Written by Morgan Kaenzig de Denus, AMAST Content

In the past year, the price of lumber has skyrocketed. In March of 2020, the Random Lengths Composite Index closed around $460 per 1,000 board foot of lumber. This March, the Random Lengths Composite Index closed at around $1,300 per 1,000 board foot of lumber. While this drastic change can feel like it came out of nowhere, there are several driving factors behind the rise in the cost of lumber.

COVID-19

The most obvious cause of lumber’s high price is the pandemic. COVID-19 has changed the world, including the cost of lumber. The…

Written by Sarah Stukalin, AMAST Content

Managing a construction project is an important and involved job. Many factors go into making sure a construction project is run correctly, but with the right tools, any project manager can succeed. Here are the top skills that every construction project manager should have.

Delegation

Project managers are meant to seek help from other workers within a project and to maintain a stable and supportive team. Delegating assignments will give you time to focus on staying on track and ensuring that all team members are working correctly and efficiently. …

Written by Sarah Stukalin, AMAST Content

Hempcrete is a unique building material that is made up of a mineral binder and a bio fiber. These ingredients are blended with water, resulting in the particles binding together. Hempcrete has been gaining traction over the years for its sturdiness and insulation. Here are the benefits of building with hempcrete.

Insulation

The cost of hempcrete is widely competitive with other insulation options. With buildings requiring more insulation to lower energy requirements, the volume of insulation needed for a project is going to rise dramatically. Hempcrete stores heat in the thermal mass of its…

Written by Sarah Stukalin, AMAST Content

A new year brings new construction trends, and with such a tumultuous transition into the new year with an inauguration and a global pandemic, the trends are bound to change and evolve. Additionally, technology is developing and improving at a rapid rate, greatly contributing to the success of the construction industry. Here are the construction trends to adopt for 2021.

Increased Safety Measures

Be on the lookout for a drastic increase in safety measures, not just regarding the dangers of working in construction, but the risks of working during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing…

By Sarah Stukalin, AMAST Content

While common in construction, wood can be a particularly difficult material to incorporate into a project. Despite these challenges, wood holds health, safety, and environmental benefits. Here are the many advantages of building with wood.

Reduced Carbon Emissions

Carbon emissions in the construction industry account for a large percentage of greenhouse gas emissions around the world. Responsibly sourced wood can help combat this, as it is naturally grown and removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The wood can store and absorb the carbon, allowing it to remain there for the rest of the wood’s life…

Written by Sarah Stukalin, AMAST Content

Rammed earth material is a construction material that is made by compacting soil into multiple layers. Rammed earth is typically used for structures such as foundations, floors, and walls using natural, raw materials. However, because rammed earth is a natural substance, there is still a lot of skepticism surrounding its use in the construction industry. Here are the benefits of building with rammed earth.

Insulation

The external walls of a building made of rammed earth are a minimum of one foot thick. This provides excellent insulation in extreme climates, as the density and thickness…

Written by Sarah Stukalin, AMAST Content

Commonly referred to as void structure concrete, grasscrete is reinforced, ready mixed concrete with a defined pattern of voids achieved through a disposable form that allows water to pass through it. Grasscrete is made by pouring concrete over “formers,” a mold that leaves voids in the ground. Because grasscrete acts as an alternative to concrete, it holds many benefits against concrete. Here are the benefits of building with grasscrete.

Weight Bearing

One of the primary structural benefits of grasscrete is that it is incredibly weight-bearing, supporting up 114,000-pound vehicles. Grasscrete also supports military tanks…

Written by Sarah Stukalin, AMAST Content

With the increase of eco-friendly building materials, many builders are turning to bamboo. Bamboo offers many benefits that combat problems faced with typical building materials and is largely popular in the flooring and roofing industries. However, some contractors remain skeptical of all that bamboo offers a project. Here are some of the benefits of building with bamboo.

Weight and Durability

While it is easy to believe bamboo is not strong because it is a natural material, bamboo offers a great amount of strength. The tensile strength of bamboo fibers and bamboo blocks are even…