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In the US, truck manufacturers are delivering autonomous trucks to the military, but now the Florida Department of Transportation is about to launch its first venture into the public arena by using autonomous trucks in rolling construction zones on Florida highways. These construction zones for overlaying, repairs and striping are among the most dangerous conditions on our highways.
Reshaping the Construction Industry
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August 28, 2015
At an event honoring several who recently advanced within Marek’s workforce development program, John Roberts, Executive Vice President for Jones Lang LaSalle, applauded the recent advancements of the evening’s honorees and challenged them to be “the best you can be in everything you do.”
August 27, 2015
Despite the fact that women are the absolute best candidates for many careers in construction, the perception remains that it’s a “man’s world” and that’s all there is to it in the industry. Though women lag behind the men in jobs actually held, leaders in the industry are working overtime to try to get more women involved and dispel the myths that prevent many of them from applying for positions in the first place.
August 26, 2015
We have written about the strength and skills of master craftspeople in the construction industry, but one company is going further to honor construction workers on their own.According to a recent post on ConstructionEquipmentGuide.com, the "Ozinga Brothers, a fourth-generation family-owned ready mix concrete producer and supplier business founded in 1928 on the south side of Chicago, currently run by five brothers and a cousin,” have teamed up with their ad agency to produce a campaign called “Born to Build” that honors construction workers.The campaign, underwritten by the Ozingas, includes 16 billboards, a series of 60-second ads, and an on-going social media strategy that has paid dividends for the company in their efforts to honor the industry.
August 25, 2015
States add jobs in July but at slower rate than before; PPIs for construction demand riseEditor’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.Seasonally adjusted construction employment rose in 37 states and the District of Columbia from July 2014 to July 2015, declined in 12 states and held steady in Vermont, an AGC analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released today showed. The year-over-year gains were widespread but less so than in the previous 12 months, when 47 states and D.C. added construction jobs. California again gained the most construction jobs (48,900 jobs, 7.3%), followed by Florida (26,500, 6.6%), Washington (15,300, 9.6%), Texas (14,500, 2.2%) and Michigan (12,400, 8.7%). Arkansas added the highest percentage of new construction jobs (15%, 6,800), followed by Idaho (14%, 4,900), Nevada (11%, 6,800), Washington and Michigan.
August 24, 2015
The following article originally appeared in the August newsletter to clients of Kiley Advisors, LLC. Reprinted with permission.In this final article on Succession Planning, which we reiterate is THE hallmark of all successful organizations, we want to discuss two things: the critical steps that must occur when there is a change in the CEO role and ownership structure; and the critical relationship between the successor and the succeeded – this is key especially in a CEO change, but also important at all levels. Space and unequivocal support are the right approaches for the succeeded.Change of control in the CEO position impacts all major constituencies – employees, clients, building partners and professional partners. In privately-held and family-held companies, this is almost always a three part process: Succession (selection of the person); Business Continuity (transferring the bonding and banking responsibilities); and Ownership Transfer (sale and purchase of stock, which also can lead to changes in the board structure). Specialized legal counsel should be involved as many legal documents must be properly executed. Hopefully, especially at this level, the transition has been well planned, the successor well-mentored and coached, and everyone impacted well-prepared in advance. The actual occurrence is seamless. However, sometimes tragedy necessitates this action occurring rapidly.
August 21, 2015
We have written several times about the value of tuned mass dampers in the construction of tall buildings as counterweights to the tendency of tall things to sway in the wind making the occupants most uncomfortable.Nowhere is that more important than in a hurricane, typhoon or harmattan when winds reach 130-175 mph and pummel everything in its path. Recently, Typhoon Soudelor hit Taipei 101, the fourth tallest building in the world, and the value of the tuned mass damper was proven to the structural engineers, designers, owners and occupants of the building.Not only did the damper do its work, but also Popular Mechanics and Arch Daily captured the actual movements of the building during the onslaught by the typhoon.
August 20, 2015
More than two dozen states have now agreed to cooperate closely with the federal government to crack down on what’s known as worker misclassification. Alaska is the latest state to join the agreement.
August 19, 2015
Many successful companies have taken the skilled labor shortage into their own hands and have developed their own training programs to supply their needs for skilled craft professionals. Marek is one such company, and on July 29 Marek took the time to honor several employees who have achieved milestones within their Workforce Development (WFD) Program. Twenty-two graduating Helpers, seven graduating Mechanics, and twelve recently promoted Foremen, along with their coaches and their families attended a dinner and graduation ceremony at the Marek offices in Houston. Each graduate stood with their favorite coach in front of the crowd as their career accomplishments and praise from their coaches were read aloud by Saied Alavi, Director of Operations at Marek Houston.
August 18, 2015
The Semi-Automated Masonry (SAM) system from Construction Robotics is a bricklaying robot designed to work alongside a mason. As SAM lifts and places the bricks, the mason focuses on site setup, tooling joints, and finishing/quality control.
August 17, 2015
