Built environment

Bowman Adds Sharif Abou-Sabh, PE, to Expand National Transportation Program Management Initiative

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, January 4, 2024

“His reputation is unparalleled in the realm of transportation program management.

Key Points: 
  • “His reputation is unparalleled in the realm of transportation program management.
  • His experience managing multi-billion-dollar projects will immediately qualify Bowman as a program management candidate for large scale IIJA funded programs where large transportation authorities in need of qualified engineering management assistance in the overall management of these mega projects.
  • “I’ve known and respected Bowman and their transportation leadership for many years,” said Sharif.
  • I am eager to leverage my experience to advance our transportation initiatives and solidify Bowman's reputation as an industry leader in delivering impactful program management services to large transportation authorities.”

How second world war bomb rubble was used to make 135 football pitches in east London

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 3, 2024

During the second world war, German forces dropped 28,000 bombs and almost 3,000 V1 flying bombs and V2 rockets on London.

Key Points: 
  • During the second world war, German forces dropped 28,000 bombs and almost 3,000 V1 flying bombs and V2 rockets on London.
  • Within the London County Council area (roughly covering today’s inner London), more than 73,000 structures were totally destroyed.
  • City authorities were faced with the gargantuan task of figuring out quite where to put the millions of tonnes of rubble.

When rubble choked the city of London

  • Between December 1940 and 1946, 2.2 million cubic metres of concrete, brick and stone rubble were dumped on Hackney Marsh and 270,000 cubic metres on Leyton Marsh, raising the ground level by three metres.
  • The rubble lies hidden under plants and soil with only occasional surface fragments of concrete and the odd brick hinting at the site’s wartime origins.
  • Venture to neighbouring Leyton and Clapton and where the rubble came from becomes far more visible.
  • Street after street showcase gaps where houses are missing in otherwise neat terraces.
  • It effectively choked the city, blocking miles of roads and rendering vital services inoperable.
  • By the end of September, the city-wide War Debris Survey and Disposal Service was established.
  • The service turned its sights eastwards, to the wide-open marshland of east London.
  • A 1942 memo written by the Ministry of Home Security (now held in the London Metropolitan Archives) notes:
    Sites for tips should be studied and selected.

How Hackney Marshes became a footballing utopia

  • Though unmarked by commemorative plaques, the pitches themselves have become a vast footballing heritage site, the “utopia,” as founder of Hackney Wick Football Club Bobby Kasanga has put it, “of grassroots football”.
  • The Hackney and Leyton Football League, founded when the pitches opened in 1946, remains London’s largest and oldest league.
  • UK photographer Simon Di Principe used to go to the marshes as a kid, with his mother, to watch his father play.
  • The marshes endure as a subtle reminder of the losses the people of London incurred during the second world war.


Jonathan Gardner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Colliers joins the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, December 7, 2023

By joining this initiative, Colliers furthers its sustainability efforts, targeting whole life carbon.

Key Points: 
  • By joining this initiative, Colliers furthers its sustainability efforts, targeting whole life carbon.
  • “As a leader in an industry tied to nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, we have an outsized opportunity and responsibility to ensure our own operations are net zero.
  • The Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment builds on previous goals set by Colliers as part of its ESG strategy.
  • Projects include:
    Colliers Tokyo office : Leveraging the Green Lease Checklist developed by Colliers’ Occupier Services team to help clients assess the eco-friendliness of a building, the Marunouchi Nijubashi Building was selected as Colliers’ headquarters for Japan.

International Code Council to Highlight Key Role of Building Codes and Standards in Achieving Climate Resilience at COP28

Retrieved on: 
Friday, December 1, 2023

The work of the International Code Council and similar organizations is to spotlight the need to incorporate the buildings and construction sector in climate discussions.

Key Points: 
  • The work of the International Code Council and similar organizations is to spotlight the need to incorporate the buildings and construction sector in climate discussions.
  • International Code Council Senior Vice President of Global Operations and Solutions Judy Zakreski will present the International Code Council’s Global Award to the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) during the conference.
  • The PEC has taken an active role in improving the safety of buildings in Pakistan and has been working with the International Code Council to adapt the International Building Code® to create the Building Code of Pakistan and the International Green Construction Code® to develop the Green Building Code of Pakistan (GBCP).
  • They are currently working with the International Code Council to adopt a commentary and user guide for the GBCP.

BrainBox AI teases its leading-edge Generative AI product for Building Operations poised for launch in Winter 2024

Retrieved on: 
Monday, November 27, 2023

The new product will take on the role of an intuitive and autonomous building operations co-pilot to further facilitate the work and decision-making processes of building operators and facilities managers.

Key Points: 
  • The new product will take on the role of an intuitive and autonomous building operations co-pilot to further facilitate the work and decision-making processes of building operators and facilities managers.
  • With it, BrainBox AI is addressing the critical issue building operators experience; the existence of numerous tools to assist them but lack of time and resources required to use them.
  • Through its core AI-driven operations innovation, BrainBox AI already has a pulse on the intersection of data and building operations, but as innovators it is also important to reach further for the greater good.
  • Its official launch in Winter 2024 will be a landmark achievement for us and the entire sector."

Bowman Ranked #3 on Forbes’ List of Most Successful Small Cap Companies in America

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 18, 2023

Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. (the “Company” or “Bowman”) (NASDAQ: BWMN), a national engineering services firm delivering infrastructure solutions to customers who own, develop and maintain the built environment, has earned the #3 spot on Forbes’ list of Most Successful Small Cap Companies in America.

Key Points: 
  • Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. (the “Company” or “Bowman”) (NASDAQ: BWMN), a national engineering services firm delivering infrastructure solutions to customers who own, develop and maintain the built environment, has earned the #3 spot on Forbes’ list of Most Successful Small Cap Companies in America.
  • The company's outsized growth rate, continued service diversification, commitment to technology adoption and consistent execution have played pivotal roles in increasing the company’s market value and securing this recognition.
  • “Our culture and our collective commitment to work-sharing and revenue synergy are the driving forces behind his achievement,” said Gary Bowman, chairman and chief executive officer at Bowman.
  • “This recognition is a testament to the hard work and customer-first commitment of our employees every day and sets the stage for even greater accomplishments in the future.”
    This accolade from Forbes comes on the heels of another significant recognition earlier this year when CNBC's Jim Cramer named Bowman a top industrial IPO of 2021.

CarbiCrete Concrete Products Meet or Exceed ASTM C90 Performance Requirements According to Third-Party

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Reducing embodied carbon in the built environment does not require any compromise on performance, says the company's CEO

Key Points: 
  • Reducing embodied carbon in the built environment does not require any compromise on performance, says the company's CEO
    MONTREAL, Dec. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - CarbiCrete, a leading firm in the decarbonization of concrete, announced today that it has received third-party validation that the products generated through its technology meet or exceed ASTM C90 performance requirements for concrete masonry units (CMUs).
  • The testing was conducted by CTL Group , the industry's leading expert in structures and materials, using ASTM C90, the most widely-referenced standard for specifying CMUs in North America, published by ASTM International.
  • The standards for quality performance contain minimum requirements for items such as compressive strength, permissible variations in dimensions, and finish and appearance criteria.
  • Additionally, CarbiCrete's concrete products are cured with carbon dioxide, which is mineralized and permanently removed from the atmosphere.

Mohawk Group Announces Strategic Partnership with Scanalytics

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, December 19, 2023

MILWAUKEE, Dec. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mohawk Group, a global leader in sustainability and part of the largest flooring manufacturer in the world, and Scanalytics, Inc., a Milwaukee, WI-based Smart Flooring company, are announcing a strategic partnership to reduce emissions from the built world.

Key Points: 
  • MILWAUKEE, Dec. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mohawk Group, a global leader in sustainability and part of the largest flooring manufacturer in the world, and Scanalytics, Inc., a Milwaukee, WI-based Smart Flooring company, are announcing a strategic partnership to reduce emissions from the built world.
  • With the direct support of the US Department of Energy (DOE) ARPA-E, Scanalytics has developed a patented sensor material that can be seamlessly integrated directly into, on top of, or underneath Mohawk flooring.
  • Bolstering the Mohawk Group commitment to sustainable materials, the flooring system delivers high-resolution data down to each footstep, without impeding occupant privacy or comfort.
  • "Mohawk Group is part of the world's largest flooring company, and by extension is in a unique position to make a significant impact.

Trinity Consultants Acquires Valcoustics Canada Ltd.

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, December 19, 2023

DALLAS, Dec. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Trinity Consultants, a leading global environmental consulting firm providing services and solutions in the built environment, EHS regulatory compliance, life sciences, and water and ecology markets, today announced its acquisition of Valcoustics Canada Ltd., a Toronto-based acoustical engineering firm. The company will operate within Trinity's built environment business, combining its acoustical capabilities with those that span North America (with Trinity's Cerami and Longman Lindsey acquisitions), Ireland (with the AWN acquisition), and Australia (with the ASK and ANE acquisitions) into one unified entity.

Key Points: 
  • DALLAS, Dec. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Trinity Consultants, a leading global environmental consulting firm providing services and solutions in the built environment, EHS regulatory compliance, life sciences, and water and ecology markets, today announced its acquisition of Valcoustics Canada Ltd., a Toronto-based acoustical engineering firm.
  • Since its inception in 1954, Valcoustics has been lauded for acoustic design excellence in residential land use planning, environmental compliance, and architectural applications.
  • "Valcoustics shares our dedication to helping clients unearth hidden acoustic and technical possibilities and pursue practical solutions," said Jim Perry, managing director at Trinity Cerami.
  • To learn more about Trinity Consultants and its services and leadership team, visit https://www.trinityconsultants.com .

New Report on Decarbonization in the Building Industry Available

Retrieved on: 
Monday, November 13, 2023

Lake City, Colo., Nov. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Download Green Builder Media’s latest COGNITION Smart Data report to stay on top of what’s happening in the building industry.

Key Points: 
  • Lake City, Colo., Nov. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Download Green Builder Media’s latest COGNITION Smart Data report to stay on top of what’s happening in the building industry.
  • In “Decarbonization: From Theory to Reality," Green Builder Media asked builders, manufacturers, and consumers about their perceptions and priorities on decarbonization, particularly around the built environment.
  • Their answers reveal where the industry stands on decarbonization efforts and what trends, products, building practices, legislative/code changes, and other factors will shift how homes are built in the near future.
  • This exclusive report includes information on:
    The top three ways companies are decarbonizing.