Industry Briefs
Eco-friendly drywall could ‘revolutionize’ sustainable construction
California-based Serious Materials has developed a method for manufacturing drywall that uses 90 percent less energy, thereby producing less greenhouse gas. Traditional drywall is responsible for roughly 25 billion pounds of carbon monoxide entering the atmosphere annually and 1 percent of U.S. energy consumption. EcoRock, Serious Materials’ drywall, produces zero emissions. The company, with support from three venture capital firms, will begin selling EcoRock in the summer of 2008. The product’s launch coincides with the green movement’s mounting pressure on the building industry to implement more green practices. Projects will be more costly to construct than a typical building, but maintenance costs will be lower than average and tenants will not have to pay for electricity. (Greenwire, Jan. 8, 2008)
Americans for Balanced Energy Choices research identifies benefits of new coal-fueled power plant construction
Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC) has identified 120 coal-fueled power plants that are currently under or near construction, permitted, or in the early stages of development in the U.S., contradicting the view that such plants are a dying breed. “During the past 35 years, the use of coal in the U.S. has nearly tripled, at the same time, air quality improved and emissions from coal-based electricity are 33 percent lower despite this increased use,” said Joe Lucas, ABEC executive director All of the projects listed as under or near construction or permitted are considering the deployment of environmentally-friendly technologies like subcritical and supercritical pulverized coal, clean coal fluidized bed, or integrated gasification and combined cycle. (PRNewswire, Jan. 10, 2008)
Integrity Recruits offers 2008 compensation outlook for construction-related industries
Overall compensation for construction professionals will continue to decline this year due to the slowdown in the residential market, according to a report from Integrity Recruiting, an international recruiting firm specializing in construction-related industries. However, compensation for professionals working on public works construction projects, tourism-related industries, and multi-family housing is likely to rise in 2008, the report said. The report also found that construction companies will increasingly focus their efforts on government and commercial construction instead of residential construction this year. In addition to the government and commercial markets, anything to support alternative energy — including solar power and wind energy — is expected to be hot this year, the report said. (Business Wire, Jan. 7, 2008)
