As engineers begin to look at sustainability and to test the limits of materials like wood and composite structures, we are beginning to see a number of mostly residential, wood-framed high rise buildings designed and built around the world.
In response to the Harvey flood, the third “500-year flood” in the last 5 years, the Commissioners “unanimously approved” a new set of rules that would require buildings to be built higher than the 500-year floodplain versus the current “100 year” level and would require some homes to be elevated as high as 8 feet above grade in order to avoid future flood damage.
December 11, 2017
We first noted that autonomous vehicles were being used in the construction industry several years back when we pointed out that Australian companies were using unmanned Komatsu vehicles in the strip mines in the outback. Their drivers were 1000 miles away at a console of computers like gamers use.
December 04, 2017
These ordinances, well-meaning but not well-informed, are being pushed in cities across the country as well as at the national level. The Obama Administration instituted a pilot program under the Department of Transportation that would lead to the inclusion of the requirement in all DOT funded projects. The Trump Administration has since ended consideration of that requirement.
November 17, 2017
Minimum wage earners are always trying to make enough to pay the monthly bills and to put clothes on the backs of their children. One of the first questions asked by most construction companies in the interviews for field workers is, “Do you have a car or a way to get to the jobsite every day?” If the answer is no, then the company will either help find a way or usually not hire the worker.
November 10, 2017
Our friends at FMI have completed their 2017 Talent Development Survey and recently issued their findings. The results, while revealing, should not be surprising in light of recent conversations going on the subject of Talent or Skilled Craft Workforce Development.
November 03, 2017
As we reported in a recent post, construction is the second most likely industry in the US where substance abuse exists. According to a Bisnow article entitled “The Silent Killer On The Job Site: Inside Construction's Battle With Opioids” It seems that the construction industry, while certainly aware of the problem of substance abuse, is ill prepared and unwilling to discuss the Opioid issue.
October 30, 2017
One change that is underway in the industry that might help is the move to digitalization of many of the tasks needed to design and build the buildings of tomorrow. Bulmer believes that augmented reality (AR), the use of drones, and the widespread use of BIM (Building Information Modeling) is attractive to younger candidates.
October 26, 2017
Governor Jerry Brown, on Saturday, issued a statement saying that he was signing Assembly bill 1701. According to the signing letter, “This bill would extend the liability against a general contractor for wages owed to workers of a subcontractor and create new wage collection remedies for private non-public work projects.” The bill as signed will be effective on January 1, 2018.
October 17, 2017
The economy is growing at 3.1 percent. That is the good news. The recent hurricanes in Texas and Florida flooded or destroyed thousands of homes and buildings. That is not good news for the country. Demand for construction materials for reconstruction has spiked and that is on top of an already robust marketplace. What response would you expect from the materials manufacturers in light of improving conditions? If you said, “Raise prices.” You would be correct.
October 12, 2017
