It sounds like the stuff of movies and sci-fi novels, but in a small pilot lab in Clinton, New Jersey, an elite group of ExxonMobil engineers is developing gasoline of the future. Creating fuel for cars that aren’t even on the market seems outrageous—impossible, even—but it’s happening now. But how do these scientists know what…
Commissioners in San Patricio County, Texas, took the first step last week in securing a $1.8 billion Steel Dynamics mill for the Corpus Christi area by voting unanimously to create a reinvestment zone that includes the approximately 2,500-acre piece of land on which the company would build the plant, according to The Corpus Christi Caller…
The Houston suburb of Sugar Land, Texas, has started a search for a private partner to help develop, build and operate a new hotel and convention center. The city issued a request for statements of interest on Jan. 18. The project will include a full-service hotel with 350 rooms, a convention center of up to…
As data privacy concerns make headlines, architects should consider how much they share when specifying products Building products have always made up a significant portion of construction project budgets, and the specification of those materials takes up a large amount of architects’ time. But while product selection was once generic and took place in a…
About AUTOARCH AUTOARCH Architects, LLC is a comprehensive, woman-owned and Houston-based architectural and planning firm with more than 28 years of experience. In close to three decades, they have successfully focused on designing buildings for education and institutional clients, with projects in K-12, higher education, career and technology. Through their emphasis in their approach on…
The Railroad Commission of Texas launched its RRC Online Inspection Lookup (OIL) tool for searching statewide oil and gas inspection and enforcement information, including notices of violation and intentions to sever leases. For the first time in RRC history, RRC OIL allows anyone, anywhere at any time to search online records of oil and gas…
Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport and Trinity Metro welcomed the start of TEXRail service at Terminal B, offering customers the first public transportation option to directly connect DFW Airport to downtown Fort Worth. “This year, DFW will serve more customers with more international flights than ever, and a growing number of our customers expect…
By: Helen Callier Over the past few weeks, we attended the Build Expo in Austin, Texas. We had the opportunity to visit many of the exhibitors, go to workshops and meet with possible new vendors. While at the Expo, we also had the opportunity to speak with City of Austin folks. While speaking with them…
AUSTIN – Upstream* oil and natural gas employment rebounded with a 3,200 job gain in December, offsetting the 300 job drop in November, according to data from the Texas Workforce Commission. Texas has recovered 50% of jobs lost between the high point in employment in December 2014 and the low point in September 2016. Since the…
Talk about being blindsided! Your week was going great until you received notice that you have missed a court date, and now a default judgment has been filed against you. Maybe you never received the initial notice, or maybe you just plain forgot what day it was because of your hectic schedule. Doh! It’s okay….
What do you need to innovate in the Transformative Age? You need diversity. You need men. And you need women. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but it is also linked to a country’s overall economic performance. Organizations where women hold 30% of leadership positions could add up to 6% to their net margins,…
Construction has been slow compared to other industries to adopt technology, but it’s starting to catch up as technology gets more sophisticated to accommodate the industry’s unique needs. Michael C. Brown, a Skanska executive vice president and general manager in Florida, attributes construction’s tech dawdling to the idea that no two construction projects are the…
Businesses must remain alert for both future growth opportunities and potential threats. The dawn of advanced technology has enabled, and in many cases forced, quick mobilization into different growth areas, rapid industrialization and wide ranging global expansion. It has also brought profound change, such as improved healthcare, better access to finance and educational opportunities. And…
The science behind converting farming or plant leftovers into next-generation, lower-emission biodiesel could one day transform how heavy-duty drivers fill their tanks. Clariant, an expert in extracting sugars from agriculture residue – inedible plant fiber, like wheat straw and cornstalks that farmers have only limited use for – is partnering with ExxonMobil and Renewable Energy Group…
Shop class is making a comeback in Texas, where immigration enforcement has left the construction industry with a lack of skilled workers, Dallas News reported. The Dallas-Fort Worth area alone is short about 20,000 to 30,000 construction workers. Once cut from the curriculum in many high schools and community colleges, shop is back, with a focus on skills…
To design for optimal energy efficiency, architects must embrace early collaboration with engineers and energy modelers. As architects, we can design our buildings in a way that celebrates sustainability and energy efficiency and best leverages the skills of mechanical engineers and energy modelers. We can find opportunity for strong aesthetics and sensitivity to users while also celebrating…
Many prospective homeowners remain uncertain as to how an architect can influence and benefit a residential design project. The following are six distinct and valuable services your architect will typically provide. Programming The initial phase in which the architect and homeowner discuss the goals, needs, and function of the project; design expectations and available budget;…
Look out California, Texas is now the top state to do business in, and for Minority, Women and Veteran-Owned Businesses, that means it is time to expand! Why are companies leaving California? A recent study by Joseph Vranich from Spectrum Location Solutions showed that from 2008 to 2016 more than 13,000 businesses left California and…
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $5 million to invest in a DFW Airport transportation study. The study will be conducted in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and other national leaders in transportation, aviation and aerospace to maximize energy productivity and identify improvements in convenience,…
METRO riders now have the luxury of a personal guide thanks to a new tool. Today the agency launched an updated METRO TRIP App with enhanced My Stop Technology. The first-of-its-kind application relies on Bluetooth technology to provide riders very specific directions. The app displays exactly where to catch the bus and vibrates when the user reaches…
