December 1, 2003—Architects and contractors are being challenged to meet new safety and environmental requirements as cities seek to create distinctive skylines to foster civic pride and attract international recognition. “In addition to meeting traditional safety, design, and functional specifications, we are seeing major external trends that are changing how all types of structures are designed and built,” explained Bob Schroeder, Director Americas Construction Industry, for Dow Corning’s construction business. “These affect everything from high-rise office buildings and convention centers to athletic stadiums and transportation hubs.”
Concern about the risk of terrorism has heightened around the world, creating more demand for buildings that protect both the structure and the inhabitants. In many countries, building owners want their facilities to better withstand the effects of violent storms. And from both governments and the public alike, there are increasing demands for structures that are sustainable and meet environmental considerations, including structures built for one-time world events such as the Olympics.
Dow Corning, a global provider of silicon-based technology and innovation, is providing materials and technical expertise to meet these emerging needs. For example, Dow Corning materials and expertise enabled the installation of 4.5 acres of skylight, with 5,000 panels of laminated glass covering the Delta at the Opryland Hotel Convention Center, and not only made it safe but weather-tight. In addition, Dow Corning’s technical leaders and materials have been involved in most of the summer Olympic Games; the company provided consulting services and safety testing for new life-saving, blast-resistant windows installed in the Pentagon; and they contributed expertise and products including structural and non-structural sealant applications as well as panel cladding that enabled advanced building designs for the construction of four stadiums for the FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan.
