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Passive Houses save energy by design.

Welcome to the On Site channel’s Construction Administration Column. This column covers the question of adequate supervision for subcontractors on the job site. Here David A. Todd, P.E., CPESC, gives his opinion.

Columnist David A. Todd, P.E., CPESC, has 37 years of experience in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry and has performed much construction administration during that time. He will answer questions from our readers or from his own practice and will provide answers based on his understanding of the construction process and administration of the construction contract. The focus will be on the customary duties of the owner, contractor, and design professional as typically described in the contract documents.

Our simple guide to flood preparation tells you about flood insurance, emergency kits, ways to protect your family and property before a flood, and tips on evacuation.

Ask your safety manager or operations risk manager and they will tell you about the numerous additional hazards a crew will face at night. Consult work studies and you will see that working at night lowers the efficiency of any of your work crews. Unfortunately, few studies or safety managers will tell you about the managerial and contractual challenges contractors face when they take on night work.

3 easy tips for maintaining your house's curb appeal through the winter months.

Cutler Bay, South Miami. The brand-new South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center rises out of the flat Florida landscape in a dynamic crescendo of geometric forms that pierce the sky. Its presence offers a penetrating counterpoint to the dull and monotonous Southland Mall and parking lot it faces. Designed by Arquitectonica, the famed Miami-based architectural firm led by Laurinda Spear and Bernardo Fort-Brescia, the Cultural Arts Center delights in movement and flow, circulation and performance, geometry and color.

Maintaining your home's indoor air quality is essential for your family's health and finances. Learn how to keep your home healthy and warm this winter by improving your indoor air quality.

The use of metal panels as building cladding continues to enjoy a surge in popularity, since improvements in their design and performance has coincided with a taste for high-tech aesthetics. Ehrlich Architects, designers of The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University (ASU), used this cladding to reference the patterns of the U.S. radio broadcast frequency spectrum. The top floors of the six-story, 110' tall building are wrapped in colored metal panels; in addition to drawing inspiration from the broadcast spectrum, the orange and red metal cladding evokes the earth tones of the local landscape. The building is located on the ASU campus in the midst of downtown Phoenix, so its attention-grabbing facades create a strong presence for the school.

Sustainability is quickly becoming a mainstay of the building industry. Although a builder’s motivation for embracing sustainable practices may vary from personal values, to code adherence, to marketing strategy, to owner expectations, there’s no doubt that sustainability is having a major impact on the way we build. The selection of sustainable materials has become one the most challenging aspects of building green, due to the overwhelming availability of product options, negative connotations and misunderstandings related to green terminology, and the industry-wide need for education on sustainable technologies. If you are attempting to cut through the clutter when it comes to material selection, consider these suggestions from some of the industry’s leading sustainability professionals.

Perhaps the only thing that traditional, fossil fuel-based electricity generation still has going for it is the ease of “turning on” a new account. Calling the local utility company… easy. Researching, installing, and financing renewable energies and alternative solutions… difficult. More and more, however, government entities and private companies are finding ways to help people to adopt newer technologies.

When downtown Columbus’ City Center Mall opened its doors in 1989, millions of people swarmed through them in the early weeks. Its collection of high-end department stores, boutiques, and casual restaurants kept it bustling for several years. Flash forward fifteen years, and it started to become a ghost town inside, one major retailer after another leaving many of its vast indoor spaces vacant.

In order for the construction industry to achieve real gains in productivity, new work habits and workflows must be adopted. Fortunately, new tools and technologies can help with this process.

Each day, the members of the team talk with one another to verify tasks for the day. Each week, the superintendent holds foreman’s meetings to gather and disseminate information to the field. Each month, the general contractor meets with the subcontractors and suppliers to verify approval and release of materials. A strong and productive project depends on this type of structure and diligent methodology.