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Welcome to the August edition of theNBS.com eNewsletter
In this issue we look at peak oil theory, discuss fixings and fasteners, invite you to join our Advisory Panel, and feature RIBA Product Selector 2009 – available free if you register before 29th August 2008.
Peak oil
Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum production is reached, after which the rate of production enters a terminal decline. NBS Information Specialist Michael Smith discusses the issues surrounding a growing concern.
The theory was first proposed by M. King Hubbert in 1956 to accurately predict that United States oil production would peak between 1965 and 1970. The Hubbert peak theory has since been used to predict production curves for many other countries. According to the model, the production rate of a limited resource will follow a roughly symmetrical bell-shaped curve based on the limits of exploitability and market pressures.
Fixings and fasteners: nails and screws
When is a fixing not a fixing? When it's a fastener? Well not really, sometimes they can be one and the same thing. This exclusive extract from NBS Shortcuts, written by noted industry figure Austin Williams, provides an introduction to the various types, functions and uses of some of the huge range of nails and screw fixings, focusing on common scenarios and common tasks to which they are best suited.
Become an Advisory Panel member
The Advisory Panel is a group of NBS subscribers who meet regularly with NBS to discuss current issues facing construction industry professionals. As an Advisory Panel member you would have the opportunity to express your views and opinions regarding important issues affecting you and your company.
By sharing your experience and knowledge, you would provide us with feedback that would help to shape the development of NBS products. You would also benefit from interaction with other Advisory Panel members, who in the past have come from a wide variety of construction backgrounds, and have had different areas of interest and expertise.
Free copies of RIBA Product Selector 2009
Save £125 on the cost of RIBA Product Selector 2009 by registering now for your free copy.
The three-volume directory is an authoritative and comprehensive desk-tool for construction industry professionals.
Thoroughly researched and updated by our in-house editorial team, your copy of RIBA Product Selector 2009 will feature over 7,800 manufacturers and suppliers, 24,000 trade names, 1,000 advisory organisations and 500 CPD providers.
Register yourself and your colleagues for free copies before 29th August 2008 and you will be entered into our prize draw to win a 32GB iPod touch worth £329.
New from RIBA Publishing
Keep up to date with the latest design and construction reading with these new releases from RIBA Publishing. All books featured are available to order from RIBA Bookshops.
Architect's Job Book – "Whatever the stage of your career, the Architect's Job Book will provide an accessible and vital knowledge resource for contemporary architectural practice."
From the foreword by Sunand Prasad, RIBA President
The Architect's Job Book is the Royal Institute of British Architects'
long-established and recognised standard reference work for running architectural jobs and administering construction contracts. Providing
a systematic operational framework that can be applied to any building type or procurement method, its comprehensive scope is logically laid out along the RIBA Outline Plan of Work 2007.
Plan of Work: Multi-Disciplinary Services – Plan of Work: Multi-Disciplinary Services is the new edition of the guide to the RIBA
Outline Plan of Work 2007, the de facto standard project framework used by the construction industry. Now updated to reflect current procurement practice and the consequences of better risk management, this guide describes how the different parties in the contemporary multi-disciplinary team can work together effectively to complete work stages.
Dispute Avoidance – Dispute Avoidance is a practical management primer for construction professionals based on over 40 years'
hard-won commercial construction contract experience around the world. It argues that running complex, high value construction projects is very demanding even when things go smoothly. Disputes are therefore very unwelcome and without due attention can be exponentially damaging. It pays both to minimise the chances of them occurring in the first place and, if that doesn't work, to entrain
strategies to manage them effectively once they exist.
Code for Sustainable Homes: Technical Guide – This new version of the Code for Sustainable Homes: Technical Guide provides in-depth information to support the Government's Code for Sustainable
Homes, the national environmental assessment method for rating
and clarifying the performance of new homes. A Code rating and certificate have been mandatory for all new build homes from 1 May 2008.
All books listed above are available to order from www.ribabookshops.com, from the mail order department: +44 (0) 207 256 7222 and from RIBA Bookshops in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.
Most popular NBS articles - July
Find out what NBS website visitors are reading. This month, we round up the most popular technical articles from July on www.theNBS.com.
The benefits of master specifications
Specification is an essential part of the design process. Unfortunately, for most engineers, it is the least enjoyed task. If the specification is well written it can enhance project delivery for the whole construction team while saving everyone money.
Read more >>
Sustainable specification
NBS Technical Author Bill Clark explains how NBS work sections can help construction professionals in the specification of renewable energy systems.
Read more >>
Smart homes
A smart home is defined as a one that has an internal communications network with access to external broadband connectivity. This article takes a brief overview of smart homes, looking at what they are and how they are envisaged to work.
Read more >>
Recommended websites
This month's recommended websites are all on landscape architecture:
CABE Space
CABE Space aims to bring excellence to the design, management and maintenance of parks and public space in the UK's towns and cities. The site includes details of CABE Space's programmes and publications.
Groundswell: Constructing the Contemporary Landscape
Online exhibition provided by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) showing contemporary created landscapes from around the world, with a diverse selection of plazas, parks and urban spaces that have recently been completed or are in the process of being realised.
Landscape Design Trust
The UK website has a lot of links to British and international landscape architecture websites, news, and details of their publications.
Landscape Institute
Home page of the professional institute for UK landscape architects. Includes a register of practices, links, etc.
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