October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and, since 2020, CertainTeed and Susan G. Komen have partnered to fight off the disease, which impacts millions of lives.

Washington – OSHA has released interim enforcement guidance for its Respirable Crystalline Silica in Construction Standard (1926.1153), which is set to be enforced in full on Oct. 23.

The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upholds the lower permissible exposure limit in OSHA’s updated silica rule. Supporters of the rule call the court’s decision a “huge victory” for workers, while opponents say it disregards “legitimate concerns.”

Washington — OSHA has released initial enforcement guidelines for the Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for general industry and maritime, a couple of weeks before many of the rule’s provisions are scheduled to go into effect.

Washington — OSHA is requesting input on potential revisions to Table 1 of its respirable crystalline silica standard for construction, according to a Request for Information slated for publication in the Aug. 15 Federal Register.

Washington — Seeking “uniformity” in the enforcement of its silica standards, OSHA has published an instructional directive for its compliance safety and health officers.

Washington — The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General is advising the Mine Safety and Health Administration to lower its legal exposure limit for silica released Nov. 16.

Washington — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has scheduled public meetings on its recently published proposed rule on worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica.

Washington — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has extended until Sept. 11 the comment period for a proposed rule on worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica.

The charities say the move puts them in a stronger position to make a positive impact on the lives of people affected by multiple sclerosis

The charity also received a £5m grant from the People’s Postcode Lottery

Richmond Parish Lands Charity has become the Richmond Foundation

The NCS Trust, the charity set up to operate the scheme, will also be wound down, MPs are told

The government has earmarked four areas for spending until 2028

Funding models must also include provisions for inflation-based adjustments, the report says

The construction industry added 34,000 jobs on net in August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released Sept. 6 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment grew by 228,000 jobs, an increase of 2.8 percent.

The American Institute of Architects published its latest consensus forecast for 2024 and 2025. Learn more about what the AIA and other forecasting resources are projecting for the construction market in the coming years.

In this special episode of If Walls Could Talk, Walls & Ceilings Associate Editor Michael Levitt speaks with Phampena Inc.’s Taide Pham, Hien “H” Pham and Trinidy Pham. The company is on the cover of W&C’s September issue and has grown into an industry leader since being founded in 2010.

State transportation agencies in North Carolina and Tennessee are still assessing damage from the storm, forecasting a months-long effort to repair hard-hit critical arteries such as Interstate-40. 

The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance partnered with World Vision, a humanitarian organization helping children, families and their communities overcome poverty and injustice, to provide school supplies to in-need children during the 2024 FGIA Fall Conference on Sept. 16-19.

Those participating in the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance’s 2024 Fall Conference, which was held in Minneapolis, heard the ways in which Minnesota is leading the nation when it comes to commercial energy codes and efficiency, as well as efforts to mitigate the impact of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances on the environment and local drinking water supply.

Petersen’s new PAC-4000 metal composite material provides design options for those wanting to add truly flat, colorful surfaces to building exteriors. The material is resistant to fire, impacts and water intrusion and can be curved for aesthetic appeal.

The SMACNA Board of Directors welcomed Tom Martin, president of Cleveland-based T.H. Martin, Inc., as its 2024-2025 president. Martin took the reins from current SMACNA president Carol Duncan of General Sheet Metal.

Spray foam insulation manufacturer Innovative Polymer Systems is expanding its operations across the United States. IPS operates material distribution centers across the country to serve contractors nationwide.

BuildBlock Building Systems, the manufacturer of BuildBlock Insulating Concrete Forms, announced the addition of Frank Gordon, Assoc. AIA, as the vice president for strategic development. Gordon will be leading the marketing, sales and technical teams and bringing them together to build relationships with industry leaders, stakeholders, developers, industry professionals and more, supporting BuildBlock’s growth initiatives.

BuildBlock announced that Russ Nicely has joined the company as commercial development director. Nicely will focus on continuing education and promotion for architects, engineers, general contractors, specialty subcontractors, owners and developers, as well as working to further develop commercial construction projects across North America.

Hurricane Milton’s destructive winds caused significant structural damage across Florida, particularly in Tampa and St. Petersburg. A construction crane collapsed into the Tampa Bay Times building, leaving a gaping hole in its side, while winds also tore off Tropicana Field’s roof.

CAD-PLAN has released ATHENA 2024 AutoCAD-based software. Tailored for the glazing industry, the software solutions are fully compatible with Autodesk products and continually improved for optimized and expanded features. CAD-PLAN customers also receive user-friendly training sessions and have access to customized technical support and personalized consultations.

The Steel Bridge Task Force, which is comprised of the American Iron and Steel Institute, the National Steel Bridge Alliance, and the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials Steel and Metals Technical Committee, has named David Stoddard, senior steel applications engineer at SSAB Americas, as the recipient of the 2024 Alexander D. Wilson Memorial Award.

The Michel Bakhoum International Collaboration Award, founded in 2024, honors the memory of Prof. Michel Bakhoum, an ACI member and internationally known structural engineer, researcher and educator.

Georgia-Pacific announced on Nov. 4 that Hudson Pope, senior vice president for manufacturing at Georgia-Pacific, will assume the senior vice president of operations position. Beginning in 2025, he will be responsible for all manufacturing segments in the company.

The Gypsum Association announced that ASTM International has recognized GA director of codes, standards and research Michael Schmeida, MSc, LEED AP, with an ASTM Award of Merit and the title of Fellow.

ATAS International introduced the newest panel series in its vast product offering at METALCON in Atlanta. The MetaFlex series offers the latest innovations in durable, stylish wall cladding solutions and includes nine panel profiles that are built for strength and designed for beauty, combining superior performance and modern aesthetics.

The Rainscreen Association in North America announced the winners of the inaugural RAiNA Awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in rainscreen design and innovation. The award ceremony, which was held on Nov. 7 in Chicago, celebrated projects that exemplify creativity, technical excellence and sustainability in building envelope performance.

Holcim has completed its acquisition of OX Engineered Products, a leader in advanced wall insulation and sheathing solutions. OX Engineered Products will now operate as a standalone line of business within Holcim Building Envelope.

Isokorb is an off-the-shelf solution to thermal bridging in the building envelope.

NovaWrap Building Wrap is a 100 percent synthetic breathable weather-resistant barrier for residential and commercial applications.

Merkrete Fracture Guard 7000 is a liquid applied membrane to provide crack isolation up to 3/8 inch.

MetalWorks Torsion Spring ceilings are now available with Purewood real wood veneers.

A project delivery model that is surprisingly efficient.

As the construction industry relies more and more on BIM for building projects, there is pressure mounting for the cost estimator to use BIM for takeoffs.

No matter how hard any contractor works toward being organized and efficient, there are more significant issues at play that cause projects to go over-budget and over-schedule these days.

First, the good news: construction employment has remained steady in 2019—despite recession fears and stock market jitters.

As your morning routine becomes less about grabbing that cup of coffee from your favorite java spot on the way to the site, you may still be tasked with delivering on business as usual. 

Kingspan Insulated Panels North America has announced that its Director of Sustainability and Environment, Paul Bertram Jr.

The American Shotcrete Association (ASA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Campo as the new executive director of the organization.

UL Environment has certified a pair of new Environmental Product Declarations for CertainTeed’s Symphony mineral fiber and VOC Compliant Symphony fiberglass ceiling panels.