After years of building taller with steel beams and concrete, a new concept is starting to catch on: Mass timber construction. Up until recently, typical wood-built structures would feature light-frame wood construction. In other words, your usual stick-built home.

These days, mass timber construction is becoming more relevant. Ready to see what’s behind this new trend? Below you can learn all about it—and even about tools and fasteners you can use with mass timber construction, like BECK’s LIGNOLOC® system.

Despite the common perception that the construction industry is an unsafe place to work in and that accidents are on the rise, the reality is usually the opposite. Due to improvements in workplace safety, strict enforcement of OSHA regulations and largely also due to better tools for construction safety, such as the FASCO® (a BECK brand) line of tools, it's easier than ever to avoid accidents.

Misfortunes still do happen of course. As the numbers show, about 20% of workplace deaths in the U.S. occur on construction sites, despite construction workers making up only 6% of the workforce. In part, this is due to construction being more physically demanding than the largely office-based service jobs that have come to dominate the U.S. labor force. With that said, a sloppily run construction site will always be a risk to everyone involved, but it's mostly avoidable. Here's how to achieve just that.

Erosion is a surprisingly common phenomenon on construction sites. If you work in landscaping or if you’re a homebuilder, you’ve probably experienced it before. Fortunately, there are strategies to prevent erosion—including building temporary structures to keep erosion from getting out of hand. That’s where the FASCO® (a member of BECK) F CL45A Gabion Ringer comes into play—but more on that later. Let’s start with a look at how erosion happens, and tips to prevent it from happening to you.

Fiber cement is an interesting building material with a lot of applications. You’ll often find it used as siding, although there are uses for it indoors as well. When installing Fiber Cement, traditional nails or screws wont work with this material —but there are fastener alternatives out there. BECK offers the PANELFAST® Model 510A Nailer plus Fasteners to match. But we’ll get into that below! Keep reading to learn more about fiber cement and its uses.

Winter is the perfect time for taking on a DIY indoor home renovation or any construction projects you might have been planning all year. The weather's perfect for cozy inside work and outdoor excuses to keep putting it off neatly diminish with the outdoor chill. If you also happen to have bought yourself some shiny new high quality power tools, such as BECK's F20 90-40 wire power stapler, or any other high-end power tool for indoor DIY work, then this is a perfect time for a fresh start.

With that in mind, here are several moderately difficult household construction and renovation project ideas to keep you warm and busy this winter. These projects are easy enough that any general contractor should be able to handle, or you can do yourself.

If you have a builder in your life, you know that receiving a new set of power tools from a solid brand would be the ultimate gift this holiday season. There are some essential power tools that no construction kit is complete without. Luckily, BECK has your needs covered with a wide selection of rugged tools for any construction niche one might have. Let's dive into the details.

No matter what sector of the construction business you work in, you are likely familiar with the constant push to complete projects faster and more efficiently. It makes sense—completing projects faster means you can serve more customers and grow your business. But how do you increase efficiency without sacrificing the quality of your builds? The answer may lie in your choice of tools and materials—even those as small as fasteners.

A subfloor is a critical part of your flooring system, but there can be benefits and drawbacks associated with the time of year you install it. Many builders and home remodelers, of course, are extra busy during the summer. The warm summer season is typically a good time to complete construction, renovation, or remodeling projects. When it comes to floors, however, and subflooring in particular, there are some things that property owners and contractors must keep in mind.

Sometimes the biggest game changers to come along are no bigger than a screw, and in the case of SCRAIL®, they're actually revolutionizing the functionality of other fasteners. For construction crews, contractors, manufacturers, and more, SCRAIL® fasteners not only speed up work, they boast 80% more holding power than screws. So, whether you're constructing a pallet, building a subfloor, or installing new siding, you can get the work done more quickly, knowing that each fastening is doubly secure. As an added convenience, SCRAIL® fasteners are compatible with existing nailers. Why on earth would you bother with traditional screws?