{Re}habitat

Look out, Pisa, there is a new building on the block! Capital Gate, located in Abu Dhabi, now holds the Guinness Record for the "Worlds Furthest Leaning Manmade Tower." Scheduled for completion in late 2010, this 35 story building with an incline of 18 degrees is the focal point of Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company's (ADNEC) new mixed use development.

Hydraulic Elevators are prevalent in multi-level structures throughout the world. They facilitate and control the flow of people, make the movement of equipment easier, and allow disabled persons access to upper-level floors. Elevators in use today fall into three general categories: hydraulic, electric traction, and Machine Room-Less (MRL). The hoisting mechanisms to lift the cars of elevators generally employ either hydraulics or wire-rope traction systems. The principle of hydraulics is based on Pascal’s law of the incompressibility of fluids: any change in pressure applied at any point in the fluid is transmitted undiminished throughout. This pressurized fluid is used for the generation, control, and transmission of power.

We typically install flooring in our bathrooms that is best suited for wet areas, like ceramic tile, natural stone, or resilient (linoleum or vinyl) flooring. While these types of materials are durable and hold up better against water than a wood floor might, they are still susceptible to moisture damage. Performing routine, preventative, and material specific maintenance will keep your bathroom floor looking new for years to come.

Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is the new paradigm in design and construction. At its core, IPD means bringing all of the parties in a typical construction project—owner, architect, and builder—together as early as possible in a more robust partnership than is traditionally seen in construction. A true IPD partnership involves changing how the project team is configured, how contracts are written, how risk is shared, how decisions are made, and the tools that are used to communicate information. Today some projects are implementing IPD in its pure form, while others are making incremental steps towards it.

Ted Kokenos is a veteran construction cost estimator. He initiated a transition from pencil and paper cost estimating to computer-based while working for a construction company employing about 60 people. His experience might inspire some construction firms that have been thinking about making the leap to computer estimating to finally go for it!