The Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry, Falls Church, Va., has joined the concerned voices of the Construction Industry Safety Coalition, a new coalition of national construction industry trade associations that want a practical and cost-effective crystalline silica regulation that will improve the safety and health protection of workers.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration unveiled its proposal for a rule Aug. 23, and it was later published in the Federal Register. The National Association of Home Builders says the “one-size-fits-all measures … contradict existing safety and quality assurance practices for different types of contractors.”
Under OSHA’s proposed rule, a construction employer would have to measure and keep records of the amount of respirable crystalline silica that its workers are exposed to if it may be at or above 25 micrograms of silica per cubic meter of air, averaged over an eight-hour day. An employer would have to protect its workers if the exposure is above a permissive exposure level of 50 micrograms of silica per cubic meter of air, averaged over an eight-hour day.
Work-related exposures to silica in construction operations are different from those of other industries, because construction tasks and activities are highly variable and change constantly as projects progress. With a complex rule such as the one that OSHA is proposing, the agency will need to consider factors specific to construction.
OSHA’s proposed silica rule may have the largest impact of any rulemaking undertaken by the agency regarding the construction industry, which estimates compliance costs of $1 billion to $2 billion per year, at a time when most segments of the industry have not yet recovered from the economic downturn. In addition, there has already been a 93 percent drop in the rate of silica-related deaths between 1968 and 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Silica is ubiquitous and occurs in many commonly used building products including concrete, stucco, plaster, bricks/blocks and rocks/stones. Workers can be exposed during certain construction activities such as cutting brick or block, tuck pointing, sawing, grinding or drilling concrete.
The construction industry will likely be saddled with onerous new requirements, and the proposed silica standard may substantially alter its competitive structure. OSHA’s regulatory approach should use the most cost-effective means while still ensuring compliance and worker safety.
The coalition represents thousands of employers working to protect hundreds of thousands of workers in all facets of construction from home building to road repair, and from heavy industrial production to specialty trade contractors and material suppliers. It was formed to advocate that OSHA develop technologically feasible alternatives for compliance with a silica rule that also address costs and consistency with existing federal regulations and do not overly burden small businesses.
The Construction Industry Safety Coalition members are as follows: Associated Builder and Contractors, Associated General Contractors, Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry, American Road and Transportation Builders Association, American Subcontractors Association, International Council of Employers of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, Mason Contractors Association of America, Mechanical Contractors Association of America, National Association of Home Builders, National Electrical Contractors Association, National Roofing Contractors Association.
Continental Building Products Officially Launched as New Company
Continental Building Products LLC, a new company created after the sale of Lafarge’s gypsum assets in North America, officially launched as a business Sept. 3, 2013. Although the sale technically closed Aug. 30, Sept. 3 is the first regular workday for employees at Continental’s headquarters in Reston, Va., and its gypsum and joint compound facilities in Buchanan, N.Y., Palatka, Fla., Silver Grove, Ky., and Chambly, Quebec.
Ike Preston is Continental’s new CEO. He served as the president of the same manufacturing and sales organization when it was owned by Lafarge North America, and he has brought much of the leadership team with him to run Continental Building Products.
The company’s transition from Lafarge to Continental will be phased in over the next 12 months. For example, Continental will unveil its new logo later this year and launch its new website in early 2014.
IPAF Database Shows 28 Fatalities Involving Aerial Platforms Worldwide for the First Half of 2013
There were 28 fatalities worldwide involving mobile elevating work platforms, also known as aerial work platforms, in the first half of 2013, according to findings from the International Powered Access Federation’s accident database.
The main causes of these fatalities were overturn (10), fall from height (9), entrapment (5), electrocution (3) and impact with MEWP (1).
Thirteen of the fatalities involved booms, 10 involved scissor lifts and three involved vehicle mounts. In two cases, the machine type was unknown.
Of these fatalities, 13 occurred in the United States, two each in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and one each in Armenia, Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, Norway, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.
While releasing these findings, IPAF also updated the 2012 preliminary results following the reporting of a previously unrecorded fatal accident in Canada in October 2012. This brings the total fatalities in 2012 to 32, instead of the 31 initially reported.
Compared with the first half of 2012, which saw 17 fatalities reported, the number of fatalities reported for the first half of 2013 has increased by about 65 percent. IPAF believes that the accident reporting project is capturing more data, not necessarily that there are more accidents.
While the main causes of fatalities were fairly evenly spread in the first half of 2012, the first half of 2013 saw a rise in the number of fatalities resulting from overturn and fall from height. The fatalities in the first half of 2012 involved more booms and vehicle mounts. Those in the first half of 2013 involved more booms and scissor lifts.
“Findings from IPAF’s rental market reports lead us to estimate that there are more than one million MEWPs in the world,” said IPAF CEO Tim Whiteman. “Every fatality is one too many, but these figures show that powered access equipment remains a safe way to carry out temporary work at height.”
“The accuracy of the data relies upon those using MEWPs and other interested parties to report any known fatal accidents to IPAF at www.ipaf.org/accident or to an IPAF member of staff,” said IPAF Technical Officer Chris Wraith. “The comprehensiveness of the data cannot be guaranteed, but where appropriate, action is taken to verify the facts. The data is updated should relevant information become available.”
IPAF’s accident data is based on information collected in a number of ways: directly reported to the IPAF accident database at www.ipaf.org/accident, information obtained by IPAF staff worldwide, and information collated from press releases and news reports.
All manufacturers, rental companies, contractors and users are encouraged to report any known fatal and serious accidents involving mobile elevating work platforms and mast climbing work platforms worldwide at the IPAF accident database. The project is open to IPAF members and non-members, and includes an option for anonymous reporting.
All data collected is confidential and none of the detail of any accident is shared with third parties or disclosed to safety authorities unless required to by legal writ. The only exception to this is that manufacturers will be given basic data if a machine manufactured by their company is involved in a fatal accident.
To register and to report an accident involving a MEWP or an MCWP, go to www.ipaf.org/accident.
FMI Forecast for 2014 in the Q3-2013 Construction Outlook Report
FMI, Raleigh, N.C., releases Sept. 16 its Q3-2013 Construction Outlook. The markets continue to shift, reducing annual Construction-Put-Place predictions to $909.6 billion, down nearly $4 billion from previous predictions. Early forecasts for 2014 show annual CPIP continues moderate growth of 7 percent, rising to $977 billion.
Major market predictions pertinent to the wall and ceiling industry include the following:
Residential Construction. FMI continues to forecast traction in residential construction. However, the growth is expected to taper off to 12 percent in 2014. Total predicted residential forecast is $379.6 billion, compared with the $338.2 billion for 2013.
Commercial Construction. The current forecast calls for a 5 percent increase in 2014. Although retail sales as of June 2013 were up 5.7 percent over the previous year, new bricks and mortar retail space along with commercial other construction growth will remain slow to recover.
Healthcare. With business owners nervous about the costs of the Affordable Healthcare Act, predictions are slightly unstable. Although the healthcare construction forecast slipped 1 percent since last year, it is still expected to grow 6 percent in 2014 to $44 billion.
Educational. The increase in residential construction and tax revenues will help bring this market back in many areas of the country. Due to budget cuts for government spending at all levels, the national market will rise only slightly in 2014 to 4 percent over 2013 levels.
Manufacturing. The resurgence of the automotive industry is a big boost to manufacturing as is the continuing explorations and mining for shale oil and gas. However, manufacturing construction is expected to drop 2 percent by year-end 2013 before returning to 4 percent growth in 2014.
While there is no singular reason for change in these markets, there are a few economic concerns that touch all of them: potential conflicts with Syria, the downsizing of government and large companies and the implementation of Affordable Healthcare Act.
New Construction Starts to Climb 6 Percent in 2013, Says McGraw Hill Construction
New construction starts are forecast to rise 6 percent this year to $506 billion, according to the Midyear Update to the 2013 Construction Outlook from McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial. This is the same rate of increase for total construction starts that was predicted last October, and follows the 8 percent gain that took place in 2012.
“The recovery for construction continues to unfold in a selective manner, proceeding against the backdrop of the sluggish U.S. economy,” stated Robert A. Murray, vice president of economic affairs for McGraw Hill Construction. “While the degree of uncertainty affecting the economy seems to have eased a bit from last year, tight government financing continues to exert a dampening effect on both the economy and the construction industry. On the positive side for construction, the demand for housing remains strong, market fundamentals for commercial building are strengthening, and lending standards for commercial real estate loans continue to ease gradually. On balance, the recovery for construction is making progress, but at a single-digit pace given the mix of pluses and minuses by major sector.”
Following are the main points by sectors pertinent to the wall and ceiling industry for the 2013 construction market:
Single-family housing will advance 28 percent in dollars, corresponding to a 24 percent increase in the number of dwelling units to 640,000 (McGraw Hill Construction Dodge basis). The inventory of new homes for sale is currently very low, which should spur more construction, and home prices are heading upward. The recent increase in mortgage rates has raised concern, but rates remain near historic lows and have not significantly affected affordability for most potential homebuyers.
Multifamily housing will climb 23 percent in dollars and 20 percent in units, helped by the gains reported for occupancies and rents over the past year. Major metropolitan areas such as New York continue to see groundbreaking for large apartment projects, along with the re-emergence of large condominium projects.
Commercial building will grow 15 percent, after the 11 percent increase reported for 2012, although this year’s level of activity in dollar terms will still be 39 percent less than what was reported during the 2007 peak year. The pace of store construction is picking up, joining earlier gains registered by warehouses and hotels. The increase for office construction will remain relatively subdued in 2013, as more privately financed office projects are countered by fewer government office buildings.
The institutional building market will slide an additional 5 percent, after falling 10 percent in 2012. While state fiscal health has shown some improvement, state and local budgets remain tight, further dampening school construction. Uncertainty related to hospital mergers and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act is restraining construction of healthcare facilities.
The manufacturing building category will drop 8 percent as firms hold back on plant investment given the sluggish U.S. economy and slow export markets.
Design-Build Project Delivery Holds Steady at Nearly
40 Percent of Nonresidential U.S. Construction Projects
The Design-Build Institute of America in Washington, D.C.has released research indicating that design-build project delivery represents nearly 40 percent of total market share in the United States, based on dollar value at the end of 2012. This represents an 8 percent growth increase since 2005. The geographic area with the highest design-build delivery market share is the Pacific region at 59 percent. In addition, research findings show the military sector dominates design-build project delivery with an 81 percent market share.
In a study of 48,640 project specifications across nine building sectors and geographic regions, DBIA found commercial building was the second largest sector, followed by medical building for design-build project delivery in 2012. In addition, research from DBIA reveals that market size, as defined as the potential share of design-build delivery according to dollar value, has doubled in the United States since 2005.
A copy of the full report, “Design-Build Project Delivery Market Share and Market Size Report,” is available on DBIA’s website, www.dbia.org. The report was compiled and analyzed by Reed Construction Data/RSMeans Market Intelligence in 2013.
Nonresidential Construction Index Remains Constant
FMI (www.fminet.com) announces the release of the 2013 Third Quarter Nonresidential Construction Index report. The NRCI score of 60.3 is a 0.2-point improvement over the second quarter.
Although the numbers aren’t drastically rising, the sustainability and continuing upward movement is encouraging. This score remains the highest score for the NRCI index since the first quarter of 2009. The index for the overall economy rose to 72 points and the combined index sentiment for economies where panelists are doing business rose 3.2 points.
Cost of construction materials, cost of labor and productivity continue to hold down the index. Additionally, investments in technology, equipment and training are needed to keep the economy from going stagnant.
Panelists for this quarter’s NRCI suggest that the uncertainty for investments is a result of the immigration/labor bills, delays in implementation of “Obamacare” and the impact of residential growth on nonresidential construction. These issues are causing the industry to sit back and wait to see the outcomes before making any risky investments.
Shortage of Lots Slows Housing Recovery
A shortage of buildable lots, especially in the most desirable locations, has emerged as one of the key factors holding back a more robust housing recovery, according to the latest survey on the topic conducted by the National Association of Home Builders, released Sept. 4.
“In our August 2013 survey, 59 percent of builders reported that the supply of lots in their markets was low or very low—up from 43 percent September of last year, and the largest low supply percentage we’ve seen since we began conducting these surveys in 1997,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “One reason is that many residential developers left the industry, abandoned certain markets or simply stopped buying land and developing lots during the downturn.”
The 59 percent includes 39 percent who characterized the supply of lots simply as “low” and 20 percent who said the supply of lots was “very low.” Another 22 percent said the supply of lots was “normal,” 10 percent said it was “high” and four percent said “very high.” Six percent said they didn’t know or weren’t sure.
The survey found that lot shortages tended to be especially acute in the most desirable, or “A,” locations. Thirty-four percent of builders said that the supply of A lots was very low, compared to 18 percent for lots in B and 12 percent for lots in C locations.
The shortages have also translated into higher prices for builders who are able to obtain developed lots to build on. In the same survey, 34 percent of home builders said the price of developed A lots was somewhat higher than it was a year ago, and 26 percent said the price was substantially higher. In comparison, 15 percent of builders said the price of B lots was substantially higher than a year ago, and 11 percent said the price of C lots was substantially higher. Ultimately, higher lot prices are passed on to buyers in the form of higher house prices.
The shortage of buildable lots has emerged against the backdrop of a housing recovery that is still modest by historical standards. To this point, housing starts have recovered from a low of 550,000 in 2009 to an annual rate of just fewer than 900,000 in the Census Bureau’s latest release. Historically, starts averaged more than 1.5 million a year from 1960 to 2000, without ever plunging below 1 million until 2008.
Construction Spending Hit a Four-Year High in July
Total construction spending hit a four-year high in July as private residential and nonresidential activity increased while public spending declined, according to an analysis of new (Sept. 3) Census Bureau data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials urged lawmakers in Washington to make infrastructure investment a top federal priority before funding runs out at the end of September.
“The patterns seen earlier this year reappeared in July, with strong year-over-year gains in single- and multifamily building, a range of results for private nonresidential categories, and deepening downturns in most public segments,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “These trends are likely to hold for the remainder of 2013.”
Construction put in place in July, $901 billion, was the highest mark since June 2009, and an increase of 0.6 percent from the month before and 5.2 percent from July 2012. Totals for May and June were revised up, implying a stronger second quarter for the overall economy than the government reported last week.
Private residential spending rose 0.6 percent for the month and 17 percent from July 2012. New single-family construction climbed 0.5 percent in July and 29 percent from a year ago. New multifamily spending edged up 0.1 percent in July and advanced 39 percent year-over-year.
Private nonresidential spending gained 1.3 percent in July and 2.0 percent year-over-year, Simonson observed. Components with substantial increases since July 2012 included lodging, up 33 percent; warehouses, up 11 percent; and the largest private nonresidential category, power—including oil and gas as well as electricity—up 5 percent. However, there were decreases in private health care construction, down 3 percent; and communication, down 12 percent, Simonson noted.
Public construction spending slipped 0.3 percent for the month and 3.7 percent over 12 months. The two largest public components both dropped: highway and street, down 1.1 percent in July and down 3.8 percent year-over-year; and educational, down 1.5 percent and 12 percent, respectively, Simonson said.
“Recent reports suggest the full year will continue to bring mixed news for construction,” Simonson said. “Multifamily construction will keep expanding and single-family homebuilding should do well in most regions. Private nonresidential spending will be very uneven and public construction spending remains threatened.”
Association officials urged policy makers in Washington to enact federal spending bills by September 30 in order to avoid costly interruptions to federally funded construction projects. They said even a short lapse in appropriations could be very disruptive to construction schedules for infrastructure and building projects.
“Congress and the administration shouldn’t play chicken with vitally needed infrastructure,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “Shutting down a project, even for a day, can be very damaging to finishing it on time and keeping key workers on board.”
Build Your Future Helping Military Find the “Fast Track” to Construction Careers
As of January 2013, roughly 844,000 veterans were unemployed and looking for work, including 252,000 post-9/11 veterans. Each year the military discharges between 240,000 and 360,000 service members and, with the need for overseas deployments decreasing, the military is expected to discharge a million service members over the next several years.
Despite having valuable military experience, veterans often find it difficult to obtain formal private sector recognition of their military training, experiences and skill sets through civilian certification and licensure. To help the construction industry and the military work together for a solution, the National Center for Construction Education and Research and the Build Your Future (www.byf.org) initiative are leading the “Fast Track to Civilian Employment,” project. To begin, NCCER and BYF are establishing a task force of contractors, owners and other stakeholders to develop a method of assessing, training and transitioning veterans into high skill, high wage careers in construction.
“Contractors hire veterans because they recognize that they have the field experience, skills and leadership abilities to excel as construction craft professionals,” said Diane Greene, executive director of the Build Your Future initiative. “We need a better way to connect with these returning military and show them how well their background translates to a career in our industry. Our goal with the ‘Fast Track to Civilian Employment’ project is to identify valuable skills, provide craft training when needed, and create an avenue for employers to connect with these talented veterans.”
Utilizing BYF’s Military Crosswalk, the program will allow veterans to identify how their Military Occupational Skill codes align with NCCER’s industry-recognized, portable credentials. The program will include journey-level assessments and upgrade training for skilled workers. For those without construction skills, the program will offer accelerated safety and craft training allowing veterans to earn credentials for completing OSHA 10-hour training and NCCER’s Core Curriculum. The process is designed to ensure that veterans are able to easily transition into their chosen career pathways, and companies participating in the program’s task force will support the initiative by giving hiring preference to veterans with NCCER credentials.
BYF also recently released a new video resource entitled “Rethink Careers in Construction: Hire Military,” which provides firsthand insight from contractors and returning military on how veterans can transition into construction careers.
Visit byf.org/military for more information and resources designed to connect returning military and construction employers looking to hire them.
Call for Entries Announced for 2014 NAHB Green Awards
The National Association of Home Builders is now accepting submissions for its 2014 NAHBGreen Awards. Each year, NAHB recognizes individuals, companies and organizations for excellence in residential green design and construction practices and for green building program and advocacy efforts.
The awards will be presented on Feb. 5 during an event held in conjunction with the 2014 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas.
In an effort to create a more streamlined submission process and to make it easier and quicker for applicants to apply, the applications for all Project of the Year categories have been revised this year and can be submitted online. The awards are open to both NAHB members and non-NAHB members. To be eligible for the Green Project of the Year categories, projects must have been started no earlier than January 2010 and substantially completed by December 2013.
Categories include Project of the Year—Single Family, Project of the Year—Multifamily, Project of the Year—Remodel, Project of the Year—Green Site Development, and Advocate of the Year.
All homes and developments must be scored to either the 2008 or 2012 ICC-700 National Green Building Standard®, to ensure fair comparisons for judging purposes. This can be done by downloading the scoring spreadsheets at homeinnovation.com/greenscoring.
All entries must be received by Oct. 15, 2013. Application fees are $250 for Project of the Year categories and $150 for the Advocate of the Year award.
For more information, or to apply, visit www.nahb.org/greenbuildingawards. Contact Chad Riedy at [email protected] with any additional questions.
People in the News
California Drywall Company, San Jose, Calif., has hired Ryan Tiru, Michael Wilkinson and Tyler Hovivian.
Tiru joins California Drywall as senior estimator in the drywall division. Prior to joining the company, he held estimating and project management positions at J&J Acoustics and Raymond Interior Systems. Tiru is a LEED accredited professional.
Wilkinson joins the company as senior estimator/project manager in the plaster division, bringing more than 23 years of experience to the job. At California Drywall, he will be responsible for managing the growing plaster division including overseeing all estimates, project management and training of estimators and project managers.
Hovivian joins the firm as project manager in the ceiling division. With 10 years’ experience at Martin Integrated, one of the most respected specialty ceiling contractors in Southern California, he has worked on many large, complex projects.
Glasteel, a division of Stabilit America, has appointed Gustavo Orta as sales and marketing manager. With a strong background in international sales leadership and distribution for more than 23 years, Orta is responsible for all U.S. sales and marketing activities and is based in the North American corporate office located in Moscow, Tenn.
Minneapolis-based Radius Track Corporation has hired Luanne Ludovici-Ketchie as the company’s West, USA account manager.
Ludovici-Ketchie brings more than 10 years of sales experience and knowledge of the construction and metal framing industry to Radius Track and will be responsible for calling on all members of a typical project team, including architects, engineers, general contractors and framing contractors, as well as the distributors who support the construction industry. Her territory includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Tom Boissy, CSI, CCPR, LEED AP has joined Atlas Roofing® Corporation as the architect/building science specialist for the CI Walls division in the Midwest. The newly created position will focus on strategic growth of Atlas Roofing Corporation’s CI Wall products and expanding Atlas sustainability messages throughout their target industries.
Companies in the News
Johns Manville, Denver, has been named “Supplier of the Year” for 2013 by Insulate America, Inc., the nation’s largest independent insulation contractor association. This marks the third time JM has been honored by the organization for superior customer service and overall support of the organization.
Insulate America is a cooperative group of locally owned, independent insulation contractors who provide and install quality insulation and other building products for residential and commercial construction. It is the largest independent insulation contracting organization in the United States with 185 locations in 45 states and more than 5,000 employees. Representatives from each of the locations vote on the “Supplier of the Year” award.
Lafarge North America has completed a transaction to acquire the assets from the New Orleans division of Metro Materials Inc., a family-owned ready mix provider headquartered in St. Louis Mo.
The acquisition involves Metro Material’s New Orleans assets and includes their two Ready Mix concrete plants and associated trucks and equipment.
Products in the News
Johns Manville, Denver, announces that JM Corbond III® closed-cell spray polyurethane foam insulation now offers a R-value of 5.9/inch (11.6 ft2/hr/OF/BTU LTTR), a change that translates to a 13 percent higher R-value compared to previous thermal performance of 5.1/inch. With the upgrade, JM Corbond III® has achieved a Type 2 R-value, which designates the highest level of thermal resistance for spray foam under the National Building Code of Canada. For additional information regarding JM Corbond III, visit www.specjm.com.
Web Watch
Simpson Strong-Tie has added many free Web and mobile apps and online calculators, giving customers quick access to product information and tools that result in time and cost savings. The company’s latest technology offering is available at www.strongtie.com/software. Recent updates and additions include:
Updated Holdown Selector Web App. The Holdown Selector Web app is a quick and easy tool that selects the most cost-effective holdown connector based on the type of installation, demand load and the wood species of the post. Access the Holdown Selector app at www.strongtie.com/apps/holdown.
Redesigned Coil Strap Calculator Web Apps. The redesigned Coil Strap Designer specifies the most effective coil strap for a given demand load and determines the number of nails required for a particular application. To use the coil strap calculators, visit www.strongtie.com/apps/coilstrap.
New Slope and Skew Online Calculator. The new online Simpson Strong-Tie Slope and Skew Calculator makes it easy by performing all of the necessary calculations for each hanger condition in the roof. Simply enter the roof pitches and press the “calculate” button. To access the calculator, go to www.strongtie.com/apps/slopeskew.
Updated Dealer Locator Mobile App. Designed to save customers time and money, the Dealer Locator mobile app helps find the location of the closest Simpson Strong-Tie dealer based on the user’s location. The updated version of the app adds the ability to search by city and state, along with ZIP Code. The Dealer Locator is a native app for iPhone® and iPad®. Other mobile users can use the mobile-optimized Dealer Locator at www.strongtie.com/dealers. More information is available at www.strongtie.com/apps/dl.
To view all Simpson Strong-Tie software and apps, visit www.strongtie.com/software.
Two new ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) reports have been issued to Powers Fasteners—along with an additional product listed on the reports for DEWALT (Stanley Black & Decker)—showing compliance with the International Building Code® and International Residential Code®.
ESR-3471 was issued for Powers Power-Stud+ SD3, Power-Stud+ SD4 and Power-Stud+ SD6 Stainless Steel Anchors in Cracked and Uncracked Concrete.
Powers Pure110+ Epoxy Adhesive Anchor System in Cracked and Uncracked Concrete complies with the 2003 through 2009 IBC and IRC as noted in ESR-3298. The Powers Pure110+ Epoxy Adhesive Anchors are used to resist static, wind or earthquake (IBC Seismic Design Categories A through F) tension and shear loads in cracked and uncracked normal-weight concrete with compressive strengths as specified in the report. The report includes uses with several types of threaded rods and reinforcing bars.
Both ESR-3471 and ESR-3298 include installation requirements as well as other significant safety details for the users of these reports.
Hilti announces the launch of its new Hilti Online website (United States: www.us.hilti.com; Canada: www.hilti.ca). The new website provides a modern look and easier site navigation to access to the entire line of Hilti products, as well as extensive technical and design resources to enhance the customer experience.
The new Hilti Online is built on a state-of-the art e-commerce platform that provides new features as well as enhanced features from the previous website. Hilti customers will appreciate the convenience as well as the transparency of ordering Hilti products online. Customers will have the capability to conduct a live chat with Hilti sales professionals, check stock availability, view account history indicating all Hilti products in their fleet, request a tool repair/calibration, find local Hilti locations, track orders and shipments and print invoices.
The Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association has transformed its website with a Web-based BHMA Certified Products Directory that now allows users to access product listings by category, company name, or keyword search; and launched a new, downloadable “Hardware Highlights” feature that delivers snapshot summaries of the industry’s standards for 25 hardware products.
“Hardware Highlights” is a new BHMA feature that replaces the association’s previous “Standards At-a-Glance.” More graphic and easier to read, “Hardware Highlights” summarizes the scopes of 23 key product standards, with examples of the methods of testing and the levels required to achieve BHMA certification.
The new site can be seen at www.buildershardware.com, along with a list of updated standards.
