The IBC council approves adoption of proposed building codes
At the Industrialized Building Code Council meeting held on the 22nd of August, the Council approved the adoption of the proposed building codes with the amendments that were presented by the code adoption committee. The new codes are as follows: (more…)
- Published in Ramtech News
Code Corner – April 2016
As noted in past installments of Code Corner, the Industrialized Building Code Council has still not convened to formally adopt the next building code edition, but legislation has been passed and signed into law by Governor Abbott setting adoption time limits. The force behind this law was the State Energy Conservation Office and the Texas Energy Systems Labs’ desire to force the more timely adoption of recent editions of the code with the goal of making buildings more energy efficient in the state. (more…)
- Published in Ramtech News
Modular Construction Faces Challenges at Louisiana LNG Site
Ramtech’s upcoming commercial modular office building project for Cameron LNG, a liquefied natural gas processing facility located in the delta of southern Louisiana, will present some unique structural design challenges. These include resisting wind speeds of 150 mph, the potential of blast forces created by an accidental explosion, and the structurally weak soils that exist at the building location. (more…)
- Published in Ramtech News
The Latest on Regulating Modular Buildings used for Man Camps in Texas
With the recent nationwide growth in oil and gas development, many of the small towns in West and South Texas are finding it very difficult to handle the huge influx of oil field workers coming into these areas. One of the biggest challenges is how to provide adequate housing for these workers and their families. Even though this influx is also putting a tremendous strain on the local schools and other infrastructure, many cities believe that this growth may be temporary so community planners and developers are less willing to invest the financial resources necessary to adequately expand their permanent residential neighborhoods. So far, the primary means of meeting the industries workforce housing needs has been through the use of temporary man camps. (more…)
- Published in Ramtech News
Modular Grows Up… Literally
Modular construction has been in the news in the Big Apple recently, on the plans to construct a 34 story modular apartment building at the Atlantic Yards development in the Bronx Borough of New York City. Capsys Corporation has been selected to build the project designed by the engineering firm of Ove Arup & Partners. Much has been made in the press regarding the impact to the city’s construction unions and how these same unions initially offered support to the project as a means of generating construction jobs in a flat jobs market. Although the politics on something like this are always interesting, the technical challenges faced by the developer, designers, and builders make for fascinating reading on an ambitious project like this. (more…)
- Published in Ramtech News