GranQuartz Introduces the StoneCycler from Diarex
The new Diarex StoneCycler turns stone waste and remnants into product easily, while reducing negative environmental impacts and costly waste disposal fees.

The Diarex StoneCycler is an innovative machine that punches out a variety of shapes in stone remnants that can be sold as pavers or tile. Cutting dies are available in many standard shapes, but custom dies can also be designed. Custom dies offer customers the ability to personalize paver shapes.

For more information, contact GranQuartz at 800-458-6222 or visit www.granquartz.com.

Stonemark Natural Stone Countertops First to Receive GREENGUARD Certifications
Innovative Stone announced that its brand of stain-resistant, natural stone countertops, Stonemark by Innovative Stone, has received two environmental health and safety certifications from the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI). The certifications include the GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification and the GREENGUARD For Children & Schools Certification. Stonemark has become the first brand of 100% natural stone countertops to be GREENGUARD certified.

Stonemark countertops are protected by PermaShield, Innovative Stone's anti-staining technology. Through independent laboratory testing, PermaShield has been found to "make granite surfaces more sanitary, easier-to-clean and help to inhibit the growth of odor and stain-causing bacteria" on countertops.

GEI is a non-profit organization that establishes chemical emissions standards for indoor products, environments and buildings. The GREENGUARD Certification Program identifies acceptable levels of chemical emissions, determines the most rigorous testing procedures and then certifies products and materials that meet the organization's stringent criteria. Certified products to the Children and Schools Standard are listed in the online product guide at no charge located at www.greenguard.org.

Naturally, Stone is the Genuine Choice By Jim Owens From the ancient Egyptian pyramids to modern buildings, genuine natural stone has long been a durable choice for any such project. Projects utilizing natural stone exist in every American city and in every country in the world. In the United States, for example, many college campuses are made up of all natural stone buildings, generally selected because of its versatility, affordability, ease of shaping, proven durability and genuine beauty. Many government buildings (including the majority of state and federal buildings located throughout the country), religious facilities, museums, office buildings and many other types of projects are also constructed of natural stone. Why? Because these buildings, like those on college campuses, are expected to last through several generations. The natural stone industry can look back at these projects, some of which are more than100 years old, and be proud of their contribution to architecture and the quality of life. Residential architecture has also benefited from the use of natural stone over the years. More and more homeowners and contractors are turning to natural stone, not only for the exterior skin of their homes, but also for countertops, fireplaces (long a staple of the industry) and other interior treatments. In recent years many "cast," "engineered" and "manufactured" products have been introduced to the market under a variety of trade names, most containing the word "stone." Through large numbers of producers and suppliers and equally large advertising budgets, the market share for these materials has been on the increase. Claims made for these products vary, but all have recurring themes. Chief among them: a particular "engineered" product is "just like" whatever natural stone it is trying to emulate. These "just like" claims typically include not only the look of the product, but also the durability. Some companies even claim that their products are more durable because they are man-made, thus the manufacturing processes are more controlled. "More controlled than what," remains the question. Are they more controlled than, say, God's processes when He made the natural stone? That's generally left to the imagination of the reader. However, the presence of the word "stone" in many of the trade names and ads for these products can confuse architects and owners into thinking that they are, in fact, using natural stone. Marketing materials for manufactured products often boast that the products are less expensive than natural stone. As evidence, producers point to buildings that used their materials and state that the owners saved 20 percent or more of the total cost of the building by using their product instead of the natural stone which, in some cases, was used on all of the surrounding buildings. However, with current technology this is not always the case. New computer-operated equipment introduced by various manufacturers has made the use of natural stone more economical than ever before. Further, the design of the building can also impact the cost factors. For example, if there are several different profiles on the project. natural stone is often not only competitive but less expensive, as the cast producers may be unable to efficiently recycle their molds to effectively reduce their costs. Other factors might include current market conditions at the time the project is bid. With natural stones, no coloring agents will fade and no reinforcement rods will rust. Most natural stone products are virtually maintenance-free, requiring only periodic re-pointing of joints and, if necessary and desired, periodic cleaning. Further, natural stone for most projects comes to the job cut to fit and ready to set. Often, cast products are furnished in standard lengths and have to be cut on the job, adding labor expenses for the mason contractor/installer. Finally, the proven long-term beauty and durability of natural stone is unmatched. As noted, the natural stone industry can boast of government, educational, religious and residential projects. A look at these showcases that natural stone blends into a pleasing match with buildings nearby and continues to maintain its natural beauty. While the cast industry can claim their products are durable, natural stone has history on its side. Certain situations may call for a cast product instead of natural stone. However, architects, owners and others faced with choosing a product should not simply assume natural stone is unaffordable. Check with potential suppliers, contractors and/or trade associations representing both natural and man-made products. Remember that the initial cost of any product is but one factor. Consider whether you'd really rather have "cheaper" than "genuine." Keep in mind potential extra maintenance and installation costs and remember the proven durability of natural stone. Then make an educated decision based on research. In the end, the life of your project — and its use and enjoyment by present and future generations — may depend on it. Jim Owens is executive director of the Indiana Limestone Institute of America.

WinEstimator Releases DesignEst Pro
WinEstimator Inc., a global leader in estimating software development announced the release of DesignEst Pro. DesignEst Pro leverages building information model (BIM) technology to quickly produce both conceptual budgets and detailed cost estimates.

Steve Watt, president of WinEstimator stated, "As the adoption rate of 3D design tools like Autodesk's Revit Architecture 2008 continues to grow, it was a logical next step for us to tap into the content of the 3D model. DesignEst Pro uses that content for the purpose of enhancing the building model with the fourth and fifth dimensions, time and cost."

Ken Tometsko, director of operations, Autodesk AEC Division stated, "The release of WinEst DesignEst Pro is an important step in the growth of BIM, as it will help architects and designers leverage the data in their Revit model downstream for faster turn-around on estimates and change orders."

DesignEst Pro links the object and property library in Revit Architecture with the object and properties in a WinEst cost database, allowing both conceptual and detailed estimates to be developed as the building is being designed. This dynamic link provides support for unlimited what-if scenarios during the design phase of the project. As design alternatives are explored, the cost estimate is changed accordingly.

DesignEst Pro recognizes custom Revit objects that were not originally linked to the WinEst cost database and allows the user to link those objects on the fly.

DesignEst Pro requires Revit Architecture 2008 from Autodesk. Existing WinEst customers can use DesignEst Pro with version 10 of WinEst eTeam and WinEst Pro Plus. To learn more about DesignEst Pro, register for a free webinar at www.winest.com.

Independent Granite Fabricators Launch Granite Brand with Lifetime Warranty
The Artisan Group, an independent organization of the country's premier granite fabricators, has launched Artisan Stone Collection, which carries the industry's first comprehensive lifetime warranty. The Artisan Stone Collection is offered exclusively by Artisan Group and is now available in the United States and Canada.

Artisan Group members represent a select group of national fabricators who share a singular vision: to set a new standard for quality and craftsmanship in the granite countertop industry.

Artisan Group has partnered with one of the country's largest granite importers to ensure a long-term, consistent supply of high-quality granite from the world's best quarries. The group's powerful purchasing block allows them to offer the widest variety of colors from the basics to the most stunning exotic granites, all at affordable prices. Artisan Group's inspectors are located around the globe to insure quality by inspecting slabs before they leave the quarry. For more information visit www.artisanstonecollection.com.

AIA Urges Congress to Consider Green Stimulus Proposals
As Congress and the Administration discuss additional proposals to stimulate the nation's economy, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is advocating green incentives for homeowners, building owners, small businesses, retail establishments and education facilities. Details of the provisions where sent to Congress in a letter dated Jan. 24, 2008.

In 2005 the AIA adopted position statements to promote sustainable design and resource conservation to achieve a minimum reduction of 50 percent of the current consumption level of fossil fuels used to construct and operate buildings by the year 2010.

AIA senior director, federal affairs, Andrew Goldberg, Assoc. AIA, said, "Because the design and construction industry accounts for nearly one in 10 dollars of United States GDP and creates millions of jobs while supporting millions of small businesses, the AIA believes that Congress and the president should help this vital sector put people back to work and provide solutions lower energy costs."

In particular, the AIA supports provisions to:

• Extend and deepen tax incentives for green commercial and residential buildings
  The AIA supports extending existing tax incentives that are set to expire or have expired; deepening these incentives will spur more homeowners and developers to invest in green technologies and designs, which will create more green-collar jobs. In particular, the AIA supports extending the energy-efficient commercial buildings deduction for five years (through Dec. 31, 2013) and deepen it from $1.80sf to $2.25sf; and extending the credit for energy-efficiency improvements to existing homes to 2009, while increasing the cap to $1000 from the current $500.
• Provide for accelerated depreciation of energy-efficient business equipment
  The AIA supports providing accelerated depreciation of equipment, which will create an immediate incentive for purchasing new technologies. In addition, the AIA supports provisions that provide additional incentives for small businesses that invest in new equipment, such as expanding the Section 179 deduction; and for all businesses that invest in energy efficient products, such as energy-efficient windows and HVAC systems.
• Give homeowners a "Green Tax Credit"
  The AIA supports providing a tax credit of $2500 for the purchase of a new or significantly refurbished energy-efficient home. This will help increase demand in the housing market and create an incentive for builders and homeowners to invest in green technologies.
• Extend the 15-year recovery for retail improvement, restaurant and leasehold property
  The AIA backs extending the 15-year depreciation period for changes to existing restaurant and leasehold properties and including new construction, which would provide an immediate incentive for retailers and restaurateurs to invest in sustainable design and construction, creating jobs in the construction industry.
• Fund the construction and modernization of green schools
  Providing grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to build or renovate schools that are more energy-efficient will achieve three goals simultaneously: it will create jobs in the design and construction industry; it will help create better schools for students in which to learn; and it will help save energy and lower energy bills for school districts.

Understand Building Information Modeling By Chuck Eastman For all of history, design and construction of building have relied on drawings for representing the work to be done. They were defined as contracts. Legal documents were assessed by building codes and used to manage the facility afterward. But there are two strategic limitations of drawings: (1) they require multiple views to depict a 3D object in adequate detail for construction, making them highly redundant and open to errors; (2) they are stored as lines, arcs and text that is only interpretable by some people; they cannot be interpreted by computers. Building information modeling (BIM) involves representing a design as objects — generic or product-specific, solid shapes or void-space oriented (like the shape of a room) — that carry their geometry and attributes. The geometry may be 2D or 3D. The objects may be abstract and conceptual or construction detailed. Composed together these objects define a building model. If an object is changed or moved, it need only be acted on once. BIM design tools then allow for extracting different views from a building model for drawing production and other uses. These different views are automatically consistent — in the sense that the objects are all of a consistent size, location and specification — since each object instance is defined only once. Drawing consistency eliminates many errors. Modern BIM design tools go further. They define objects parametrically. That is, the objects are defined as parameters and relations to other objects, so that if a related object changes, this one will also. Parametric objects automatically re-build themselves according to the rules embedded in them. The rules may be simple, requiring a window to be wholly within a wall, or complex defining size ranges and detailing. Why BIM is Important Because 3D objects are machine readable, spatial conflicts in a building model can be checked automatically. Because of this capability, at both the design and shop drawing levels, errors and change orders due to internal errors are greatly reduced. As a building representation, BIM technology is far superior to drawings. But the larger implications are not just consistent drawings and clash detection. Because building models are machine readable, it becomes practical to use that data in many other ways: to generate bills of material that can be used for cost estimation or automatic ordering and tracking, for energy, lighting, acoustic or other analyses — not as post facto checking if an almost finished design is "OK," but rather to provide feedback while designing. Building models allow for better integration of many processes, allowing the kind of tracking and control that computers allow in manufacturing and local grocery or department stores, tracking every item from creation to delivery. Many of the uses of BIM data are waiting to be discovered and developed. While building modeling first gained popularity because it was the only way to get blob buildings and exotic forms constructed, big payoffs can be gained for even simple buildings. Building models can save costs, save construction time and support better building performance and control. Building models can potentially beneficially impact all parties in the construction process — designers, engineers, contractors, fabricators, facility operators. In this sense, BIM is similar to the automation of manufacturing in the 1980s, when most manufacturing industries first adopted 3D modeling and digital representations. These capabilities also facilitate much improved coordination and collaboration. Designing a building once for contract drawings, then developing a set of detailed drawings for shop fabrication later is recognized as wasteful and inefficient. Design-build and other forms of architect-contractor teaming have been recognized as more efficient in terms of cost, time and reduction of litigation. A 3D model is easier for all parties to interpret and visualize. Design or fabrication work can be coordinated in person or at a distance using Web conferencing tools such as Webex and GoToMeeting. Will BIM Become Standard? BIM tools are as different from CADD tools as slide rules are different from computers. BIM supports online simulation of a design, online simulation of construction — called 4D CAD. The BIM processes provide better building products at lower costs to the owner. Early case studies have shown these benefits by users who have applied BIM well. It will certainly become the standard for construction within most of our lifetimes. For more information, visit U.S. General Services Administration at www.gsa.gov/bim. Chuck Eastman is a professor of architecture and computing at Georgia Institute of Technology and director of the AEC Integration Laboratory.

New Web Site for Stone Professionals
Weblogix LLC, opened the doors to its latest Web site for the stone industry. The site, www.usedstoneequipment.com, features real time auctions for used equipment, new equipment and tooling for the stone fabrication industry. The site also features equipment financing solutions, machine installation assistance and discussion forums for stone professionals to share information, tips and advice.

Weblogix is a Nevada based e-commerce solutions company. The company focuses on industry specific auction houses for many different industries.

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