MMM – U.S. Steel Tower and PPG Place are Engineering Marvels in Pittsburgh

METALCON 2019 will roll into the “Steel City” in five weeks for the first time in its show history and be welcomed by Pittsburgh-based industry giants and this year’s premier sponsors, United States Steel Corporation (U.S. Steel) and PPG. Their names are permanent fixtures in the city and also in the skyline. In an article by Bright Hub Engineering, “Today taller buildings have emerged in the city, yet these two buildings remain popular because of their unique design and engineering material, and the material used for their construction and energy efficient design continues to make them popular among engineers and architects.” Magnificent Metal Monday (MMM) takes a deeper look at both of these buildings.

Top Trends in Construction Technology

Virtual reality allows real-time comparison of 3D models to physical spaces; Photo credit: Autodesk.

Unlock the key to the future of construction projects by understanding the latest in Construction Technology (CONTECH). METALCON 2019 will feature a brand new CONTECH innovative and interactive hub on the show floor, showcasing some of the hottest products from a variety of different technology companies. According to an article posted by Autodesk, here are the five major construction technology trends to watch in 2019:

MMM – Singapore’s New Airport Shines

Summer is here and that means traveling through airports. According to Forbes, “This summer U.S. airlines are anticipating that a record 257.4 million will take to the skies between June 1 and August 31, up 3.4% compared to a year ago.” Airport construction projects continue to make headlines, but according to the New York Times, one in particular is shining as the “new jewel.” Singapore’s Changi Airport hopes to be a destination in itself and remove some of the stress that traveling can bring. The 10-story engineering marvel contains a forest, indoor waterfall, and more than 280 stores and restaurants. Magnificent Metal Monday takes a closer look at what it took to create this gem.

Protecting Metal Building Materials during Winter

Deicing now uses chemicals that can be harmful to metal building materials. Image:Wikimedia.

Seeing this recent “polar vortex” create record breaking frigid temperatures, here is a relevant article about protecting metal building materials from corrosion caused by severe weather. Metal Construction News’ recent article, “Tarping Loads During Winter Months,” explores the changing needs of transporting metal building materials during harsh winter conditions.

What will 2019 look like?

Where’s the crystal ball when you need one? Without crystal balls, tarot cards or other mind-reading methods, we turn to the industry trades to help us “see into the future.”

Magnificent Metal Monday

Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images

It’s a Bird!  It’s a Plane!  No …. It’s a Drone!

CNBC recently reported how drone photography has carved a niche in the construction industry.  Drone use is skyrocketing in construction work, at a rate even higher than agriculture and manufacturing, data shows. Construction drone usage has increased by 239 percent year over year, compared to 198 percent in mining and 172 percent in agriculture, according to a May report on commercial drone trends by DroneDeploy, which provides mapping solutions for drone users.

Magnificent Metal Monday

 

On a recent trip to New Jersey, I had the distinct pleasure of crossing the Hudson River on the NEW $3.98 billion Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge!  The new bridge replaces the former Tappan Zee Bridge, which was built between 1952 and 1955 and served as one of New York’s primary crossings north of the city.  This new lasting icon is 3.1 miles long and is the largest single design-build contracts for a transportation project in the United States. Located less than 20 miles north of New York City, the cable-stayed span crosses one of the widest parts of the river and will be the largest bridge in New York State history.

Magnificent Metal Monday

Is red the new black?  Top roofing trends for 2018 are “standing out from the crowd.”  With more color options available than any other roofing type, metal roofing color trends are setting the tone for the latest in homeowner style preferences.  According to the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA), “predictions for the most popular shades this year include bright reds, brilliant whites and moody deep blues. Multi-tones and raw organic hues such as copper, titanium and bright stainless steel also are attracting homeowners for their one-of-a-kind appeal.” 

Swenson Shear Introduces Equipment Financing Options

Ceres, CA – Swenson Shear, a leading supplier of innovative tools for the metal roofing industry – including SnapTable all-in-one tools than can notch, shear and hem snap lock and standing seam panel profiles – announces that customers now have the ability to arrange financing for equipment purchases on the company’s website.

Magnificent Metal Mondays

 

In today’s feature of Magnificent Metal Mondays we travel to the University of Washington Medical Center Surgery Pavilion in Seattle. The building was designed through a collaboration

How to Prepare for your Metal Roofing Jobs

Our friends over at http://www.designandbuildwithmetal.com recently published an article that pertains to a lot of the metal roofers out there. Contributing to the article was Harry Schouten of Advanced Architectural Sheet Metal & Supply.

Book your Hotel for METALCON now

You heard us right, housing is OPEN! We’ve opened it earlier this year so that you can take advantage of the early bird pricing on the official hotels

San Antonio emergency responders rescue construction worker from concrete

Late last night we saw this story come through and we are truly happy that the construction worker turned out ok. We applaud our public safety officials who were able to help this man.

How to be a Creative Genius

January 26 – By Lauren K. Terry – Creativity has become so intertwined with the definition of exceptional leaders that an entire industry has emerged to help leaders find their creative abilities. There is a Center for Creative Leadership, a Creative Leadership Group, a Creative Leadership Program,

Growing your Business with Metal

 

ATLANTA (October 20, 2014) by Jim Austin – The Helene S. Mills Multipurpose Facility opened in 2002 as a Fulton County focal point to enrich the minds, bodies and spirits of independent senior citizens. Soon after opening, a leaky roof put a damper on senior activities. 

A new way to harvest solar energy using metal nanoparticles and plasmon resonance

Read this article this morning and it will certainly impact the metal construction industry. Take a read for yourself and let us know what you think. We are starting to see science and metal construction come closer together than ever. It’s always had that relationship, but it continues to be more complex. Anyhow read the article and let us know what you think.

http://www.zmescience.com by Tibi Puiu – Solar cell technology has improved dramatically over the past couple of year, yet it will be a long time before multi-junction cells – then kind that can reach efficiency well over 40% – will become affordable to small home owners or even large scale installation. New methods are always explored, however, each with its own angle to harnessing solar energy, benefits and disadvantages included. One of the biggest challenges to improving solar cell efficiency is collecting light frequencies that are outside the visible spectrum, and a new technique developed at Caltech makes use of a most interesting physical effect: plasmon resonance on the surface of metal nanoparticles.

Firefighters Complain about Metal Roofs

A few months back you may recall I had touched on the firefighters and metal roofs subject, well, looks like it isn’t going away. Ultimately, before voicing an opinion we would like for you to read the article so that 

D.I. Roof Seamers – Exhibitor Feature

Today’s featured exhibitor is D.I. Roof Seamers. You may also know them as Developmental Industries, Inc. who have become the world’s largest dedicated manufacturer of electro-mechanical roof seamers. Check out their e-booth by clicking here and remember to visit their website by clicking here.

Throwback Thursdays

In honor of Throwback Thursdays we are going to revisit METALCON Atlanta 2011. While these may not actually be real people it still qualifies 

Attend METALCON

Did you realize that registration is now open for METALCON? Well, today is your lucky day if you didn’t realize it. Most of you know that this is the world’s leading metal construction trade show and the most important people in the industry will be there, so to take advantage of the early bird discounts click on REGISTER NOW!

METALCON Video of the Day

Cidan Machinery Inc. – Exhibitor Feature

Visit Cidan Machinery’s online booth by clicking here and to view their web page click here.

Novagard Solutions – Exhibitor Feature

 

Today’s exhibitor feature is for Novagard Solutions based out of Cleveland, OH. Novagard Solutions is a silicone sealant manufacturer who has been in business for 34 years. The brand name product is Novaflex. You can check out their online e-booth by clicking here. Look for them at METALCON in booth 1035, and you can REGISTER HERE!

METALCON Hustle and Bustle

That’s right we are working hard at the METALCON office to provide you with the most amazing trade show experience you’ll ever go to. However, in order 

Construction Live Site Video

This is really cool, entertaining and fun. While most of us grew up playing with Tonka Trucks and other pretend construction toys, this person took it to another level. Check the video out and let us know what you think. It’s creative and a good way to enjoy something in the field we all work in.

Drexel Metals – Exhibitor Feature

Our Exhibitor Feature today is Drexel Metals. Drexel Metals provides a full range of superior-quality engineered metal roofing systems, equipment and custom fabrication services for commercial, governmental, industrial, historical and architectural customers worldwide. Check out their online profile by CLICKING HERE.

The Bradbury Co., Inc. – Exhibitor Feature

To find out more information about The Bradbury Co., Inc. you can click here to go to their website or click here to see their online e-booth profile.

Behind the Welding Mask

Welders seem to not get as much credit as they deserve so in honor of that occupation in the industry check out this quick video. As the title refers it is certainly behind the welding mask. Enjoy.

Trade Associations What’s Missing?

So it looks like at the recent Metal Construction Association meeting held in Rosemont, IL June 23-25 there were some preliminary discussions held on regulations and codes in the industry except this time other associations were involved in the panel discussion. Well, isn’t it about time this

Want to be Cool?

We’ve posted every day that registration is open and the goal is to reinforce the thinking that you need to register as soon as possible. Think of it this way when you buy your plane tickets to go on vacation