Pioneer Demos 3D in a USB Video Box

3D display technology keeps taunting us from around the corner. Pioneer brings it a lot closer today. One of many manufacturers showcasing new technology at the Digital Contents Expo in Japan, Pioneer's next generation 3D display is actually available for order as we speak. The display, called Floating Vision, is able to float a 3D image in its USB connected display at 640x480 resolution. Drivers and software are available for both Mac and PC. The 6 inch device has fairly narrow, 10 degree, viewing range currently, so its applications will tend towards a single user.

Why? The display is geared towards a few niche markets which may take some time to develop. Video chatting and instant messaging is one. The device bears microphone and a pair of speakers, but no 3D camera. Digital modeling for medical and artistic uses are facilitated with the aid of motion sensors which allow you to physically interact with the 3D images. The most immediate use will likely be as a virtual catalog capable of letting potential buyers view and interact with products. Although the display is available now it only ships with a very simple 3D viewing program. The Floating Vision will play/create special images and videos, but Pioneer warns that you need to purchase this with the intent to develop applications. You won't be using this for much out of the box. So if you've got the stones to take on a serious project like this, you can get it today for roughly $540 but you'll need to find an importer as it's only available in Japan for now.

Scans show Nero statue

A head fragment from one of only three surviving statues of the Emperor Nero may have been discovered in Britain, experts revealed yesterday.

It was thought to depict a child after its discovery during excavations at Fishbourne Roman Palace near Chichester, West Sussex, in the 60s. But archaeologists who used laser scanning to create a 3D profile now believe it shows Nero as a teenager after he was named heir to the throne.

Palace chief Christine Medlock said most Nero artefacts were destroyed after his downfall, which is why only two other statues of him remain.

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the latest 3D technology is coming home

Now wait one second before you start on the whole "I'm not wearing any stupid looking glasses," because no matter what you say, there are more people paying extra to go 3D movies than ever and the reason is simple; it's because this isn't like the crappy 3D you saw during the Super Bowl last year -- or that our parents grew up with. No, the 3D that Sony, Panasonic, and others are promising next year is like nothing you've seen. We've come a long way since the old anaglyph red and blue glasses that come in cereal boxes, so before you knock the new technology before it's even out, click through and read about the technologies that might bring us a real 3D revolution.

3D, the basics

We have two eyes for a reason and while we've enjoyed stereo sound since-like-forever, stereoscopic images haven't quite arrived. At its core, 3D is as simple as using two cameras to capture the data that our eyes would, but it's the display part that's proven tricky. Ultimately, the technology has to find a way to present each eye with a different variation of an image, at that point our eyes and brain do the rest.

Circular polarized or active LCD shutter glasses

The one thing that hasn't changed about 3D is the need for glasses -- if you're holding out for 3D on a big screen without glasses, you're going to let this generation of 3D pass you by. The technology in the glasses varies by a lot and the main two types these days are circular polarized and active LCD shutter. Both serve the same purpose, to ensure each eye sees a different image, but in much different ways.

Circular polarized glasses are easily the most common used in 3D cinema today. If you've been to a 3D presentation of a Pixar movie, or maybe to Disney World and used what look like cheap sunglasses, you've probably tried the technology. Without going into too much detail, each lens is set to filter out different light, so for example in a polarized system like RealD's, there can either be two projectors with different polarizing filters in front of each (pictured below) or a special ZScreen which can alternate the clockwise and counterclockwise polarization for each frame. In either case, the right and left frame alternate at about 144 times per second so that each of 24 frames per second of a movie is displayed 3 times per eye.

RealD circular polarized filter in front of a projector

One of the problems with circular polarized 3D is that a special silver screen is required and some argue it can negatively affect the color accuracy. But what's worse is that most of us don't have a projector at home and so far only a few HDTVs like the ridiculously expensive JVC GD-463D10 LCD TV at $9,200 can pull off the same polarization trickery.

LCD shutter glasses

So in comes the LCD shutter glasses -- the technology itself has actually been around for some time, in fact there were eight Sega Master Systems games that worked with shutter glasses dating back to the 80's. But the technology was limited by the display technology of that era which could only show 480i at 30 frames per second, which worked out to about 15 FPS per eye in 3D -- so yeah, the flickering could make you sick.

Basically the way shutter glasses work is each lens can be blacked out very very quickly to synchronize with a frame displayed on the HDTV. This way a different 1920 x 1080 progressive image can be shown to each eye.

Notice that the LCD shutter on the left is closed.

An IR emitter connected to the TV sends signals to the glasses to keep 'em in sync. In larger demos, multiple emitters are mounted throughout the venue to ensure all the glasses get the signal. This is obviously less than ideal for a large movie theater, but shouldn't be a problem at home.

IR emitter used in Pansonic's 3D demo

The other reason shutter glasses make sense at home is because they don't limit the viewing angles of the display -- not to mention the glasses are more expensive and someone would likely steal them from a theater. But besides these advantages, proponents argue that the colors are more accurate, there's less ghosting and smearing, and it is argued that the contrast is greater between the left and right eyes. So, you add all these reasons together and the technology should provide the most realistic and reliable 3D technology ever unleashed on consumers -- at home or anywhere else.

It's not all good though, besides the cost of the glasses and the added emitter in the TV, some say that there is added flickering, and with the shutters closing in front of your eyes, the image is dimmed a bit. Both Sony and Panasonic claim these are no longer issues in thanks to the super fast refresh rates and brightness available on the latest HDTVs.

Short Panasonic promotional video about how its 3D technology works

XpanD LCD shutter glasses and special 3D Blu-ray player used in Panasonic's 3D demo

But why can't my current HDTV do 3D?

We know what you're thinking, you just bought a new HDTV and you want to know why it can't handle 3D. Even if it was possible to add an IR emitter to keep the shutter glasses in sync, the experience at 30 FPS per eye wouldn't be as enjoyable. And just like when the first 1080p HDTVs hit the shelves without the ability to actually accept 1080p input, the current crop of 120hz HDTVs can't actually display 120 frames per second -- only show each frame of a 60 fps signal, twice.

Of course, 3D-capable displays don't do much without 3D content, and the good news is that most of the infrastructure needed for 3D in the home is already here thanks to HD. With the new 1.4 spec, HDMI has been updated to accomdate 3D and the first source is almost guaranteed to be Blu-ray. In fact as we speak the BDA is working on standardizing the storage of 3D movies on a Blu-ray Disc. It actually isn't nearly as hard as it sounds, because what is essentially needed is to up the spec from 1080p at 30 FPS to 1080p at 120 FPS. In fact a 50GB Blu-ray Disc has more than ample capacity to handle a 3D HD movie thanks to the wonders of video compression where only the difference of each frame is stored. So 3D movies only require about 50 percent more space, and the one thing about the new 3D Blu-ray standard that has been determined, is that every 3D Blu-ray Disc will include a 2D version of the movie.

3D camera used to broadcast a College Football game on ESPN.

This part might surprise you, but there have already been 3D broadcasts of major sporting events. Using RealD's circular polarized technology, ESPN broadcasts 3D presentations of major sporting events to theaters around the country. The most recent was the USC vs Ohio State game on September 12th, but other events like the National Championship game last year, and the Olympics before it, were beamed to theaters in 3D. And let us tell you, if you haven't seen your favorite sport in 3D, you're really missing something. In fact we wouldn't be surprised if the real killer application for 3D in the home was sports. Sure movies will be the first to be delivered thanks to the slow evolution of broadcast technology, but we still have our hopes that ESPN 3D will be next. But while we wait for CableLabs and the SCTE to hammer out the details of a 3D delivery standard, satellite subscribers in the UK appear to be on track to get a 3D channel next year.

The other 3D content that is coming eventually is 3D gaming. Sony was showing 3D games at IFA this year and there have been a number of rumors that real 3D gaming is coming to the Xbox 360. The only thing we really know for sure at this point is that Avatar will be one of the first 3D games, although no word on what technology will be used.

But not everyone can see 3D

When we say that 3D isn't for everyone, we mean it. In fact it is estimated that 4 percent of us are actually physically incapable of seeing 3D no matter what the display technology. And even worse, according to the College of Optometrists in Vision Development, "Research has shown that up to 56 percent of those 18 to 38 years of age have one or more problems with binocular vision and therefore could have difficulty seeing 3D." So if you are one of these affected, it might be time to see an opthamologist and get screened for amblyopia. And if you happen to be blind in one eye you can still watch 3D, but it'll just look normal to you -- assuming of course you have the glasses on.

Where we go from here

One thing we weren't able to learn in our quest for 3D knowledge was how compatible these different technologies are. Essentially we assume that the functional compatibility between the two main 3D display technologies described above are like the differences between LCD and Plasma -- in other words, they both connect to the same HD set-top-box and Blu-ray player -- but until the BDA announces the final details of the 3D specification there isn't really any way to know for sure. But it seems that if Blu-ray was compatible with both circular polarized and LCD shutter glasses, then certainly whatever broadcast standard or game console announced down the road would also work with both.

Conclusion

Like it or not, 3D is coming and just like HD before it, there will be plenty of 3D technology as 3D laser
,3D crystal pundits predicting its demise. The problem right now is very few have had the chance to check out the technology and if you have been lucky enough to see it, it is hard to convey how cool it is to others. On top of this, 3D has a long road ahead because most people think they have seen it because they've tried the anaglyph glasses during a Super Bowl Commercial. The other big hurdle is the whole stupid looking glasses argument -- which doesn't make that much sense since you'll be wearing them in the privacy of your own home. Now we know that the same technology lovers who read Engadget would never hate on any new technology without experiencing it first hand, but tell your friends and family that something new is coming, and no it isn't like anything else they've seen.

Costs of building materials start rising again

Construction costs have begun to rise after remaining relatively low for the past year, according to analysis of the latest producer price index.

The analysis found that the price of construction materials as frp grating increased between August and September, with copper rising 10 percent, aluminum up 2 percent and steel up 3 percent.

"These figures serve as an important reminder that governments and developers looking for a good deal on construction should act quickly before having to pay significantly more for their projects," said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, who performed the analysis.

Other construction materials also increased in price, including plastic, 1.2 percent; prestressed concrete, 1.5 percent; and iron and steel pipe and tube, 1.2 percent. Materials declining in price included gypsum, down 1.2 percent, and plywood, down 0.3 percent.

How 3D TV works: Part I – With Glasses

It seems that everyone is talking about 3D television these days. A few friends and relatives who called up for advice regarding what TV to buy even asked if they should wait till next year to get a 3D TV. Given the recent interest, we thought it would be appropriate to give a brief explanation of the mechanics behind stereoscopy – any technique that creates the illusion of depth of three-dimensionality in an image.

There is one basic preface needed in understanding 3D television: understanding how our eyes work. For the sake of this example, look at your computer mouse (or if you’re on a laptop, any other object nearby). In a nutshell, your left eye and your right eye are two separate lenses, registering two differently-angled images of the mouse, which are then sent to your brain. The brain then acts as the ‘image processor’, putting the two pictures together to come up with one three-dimensional picture in your mind. It’s basically the same principle by which the new FujiFilm FinePix 3D camera works.

Making screens display 3D images is based on a similar mechanism, but is divided into two main wings: Stereoscopic TVs (which require special glasses to watch 3D movies) and Autostereoscopic TVs (which appear 3D without any special accessories).

In the first part of this series of articles, we look at special glasses that are required by some of the upcoming stereoscopic TVs to deliver the 3D experience.

Shutter Glasses

The 3D technology that Panasonic, Sony and Nvidia are most gung-ho about in the near future is based on wearing what are called ‘shutter glasses’. Basically, these are glasses that alternately shut off the left eye and right eye, while the TV emits separate images meant for each eye, thus creating a 3D image in the viewer’s mind.

Here’s how it works: The video signal of the TV stores an image meant for the left eye on its even field, and an image meant for the right eye on its odd field. The TV itself is synchronised with the shutter glasses via infra-red or RF technology.
The shutter glasses contain liquid crystal and a polarising filter. Upon receiving the appropriately synced signal from the TV, the shutter glass is automatically applied with a slight current that makes it dark, as if a shutter was drawn (hence the name). So at a time, only one eye is seeing one image.

The technology perfectly draws the shutters over either eye to make the left eye see the image meant for it on the even field, and make the right eye see the odd field of the video signal. By viewing these two images from different orientations, a 3D image is built up by the viewer’s brain.

While it seems like this would cause a delay for the viewer, there’s no need for such worries. With the high screen refresh rates that these modern 3D televisions have, the end user’s viewing experience is seamless, smooth and rich.

However, the one down-side of this technology is that due to the rapid drawing of ‘shutters’, lesser light reaches the eye, thus making the image seem darker than it is.

Polarised Glasses

Polarised glasses are basically your regular sunglasses, and have been used as a medium for 3D stereoscopic viewing for a long time now. They are also the most popular mode of 3D glasses, currently used by large cinema houses and IMAX. Just like the shutter glasses, polarised glasses use the lenses to show different images to each eye, making the brain construct a 3D image for the viewer.

Here’s how it works: For polarised glasses to work, the movie being shown has to be shot using either two cameras, or a single camera with two lenses. Two projectors (left and right), both fitted with polarizing filters on their lenses, then simultaneously show the movie on the same screen. The polarizing filter orients images from the left projector to one plane (for the sake of example, let’s say ‘vertical’); and the filter on the right lens orients its images to the plane that is perpendicular to the left one (‘horizontal’).

The viewer sits wearing the special glasses, which are equipped with differently polarised lenses. The left lens of the glasses is aligned with the same plane (vertical) that the left projector is throwing up images at; and the right lens is aligned perpendicularly to correspond with the plane of the right projector (horizontal).

Thus, the viewer’s left eye sees only the images which the left projector is screening, while the viewer’s right eye sees only the images which the right projector is screening. As both the images are taken from different angles, the viewer’s brain combines the two to come up with a single 3D image.

But again, like the shutter glasses, the amount of light reaching your eyes with polarised glasses is significantly lesser, making the image appear darker than it is.

Summing up

The biggest disadvantage with stereoscopic 3D TV is that it requires the user to wear a special apparatus. This is quite inconvenient and a burden, as it renders a large screen obsolete without a pair of tiny glasses; i.e. if you aren’t wearing the shutter or polarised glasses, the images on the screen will appear distorted.

So what’s the alternative? Check out the second part of this article which talks about the technology behind next-gen television sets that don’t require the viewers to wear glasses or any special apparatus at all.

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Green building takes root

As architects and builders push the boundaries of green construction, unique structures emerge. Here are snapshots of three very different green buildings in the Houston area. Each makes the most of natural or recycled materials, sunlight and shade. And each is proof that great design can be green.

ZEROW House

Location: Ultimately, a Third Ward neighborhood

Background

The 800-square-foot home was designed by Rice University students for the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, a competition held this month in Washington, D.C. It cost $140,000 to build, but the Rice team thinks it could do it prefab for less.

Green practices

The house runs entirely on solar power. LED lighting is used throughout, which keeps the total wattage below 200. Flooring is all bamboo. Outside, the house is clad with Galvalume metal panels, which are made from some recycled materials. A green wall of vines helps keep outside walls cool.

Quote

“We've been focused on making this an affordable house for Houston, specifically,” said Roque Sanchez, 22, a master's student studying environmental engineering at Rice. “We've known it was going to be donated to Project Row House, in Houston. Hopefully, this house will last in Houston for 100 years.”

Sysco Foods Headquarters

Location: 1390 Enclave Parkway

Background

A collective effort by lead architect HOK Houston, architect of record Kendall Heaton Associates and interior architect Kirksey, the 595,600-square-foot corporate office space is made of two glass, steel and cement towers, set side by side and connected by a pedestrian bridge. The space earned LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, which speaks to its green construction and energy efficiency.

Green practices

Vertical and horizontal fins, or sunshades, along the outside of the structure regulate how much sunlight gets inside. Interior lights adjust themselves automatically; on a bright day, lights may turn off in some areas. Air conditioning comes from under the floor, cooling the area where people are sitting and standing more quickly and efficiently. Low-VOC paints and carpets keep occupants from breathing toxins. Outside, most of the land was unirrigated and seeded with native wildflowers.

Quote

“Sysco made the decision to go for LEED certification in 2000, so it was ahead of its time,” said Daniel Mills, sustainability manager at HOK Houston. “Building green came out of a desire to demonstrate their commitment to the community, the environment and their employees.”

Gazebo

Location: The Emile Community Farm, 700 Emile. The gazebo used to live at Discovery Green but was transplanted — heavy as it is — to the farm, aka The Last Organic Outpost.

Background

It was built by Dan Phillips of Living Paradigm, a nonprofit that helps families build their own houses using free, salvaged and recycled building materials.

Green practices

Living Paradigm uses almost anything to build structures and homes, including glass, corrugated roofing, cisterns, wood floors, wine corks and bottle caps, ceramic tile and more. The gazebo is made of mortar, recycled glass and mirrors, relish plates (for the skylight), stem pipe and license plates.

Quote

“I put together a drawing of the gazebo for Dan, and then he took it to a structural engineer,” said Amanda Tullos, president of Living Paradigm and a senior consultant at Green Building Services. “But we had a hurricane while it was at Discovery Green, and there were no issues.”

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EPA Fines Vermont Flooring Contractor for Improper Handling of Asbestos

A Vermont flooring company faces of a penalty for failing to follow federal guidelines pertaining to removal and disposal of asbestos building materials.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Morrison-Clark, Inc., of South Barre,Vermont violated federal asbestos removal regulations when workers removed a vinyl asbestos tile floor from Main Street Middle School in Montpelier in July 2008. The company did not provide advance notice to EPA, failed to wet the asbestos while stripping it and did not properly dispose of the materials, EPA alleged in announcing the penalty this month.

The company faces a penalty of up to $32,500 per day for the alleged violation so the asbestos removal regulations.

The federal Clean Air Act and the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutant, require contractors doing renovation work to follow certain inspection requirements prior to starting work and to follow specific work and waste disposal practices. The guidelines are designed to protect workers and the public from inhaling airborne asbestos fibers.

Breathing asbestos can cause lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs and abdominal cavity.

Earlier this year, researchers with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reported that the overall annual deaths from mesothelioma in the U.S. are still increasing, though the rate as a portion of the population has been stable in recent years. More than 18,000 deaths from mesothelioma were reported in the U.S from 1999 to 2005, researchers reported.

Although asbestos is no longer mined in the United States, it is still imported and a substantial amount of asbestos in buildings eventually must be removed. An estimated 1.3 million American construction workers and general industry workers are exposed to asbestos, researchers say, underscoring the need for efforts to minimize exposure.

In the case of the Vermont school, EPA said it was not aware of any specific harm or exposure to airborne asbestos caused by the renovation.

Hardwood Floor Guide Gives Consumers Current Trends in Hardwood Floors

A hardwood floor can increase the value and beauty of a home greatly. With design trends moving toward a more traditional flare, hardwood floor installation is a choice many homeowners are moving toward.

To assist with navigating the various means of achieving a hardwood floor in your home, the Harwood Floor Guide strives to educate and inform consumers.

Whether you are looking to do some hardwood floor refinishing, clean hardwood floors or do a completely new hardwood floor installation, the information in the Hardwood Floor Guide may prove invaluable.

The guide covers hardwood floor repair for those who have an existing hardwood floor. Instructions for repairing problems such as cracked or split boards, gaps between boards, and buckling is included.

If you are looking to refinish a hardwood floor, basic instructions to do so can be found in the Hardwood Floor Guide. Step by step instructions for prepping the room, making any needed repairs, sanding and applying a surface finish are given in the guide.

Perhaps all your hardwood floor needs is a good cleaning to bring it into pristine shape, This guide will walk you through the steps you need to follow in order to bring your hardwood floors back to life. Tips for maintaining the beauty of your floors using hardwood floor cleaner is also included.

If you do not have an existing hardwood floor, but would like one, engineered hardwood floor is recommended,
"It is usually in your best interest to choose an engineered hardwood floor over one made form solid wood."
Excerpt from Hardwood Floor Guide

The guide is divided into sections of different types of material you may be able to find for your hardwood floor. Some of the materials explained include bamboo hardwood floor, oak hardwood floor, and maple hardwood floor.

Mohawk Hardwood Floor is a featured brand of flooring in the guide. Mohawk is known for it’s quality workmanship and dependable flooring. Mohawk has a patented installation process called UniClic that is unsurpassed in the flooring industry for ease of installation.

Hardwood laminate flooring continues to gain popularity for it’s superior durability and choice of finishes. Learn about the real wood look of today’s laminates in the Hardwood Floor Guide.

For the do-it-yourselfer intent on putting in unfinished hardwood floor and doing it all himself or herself, the Harwood Floor guide has you covered with information about the benefits and drawbacks of this type of hardwood floor.

The latest manufacturing advances in a floating hardwood floor (no glue required) are showcased within the guide. These innovative interlocking floor tiles make it easy for most anyone to install their own hardwood floor.

Don’t let the expensive look of a hardwood floor lead you to believe they are out of reach on even a small budget. With today’s available options in hardwood flooring; you can achieve the dramatic upgrade a hardwood floor can provide. The Hardwood Floor Guide shows you how.

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Danube Building Materials goes green

Danube Building Materials, the leader in construction, building materials as frp grating and shop fitting industries, has announced the launch of the first Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)-certified whitewood and hardwood timbers products in the GCC. This is in line with the company’s commitment to sustainability, which is further underlined by its planned collaboration with the Dubai Municipality to promote ‘Green building codes’. Company officials are positive of the response for these new eco-friendly products at the upcoming ‘Big5 International Building and Construction Show’, which will mark their official launch in the UAE and across the rest of the GCC.

As support for green building initiatives in Dubai escalates - with the emirate drawing up ‘green’ building standards - Danube has reported that the number of inquiries for FSC and PEFC timber from its customers has increased. This has prompted the company to introduce building materials certified by FSC and PEFC, which are independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisations that promote sustainably managed forests through independent third party certification. Certification from these bodies is a testament of responsible production and consumption of forest products thereby letting consumers make eco-friendly purchasing decisions while supporting ongoing business value.

“No matter what policies exist, contractors cannot fulfil consultant specification if the materials are not available on ground. As the largest building materials company in the Middle East, we have invested in making green products such as certified hardwood and whitewood timber available in the GCC region, and we intend to use our extensive presence throughout the region to enable project managers to turn green policies from theory into practice,” said Frank Owens, Product Manger of Hardwood Timber, Danube Building Materials. “In addition, we have been engaged in ongoing discussion with Dubai Municipality on how to best formulate and implement ‘green’ building codes to ensure a positive effect on the environment.”

As a pioneer in supplying green building materials to GCC market, Danube will be focusing on educating buyers on certified materials, its benefits, and from which local vendors they can legitimately procure materials. Special efforts are also made to meet and educate the consultants specifying new projects so that they understand the availability implications of the certified products they aim to specify. At present, the company is actively working with certification bodies like BM Trada to promote among joinery factories in its sales network the ‘Chain of Custody’ certification, which will be a strong deterrent against certified material fraud. Danube also revealed plans to offer certified plywood and veneer soon, in line with its goals to provide a fully-certified wood products line up by end of 2009.

”The whole idea of ‘green’ building is to invest a little more in the design and materials phase of production and get a larger return on the investment over the long term as reduced energy consumption translates into significant yearly savings. As more organisations recognise and embrace this concept, we are seeing a sizable increase in the number of firms significantly involved in ‘green’ building projects as well as ‘green’ accredited building professionals. While projects in progress for which green building products were not specified will be completed as usual, our focus is to steer future projects towards green materials through education,” concluded Owens.

Construction, renovation swoon hammers jobs

The slump in new residential building has taken a significant but largely invisible toll on jobs in the building products sector in Canada.

New construction and renovations are down by $8.4 billion on an annualized, inflation-adjusted basis in the first half of 2009 compared with 2008, according to real estate consultancy Altus Group.

That has translated into a loss of 41,000 construction jobs. Another 35,000 jobs in related industries have also been impacted according to estimates by Altus.

"A big part of the Canadian economy and the Ontario heartland are companies that supply building materials ... for the construction industries, and these are the sectors that are really hard hit, but they don't make the headlines," said Peter Norman, senior director of economic consulting for Altus.

Total residential construction investment was $92 billion across Canada, with about 43 per cent of that in renovation spending. Most of the $8 billion drop, representing about 9 per cent of the total, comes from the new homes sector.

Construction workers and crews on job sites are the most visible face of the sector, but plenty of related industries provide the woodworking, steel, insulation and other materials needed to build homes. Include those in the mix, and Altus estimates the $8 billion figure would be more like $15.2 billion.

The casualties can be found scattered throughout the Greater Toronto Area, in industrial strip malls such as the one in Scarborough where Richard Zedzian runs Affordable Woodworking. The maker of custom cabinets says business has declined by more than 30 per cent this year.

Last year, he laid off one of his two workers. Now he says he works longer hours to break even.

"At the beginning of the last year we couldn't even get to new customers we were so busy. It's different now," he says.

Most of his customers now are commercial as opposed to residential, said Zedzian, who has been making cabinets for two decades.

"This is my passion, I can only do the best job I can. But in a recession people are concerned more about the price than the quality."

According to Altus, Zedzian represents the hardest-hit sector, with wood materials manufacturing losing about 5,000 jobs since last year. Steel products and concrete and plastics also showed large declines.

Slowing domestic demand is just one problem. Exports have fallen 26 per cent in 2009 compared with 2008.

Still, there have been encouraging signs in the new homes sector.

"We expect construction investment to steadily improve in the second half of the year," said Norman, "but it will still be weak compared to past years."

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Berlin, With Few Walls

MICHAEL ELMGREEN and Ingar Dragset are artists who have exhibited from New York to Tokyo. But for the last 12 years, the globe-trotting artistic duo, collaborators since 1995, have lived in Berlin. And at a certain point, they decided it was time to buy.

“We were never particularly interested in property investment,” said Mr. Dragset, who is from Norway (Mr. Elmgreen is from Denmark).

The two men, once a couple but now just artistic partners, originally moved to Berlin because it was near Copenhagen, where they had lived, and because it seemed full of energy as well as inexpensive. But after a decade in Berlin, Mr. Dragset said, “We were tired of fixing up spaces and having to leave them after a couple of years.”

And, he added, “both privately, and within our art practice, we love spatial challenges — so we were looking for somewhere we could apply the concepts we had been working with in our art.”

When they saw an advertisement for the old water-pumping station in a quiet Berlin suburb, a working-class area called Neukölln in the former East Berlin, the pair’s creative antennae began to twitch. The former pumping station, surrounded by fully grown chestnut trees and flanked by apartment buildings on a residential street, had remained empty since the early 1990s because nobody knew quite what to do with such an oversize hall stuck in the middle of a non-industrial location.

“Almost too good to be true,” Mr. Dragset said. “Especially considering the price, which was ridiculously low compared to any other European capital.” He declined to specify but said it was similar to a typical two-bedroom apartment in Oslo, which is about $700,000. The renovations cost about the same as the purchase price.

Working with two young architects, Nils Wenk and Jan Wiese, whom they met through friends, the two began renovations that took about a year. Fortunately the solid old industrial building was in good condition and drastic structural changes were unnecessary. New wiring, heating and plumbing were needed, but as Mr. Dragset explained, “basically we’ve broken down more walls than we’ve built.”

After the initial apprehension at owning their own property, Mr. Dragset said, they began to treat the renovations more like an art project, playing with the space and coming up with clever uses for the former station’s various features. For example, the four large vents in the upper floor once used to ventilate the building have been transformed into a fireplace, a table, a guest bed and an embedded bathtub.

There’s no clutter: just white walls, glacial light streaming in through old warehouse-style windows, trees silently waving at visitors from the outside and what feels like acres of floor space.

The building is now both home and studio space. Generally, the renovation materials have been inexpensive. Most of the floors are sanded asphalt covered in clear polyurethane that goes with the industrial nature of the building. On one hand, “it’s reminiscent of the building’s industrial history,” Mr. Wenk said. “On the other hand, it’s very economical.” In smaller rooms, the asphalt was sanded more finely, he explained, then tinted to reflect the personal nature of the rooms.

The farther up and back one goes, the more private the space becomes. The back boasts five levels, including two private areas for the artists, a kitchen, an attic living room and four bathrooms. And the renovated attic space is reminiscent of a playboy’s penthouse. In this upper section, a window in the roof slides back at the push of a button like something out of Dr. Evil’s lair.

“We deliberately made the borders between the work and living spaces fleeting,” Mr. Dragset said. “The combination of vast floor space and the small, quirky nooks means you can be very hidden here, or very exposed depending on your moods or needs.”

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New Report Just Published US Resilient Flooring Market

provides action-oriented executives with up-to-date information on vinyl sheet products, vinyl floor tile, rubber flooring, linoleum, frp grating flooring and other resilient floors. Each page will assist the resilient flooring executive exploit growing product lines, improve plant efficiency, strengthen distribution, penetrate end-use markets, and plan for 2009 and beyond.

SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS

The $2.5 billion (manufacturers’ dollars) U.S. resilient flooring market has significantly increased its share of the domestic floor coverings industry. Resilient flooring gained share due to growing commercial market demand, successful introduction and acceptance of luxury vinyl tile and fiberglass-backed vinyl sheet, and consumer’s growing preference for low-cost hard surface flooring as the housing market weakened and the economy contracted. However, the sharp cut in residential demand and the surge in material costs cut plant profit margins. Margins were also adversely affected by increasing competitive pressures from foreign- and domestic-based manufacturers. Resilient flooring is forecast to make additional inroads in the U.S. floor coverings industry during 2009 as the Federal stimulus package encourages construction of healthcare and educational facilities, two key end-use markets. Profit margins may also rebound along with moderating in material costs.

RESILIENT FLOORING SALES TRENDS

Catalina Research has uncovered these trends in our 190-page in-depth analysis of the global resilient flooring market. U.S. shipments, exports, imports, and price trends are evaluated for vinyl sheet products, vinyl tile, rubber flooring, linoleum, cork flooring and other flooring materials. Data is provided on a dollar and unit basis. Catalina also reviews product innovations such as luxury vinyl tile and fiberglass-backed vinyl sheet. Import data analyzes shipments of foreign-sourced products by major country of origin, and export data analyzes foreign sales by major country of destination. Catalina also investigated global demand by product segment and world area.

END-USE MARKET PURCHASES AND DISTRIBUTION

The report’s end-use market analysis provides executives with the growing sales opportunities in residential, nonresidential, and transportation equipment markets. Residential markets are further divided into new construction, residential remodeling, and manufactured housing markets. Nonresidential markets are segmented into new construction and commercial contract purchasers. Catalina used these data trends to calculate resilient flooring’s share of total residential and nonresidential flooring markets. Retail sales are provided as well.

FACTORS AFFECTING DEMAND

End-use market trends are correlated with U.S. housing demand, nonresidential construction spending, mortgage interest rates, and other housing and economic indicators to uncover the factors affecting demand, and provide insights into the direction of domestic demand in 2009 and beyond.

PROFIT MARGINS AND THE COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT

In addition, Catalina Research examined the cost structure and profitability of U.S. resilient flooring plants. Data trends are compiled for material, labor, and capital inputs. As part of this analysis, Catalina profiled 27 global manufactures and marketers, and compiled company resilient flooring sales. Catalina used this information to calculate U. S. market shares of the leading competitors. Company profiles cover product lines, manufacturing and distribution, capital investments, acquisitions, and new products. Executives are urged to review the growth- and profit-oriented strategies of leading worldwide resilient flooring manufacturers and compare their company’s own performance to the industry averages.

RUBBER MAT, STAIR TREAD, AND COVE BASE MARKET

Catalina Research also evaluated the U.S. and Canadian market for rubber mats, stair treads, and cove base. Product shipments cover roll goods, automotive mats, other mats, and cove base and other products. Export and import trends are also included.

WORLD RESILIENT FLOORING MARKET

The global resilient flooring market is investigated as well. Market trends are segmented for vinyl, rubber, and linoleum flooring; and by world area. Sales of Tarkett and Armstrong are also segmented by world area. Global market shares are calculated for 10 leading manufacturers. Canadian market trends include shipments, imports, and exports.

Governments embrace building deconstruction

More governments are deconstructing buildings and reusing building materials from obsolete structures as they update and upgrade their communities’ building stock. Many find that the practice saves money as well as resources.

Government-owned buildings are showing their age. A recent Energy Information Administration analysis calculates that 25,000 of the 635,000 government-owned buildings in the United States were constructed before 1920.

Several categories of public buildings offer deconstruction opportunities, says Thomas Napier, research architect at the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, in Champaign, Ill. “In a governmental context,” Napier told GovPro.com, “deconstructing obsolete public housing could provide ‘green collar’ job opportunities. Any other wood-framed buildings, offices, institutional buildings and other similar structures could provide significant opportunities.”

Seattle is one city that has been deconstructing rather than demolishing government buildings, and it has been encouraging the practice among residents and businesses, too. "We are actively encouraging increased salvage of building materials and increased deconstruction, especially in the single-family areas," says Dick Lilly of Seattle Public Utilities, part of the Seattle city government.

Dirk Wassink, general manager of Seattle-based Second Use Building Materials, told GovPro.com, “We are currently working with the local government in Seattle on a project to recover building materials at city transfer stations. They have also sponsored some deconstruction efforts on government-owned properties.” Wassink’s firm salvages used but still usable construction materials and finds them new homes.

The public sector is key to supporting the widespread adoption of the practice, explains Wassink: “Since governments tend to be owners of large numbers of buildings, their decisions have a large impact on how construction (and deconstruction) gets done.”

Wassink outlines ways that deconstruction can compete with demolition on cost. “Some of the additional labor costs due to the more intensive dismantling process can be offset with the value of the recovered materials. Also, separated recycling streams tend to have lower tipping fees than mixed recycling and landfilling options, so some savings can be achieved there.”

Government agencies that want to salvage materials from old buildings must specify that in contracts. “A huge consideration, as I understand it, is how the demolition/deconstruction specification is written, so that contractors are required (or at least highly motivated) to prioritize reuse over recycling, and to recover as much as possible from the site,” Wassink says.

Napier agrees. “Standard contracting processes and technical specifications have been developed around conventional demolition practices,” he says. “Some adjustments may be required to solicitation and contract award practices.”

The Building Material Reuse Association (BMRA, www.bmra.org), based in Beaverton, Ore., is an educational and research organization whose mission is to facilitate building deconstruction and the reuse/recycling of recovered building materials. Its Web site includes an online directory of contractors and consultants, and a library of case studies and articles. It also offers training in deconstruction and organizes a conference every other year that many government agencies attend. “Government agencies are encouraged to join the BMRA. We currently have representatives from the EPA and the Empire State Council on Economic Development and other government agencies among our members,” says Anne Nicklin, a member of the BMRA’s board of directors and a sustainability consultant for San Francisco-based construction consulting firm Davis-Langdon.

building materials:frp grating

Protest prompts coastal rethink

PLANNING and the National Trust for Jersey will compile new guidelines for building applications on the west and north coasts in response to the ‘Line in the Sand’ protest, according to Environment Minister Freddie Cohen.

The minister says that although there can be no ‘blanket ban’ on buildings, he wants to work with campaigners behind last weekend’s demonstration with great building materials as high quality frp grating.

The protest last Sunday saw 7,000 Islanders gather on St Ouen’s Bay to protest against ‘inappropriate’ development on the coast.

And while Senator Cohen says that he cannot stop property owners putting in applications for land that they own on the coast, he wants to consult on new guidelines for the proposed Coastal National Park that would encompass the west coast and most of the north coast too.

European building materials industry outlook remains negative

The outlook for the European building materials(eg:frp grating) industry remains negative, reflecting the ongoing economic weakness in some markets and continued depressed demand, Moody's Investors Service said in a new report of 11 companies it rates. However, there are signs that the decline in volumes is not getting any worse in mature markets and may even start to improve from 2010.
"Overall end-market demand for building materials is expected to remain weak in H2 2009," said Matthias Hellstern, a senior vice president in Moody's Corporate Finance Group. "Indeed, forecasts indicate that global cement consumption is expected to decline by around 16% in 2009, excluding China."
Although economic stimulus packages in the mature countries should help offset declines in demand for building materials from commercial or residential construction, Moody's expects that growth in public construction projects will not be sufficient to fully offset such declines going forward.
"It will take more time for building material volumes to recover," explained Hellstern.
"As a result, profitability and cash flow generation will remain affected for the time being and it is unlikely that levels reported in 2007 and 2008 will be reached in the intermediate term."
However, in line with economic indicators, Moody's believes the current cycle for European building materials companies has reached its bottom.
Indeed, despite the reduction in demand, prices for building materials, especially cement, remain stable overall. Furthermore, liquidity concerns have largely been addressed by many of the building companies, and Moody's believes that the short-term liquidity position of nearly all its rated companies should be sufficient to cover liquidity needs in the next 12 months. However, as a result of past acquisitions, many rated issuers still have major maturities to be covered in 2011 and 2012; thus, Moody's will continue to closely monitor liquidity in the industry.
Moody's also recognises that cement and other building materials producers have set ambitious cost cutting targets and, combined with a reduction in energy costs, should be able to report improving margins in H2 2009 despite the expected ongoing weak demand. Companies are also expected to generate positive free cash flow going forward, by cutting maintenance capex to the minimum, reducing expansion capex and efficiently managing working capital.
Assuming better visibility and positive volume trends, there is a possibility that Moody's could change its outlook for the sector to stable from negative in the next few months. Moody's will continue to assess the situation and take rating action as and when necessary.

Market mezzanine judged to lift trade

Listed building consent has been granted for an extension to a mezzanine floor in a grade II listed covered market in Durham after an inspector held that it would add to the variety of retail space.

The building was split into two levels and the frp grating market operator wished to secure more space on the upper floor. The inspector noted that the market contained a mixture of open stalls and booths that added to the vibrancy and bustle of the area as a place to shop. Although extending the mezzanine in the manner proposed would affect some views of the upper walls of the building, she was satisfied that the scheme would preserve the overall character of the market.

Mezzanine Floors and Raised Storage Areas

Mezzanine Floor Systems available from Erect-A-Rack allows companies to expand its existing facilities to meet changing requirements without enlarging the site whilst offering simple and cost effective floor solutions.

Raised Floor Access
Erect-A-Rack staircases are designed to suit floor heights and required widths, whilst complying with standard regulations. Tread boards are available in solid steel, grating or timber. Steel gates are available for forklift loading of the upper level. Gate positions are carefully designed to ensure safety and easy access. Incline conveyors are available for rapid feeding of goods to and from the upper level.

Mezzine Floor Adaptability
The structure of a Mezzanine Floor is of a bolted steel construction which enables easy extension, re-engineering or relocation with significant cost savings whilst manufacturing and constructing the floor to your specific requirements.

Floor Safety
Erect-A-Rack Mezzanine Floors are engineered to the highest structural standards using high grade steel with compliance to all regulations. All perimeter areas of a Mezzanine Floor are fitted with safety rails.

Raised Storage Areas
Erect-A-Rack Raised Storage Areas can double storage space in existing buildings and be equipped with shelves and aisles to suit all your storage needs.
Shelves are available in a variety of short, medium and long spans, also narrow and extra wide depths.

Shelf decking materials includes timber, steel and mesh. Shelves are tailor made for the optimum use of space, ergonomics and productivity.

Mezzanine Floors and Raised Storage Areas Benefits

* Erect-A-Rack Raised Storage Areas are available in multi-tier systems that can increase storage areas up to 300%, within the same rented floor area
* Raised Storage Areas can be classed as one of your assets, not part of your rent. They are depreciable in value, yet never wear out and last a lifetime and they can also be moved if needed
* Raised Storage Areas increase productivity by minimising travel distance and time by 40% and up to 75% with multi-tiered systems
* Erect-A-Rack endeavours to always supply carefully engineered products and systems that are all in compliance with applicable standards, practical, reliable and safe, offering benefits to our valued customers

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