HardHatChat

DECEMBER 20, 2016

With December here, it’s time for our annual post reviewing some of the positives – as well as a few of the challenges – that shaped the commercial construction business in the past year. Here’s a look at our top 2016 commercial construction “highs” and “lows”: Low: Mall Retail Tenants Choose Local over National. As a national commercial construction firm, it’s not surprising the majority of our 2016 revenue came from work outside our home market of Chicago.

Commercial 197

Commercial Retail Construction Chicago 197

Construction Business Owner

DECEMBER 19, 2016

Based on what you learned about cybersecurity basics and understanding data breaches in Part 1 of this series, is the world coming to an end? Not at all. There are steps you can take for protection. Some steps will vary, depending on which system you are taking strides to protect: personal or corporate.

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The Constructor

DECEMBER 21, 2016

In most cases design of reinforced concrete beams and slabs is governed by deflection rather than strength. Various measures to control deflections.

Concrete 176

Concrete Design Structural Engineering Engineering 176

Green Building Law Update

DECEMBER 18, 2016

This blog post is not as epic as A Day in the Life , the last song on the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album that Rolling Stone magazine ranked as the greatest Beatles song ever. But rather, this responds to a question I was recently asked when speaking at a law school forum on innovation in the law, “ what does a green building attorney do?

Green 149

Green Drafting Contract Sustainability 149

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The Verdantix Green Quadrant: EHS Software 2023 is an independent third-party analysis of 23 EHS software vendors (including Intelex) that provides an in-depth look at the technical capabilities, application breadth, innovation focus, and momentum of key environmental, health, and safety management software market players. The guide is essential reading for EHS software benchmarking, especially for understanding unique vendor strengths and capabilities.

Software

FDR Safety

DECEMBER 19, 2016

Despite a surge in OSHA enforcement in recent years, workplace fatalities in 2015 hit their highest level since 2008, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. The total of 4,836 fatal work injuries in 2015 was up slightly from the 4,821 reported in 2014. In 2008, the number was 5,214, the bureau’s Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries said. Some highlights from the report: • The private construction industry recorded 937 fatal work injuries in 2015, the highest since 975 in 2008. • Dea

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Injury OSHA Statistics Accounting 120

The Constructor

DECEMBER 18, 2016

Geogrids is a geosynthetic materials used as reinforcement in construction works. Types of geogrids, its functions and applications in construction.

Construction 203

Construction Materials Engineering 203

Construction Equipment

DECEMBER 21, 2016

Once just the stuff of action movies, the idea of making mechanical suits to amplify the strength of humans for use in the construction industry is spurring several companies to develop commercial exoskeletons. Korean Future Technology has built a 13-foot-tall mechanical outfit, named Method-1, that amplifies the movements of its operator. The suit's articulated arms and legs let it manipulate objects and walk on flat surfaces.

IDEA 67

IDEA Commercial Industrial Construction 67

BD+C

DECEMBER 22, 2016

The built environment has a profound impact on our natural environment, economy, health, and productivity, according to the US Green Building Council (USGBC). In the United States alone, buildings account for: * 65% of electricity consumption. * 36% of energy use. * 40% of greenhouse gas emissions. * 30% of raw materials use. * 30% of waste output (136 million tons annually). * 12% of potable water consumption.

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Green United States Environment Accounting 65

Construction Marketing Ideas

DECEMBER 19, 2016

You can certainly grasp a future vision that is both exciting and challenging in this largely unviewed (less than 800 have seen it so far) presentation by Pablos Holman, associated with Intellectual Ventures Laboratory. Holman’s presentation at the Singularity University Summit earlier this year took us into some rather incredible places, including the development of […].

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US Innovation 65

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As the use of Enterprise Resource Planning systems in the construction industry is critical to optimizing operations, it's critical that decision makers conduct a thorough software evaluation to find the one that best aligns to their needs.

Industrial

The Constructor

DECEMBER 21, 2016

Tolerances and workmanship for the construction of reinforced masonry wall is important to provide required strength and aesthetics appearances to.

Construction 169

Construction 169

Contractor Magazine

DECEMBER 21, 2016

Mike Agugliaro had a pair of jarring realizations that transformed his life and started him down the path to blow up into the mega-contractor he has become. Agugliaro was like many contractors — overworked, underpaid and ready to chuck it all. And then he had dual epiphanies. read more.

Contractors 64

Contractors Management 64

BD+C

DECEMBER 23, 2016

Given the active pace of new multifamily development over the past few years, many would expect the US apartment market to begin reaching equilibrium with a gradual tapering off of new unit deliveries. While certain submarkets are beginning to experience slower absorption, others continue to outperform. Whichever side of the development pendulum you are on, it is critical now more than ever to differentiate your product to better appeal to a more discerning and selective resident base.

US 62

US Products 62

Construction Equipment

DECEMBER 19, 2016

New York City Council Speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito, has indicated she will support a new bill that would mandate training programs for construction workers working at 10-story-plus buildings. Mark-Viverito's support comes after a series of New York construction workers have been injured or fallen to their deaths while working on high-rise building sites.

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New York City New York Site Construction 59

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Choosing the right procurement software is a crucial step in ensuring third-party risk management, process governance, and bidding efficiency. With so many procurement solutions to choose from, it can be overwhelming without a frame of reference and a solid starting point. This free buyer’s guide will cover: Benefits of Procurement Software –– Why do you need it?

Procurement

The Constructor

DECEMBER 19, 2016

Passive solar buildings uses solar energy for its energy needs in different seasons. The Concept of passive solar buildings, performance and benefits.

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Green 160

Contractor Magazine

DECEMBER 20, 2016

By David Zalik, GreenSky. Given that almost 80 percent of consumers now own mobile phones, it’s crucial to utilize tech-nology to manage your business and support your customers. read more.

Mobility 60

Mobility Contractors Management 60

BD+C

DECEMBER 22, 2016

The 2016 version of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, the Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings , was recently released. The update includes a new compliance path and significant technical changes affecting building envelope, and mechanical and lighting systems. The document contains 121 new addenda since publication of the previous version: the 2013 standard.

Commercial 61

Commercial Documentation Residential 61

Construction Equipment

DECEMBER 19, 2016

Terex Corp. has donated a benefit concert featuring the multiplatinum rock band Foreigner on Wednesday, March 8, during Conexpo. Attendees can make a donation to the Call of Duty Endowment for entrance to the concert. The Foreigner concert will be hosted by the Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas. Conexpo named The Call of Duty Endowment the official charitable partner for tradeshow events slated for March 7-11, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Las Vegas Nevada 53

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Anything that is built on a poor foundation will soon crumble from the ground up. This is literally the case in the construction stage of projects and it applies just the same during the pre-construction stage. This free eBook is your ultimate guide to scaling your business with customizable software as early as during the bidding stage.

Contractors

Green Industry Professionals

DECEMBER 20, 2016

Ross Buffa of SiteOne Landscape Supply given Supplier Partner Award from Michigan Green Industry Association.

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Michigan Management Green Industrial 63

Contractor Bookkeeping

DECEMBER 23, 2016

Merry Christmas To All! Everyone celebrates the Holiday Season in his or her own way. Even the “Bah Hum Bug” people get pleasure out of their “Bah Hum Bug”ness. Enjoy, Embrace, Be Glad, Be Joyful and maybe a Little Sad. No one is up and happy a 100% of the time. Do something nice for others. A smile is easy; it’s always with you, and it’s FREE. It can be a simple thing.

Contractors 48

Contractors 48

BD+C

DECEMBER 18, 2016

In 2014, Arup, the engineering and consulting firm, and Argos Analytics, which provides climate data services, developed WeatherShift, a tool that helps building owners mitigate their future cost risk due to climate change. Last week, Arup and Argos joined forces with Integrated Environmental Solutions Limited (IES), which provides building performance modeling software, to make WeatherShift future weather data available for online purchase.

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Consulting Software Software Modeling 59

Construction Equipment

DECEMBER 22, 2016

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced that four transit projects in the Seattle area could receive up to nearly $2 billion in financing through an innovative infrastructure financing tool created by the Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau.

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Finance Innovation Infrastructure Seattle 53

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Supply chain challenges and rising material costs are forcing specialty contractors to pay more for what they need to complete each job. Following a simple set of principles, this easy-to-follow guide can help you manage job costs, ease the pains of accounting, and run a more profitable businesses. If you are a Specialty Contractor or Self-performing GC, you do not want to miss out on this essential guide!

Contractors

Construction Marketing Ideas

DECEMBER 23, 2016

Most architectural, engineering and construction companies are the beneficiaries, rather than the victims, of technological change. Your business efficiency undoubtedly improves (once you’ve gotten through the learning curve) and you can generate much more high-quality work volume with less effort and stress. There are exceptions, and these issues show how the rapidly evolving world of […].

Architecture 48

Architecture Engineering Construction Innovation 48

ENR Construction

DECEMBER 21, 2016

Squeezed between two states with different geologies and between above-and-below clearance limits due to marine and air traffic, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey’s Goethals Bridge, which spans Staten Island’s Arthur Kill strait, represents the agency’s first use of a public-private partnership on a bridge project.

New Jersey 47

New Jersey New York 47

BD+C

DECEMBER 23, 2016

The process of utilizing wayfinding as a series of language cues within the environment dates back centuries. The idea of creating a “legible” city has its roots in establishing a clear and cognitive system for any environment. But cities have changed, and the cues that allow the citizens to connect and understand the environment in which they participate are changing, too. .

Environment 59

Environment IDEA 59

Construction Equipment

DECEMBER 23, 2016

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25) (MLFI-25), which reports economic activity from 25 companies representing a cross section of the $1 trillion equipment finance sector, showed their overall new business volume for November was $6.4 billion, up 5 percent year-over-year from new business volume in November 2015.

Leases 53

Leases Finance Equipment 53

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Research reveals 96% of respondents are very or fairly optimistic about their organization’s growth prospects for the next year. The InEight Global Capital Projects Outlook also finds over half see digital technology as the greatest growth opportunity. But these are only some of the findings. Don't be kept in the dark when it comes to the future. Read the report today!

Construction

Construction Marketing Ideas

DECEMBER 22, 2016

Adams Hudson has published a list his most successful eletter subject lines, and the one I used to set the title for this blog post indeed is just that. “I didn’t see this coming.” Hudson speculates that the email would have been even more effective with some personalization, to create the wording: “<Steven>, did […].

Engineering 48

Engineering 48

Contractor Magazine

DECEMBER 20, 2016

This week the product gallery features a new series of hydraulic control valves, polypropylene vent pipe, ductile iron gate valves, a beveling machine for making boiler repairs, a packaged pumping system and more. read more.

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Products 47

BD+C

DECEMBER 22, 2016

The Building Button, a new tool launched by the Investor Confidence Project (ICP), standardizes the collection of data from energy efficiency projects, and “makes it easy to share that information with investors, building owners, developers, and utilities,” according to a news release.

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News 57