Active solar

Active solar technologies are employed to convert solar energy into usable light, heat, cause air-movement for ventilation or cooling, or store heat for future use. Active solar uses electrical or mechanical equipment, such as pumps and fans, to increase the usable heat in a system. Solar energy collection and utilization systems that do not use external energy, like a solar chimney, are classified as passive solar technologies.

Solar hot water systems, except those based on the thermosiphon, use pumps or fans to circulate water, an anti-freeze mixture, or air through solar collectors, and are therefore classified under active solar technology. The solar collectors can be nonconcentrating or 'flat-plate', or of various concentrating designs. Most solar-thermal collectors have fixed mounting, but can have a higher performance if they track the path of the sun through the sky. Solar trackers, used to orient photovoltaic arrays or daylighting, may be driven by either passive or active technology.

Index of construction articles

A

Abated - Acoustics - Air conditioning - Architectural engineer - Architecture - Autonomous buildings - Avanti (programme)
* B

Balloon framing - Braced wall line (shear wall) - Brick - Bricklayer - Brickwork - Building code - Building construction - Building foundations - Building material - Building power systems - Building transportation systems - Buyout Process
* C

Carpentry - Cement - Cement render - Chimney - Civil engineering - Cladding - Clerk of the Works - Climate control - Composting toilet - Computer-aided design - Concrete - Construction bidding - Construction engineering - Construction management - Construction Photography - Construction software
* D

Deconstruction (building) - Dimensional lumber - Distributed generation - Drainage
* E

Electrical engineer - Electricity - Engineer - Engineering - Enviroboard - Erosion control - Earthquake engineering
* F

Fire Protection Engineering - Fire protection - Active fire protection - Passive fire protection - Firestopping - Fireproofing - Firestop pillow - Floating raft system - Formwork - Foundation (engineering) - Framing (construction)
* G

Geo-exchange - Glazing - Green building - Green roof - Gehl Company
* H

hoisting - House - Heat pump - Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning - Hot Box (Appliance)
* I

insulation - Intelligent buildings
* J

Joinery
* L

List of buildings - lighting - Light-frame construction - Lustron house
* M

masonry - Mechanics lien - Millwork - Mortar
* P

painter and decorator - Penetrant - plastering - Platform framing - plumbing - Power trowel - Project management - Purchasing
* R

Rammed earth - Residential construction - Rigging - Road - stone - Roof - Roof edge protection - Rural building
* S

Sediment control - Septic tank - Sewage treatment - Shear wall - Shoring - Solar cells - Storm drain - Stainless steel - Straw-bales - Structural engineering - Surety bond
* T

Telephone - Temporary fencing - Tilt slab - Timber - Timber framing - Toilet
* W

Wall - Water

Construction Specifications Institute

The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) is an organization that maintains and advances the standardization of construction language as pertains to building specifications. CSI provides structured guidelines for specification writing in their Project Resource Manual, (formerly called the Manual of Practice (MOP)).

CSI authored MasterFormat, which is an indexing system for organizing construction data, particularly construction specifications. For many years MasterFormat consisted of 16 Divisions of construction, such as Masonry, Electrical, Finishes, or Mechanical. In November 2004, MasterFormat was expanded to 50 Divisions, reflecting the growing complexity of the construction industry, as well as the need to incorporate facility life cycle and maintenance information into the building knowledge base. In this way, MasterFormat will eventually help facilitate Building Information Modeling (BIM) to contain project specifications. However, current technology is unable to handle specifications to the degree drawing information is able to be referenced, displayed, quantified and other benefits of BIM. For example integrated systems, industry standards and methods that may not be shown in the drawings (because they are typically explained in the specifications) do not fit neatly within current BIM libraries.

The MasterFormat standard serves as the organizational structure for construction industry publications such as the Sweets catalog with a wide range of building products, and MasterSpec, a popular specification software. MasterFormat helps architects, engineers, owners, contractors, and manufacturers classify how various products are typically used. Nearly all CSI approved sections also include performance and safety requirements generated by agencies such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA), and numerous other federal and professional organizations.

In November of 2009, CSI launched GreenFormat, an online database organizing sustainable product attributes. Manufacturers in the construction industry can list product information based on 5 categories in an online comprehensive questionnaire. Designers, specifiers, and building constructors can find product information which is organized by MasterFormat divisions and titles.

CSI's Uniform Drawing System comprises the largest part of the National CAD Standard (NCS), together with the American Institute of Architects (AIA)'s CAD Layer Guidelines, and Tri-services Plotting Guidelines. Administered by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), the NCS coordinates these CAD-related publications to allow consistent and streamlined communication among owners and design/construction teams.

Construction site safety

Construction is the most dangerous land-based work sector in Europe, after the fishing industry. In the European Union, the fatal accident rate is nearly 13 workers per 100,000 as against 5 per 100,000 for the all sector average (Source: Eurostat).

In the U.S. there were 1,225 fatal occupational injuries in the construction sector in 2001 with an incidence rate of 13.3 per 100,000 employed workers.[1] For the same year the construction industry experienced 481,400 nonfatal injuries and illnesses at a rate of 7.9 per 100 full-time workers in the industry.[2] Construction has about 6% of U.S. workers, but 20% of the fatalities - the largest number of fatalities reported for any industry sector.[3]

The problem is not that the hazards and risks are unknown, it is that they are very difficult to control in a constantly changing work environment.
Contents


    * 1 Construction Fatality Rates
    * 2 Nature of hazards
          o 2.1 Hazards to non-workers
    * 3 Applicable laws
    * 4 See also
    * 5 References
    * 6 External links

* Construction Fatality Rates
* Nature of hazards

[11]===Hazards to construction workers===

The leading safety hazards on site are falls from height, motor vehicle crashes, excavation accidents, electrocution, machines, and being struck by falling objects. Some of the main health hazards on site are asbestos, solvents, noise, and manual handling activities.

Falls from heights is the leading cause of injury in the construction industry. In the OSHA Handbook (29 CFR), fall protection is needed in areas and activities that include, but are not limited to: ramps, runways, and other walkways; excavations; hoist areas; holes; formwork; leading edge work; unprotected sides and edges; overhand bricklaying and related work; roofing; precast erection; wall openings; residential construction; and other walking/working surfaces.

The height limit where fall protection is required is 6 feet from the lower level. Protection is also required when the employee is at risk to falling onto dangerous equipment.

Fall protection can be provided by guardrail systems, safety net systems, personal fall arrest systems, positioning device systems, and warning line systems.

All employees should be trained to understand the proper way to use these systems and to identify hazards. The employee or employer will be responsible for providing fall protection systems and to ensure the use of these systems.

For further information and specifics, 29 CFR list out further instruction in Subpart M.

Motor Vehicle Crashes are another major safety hazard on construction sites. It is important to be safety cautious while operation motor vehicles or Equipment on the site. Motor vehicles shall have a service brake system, emergency brake system, and a parking brake system. All vehicles must be equipped with an audible warning system if the operator chooses to use it. Vehicles must have windows and doors, power windshield wipers, and have a clear view of site from the rear window.

Equipment on the job site must have light and reflectors if intended for night use. The glass in the cab of the equipment must be safety glass. The equipment must be used for their intended task at all times on the job site.

Further instruction can be found in 29 CFR Subpart O.


Before any excavation has taken place, the contractor is responsible for notification of all applicable companies that excavation work is being performed. Location of utilities is a must before breaking ground. During excavation, the contractor is responsible for providing a safe work environment for employees and pedestrians. The contractor shall comply with all standards set forth in 29 CFR Subpart P.

Access and Egress is also an important part of excavation safety. Ramps used by equipment must be designed by a competent person, qualified in structural design.

No person is allowed to cross underneath or stand underneath any loading or digging equipment. Employees are to remain at a safe distance from all equipment while it is operational.

Expect the equipment before every use.