Scientists found a way to make Cement Greener
October 01, 2014 —
Beverley BevenFlorez-CDJ STAFFAccording to Futurity, scientists say by “paying attention to concrete’s atomic structure…they could make it better and more environmentally friendly.” Cement currently is “the third-largest source of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere.”
Materials scientist Rouzbeh Shahsavari stated that “[t]he heart of concrete is C-S-H—that’s calcium, silicate, and hydrate (water). There are impurities, but C-S-H is the key binder that holds everything together, so that’s what we focused on.” The team spent a year in research and “looked at defects in about 150 mixtures of C-S-H to see how the molecules lined up and how their regimentation or randomness affected the product’s strength and ductility.”
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Crane Firm Pulled Off NYC Projects Following Multiple Incidents
October 07, 2019 —
Jeff Rubenstone - Engineering News-RecordFollowing a partial crane collapse at a site on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and a fatality in April on a jobsite in lower Manhattan, the New York City Dept. of Buildings announced on Aug. 12 that it is suspending United Crane & Rigging’s work on 21 construction sites across the city.
Jeff Rubenstone, Engineering News-Record
Mr. Rubenstone may be contacted at rubenstonej@enr.com
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Condominiums and Homeowners Associations Remain Popular Housing Choices for U-S Homeowners
July 11, 2022 —
Community Associations InstituteFalls Church, Va., July 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Maintenance-free, safety, and cleanliness are top features that make community associations a popular choice and lifestyle for millions of Americans. According to results from the 2022 Homeowner Satisfaction Survey, the overwhelming majority (89%) of homeowners and condominium association residents rate their overall experience of living in a community association as "very good" or "good" (67%), or neutral (22%).
At a time when community matters most, the majority (87%) said they knew their home was part of a community association and nearly half (45%) said the association made them more interested in the home. Eighty-seven percent of respondents believe that their governing board "absolutely" or "for the most part" serves the best interest of the community. More than half of residents (68%) believe that rules in their communities protect and enhance property values.
Results from almost identical national surveys conducted in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022 are strikingly consistent. The online survey of 1,507 homeowners and condominium association members nationwide with oversampling was conducted in in four states: Illinois, New York, North Carolina and Washington.
About Community Associations Institute
Since 1973, Community Associations Institute (CAI) has been the leading provider of resources and information for homeowners, volunteer board leaders, professional managers, and business professionals in the more than 355,000 homeowners associations, condominiums, and housing cooperatives in the United States and millions of communities worldwide. With more than 43,000 members, CAI works in partnership with 36 legislative action committees and 63 affiliated chapters within the U.S., Canada, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates as well as with housing leaders in several other countries, including Australia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. A global nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization, CAI is the foremost authority in community association management, governance, education, and advocacy. Our mission is to inspire professionalism, effective leadership, and responsible citizenship—ideals reflected in community associations that are preferred places to call home. Visit us at www.caionline.org, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook @CAISocial.
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Don MacGregor To Speak at 2011 West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar
January 01, 2011 —
CDJ STAFF“Challenges for Experts in Construction Defect Claims and Litigation” will be held Thursday May 13, 2011 between 1:30 and 3:00 PM at this year’s West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar. Among the various topics covered will be of Right to Repair/Opportunity to Repair statutes, improper testing methodologies, new challenges where a case involves a Wrap Policy, OCIPS, CCIPS, and other owner controlled insurance programs, as well as the need for realistic testing protocols for the party the expert is retained to represent.
During the presentation Mr. MacGregor will be working in connection with a group of construction and design experts each of which have extensive experience with construction defect and claims related litigation. This particular session is expected to attract a standing-room only crowd, drawing in excess of 1700 attendees.
The West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar is the largest seminar of its type. This year’s event is scheduled for will take place on May 12 and 13, 2011, at The Disneyland Hotel and Resort. For more information regarding the years event please visit http://www.westcoastcasualty.com/dyncat.cfm?catid=3322
http://www.westcoastcasualty.com/dyncat.cfm?catid=3322
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Case Dispositive Motion for Summary Judgment Granted for BWB&O’s Client in Wrongful Death Case!
November 18, 2024 —
Dolores Montoya - Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara LLPCongratulations to San Diego Partner JohnPaul Salem on his recent MSJ victory in a wrongful death case!
Plaintiffs, the family of a pedestrian who was struck and killed by a train at a San Diego trolley station when he walked onto the tracks while warning lights and bells were active, filed suit for (i) dangerous condition of public property; and (ii) negligence arising out of the accident. Plaintiffs alleged BWB&O’s Client had created a dangerous condition and failed to warn of the alleged danger.
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Dolores Montoya, Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara LLP
Renters Trading Size for Frills Fuel U.S. Apartment Boom
July 16, 2014 —
Prashant Gopal – BloombergKatie Graham is living large. Just in a small apartment.
She moved into the new ParkCentral tower in Nashville, Tennessee, for its gym, rooftop deck with heated pool, and the bars and restaurants in the neighborhood below. She didn’t mind the size of the 562-square-foot (52-square-meter) studio.
“I just wanted to be in a good area and wanted good amenities, so I wasn’t looking for something huge,” said Graham, 25, who relocated from her hometown in Jackson, Tennessee, two hours away. “I’m by myself and don’t need all that. The bigger the area, the more furniture you have to buy.”
Young professionals are paying top-market rents to live in new upscale apartment towers sprouting in Nashville and other downtowns across the country. They’re sacrificing living space for a prime urban location and extras such as cooking classes, dog-wash stations and poolside Wi-Fi. Developers, in the biggest U.S. apartment-construction boom in almost a decade, are shrinking the size of units so they can command luxury rates without narrowing the pool of potential tenants.
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Prashant Gopal, BloombergMr. Gopal may be contacted at
pgopal2@bloomberg.net
Lewis Brisbois Ranked Tier 1 Nationally for Insurance Law, Mass Tort/Class Actions Defense by U.S. News/Best Lawyers
November 21, 2022 —
Lewis Brisbois(November 3, 2022) - Lewis Brisbois has once again been ranked Tier 1 nationally by U.S. News & World Report/Best Lawyers for ‘Insurance Law’ and ‘Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants,’ as well as ranking Tier 1 in 14 different practice areas across 15 metro regions.
In addition to Lewis Brisbois' national ranking, the firm also ranked Tier 1 for ‘Insurance Law’ in the Philadelphia, Reno, and Tampa metro areas, and Tier 1 for ‘Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants’ in the Los Angeles area. The firm was also ranked Tier 1 in the following regional categories:
- ‘Commercial Litigation’ in Akron;
- ‘Corporate Governance Law’ in San Francisco;
- ‘Corporate Law’ in Akron;
- ‘Environmental Law’ in Washington, D.C.;
- ‘Litigation - Health Care’ in Portland, Ore. and Roanoke;
- ‘Litigation – Municipal’ in Wichita;
- ‘Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants’ in Chicago and Roanoke;
- ‘Mergers & Acquisitions Law’ in Akron;
- ‘Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants’ in Chicago, Inland Empire, New York City, Orange County, Roanoke, and Seattle;
- ‘Product Liability Litigation – Defendants’ in Philadelphia;
- ‘Tax Law’ in Akron; and
- ‘Trusts & Estates Law’ in Akron.
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Lewis Brisbois
Flood Sublimits Do Not Apply to Loss Caused by Named Windstorm
May 07, 2015 —
Tred R. Eyerly – Insurance Law HawaiiThe New Jersey Superior Court considered whether recovery for storm surge was limited by the policy's sublimit for loss caused by flood. Public Serv. Enter. Group, Inc. v. Ace Am. Ins. Co., 2015 N. J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 620 (N.J. Super. Ct. Law Div. March 23, 2015).
Storm surge from Superstorm Sandy inundated and damaged Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc.'s (PSEG) property, including eight large generating stations. PSEG had coverage of $1 billion under policies with defendant carriers. There was no sublimit in the policies for "named windstorms," other than named windstorms in Florida. A $250 million sublimit appeared in the policies for losses caused by "flood."
The carriers paid only a portion of PSEG's claim. The total damages exceeded $500 million.
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Tred R. Eyerly, Insurance Law HawaiiMr. Eyerly may be contacted at
te@hawaiilawyer.com