Recently, I participated in a working panel concerning urban growth and development. Led by Roger Millar of Smart Growth America, it highlighted the Portland Streetcar Initiative, with the idea of bringing something similar to our city. The smart growth concept is intended to combat the idea of suburban sprawl “building urban or suburban and rural communities …
In this economy, reusing, repurposing and recycling construction material can make the difference in meeting a budget. Additionally, our experience shows that a portion of customers, whether they be landlords or tenants, are placing an increased value on green label buildings. In the right applications, repurposing materials makes economic sense . This article by Bill …
You might build the best mousetraps. You might even deliver the best service. But if in the process your communication style misses the mark, you can negatively affect the way customers feel about your company. In my experience, this happens now more than ever. We are in a time of unprecedented communication means and methods. …
We recently we had a project where very tight tolerances for the floor finishes were important. I thought I would share what this measuring system is all about, and give a quick summary on how to get there. Until the 1980s, concrete flatness was measured as “in 1/8th inch in ten feet,” the gold standard …
I think few would argue against the idea that America is a country obsessed with winning. As Robert Redford said, The slogan I was given as a kid playing sports was, ‘It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.’ That was a lie. Everything matters in this country. What …
Where would we be without helicopters? This week we used a Sikorksy S-58t helicopter to set 17 RTUs on a new project scheduled for completion next year. It’s amazing how fast the process moved. From pick up to the roof , set time was less than 1 hour. While we have been using helicopters on …
It may be a matter of time before we see cold in-place recycling (CIPR) in commercial parking areas. As an eco-friendly pavement process, CIPR rehabs old asphalt without using heat. In this process, existing asphalt is removed and then pulverized to the desired aggregate size, mixing in a rejuvenating asphalt emulsion. Almost 100% of the recycled …
Roller compacted concrete (RCC) traditionally has a wide scope of use, from airport runways, to roadways and parking areas. We had the opportunity to use this technique on a project last winter. Our customer needed to move into their building, but the asphalt plants were shut down. We installed RCC in the parking lot, striped …
There is a new structure in our campus garden. Like most things around here, it has a story. Green beans need a little guidance to grow properly. You’ve heard of “pole beans?” They got their name from their supports. When our beans started to get gangly, our gardener Sam suggested we call his friend Lily …
We’ve found that these days, our customers want real. Not promises or polish; but honesty. It seems that research agrees with what we are seeing, and the search for real transcends industry lines. Online, people identify more with iPhone videos than heavily edited commercials. At grocery stores, consumers are asking where their produce comes from, …
On the eve of D day, President Roosevelt led our nation in prayer. Every word was powerful, but the end particularly resonates with me: Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies…let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil. Regardless of which God you maybe …
Structured parking decks sometimes get a bad rap. We tend to think of these structures as utilitarian, cold and cavernous. They have long been functional eye sores, but times are changing. Even thought the economy has put additional focus on costs and revenues, we’re more attune to environmental concerns. Good urban design is continuing to …