Top Story

Builders are caught off guard by demand for houses
U.S. builders are scrambling to respond to a sudden demand for houses. Selling prices increased 7.3% in 2012, and the number of homes available to buy is at its lowest level since 1999. Many builders are having a hard time getting permits and construction workers to respond to the market rebound. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (3/20), Reuters (3/20), Houston Chronicle (tiered subscription model)/Prime Property blog (3/19)

News & Trends

Installation of roof eyed for Wimbledon's No. 1 Court
Plans are in place to install a roof to cover the 11,500-seat No. 1 Court at Wimbledon in London as part of the "Wimbledon 2020" plan. The secondary arena was built roof-ready and may not require the same scale of investment that was needed for the Centre Court. Roofed courts are looked upon favorably by broadcasters since matches can then be guaranteed to take place. The Daily Mail (London) (3/22)

Renovation of Miami's Sun Life stadium to cost over $400M
The Miami Dolphins and the South Florida Super Bowl Committee are contenders for hosting the 50th Super Bowl. However, they are competing with a new, billion-dollar stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The team wants a $400-million-plus upgrade of the Sun Life stadium and hopes voters approve a hotel-tax increase that would finance about half the cost. A stipulation of the deal is that if South Florida is not chosen, the county "can back out of any deal," according to this article. WFOR-TV (Miami-Fort Lauderdale) (3/21)

Hail damages roofs, cars at Miss. correctional facility
Substantial damage was caused by a hailstorm Monday at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County, Miss. Officials estimate it will take several million dollars to make repairs. "Most of our housing units are built with a flat roof ... The hail messed the roof up so bad the seams came up," said Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps. "If we don’t do some repairs, we can expect some leaks this weekend." In addition, 106 vehicles were damaged. The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.) (tiered subscription model) (3/21)

Stronger wind-resistant roof part of rebuilt La. home
A home in Old Metairie, La., has been rebuilt after damage from Hurricane Katrina. It now features a blue metal roof composed of "one single piece of metal from eave to ridge," which is more resistant to wind than shingle roofing. "With shingles, enough wind can actually get under the shingles and with enough force yank them off," said Scott Morse of Morse Homes, which built the house. "In a lot of cases, they don't come off in the first storm, but they lift up enough that the next storm will take them off." The Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (3/21)

Energy & the Environment

Green roofs, walls key features of mixed-use complex in Berlin
"The:Square 3," a mixed-use project in Berlin, is designed to be sustainable. The three tapered-towers of the complex, which will be built to maximize daylight and ventilation to reduce energy needs, will have plenty of green roofs and walls. Photovoltaic cells will be lodged in the towers' outer skin to absorb solar energy. The project, slated for 2016 completion, includes retail space, apartments, offices and a shopping mall that encircle a green courtyard. EarthTechling.com (3/21)

In the Office

Are you a leader or a baby sitter?
Too many bosses prefer to control their employees rather than empower them, writes Mike Myatt. That's a telltale sign of leadership dysfunction, and it makes it hard for workers to achieve their potential. "Leadership has become synonymous with babysitting in many organizations, which does nothing more than signal a lack of trust in the workforce," Myatt writes. Forbes (3/21)

Gallup: Workplace well-being boosts productivity
Employees who say their company atmosphere promotes well-being and worker engagement also report higher productivity, according to a recent Gallup poll. Employers can capitalize on this by providing workers a chance to improve their well-being and a platform where they can showcase the steps they're taking in that direction, according to Jim Harter, Gallup's chief scientist of workplace management and well-being. Gallup Business Journal (3/19)

Government & Regulatory

Congress extends government funding through September
The House and the Senate have approved legislation to avert a government shutdown by extending funding through September. The bipartisan move blunts some effects of $85 billion in automatic spending cuts, but other fiscal flashpoints remain. After the vote, the Senate began debate on Democrats' fiscal 2014 budget. Bloomberg (3/21), CNN (3/22), Financial Times (tiered subscription model) (3/21), The Wall Street Journal (3/21)

NRCA News

OSHA teams with Montgomery County, Md., to prevent fatal falls in construction
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has teamed with the Montgomery County Worker Health and Safety Commission to raise awareness about preventing fatal falls in construction. With new posters on display in Montgomery County’s public bus system, riders can learn about OSHA’s nationwide Campaign to Prevent Fatal Falls in Construction. The posters direct riders to call 1-800-OSHA or visit OSHA’s Web page to learn more about the outreach campaign, which includes educational materials, training resources, local events and more. Learn more.

NRCA offers building codes manual

NRCA has made available Guidelines for Complying with Building Code Requirements for Roof Assemblies: International Building Code, 2009 Edition. Co-branded with the International Code Council, the publication provides all the roofing-related provisions of ICC's International Building Code, 2009 Edition, which currently is applicable in most jurisdictions. The member price for the publication is $65, and the retail price is $125. Learn more.

SmartQuote

If we were all given by magic the power to read each other's thoughts, I suppose the first effect would be to dissolve all friendships." -- Bertrand Russell, British philosopher, mathematician and historian Share: