< PreviousBacking all of this up is the company’s track record, boast- ing a resume of high-profile projects across the Northeast, including notable names like Newark Liberty International, Far Rockaway Library, and Schuylkill Yards. Newark Liberty International This multiple scope project was the largest that EDA has ever completed. Services: Siding & Wall Panels, Air & Vapor Barriers Size: 433,000 sqft - AVB, 283,000 sqft - ACM Panels, 275,000 sqft - Metal Wall Panels, 37,000 sqft - Metal Soffit Panels, 43,000 sqft - Aluminum Plate Panels, 5,700 sqft - Louvers, 59,000 sqft - Black Scrim, 433,000 sqft - Insulation, 283,000 lf - Sub-Framing, 6,800 lf - Snow Guards Scope: Metal Wall Panels, Metal Soffit Panels, Perforated Metal Screen Wall Panels, Louvers, Snow Guards, Sub-Fram- ing, Insulation, Black Scrim Sheet, AVB Queens Public Library at Far Rockaway EDA installed the baffle ceiling, as well as other scopes, on both the interior and exterior of this new library in Queens. Services: Siding & Wall Panels, Air & Vapor Barriers Size: 18,000 sqft Scope: AVB, Knight Wall Subframing System, Roxul Insula- tion, ACM Panels | 40 MAY 2024Looking ahead, the future is bright. EDA’s growth will continue, with the goal of expanding into new regions or even expand- ing scope of services within the next three to-five years. The ticket to success will of course be EDA’s people, as DeAngelis and his team continue to drill down into the “EDA Way” and “Humanity as a Strategy” visions that guide all aspects of the organization’s work. “We owe our success to having the right people here, creating innovations and solutions for problems we don't even know we have.” Contact EDA by filling out the online contact form. Schuylkill Yards This project is a $3.5 billion development plan of residential, commercial, retail, green space, and laboratory spaces. It is not expected to be fully completed until 2036 Services: Roofing & Sheetmetal, Waterproofing, Air & Vapor Barriers Size: 35,000 sqft - Below Grade Waterproofing, 17,800 sqft - Air Vapor Barrier, 5,200 sqft - ACM Panels, 3,200 sqft - Lou- ver Screen Wall, 14,000 sqft - Amenity Deck Waterproofing, 12,000 sqft - Amenity Deck Pavers, 13,600 sqft - TPO Roofing Scope: AVB, Waterproofing, Hot Melt Roofing, TPO Roofing | 41 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION| 42 MAY 2024WRITTEN BY DAVID O’NEILL T he race to reduce and reverse environmental damage is, to use a tired analogy, coming into the home strait. Decisions of vast importance are being made in boardrooms, political offices and homes around the world. However, there is no end in sight to the missed deadlines and start warnings. It seems that no matter what is done, the bar remains unattainably high. It might, therefore, be worth con- sidering the way in which this problem is viewed. As stated above, it is a race. When we drill down, however, we see that this may be a deeply flawed logic. A race implies a winner, a sole entrant that will walk off into the sunset having solved our problems. Evidence is now emerging that, rather than finding a magic bullet, the global community must collaboratively engage to devise a series and collection of methods that will decrease carbon emissions and make restorative changes to the climate. When it comes to finding the most efficient and sustainable practices, it seems that the key is to double up. As part of the UN Sustainable Development goals, collective action and muti-stakeholder partnerships are a vital component of success. No government or business can successfully solve climate change alone. Interestingly, it seems that the will to collabo- rate is very much present. A recent report from Baker McKensie shows that 73% of business leaders are willing to collaborate with competitors to achieve net-zero. | 43 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONThe benefits of collaboration can be seen within the meth- odologies and tools we use to tackle environmental issues. Efficient energy is clearly a much-needed aspect of the modern world, but its cost can be prohibitive and pivoting to new technologies is time consuming. Reusing materials, or incorporating a second use into their lifecycle, can be an invaluable addition to the process. For example, Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology is the process of removing carbon from the atmosphere and sequestering it underground. While it is an effective way of removing carbon, it has not taken off in the way its inventors had hoped. Until now, the process has been prohibitively expensive in comparison to most other sustainability efforts. However, a novel process that has been trialed in Ohio State University has discovered a method of combining geothermal energy with DAC technology to produce what is being called a “closed loop.” According to Martina Leveni, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral scholar in civil, environmental and geodetic engineering at The Ohio State University, a combination of innovation led to remarkable results. “Carbon removal technologies are especially helpful in mitigating climate change because we can capture types of emissions that would be hard to cap in other ways. So we thought, could we combine technologies that could be beneficial to one another to meet this goal more efficiently?” Typically, DAC works by industrial fans blowing air over special chemicals that soak up the carbon but, until now, these fans have been too costly to run. By using cheaper, geothermal energy to power them, the fans could be pow- ered by the very carbon that they are extracting. Not only that, but Leveni and her team explored the use of recycled carbon dioxide into the system to make it even more effi- cient. The system uses the natural heat found beneath the earth’s surface to continuously produce renewable energy for the DAC system. Speaking about the need for collabo- ration right across the board, Leveni explained how there is much work that needs to be done. “New technologies can enable one another, and in integrating them, we can tackle climate change. There’s a lot of work to be done to take into account technological readiness and the policies needed to make that research happen.” It is not just engineers and scientists that need to operate collaboratively, however. The Baker McKensie report went on to say that, more worryingly, not one CEO said they would be willing to accept a 30% loss of revenue to achieve a net-zero transition. It seems that, financially, everyone is waiting for their competitors to act first. This view is echoed at the World Economic Forum where a push is taking place to encourage CEOs to pool their resources, softening the financial impact of any transition. | 44 MAY 2024As CEO of Unilever, Paul Polman set a benchmark of highly sustainable practices and he has carried this knowledge over to a new venture, IMAGINE. Set up in 2019, IMAGINE was founded “with a belief in the positive potential of human beings to lead systemic change.” It works by engaging with industries and sectors to achieve mass buy-in, thereby reach- ing a tipping point in the industry to ensure a faster transition to sustainable practices. “In the fashion industry, we now have 64 CEOs of the major companies. In food, we work with the 30 biggest companies and CEOs,” said Polman. “What we find is that when the CEOs come together as a collective, they become more courageous.” Another example of the positive effects that collaboration can have is Partners for a New Economy (P4NE). Estab- lished in 2015, P4NE is a group of foundations that had been funding environmental projects without seeing any tangible benefits. Oak, MAVA, Marisla and KR Foundations set up a “high-risk, high-impact donor collaborative focusing on the economic system as the root cause.” The benefit of this partnership is an increasingly creative way of structur- ing economic systems in order to generate positive social and environmental outcomes. Jo Swinson, former leader of the UK’s Liberal Democrats. She explains how P4NE is actively tried to make structural changes that will have long- term resonance. “In order to create change within a system, you need lots of different people trying to make different changes. But the part that we are focused on is trying to see where the edges and the frontiers are and how we can expand those. So taking the emerging ideas and nurturing them... giving them the chance to grow and to develop so that they can move towards the mainstream.” As a race, tackling climate change seems like one that we are destined to lose. Working alone has, to be fair, largely contributed to the mess the environment now finds itself. It is only through collaborative action, both through innovation and investment, that true solutions can be found. “What we find is that when the CEOs come together as a collective, they become more courageous.” | 45 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWRITTEN BY MEGHAN BARTON M etal Forms Corporation's 115-year journey show- cases a legacy of concrete craftsmanship and innovation. Established in 1909, Metal Forms Corporation has meticulously honed its expertise in the fabrication of steel and poly forms, alongside specialized concrete finishing equipment. Originally creating con- crete forms for monolithic homes designed by Thomas | 46 MAY 2024Edison, the company has transitioned to meet the critical demands of heavy highway paving and commercial flat- work sectors. Today, its portfolio encompasses essential tools and machinery for constructing everything from pedestrian pathways to expansive airport pavements, roadways, dams and spillways, concrete monorail forms, and meticulously engineered bridge parapets and traffic management barriers. | 47 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONHeadquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Metal Forms boasts a comprehensive operational scope that integrates manufacturing, sales, and engineering. The organization is characterized by its deeply ingrained corporate culture of expertise and loyalty, with many team members boasting tenures spanning several decades. “Our success is thanks to our people,” says Metal Forms President, Dan Block. “You can have all the equipment in the world, but if you don't have the right people in place to make it run and make it efficient, you're just spinning your wheels. Our employees are part of our family. They've been here for many, many years. They know our product, they know our customers, they know our equipment, they know our processes, and without them, we wouldn't be where we are today.” This depth of experience is further enriched by the company's familial leadership, now in its third generation, which preserves a legacy of intergenera- tional skill and dedication within the workforce. Distinguishing Metal Forms Corp in a competitive market- place is its unwavering commitment to the client experience. Leveraging over a century of industry presence, the company has built a formidable reputation for dependability and qual- ity. From the moment of initial contact, customers interact with exceptionally knowledgeable staff, ensuring that every transaction is handled with efficiency and expertise. “We take pride in that. When somebody calls here, they're dealing with a company they know, products they've come to rely on. They come to us because they know we'll help them solve a problem they have,” says Block. This relentless focus on client satisfaction, combined with its storied history, carefully cultivated relationships, and specialized focus on precise concrete placement solutions, cements Metal Forms Corporation's status as a respected leader in the industry, consistently chosen by contractors who value reliability and superior service execution. | 48 MAY 2024Quality Products Expert Service Reliable On-site Delivery METAL FORMS CORP CONGRATULATIONS ON 115 YEARS! Form & Build is proud to be a part of your story, and distribute your incredible products across Ontario. We look forward to many more years together! 6 locations across Ontario · formandbuild.com · @formandbuildsupply Forming Insulation Concrete Sealers Sitework Waterproofing Steel mesh and rebar & more Metal Forms offers a comprehensive range of products and services tailored to the construction industry, specializing in concrete formwork and associated machinery. Its offerings are split into two primary categories: custom solutions for large-scale projects like airports and highways, and standard- ized products for more general construction needs such as sidewalks and curbs. The evolution of its services reflects broader industry trends, notably the increasing integration of technology. Metal Forms has harnessed automation and robotics to enhance production efficiency and quality. These advancements enable quicker turnarounds on custom projects and, most importantly, ensure consistent quality in mass-produced items, crucial for meeting the stringent demands of both large contractors and its distributor networks. The diversity of Metal Forms Corporation’s product range and services significantly contributes to its market resil- ience and growth. By catering to both custom and standard construction needs, they can engage a wide array of clients and projects, from local community improvements to major international airports. This versatility not only broadens its client base but also stabilizes the business against market fluctuations that might affect one sector of the industry more than another. Its strategy for growth hinges on adaptability and proactive evolution. Metal Forms closely monitors advancements in construction materials and techniques, such as the emerging environmental standards that affect concrete formulation. The shift toward more sustainable practices, like the use of environmentally friendly concrete mixes and battery-pow- ered equipment, exemplifies its commitment to adapting products in line with industry evolutions. This forward-think- ing approach ensures they remain competitive and aligned with customer needs and regulatory demands. Metal Forms is set to expand its roller screed product line, anticipating advances in equipment to accommodate larger and thicker concrete pavement projects. Currently limited by the size of projects they can undertake, the introduction of larger, heavier machinery will allow the company to handle increased slab thicknesses required for more substantial infrastructure works such as major roads and highways. This evolution aligns with the growing demand for robust con- struction solutions capable of supporting larger-scale devel- opments and ensures that Metal Forms Corporation remains at the forefront of the construction equipment industry. Next >