Building Technology Update for July 1, 2009

I have a very wide ranging collection of technological improvements for you tonight, everything from new materials for sidewalks to new safety equipment to help you find your way out in a fire!

On the recycle and reuse front we have a couple of items that help divert waste from our landfills.  The first is Rubber sidewalks (http://www.rubbersidewalks.com/rubbersidewalkskeepstrees.asp) where this product reuses a discarded tire for every 1 square foot of product! Imagine a sidewalk you could remove and reinstall in a single day to fix sewer problems, not to mention the injury savings from not having raised areas by tree roots.

The next item along this same tack is a roofing single product made from recycled palstic and rubber.  The article on Cleantechnica (http://cleantechnica.com/2009/06/28/roof-shingles-made-from-recycled-plastic-and-rubber/) speaks of the product Enviroshake that is very durable but at a significant price point increase.  Still it may be worthwhile if you are in need of some LEED ponts.

Another old is new technology is a design we all may be needing as our climate heats up is the second roof as is shown in this great post on Green Building Elements (http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/06/25/a-roof-designed-for-our-hotter-future/).  This scenario presents a low tech very sutainable solution for making your house much more efficient in all types of climate situations.

One of the neatest items I have seen lately is this Halo light concept.  It would provide a ring of light in a smokey environment providing much better direction and visibility in an emergency situation.  The story is here on DVICE (http://dvice.com/archives/2008/10/halo_light_cuts.php).

Lastly we have a solar plus LED parking lot light solution from Visiable Light Solar.  The story on Treehugger (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/visible-light-solar-combines-solar-with-leds-for-big-savings.php) makes a great point that these very functional applications of exterior lighting makes great sense from a return on investment perspective.

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