Niagara outlet shoppers protected by canopies

New Southwestern Ontario retail destination, the Outlet Collection at Niagara, features approximately 2136 m2 (23,000 sf) of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fibreglass membrane walkway canopies to protect shoppers from any type of weather. The membrane canopies exhibit a flying-mast cone design that provides resistance to the elements, and creates a signature look for the shopping centre.

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Understanding thermoplastic double-wall piping

As its name suggests, a double-wall piping system is essentially one piping system within another. The inner pipe is referred to as the ‘primary’ pipe, while the outer is the ‘secondary’ or ‘containment’ pipe. The goal of these double-wall assemblies is to create a failsafe system where the secondary piping would contain any leaked fluid if a failure occurred in the primary piping. Available in various materials, double-wall piping systems are ideal for many applications.

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Firestopping and effective compartmentation

Fire resistance is one of the oldest fire protection strategies. Fire-resistance-rated walls and floors, joined together continuously, mean ‘effective compartmentation’ for a room of any size. Materials specified in MasterFormat 07 84 00−Firestopping maintain the continuity of this fire-resistance-rated construction through treating the holes made for cables, ducts, pipes, and joints.

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The basic fundamentals of doorway security

Doorways have evolved from simple mechanical building components into high-tech access control platforms and life-safety portals. Fortunately, in the case of doorway security, ‘complex’ does not necessarily mean ‘difficult.’ Even with the rapid development of new products, electrified hardware systems, changing building codes, positive pressure, and heightened security requirements, the basic fundamentals for providing security remain unchanged—hang, secure, close, and protect the door.

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Wood-framed Floors Beyond Code: The importance of balancing design trends, product choices, and installation methods

When designing a wood-framed floor system for multi-family projects, building to meet the prevailing building code is only the first step in the performance spectrum. Once complying with those requirements, there remains an array of choices a designer can make without materially affecting the project’s overall cost that nonetheless directly affect occupant comfort and the floor’s perceived quality.

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Specifying precast terrazzo

Terrazzo has been valued for its durability and subtle beauty with an uncompromising record of performance dating back over a thousand years. From its ancient beginnings, terrazzo has been used for floors in many commercial, industrial, and institutional applications because it typically lasts the lifetime of the building. Today, many installations that are more than 30 years old are still being used and can be viewed throughout Canada.

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Using carbon-cured concrete block

By 37 BC, ancient Romans were already constructing with concrete that could set under water—today, material researchers believe it had properties superior to modern portland cement concretes. Roman formulations for cement and concrete production were used for nearly 2000 years before bricklayer Joseph Aspdin of Leeds, England, named and patented modern portland cement in 1824. Although modern production of cement is far more advanced, Aspin laid the foundation for the methods used today.

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