New construction materials, new approaches to design and to building processes are shaping the technologies used in construction engineering today.  The demand for Colorado steel buildings is on the rise – here are a few of the most innovative solutions:

• Innovative insulation technologies – heat bridging technologies are being continuously developed to prevent heat loss.
• Photovoltaic glazing – building envelopes made entirely from photovoltaic panels are increasingly used for reducing energy costs.
• Smart concrete – also called self-healing concrete, this amazing, innovative material contains sodium silicate capsules that rupture when a crack reaches them and they fill the crack with a gel-like material that hardens quickly, thus healing the crack.
• Transparent aluminum – already used in the military for making special, durable and shock resistant lenses and armored windows, this material is transparent, like glass and strong, like metal.
• Aerogel – the gel is only 15 times heavier than air, but the insulation it provides is four times more efficient than the insulation provided by foam or fiberglass. The material can be shaped into large, very thin sheets to be fixed on walls for insulation that adds hardly any thickness to the place of installation.
• 3-D printing – 3-D printers are becoming more affordable these days and they are increasingly used for printing cheap, but high-quality building components.