Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has completed a study on the effect that various wall systems have on the annual energy usage in one- and two-story residential homes.  
 
The study’s objective was to obtain a direct comparison of the actual energy and dollars expended using different types of walls in a typical residential home while keeping all other aspects of the house EXACTLY the same.  This research was done using EnergyPlus™, a simulation software developed by the Department of Energy and acknowledged as one of the most accurate and powerful energy simulation tools available today.    

The results are groundbreaking in the breadth and scope of the walls compared - 607 different combinations of CMU, wood and ICF.   Almost every conceivable arrangement of standard building products compared “apples to apples” across every climate zone in Florida and the US.   A total of 21,852 separate wall system analyses were made.    Of these, 3,642 wall system analyses were made specifically for Florida.  

For more information: http://bit.ly/1hhc2Ox

Alachua, Fla. –  On February 12, at the first ever Veterans' Employment in Construction Symposium, First Lady Michelle Obama and U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez announced that a coalition of construction employers and associations have collectively pledged to hire more than 100,000 veterans over the next five years.

The symposium, held in Washington, D.C., was hosted by the U.S. Department of Labor and Joining Forces. NCCER and the Build Your Future (BYF) initiative were proud to have members of their military task force, who represent military, construction companies, industry leaders and associations, join them for this pioneering event.

“We are proud to be a part of this unprecedented commitment by the construction industry,” said Don Whyte, president of NCCER. “Creating an avenue to connect our returning military with the rewarding careers available through construction is a top priority for NCCER and BYF.”

Construction is one of the fastest growing industries in the nation and is a strong fit for the men and women transitioning from the military to civilian life. The field experience, values, and leadership skills learned while protecting America translates well into a career as a craft professional and opens doors to executive positions in the construction industry.

“Many of these veterans have technical skills that are directly relevant to the construction industry.  And plenty of veterans who don’t have those skills are eager to learn them. And with the right training, we know they have the discipline, we know they have the determination that is necessary to succeed in all kinds of construction jobs,” stated The First Lady.

NCCER and BYF are committed to help returning military make a smooth transition and enable them to continue to serve the country they love by building America. As a part of that commitment, NCCER and BYF are working with a task force of contractors, owners and other stakeholders to develop a program of assessing, training and transitioning veterans into high-skill, high-wage careers in construction.

Visit byf.org/military for more information and resources designed to connect returning military and the construction employers looking to hire them.
About Build Your Future – The goal of the Build Your Future (BYF) initiative is to lead individuals to opportunities for career placement, advanced education and training and ultimately long-term rewarding careers in the construction industry. BYF is NCCER’s national recruitment and image enhancement initiative. For more information, visit www.byf.org.

About NCCER — NCCER is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) education foundation created by the construction industry to develop standardized curriculum and assessments with industry-recognized, portable credentials and to help address the skilled construction workforce shortage. NCCER is recognized by the industry as the training, assessment, certification and career development standard for the construction and maintenance craft professional. For more information, visit www.nccer.org or contact NCCER customer service at 888.622.3720.

About Joining Forces —The national initiative, spearheaded by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, was created to engage all sectors of society to give service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned. For more information, visit www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces

Contact information: NCCER , NCCER, 13614 Progress Blvd, Alachua, FL 326159407

t took a team of IMI-led BAC masons to lend a hand in unraveling a centuries-old “Great Cathedral Mystery”, the title of a soon-to-be-aired edition of the PBS series, NOVA, on Wednesday, Feb. 12th. The show chronicles the efforts of five BAC bricklayers who traveled to Florence, Italy at the invitation of National Geographic to reconstruct a replica of the city's famed Duomo, the world's largest masonry dome. The objective: to shed light on how the original might have been constructed, a process that has baffled building professionals and enthusiasts since it was completed nearly 600 years ago.
 

The team, comprised of IMI national, regional, and local training staff including Bob Arnold (21 IL), Dave Wysocki (21 IL), Don Hunt (15 MO/KS), Tom Ward (2 MI), and National Job Corps Director Jonas Elmore (4 IN/KY), all traveled to Florence at the expense of National Geographic and Camera One Productions.    Watch the complete program online: http://video.pbs.org/program/nova/ 

Henry J. Knott Masonry, Inc. of Timonium, Md.; JEI Masonry of Yakima,  Wash.;  Restore Masonry, LLC of Chicago; and Ron Kendall Masonry, Inc. of West Palm Beach, Fla. are the latest companies to have earned certification through  the  Masonry Certification program, sponsored by the Mason Contractors  Association of  America (MCAA).

http://www.masoncontractors.org/2014/02/03/four-companies-certified-at-mcaa-convention

WESLEY CHAPEL | FL

The Bay at Cypress Creek lies behind black iron gates, 176 beige townhouses  tucked away in a neatly manicured neighborhood along clean streets.

 This is all, of course, at a distance. Upon closer inspection, lines of  discolored paint snake around the facades where cracks have been patched. The  stucco is warped and bubbling from water damage. Construction crews have gutted  one of the buildings.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/civil/wesley-chapel-townhouse-community-mired-in-litigation-over-cracks-water/2163099