WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sustainable design is the big trend for residential landscapes, according to the 2016 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends Survey conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). The top trend—rainwater/graywater harvesting—reflects a growing consumer demand for beautiful residential landscapes that also save water. Landscape architects were asked to rate the expected popularity of a variety of residential outdoor design elements in 2016. The survey was fielded February 4 through February 18, 2016, with 803 responding. Respondents expected the greatest demand for outdoor living spaces that are environmentally sustainable, reduce water costs and are low maintenance. Here are the top ten project types with the expected highest consumer demand: Rainwater/graywater harvesting – 88% Native plants – 86% Native/adapted drought tolerant plants – 85% Low-maintenance landscapes – 85% Permeable paving – 77% Fire pits/fireplaces – 75% Food/vegetable gardens (including orchards, vineyards, etc.) – 75% Rain gardens – 73% Drip/water-efficient irrigation – 72% Reduced lawn area – 72% Water-focused design elements dominated this year's top ten list and reflect consumers' growing commitment to landscapes that reduce water use and stormwater runoff, says Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA, executive vice president and CEO of ASLA. "Water issues are hot topics for many communities, and many people are turning to landscape architects for creative green infrastructure solutions," said Somerville. "Sustainable residential landscape architecture, if part of a broader integrated site design, can dramatically reduce water usage and stormwater runoff over the long term while creating a healthy residential environment." The top three most popular outdoor design elements include fire pits/fireplaces (75 percent), lighting (67 percent) and wireless/internet connectivity (66 percent). The top landscape and garden elements include native plants (86 percent), low-maintenance landscapes (85 percent) and food/vegetable gardens (75 percent). Pergolas (51 percent), decks (47 percent), arbors (44 percent) and fencing (44 percent) are expected to be the most popular outdoor structures. The hottest sustainable design elements include rainwater/graywater harvesting (88 percent), native/adapted drought tolerant plants (85 percent) and permeable paving (77 percent). The most popular outdoor recreation amenities for 2016 will include sports courts (41 percent), spa features (40 percent) and swimming pools (36 percent).

With multiple mounting options, Farmhouse Quartet creates exciting options for today’s kitchen Native Trails has introduced a one-of-a-kind sink for the kitchen, Farmhouse Quartet. This NativeStone® kitchen sink is designed with flexibility in mind. With four installation options – apron-front or standard undermount (no visible apron), bow-front or straight-front – Farmhouse Quartet is Native Trails’ most versatile sink to date. Adding to its versatility, Farmhouse Quartet is available in three finishes: Ash (a light, yet rich gray), Slate (a darker hue) and Pearl (a glowing off white). Farmhouse Quartet and other new additions for the kitchen & bath are available in showrooms June 1, 2016. "Our new Farmhouse Quartet sink delivers the earthy yet contemporary look of concrete without the fragility - and with incredible stain resistance,” said Naomi Neilson Howard, founder and CEO of Native Trails. “The fact that you can mount this sink in four different ways gives our customers the flexibility to showcase the sink their way. Stocking dealers and distributors love that they can stock the functional equivalent of four sinks in a single box."

New SmartMarket report shows global green building continues to double every three years WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced the results of the Dodge Data & Analytics World Green Building Trends 2016 SmartMarket Report, on which the USGBC is a contributing partner. The new report, conducted in nearly 70 countries, demonstrates that global green building continues to double every three years. The report also finds emerging economies like Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia and South Africa will be engines of green growth, with development varying from two-fold to six-fold over current green building levels. "International demand for green building, due in great part to the LEED green building program's global popularity, has grown steadily over the years," said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. "Countries are looking for tools that support stable and sustainable economic growth. International business leaders and policy makers recognize that a commitment to transforming the built environment is crucial to addressing major environmental challenges." Increasing consumer demand has pushed the world's green building market to a trillion dollar industry, a surge that has led to a corresponding increase in the scope and size of the green building materials market, which is expected to reach $234 billion by 2019. The SmartMarket report also revealed that expansion will continue in developed countries like the U.S., Germany and the United Kingdom. Across all regions, many survey respondents forecasted that more than 60 percent of their projects will be green by 2018. Economic forces were cited as the most important drivers for many of the countries surveyed. The report found that green buildings offer significant operational cost savings compared with conventional buildings. To this effect, respondents expect a 14 percent savings in operational costs over five-year savings for new green buildings and 13 percent savings in operational costs over five years for green retrofit and renovation projects. Building owners also report that green buildings—whether new or renovated—command a 7 percent increase in asset value over conventional buildings. Today, there are nearly 75,000 commercial projects participating in LEED across the globe, with 1.85 million square feet of building space LEED certifying every day. "The growth of LEED reflects its global adaptability as the world's most widely used and recognized system guiding the design, construction, operations and maintenance of green buildings," said Mahesh Ramanujam, COO, USGBC. "LEED is a critical tool in creating structures that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions; create healthier indoor environments for workers, students and community members; and lower utility bills for building owners through reduced energy and water use."

Dezer Properties' floor was covered with vinyl commercial tile or VCT. Rather than remove the VCT and dispose of the asbestos containing material, the contractor installed a concrete overlay directly on top of the existing VCT using Skraffino, a cement-based product that provides a grainer concrete surface.

New high-efficiency model features a speed and sound control, slimmer profile and uses 960 watts or less EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. – Excel Dryer, Inc., manufacturer of the finest American made hand dryers for over 50 years, featuring the high-speed, energy-efficient XLERATOR® Hand Dryer, introduces the new ThinAir® Hand Dryer, a high-efficiency surface-mounted model that protrudes no more than four inches from the wall making it ADA-Compliant. ThinAir dries hands in 15 seconds,* operates on 960 watts and is a quick and easy retrofit solution for any facility looking to save money and easily maintain a cleaner restroom. “The ThinAir Hand Dryer eliminates the need to recess the dryer into a restroom wall to achieve ADA compliance, which is beneficial for facilities with walls that are difficult to modify,” said Excel Dryer Vice President of Marketing, William Gagnon. “ThinAir has a lower cost of ownership than other hand dryers, and is easier to install making it a cost effective and affordable option to facilities looking for reliable performance and high efficiency.” ThinAir features a slimmer profile, adjustable speed and sound control, on/off heat, an antimicrobial ABS cover and a washable pre-filter to extend the life of the unit. The speed and sound control can adjust the operational sound level from 75 decibels down to 67 decibels, making it one of the quietest dryers on the market. The on/off heat control brings the wattage down from 960 watts to as low as 333 watts with the heat turned off. As a sensor-activated, touch-free hand dryer, ThinAir reduces touch points and decreases the risk of cross-contamination from users contacting potentially unclean surfaces in a restroom. Optional MICROBAN® Antimicrobial Wall Guards protect wall finishes from excess water and are ideal for high-traffic restrooms. Wall Guards are both hygienic and easy to clean. ThinAir hand dryers can be ordered in 110 to 240 volts in 60 Hz or 50 Hz for distribution worldwide. Excel Dryer manufactures the only hand dryers that are Made in USA Certified®, the first to be GreenSpec® Listed and also qualify for several LEED® v4 Credits and Green Globes to meet corporate or government sustainability goals.

Program Recognizes Asphalt Producers, Terminals, and Laydown Companies for Adherence to Best Practices Lanham, Md. — Last year, asphalt production facilities, terminals, and paving companies in 49 states and five Canadian provinces earned Diamond Commendations, demonstrating their commitment to excellence and best practices. In total, 753 asphalt mix production facilities across the United States and Canada earned the Diamond Achievement Commendation, which focuses on best practices for plant operations; environmental, health, and safety compliance; and community relations. Of these, 214 facilities earned the Diamond Achievement Sustainable Commendation, which recognizes those facilities that have made even greater strides in incorporating the principles of long-term environmental, social, and economic sustainability into their operations. Also, 256 facilities earned a Diamond Quality Commendation, which helps ensure a high level of quality for pavement material produced by a plant, and 40 paving divisions earned the Diamond Paving Commendation, which encourages and recognizes excellence in paving operations. Eighteen asphalt terminals earned the new Diamond Terminal Commendation, which benchmarks best practices for standalone terminal and storage operations, environmental compliance, and community relations. “The Diamond Commendation program encourages continuous improvement. It is a way for asphalt plants to benchmark their operations, and it provides a blueprint for how to improve them,” said NAPA 2015 Chairman Michael Cote. “These commendations help a facility gain recognition for being a good, conscientious operator while also providing guidelines to help make it an even better neighbor.” Originally developed in 1999, the Diamond Commendation Program, operated by the National Asphalt Pavement Association, was revamped for 2016 to account for changes in materials, technologies, regulations, and operational practices. The 2016 Diamond Commendation program will begin accepting applications on April 1, 2016. Additional information and the application process can be found below.

Surrey, BC- January 21, 2016-Duradek, the original Walkable Roofing Membrane expands its response to market demands for naturally inspired textures and colours for outdoor living space in its latest addition to the LEGACY line with the all-new "Pebble Beach" designer aggregate pebble look in a 60 mil vinyl membrane. Inspired by Nature... Designed to Withstand It Duradek, the most trusted brand of pedestrian traffic waterproof membranes has perfected the trend of a natural stone look on low maintenance vinyl outdoor walking surfaces by introducing Pebble Beach, the latest addition to the 'Legacy' line of PVC membranes. Pebble Beach brings a remarkable aggregate pebble appearance to outdoor spaces in a simple, one-step application while maintaining the reliable, low maintenance waterproof protection you have come to rely on from Duradek.

Vectorworks users can check, analyze and repair 3D files to optimize for 3D printing Columbia, MD (February 5, 2016) – After concluding a second financing round in which Dr. Hans J. Langer, founder and CEO of EOS GmbH positioned himself as the new lead investor of the company in December 2015, Berlin-based 3YOURMIND GmbH continues to develop new 3D printing plugins for CAD programs. The latest addition: Vectorworks 2016, a line of 2D and 3D software developed by Vectorworks, Inc. that helps designers to communicate effectively and bring their visions to life while keeping building information modeling (BIM) at the heart of the design process. With this new plugin, Vectorworks 2016 users can check, analyze and repair their 3D file to optimize it for 3D printing. With one click on the 3D printing extension inside Vectorworks, the file is uploaded to the 3YOURMIND comparison tool, where it can be scaled and previewed in different 3D printing materials available. Finally, users can instantly compare prices for their 3D model and order it online. "We're thrilled to have teamed up with 3YOURMIND to offer this free plugin to our user community," said Jim Wilson, user experience manager at Vectorworks. "Now, users are just one click away from uploading their 3D files via this plugin to services that cater to all their 3D printing needs, where a wide range of materials are available to choose from and where secure file transfer with SSL is guaranteed.” Learn more about 3YOURMIND's plugin for Vectorworks software here and explore Vectorworks' partner products here. The new plugin can be easily installed at either site.

Chilliwack, BC – Woodtone announces that it has completed the purchase of Synergy Pacific Engineered Timber Ltd., located near Armstrong, BC. Synergy produces premium building products and components, both engineered and solid fibre. Products have been sold under Synergy’s own “Quattro™” brand as well as under Woodtone’s “RealPost™” and RealCorner™” brands. Appearance grade finishing products are a growing and complementary aspect to their engineered finishing products. In addition, Synergy produces engineered products and components for truss and joist manufacturers. “This acquisition locks in the supply of two of our key products – RealPost™ and RealCorner™ – as we continue to grow market share across North America,” says Chris Young, Principal of Woodtone. “We are excited to further grow Synergy’s product offerings and market reach.” In addition, Kevin Young, Principal of Woodtone, notes that “the manufacturing facilities and equipment acquired through this deal provide key capabilities for future product development and growth.” Hal Hanlon (Synergy CEO), “I’m confident this acquisition will increase the value both Woodtone and Synergy delivers to our customers.” Hal and the Synergy team are eager to capitalize on the benefits of combining the strengths of these two complimentary businesses.

Earth Shield Waterstop is proud to announce three new waterstop profiles designed especially for environmental engineered concrete structures, such as waste and water treatment plants. All three profiles are ⅜" thick and have many interlocking ribs to grab into freshly poured concrete. Highlights of the new profiles include: • NSF 61 Certified for drinking water • Chemical resistant TPV polymer construction • Ozone resistant to 500 PPHM • UV resistant • Heat weldable thermoplastic The new profiles can be downloaded in our CAD Library located here: http://redirect.aecdaily.com/s18122/www.jpspecialties.com/earth_shield_waterstop/waterstop_tpv/page34/cad.html.

Input Sought From All U.S. Asphalt Mix Producers by April 30 for Annual NAPA-FHWA Survey to Gauge Use of Reclaimed/Recycled Materials, Warm-Mix Asphalt Technologies Lanham, Md. — Asphalt pavement is recycled at a greater rate than any other household or construction material; well over 99 percent of asphalt pavement reclaimed from old roads and parking lots is put back to use in building new roads. To best understand the use of recycled materials in asphalt pavement mixtures, the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) annually survey the industry about its use of reclaimed/recycled materials and warm-mix asphalt technologies. Every asphalt mix producer in the United States is asked to participate in this annual survey by April 30. The confidential survey is gathering information about their use of these materials during the 2015 construction season. “We know asphalt is the most sustainable paving option, and recycled materials and warm-mix asphalt technologies are critical to the industry’s sustainable future. We need your help in benchmarking the industry’s progress in putting sustainable practices into use,” stated Kent Hansen, NAPA Director of Engineering, who is administering the survey. NAPA and FHWA have tracked usage of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), recycled asphalt shingles (RAS), and warm-mix asphalt (WMA) since the 2009 construction season. The results from the 2014 construction season were released last November and showed that nearly 114 million tons — about a third of all asphalt pavement mixtures produced that year — used WMA technologies. From 2009 to 2014, this survey has documented increasing uses of RAP and RAS; starting in 2012, it began tracking the use of other recycled and reclaimed materials, including ground tire rubber and slags. Nearly 83 million tons of recycled material was used in asphalt pavement mixtures during 2014. The full results of the 2014 survey are available at www.AsphaltPavement.org/recycling.