Lean & green

Extra costs are becoming irrelevant when building green
Alan Sparkman, executive director of the Tennessee Concrete Association, is faced with making the same kinds of decisions other business executives must make when planning a new building.

Guarding Against ‘Greenwashing’

Teams find ways to ensure products, services are really green
Although no data exists to quantify how much greenwashing occurs, designers and contractors have become wary that as green building gains in popularity, people or companies trying to jump on the trend will tout more greenness than they deliver.

Sprucing Up Justice

Renovation, expansion projects enhance South Central courthouses
Lady Justice may be blind, but knowing others are watching, she likes to get spruced up every once in a while. Three courthouse projects in the south central region have the lady upgrading existing facilities, moving to new ones and consolidating services.

Failsafe

Contractor installs power generation plant at Stennis Space Center
When Katrina made landfall more than two years ago, the engineering failure of the hurricane protection system in New Orleans wasn’t the only inefficiency revealed.

Jet Speed

Nashville airport rehab performed quickly amid heavy passenger traffic
Bell & Associates Construction of Brentwood, Tenn., is one year into a multiphase renovation project at Nashville International Airport that includes building a new security checkpoint, new restaurant and retail areas and skylights in the passenger concourses.