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CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

February 14, 2012

Valentine’s Day Priorities
Filed under: People Skills — Tags: — nedpelger

As I was walking and thinking this morning, I contemplated the military teaching on priorities: God, country, family, then self. I remember one of my first bosses in construction telling me that he was taught those priorities in the Navy, but wasn’t quite sure he agreed totally with the order.

Lex recently sent me the post below from Letters of Note of a man who lived and died by those priorities.

In 1861, as the American Civil War broke out, a 32-year-old lawyer named Sullivan Ballou left his wife of five years and two sons at home, and joined the war effort as a major in the Union Army. On July 14th of that year, well aware that particularly perilous times were approaching, he wrote but didn’t send the following beautiful letter to his wife, and warned her of the dangers he faced. Just a week later, he was killed in the First Battle of Bull Run along with 93 of his men. The letter was later found amongst his belongings and then delivered to his widow.

Sarah was 24 when Sullivan died. She never remarried, and passed away at 80 years of age. She is buried alongside her husband in Providence, Rhode Island.

(Source: PBS; Image: Sullivan Ballou, via Wikipedia.)

July 14, 1861
Camp Clark, Washington

My very dear Sarah,

The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days – perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more. Our movements may be of a few days’ duration and full of pleasure – and it may be of some conflict and death to me. “Not my will, but thine, O God be done.” If it is necessary that I should fall on the battlefield for my Country, I am ready.

I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization now leans on the triumph of the Government, and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and sufferings of the Revolution. And I am willing – perfectly willing – to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt.

Sarah, my love for you is deathless. It seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and burns unresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and seen our sons grown up to honorable manhood around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me – perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar – that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name. Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have often times been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all the misfortunes of this world to shield you and your children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the Spirit-land and hover near you, while you buffet the storm, with your precious little freight, and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more.

But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the gladdest days and in the darkest nights, advised to your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours, always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; as the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again.

As for my little boys – they will grow up as I have done, and never know a father’s love and care. Little Willie is too young to remember me long, and my blue-eyed Edgar will keep my frolics with him among the deep memories of childhood. Sarah, I have unlimited confidence in your maternal care and your development of their character, and feel that God will bless you in your holy work.

Tell my two Mothers I call God’s blessing upon them. O! Sarah. I wait for you there; come to me and lead thither my children.

Sullivan

As you live through this Valentine’s Day, think glorious thoughts and strive to do the right thing every moment. Try to keep yourself last on that priority list.  Live intensely in the now.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

February 13, 2012

Expensive Lessons that Teach No One
Filed under: Construction — Tags: — nedpelger

I read an ENR article about some design flaws in the World Trade Center NYC projects adding millions of dollars to the cost. I’m always curious about how those type problems arise and get resolved.

Apparently One World Trade Center will be a 104 story tower developed by the Port Authority of NY and NJ. The future Manhattan skyline is shown below. As the construction nears completion, they realized that a temporary subway station blocks the access for the loading docks into the new building. So temporary loading docks must be built (at a cost of several million dollars) that will be used until the temporary subway station can be dismantled.

Of course, no one takes full responsibility for those type of staging scenarios (and I know they are dreadfully easy to miss) and the taxpayer simply pays more. As I read more, though, that trend seemed to intensify.

The cost for the project increased by 22% to $3.8B USD. A $700M increase in times of almost no inflation seems another bitter pill for taxpayers. One World Trade Center is only 60% leased and the developer struggles to find tenants. Other related buildings in the World Trade Center complex also aren’t finding tenants and the scope of the projects, including the # of stories being built, are getting reduced.

I understand the complexity of deciding the right thing to build. When private developers make those decisions, they risk their future financial well-being on the results. The intensity (and often effectiveness) of their efforts increases as the real possibility of financial ruin looms. While America’s lenient bankruptcy laws allow private developers to take big risks without worry of sending their families into complete destitution, the pain of bankruptcy still deters.

Government entities as developers simply don’t face the same downsides. The decision makers may care intensely, but in the end the agency survives and everyone generally still has their jobs.

In my early days in construction, I remember a couple of my bosses telling me stories that made a surprising point. A bid was won that they later discovered had a substantial downside error. There was a debate about throwing in the bid, but a decision made to just live with the numbers and manage it as intensely as possible. Often those sure-fire financial loser projects turned into winners because every detail was managed so well.

I believe in the efficacy of intense construction management. I believe private entities have a much higher likelihood of managing construction projects with intense levels of efficiency. I guess that’s why I’m a private market enthusiast who owns my own business and encourages other like-minded folks to give it a try.

When we make expensive mistakes (which we all do) at least we tend to learn from them.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

February 10, 2012

Gehry’s New World Symphony in South Beach
Filed under: Cool Projects — Tags: — nedpelger

I like to check out new architecture while vacationing. With some research I found that architect Frank Gehry had designed the New World Symphony building and parking garage in South Beach. Apparently he babysat the current New World Symphony director and couldn’t resist the call to work with a friend. As I looked for the building, I assumed it would be more modest than many of Gehry’s works due to funding constraints. Certainly the building exterior indicated a Gehry design, but also a restraint.

The facade showed some interesting detailing, with the curtain wall hung outside the building. We couldn’t get into the building interior, which I read was the best of the building design. It was lauded as a truly functional and beautiful space.

I actually loved the adjacent parking garage design. From what I could determine, a mild upgrade in cost led to a beautiful building.

I also thought the adjacent park, which wasn’t designed by Gehry but by a local firm, was also done really well. It just has a peaceful feel to it. The park gets used for concerts, both live and remote from within the building.

We enjoyed our little architecture tour. I could pretend that I have an aesthetic clue…which, of course, I don’t. But we sure do get things built efficiently.  Oh well, I yam what I yam.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

February 9, 2012

South Beach Art Deco
Filed under: Ned Weirdness — Tags: — nedpelger

TBW and I just got back from a few days relaxing in South Beach (Miami Beach, FL). We enjoyed a few days in the sun…a pleasant diversion from our winter routine. TBW gets a bit down during the short winter days, so a trip towards the sun seems to brighten everything. When Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.

We especially enjoyed the South Beach Art Deco Walking Tour. Here’s the photo from their website.

We learned that the Art Deco buildings that began to be built in the 1930s were getting torn down rapidly in the 1980s. One woman, Barbara Capitman, spearheaded a movement to save the Art Deco buildings. In fact, she got almost one square mile of South Beach on the National Register of Historic Places. After that coup, changes could only come slowly and with much deliberation. It’s cool to see the results when someone strives to make a difference. Here are a couple of my favorite photos from the walking tour.

We did our share of shopping on this trip and I loved the mannequin heads pictured below. What a great way for the retailer to differentiate themselves and get us in the store.

Of course, I had to work lots of extra hours before we left and more when we got home, but it’s good to get away…even if only for a few days. Spring seems much closer now.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

February 7, 2012

Who Helped You?
Filed under: People Skills — Tags: — nedpelger

As a kid, I loved the music of Leon Russell. He was an amazing piano player and just as cool as they come.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2Z9qN8R9Bg

Turns out, Leon Russel was one of Elton John’s heroes as well. But as Sir Elton’s career just kept building speed, Leon Russell’s was broken down by the side of the road. Leon had fallen on some hard times in recent years.

As Elton tells the story, he was thinking about the big influence Leon Russell had on his career and wondered where he was. He then thought, “If somebody helped you, and they are still alive, why not do what you can to help them?”

He found Leon as an old man, walking with a cane but still so cool and still an amazing piano player and singer. So Elton did a joint album with Leon Russell that hit the Billboard Top 10 and debuted as #1 on Amazon.

So my question for you and me today is, “Who Helped You?” If they are still alive, give them a call or send them a note or make an album with them or do something to express your gratitude. The difference between living with joy instead of regrets comes down to what you do in the now.

So, who helped you? What are you going to do about it? Please leave a comment below if this post stirred you to action.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

February 1, 2012

Beware the Shibboleth
Filed under: Ned Weirdness — Tags: — nedpelger

I was reading Henry Petroski‘s An Engineer’s Alphabet which has him playfully pontificating on various engineering and construction terms. When he gets to “C”, he writes the following about concrete:

Because concrete is often called “cement” by lay persons, the usage of the word serves as a kind of shibboleth distinguishing the technically illiterate from the technically literate.

So, what in the world is a shibboleth? As I read the quote above, I had just shut down my computer for the night. My first thought was, “I guess I’ll wait till morning to look it up on Dictionary.com.” Then I remembered that I have a great dictionary in my desk drawer, I just haven’t used it in years. I had to chuckle realizing that I’d almost forgotten to even think about a book dictionary. The Net Generation and all that follow won’t even consider that option.

But back to shibboleth. Turns out, it means “a word or pronunciation that distinguishes people of one group or class from those of another.” One of my favorite customers always talks about the “cement floors” and “pouring the cement” just because he knows it drives me crazy.

I got to thinking about other words or phrases that peg the “Idiot Meter” in my brain. Lots of folks call any piece of construction equipment a bulldozer. I have to force myself not to explain that a bulldozer pushes and then to properly name and describe the backhoe, loader or whatever other piece of equipment they see.

When I hear someone call any piece of structural steel an “I Beam” I immediately reassess their intelligence level. Same with any piece of lumber being called a “2 by 4”.  Sorry, I know a better person would be more understanding and less judgmental, but that ain’t me.

Can you think of any other construction words or phases that act as a shibboleth? Leave me a comment and let me know the ones that goad you. Or am I the only one that’s this shallow?

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

January 31, 2012

ENR Announces Best of the Best Projects 2011 Awards
Filed under: Cool Projects — Tags: — nedpelger

I got the following news release from the folks at Engineering News Record about the contest I helped judge. It was a fascinating process.

Engineering News-Record (ENR) is pleased to announce the winners of its fourth annual Best of the Best Projects Awards, a national competition that recognizes design and construction excellence based on regional winners of ENR’s seven regional publications’ Best Projects 2011 Awards. Winners will be profiled in the February 13, 2012 issue of ENR.

Out of 119 regional Best Projects winners, an independent jury of design and construction professionals selected 18 winners in categories ranging from green building to transportation. Projects were judged on safety, innovation, contribution to the industry/community, aesthetic and functional quality of design and construction craftsmanship.

One project, to be announced in the February 13, 2012 issue of ENR, will also be selected for the Editor’s Choice Award—a single project that stood out to ENR’s editors as an outstanding achievement in 2011.

ENR’s Best of the Best 2011 Award Winners:

  • Best Civil Works/Infrastructure – Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Floodwall, New Orleans, La.; submitted to ENR Texas & Louisiana by Traylor-Massman-Weeks LLC
  • Best Cultural/Worship – DiMenna Center for Classical Music, New York, N.Y.; submitted to ENR New York by H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture
  • Best Government/Public Building – Chandler City Hall, Chandler, Ariz.; submitted to ENR Southwest by Sundt Construction Inc.
  • Best Green Building – Facebook Data Center, Prineville, Ore.; submitted to ENR California by Facebook
  • Best Health Care – Helen DeVos Childrens Hospital, Grand Rapids, Mich.; submitted to ENR Midwest by Turner Construction Co.
  • Best Higher Education/Research – Kravis Center-Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, Calif.; submitted to ENR California by Bernards
  • Best Industrial/Manufacturing – Merck VBF, Durham, N.C.; submitted to ENR Southeast by Merck
  • Best Interior Design/Tenant Improvement – BP Bright Lights, Chicago, Ill.; submitted to ENR Midwest by Lend Lease (formerly Bovis Lend Lease)
  • Best K-12 Education – Casey Middle School, Boulder, Colo.; submitted to ENR Mountain States by Weifield Group Contracting
  • Best Landscape/Hardscape/Urban Development – Wilmington Waterfront Park, Wilmington/Los Angeles, Calif.; submitted to ENR California by Sasaki Associates Inc.
  • Best Multi-Family Residential/Hospitality – Montage Deer Valley, Park City, Utah; submitted to ENR Mountain States by Layton Construction Co. Inc.
  • Best Office – United States Institute of Peace (USIP) Headquarters and Global Peacebuilding Center (GPC), Washington, D.C.; submitted to ENR New York by Clark Construction Group LLC
  • Best Renovation/Restoration – Jackson Barracks Historical Renovation, New Orleans, La.; submitted to ENR Texas & Louisiana by Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Group LLC
  • Best Retail/Mixed-Use Developments – Square 54, Washington, D.C.; submitted to ENR New York by Clark Construction Group LLC
  • Best Small Project – St. Mary’s Catholic Church Expansion and Addition, Plantersville, Texas; submitted to ENR Texas & Louisiana by Fretz Construction Co.
  • Best Specialty Contracting – MCFM Solar Thermal Installations, Phoenix, Ariz.; submitted to ENR Southwest by Builders Guild Inc.
  • Best Sports/Entertainment – Jeld-Wen Field, Portland, Ore.; submitted to ENR California by Turner Construction
  • Best Transportation – Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge, San Diego, Calif.; submitted to ENR California by T.Y. Lin International

Best of the Best Panel of Judges:

  • Tony Bartolomeo, president/CEO, Pennoni
  • Anthony Bouchard, executive vice president, AECOM
  • David Bowlin, CEO, Broaddus & Associates
  • Marjorie Brown, VP/NW managing principal, HDR Architecture
  • Daniel Hogan, director, Office of Construction Management, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, U.S. Dept. of State
  • Cyrus Izzo, co-president, Syska Hennessy Group Inc.
  • Stephan Kordt, principal, Halcrow Yolles Structural Engineers
  • Michael William Malloy, principal engineer, First Americans LLC, and president-elect of ACEC-NM
  • Simin Naaseh, president, Forell/Elsesser Engineers
  • Marianne O’Brien, principal, SmithGroup
  • Ned Pelger, president, Pelger Engineering & Construction
  • George Pontikes, president, Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Inc.
  • Tania Salgado, design principal, RNL Design
  • Kirk Samuelson, senior vice president operations support, Kiewit
  • John Schaufelberger, chair/professor, Dept. of Construction Management, University of Washington
  • Cliff Schwinger, vice president, The Harman Group Inc.
  • J.J. Suarez, chairman and CEO, CSA Group

For more information, watch for the forthcoming Feb. 13, 2012 issue of ENR, or visit www.enr.com.

My choice for overall winner would be the Merck VBF industrial project. They built a 214,000 sf virus vaccine facility with an amazing level of planning and benchmarking. By utilizing modular mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems built offsite, they shaved the schedule from 46 months to 30 months. They had 1.5M work-hours with no recordable accidents and only 3 minor recordable incidents. They also set diversity goals for bidding opportunity, participation and awards and exceeded government goals by 30%. Overall, my pick for the best project of 2011.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

January 28, 2012

When We Build
Filed under: Computers in Construction — Tags: — nedpelger

I came across one of the most thought provoking lectures I’ve seen in years and decided to share it with you. Since you read this blog, you probably do some construction related work…or wish you did. I often write about the joy of building. When we build, we use tools to improve the physical world.  In fact, our tools differentiate us from the rest of life on the planet.

Pulling an illustration from the lecture, how efficient do you think humans are in locomotion (moving ourselves a certain distance)? Turns out, we are middle of the animal pack. We use a bit less energy to move a km than a dog, a bit more than a horse and not even close to the winners…condors. But when we hop on a bicycle, we far surpass the condor in efficiency. Steve Jobs used this illustration to conclude that the computer becomes the bicycle for our minds. With the computer, we have the most important invention in human history and we’re just starting to get into the really cool uses.

So when I watched Wilson Miner from Apple speak for 38 minutes on When We Build, I knew it was something I needed to share with you. I know 38 minutes is a long time. I can tell you the lecture is beautiful, pulling in images, video and ideas that can’t be replicated by just words. I strongly encourage you to take the time to watch the video below and think deeply about how the computer will change how you work and live. One idea could change your life.

Wilson Miner – When We Build from Build on Vimeo.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

January 25, 2012

5 Reasons to Start Your Construction Business in Spring 2012
Filed under: Construction — Tags: — nedpelger

Having my own construction business was never really a dream of mine. I knew my wife’s concern for security and believed that she simply wouldn’t be able to live with the perceived risks. Then again, I never really did much long range planning in my life. I thought hard about what I wanted to do that day, that week and even that year, but never planned beyond a year. With all the variables involved, planning beyond a year just seemed (and still seems) like a waste of effort.

But November of 1995 suddenly lined up a few elements in my life. For the first time in years, I wasn’t that engaged in my job. I’d come through a serious illness and had re-evaluated life priorities. The concept of failure didn’t seem as scary. We didn’t have much money, but TBW believed in my capabilities. I was reasonably sure that if I failed, I could get some one to hire me to do something that would keep the family in food and the donkeys in hay. The economy was just coming out of a recession…in fact, a recession stemming from financial institutions over-lending.

So I jumped into my own business with no work lined up and the jobs came in a trickle, then a steady flow. I’ve never regretted the move and can’t imagine going back. A number of friends are contemplating making their own jump and feeling that same pressure. Here are 5 reasons I believe the Spring of 2012 is a great time to start your own construction business.

  1. The Great Recession seems to have bottomed out and construction work seems to be trending up.
  2. Many construction companies went out of business this winter, leaving some gaps for newcomers.
  3. Winter (particularly December and January) traditionally drains the most cash from construction companies. Start towards the Spring to capture the best cash flow of the annual cycle.
  4. If not now, when? Life is short. The risk isn’t that huge and the rewards are good. Even if you fail, understand that you can survive it and maybe be better for it.
  5. Look around at some of the nitwits that have made it. If they can, surely you have a reasonable shot at it.

Good luck and Godspeed. By the way, expect a bit of a blip from the Euro crashing and burning, but I don’t believe that’s going to kill our recovery in the USA.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

January 23, 2012

Please Do Me a Favor and Fill Out this Estimating Survey
Filed under: Construction — Tags: — nedpelger

Houston Neal at the Construction Software Advice website pulled together a survey to gather data on construction estimating. The 2012 Construction Estimating Benchmark Survey does an excellent job of making you think about how you estimate projects and how your estimating process works.

Since estimating costs matters so much in construction, it’s worth ten minutes of your time to do the survey. Neal will send you the results, which should also provide some valuable info for most of us. Even if you’re not primarily an estimator, please take the survey. Thanks.

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