October, 2012

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Cloud Computing and the Construction Industry

Viewpoint Construction Technology

A while ago, I read an article called 3 Reasons Your Company Still Hasn’t Moved to the Cloud. As a provider of cloud-based construction software , I’ve heard many reasons why companies don’t want to move to the cloud, most of which can be put into two categories: real and perceived problems. I’ll leave the real problems for next week and focus on the perceived problems in today’s blog.

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2013 Construction Marketing Outlook Survey

Construction Marketing

Calling all Construction Marketing Professionals! The Construction Marketing Association is conducting a national survey on the marketing outlook for construction professionals in 2013. The survey covers everything related to marketing planning for the upcoming year, including whether or not you intend to increase/decrease marketing budgets, what your most important priority is for 2013, what types of plans you develop as a construction marketer, which c onstruction marketing tactics you intend

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The Top 10 Construction Estimating Mistakes

Construction Business Owner

Understand common missteps to lessen risk and better gauge profitability of your construction business.

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ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE CONCRETE (UHPC)

The Constructor

Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) is a solution developed to address some of the main design, service life and life cycle costing issues.

Concrete 243
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Optimize Operational Processes With an Industry-Specific ERP

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.

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Developing Personal Relationships with Clients Should Be Par for the Course

HardHatChat

(L-R) William Di Santo, president of Englewood Construction; Dan Tessarolo, principal with Chipman Design Architecture; and Chuck Taylor, director of operations for Englewood, at the Ryder Cup in September. Sometimes, things just come together perfectly. That’s really the only way I can describe Englewood Construction’s experience as a sponsor of the Ryder Cup last month.

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Bidding Wars: What Bidding Practices Say About Your Construction Company

Viewpoint Construction Technology

I was recently on LinkedIn and noticed a question in one of the group forums asking readers to identify the biggest problem facing construction businesses today. The answers ranged from finding quality employees to wanting more control over project documents. One theme, however, seemed to dominate the thread. Intense bidding competition is driving prices so low that contractors cannot both make a profit and perform quality work.

Bidding 246
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Breakthrough Marketing Plans for Construction Brands

Construction Marketing

With only 3 months left in 2012, construction marketers are analyzing this year’s marketing and reflecting on what worked and what didn’t. Coming up with new, exciting strategies can be a daunting task, especially when finalizing marketing budgets and preparing for the next year. So, to address this yearly task, the CMA is conducting a marketing national survey and launching a webinar entitled Breakthrough Marketing Plans for Construction Brands which will be held on Tuesday, Novemb

Plans 229
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Constructing Good Will

Construction Business Owner

It’s once again the time of year in which we actively take note of the things for which we are thankful. And often, as we do so, we tend to feel inclined to give something back to those around us. Though many stories are untold, construction business owners and their staff are especially poised to help those in need. In the spirit of this season of Thanksgiving, CBO shares examples of a few contractors who are making a difference.

Spirit 181
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PLANNING OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

The Constructor

Planning is the first step of project management philosophy of planning, organizing and controlling the execution of the projects. Project planning.

Plans 223
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The Ultimate Procurement Software Buyer’s Guide

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?

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Construction Thought Leaders on LinkedIn

Carol Hagen

What if all construction industry thought leaders were on LinkedIn? LinkedIn recently added the ability to follow people you may not be connected to, that are classified as thought leaders ( [link] ). While many are business leaders, news writers and public figures, few are focused on the construction industry. Let’s aggregate our suggestions and start following these icons – so construction and the AEC industry can benefit from their thought leadership.

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Wimpey’s largest scraper fleet star in archive photos

Digger Blog

The assembled fleet of scrapers in these great archive photos, are seen on the site of the A13/M25 Tilbury-Southend road construction job in 1980. At the time, this was the largest fleet of Wimpey owned motor scrapers at work anywhere in the UK. At the height of the job, Wimpey had 18 Terex TS24 scrapers in action, which were all twin engine machines featuring a pair of V8-71 General Motors two stroke engines, which were, as we all know, incredibly noisy when working.

Roads 121
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Getting Employees to Think Like Construction Owners

Viewpoint Construction Technology

Whether you run a retail, construction, or software company , motivating your employees can be one of the biggest challenges you face in business management. Unmotivated employees often underperform, are tardy or absent, or may end up costing more than they contribute to your construction company. However, if you have highly motivated employees, particularly those with the best interests of the company in mind, not only will you see excellent performance, they will contribute to your profitabili

Retail 193
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Networking as a Construction Marketing Strategy

Construction Marketing

Creating and making the most of networking opportunities is a must. In the B2B and construction worlds, events with people and other businesses in your industry are a regular occurrence. Networking is about building trust and what do construction professionals know better than building? However, when it comes to large-scale events, standing out from the crowd can be a challenge for many marketers.

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Stop Making These Mistakes and Start Scaling Your Specialty Contractor Business

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.

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Hidden Risks: Design Error

Construction Business Owner

Construction business owners undoubtedly have restless nights over business risks associated with operations, not to mention other concerns. But what these individuals often overlook are the uninsured or underinsured risks, such as professional and vicarious liabilities.

Risk 180
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CONTOUR MAPS & THEIR USES

The Constructor

A contour line is a imaginary line which connects points of equal elevation. Such lines are drawn on the plan of an area after establishing reduced.

Plans 203
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A peek into the world of geniuses — the Prometheus Society

Construction Marketing Ideas

Cover of the Gift of Fire, the Prometheus Society's journal. Many years ago, as something of an outcast in summer camp (a quality that I retained through my childhood and teenage years), I spent much time with someone of undoubtedly superior intelligence — the camp genius, it seemed. I admired and envied his brains. Years later, still, the movie Charly , based on the Flowers for Algernon , resonated.

IDEA 102
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More Bond Cat digger footage released

Digger Blog

I am sure all digger fans will be keen to check out the latest Bond movie, which incidentally coincides with the 50th anniversary of the series, which began with Dr No in 1962. I have already booked my tickets today for the Saturday night! I know we have featured the trailer for the movie before, but this newly released footage is much more full-on with the Cat 320 digger action.

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The Specialty Contractor's Guide to Job Cost Accounting

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!

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Caterpillar Hydraulic Hybrid Excavator Uses Accumulator

Construction Equipment

Caterpillar has introduced a new line of hybrid excavators using an hydraulic accumulator to store and reuse energy. The first model, the Cat 336E H, will be launched at bauma 2013, with factory shipments beginning in March 2013. Caterpillar developed the hydraulic hybrid technology, which includes an electronic standardized programmable pump, adaptive control system valve, and hydraulic hybrid swing system (including the accumulator).

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Market Research In The Construction Industry

Construction Marketing

Market Research is the process of gathering information about your customers, competitors, markets, trends, and related information. There are several options for gathering information about customers and their buying preferences and purchase intentions. Research is increasingly important in the construction market where economic trends influence the outlook for the industry as a whole and poor decisions are costly.

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Construction Industry Job Report Shows Mixed Signs

Construction Business Owner

(October 22, 2012) -- Construction employment declined in 28 states from September 2011 to September 2012 even as 30 states added jobs during the past month, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials noted that the monthly gains, while welcome, were too small to offset the larger annual declines in many states.

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METHODS OF CONTOURING

The Constructor

Contouring needs the determination of elevation of various points on the ground and at the same the horizontal positions of those points should be.

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Report: Optimism for Construction Growth in the Next Year Remains High

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!

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You Have No Idea How Many Visitors Your Website Gets

Help Everybody Everyday

I thought I knew how many people visited this website. It turns out I had no idea. And guess what, you have no idea how many visitors your website is getting either. Recent events gave me an education on just how poor the analytics we use to judge the performance of our websites are. This started when my hosting provider complained about this website making too many CGI requests on the server.

IDEA 87
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Kids just love diggers

Digger Blog

While working on sites around the country, I’m sure many of us who operate for a living, will be only too aware of the attraction heavy plant & machinery holds for young kids. On many occasions I have witnessed mothers literally having to pull their mesmerized children away from the fence, often screaming in protest at having to leave! Matthew’s sons, Matthew junior aged 3 and a half, and Mitchell aged 2 and a half, are no different, being described by Matt as “digger crazy

Modeling 108
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Caterpillar Profit Up 49 Percent

Construction Equipment

Caterpillar third-quarter 2012 profit was up 49 percent compared to the same period last year, on sales and revenue that were up 5 percent. Total income was $16.4 billion for the quarter. Caterpillar reported a $273 million pre-tax gain from the sale of its logisitics business as part of that profit. Chairman/CEO Doug Oberhelman continued to point to “economic and geopolitical headwinds facing the world,” but noted the company continues to “track toward our goals on cost control, margin improvem

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More than 65,000 construction, design jobs may be cut if sequestration takes place

BD+C

About $2 billion worth of construction and design projects would be eliminated if scheduled federal budget cuts, referred to as sequestration, take effect on Jan. 2, 2013 ,according to a report by the American Institute of Architects. An estimated 66,500 jobs from the design and construction industry would be lost. The report identifies 48 budget accounts funding design, construction, and rehabilitation of buildings that would be cut under sequestration. read more.

Design 86
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Discover 7 Ways to Cut Construction Inefficiencies

Construction sites are often just-barely-controlled chaos. Without clear coordination, you risk everything from clashes to delays, cancellations, and missed deadlines. Get the free eBook & learn how to solve the biggest challenges in construction!

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Hidden Risks: Cyber Crime

Construction Business Owner

You have probably been hearing more about the concept of cyber liability from your insurance broker. Your construction firm is not likely selling products or services over the Internet, so you may be wondering why you would need cyber liability insurance. Consider some examples from high-profiles companies. In 2012, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee paid a $1.5 million settlement for penalties under the HITECH act for a breach of more than 1 million patient records after the theft of hard driv

Risk 174
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EXECUTIVE TRAINEES JOB IN HPCL

The Constructor

Eligibility: BE/B.Tech(Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science & Engineering (CSE), Electrical & Electronics Engineering.

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Healthy Materials for Building

SAB Magazine

Within the last decade, environmental health has become an increasingly important decision making factor for practitioners within the green building community. The USGBC with its LEED Green Building Rating System brought issues surrounding indoor environmental quality and material health to the forefront of design dialogues. Even more so, proposed changes to LEED v4 could bring about greater market transparency if proposed credits on “Material Ingredient Reporting” and “Avoidance of Chemicals of