Feature
Building Green ... Quietly: Noise Pollution and What to Do About It
Noise is everywhere, from the ear-splitting to the merely distracting. Aside from being annoying, noise also has measurable impacts on wildlife, human health, and workplace productivity. This article explains the essential principles of sound, from the perspective of noise reduction, and then outlines five broad strategies that can be employed for noise control. We conclude with specific strategies, techniques, and products for the systematic control of indoor and outdoor noise.
What's Happening
Green Homes for Chicago
The City of Chicago is preparing to build five houses based on the winning entries in its Green Homes for Chicago competition. The competition, a joint project of the Chicago Departments of Housing and Environment, sought designs for affordable and green single-family houses. Successful features of these houses will be incorporated into the City's standard affordable housing specifications.
International News from Sustainable Buildings 2000
People from around the world converged on Maastricht, The Netherlands, from October 22 to 25, for the Sustainable Buildings 2000 conference. Included in the proceedings were presentations of the recent results of the Green Building Challenge. Assessment of selected buildings from 19 countries illustrated the dilemmas associated with quantifying sustainability. Some tension was evident at the conference, arising in part from perceived competition between existing and new building rating systems.
Awards & Competitions
Northeast Green Building Awards
Entries are due by March 15 for this year's Northeast Green Building Awards.
Sustainable Design Award Program Seeks Entries
Entries are being accepted for the Sustainable Design Award Program.
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Awards & Competitions (cont.)
Oakes Hall Wins ASHRAE Award
Oakes Hall at Vermont Law School has won a second-place award in the 2000 ASHRAE Technology Award competition.
Evergreen, Trex, and Milliken Win SPE Carpet Recycling Awards
The Society of Plastics Engineers honored three building products manufacturers for advances in plastics recycling and reuse.
Product Review
Fastfoot Footing Forms--Made of Fabric
Using polyethylene fabric supported by a modular framework, contractors can now pour foundation footings without using conventional plywood forms. This innovative new technique has a number of advantages over conventional techniques -- these include speed of installation, adaptability to irregular terrain, ecosystem protection, and resource savings.
Thermostatic By-Pass Valve for Hydronic Baseboard Heat
Regulating temperatures in different rooms within a single heating zone has always been a problem. The specialty heating component supplier, EnerJee, is offering a solution. Their thermostatically controlled, 3-way by-pass valve allows hot water to be shunted past a section of fin-tube when less heat is called for. The valves provide excellent temperature control and can be used with most new and existing installations, although retro-fits can be time-consuming.
Product News
Advance Transformer Co. Sweepstakes
Advance Transformer Company, maker of energy efficient ballasts, is ironically giving away energy-hogging SUVs in a sweepstakes for contractors who use their products.
Trex Recognition
Trex Company Inc. is named Best Small Company by Forbes magazine.
From the Library
From the Library
Calendar
Calendar of Events
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