NEWSLETTER

 
Enter your email:

Construction Topics

GENERAL TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE

SITE WORK

CONCRETE

MASONRY

METAL

CARPENTRY & WOOD

THERMAL & MOISTURE

DOORS & WINDOWS

FINISHES

SPECIALTIES

EQUIPMENT

FURNISHINGS

SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION

CONVEYING SYSTEMS

MECHANICAL

ELECTRICAL

PEOPLE SKILLS

JOBSITE MANAGEMENT

ADS

Become a FB fan


Construction Network


Trades Hub

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

June 24, 2011

Cool Colorado Buildings
Filed under: Cool Projects — nedpelger

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, we’re roadtripping in a 95 Dodge Van through the American northwest. Just to make it interesting, we decided to take six people, including 14 month old grandson #2, and to camp along the way. YeeHaw.

Actually we’re having a wonderful time, the kids are great and the adults all appreciate the beauty of this amazing country. We stopped at a wonderful Indian store along Rt 70 in Missouri and I picked up a video about Native Americans titled More than Bows and Arrows. A clip is shown below:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLUTmrU7oBU

One of the interesting ideas in the movie concerned the strong Indian design influence on Western building design. As I looked around, I saw it everywhere. Here are a few photos.

Can you pick out the various Native American design elements? This new flex-space building below (near Denver) illustrates several of the elements. The horizontal parapets, the squares for decoration, the starburst entrance header and the natural colors all derive from the Indian designs.

Seeing this pad next door to the completed building reminds me of the things I think about during building design: where does the sprinkler riser go and how is it installed, where does the sanitary sewer and the electrical come in, how are the walls coming through the slabs? The folks building these spaces seem to have a good handle on the efficiency, which translates into successful projects in the present and the future.

Since we were staying near Red Rocks State Park, I wanted to visit to re-experience a profound impression from my youth. When I was a roadie on the 1978 Springsteen Darkness on the Edge of Town tour, we played the Red Rocks Amphitheater. I was overwhelmed by the beauty, even as we struggled to get the sound right. I remember the high frequencies refracted (remember high school physics class when waves from two sources sometimes doubled up and gained tremendous amplitude?) and sounded way too piercing some spots and dead a few feet over. We played around with speaker directions and got it better, but it was a tough place to be a sound puke.

I laughed as I watched the video with rock stars saying the place had magical acoustics…the best in the world. Note from Ned: never believe celebrities, they rarely involve themselves in the details that get to the truth. The beauty of the place still moved me, though.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KWhu72L07g

I’ll give more updates as I can.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

June 13, 2011

What to Do with an Extra Sheet of Plywood (and some time)
Filed under: Cool Projects — Tags: — nedpelger

Many times on the jobsite, an extra sheet of plywood gets tossed in the dumpster. It’s just not worth paying employees to deal with these strays. Here’s a few home project ideas for that free (remember to ask, first) plywood sheet. I love this self-standing stair from a single sheet of plywood. Though the lateral stability looks a bit suspect, so remember to stand in the middle if you don’t want to learn a hard gravity lesson.

Here’s a site with lots of other furniture that can be built from one sheet of plywood.

The plans for these designs are available at the PlayaTech site for whatever you wish to donate. The site grew from The Burning Man movement. Thanks to Lex for shooting it to me.

Use those building skills youi’ve developed over the years to work with family and friends to create some cool projects. Relationships and projects: two of my favorite things in life.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

June 11, 2011

Be the Trend: Android Apps for Construction
Filed under: Productivity — Tags: — nedpelger

I was pleased to receive an email from Derek Singleton last night stating that several of our ConstructionKnowledge phone apps had been selected for his list of Best Andorid Apps for Construction Management. The apps have been selling well and getting good reviews, so it’s nice to see more affirmation. Check out his list and see which apps may help you become more productive.

As I read more posts from their Software Advice site, I started thinking about the likely trend of tablet computers becoming the tool of choice for construction PMs and supervisors.  Here’s a great little video that gives a sense of the coming productivity improvements.

We’re currently building a bunch of apartment buildings for a brilliant 70 year old Mennonite customer who sends me quick decisions and updates from his iPad. I need to sit down with him and have him show  me how he uses this tool. Then I need to start researching how tablet computers could help us build better. I’ll be sure to share what I learn with you. If you have any input, please leave a comment below.

This trend for tablet computers on the jobsite will be huge. Remember: great advantages come from being at the right point on the trend line. Think about where you want to be.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

June 9, 2011

Plan Carefully and Be Prepared for Contingencies
Filed under: Ned Weirdness — Tags: — nedpelger

I’ve got lots of projects going right now. I’m planning and scheduling my little heart out. The short video below will help you remember the value of careful planning and being aware of contingencies.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXdhxb4ZhjE

Life really is just too, too good. Do your best today and remember, per the above video, plan carefully.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

June 6, 2011

New Economy Job Growth Goes to the Creative Class
Filed under: General Technical Skills — Tags: — nedpelger

An excellent series of short articles in Wired Magazine titled The Economic Rebound: It Isn’t What You Think makes the case that a new type of job seems to be growing the economy. Not really white collar or blue collar, many of the new jobs could be called creative class jobs.

A 20% to 30% per year job growth has occurred in:

  1. Wireless
  2. Internet
  3. Computer and Network Security
  4. Online Publishing

While Renewable Energy and the Environment jobs have grown at almost 57% per year.

Those in the 10% to 20% growth range are:

  1. Nanotechnology
  2. Professional Training
  3. Computer Networking
  4. Biotechnology
  5. Medical Device Manufacturing
  6. E-Learning
  7. Computer Games

So what does this have to do with you and construction? Am I giving you subtle clues that it’s time to jump into another line of work?

As TBW will attest, I’m rarely subtle. I’ve found that saying it, then saying it again standing a little closer, then saying it one more time with a step back tends to make communication actually happen. So let me say clearly what this trend means to me:  the job growth above just makes me see more opportunities in construction. There are loads of opportunities for folks willing to use their brains and take some risk.

In every trade, in every type of building project, the method of getting things done will change. You have the opportunity to lead that change, follow the leaders or get left behind (complaining about immigrants or merit shops or globalization or whatever else you want to blame).

It doesn’t matter what job you do in this wonderful construction industry, the list above should give you some clues to how your work will be changing. For example, HVAC installers will be getting more focused on internet controllers and building operational security. Project superintendents need to speak the digital language fluently or be much less valuable. Even concrete finishers will be working with different materials (that will work in ways unlike the old materials) due to the oncoming inflation . The changes coming will be explosive compared to the recent changes we’ve endured.

Embrace the change. Put effort into learning (on your own time) and make yourself more valuable. If your present employer doesn’t seem to care, find one that does and get paid accordingly.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

June 3, 2011

Andre Agassi Funds Charter School Construction
Filed under: Industry outlook — Tags: — nedpelger

Andre Agassi, tennis great, does good and does well. Agassi operates an award winning charter school in a poor section of Las Vegas and believes in the power of the charter school concept. Since privately owned schools lack the public bond funding mechanism available to public schools, school facilities tend to be a limiting factor for proposed charter schools.

To help fill that void, Agassi and Canyon Capital Realty Advisors teamed to create the $750M Canyon-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund. Low income urban areas will have access to the fund for new construction or remodeling projects.

Finding a place to put a school is typically the hardest and most expensive hurdle charter startups face.

“It is very prohibitive for many charters that have great programs,” said Vielka McFarlane, founder of Celerity Educational Group, which operates four charters in low-income areas of Los Angeles and is opening three new ones in the fall. “It’s the biggest challenge.”

So if you’re involved with school construction, here’s another way projects may trickle in.

20 years ago, I ran a company Privatization Services, Inc. that focused on privately building and owning public school facilities (not operating them). We could deliver fantastic cost savings, but couldn’t get past the political inertia to get change initiated. In these more fiscally challenging times, that privatization concept deserves dusting off as well. I doubt I have the passion to jump back on that horse, but hope someone does. It’s a strong idea for these times.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

June 1, 2011

Fencing and Decking: Be Smart Enough to Ask the Right Questions
Filed under: Sitework — Tags: — nedpelger

As the summer weather pulls us outside, our minds turn to the age old question: How can I avoid looking at my neighbor? I just came across a great resource: A User’s Guide to Fencing and Decking Materials. This free ebook suggests lots of excellent questions one  should consider when building a fence or deck. The information on materials also helps, being written on a more intelligent level than the typical How-to guide.

The many fence manufacturers provide info on their respective products, but the ebook above provides a framework for deciding which product will best solve the real design problems.

Since fences are often an after-thought on construction projects, keep this little ebook as a way to help an owner make a better design decision. Remember, as we help our customers truly succeed, our success follows.

I’ve updated the Construction Knowledge Database, Site work, Landscaping to include this post and a handy place for you to find this helpful ebook. Thanks to Lex for shooting this in my direction.