A building is only as secure against the environment as its most degraded joint sealants, about 50% of which fail in less than 10 years after installation. Moisture damage due to failed sealants is responsible for much of the $65 billion to $80 billion spent on annual repairs.
However, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology are assembling a toolkit of measurement devices and scientific data that will help manufacturers of sealants systematically improve the protective performance of their products.
Source: Science Daily
Related Stories
| Aug 8, 2013
Top Science and Technology Sector Engineering Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Affiliated Engineers, Middough, URS top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest science and technology sector engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Aug 8, 2013
Top Science and Technology Sector Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
HDR, Perkins+Will, HOK top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest science and technology sector architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Aug 8, 2013
Top Science and Technology Sector Construction Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Skanska, DPR, Suffolk top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest science and technology sector contractors and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Aug 8, 2013
Level of Development: Will a new standard bring clarity to BIM model detail?
The newly released LOD Specification document allows Building Teams to understand exactly what’s in the BIM model they’re being handed.
| Aug 8, 2013
Blueprint for a boom town: Potential pitfalls for booming development
Accolades for Nashville, Tenn., my hometown and GS&P’s flagship location, just keep piling up. In 2011, Forbes named Nashville No. 3 on their list of “The Next Big Boom Towns in the U.S." All of these accolades are wonderful, but Nashville now must work hard to prove their longevity—to grow and build intelligently.
| Aug 8, 2013
Does billing by the hour still make sense?
What’s an idea really worth? That’s the question posed by The New York Times in a provocative article that explores whether the notion of billing time still makes economic sense.
| Aug 8, 2013
Vertegy spins off to form independent green consultancy
St. Louis-based Vertegy has announced the formation of Vertegy, LLC, transitioning into an independent company separate from the Alberici Enterprise. The new company was officially unveiled Aug. 1, 2013
| Aug 6, 2013
CoreNet: Office space per worker shrinks to 150 sf
The average amount of space per office worker globally has dropped to 150 square feet or less, from 225 square feet in 2010, according to a recent global survey conducted by CoreNet Global.
| Aug 6, 2013
Australia’s first net zero office building features distinctive pixelated façade
Australia's first carbon neutral office building, featuring a distinctive pixelated façade, recently opened in Melbourne.
| Aug 5, 2013
Top Retail Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Callison, Stantec, Gensler top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest retail architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the United States.
