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Watch a time-lapse video of a 57-story skyscraper which was erected in China in only 19 working days, using the Broad Sustainable Building Prefabrication Process.
Reshaping the Construction Industry
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The following article originally appeared in the May newsletter to clients of Kiley Advisors, LLC. Reprinted with permission.Succession planning is a phrase that appears regularly in management literature and as a seminar topic. It is also the hallmark of companies that want to become true organizations, with foundations solid and deep enough to sustain themselves for generations. Succession involves many components. Some are financial (sale of shares); several are legal (contracts, minutes new corporate resolutions), and other actions affect the governance structure (new board members). These initial areas primarily affect top levels of succession. But every level of succession planning involves the careful selection and preparation of the successor(s) so that the business and the culture can continue and thrive, and employees can remain comfortable and committed.Many Houston companies are in the midst of this issue right now – most on an accelerated pace.
May 27, 2015
Jessica Minh Anh will mark her 10th history-making production by transforming the award-winning solar power plant, Gemasolar in Seville, Spain, into the world’s most innovative catwalk on July 17, 2015. The highly anticipated J Summer Fashion Show will set a new standard for modern fashion presentation by not only promoting the most exquisite designs from five continents, but also the best of advanced technology and environmental preservation.Pushing the visual envelope, the model and entrepreneur will stage the unique catwalk right in the middle of the Gemasolar power plant, with the cinematic backdrop of the famous central tower and thousands of cutting-edge shining mirrors. The 100-meter catwalk will be filmed from various angles, using the latest drone technology from above to highlight the sunlight’s effect on the stunning circle-shaped power plant.
May 26, 2015
Dodge, Census report rebound in April starts, but ABI slips; hotel outlook stays rosyEditor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.The value of new construction starts increased 10% from March to April at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, Dodge Data & Analytics (formerly McGraw Hill Construction) reported on Thursday, based on data it collected. "The nonresidential building sector came in particularly strong [up 58% from March], lifted by the inclusion of two massive projects as April starts—an $8.1 billion petrochemical plant in Louisiana and a $1.2 billion office/retail high-rise in New York [City]. Meanwhile, residential building slipped [-3%] in April, and nonbuilding construction lost momentum [-17%] as the result of a pullback by public works.
May 25, 2015
2015 CEFGA CareerExpo and SkillsUSA State Championships Draw Record Attendance and Link Students and Industry ProfessionalsEditor’s note: The following article by Allen Allnoch, feature writer for the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA), was written following the March 26-27, 2015 event and was originally included in CEFGA’s latest electronic newsletter. Reprinted with permission.As Bryan Tapia walked toward the rear entrance of the Georgia International Convention Center, he tried to get his mind around what he had just experienced. Behind him was a dizzying array of earth-moving equipment, and he and two Coosa High classmates, Eric Vargas and Israel Domingo, had sat in the driver’s seat and operated each one.“I’m speechless,” said a wide-eyed Tapia, an 11th-grader who was attending his first CEFGA CareerExpo and SkillsUSA State Championships. "I thought it would be something where you could look at a lot of things, but there are a lot of opportunities where you can actually work the equipment and really have a hands-on experience. It’s mind-blowing.”
May 22, 2015
When you see a person working in a skilled trade, do you ever wonder how that person came to choose that particular career or how he or she got started? I recently had the opportunity to interview Josh Reynolds, a young electrician for ISC, an industrial electrical, instrumentation, and controls contractor offering engineering, construction and maintenance services to the chemical processing, petrochemical, refining, power, and pulp and paper industries.
May 21, 2015
Take a 2,000 foot high tower built for housing, hotels, office space, restaurants, retail shops, twist it 120 degrees clockwise, build it in sections, add eight 12-story high open non-leasable vertical gardens or mini parks, hang a second skin to enclose the open mini parks, make it able to accommodate 120-130 mile-per-hour winds from the typhoons, and what do you have? A super skyscraper.The Shanghai Tower is currently the second tallest building in the world. Shanghai is a city with a population of over 24 million, or three times the population of New York City. Shanghai Tower was designed by Gensler, built by Shanghai Construction Group, and is owned by the Chinese government. It is quite a feat to behold. In an era of engineering and architectural feats never before possible, this one raises the bar again. PBS is doing a series on the Super Skyscrapers, and this is one of the series that will hold your attention whether you are an engineer, architect, contractor or a person who used to play with Lincoln Logs or Lego blocks as a kid.
May 20, 2015
There’s a renewed push at the Texas Capitol to prevent people from skirting their responsibility to make child support payments through misclassification. Worker misclassification, also known as "payroll fraud," causes all kinds of problems throughout the construction industry and our society. Misclassification happens when employers pretend their workers are "subcontractors” even though, by law, they meet the definition of an employee.
May 19, 2015
The news team at WFAA Television in Dallas/Fort Worth has done an oustanding job of highlighting the problem of worker misclassification. In their latest installment, reporter Byron Harris focuses on the story of Belen Valasquez:"He has a vague memory of the construction fall that paralyzed him."I think I fell with my head doubled over," he said in Spanish. "I felt like I couldn't breathe. I got the wind knocked out of me."Velasquez faces a lifetime of medical care that could total more than $11 million. He is now a tetrapelgic: He can't move his legs, and can barely move his arms.
May 18, 2015
PPI falls overall, edges up for construction; automakers announce new plantsEditor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.The producer price index (PPI) for final demand decreased 0.3%, not seasonally adjusted (-0.4%, seasonally adjusted), in April and 1.3% over 12 months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Thursday. AGC posted an explanation and tables focusing on construction prices and costs. Final demand includes goods, services and five types of nonresidential buildings that BLS says make up 34% of total construction.
May 18, 2015
