Construction | GlobalPost

Seismic diagnoses required for hospitals, dept. stores

Kyodo News InternationalMay 21, 2013 23:15

Japan's parliament enacted Wednesday a bill that requires large facilities, such as hospitals and department stores, to undergo seismic diagnoses equivalent to those mandated for structures built before the enhanced quake-resistance standards were introduced in 1981. These facilities must complete the diagnoses by the end of 2015. Their operators will be slapped with penalties up to 1 million yen if they refuse to follow the legislation, which revises the Act for Promotion of Renovation for Earthquake-Resistant Structures.

Environmental, First Nations activists protest at Sarnia oil sands meeting

The Canadian PressMay 21, 2013 11:19

SARNIA, Ont. - About 50 environmental and First Nations activists gathered to protest in Sarnia, Ont., as a two-day national conference on oil sands bitumen opened Tuesday. Carrying signs reading "People Not Profits" and "Solidarity Against The Tar Sands," they gathered to demonstrate their opposition to Alberta oil sands development and proposed pipelines. They held a rally and water ceremony before community members from Aamjiwnaang (OHM-JIN'-nong) First Nation, located in the Sarnia area, led a march to the site of the conference.

Home builder sentiment gains in May: NAHB

Thomson ReutersMay 15, 2013 15:31

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Homebuilder sentiment rose in May as sales conditions improved, suggesting the housing market recovery still has momentum, data from the National Association of Home Builders showed on Wednesday. The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market index gained to 44 from a downwardly revised 41 in April, topping economists' forecasts for 43. Last month was originally reported as 42. The gain put the sentiment measure closer to the 50 mark that indicates more builders view market conditions as favorable than poor.

PSP Investments buying Hochtief airports division for 1.4 billion euros

The Canadian PressMay 7, 2013 12:31

TORONTO - The Public Sector Pension Investment Board is buying the airports division of German construction company Hochtief AG for 1.4 billion euros. PSP Investments spokesman Mark Boutet says the fund is looking more to private assets like infrastructure and real estate in a bid to diversify its portfolio. The deal, which is retroactive to Jan. 1, is expected to close in the second half of the year.

Collapsed Bangladesh building not 'designed' for factory

Agence France-PresseMay 5, 2013 00:45

The Bangladesh building that collapsed last month killing more than 570 people was designed to be used for a shopping mall and commercial offices such as banks, not for factories, the architect told AFP. Masood Reza, a leading Bangladesh architect and a professor at a state-run university, said he felt "pain and anguish" when he saw footage of the garment workers trapped under the pancaked floors, crying desperately for help.

Caterpillar closing tunnel-boring plant, 330 employees to lose jobs

The Canadian PressMay 4, 2013 13:00

TORONTO - Heavy equipment giant Caterpillar Inc. says it is closing a tunnel-boring machine factory in Toronto by mid-2014, throwing 330 workers out of a job. Caterpillar acquired the facility in 2008 when it bought Lovat Inc. and got into the tunnelling business, but now says the plant is no longer a "strategic growth opportunity" and will be shut down. Employees at the plant recently worked on four boring machines being used to chew through ground for the construction of the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown light rapid transit line in Toronto.

Software being developed in Spain to improve building safety in quakes

Agencia EFEApril 28, 2013 20:00

Alicante, Spain, Apr 28 (EFE).- A Spanish software company is developing a computer tool that will help improve building safety in earthquakes and that will be able to be used in construction projects by companies located in seismic zones. The new aspect of this software, which is geared toward architects, engineers and construction firms, is that it is capable of calculating the effect that the facades, the partitions and the walls - which have a tendency to develop cracks in a quake - will have on the overall structure of a building.

PASDEC vows to develop marble sector

AsianetApril 11, 2013 06:01

Marble and Granite is an emerging and promising sector of Pakistan which has huge potential of investment, export and livelihood. It needs to transform into dimension stone industry through adopting mechanized quarrying techniques and value addition. This was stated by Mr. Khalid Mahmood Chadda, Chief Executive Officer Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), in a briefing on marble and granite sector development at PASDEC Head Office. Mr.

Ferozpur Road’s time up?

AsianetApril 10, 2013 14:46

Different parts of newly constructed Ferozpur Road are cracking and deforming just after a couple of weeks perhaps because of substandard material used in the project by the construction company.Sources in the Communication and Works (C&W) informed this scribe that the contractors started patchwork at affected areas of the road in order to hide faulty or defective construction of the road as well as for covering their incapability and performance.“They have to start patchwork at the road because cracks were appearing at different portions of the road which not only were s

Spending of funds sans planning: Common men not getting effects of development, regrets Aslam Shakir

AsianetApril 6, 2013 04:18

The Additional Chief Secretary (Planning and Development), Balochistan, Muhammad Aslam Shakir Baloch has stated that over Rs. 36 billion would be spent on some 1,475 development schemes all over the province during current year.This, he stated while speaking at a discussion on the role of media in rural development arranged by the Intermedia here the other day.The ACS said that in development, our main focus in on development of infrastructure including roads, besides the irrigation and water supply schemes.