“If you dislike change, you’re going to dislike irrelevance even more,” General Eric Shinseki, former Chief of Staff of the Army. To me, this quote sums up my takeaways from the OAC conference I attended this week. The conference limits itself to 400 attendees, mainly from the C suites and upper management of the country’s …
Last year, we constructed more buildings using tilt wall construction as compared to years past. I started to investigate. While sometimes there is very little cost difference, there’s the value in speed. Form liners are making tilt wall construction more effective and attractive in the architecture arena. There is still a place for both in our …
With 2013 only a few days away, it seems like everyone’s looking ahead. Here’s a snapshot of what we’re seeing going into next year. Fewer subcontractors and vendors. This is a direct result of the Recession. I can say with certainty that those who have survived are stronger. Pricing pressure. If the economy expands next …
We have been in the preconstruction phase of a brownfield project for about 18 months. In the process, we have been using a relatively new and still evolving set of technology tools, called ground penetrating radar (GPR). This geophysical method uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. Knowing what is underground is particularly important for the job …
Lately, there has been much talk about the future of office space–its size, shape and relevance. In this semi-post-recession time, where technology makes connectivity possible from almost anywhere, is a physical office still necessary? On Monday, I visited with the head of property development for a major national company and the topic came up. What …
We are just finishing our first total BIM designed project, a 2-story, 130,000 sf building. Our experience has taught us that BIM is: An excellent design tool. Using 3-D modeling allows the customer to understand the project much more efficiently than flat plans. A way to bridge communication gaps. Consultants, contractors, subcontractors and material vendors have one …
Steel driven piles have been around since the early 1900s and continue to be used effectively. With steel piling, one uses HP steel shapes. HP is so named because, looking at the end of the steel shape, it is in the form of the letter H. P stands for pilings, hence the HP. These sections can …
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 …
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 …
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 …
As our communities in-fill and become more dense, more multi-level structures will be introduced. Post-tensioned slabs are becoming a larger part of the design and construction mix here. We’re seeing these systems become a more economical and viable option. Is Post-tensioning right for your job? When dealing with multilevel structures–whether residential, parking, office or …
It’s ICSC week, always a big indicator of what’s ahead with the retail portion of our work. As GlobeSt.com reported, research and panels throughout the RECon event see growth on the horizon. The industry is breathing a slow, tentative sigh of relief. I attended with 30,000 of “my closet friends” and felt the convention as a …