Engineering

• Roadside Attraction (Subscriber content)

  This historic Massachusetts store is a magnet for out-of-control vehicles

   

• Getting Into Insurance Work

  Is insurance restoration a good fit for your remodeling business?

   

• X-Ray Vision

  DeWalt has added a Hand-Held Radar Scanner to its 12-volt Max lithium-ion system

   

• Energy Efficient Home Tax Credit Extended

  The New Energy Efficient Home Tax Credit was extended to the end of 2013.

   

• Wind- and Solar-Powered Generator (Subscriber content)

  Batteries that are recharged by solar panels and a wind generator supply DC power to an inverter, which converts it to AC power.

   

• Don't Cut Historic Timbers

  A reader suggests a better way to strengthen an old roof

   

• Roof Truss Repair

  Field repairs should always be designed by an engineer

   

• Precut Framing (Subscriber content)

  Factory-cut engineered joists and rafters can reduce labor costs and job-site waste

   

• October Hearing Set for Southern Pine Downgrade

  Southern Pine lumber will get new engineering strength values and new span tables with reduced spans for visually graded lumber.

   

• North Carolina Politicians Scuffle Over Outer Banks Bridge Plan

  It's an ambitious proposal: Build a bridge spanning open water, seven miles long, to link North Carolina's Outer Banks with the mainland.

   

• Slipping In a Structural Ridge (Subscriber content)

  Opening up this ranch's floor plan required removing the center bearing wall and installing a 30-foot ridge beam

   

• Tightening Up a Two-Family House (Subscriber content)

  Chasing down and fixing energy leaks in an old house can be tricky and expensive, but utility incentives may help.

   

• Expanding a Kitchen (Subscriber content)

  Even a small addition presents a number of structural challenges.

   

• 3-D Printing for Automated Home Construction?

  Contour Crafting utilizes 3-D concrete printing to manufacture complex components and even entire houses.

   

• Merging Biophilic Design with Green Building Standards

  Biophilic design is gaining traction in residental construction as an ancillary component of green building.

   

• Passive House Costs Explored (Subscriber content)

   

• Controlling Whole-House Remodeling Costs (Subscriber content)

  Managing customer and architect expectations can head off problems in a remodeling project.

   

• RetroTreads Hardwood Treads

  If your clients want to replace their carpeted stairs with hardwood, these treads are an economical option

   

• Wolf PVC Deckboards

  Wolf has added two tropical-hardwood colors to its PVC Deckboard collection.

   

• Supporting a Brick Chimney With Structural Steel (Subscriber content)

  A pair of I-beams support a three-story brick chimney in this basement remodel.