Construction Informer

Catastrophe-Ready Shelters Emerge: Dubbed the “most practical, economical and green solution to housing,” the Amerihome is now on display in Galveston, TX. These housing units are stackable, and plug and play. They can survive 170 mph winds and they float with the rising waters of storm surges. Because of the built-in R-value and the availability of tax credits, Smart Holdings of Houston, the makers, say the units return 60 percent of their purchase price to owners. They last 100 years and are fully recyclable at the end of that time.

Insurance Adjusts to New Risks Posed by Green Building: Saying its “insurance specialists understand the loss exposures and expenses related to LEED certified building projects,” the Great American Insurance Group is introducing a Builder’s Risk Green Extension Endorsement. Besides not having any limits for losses related to lawns, trees and shrubs, the endorsement also provides coverage for restoring air quality, costs of building commissioning, re-certification and registration fees, and even recycling expenses.

Tax Haven for Rich and Famous Drops Ambitious Expansion Plan: For some time Monaco has flirted with the idea of increasing its size by five percent. It was going to do that by building out into the Mediterranean Sea at an estimated cost of $16.5 billion. This wasn’t the first time. Monaco previously grew itself seaward in the 1970s and at that time the new land was a 16 percent increase in the country’s base size. The most recent plan was to build a one kilometer square platform that would rest on pontoons and blocks. The project was cancelled due to environmental concerns, and of course the ailing world economy that is causing companies to pull out of the annual Grand prix. That event is Monaco’s main annual attraction to the rich and famous and it is speculated that if several teams pull out, as Honda already has, then it will loose much of its appeal.