From a block away, it looks like a craft from a more advanced civilisation has landed in the centre of Rotterdam. The structure is futuristic, with walls of mirrored glass curving up some 40 metres, reflecting the iron-grey clouds and the fractured city skyline. It wouldnt be surprising if it had a tractor beam instead of a door. As I draw close, a middle-aged Dutch couple are debating whether they like it. They decide not, but snap selfies in front of it anyway.

Rotterdammers are used to high-concept architecture, but what makes this building unusual is its function: its a warehouse. Designed by the Dutch firm MVRDV and known as the Depot, it has been created for one of the most well-regarded art museums in the Netherlands, the Boijmans Van Beuningen. When I visit in mid-September, contractors are installing vitrines and polishing concrete floors; in December, art handlers will begin moving in the museums collection of Rembrandts, Boschs, Magrittes and Dals some 150,000 objects. It will open fully late next year.

In the atrium, Sjarel Ex, the Boijmans director, is wearing the look of a man who cant quite believe its finally happening. A treasure chest, no? he exclaims, gesturing towards a dizzying lattice of glass stairwells above our heads. Every single thing we have will be on display.

To call the Depot a warehouse is, it turns out, to do it a considerable disservice: the building is an attempt to turn the Boijmans inside out. Instead of locking their crown jewels away behind closed doors, the institution has ploughed 55m (50m) into an open storage facility in the heart of the city, right next to the main 1930s building.

Museums have dabbled with open or visible storage for decades. New Yorks Metropolitan made some of its research collections available in the late 1980s, while the V&As 200910 ceramics galleries put some 26,000 objects on display in tall, tightly crammed glass cabinets. But Ex and his colleagues reckon this is the first time that anyone has built an open-storage facility to house an entire museum collection early Netherlandish paintings to Renaissance silverware and De Stijl design. Radical transparency, Ex grins. A little bit Dutch, Im afraid.

As we stride from the loading bay to the decontamination zone (if a piece of furniture has moths, this is where we sort it out, he explains), Ex rattles through the story. In 2013, the basement stores of the Boijmans flooded. Though the damage was mercifully minimal, it was obvious that the museum needed to upgrade, particularly given that 90% of Rotterdam is below sea level and with climate change, the percentage is increasing.

But instead of erecting something in an anonymous industrial zone somewhere, Ex had the idea of turning the stores into a visitor attraction. There were already plans to close the main building for seven years for renovation its due to reopen in 2026 so this would also be a way of bridging the gap.

Whats the English expression out of sight, out of mind? says Ex. So much of what museums do happens in the dark. We wanted to bring some of it into the light.

An appealing idea, but fiendishly difficult to pull off, architect Winy Maas tells me light itself being a major problem. The museum was insistent that, even though the Depot is a public building, conditions should be as good, if not better, than a regular vault: super-high-grade air conditioning will make the environment dust-free, while the structure is divided into five climate zones for different kinds of artefacts (colour photographs need to be stored at a lower temperature than black-and-white prints, for example). While some pieces will hang on movable racks, or in 13 display cabinets placed through the building, light-sensitive objects will be kept in sealed cabinets and only inspected by appointment.

Ex doesnt go into detail about security, but suggests that the building is more than a match for art thieves. And which is safer, really? he asks. Putting your depot on the outskirts of a city, or having it right here in the centre, surrounded by people?

Theres more at stake than technical questions about how best to care for fragile artefacts. Although few museums advertise the fact, what we see in their galleries is a tiny fraction of what they possess: the usual estimate is that 95% of most collections are locked away. Research done in 2016 by the magazine Quartz suggested that, in a sample of 20 museums, almost half the Picasso paintings were in storage, while far more Georgia OKeeffes were in the vault (67) than on permanent display (36).

The problem, of course, is space. Some museums have expanded to make more of their collections visible: Tate Moderns 2016 extension doubled its gallery capacity, while the redeveloped MoMA in New York now contains a leg-punishing 15,000 square metres of gallery space over six floors more than a city block. The V&A has open-storage ambitions for its new offshoot in east London, scheduled to open in 2023: the plan is to have 250,000 objects accessible, added to the 60,000-odd currently on display, which visitors will be able to access through guided tours.

But collections, like the universe, are ever-expanding partly because many public museums are forbidden from de-accessioning, or getting rid of artefacts. Show me a museum that doesnt have a storage problem, one director tells me. Id love to visit.

Its a real challenge, agrees Pil Rasmussen, who runs the conservation department at Denmarks National Gallery. These collections are owned by the public, but the public cannot see most of them.

Open storage is one solution, but has its own challenges. For a start, most museums dont have the resources to build new facilities, particularly in the UK, where institutions have battled with shrinking budgets for at least a decade, putting many on life support, even before the coronavirus crisis hit.

Conservators are working away in public view somewhere between restoration, performance art and a high-culture Big Brother house

In redevelopment plans, storage and backroom facilities are often the ones that get cut back, Rasmussen sighs. Its as much as some places can do to make sure that existing objects are kept safely, never mind the extra resources it takes to show them safely to the public.

Some professionals also have a suspicion that, eye-catching as visible-storage projects are, they are more of a symbolic than a real change to the way museums operate. Does anyone have the appetite to see the 2.3m-odd objects and books owned by the V&A? How about the Smithsonian, whose 19 institutions possess around 155m artefacts, most of which are stored offsite around Washington DC? Where would you even start? Isnt that what curators are for?

When I raise these points with Ex, he nods. Sure. Projects like ours are an experiment. Will anyone come? Or will they come to the Depot, and not to the beautifully curated exhibitions we have in the museum? He shrugs. Well see.

A train ride away from Rotterdam, another major institution is attempting its own version of radical transparency. For the last 14 months, Amsterdams Rijksmuseum has been conducting what it calls Operation Night Watch a project to restore Rembrandts most famous painting while the rest of us look on. The painting hangs in its usual second-floor spot, but its been slipped out of its frame and encased in a giant glass box. Conservators are working away inside somewhere between painting restoration, performance art and a supremely high-culture Big Brother house.

When I visit, the first stage of the exercise, producing an ultra-high-resolution image of the painting surface to analyse damage and chemical composition, is nearing completion: a robotic daylight camera whirrs across a gantry, pausing every so often to take a shot (a lower-resolution photograph, still 44.8 gigapixels big, is already online). Once conservators have studied the picture in microscopic detail, they will begin cleaning and repair all in view of visitors. For the full Big Brother effect, you can watch everything live via webcam.

Rijksmuseum director Taco Dibbits concedes that locking The Night Watch in the conservation studio for years on end wasnt realistic it is the reason many thousands of people visit the museum. Restoring it on display has benefits, too. For museums, the way forward is how you share research, he suggests. We sometimes underestimate how fascinated the public is.

Though audiences wont see the painting as Rembrandt intended for several years, they will gain something else: an insight into the difficulties of conserving a much-damaged, much-restored Old Master. The history of an artwork like this is really complex. The questions are almost philosophical, says Dibbits. Dialogue helps.

For both Dibbits and Ex, opening up marks a powerful shift in how museums see their role, particularly as they emerge from lockdown and re-evaluate their place in the world. Pushing backstage processes and personnel into the limelight is part of it (perhaps the easy part); institutions also need to be open about uncomfortable issues such as funding and ethics, staff diversity, curation and collecting policies, the provenance of disputed or colonial-era objects.

Its a crunch point, Ex suggests: We have to think much, much harder about transparency if we want to survive.

Dibbits concurs. The objects stay the same, he says. But how we talk about and show them that really has to keep changing.

The Boijmans Depot opens for public previews on 25 September; Operation Night Watch is ongoing

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The museum of everything: do you have time to look at 150,000 exhibits? - The Guardian

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PUHI The Contractors Association of Kauai announced seven scholarship recipients, and turned over the collection of food and funds collected during a Tuesday afternoon meeting held at Gaylords at Kilohana who opened the facility for the occasion.

The food collection is a long-standing tradition with the CAK who gathers food for a nonprofit organization during its meetings, and Rae Hiramoto made special accommodations to host CAK for its meeting where Marks Place and Contemporary Flavors Catering provided the exotic box meal.

Zachary and Julia Safford were announced as the first set of siblings to earn CAK Scholarships, Zachary being the recipient of the Guy Matsunaga Memorial scholarship for $1,500 that was established by Judge Gerald Matsunaga in memory of his father who was a charter member of the CAK.

Zachary, a junior civil engineering major at the University of Notre Dame, was unable to attend the gathering because of training with the Air Force ROTC in Alabama.

Julia, the daughter of Laura Goodrich, and a 2020 Kauai High School graduate, earned one of two $1,000 Kenneth Shioi Memorial scholarships that were established through a scholarship program in his name and administered by the CAK to help Kauai students who aspire to be part of the next generation of construction professionals.

Julia will be attending Saint Marys College in Indiana where she plans on pursuing a civil engineering major.

Eunice Hanaya Gaper of Kalaheo, the daughter of Ma.Daisylyn and Eduardo Gaper and a sophomore civil engineering major at the University of California, Berkeley, was the second Kenneth Shioi Memorial scholarship recipient. She was unable to attend the meeting because she is participating in a summer internship program with Cahill Contractors, a Bay Area general contracting firm.

Earthworks Pacifics Responsible Managing Employee Matthew Reves, also a CAK member, established the first scholarship through CAK to support students pursuing studies in the construction sciences. The first Reves scholarship was presented to Rilen Loo, a junior civil engineering major at Seattle University where he is also an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers Club and the Hawaii Club.

Yasuo Minatoya of Lihue was a painting contractor and a charter member of CAK who was later made an Honorary Life member of CAK as the last-known surviving charter member. His son Richard established a scholarship in memory of his parents with scholarships to go to dependent members of CAK member companies staff or employees.

Richard unexpectedly passed a year ago, and the scholarship has been re-branded as the Yasuo, Hisae, and Richard Minatoya Memorial scholarship that was presented to Jordyn Kawehi Kahananui, the daughter of Madeline and Jordan Kahananui who is a superintendent with Koga Engineering and Construction, Kauai Operations.

Jordyn will be a junior majoring in electrical engineering at the University of Portland where she is active with the Hawaii Club, and the Filipino American Student Association.

Destrey Shibuya, a 2020 Kauai High School graduate, and a Boy Scouts of America Eagle who earned his wings by laying an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant entryway and sidewalk for the Punana Leo O Kauai preschool, earned a CAK $1,000 scholarship that he will use as an electrical engineering major at The College of Wooster in Ohio. He is the son of Scott and Kathy Shibuya of Lihue.

Shaelyn Tavares, a 2020 Kapaa High School graduate, and the daughter of Jeana Nakamura and Warren Tavares, earned the second $1,000 CAK scholarship that she will use when she enters the University of San Diego as a freshman majoring in engineering.

Tavares, a member of the Kapaa High School National Honor Society, was active in the schools Interact Club, the Peer Mediation program, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Club where she was tapped to be a physics tutor for the Warriors.

The Contractors Association of Kauai, whose annual calendar of events was upended by the pandemic, did not let COVID-19 stop the scholarships for students, or the help for providing food in the face of the global pandemic.

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CAK hands out scholarships - Thegardenisland.com

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Media Contact Company Name: Two Brothers Painting, LLC Contact Person: Pablo Rodriguez Email: Send Email Phone: (503) 820-1832 Address: 4385 SW 109th Ave City: Beaverton State: OR Country: United States Website: https://2brotherspainting.com/

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Two Brothers Painting, LLC, a Top Beaverton Painter in OR Announces Expanded Hours - MENAFN.COM

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Premier Builders is an all-rounder construction and home renovation company that is serving the people of Dublin. The company offers a wide range of home improvement and management services with its in-house team of expert builders, technicians, and other professionals. The companys motto is that no job is too big or too small, they are going to cater to all your needs to make sure you get the best service available in the market.

Media ContactCompany Name: Premier BuildersContact Person: Media RelationsEmail: Send EmailPhone: 087 436 0200City: DublinCountry: IrelandWebsite: https://premierbuilders.ie/

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Premier Builders is a trusted name in Dublin region when it comes to building and renovating properties - Press Release - Digital Journal

IT has been almost two years since roadworks along Ipswich Road and Harwich Road in Colchester began.

The scheme has been described as one of the biggest civil engineering projects in the towns history.

For the first 12 months most of the work concerned utility diversions, with BT cables, gas mains and water mains diverted.

It means pipes and cables are now under pavements and verges instead of the road itself, so any future alterations can be done without road closures and the huge expense which goes with it.

The Waitrose wall has been demolished, moved and re-built, and road widening along the route has taken place.

From water leaks to cable replacement problems the project has seen more than its fair share of setbacks.

Then came coronavirus stopping work on site for a month and the discovery of urgent repairs needed to the railway bridge in Cowdray Avenue.

Now the project is nearing completion with resurfacing and line painting getting underway in a matter of weeks.

The phrase Rome wasnt built in a day is perhaps an apt one for this project.

Essex County Councils infrastructure boss Kevin Bentley said: We dont do roadworks for fun, they are done because they are needed.

This was all about widening a road for more houses which will be built in Colchester.

In lots of cases the buildings of homes happen before infrastructure is in place. Here the infrastructure is going in first.

The road used to be the main route in and out of Colchester.

As a trunk road it had the water pipes for Colchester and phone lines for Harwich underneath it.

One wrong move and thousands would have been without phone lines and there could have been serious flooding in a matter of minutes.

Mr Bentley added: The project was always expected to take 18 months to two years. The first year was all the utility engineers.

And Mr Bentley hit back at residents who claimed they could not see work happening on site.

During the first year of work most of the engineers on site were working underground on the cable and pipe works.

Unfortunately some took their frustration out on the site workers. Signs had to be put up urging people not to abuse workers, who now wear body cams.

Mr Bentley said the workers on site did not deserve to suffer abuse while doing their jobs.

We had bottles of urine thrown at workers and verbal abuse, he said. I insisted they wore body cameras and we would prosecute.

Over the course of the past two years Ipswich Road south has faced numerous closures.

Businesses such as Rollerworld and the Old Siege House have said they suffered as a result.

Mr Bentley said he sympathised with the firms affected. We helped them where possible and showed people ways to get into that part of Colchester.

However, we had to do the work. When all these homes are built in five to ten years time no-one would have been able to get off their driveways let alone drive anywhere.

Whenever we did this work we would have the same problem.

Some had questioned why the project has taken so long when the 31.4 miles long Channel Tunnel was built in six years.

Mr Bentley said: When they built the Channel Tunnel they didnt have moving traffic or to have to keep roads open.

If we had that we could have done it in half the time.

As the project came to its final weeks and months it faced a series of unforeseen problems.

When coronavirus hit, Eurovia, the contractors, made a decision to take their staff off all their building sites across the UK.

Workers had Covid-19 related training and were able to be back on site four weeks later.

Then weeks later workers discovered urgent repairs were needed on the railway bridge at Cowdray Avenue.

Work on the Ipswich Road roundabout was paused until it could be fixed.

Despite the setbacks Mr Bentley is confident the whole project can be completed by September.

The Harwich Road roundabout will have resurfacing and line painting from July 13.

Read more >>>Three weeks of partial overnight closures planned at Ipswich Road

Mr Bentley said: This is the biggest civil engineering project we have undertaken in recent years.

And Mr Bentley said once complete, it will be a job well done.

Visit bit.ly/2ZumrlB.

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Highways boss: 'We're on the road to end of Ipswich Road delays' - Gazette

Submitted by theCity of Bellingham, written by Janice Keller

Next steps are underway for use of the former site of the Bellingham Public Market as an emergency shelter facility after Bellingham City Council approval at a special meeting June 16.

The new location will allow adequate social distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Council action to approve lease terms was taken after approval from Mayor Seth Fleetwood consistent with Executive Order 2020-02 and Emergency Ordinance 2020-03-008.

The City of Bellingham, in partnership with ??Whatcom County and Lighthouse Mission Ministries, will be relocating the Drop-In Center low-barrier emergency shelter facility from its current location at Bellingham High School to the new location. The Drop-in Center will remain at its new site for up to four years.

Steps now underway include construction in and around the building to prepare it for use as a shelter. Additionally, a permitting process under the Citys temporary shelter code has been initiated.

Lighthouse Mission Ministries has applied for a permit under the Citys temporary shelter code (BMC 20.15.030) to continue use of the building if the declared emergency ends prior to their lease with the City. Planning and Community Developmentissued a notice of application onJune 19, 2020,which starts a 14-day public comment period. Due to the Independence Day holiday, the comment period has been extended to July 6. An informational meeting about the project is scheduled via webinar on 5:00-6:30 p.m.Wednesday,June 24, 2020.Members of the public are encouraged to participate, with meeting sign-on details availablein the notice of application.

In addition to making sure the necessary permit is in place when the emergency declaration ends, public feedback during the permit process will help inform what conditions the City will require of Lighthouse Mission Ministries while they occupy the building downtown.

Washington State, Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham have all established health emergencies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, measures to ensure that community members are safe can be implemented immediately.

The Mayor and Bellingham City Council approved the use of and lease terms for the building consistent with the emergency requirements after determining that the usual approval process would cause undue delay and put Drop-In Center guests, staff and the public at risk.

The Drop-in Center may remain in thebuilding for the duration of the declared emergency, which at this time is unknown.

To stay in this location beyond the public health emergency, Lighthouse Mission Ministries must have a permit under the Citys temporary shelter code (BMC 20.15.030). The process to obtain this permit includes public input opportunity and an option to appeal, just like any other temporary encampment permit application.

The Lighthouse Mission, City and County engineering and facilities staff, the property owner and local contractors worked quickly to identify improvements needed to support daily operations of the Drop-In Center.

Improvements underway include shower facilities, handwashing stations, laundry facilities, interior walls, cabinets and counters, food service, painting, heating and cooling equipment and exterior courtyard fencing. Prime contractors Colacurcio Brother Construction, Andgar HVAC and Carlson Steel Works developed and executed contracts, mobilized personnel and equipment, secured permits and scheduled work with the City in less than seven days.

These primecontractors and several other local subcontractors, including Blythe Plumbing and Scott Electric, are now preparing toor alreadyworking on site, with work scheduled to be completed by July 15, 2020.

We are very appreciative of the efforts shown by these contractors in recognizing the need and urgency with this unique project moving forward on a very aggressive schedule, said Eric Johnston, Public Works director.??

The Drop-In Center has beentemporarily housed at Bellingham High School.

As described to the City Council on June 16, the Drop-In Center is expected to vacate Bellingham High School by mid-July, to give the district ample time to prepare Bellingham High School for school to start in the fall.

The Drop-In Centercannot return to its location in Old Town because those facilities are too small to provide adequate social distancing while COVID-19 remains a threat.

Lighthouse Mission Ministries plans to build a permanent shelter on an existing property in Old Town while the operation is temporarily housed elsewhere, Lighthouse Mission Ministries Director Hans Erchinger-Davis said.

Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood said the Bellingham Public Market location best meets the identified needs. It is large enough, it is the most cost-effective option, it meets our very urgent timeframe, we have a property owner who is willing to work with local officials, and the site lends itself best to amenities that will help ease neighborhood concerns.

We recognize there are strong opinions on the impacts, perceived and real, this will have on adjacent businesses, Mayor Fleetwood said. We are committed to helping navigate those issues to ensure negative impacts are minimized.

We simply have no choice. We must create healthy living space for people experiencing homelessness during this public health emergency, or they will have no option other than to live unsheltered, Mayor Fleetwood said. Protecting the health of people who need shelter services greatly reduces the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak among shelter guests, among staff and volunteers, and throughout the whole community.

The Whatcom County Council and Bellingham City Council approved a cost-sharing agreement for a new temporary shelter location at their respective June 2 and June 8 meetings.

The agencies involved anticipate the next location to be in use for up to four years while Lighthouse Mission Ministries rebuilds at its current location in Bellinghams Old Town.

Any facility selected for temporary use must provide enough space to allow guests to sleep with a minimum of six feet between them, said Erika Lautenbach, Director of the Whatcom County Health Department.

Its critically important that as a community we do everything we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially for people who are more vulnerable to this virus, Lautenbach said. For our neighbors experiencing homelessness, we need a shelter with enough space for physical distancing that will limit the chances of the virus spreading. Protecting those who use the shelter from an outbreak of COVID-19 also protects the health of our entire community.

Link:
Construction Begins, Permit Process Initiated, for COVID-19 Emergency Shelter Use of Downtown Property - whatcomtalk.com

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Get Sample Copy of this Report @ Traffic Road Marking Coatings Market Size, Market Research and Industry Forecast Report, 2020-2027 (Includes Business Impact of COVID-19)

Industry Insights, Market Size, CAGR, High-Level Analysis: Traffic Road Marking Coatings Market

The global traffic road marking coatings market size was valued at USD 4.5 billion in 2019 and is projected to register a CAGR of 6.0% from 2020 to 2027. Increased spending on infrastructural development for constructing new highways and focus on repair and maintenance operations are expected to be the key driving factors for the global market. The industry is not only associated with new road construction activities but also with existing maintenance businesses, which drives the demand for repainting.

The market has witnessed increasing investments in intelligent street marking systems and machines that help record the drivers speed, driving conditions, and temperature while communicating it to the vehicles sensor system. Paint is widely used for travel lane, loading zone, and parking space markings. Thermoplastic coating, also known as hot melt marking, is gaining advantage owing to its properties such as longevity and retro-reflectivity.Preformed polymer tape is a cold-applied plastic sheet used for marking traffic lanes, crosswalks, and stop bars. Epoxy coating is a reliable and economical solution which consists of a pigmented resin base and a catalyst and is suitable for heavy-wheeled traffic. This coating is preferred over plastic material coatings since it is resistant to oil, gasoline, and transmission fluid and is cost-effective as well. Moreover, manufacturers are coming up with initiatives to develop temperature-sensitive paints, which can withstand adverse environmental conditions, such as snowfall and heavy rains.Rising demand for traffic road marking coatings for public and private parking spaces is expected to boost the market growth. Regulatory bodies across the globe are continually formulating guidelines to improve road safety. While a well-established regulatory structure is already present in developed regions, such as North America and Europe, emerging economies are still working toward enhancing the framework to ensure road safety and maintenance.

Product Insights of Traffic Road Marking Coatings Market

Thermoplastic coating is projected to emerge as the fastest-growing product segment over the forecast period. Conventional paint is ideal for markings on private spaces and public streets. These paints are available in different colors, each symbolizing a different function. For instance, red markings display crucial information, while colors such as yellow and orange generally symbolize temporary cautions. Reflectors are used in areas frequented by fork-lift traffic to prevent accidents.Thermoplastic marking coatings are applied in a thick/built up layer to create rumble strips. This coating sets quickly and adheres firmly to the surface. Extra additives can be added to the coating to retain its color over time, thus improving its reflective capabilities. High strength and resistance make this coating wear-resistant.Preformed polymer tape coatings, also referred to as tape or cold plastic, are placed either over the surface of the pavement or the asphalt concrete during the hardening process. Along with its use for crosswalks and stop bars, it is also supplied in sheets from which unique shapes, forms, or letters can be designed.

Type Insights of Traffic Road Marking Coatings Market

On the basis of type, the traffic road marking coatings market is segmented into permanent and removable traffic road marking coatings. Permanent traffic road marking coatings include pavement tapes and paints. Aerosol permanent paints are widely used for traffic line marking. They exhibit an extremely high percentage of solid and resin content, which contributes to exterior durability along with water, weather, and abrasion resistance. Aerosol paints are available in a variety of colors, but white and yellow are generally preferred in several applications including crosswalks, streets, highways, airport runways, and parking lots. These paints have a longer life compared to conventional paints.Removable traffic road marking coatings are primarily used for painting signs, identification numbers, and direction arrows for warehouse floors, road construction zones, and synthetic turf fields, among others. These paints are tough and durable; however, they can be easily removed and eventually wear off when exposed to the environment.

Application Insights of Traffic Road Marking Coatings Market

Road marking lines emerged as the largest application segment with a market share of 55.4% in terms of revenue in 2019. Road marking lines are frequently used to guide the vehicles on the road. The marking indicates the delineation of traffic path and lateral clearance from traffic hazard for safe and smooth movement on the road. It also serves as a tool for providing information, controlling traffic, and warning road users.

Road marking labels is projected to emerge as the fastest-growing application segment owing to its wide application for roads, public highways, and on-site applications. Traffic road marking labels are used to promote traffic safety, notify drivers of the speed limit, and provide directions and other useful information to all road users including pedestrians and cyclists. Basic road labeling includes regulatory warnings, roadwork signs, and informational signs. All road marking labels must comply with the road traffic regulations.

Regional Insights of Traffic Road Marking Coatings Market

Europe emerged as the largest market in 2019, while Asia Pacific is projected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period. The European Union Road Federation is actively researching to develop standard recommendations to reach its goal of reducing highway fatalities. Usage of high-quality building materials, safety measures, training, and better surveillance on contractors are expected to drive the product demand in the coming years.The U.S. government has rolled out initiatives to enhance road infrastructure and encourage the development of durable, high-performance coating products with enhanced visibility and skid resistance. Facilitating vertical market integration by launching manufacturing units for motorway marking and traffic paints would provide contractors and applicators with a chance to acquire better control over the cost and quality of products. This is expected to support the regional market growth over the forecast period.

Market Share Insights of Traffic Road Marking Coatings Market

Manufacturers focus on developing innovative products, such as temperature-sensitive, long-lasting, reflective paints. The market is characterized by a high degree of forward integration, which would help manufacturers enhance their position in the global market. Key players operating in the market include AutoMark Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd.; Sherwin-Williams Company; Geveko Markings; Ennis Flint, Inc.; Crown Techno; Dow Inc.; 3M Company; and Swarco.

Segmentations, Sub Segmentations, CAGR, & High-Level Analysis overview of Traffic Road Marking Coatings Market Research Report:This report forecasts volume and revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels, and provides an analysis of latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2019 to 2030. For the purpose of this study, this market research report has segmented the global traffic road marking coatings market report on the basis of product, type, application, and region:

Product Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2019 2030)

Paint

Thermoplastic

Preformed Polymer Tape

Epoxy

Type Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2019 2030)

Permanent

Removable

Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2019 2030)

Road Marking Lines

Road Marking Labels

Quick Read Table of Contents of this Report @ Traffic Road Marking Coatings Market Size, Market Research and Industry Forecast Report, 2020-2027 (Includes Business Impact of COVID-19)

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Traffic Road Marking Coatings Market Break Down By Leading Companies, Countries, Applications, Challenges, Opportunities And Forecast 2020-2026 -...

The front faade of an aged and historic structure on Water Avenue, beside the Selma Interpretive Center, collapsed recently, despite the city having paid an unlicensed contractor more than $130,000 to work on the structure, according to financial documents provided to the Selma City Council by Selma Mayor Darrio Melton.

Contractors taking on jobs over $50,000 must be licensed with the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors (ALBGC) and, according to ALBGC Investigator Rusty Mascari, the contractor paid for the work on Water Avenue has been called before the board on two occasions for working on projects without a license.

In April 2018, the unlicensed contractor was paid $88,000 for the demolition of the structure at 1119 Water Ave in two payments one for $38,000 on April 13, 2018 and another for $50,000 later in the month.

Additionally, the contractor was paid an additional $50,000 in July 2018 for stabilizing the front faade on the building.

According to the ALCGCs website, it is against the law for an entity to be hired for such work without a license and any contract becomes null and void if undertaken by an unlicensed business, which means that the city will have no recourse if the work is done improperly.

According to Mascari, the contractor that took on the Water Avenue project has never been licensed with the board and the city can be fined up to $5,000 for each instance in which his services were utilized.

Additionally, commercial properties being demolished are required to file a notice with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) at least 10 days before demolition work begins so that an asbestos inspection can take place.

According to ADEMs Don Barrion, no such notice has been received by the department regarding the property on Water Avenue.

Selma City Council President Corey Bowie said any jobs of $50,000 or more are supposed to be brought before the council and bid out, though the council voted in 2017 to require all payments of $5,000 or more to come before the council.

In October 2018, a year after that vote, the council voted to require that all payments come before the council for approval.

Though Bowie does not recall the council signing off on any of the contractors projects, Councilwoman Miah Jackson said that at least one job was bid out and the contractor was awarded the job.

Jackson said that the council asked Selma Planning and Development Department Director Henry Thompson if the contractor had all of the appropriate paperwork, such as the proper licenses and insurance, and was assured that he did.

Afterward, Jackson contacted the ALBGC to verify that the contractor had the proper licenses and was told that he did not Jackson then informed the council and Thompson that the contractor did not have the proper licenses

But the work on Water Avenue is only a glimpse at the work that this unlicensed contractor has been hired to perform over the years, which comes close to $400,000 between November 2016 and November 2018.

The following payments, dictated in the citys general ledger, do not represent all of the payments the contractor received over the two-year period:

In December 2016, the contractor received two payments of $4,850 $9,700 total to clean and repair bike areas. The same month, the contractor was paid $2,125 for painting city hall and the mayors office;

In January 2017, the contractor was paid $5,000 for fixing a leak at Memorial Stadium;

In February 2017, the contractor received two payments of $5,500 only two weeks apart for installing oversized doors with locks at the Selma Welcome Center. That same month, the contractor was paid $2,250 to install a cabinet, sink and faucets and paint walls, as well as $2,500 to paint two offices;

In April 2017, the contractor received two payments of $8,950, each for welcome center equipment, and $3,180 to replace a thermostat at city hall;

In August 2017, the contractor received another $5,000 for welcome center repairs and services, bringing the total received for work at the Selma Welcome Center to at least $24,000; On August 30, 2017, the contract received at least two payments for HVAC repair work at the Selma Interpretive Center, one for $5,750 and another for $11,500. A month later, $13,000 was paid for emergency repairs at the Selma Interpretive Center;

Other significant payments made to the contractor include $13,175 in July 2018 for unspecified building repairs, $10,000 for rook work at the Selma Welcome Center in August 2018 and, one month later, $33,600 for a roof on the Selma Welcome Center.

City representatives have since stated that the contractor is no longer being employed by the city.

The mayors office could not be reached for comment.

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Contractor paid over $130K for work on collapsed building - The Selma TimesJournal - Selma Times-Journal

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The COVID-19 pandemic continues to drive unemployment higher in Illinois.

SPRINGFIELD The U.S. saw nearly 3 million more unemployment claims the week ending May 9, including another 72,993 in Illinois, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The 2.98 million claims nationwide in the week pushed the jobless claims in the first two months of the novel coronavirus pandemic to more than 36 million. The unprecedented number of claims made for a national unemployment rate of 15.7% the week ending May 2.

In Illinois, the number of new claims on the week was 1,483 fewer than the week prior. The number of new claims each week has gone down since a peak of 201,041 during the week of April 4. The Illinois Department of Employment Security said in a news release it has now processed 1,076,461 claims for regular unemployment benefits from March 1 through May 9.

Continued claims reached 756,441 in the state last week, which was the final period before contractors and self-employed persons were able to file for special federal pandemic unemployment assistance in Illinois.

While the number of initial claims for regular benefits has plateaued in the last two weeks, IDES will experience an increase in overall claims processed when the federal pandemic unemployment assistance claims data becomes available Thursday, May 21, according to the departments news release.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said this week more than 50,000 applications had been filed through the states new pandemic unemployment assistance system since Monday.

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State reports 73,000 unemployment claims in final week before new portal went live - The Southern