From Our Blog

How Does Boston’s Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO 2.0) Affect Your Building?
Buildings account for over 70% of greenhouse gas emissions in Boston. As part of Boston’s plan to address climate change, the City of Boston enacted Version 2 of the Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO 2.0) in September 2021. Since 2013,...

A River Runs Through It
Many municipal airports are surrounded by beautiful (but sometimes encroaching) natural resources. Fitchburg Municipal Airport is no exception. The Nashua River snakes around three sides of Fitchburg Municipal Airport. It is closest to Runway 14-32 at its southern...

The Benefits of Drones for Airport Engineering and Planning
In recent years, drones have become commonplace in many industries as a valuable multi-faceted tool to increase efficiency and add new capabilities. Engineering and planning for airports create a unique environment for drones. The following are a few examples of the...

In-Place Stabilization of Historic Masonry Assemblies
Masonry walls, especially those that contribute to historic building enclosures and structural systems, often require stabilization as part of a rehabilitation project. For historic buildings, the desire to retain and preserve the existing building fabric with minimal...
Boston Sets New Base Flood Elevation
As part of The City of Boston’s commitment to climate resilience, on September 13, 2021, the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) approved Article 25A of the Boston Zoning Code. Article 25A provides a new Coastal Flood Resilience (CFR) Zoning Overlay...
Roof Blistering: To Repair or Not to Repair?
Blisters within bitumen-based roofing systems originate with the formation of a void, or unadhered area between the felt plies, or between the substrate and the membrane. Voids can be created by improper adhesion during application, improper mopping viscosity or...

Spring is Here! So Are Gale’s Roof Maintenance Tips
The time for spring cleaning is here! For a lot of us that means performing tasks like washing windows, clearing leaves and sticks, etc., but it's also important to check your roof. Roofs experience the brunt of Mother Nature during the winter: snow, ice, heavy rains,...
Porous Pavement Update: How has it performed since 2017?
A Potentially Environmentally Sound Drainage Solution In 2017 Gale used Porous Pavement as a possible “out-of-the-box” solution at an airport that had issues promoting proper drainage from travel lanes. Since the installation, Gale has been tracking its performance...
Culvert Replacement Using Stream Crossing Design Standards
Roadway culverts silently convey streams, rivers and storm water under roads and highways for many years without much thought from the average roadway user. However, to New Hampshire municipal highway departments, they have been a source of frequent problems....

What Causes Ice Dams on Roofs and How Can I Prevent It?
Many of us who live in the northern states enjoy the change in seasons. We love winter for its beauty after freshly fallen snow and for the outside activities we can experience in the mountains or in our own backyards. But as with many of Mother Nature’s gifts, winter...