Casual Living magazine began publishing a monthly research feature on outdoor living markets and trends in May 2010 and intends to finish the series in November 2010. The research will include the national HGTV consumer survey on outdoor living trends, import figures for outdoor furniture by country, a specialty retailer survey, outdoor dining buying projections [...]

By law, chemical suppliers must provide customers in the U.S. textile industry Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to inform them of chemical composition and safety requirements for handling and use. However, textile companies often need to request information not included in the MSDS, which arrives in various formats and stages of completeness. The National Textile [...]

Chinese domestic production of nonwoven fabrics for disposable and durable uses reached 667,600 tons in 2008, and a new report from the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA) projects that amount to reach 1.1 million tons by 2013. INDA’s 66-page report, “China Nonwoven Industry Outlook, Trends and Forecast,” focuses on nonwoven markets, sales in [...]

The United Nations established the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) as a financial entity supporting projects in developing countries, and the CFC awarded two million dollars to a five-year project to develop jute geotextiles in India and Bangladesh. The raw materials are plentiful and renewable, and jute geotextiles control soil erosion, biodegrade, enhance soil nutrition [...]

By Zou Bin From May 1-October 31, 2010, more than 50 international organizations and representatives from more than 170 countries will gather in Shanghai under the theme “Better City, Better Life” at the 2010 World Expo. The event showcases the latest developments in sustainable urban development, highlighting innovations from China and elsewhere in Asia. Pudong [...]

The golden silk orb-weaving spider (Nephila clavipes) excretes web threads powerful enough to capture small birds, and engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) want to replicate this feat of strength. Manufactured spider silk could revolutionize artificial tendons and ligaments, sutures, parachutes and bulletproof vests—if scientists could discover how a protein and water gel [...]

Compiled by Juli Case I’m working on a government job and I’m told I have to include the “prevailing wage” on the bid. What’s that? The Davis-Bacon Act requires that federally funded construction jobs pay workers the prevailing wage, which are determined by the U.S. Department of Labor. To check what the prevailing wages are, [...]

The ContiBarrier System® uses a combination of elastomeric composite materials and two embedded ultra-thin polymer layers to offer increased impermeability to almost all gaseous, liquid and solid media. Hazardous substances such as chlorine, chlorinated hydrocarbons and ammonia are unable to penetrate the barrier layer; a high resistance to acids, lyes and aggressive chemicals, combined with [...]

Tri Vantage® now offers awning fabricators the new Somfy® Infrared Heater with RTS receiver and remote control, to more effectively heat the space under awnings, provide better comfort and allow consumers to extend the use of their outdoor living areas. Convenient, energy efficient and environmentally friendly, the 1500-watt heater has a heating span of 130 [...]

Carnegie Fabrics has introduced X-Protect Barrier Backing for its Xorel line of textiles, engineered to protect and prevent stains and other substances from reaching the foam, increasing cushion protection and enhancing overall performance. Xorel fabrics are inherently antimicrobial; the new protective barrier can be applied to any Xorel fabric approved for upholstery use, and meets [...]