Shake, Rattle and Roll: Construction Specialties Showcases Its Expertise at National Building Museum: Designing for Disaster Exhibition

MUNCY, Pa., May 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Construction Specialties, Inc. (C/S), a leading manufacturer of high-performance commercial building products, will be featured at the National Building Museum multimedia exhibition, Designing for Disaster, a call-to-action for citizens from design professionals and local decision makers to homeowners and school children, to prepare for unexpected events. The exhibition opens May 11, 2014 and continues through August 2, 2015.

From earthquakes and hurricanes to flooding and rising sea levels, natural disasters can strike anywhere and anytime. Visitors to Designing for Disaster will explore the leading approaches in design and engineering that protect life and property against a range of natural hazards.

C/S Expansion Joint Covers division will explore engineering advancements and seismic retrofits of esteemed historic buildings, including its work on the University of California, Berkeley Memorial Stadium,, which was built over the Hayward fault line. C/S will also display a state-of-the-art seismic table that illustrates the effects of an earthquake and how expansion joint covers like those employed at Memorial Stadium help mitigate damage.

Along with the other joint cover systems used throughout the stadium, C/S was tasked with designing, testing and fabricating a custom joint cover assembly to protect the stadium bowl. The existing stadium began to have problems with the ground shifting beneath it, necessitating a retrofit and redesign of most of the stadium. "In order to protect occupants and the facility, the structure needed to move with the earth during a seismic event," said Kevin Smith, Engineering Manager of C/S Expansion Joint Covers. "The seismic retrofit solution broke the stadium into six independent components to accommodate the movement and our seismic stair covers allow for this movement to occur without gaps that could endanger people's lives."

C/S has established itself as a true leader in the expansion joint cover industry and has been brought in to consult on solutions for a multitude of projects, many of which are base isolated, including the San Francisco International Airport, UCSF Institute for Regeneration Medicine, and the Los Angeles Emergency Operations Command Center. C/S' advanced ideology about how design can have more resilience when it comes to construction positions them at the forefront of thinking about seismology and disaster preparedness.

"With more than half the United States subject to major earthquakes, there is no better time than now to educate on preparing for a disaster and have designers and engineers ask the important questions about how and where we should build," said Gabriel Blasi, General Manager of C/S Expansion Joint Covers. "We are thrilled to be part of the solution and applaud the National Building Museum for making this exhibit a prominent showcase."

C/S has manufactured expansion joint covers for over 45 years and invented most of today's seismic, thermal and wind-sway expansion joint cover technology. Expansion joint cover products can be used on wall and floor expansion joints for both seismic and standard building movement applications.

The exhibition closes with images and stories of everyday people who have taken steps both large and small to safeguard their homes and families. Visitors are challenged to take similar actions. Links to online resources, an ongoing exhibition blog, and a blog/social media campaign called #MitigationNation will help visitors get started.

For more information, please visit http://www.c-sgroup.com/ and follow on Twitter @csinconline.

About Construction Specialties Inc.

Construction Specialties manufactures and sells specialty architectural products internationally, with over 30 offices and manufacturing facilities worldwide. Its products include interior wall and door protection, entrance flooring, expansion joint covers, louvers, grilles, sun controls, explosion vents, smoke vents, and cubicle track/curtains. The company serves architects and designers, building owners, facility managers and contractors. Construction Specialties, Inc. was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Lebanon, New Jersey.

About the National Building Museum

The National Building Museum is America's leading cultural institution dedicated to advancing the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, online content, and publications, the Museum has become a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and information about the world we build for ourselves. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org. Follow us on Twitter: @BuildingMuseum and Facebook: www.facebook.com/NationalBuildingMuseum.

SOURCE Construction Specialties Inc.