Construction

Best Practices For Resolving/Avoiding Disputes Construction jobs involve diverse people, large sums of money, tools and heavy equipment, and deadlines: what could possibly go wrong? Disputes on the job are significant risks factors for…

Power Up Your Jobsite! Many of us have home generators to run appliances in case of an electrical outage, but the power requirements on a construction site often demand a different class of generator. On the jobsite, generators are used to…

We're Building America Construction is hard, but meaningful, work! Whether you are pouring concrete for a foundation, maneuvering a crane dozens of stories high, or every job in between, it is a noble endeavor to be involved in the…

Turnaround and shutdown projects demand pinpoint accuracy and execution for success Turnarounds are scheduled events, while shutdowns are emergency events that are rarely, if ever, planned. In both cases, this scope of work completely…

What Is A Field Adhesion Test? Field adhesion testing is an important way to ensure quality jobsite application and surface preparation of installed sealant joints. When an authorized field representative performs it, this test is a good…

Proper Concrete Practices Can Avoid Surface Scaling In the last few years, complaints of spalling (scaling) of exterior concrete surfaces have been on the rise. There are several non-contractor related reasons scaling issues are on the…

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What Is Lean Construction? Lean construction is a philosophy by which the construction team adopts practices and technologies that reduce costs, materials, time and effort, specific to the project at hand. For most contractors this sort…

How Are Drones Used In Construction? Drones with specialized software have allowed construction projects to be more efficient, building projects to be better managed, and inspections to be more thorough. Drones allow contractors to…

Balfour Beatty goes modular on Atlanta's Osprey project https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=tXpPHsPbDaE Go digital with offsite construction. In the last eight-to-ten years or so, modular construction has entered the…

Tilt-Up is still an under-appreciated method As a constructing method, Tilt-Up has only been around for a little more than a hundred years. And during that time, it’s been used in countless creative and innovative ways, but it still…

Facing A Monumental Challenge One World Trade Center stands quietly at 285 Fulton Street as a proud but solemn memorial to our fellow citizens who perished tragically on September 11, 2001. But the teams that designed, engineered and built…

Somewhere between 75°F and 100°F hot weather problems can become an issue for concrete. And without using the proper care, your pour may suffer from reduced strength and cracking due to drying too quickly. 

After the Pour The forms are ready, the slump is rolling down the chute, and workers are preparing to finish the slab. At this point, the most important step to take to ensure the slab is structurally sound and has a smoother surface is to…

How Renting Equipment from HD Supply White Cap can help you increase profits. Every contractor wrestles with this question. Renting costs less, but is it as good as owning? Truth is, it can be a lot better than owning if you’re renting…

Used by permission from Husqvarna https://youtu.be/6RD8621RGUg DIAMOND BLADE TROUBLESHOOTING

Repairing Common Slab Surface Defects  Concrete contractors are often asked to address non-structural blemishes that can occur soon after a concrete slab is placed. Blemishes, such as popouts, plastic shrinkage cracks, and drying…

Waiting for the dust to settle We are seeing some buzz in the industry that OSHA may pull back on the Silica regulation requirement. Yeah, there have been a few big fines, but in general, the feedback is that OSHA has not been aggressively…

How To Ensure A Successful Sealer Application (Original article appears in a SpecTech article from SpecChem. Used by permission) Surface Preparation All surfaces to be sealed must be properly cleaned. Ensure the concrete is clean, dry,…

Jobs Don't Stop When the Temperature Drops Don’t let cold weather slow down your pour. As we head into winter, understanding cold weather concreting will keep the jobs going and the crete flowing. Concrete is often the foundation…

Starting at the base of the problem Experienced contractors know that producing quality concrete flatwork begins with the proper preparation of the slab support system. Using proper compaction techniques, contractors efficiently transform…

Decrease Dust and Increase Productivity In 2016, the updated standards comprising OSHA’s final ruling around dust collection went into effect. The revised document directs contractors on their responsibilities to prevent exposure to their…

Concrete Finish Work Is On The Rise Flatwork and decorative concrete contractors are benefiting as building owners and designers realize the payoff of tastefully exposed concrete surfaces. Not only are they less costly to maintain, but…

Weathering the Storms Early last year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued new regulations for "operators of construction activity” that involves more than one acre. Since 1992, contractors working on these type of projects…

"Close" is not good enough on today’s jobsites. Close is not good enough on today’s jobsites. Contractors must be right-on with every control mark. Workers must comply with project specifications that include tight construction tolerances,…

Let's Fill This Joint! Although there are many brands of concrete joint fillers out there, I think we can agree that the installation process is similar for most. If you’re new to the game, here is a step-by-step overview of the basics.…

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) The ADA became law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and…

Contractors play the main role in delivering high-performance concrete floors. Their team turns floor details into plans and follows an assurance program to make sure floor systems and building materials meet design requirements.…

We used to think of structural engineers as behind-the-scenes workers. Their sturdy foundation and framework designs for new buildings were mostly hidden by architectural design. But those days are over. In many communities within…

In the summer of 2016, citizens of Los Angeles got a wake-up call about the silent danger threatening their community. Thomas Jordan, Director of the Southern California Earthquake Center, reminded them that earthquake preparedness could…

In the next five years, at least 13,000 Los Angeles city property owners face an immediate challenge to retrofit or demolish their soft-story buildings thanks to city ordinance 183893. As neighboring communities follow LA’s lead with…