System Building – Shanghai Metal Corporation

Got a spare $111 million lying around? Buy a nuclear power plant!

A business tycoon from the US has recently made history, he became the first ever individual to purchase a nuclear power station. Franklin J. Haney, whom has made his fortune through being an innovative property developer, acquired the Alabama based nuclear power station at an auction on November 14^th.

Mr.Haney, has built himself quite the reputation on the journey to attaining his fortune, he’s established a status for ‘innovative financing’ and ‘imaginative acquisitions’, of which the ‘imaginative’ and ‘innovative’ are certainly justified in his latest purchase. However, his initial investment of $111 million is just the start of his spending intentions for this project.

After attaining a number of interested parties from the beginning, the day of the auction only actually saw 2 interested parties battling it out. Jackson Holdings of Alabama LLC, were the competition faced and made a serious challenge of it, bidding up to but no higher than $110 million.

The 75-year-old has vowed to rejuvenate numerous communities in Tennessee and Alabama, pledging that the completion of the plant will create in excess of 4’000 jobs, whilst operating the plant will create 2’000 permanent and highly-paid jobs.

Along with the incomplete 2.6GW power station, which has for years been ransacked for spare parts, Haney will get 1,400 acres of property on the Guntersville Reservoir. To hold him to his promises regarding the site, the seller, state utility Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), stipulated that Haney must invest at least $25m on the property within five years of closing the deal, and he has two years to close the deal. It contains two partially built Babcock & Wilcox pressurised water reactors. When TVA halted construction in 1988, reactor 1 was approximately 90% compete, and reactor 2 was approximately 58% complete. But after years of removing assets from the units, and following subsequent inspections, the reactors were deemed 55% and 35% complete, respectively, in 2009.

As well as the power station and the land, Haney gets switchyards, office buildings, warehouses, cooling towers, water pumping stations and railroad spurs. “The Bellefonte Nuclear Station will help transform communities across the region – many of which have been hit hard by the forced closure of coal power plants over the last decade. This project will bring new life to the region by creating thousands of jobs while providing assured access to reliable, affordable, zero-emission energy.”

HS2 railway gets the green light!

Despite considerable opposition to the idea, the British government has announced they will be going ahead with plans to build the highly anticipated High-speed 2 (HS2) railway in full. The line is estimated to cost the country somewhere in the region of £56 billion and will considerably reduce travel time between some of the country’s most economically integral cities including London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Sheffield.
The country’s transport secretary, Chris Grayling, said “HS2 will be world’s high-techest, smartest, fastest railway. It will be a state-of-the art railway. This is faster than the Japanese bullet trains, and more state-of-the-art. This will be the fastest, most modern railway in the world.” Once the entire system is fully operational, the new trains will carry 300’000 people a day, tripling the number of available seats out of London Euston station.
Much of the rail-line is going to be situated in the north of the country, which could be an immediate response to the message delivered by the Brexit vote. A large proportion of the country whom voted to leave the European Union were based in the north of England, a part of the country which for many years felt they were being neglected by the government when it came to large-scale investments. Much of the motive behinds the vote was people felt the country was chucking needles amounts of money into the European Union, whereas it could have been better used in domestic developments.
Grayling has stated that HS2 is not just about making journey’s quicker but also to address the capacity issues being felt by train operators, where many of the countries commuters are forced to stand on their journey’s due to a lack of seats. “We all know our railway system is full. Too many people have to stand, and there are too many people sitting in traffic jams on roads behind endless rows of Lorries. “You can’t solve that problem unless you build something new, and by building something new, why would we build something old-fashioned?

The government has also vowed to allow as much of the project as economically possible to be contracted to British manufacturers, which Grayling describes as “overwhelmingly good news for British business and for British skills and for British manufacturing”.

How drones are revolutionizing the construction industry

Drones have been one of the fastest growing phenomenon’s in the last few years, both in terms of private and commercial use. To be the expansion into context, back in 2012 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimated that by 2012, 30’000 drones will be operating in US airspace; at this current time (2016) around 2.5 million drones are operational in the United States, of which 500’000 are being used commercially. Unsurprisingly, the FAA has since revised their forecast and now predicts the country will have 7 million drones in the air by 2020.
Many believe drones are the next step in the process of the ‘industrial revolution’. Before the availability of the modern cranes and industrial equipment, we rely so heavily upon today, laborers would be forced to complete every single job on the construction site by hand. Jobs that today take months to complete would have in years gone by taken years, and in maybe 20 years time, the jobs we see today taking months could take weeks, thanks to the use of drones.
Assessing the earth for the foundations of construction is also something that a drone can be considerably more efficient for. Traditional land survey equipment gets the job done and provides accurate results, however, when the apt software is installed into a drone, it will also attain accurate result but it will complete the job in a time 85-percent quicker at a cost of 10 times cheaper than traditional methods.
Furthermore, the job a project manager is also made fundamentally easier through the assistance of drones. In years gone by builders manually assessed project dimensions, which would predominantly be unreliable, timely and costly. By using drone data tools, the drone can automatically measure essential projects components, such as stockpile volumetric, whilst also sending instant feedback to the project manager who can begin analysis.
Drones are becoming increasingly common in day-to-day life but this is just for leisure, more importantly, drones are becoming more and more prevalent in a variety of industries but none more crucially than construction. Construction is an industry very much built on efficiency, in the sense of cost and time; hence the reason drones potentially have such a pivotal role to play, when the above reasons are taken into consideration.

You would be a brave person to bet against drones being a key player in the next industrial revolution.

Fabbing 3D Printed Houses Using Soybean: The Revolution in Housing Industry

Imagine a time when we all could afford a house. Imagine a time when all houses no differently are “green” with zero environment impact. Each “green” house could be customized according to users’ needs and desires, but yet has the same features of traditional cement-and-brick houses to accommodate plumbing system, electrical wiring and insulation. These “green” housing structures are made of biodegradable soybean based material, which can be torn down and 100% recycled.

This future may be here sooner than we all could have imagined. Sofoklis Giannakoupoulous, a researcher at Barcelona’s IaaC (the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia) has been developing a building structure that is stronger than reinforced concrete. He uses a soybean-based brownish-looking powder that could be extruded – or 3D printed – that are more solid than concrete.

Although it may sound absurd others companies have been experimented their own biodegradable mix materials to print chunks of buildings. Most notably companies such as Dus Architects and Ultimaker in the Netherlands have only printed so far a 3m-high, 180-kg sample corner of the future canal house using hotmelt, a bio-plastic mix that’s about 75% plant oil.

Watch here http://vimeo.com/87843940 the 3D Print Canal House – the world’s first movable 3D-printer pavillion. They plan to construct skycrapers by stacking and connecting the chunks together like LEGO bricks, forming multi-story complexes.

The technologies offered by the new 3D-housing-printing could revolutionize the way we make our cities. With 3D-printing we challenge the conventional building industry, one of the most polluting and environment harmful; there is no waste, construction costs are reduced, industrial waste from demolished buildings can be recycled and turned into new building materials and the new biodegradable materials are less expensive than concrete.

The future scenario of the 3D printing is yet to be seen but its game-changing potential is already provoking much interest in the public; over 2,000 people have come to visit the site, including the US president, Barack Obama.

Shanghai Metal Corporation takes pride in the manufacturing and trading of metal products used in manufacturing 3D printer parts. Tin coil, tin plate, and other metal clays such as copper, bronze, steel, have excellent features and properties in corrosion resistance and varying applications for printing plates, paint containers and parts used in 3D printers. We guarantee the best prices, quality support, and fast delivery. To find out more, please visit our Website, WordPress, LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook and Instagram. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code. Moreover, we sell directly from Alibaba , EC21 and Tradekey.

#BuildingValueAcrossTheGlobe

Source and Pictures: 3dprintingindustry.com, 3dprinting-stocks.com, archdaily.com, huffingtonpost.com, gigaom.com

Camilla G.//SMC Editor

A Simple Solution to Water Shortages

The world is running out of fresh water and population growth remains on an exponential trajectory. Regions around the globe have been suffering though droughts for a number of years now but in 2014 they reached a catastrophic level.

Both the USA and Australia are reporting record droughts with California and Queensland being hit the hardest. The drought in California has caused the sate to lose 63 trillion gallons of water and 80% of Queensland is suffering through severe droughts.

Despite our depleting water resources one of the largest allocations of fresh water is for watering lawns and other landscaping activities. Recently California passed laws that levy fines on people who water their lawns and this has caused outrage as it has damaged the aesthetics of peoples property. However, there is another way to get a great looking lawn without using a drop of water.

Artificial grass is the future of outdoor landscaping as conventional lawns are becoming socially and environmentally unacceptable given water shortages across the world. In the USA 9 Billion gallons are used everyday simply for watering lawns.

This waste could be entirely eliminated through artificial grass as it requires absolutely no water. Furthermore, artificial grass can be customized very easily to fit any environment. This means artificial grass can be used to increase drainage which in turn means more water will be sent back into the municipal systems rather than going to waste. The environmental and water benefits of artificial grass are massive and will be the future of our new environmentally friendly suburban yards.

Shanghai Metal Corporation is committed to sustainable growth that improves the quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come. Artificial grass is part of that plan as water conservation is too important of an issue for us to ignore.

For our full list of products that we offer check out our website here. Be sure to join the conversation in our LinkedIn group, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Try also our new mobile application by scanning the QR code below.

Jordan S.//SMC Editor

#BuildingValueAcrossTheGlobe

Sources:

smcbuildingsystem.com/Artificial_Grass–pds6436.html

epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/outdoor.html

washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/08/28/californias-drought-what-losing-63-million-gallons-of-water-looks-like/

bom.gov.au/water/restrictions/

greenviewfertilizer.com/articles/keep-outdoor-space-green-without-over-watering

Pictures: geekologie.com, designermaterial.com, archiexpo.com

What most of the newly built houses might have in common?

继续阅读What most of the newly built houses might have in common?

Fabulously Creative House

The international design firm Playze has completed their design for Tony’s Farm container hotel. Tony’s Farm is the biggest organic farm in Shanghai, and it produces fruits and vegetables without any pollution.

Tony’s Farm does not fix its eyes only on vegetable production, while they lead the customers to live a natural life. The farm worker and interviewer have an intersection in this building. It has complete functions including main reception centre, lobby which will be used for hotel reception, VIP section, new offices and existing warehouse where the organic agricultural products are classified and packed. The working area of the building is designed to be absolutely transparent, and it is convenient for the visitors to watch the whole production process, which can promote customers’ confidence for the quality of products.

Meanwhile the company’s operation principle, energy conservation and environment protection, actuates the design of the building. The hotel is consisted of 78 containers, the size of the containers depends on the demands of functions and local climate. The cantilever beam is the main entrance of the building and then it comes to the lobby and the reception, later you will see three-storey high column and it is the most important part of the building. Later visitors will be leaded to a courtyard and take a sightseeing bus to hotel guest rooms which are fanned out across the farm and enjoy natural life.

Containers can be made into houses with various lifestyles, such as coffee shop, like Starbucks in the suburb of Seattle, tea house, performance platform and even your warm home.

Shanghai Metal Corporation experienced team aims to work closely with clients so to develop custom designs that satisfy their unique set of requirements. We offer reliable service in the design, manufacturing and installation of modern, efficient and comfortable container houses. In addition, we offer a range of different container house kits for you to choose from.

You can also read more articles by our team at SMC:

Copper an Egyptian symbol of eternal life towards an increasing symbol of sustainability.

Shipping Container Swimming Pools!

The Endless Potentials of Galvanized Steel

Can Container Pop-up Shops Challenge e-Commerce?

Top 3 Ammunition Alternatives

End Hunger and Extreme Poverty in Africa

Drunk Man Found In Container Bound For The USA

Source: design.yuanlin.com

Pictures: design.yuanlin.com

Annette X.//SMC Editor

#BuildingValueAcrossTheGlobe

Shipping Container City – Shanghai Immigrant’s Homes

Soaring property values in China have some Chinese migrants finding alternative solutions. The so-called ‘shipping container city’ can be found on the outskirts of Shanghai. In 2001, officials tore down a similar container village in Pudong (Shanghai’s financial district), consisting of over 100 container homes, because it was “too dangerous”. This current stack of containers in Shanghai has been housing Chinese migrant workers for over a decade.

The origin of the unusual city comes down to a single 70-year-old man (known to the renters simply as “Old Man”) who bought the empty containers from a local customs official. Originally planning to use them for storage, he paid to have the containers stacked on the side of a road. He then snaked electrical and water lines through the stack to each container before deciding they would be better suited as homes for migrants.

This isn’t the first instance of container housing. As we’ve previously reported here , container houses could be the solution to affordable housing, and not just in China. The US has seen a number of container homes spring up of late. Companies have also noticed the advantages of container housing. For instance Starbucks has already installed its container coffee shops in Seattle and London.

Shanghai Metal manufactures shipping containers. We are the leading manufacturer and supplier in China. From the acquisition of raw materials, packaging and exportation, SMC ensures only the best quality of products. By assigning professional experts at every stage of production, we ensure continuous support in our worldwide business. To find out more, please visit our website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

You can also read more articles by our team at SMC:

Can You Do A 360 Degree Loop On A Swing Set?

Become Bullet Proof …Using Water

Counterfeit Money Cases

LEGO Lands On British Shores

Innovative Uses of Soap

Air Quality – What Can Be Done?

Team Building Exercises – A New Spin

How Much Petrol Costs Internationally

The Antarctican Training Programme – Could You Make It?

What Is The Mirror Paradox?

Do Oil Discoveries Cause Conflict?

Should We All Switch To Cycling?

Where Did ‘Loom Bands’ Come From?

Are You Apocalypse Ready?

Could You Abseil Down Big Ben?

Building Your Dream Kitchen

How A Tiny Anchor Can Hold A Whole Ship

Did You Know There Are 14 Kinds Of Spoon?

How To Make A Statement At Business Networking Events

How Do Telephones Actually Work?

The Make-up Artist of Buildings

The Shanghai Tower is a super high-rise building under construction in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai. It is designed by Marshall Strabalar as Chief Architect and Director of Designs for Gensler. Along with Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center, it is the tallest of a group of three adjacent supertall skyscrapers in Pudong. The Shanghai Tower began constructions in November 2008, the building stands about 632 meters high and has 121 stories. It will be open to the public in 2015. For its simple but elegant outer wall, it uses the reflection glass curtain wall which normally applies to high-rise buildings.

Someone climbs the Shanghai Tower. Dangerous! Do not imitate! — Someone climbs the Shanghai Tower.
Dangerous! Do not imitate!

Reflection glass curtain wall is a fashionable and attractive method to decorate building wall, and it symbolizes the modern high-rise buildings era. The modern high-rise building glass curtain wall uses hollow glass which are made up by mirror glass and common glass, and the interlayer between the two glasses is inflated dry air or inert gases. Hollow glass has two layers and three layers. Two layers of insulating glass consist of two layers of glass adding sealing framework, which forms an interlayer space. Three layers of glass are made up of three layers of glass and form two interlayer space.

Hollow glass has the advantage of sound and thermal insulation, proofing frost and damp and can resist heavy wind pressure etc. It measures when outdoor temperature is minus ten degrees Celsius, the temperature before the single-layer glass window was minus two degrees Celsius, while using three layers hollow glass, the inside temperature could be 13 degrees Celsius. In hot summer, two layers hollow glass can resist about 90% solar radiation. Sunlight can still shine through the hollow glass but people will not feel so hot. It can be fairly mild in winter and rather cool in summer if using the hollow glass curtain wall.

Shanghai Metal Corporation offers Curtain Wall which is designed for modern residential building that can be integrated with different doors and windows system. For our full list of products that we offer check out our website here. Be sure to join the conversation in our LinkedIn group, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Try also our new mobile application by scanning the QR code below.

Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Center

Pictures: image.baidu.com

Annette X.//SMC Editor

#BuildingValueAcrossTheGlobe