Well into the 21st century, construction drawings are still commonly called “blueprints.” The term has even been adopted as shorthand for any kind of detailed plan (e.g. the blueprint for a political campaign). But true blueprints have been antiquated for over 80 years now. We've come a long way since then, and now have powerful digital tools to produce our "gold standard" contract documents.

Closed- source versus open-source systems can be traced back to the Roman Empire (at least). In ill-fated Pompeii, well-preserved chariot tracks demonstrate a closed-source approach. Today, we favor open-source systems for the sake of our contractors and clients.

Over 50 members of SUPERSTRUCTURES’ team attended our April “Lunch & Learn” session, “Joint Sealants: Their Design and Use” presented by Michael Winge of Sika Corporation. The presentation focused on best practices for designing and installing joint sealants.

In the film Moneyball, Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) has an epiphany: baseball's conventional wisdom of relying on high-profile star players is all wrong. SUPERSTRUCTURES has a deep bench of superstars. But most critically, we’re judged on the results we produce collaboratively as a team.

SUPERSTRUCTURES’ principal, John Galetta, RA contributed a recent article to Habitat magazine offering a prime example of how an independent study on cavity wall conditions yielded a cost-effective solution for the client.

Building owners and managers have a lot on their plates. Many are responsible for multiple properties and New York City has multiple laws impacting them. Compliance with these regulations requires strategies that demand owners’ and managers’ time and attention. SUPERSTRUCTURES is here to help by launching Restoration 101, an introduction to fundamental topics within our discipline.

Orville and Wilbur Wright, the inventors and builders of the first airplane, credited their achievement to a piece of advice their mother gave them when they were boys. She said, "If you get it right on paper, it'll be right when you build it." Mrs. Wright’s advice holds equally true for exterior restoration projects today. The best way to save both time and money is to work out all the details on paper before contractors go anywhere near the building.

SUPERSTRUCTURES is excited to launch the seventh season of the Frost Jacking Day Tracker. "Frost jacking" is what happens when freezing temperatures cause rain or snow to turn to ice and expand cracks in a facade. As cycles of freezing and thawing accumulate, the cracks continue to grow and exterior hazardous conditions or interior water damage or leaks can occur.

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” – Albert Einstein. This aphorism about elegance in design informs our approach to contract documents: they must be clear in their concision, but not oversimplified. The story of NASA's space pen illustrates how an overly simplified solution can backfire.

At SUPERSTRUCTURES, we continually refine our “line” to find the most time-effective, cost-effective, and elegant restoration solutions for each project. What do we mean by “line?” In auto racing, victory hinges on a formula of speed + safety. Completing the course in the shortest time without wiping out requires finding and following the “racing line,” the ideal route to negotiate turns swiftly but without incident.