flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Newer materials for green, resilient building complicate insurance underwriting

Newer materials for green, resilient building complicate insurance underwriting

Insurers can’t look to years of testing on emerging technology to assess risk.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | August 4, 2022
Sustainable materials
Courtesy Pexels.

New sustainable energy products using new and emerging technology make it difficult for insurance carriers to assess risk on green building projects.

Unlike on projects using standard materials, underwriters cannot look to many years of rigorous testing to see how products perform. This makes it hard to assess risk and offer policies on projects that use advanced features such as vegetative roofs, mass timber, or advanced solar panel technology.

New technology, materials, and construction methods can bring unforeseen risks, insurance executives say. Many green buildings have novel designs compared with those using conventional construction where much has been done the same way for years and the risks are well known.

Business interruptions caused by material damage in green building construction have generated costly and complex claims. These claims concern both the expense of replacing the damaged material and the amount of time it takes to replace it, especially given current supply chain difficulties.

Related Stories

| Aug 19, 2016

RECONSTRUCTION GIANTS: Facelifts give buildings new identities, even as they keep a few wrinkles

Reconstruction is always a balancing act between the client’s pro forma and what the building needs to be vibrant again.

| Aug 19, 2016

Top 110 Reconstruction Construction Firms

Gilbane Building Co., Turner Construction Co., and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest reconstruction sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.

| Aug 18, 2016

LOCAL GOVERNMENT GIANTS: A ranking of the nation’s top design and construction firms in local sector work

HOK, Stantec, Turner Construction Co.,Clark Group, AECOM and STV top Building Design+Construction’s annual rankings of the nation’s largest local government sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.

| Aug 18, 2016

STATE GOVERNMENT GIANTS: A ranking of the nation’s top design and construction firms in state sector work

CannonDesign, Stantec, Turner Construction Co.,Mortensen Construction, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff and AECOM top Building Design+Construction’s annual rankings of the nation’s largest state government sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.

Hotel Facilities | Aug 17, 2016

First of its kind tri-branded Marriott hotel under construction in downtown Nashville

The hotel will combine the AC Hotels, Residence Inn, and SpringHill Suites brands.

| Aug 15, 2016

SPORTS FACILITY GIANTS: New and renovated college sports venues - designed to serve students and the community

Schools are renovating existing structures or building new sports facilities that can serve the student body and surrounding community.

| Aug 15, 2016

Top 60 Sports Facility Construction Firms

Mortenson Construction, AECOM, and Turner Construction Co. top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest sports facility sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.

| Aug 15, 2016

MILITARY GIANTS: Cross-laminated timber construction gets a salute from the Army

By privatizing the construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and ownership of its hotels the Army expects to cut a 20-year timetable for repairs and replacement of its lodging down to eight years.

| Aug 12, 2016

SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY GIANTS: Incubator model is reimagining research and lab design

Interdisciplinary interaction is a common theme among many new science and technology offices.

| Aug 12, 2016

Top 30 Science + Technology Construction Firms

Skanska USA, Suffolk Construction Co., and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest science + technology sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Resiliency

U.S. is reducing floodplain development in most areas

The perception that the U.S. has not been able to curb development in flood-prone areas is mostly inaccurate, according to new research from climate adaptation experts. A national survey of floodplain development between 2001 and 2019 found that fewer structures were built in floodplains than might be expected if cities were building at random.


halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021