CSI Project Solutions

Remodeling is a huge investment - one of the biggest you will make after purchasing your home. Depending on your comfort level and general understanding of construction, hiring a contractor may be a necessity. It is important to know your limits. If you need to hire a contractor, then do so, but don’t just open a phonebook and call the first name you see.

The various blogs I follow send me newsletters, and one article regarding new smart bridge technology caught my attention last Friday. A “smart bridge” is probably better labeled as a talking bridge – one that communicates its status to those who are listening for follow-on interpretation. Baseline measurements of critical strain, deflection, and corrosive conditions can be established with the structure following project completion, then monitored throughout the bridge’s service life.

The residents and businesses of Columbus, Ohio have another chance to capitalize on an incredible opportunity. The Columbus Dispatch recently reported that NASCAR racer Jeff Gordon will team up with Arshot Investment Corp to propose plans for a racing facility at the existing vacant Cooper Stadium. Cooper Stadium has been vacant since the Columbus Clippers moved to their new home at Huntington Park at the end of the 2008 season. There is no doubt this project will provide the economic jump-start that this part of town needs.

Most buildings are content to be four walls, a floor, and a roof, existing only to provide shelter and warmth for their inhabitants. A few, though, endeavor to be tools, ready at a moment's notice to serve the changing needs of their constituency. The new Wyly Theater at the Performing Arts Center in Dallas, Texas is a facility that embraces this subservient role to the point that it was designed as a ‘theater machine.’ The facility, opened in October of 2009, was designed by Rem Koolhaas | OMA and Joshua Prince-Ramus | REX and provides a new home for the Dallas Theater Center. Literally an assemblage of moving parts capable of transforming seating arrangements and orientation, the Wyly Theater redefines the meaning of "flexible space."

Safety tends to be overlooked while working around the house.  I once tried to move a ladder while I was standing on top of it. Instead of climbing down and moving the ladder over a few feet, I attempted to save some time. As you can imagine, that idea did not turn out the way I had planned.

Homeowners spent an estimated $109.7 billion in 2009, which was down from $120.1 billion in 2008, according to the recent article, Home Improvement Spending: Looking Up.  Experts forecast that spending will bottom out early this year and will be on the rise again throughout 2010.

Barbara McHatton speaks about her experiences avoiding what we are now calling the Greenwashing affect. We want to knowledgeably see past skewed claims to find those products that are legitimately green.

Confused about what makes a green building product “green”?

So am I.

With all of the labels out there touting “green” and “environmentally friendly” products, it’s no wonder we’re so mystified. If a product is manufactured using recycled materials, it’s considered green—if it saves energy, it’s considered green—if it is manufactured using non-toxic materials, it’s considered green.