Image Recognition Software Flags Safety Hazards July 24, 2017 A newly developed software can film a jobsite and automatically determine those not wearing hardhats and safety colors. Smartvid.io Inc. has developed Very Intelligent Neural Network for Insight and Evaluation (VINNIE), which recognizes when people are present in jobsite images and cues those who may be missing safety gear. Still in development, the software is […] Read More
RCI Interface Receives Award July 21, 2017 RCI Interface, the technical journal of RCI, Inc., recently received an award from The Printing Industry of the Carolinas, Inc. (PICA). RCI Interface took best of category for a sheetfed magazine series. The journal is designed by Nicole Leech of Little Design Factory, and printed by Chamblee Graphics in Raleigh, NC. The publication received a similar […] Read More
A Document Competition for the Greater Good of RCI and the Building Envelope Industry June 29, 2017 By Jeremy Bridwell, RRC, REWC, PE RCI Document Competition Chairman The RCI Document Competition was established in 1989 to showcase members’ exceptional work products. Traditionally, participation has been incentivized with recognition during the RCI convention and trade show with display of all document competition entries and winning entrants awarded with plaques, RCI Dollars, and publication […] Read More
Architectural Firms Gain 9% in Revenue Over Previous Year June 29, 2017 By Ken Simonson Pay and Revenue Total revenue for architectural and related services firms increased 1.4%, not seasonally adjusted, from the third quarter of 2016 (Q3 2016) to Q4 2016, and 9.4% from Q4 2015 to Q4 2016, according to the Census Bureau’s Quarterly Services Survey. Revenue for engineering services firms increased 0.8% for the […] Read More
Pterodactyl Wins IDEAS2 Award June 29, 2017 The Pterodactyl office by NAST Enterprises Corp. in Culver City, California, is perhaps the most visually arresting of the winners of this year’s American Institute of Steel Construction’s (AISC’s) 2017 Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel (IDEAS2) Awards. The awards were given for use of structural steel; creative solutions to program requirements; […] Read More
Electronic Leak Detection: Sound Science, Not a Magic Wand June 29, 2017 By Peter Brooks Due to its many advantages over flood testing, membrane integrity testing with electronic leak detection (ELD) has rapidly become the first choice for owners, manufacturers, specifiers, consultants, and contractors around the world. ELD on roofing and waterproofing membranes is proving to be faster, safer, more accurate, and often less expensive than flood […] Read More
New ASTM Test Method Quantifies Air Leakage in Roofs June 29, 2017 By Suda Molleti, PhD, and Bas Baskaran, PhDNational Research Council Canada Designing buildings in an energy-efficient manner has become of primary importance in order to meet energy code target levels. It has been clearly demonstrated that air leakage is a key influencing parameter in the energy efficiency of the building envelope. To mitigate air leakage […] Read More
First 3-D Printed Equipment Debuts at CONEXPO June 29, 2017 “Drawing” a lot of attention at the CONEXPO show in Las Vegas in March was a small mini excavator off in one corner. The amazing thing about it was that significant parts of the machine were produced using 3-D printing technologies, which were then integrated with conventional parts to create a functional 5.5-ton mini excavator. […] Read More
Cool Roofs on the West Coast: Has Roofing Science Been up to the Task? May 08, 2017 Cool single-ply membranes with highly reflective surfaces have come to represent over 50% of the commercial roofing market. Each year, well over 1.5 billion square feet of these white membranes are installed. However, as with many changes, there have been concerns about unintended consequences associated with this large shift. For example, in northern regions, condensation […] Read More
“Leaky” Exhaust Vents – The 500-lb Gorilla of Condensation Problems March 29, 2017 By Philip D. Dregger, FRCI, RRC, PE Many factors contribute to excessive condensation in low-slope membrane roof systems installed over wood decks with insulation below: high interior relative humidity (RH), high roof reflectance,1 and especially air intrusion.2 One contributor — the impact of warm humid air leaking out the ends of improperly terminated exhaust vents […] Read More
