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HEADLINES ADDED: November 28, 2009
Construction nears completion on mountaintop wind turbine near Vancouver
The first wind turbine in North America built in an extreme high altitude location is nearing completion on the top of a North Vancouver mountain.... Read More
Construction Unemployment Surges to 18.7%
CEO of contractors association calls situation "dire" and "devastating" for construction workers.... Read More
Construction Starts Down 3% in October After Seasonal Adjustment
October construction starts increased 6% from September, but the monthly change was a 3% drop after adjusting for the usual seasonal pickup... Read More
Use Near-Misses to Learn about Construction Safety
lass="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;"> Image by Elliot Moore via Flickr ven't written about construction safety in awhile. I used to write about it every Thursday. I just read an ENR editorial Analyzing Near-Misses Is Key to An Effective Safety Plan. It reminded me of how far we need to go in construction. Our industry kills about 1300 people in the US every year. Thousands of others are seriously injured. Yet, there are far more dangerous industries where people are not getting hurt at anywheres near the construction rates.... Read More
California Housing Starts Continue Decline in October
October's decline has prompted California homebuilders to call on state lawmakers to reexamine the benefits of the state new-home buyer tax credit.... Read More
Lean & 5 S's #48
Lean in HealthCare Helen Zak of the Lean Institute writes about the national healthcare debate and Lean: “No doubt you've heard and read a lot about the debate in Washington D.C. over healthcare reform. read more... Read More
Lean & 5S's in Construction #49
5S’s Tips from Brad Schmidt, President of Gemba Japan “5S Training - Insist on giving people training about kaizen and the 7 types of waste before doing 5S with them. If 5S doesn't make sense to them, they will oppose it. Tops of Cabinets - Always check on top of machines and cabinets. A whole bunch of stuff is up there. read more... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 24, 2009
University of Calgary creates life cycle assessment chair
With the construction industry striving to improve sustainability and measure its environmental impact, the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design is taking a major research and leadership role in the emerging field of life cycle assessment (LCA).... Read More
The best construction industry marketing blog: Nominations open
... Read More
Nevada, Arizona Experience Largest Declines in Construction Jobs, AGC Reports
Construction workers continued to suffer dramatic job losses as all but one state saw declines in construction employment this October compared to last year, according to an analysis of new state-by-state employment figures released today by the federal government.... Read More
EPA Looks to Toughen Sulfur Dioxide Standards
... Read More
Sinkhole halts construction on Calgary emergency operations centre
A sinkhole next to the active construction site of Calgary’s new emergency operations centre has stopped work on the project.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 23, 2009
2010 International Roofing Expo Offers World Class Educational Experience
Roofing professionals looking for customized educational sessions to make their roofing business more competitive, productive and profitable, should plan to attend the 2010 International Roofing Expo, Feb. 22-24, in the D & E Halls at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La.... Read More
New Tool for Achieving Carbon Neutrality Released
Green Footstep shows architects, engineers, and developers how much their building is contributing to global warming, and reveals design targets to achieve carbon neutrality... Read More
Tax Credit Extension to Give Housing Recovery a Boost
New home construction has been holding steady since the spike experienced in June. Reed Construction Data Chief Economist Jim Haughey tells us that a resumed housing recovery is expected around year-end.... Read More
French Bridge Designed for Super Lift
Construction is about to start on a bridge in France's Garonne River, Bordeaux.... Read More
Metrostudy: Housing Starts To Increase in 2010
In advance of the national housing starts figures about to be released by the U.S. Department of Commerce, national housing market research firm Metrostudy has updated its forecast of starts for 2009 and 2010.... Read More
Housing Cooled In October, Survey Shows
The housing market chilled in October, but look for improvement now that the expanded tax credit appeals to a much wider range of buyer.... Read More
Construction marketing and the circle of life
... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 20, 2009
AGC Calls for Additional Measures to Prevent Further Construction Job Losses
Unemployed construction workers continue to outnumber unemployed workers in any other sector... Read More
Fulton Homes Fights Foreclosure Competition with Online Tool
This Arizona-based home builder has come up with a calculator that shows prospective buyers exactly what they are getting themselves into when buying a foreclosed home and compares it to their product. Brilliant.... Read More
Green roof exam puts building professionals' skills to the test
Building professionals put their green roof skills to the test recently during a new exam run as part of the recent Cities Alive! conference in Toronto.... Read More
NY Times on Why Construction Stimulus is Slow to Flow
... Read More
RJS Construction Using High-Speed Dozer with GPS Machine Control
... Read More
Allied Building Products Expands Exterior Products Distribution with Two New Branches
Allied Building Products Corp., a subsidiary of Oldcastle, Inc., the North American arm of CRH plc, and one of America’s largest distributors of residential and commercial roofing, siding, waterproofing and interior products, announced the expansion of its exterior products division through the opening of its two new Connecticut branch locations.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 19, 2009
By 2020 China Will Pass U.S. As Pre-Eminent Construction Market
China will push the U.S. into second place as the world's biggest construction market before the end of the next decade, according to a new forecast of the next decade called Global Construction 2020 (CG2020).... Read More
China's Heartland Draws Construction Group
Chongqing, a metropolitan area with 31 million people, took center stage at a conference that drew almost 400 construction professionals to the heartland of China.... Read More
New Study: Green Building to Support Nearly 8 Million U.S. Jobs Over Next 4 Years
USGBC/Booz Allen Hamilton report shows Green construction to contribute $554 billion to U.S. GDP between 2009 and 2013... Read More
Fifty Percent Increase in Green Building Programs Since 2007
Local policies to promote energy-efficient buildings continue to thrive despite prolonged economic downturn.... Read More
Creating Vancouver Convention Centre's green roof no simple task
Working atop a structure built on piles and at sometimes extreme angles made life interesting for the crews working on the Vancouver Convention Centre’s green roof.... Read More
Green roof exam puts building professionals' skills to the test
Building professionals put their green roof skills to the test recently during a new exam run as part of the recent Cities Alive! conference in Toronto.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 17, 2009
Bobcat Expands Reman, OEM Products
As equipment manufacturer Bobcat continues to roll out new machines, the availability of company-backed remanufactured parts is also being expanded.... Read More
In Michigan, Road Quality Declining as Highway Funding Drops
... Read More
U.S. stimulus won't prevent more layoffs in road construction industry: Survey
While the $27 billion dedicated to highway construction in the $775 billion American stimulus package likely saved thousands of construction-related jobs, it was not enough to prevent widespread lay-offs among road and transit construction businesses, according to a survey released Friday (Nov. 13).... Read More
Construction Unemployment Surges
Extension of home buyers’ tax credit, expansion of carryback of net operating losses to provide some help for the 1.6 million construction workers who lost jobs since December.... Read More
Volvo Begins Loader Production in Mexico
... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 16, 2009
By 2020 China Will Pass U.S. As Pre-Eminent Construction Market
China will push the U.S. into second place as the world's biggest construction market before the end of the next decade, according to a new forecast of the next decade called Global Construction 2020 (CG2020).... Read More
Clark Builders wins contract to build four new Alberta schools
Edmonton-based Clark Builders has been awarded a contract by the Alberta government to build four new schools in the province. The company won the design-build high school bundle by submitting the low bid of $96,767,000 in the tender.... Read More
A Brief Overview of Dam Construction Using Roller Compacted Concrete
Roller compacted concrete is the leading material used in dam construction projects. This article will discuss dam construction using roller compacted concrete, commonly known as RCC dams.... Read More
Stantec wins contract to build medical centre in Seattle
Edmonton-based Stantec was awarded a multi-million dollar contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide architecture and engineering services for a major new project in Seattle.... Read More
U.S. stimulus won't prevent more layoffs in road construction industry: Survey
While the $27 billion dedicated to highway construction in the $775 billion American stimulus package likely saved thousands of construction-related jobs, it was not enough to prevent widespread lay-offs among road and transit construction businesses, according to a survey released Friday (Nov. 13).... Read More
How the 2010 Winter Olympics will impact Vancouver construction
It is not true. All the construction cranes in Vancouver do not have to be taken down to accommodate the Winter Olympics.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 14, 2009
Boom Lift Tips, Kills 1 Worker
... Read More
Terex Plans to Fix Struggling Construction Equipment Division
... Read More
GAO Allowed to Interview Current Contractor Employees During the Audit of the Contractor's Records
In an attempt to promote "protection" and "provide transparency," the FAR Councils recently issued a final rule formally mandating Government Accountability Office ("GAO") auditor access to interview contractor personnel during an audit of the contractor's records. This final rule published on October 14, 2009 adopted, without change, an interim rule issued March 31, 2009, implementing section 871 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for 2009 ("Section 871"), as codified at 41 U.S.C. 254d(c)(1) and 10 U.S.C. 2313(c)(1)." The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the "Recovery Act") provides a similar... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 10, 2009
Construction Workplace Injuries Down in 2008
... Read More
Annual Study Examines Construction Business Trends
This year’s study portrays a construction owner community that is responding to changing economic conditions by looking to service providers for more comprehensive support across the entire building lifecycle.... Read More
Construction Equipment Shipments Climb 4%
... Read More
Permits issued for Arthur Erickson-designed community in West Vancouver
Development permits for the first phase of the Evelyn Drive master planned community in West Vancouver, B.C. are in hand. It will go out to tender soon.... Read More
The Best Industry in the United States
My child is in college. She is starting to ask about industries and careers. Olivia has made me think further about what construction contracting has to offer her. I have concluded it is the best career a young person could choose. You may not believe it, but the facts will show our business is unmatched. It offers participants long term tangible benefits. However, many people will argue that point. Let me show you the many virtues our industry has. You be the judge. The Industry is Not Going Away... Read More
College of New Caledonia will improve access to trades training in British Columbia
Trades training in British Columbia’s central interior will get a boost with plans for construction of the College of New Caledonia (CNC) in Prince George, B.C.... Read More
Construction Market Forecast Calls for 11% Jump in 2010
Gains in housing and public works will offset declines in commercial and manufacturing building... Read More
Contractors Cut 62,000 More Jobs in October
... Read More
American Institute of Architects Approves Sika Sarnafil CES
Two continuing education courses offered by Sika Sarnafil have been approved by the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) and are now certified to fulfill the AIA’s new Sustainable Design continuing education requirements.... Read More
Economy helps 2009 be a “Best Year Ever” for Sealcoating Contractor
If my previous blogs didn’t get this across, this one surely will: 2009 has been a year of vastly different contractor stories. I’ve heard from contractors who are barely making it, from contractors who are doing the same volume with less margin, and from contractors who have seen parts of their business grow unexpectedly. But I haven’t talked with a contractor who reports he’s having his “best year ever” and attributes it to the economy. Until now. I won’t reveal the company or the city, except to say it... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 09, 2009
Construction Market Downturn Deepens in September
... Read More
Major Boom in Army Construction Changes Base Appearances
... Read More
Military Construction Is in High Gear As Big Jobs Hit Their Stride
... Read More
Construction Unemployment Rate Rises to 18.7%
... Read More
Caterpillar to Invest $200 Million to Meet Rising Indian Demand
... Read More
Jobless Rate Passes 10% with Heavy Losses in Construction
... Read More
Self-employed workers now eligible for some EI benefits
The open shop construction industry in B.C. is praising the federal government’s move to extend employment insurance benefits to the self-employed, but unions aren’t happy about these changes.... Read More
College of New Caledonia will improve access to trades training in British Columbia
Trades training in British Columbia’s central interior will get a boost with plans for construction of the College of New Caledonia (CNC) in Prince George, B.C.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 06, 2009
Equipment Workers Rally in Chicago, Call Out for Funding
... Read More
Marketing, quality and value
... Read More
NAHB Research Center Renews NHQ Commitment, Partnership with Reed Construction Media
The NAHB Research Center is joining forces once again with Reed Construction Media to promote home building industry best practices.... Read More
Alberta landowners fail to prevent construction of cross-border transmission line
An appeal by landowners to block the construction of a power line from southern Alberta to Montana will not be heard by the Supreme Court of Canada.... Read More
Construction Spending Gets Biggest Boost This Year
... Read More
No Recovery Yet For Construction Industry
Latest figures show double-digit drops in spending compared to 2008.... Read More
Business convention and creativity
... Read More
Passion, persistence and effective marketing
... Read More
Warming Up for Construction Safety
I saw an article in a paper the other day about a local construction company that gets all the employees together to do stretching exercises each morning before they start working. The article also said this program is being used in at least 26 different locations around the US. According to the owner of the company, after they all stretch, they briefly talk about the jobs they have to do that day and how to do them safely. That gets everyone focused on their work and has helped reduce... Read More
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The Toyota Way is my favorite book for 2007. It had so many good ideas that I could not keep up and ended up reading it again and even buying the Field Book to go along with it.
Download Elegant Solutions from Change This which provides some highlights of the Toyota Production System. Too many ideas that are applicable to contractors to even count!
Recent Posts
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- Construction nears completion on mountaintop wind turbine near Vancouver
- Construction Unemployment Surges to 18.7%
- Construction Starts Down 3% in October After Seasonal Adjustment
- Use Near-Misses to Learn about Construction Safety
- California Housing Starts Continue Decline in October
- Lean & 5 S's #48
- Lean & 5S's in Construction #49
- University of Calgary creates life cycle assessment chair
- The best construction industry marketing blog: Nominations open
- Nevada, Arizona Experience Largest Declines in Construction Jobs, AGC Reports
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