Mostly positive prospects for Ontario’s construction industry

The Ontario construction industry should anticipate a good, but not remarkable year, according to TD Bank Financial Group’s deputy chief economist. Speaking in Toronto at the Ontario Construction Secretariat (OCS) conference in early March, Derek Burleton predicted a moderate rate of growth for the province, thanks to the non-residential sector in the wake of a residential building slowdown.

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Specifying fibre-cement for a high-end home

With its uninterrupted ocean vistas of pristine blue water and views of the city, West Vancouver is home to some of the most sought-after and expensive real estate in the region. When custom homebuilder and architect, Farzin Yadegari, began construction on his own house in the area, he had to find cladding that would speak to both form and function. It needed to fit the high-end esthetic of his neighbourhood, while also being able to withstand the harsh weather conditions and moisture of the local environment.

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Better Late Than Never: Retrofitting sound-masking to improve acoustics

In the last decade, sustainable, flexible, and collaborative design trends have systematically eliminated many methods of controlling acoustics. The percentage of open-plan space has grown and so have occupant densities. At the same time, partitions have lowered or disappeared altogether, and the use of absorptive finishes has diminished, allowing noises to travel further and last longer.

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Advancing bridge performance with UHPC

Over the past several years, ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) field-cast joint connections have become a common bridge solution in Ontario and gained acceptance in various states, such as New York, Iowa, Montana, and Oregon. However, the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) recently enabled this material to be used in new ways, relying on its combination of superior properties—including improved strength, durability, and bond development—to overcome significant bridge design obstacles.

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Specifying overhead and coiling doors

Sectional overhead door systems (sometimes referred to as ‘panel doors’), as well as coiling (i.e. ‘rolling’) and high-speed door systems can be found on most commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. Material options for these doors vary so much one regularly sees different thicknesses with steel, and aluminum in four finishes (i.e. mill, clear, coloured-anodized, and powder-coated). High-speed doors will be either fabric or rubber.

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Design on track

Increasing applications for interior manual and automated sliding doors that traditionally would be swing doors are being specified and installed. On the other side of the Atlantic, sliding doors have always been popular for interior and exterior installations, but even in Europe there have been recent substantial increases both in sheer numbers and in the scope of use for such doors.

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