenever you need it, wherever you need it."
Past federal research funding has led to a decrease in solar costs; DOE anticipates the new funding will continue the trend.
"Investing in all of our abundant energy sources, including solar technologies, will help to drive down costs and ensure the nation leads the world in energy production and innovation," U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said in a statement.
University of Michigan lab will test autonomous drones
The University of Michigan College of Engineering has opened M-Air, a 9,600-square-foot, four-story open-air lab for testing autonomous aerial vehicles, including some that could be used for roofing purposes, according to www.constructiondive.com.
Project engineers are developing unmanned drones for multiple uses at the lab. As a netted, outdoor facility, M-Air enables project engineers to conduct test flights in real-world conditions while avoiding the risks and restrictions of operating drones outside.
A statement by the university indicates some of the drones developed may be used to inspect roofs for damage and "ferry and eventually position and install shingles with a pneumatic nailer." Drones already are considered a promising technology among roofing contractors, and the Replaced by Robots blog predicts the job of applying roof shingles has a 90 percent chance of eventually being automated by robotic technologies such as autonomous drones. Drones also can be used during pre-construction processes to capture aerial views of roof systems and help designers create 3-D models and maps of buildings.
Regulations currently restrict the widespread adoption of drones in the construction industry, according to Mike Danielak of Portland, Ore.-based drone network service provider Skyward. Safety and privacy concerns often are cited as primary reasons for the restrictions. However, the White House is working toward easing legislation to allow for more drone deployment nationwide.
And there have been real-world situations during which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been forthcoming in permitting drone use. After Hurricane Harvey, the FAA authorized the use of drones to inspect roadways and power lines for damage. Proponents are hopeful the FAA's approval of drone use at that time may pave the way for increased allowances for drone use to assist with construction tasks such as building inspections and job-site surveys in the future.
ASTM International test method supports KEE roof membranes
ASTM International's Committee D08 on Roofing and Waterproofing has developed a new standard to support the growing use of roof membranes that contain ketone ethylene ester (KEE) polymer blends.
Roof membranes containing KEE polymer blends are said to be more flexible and chemical-resistant than other roof membranes, making them less susceptible to some types of damage. In the early 2000s, Committee D08 developed ASTM D6754, "Standard Specification for Ketone Ethylene Ester Based Sheet Roofing," a specification requiring the polymer content (by weight) of a new kind of roof membrane to be at least 50 percent KEE. Committee D08's new standard, ASTM D8154-17, "Standard Test Methods for 1H-NMR Determination of Ketone-Ethylene-Ester and Polyvinyl Chloride Contents in KEE-PVC Roofing Fabrics," is a test method that provides consultants, building owners and specifiers a way to test KEE roof membranes to precisely determine what percentage of the polymer content is KEE and not polyvinyl chloride. The test method uses Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to accurately determine KEE content in roof membranes, according to ASTM International member Jerry Beall, product and technical specialist for FiberTite Roofing Systems Seaman Corp., Wooster, Ohio. Interested parties are invited to participate in future development of ASTM D8154, including research for reproducibility among a series of laboratories.
Additional information about Committee D08's standard development is available by clicking here.
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