SINGAPORE: The push to raise productivity in Singapores construction sector is taking on a new focus this year.

New rules will soon take effect, pushing for greater use of productive technologies such as prefabricated components.

From the second half of 2014, developers will be required to use prefabricated bathroom units (PBUs) for all residential projects on government land sales sites.

The Singapore Contractors Association said this is a significant step in getting upstream players like developers onboard productivity initiatives.

PBUs are like huge Lego blocks that are hoisted up by a crane and then stacked, one on top of another.

On average, prefab components already make up one third of each construction project by City Developments (CDL) which has been using prefab construction methods for over a decade.

That is the highest level of prefab adoption among private developers in Singapore, compared to about 50 per cent for public housing projects.

CDL said that with the new rules, more projects could have a prefab component in them in the near future.

Another developer, Frasers Centrepoint, said it has been using a mix of productive technologies in all their developments since 2007.

Cheang Kok Kheong, chief executive officer of Frasers Centrepoint Homes, said: "These include prefabricated railings, precast refuse chutes and dry construction options such as the use of drywall for some of the internal walls.

The rest is here:
Developers required to use prefab bathroom units from H2

Second in a series that follows the creation of Charlie Was a Sinner, the curiously named vegan bar from entrepreneur Nicole Marquis, owner of the HipCityVeg quick-serve shops. Part 1 is here.

It's about five weeks till opening of Charlie Was a Sinner, and workers have turned the old Full Moon Saloon at 131 S. 13th St. into a "vanilla box" of drywall and brick. Electricians were wiring today. Next week will see the installation of French windows to allow the storefront, between Sansom and Walnut Streets, to reach for the sun. This will be a radical departure for the building, which operated in old-time barroom darkness.

Charlie Was a Sinner will be low-lit at night, said owner Nicole Marquis, but by day it will be a cafe "to take advantage of all the energy in this neighborhood."

Now that the drywall is installed, you can get an idea of the layout. Walk in, through a velvet curtain, and a Louis XIV-style armoire and old hotel front desk will greet guests. Next will be the bar and just beyond, a small dining room. The vibe? "HipCityVeg is 'yoga' feel-good," Marquis explained. "This is 'movie' feel-good."

There's a chef on board: Michael Santoro, exec chef and partner at The Mildred in South Philadelphia. Santoro, a Johnson & Wales culinary grad who came to Philadelphia as the first executive chef at Talula's Garden, is developing the menu out of The Mildred's kitchen.

See the rest here:
The Making of Charlie Was a Sinner: Chef hired

SINGAPORE: The push to raise productivity in Singapores construction sector is taking on a new focus this year.

New rules will soon take effect, pushing for greater use of productive technologies such as prefabricated components.

From the second half of 2014, developers will be required to use prefabricated bathroom units (PBUs) for all residential projects on government land sales sites.

Singapore Contractors Association said this is a significant step in getting upstream players like developers onboard productivity initiatives.

PBUs are like huge Lego blocks that are hoisted up by a crane and then stacked, one on top of another.

On average, prefab components already make up one third of each construction project by City Developments (CDL) which has been using prefab construction methods for over a decade.

That is the highest level of prefab adoption among private developers in Singapore, compared to about 50 per cent for public housing projects.

CDL said that with the new rules, more projects could have a prefab component in them in the near future.

Another developer, Frasers Centrepoint, said it has been using a mix of productive technologies in all their developments since 2007.

Cheang Kok Kheong, chief executive officer of Frasers Centrepoint Homes, said: "These include prefabricated railings, precast refuse chutes and dry construction options such as the use of drywall for some of the internal walls.

Go here to see the original:
Developers required to use prefab bathroom units from 2nd half of 2014

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) March 10, 2014

A year ago, L.D. Davis was challenged to develop a more effective adhesive for both plastic and paper faced drywall corner beads than what was currently used in the industry: http://www.lddavis.com/adhesive-products/water-based-adhesives/. Although these plastic and paper faced corner beads are relatively new to the market, they offer significant advantages over their metal counterparts:

Lightweight and flexible Faster and more effective Installation Reduction in cracking Consistent look and longevity

L.D. Davis loves a challenge, especially when it involves formulating a new and improved industrial adhesive product. After a few formula variations and testing, they perfected the product. L.D. Daviss customizable adhesive allows the corner bead to be easily applied within a few seconds after activation with water.

This new corner bead adhesive is being used by leaders in the industry, and many of their customers highly value L.D. Daviss capability to customize this corner bead adhesive. For example, many use a new blue tinted version of the adhesive over other products in the market. We often get asked, why the blue color? Corner bead manufacturers need to make sure there is an even amount of adhesive dispersed onto the corner bead; the blue color allows them to monitor the application to ensure a strong bond. If you do not want a light blue tinted adhesive, we can customize our adhesive to meet your needs.

"This new and effective corner bead adhesive positions L.D. Davis as the best resource for manufacturers looking for a better adhesive solution for their corner bead products," said, L.D. Davis Director of Marketing, Stacey Kreisler.

About L.D. Davis

L.D. Davis is a third generation industrial adhesive manufacturing company near Philadelphia, PA focused on helping customers solve bonding issues. Furthermore, they are North Americas premier and largest protein adhesive compounder and one of the top glue suppliers in the country. Overall, L.D. Davis produces over 20 million pounds of protein adhesives each year for bookbinding, box making, food and beverage, product assembly and packaging industries as well as many specialty applications. With five warehouses strategically placed throughout the US, L.D. Davis is able to meet your specific shipping requirement. For questions and comments about our adhesive used for plastic/paper faced corner beads, please give us a call 1-800-883-6199.

See the article here:
L.D. Davis Industries, Inc., a Leading Adhesive Manufacturer, Develops Improved Adhesive for Manufacturers of Plastic ...

Demolition on the one-story portion of the building on the corner of Market Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, next door to the Times Observer, began on Thursday.

Keith and Nate White of Keith White Excavating are knocking down the building, and loading the debris into large dumpsters.

Keith White said it must be done with care, as portions are connected structurally to the main building.

Over the years, the building has served as Warren's post office, a state liquor store, the AAA office, an insurance office and a hearing aid center.

The addition, which dates to the 1950s or 1960s, served as the headquarters of the local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and a tattoo parlor.

Jameson Shepherd, the general contractor for work on the building, said that while the addition is in terrible shape, possibly because of flooding over the pre-Kinzua Dam years, the main building was well built.

Still, he said, there is a tremendous amount of work remaining to restore the apartments, including drywall installation over old plaster walls.

Some of the interior woodwork still needs stripping, and the floors will be refinished.

Over 50 new energy efficient windows have been installed, Shepherd said, reducing traffic noise from Pennsylvania Avenue.

Looking at the building from the outside doesn't give a clue to the interior spaces. "The front apartment on the third floor is 1,600 square feet," Shepherd said. Many houses are smaller than that.

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Portion of downtown building coming down

Didn't Gothamist already post about this? Yes, we did, in fact! The excellent preview by Ben Miller would be a strong introduction if you stopped reading now. But you already clicked and the money is in the bank, so read on for a fuller picture of the show.

Fine. What is the Whitney Biennial? The Whitney Biennial is a once-every-two-years ("biennial") exhibition presented by the Whitney Museum of American Art ("Whitney") of mostly new and emerging contemporary American artists. The Whitney has been putting on large group exhibitions for nearly 100 years, but the biennial format only began in 1973. It is first and foremost an exercise in curation, and this year the Whitney invited outside curators to put together the show, culminating in its distinct format and (sometimes) unique results.

Is it fascist? Well, that depends on how you feel about museums. (At the Frick they force you to WEAR your overcoat if you decide not to check it!) But seriously, though the Biennial is mostly uncontroversial in a larger, more general sense, it is routinely the target of familiar and valid criticisms from within and without the art world. As recently as 2012 a parody Biennial website mocked the exhibition's corporate ties.

The most notable (and sustained) criticisms were made by the Guerrilla Girls, an anonymous feminist art collective formed in 1985 in New York City, active through the late 1990s, and still working today, who in 1987 protested the Biennial to draw attention to the dearth of female and minority artists in the showcase. The Guerrilla Girls Review The Whitney was held at the non-profit Clocktower gallery, where the group denounced the systemic disenfranchisement of women in the history of the Biennial up until that point (for the seven exhibitions from 1973-1987, the number of women of color in the Biennial was a statistically insignificant 0.3%"). In 1987, women were a mere 27% of artists in the Biennial.

2014s Biennial is still not immune to these criticisms: by one early estimate, roughly 30% are women and 7% are black. Is it a coincidence that this year's only female curator assembled the most diverse collection? Should I disclose that I am a white male now or later?

So? What's the big deal? However you slice it, its just one of the biggest art-world events in one of the biggest centers of the art-world in one of the most famous museums in one of the biggest cities in the United States. The Whitney Biennial exists, and you most certainly will be hearing about it.

This years Biennial is taking on a slightly different format: three curators from outside the Whitney were invited to organize their own show on one of the museum's three main floors. Anthony Elms, Stuart Comer, and Michelle Grabner took over the second, third, and fourth floors respectively. Elms is an associate curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia (read a nice Q&A with him here), Comer is the Media and Performance Art Curator at the MoMa, and Grabner is an artist and professor at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Let's get to it, then! There is a lot to get through: 103 artists and groups make up the 3.5-ish floor exhibition, so this will mostly highlight the pieces I liked the most and try to provide a sense of the three distinct floors. Am I qualified to do so? No, but neither are art historians, because art history is saturated with hired bullshit.

The Second Floor Each level opens with a curator's statement summarizing their approach to their exhibition floor. Elm's guiding question for the second floor was the same one Marcel Breuer posed to himself when designing the Whitney"What should a museum look like, a museum in Manhattan?"

Walking out of the elevators your are confronted with your first piece, Jimmy Durham's Choose Any Three, a wooden totem with names of famous persons in groups of three, made during his time in Cuernavaca, Mexico. He has been living and working all over Europe since the mid-90s, and his presence foreshadows one of the floors more interesting themes: Patriotism. What is an ex-pat American artist's relationship to American contemporary art? Is he even American? Does it matter? (Yes.)

Original post:
An Opinionated Guide To The 2014 Whitney Biennial

DIY-Drywall Installation: Removing a door and sealing the opening with drywall
I removed a door in a Day Spa to reduce the sound into a treatment room from the product area. I used solid panel insulation, expandable foam sealant and she...

By: Michael Roberson

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DIY-Drywall Installation: Removing a door and sealing the opening with drywall - Video

The 23rd annual North Iowa Home and Landscaping Show, Friday, March 7, to Sunday, March 9, at the North Iowa Events Center in Mason City, features a diverse mix of North Iowa and southern Minnesotas best home improvement and landscaping businesses.

Nationally recognized home improvement expert Paul Ryan headlines an informative series of seminars at this years show.

Ryan is the host of several television shows on DIY Network, and has appeared on the Food Network, TLC and HGTV.

When not on television, Ryan works as a licensed contractor, certified home inspector and insurance adjustor in Minnesota.

Ryan will present Kitchen Remodeling Planning for the Best Outcome. Learn tips and techniques to help you get the most out of your project while saving time and money.

In this information-packed seminar, Ryan will unveil whats really involved in key aspects of your next remodel. Topics include plumbing, drywall installation and repair, flooring, tiling and general tools of the trade.

John Sjolinder, executive director of ISU Extension and Outreach for Cerro Gordo County, will provide area gardening enthusiasts with some tips on hardy but beautiful plants in The Weather Resistant Gardener.

Sjolinder will show you how to be prepared for Mother Natures weather extremes this summer. Sjolinder holds two degrees from Iowa State University and received his ISU Master Gardener certification in 2006. He is a popular speaker on plants, soils and turf management.

Shawn Davis joined Marquart Concrete Products last year. He is a popular speaker on designing attractive patios, walkways and driveways using pavers and stone.

Davis is a certified nursery professional and has been involved in the landscape industry since 1980. Before joining Marquart he owned his own landscape company for 14 years.

Read more:
Seminars explore building and remodeling projects, outdoor spaces and gardens

Woodland Hills, CA (PRWEB) February 28, 2014

Hangman Products developed the No Stud TV Hanger specifically to address the needs of renters. The product turned out to be so groundbreaking, it has garnered multiple industry awards, captured a shocking UL rating of up to 80 pounds, will hang TVS up to a whopping 47, and earned Hangman a registered trademark. All of this without damaging walls.

The innovation is in its mounting system. Requiring absolutely no anchors, it uses only tiny nails inserted into aircraft grade aluminum interlocking brackets. The nails secure directly into the drywall, no studs necessary. The tiny nails leave nothing but pinholes in the wall, making the installation nearly invisible upon removal. The hanger also includes foam pads that eliminate scuff marks from the hanger itself.

If that is not enough, the No Stud TV Hanger is so simple to install, the entire project can be completed in about the time it takes to unpack the TV from its box, and with only a hammer and a screwdriver.

http://hangmanproducts.com has created a specialty line of hangers for apartments, each of which is designed to leave no trace. These include hangers for pictures and mirrors, as well as posters. And for the minuscule damage that might occur, Hangman offers the Erase-a-hole kit, a one-stop product for wall repair.

About Hangman Products: Hangman Products creates hardware solutions for everyday needs. The multiple-patented Hangman Systems are carefully engineered to guarantee a safe and sturdy installation while promising to hang it level every time. Hangmans products range from Hanging Pictures, Hanging Mirrors, Hanging Framed Art, TV/Stereo Mounts and Safety to Garage/Slat Wall and Organization. They are designed to meet the installation requirements for retailers, consumers and manufacturers. Hangman's ever-expanding line of products can handle even the most difficult projects.

Read this article:
Hangman Products' New No Stud TV Hanger Allows Consumers to Hang TVs In Apartments Without Fear of Damaging Walls

Charlotte, NC (PRWEB) February 27, 2014

BenchJaws is a member of the JawHorse family of workstations. It secures projects for sawing, sanding, drilling, gluing, refinishing and polishing. The jaws, like the JawHorse are foot-pedal activated leaving the operators hands free to handle the workpiece. It mounts to a corner of a workbench through a steel, L-shaped plate with pre-drilled holes. Once the L-shape plate is installed, the vise can be rotated 90 by loosening thumbscrew that holds the unit in place.

BenchJaws is constructed of heavy gauge, powder-coated steel for strength and rigidity. The 22 lb. workstation has a clamping range of 0-16 in., and supports loads up to 220 lbs. The vise generates up to one metric ton (2,200 lbs.) of clamping force.

The Rockwell BenchJaws (RK9006, $99.99) and optional accessories,whichaccessories, which include Extension Jaw, (RW9207, $39.99) and Multipurpose Jaw, (RW9208, $39.99), are available through Woodworkers Supply, Menards, Amazon.com, http://www.rockwelltools.com and other websites.

Rockwell JawHorse Sheetmaster is specially designed to handle 4x8 sheets of plywood, drywall and other oversized materials without additional accessories. Like the JawHorse, Sheetmaster has an incredible clamping force of one metric ton and load bearing capacity of 600 lbs.

Use the workstation to cut through plywood, 4x4s, 1x6s and other dimensional lumber, but it also is ideal for building cabinets, supporting a bicycle for repairs or holding furniture at a convenient height for sanding, gluing or finishing.

Sheetmasters patented foot pedal design closes its jaws with each stroke of the pedal. This pumping action compresses the 8 in. x 3 in. steel jaws until the work piece is clamped securely.

Sheetmaster has auto-locking leg latches to speed setup and teardown. Just slide a button to release the front legs. The workstation measures 46 in. L x 35-1/2 in. W x 34-3/4 in. H when opened. When not in use, it folds compactly to fit into vehicles, truck beds, closets, workshops or garages.

The Rockwell JawHorse Sheetmaster (RK9002, $219.99) is available on rockwelltools.com and other online retailers.

Another workstation member is the Rockwell JawStand XP. The JawStand XP supports loads up to 220 lbs. and clamps work pieces up to 1-3/4 in. thick. It raises work materials up to 43 in. off the ground. The support head pivots 0 to 90, swivels 360 and is situated on a heavy-duty tripod base.

Originally posted here:
New Rockwell BenchJaws Anchors Family of Workstations