Current Issue September/October 2007

Building Products Revue
New Advances in Aluminum Roofing Allow for Timely, Efficient and Eye Appealing Finishes
As with any construction project, the most valued finished product is one completed on time with minimal safety and construction concerns as well as an aesthetically-appealing finish that will stand up to weather and natural wear. One growing solution to meet these needs is the use of aluminum for roofing and panels. In fact, Petersen Aluminum Corporation of Elk Grove Village, Ill., a pioneer in the development of aluminum as a roofing material, touts that though they offer a wide variety of roofing solutions, approximately 50 percent of material sold today is aluminum. 
Revue Archive |  Read more

Metal “Tile Panel” Roofing Saves $150k In Police Facility Construction
When the building team set out to plan a new police facility in Gilroy, California, the original design called for a concrete tile mansard to match the existing roofs in the neighboring Gilroy civic center. Upon finding that the project was over budget, one of the cost-cutting measures adopted by the architect was to replace the concrete tile with a metal “tile panel” facsimile system from Met-Tile, Inc., Ontario, California.
Revue Archive | Read more

DCD InSights
Building Information Modeling Takes Architectural Design to a New Dimension
When computer-aided drafting (CAD) arrived on the scene in the 1960s and 1970s, it revolutionized the way engineers and architects work, first by allowing them to move their designs from the drafting board to the computer and interact with them graphically. Over the next 40 years, CAD moved into more sophisticated applications, allowing for two and later three-dimensional design, development and detailed engineering of everything from aircraft and automotive components and consumer products to residential and commercial construction. While it assumed many forms and variations, there was little doubt that an architect or engineer was using a CAD program for design. It was the industry standard. 
Insights Archive |  Read more

How to Take Advantage of the Housing Slow Down
As a result of the "housing slow down," developers and general contractors are faced with the growing challenge of increasing their revenues. One way a general contractor can take advantage of this downturn is to re-evaluate their reprographics process. An innovative tool such as an "online plan room" is just one example of how a company can upload and distribute a set of plans in a faster, secure and less cumbersome process. More importantly, it can free-up a staff member to potentially secure new business, rather than overseeing the burdensome process of sending plans.  
Insights Archive |  Read more

DCD Cost Trends
Construction Cost Trends for 2007
Housing starts continue to decline significantly since last year. The effect of this housing downturn on construction spending overall is muted by significant increases in the non-residential sectors. Led by hotels, the commercial sector posted gains of over 15% in 2006 and continues to keep construction spending on an even keel for 2007. State and federal construction spending continues at a brisk pace and will help to compensate for the housing shortfall.
Trends Archive | Read more

DCD Cost Guides
The DCD Sq. Ft. Cost Guide for Buildings with Metal Construction
For 50 years Design Cost Data magazine has been presenting actual projects with their real cost to build for preliminary estimating, cost modeling and more. The following guide, the DCD Sq. Ft. Cost Guide, has been assembled from projects in our database, the National Historical Building Cost Database, to provide the industry with a benchmark for future building costs.
DCD Cost Guides Archive | Read more