Office Projects Reaching Record High

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The New York Building Congress has reported that office projects have accounted for 54% of construction, reaching a new record high for the last three years. Each year has exceeded $2 billion in construction starts, including the World Trade Center and Hudson Yards new developments.

Between 2013 and 2017, commercial construction totaled $23.8 billion, totaling more than 73 million new square feet of space. Although office construction is leading in the industry, other major commercial sectors such as hotels, retail and warehouse are experiencing significant growth.

“As more businesses continue to call New York home, building new, world-class commercial spaces is more important than ever,” says New York Building Congress president and CEO Carlo A. Scissura. “New York City’s economy has never relied on a single industry or sector and the variety of commercial construction across the city ensures our businesses can adapt and thrive in the 21st century.”

Construction Project Ideas

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  1. Residential – These types of construction projects includes houses, townhouses, cottages, apartments, condominiums, single unit dwellings and subdivisions. The designs for the housing are usually done by architects and engineers; the construction is completed by builders who hire subcontractors for structural, electrical, mechanical and other specific work. This type of project must adhere to the local building authority regulations and codes of practice. Because of its ease of entry into the real estate market, many new builders are attracted to residential projects. Although it is a highly competitive market with potentially high risks, there are also high rewards.
  2. Building – This type of construction project is possibly the most popular; it is the process of adding structure to a property, including room additions and small renovations. For current homeowners, this is the most common project because they often extend their homes with additional rooms, walk-in closets, garages, and kitchen renovations. 
  3. Institutional & Commercial – This category includes schools, universities, hospitals, clinics, sports facilities, stadiums, shopping centers, retail chain stores, light manufacturing plants, warehouses, skyscrapers for offices and hotels, and more. For these projects, specialty architects and engineers are hired for a particular building design. There a few competitors for this category because of its high costs and greater sophistication as compared to residential buildings.
  4. Highway Construction – This involves the alteration, construction, repair of highways, streets, roads, paths, parking areas, and more.
  5. Heavy Construction – These projects are those that are not classified as building or highway projects, such as flood control projects, water treatment plants and facilities, water and sewer line projects, and more.

Construction Tips for Your Workers’ Safety

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1. Getting in and out of equipment:

– Check your boots and gloves for slippery substances and wipe them off to avoids slips and falls
– Get a foot or hand hold before hoisting yourself up
– Use a step ladder if necessary to make sure you can climb on the equipment safely
– If you need help, be sure to ask
– Avoid rushing to hop up or down on equipment

2. Personal Protective Equipment:

– It is important to wear the right clothes for the job, along with protective gear. On the job, your gear and other tools should be stored in a safe, dry place. First aid kits and fire extinguishers should be located near the work area and readily available.

– When lifting heavy objects, you should use a back brace to prevent damage to your body. You should also be sure to wear gloves and goggles on the work site if you’re using dangerous tools. If you’re working on an elevated area and there’s a risk of slipping and falling, you should wear a safety harness.

– Nonskid, rubber footwear is also important if you are working in an area with slippery surfaces, or if you’re lifting heavy objects.

– It is crucial to your health that you wear a mask at work if your workplace has bad ventilation and if you work with dangerous toxins, constant dust or other debris.

3. Staying safe loading/unloading equipment:

– No matter where you’re working, there is always the risk of equipment rolling over when you are loading or unloading it. This is why it is important to make sure the ramps you are using are straight and cleared. You should also be sure to allow plenty of room between you and the equipment in case of an emergency.

– It is always smart to use another co-worker as a spotter while guiding your equipment to make sure the machine is clear of the ramp before turning it. However, you should also make sure the trailer deck and you have proper clearance before loading it, in addition to using correct tie-down procedures.

 

How Your Next Home Could be Powered by Batteries

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For Homeowners who feel incomplete when they leave their phones at home, or for the storm-haters who cannot stomach another blackout, battery-operated homes may be your solution. Solar panel energy has been brushed under the rug for a while, quietly being installed in American homes while it works toward improvement, as a company and for homeowners.

Beginning in a few U.S homes, and making its way in superstores such as Walmart (in Cali), Tesla’s home batteries may be the green and efficient revolutionary technology America wants (and needs!). If this ideological improvement in saving and storing energy is so efficient, how come it isn’t in every home and store across America? Why is the biggest machine on earth, America’s power grid, still making its energy-stripping use in nearly everyone’s home?

Maybe it’s the ambiguity or uncertainty of Tesla’s home batteries, charged by the sun. The biggest flaw may lies in that it needs sunlight to charge and usually goes off at night. But Tesla’s batteries can store extra, or more than necessary, energy to make it through night. But that’s not all, Tesla’s home batteries can last up to three hours during a black out- including enough energy to run on the treadmill, make lots of coffee, cook dinner, and take showers.

Another reason that people, even the Green-goers, haven’t switched to Tesla’s batteries: the cost. Everyone wants to know what they get out of this 5-figure investment. Well, in the beginning it is a huge investment. Tesla believes that a small downpayment of $1,500 could get you started, with only $15 a month to keep generating (a 20-year lease). One of many reasons to pay the $50,000 outright would be that when you’re home is fully charged, and not expecting bad weather, you can sell back the energy and make some money off of it!

In fact, though the initial cost is not desirable to many, in the end you’ll save a lot more than you do with traditional power grids. Traditional power grid companies, of course, will look to make a comeback. They are certainly reliable- the energy and power works so long as there are no black outs. Some fear power grid companies will charge extra because of the “net metering” and potential money-back system that Tesla’s batteries are promising.

Companies supporting solar-panel look at this as competition, and understand that people have different values on reliable energy and energy in its entirety. Some people find the worthy in the annoying (and frequent) black outs in their homes, like in Maryland or California. Others find it necessary to have for these blackouts, to ensure they have certain needs met for a longer time.

In fact, companies and people recognize that they may never make back the money spent in power grids, but the happiness truly lies in this small step toward going green. Consider remodeling your home or buying a new home with battery-operated energy installed. The investment not only helps the environment, but could potentially save you dollars (and even let you pocket money!). It’s a small but worthy deed, and this country certainly needs it!

For more information, or questions about remodeling your home, click here to visit Golden I Construction. We offer a wide range of construction services. Would you like to speak with someone or ask a question? Call 1.212.837.8117 now!