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Features
More young workers enter Facility Management Profession
as average annual compensation nears US$100,000
HOUSTON—The facility management professional of 2012, on average, is college educated, manages more than 1 million square feet of space and multiple employees, has experienced a growth in job responsibilities over the past two years, and is enjoying a base salary increase of 8 percent from 2007 levels, according to the results of an International Facility Management Association (IFMA) salary and demographics survey.
The States score by increasing energy-efficiency performance
WASHINGTON, D.C.—A sour U.S. economy, tight state budgets, and a failure by Congress to adopt a comprehensive energy strategy have not slowed the growing momentum among U.S. states toward increased energy efficiency, according to the fifth edition of the annual ACEEE State Energy Efficiency Scorecard released October 22nd by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
Seventy-six Awards Distributed in The Best of NeoCon® 2011 Competition |
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Chicago—Seventy-six awards were distributed in The Best of NeoCon® 2011 competition of contract furnishing products during NeoCon® at The Merchandise Mart. Six Innovation Awards and a Best of Competition Award were included among the honors in June. The Tables: Training & Work Category took the top prize as the Best of Competition with MOTUS, manufactured by HALCON. |
Growing Number of Building Owners Around the World
Combating Rising Energy Prices by Pursuing Energy Efficiency
Rising energy prices, government incentives and enhanced public image are driving energy efficiency in buildings to new heights as a growing number of building owners race to reduce energy consumption, according to the results of the fifth annual, global Energy Efficiency Indicator survey.
Tornadoes raise questions about building practices
There is no practical, economic way to build structures that could stand up to the savagery of EF5 tornadoes like those that ripped through the South in late April, experts say, but damage from lesser storms could be reduced by better building practices and improved enforcement of existing codes. |
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Biodegradable products can do more harm than good
So-called biodegradable products are likely doing more harm than good in landfills, because they release a powerful greenhouse gas as they break down, say researchers at North Carolina State University. “Biodegradable materials, such as disposable cups and utensils, are broken down in landfills by microorganisms that then produce methane,” says Dr. Morton Barlaz, co-author of a paper describing the research and professor and head of NC State’s Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering."
Starting at the Bottom: Raised Access Flooring
by Beth Leibson - When SAP Americas, a German software company, started to contemplate a second building on its 110-acre Newtown, Pennsylvania, regional headquarters site, height constraints were a major issue. “We were limited to 56 feet,” says Brian Barrett, Senior Project Manager, SAP Global Facilities.
Greening the Movable Walls - by Beth Leibson
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Modular walls, AKA movable walls and demountable walls, may cost a little more green upfront, but they quickly green both the environment—by cutting down on landfill waste—and the corporate bottom line—by making it faster, easier, and less expensive to reconfigure space. The biggest sustainability advantages to movable walls are the decrease in construction and reconfiguration waste and the improvement in indoor air quality (IAQ). |
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Case Study
Pi Beta Phi Builds LEED-Certified Greek-Letter
Organization House
Incorporating Green Features
When the Mississippi Gamma Chapter of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women planned the design for its chapter house, incorporating sustainable practices was a top criteria for achievement. Pi Beta Phi had previously committed to be a green building leader among Greek-letter organizations for all its new facilities.
White Papers - (PDFs)
Achieving and Maintaining Healthy Green Buildings
Green buildings are created to provide healthy and productive indoor environments for their occupants. While achieving these goals can consume energy and funds, efforts to conserve energy can end up degrading the quality of the indoor environment. Therefore, a healthy indoor environment will more likely be achieved if certain priorities are established early on in the design process. These goals include understanding the integrated relationship between saving energy and the achievement of good indoor air quality, the importance of effective air sealing of the building envelope, the ability to control air contaminants, and the importance of continually managing moisture and ventilation performance over the life of the building.
This article, by David W. Bearg, PE, CIH1, is published with the permission of the Journal of Green Building. Subscription information available at www.collegepublishing.us
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