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WWW.MCSMAG.COMPROS & CONS FORPROS & CONS FORFLEET OPERATIONSFLEET OPERATIONSARTIFICIALARTIFICIALINTELLIGENCEINTELLIGENCEPREDICTIVE PREDICTIVE CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION EMBRACING WINDS EMBRACING WINDS OF CHANGE OF CHANGEPOPULAR POPULAR EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT MUST-HAVE MUST-HAVE MACHINES MACHINESEV TRANSITION EV TRANSITION THE TECH BRIDGETHE TECH BRIDGEAUGUST 2023AP TECHNOLOGY AP TECHNOLOGY BUILDING DIGITAL BUILDING DIGITAL SKILLSSKILLS

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com4HOW GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING HELPS CONTRACTORS BUILD ON SOLID GROUND By Emily NewtonBUILDERS NEED PREEMPTIVE ACTION TO FACE CLIMATE CHANGE By Jane MarshTURNER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY TO PILOT VOLVO EC230 ELECTRIC EXCAVATOR From Volvo Construction Equipment Americas2040AUGUST 2023VOLUME 17 ISSUE 08Inside This Issue28special focusIN EVERY ISSUEIndustry News .............................. Modern Construction Products......  Punch List ................................... legal solutionARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCEthe arrival of AI brings caution for useenvironmental solutionTHE ROLE OF POLICY: PART 4 OF 4ability to drive low-carbon procurement prioritizationequipment solutionPOPULAR EQUIPMENTmust-have machinesEQUIPMENTequipment solutionVENCO VENTUROdelivers more than 70 years of expertise for work-ready reliabilityON THE BLOGEQUIPTERThe Equipter 4000 is an innovative debris management tool that has helped increase crew efficiency across North America. At this renovation job, the self-powered Equipter 4000 can be driven through tight access spaces where it can be filled with debris, then driven to a dumpster where it can lift and dump up to 4,000 lbs of material. www.equipter.com46technology solutionSCISSOR LIFTall-electric ready for cold temps22equipment solution DECK ON THE WATERbarges create platform16

PROJECT PROFILESetting the Stage ................................................. 14EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONSPopular Equipment .............................................. 16Komatsu Technology ............................................ 18Venco Venturo ..................................................... 20Deck on the Water ............................................... 22Emergency Services ............................................. 24ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONSThe Role of Policy: Part 4 of 4 ............................... 28Adopting Green .................................................... 30MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONSAP Technology ..................................................... 34Distracted Driving & Injuries ................................. 36Predictive Construction ........................................ 38LEGAL SOLUTIONArtificial Intelligence ............................................ 40TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONSFleet Management and AI ..................................... 44All-Electric Scissor Lift ......................................... 46EV Transition ....................................................... 48SAFETY SOLUTIONSSafer Jobsites ...................................................... 52Maneuverability Value .......................................... 54MAINTENANCE SOLUTIONJoint Effort........................................................... 56SUBSCRIPTIONS For all changes, go to:MCSMAG.COMClick the SUBSCRIPTIONS button in the main menuwww.mcsmag.com 3100 Lorna Rd, Ste 101Birmingham, AL 35216DONNA CAMPBELL Editor in Chiefdonna@mcsmag.com MIKE BARKER Publishermike@mcsmag.com RANDY MOON Media Consultantrandym@mcsmag.com KEVIN MCCLARAN Media Consultantkevin@mcsmag.com JUANITA NESSINGER Media Consultantjuanita@mcsmag.com LISA AVERY Art Directorlisa@mcsmag.com SETH SAUNDERS Digital Media Specialist seth@mcsmag.com INGRID BERKY Office Manageringrid@mcsmag.comTIM GARMONCEORUSSELL HADDOCKPresidentCHRIS GARMONCFODONNA CAMPBELLVice President, EditorialTONYA BROWNINGVice PresidentNo part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage-and-retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher. The views expressed by those not on the sta of Modern Contractor Solutions, or who are not specifically employed by Highlands Publications are purely their own. All Industry News material has either been submitted by the subject company or pulled directly from its corporate website, which is assumed to be cleared for release. Comments and submissions are welcome, and can be submitted to donna@mcsmag.com.For reprint information, contact Chris Garmon at chris@mcsmag.com.Canada Post Publication Agreement #41578525. Undeliverables 355 Admiral Drive, Unit 4, Mississauga, ON L5T 2N1 Modern Contractor Solutions Magazine@mcsmagModern Contractor SolutionsEQUIPMENT-READY Without the right equipment, getting the job done well or even on-time could be daunting task. This MCS August issue highlights must-have machines on the jobsite and specialty equipment for innovative tasks. Added into the content mix are articles discussing artificial intelligence and predictive construction. The pairing of metal and intellect could be a game-changer for GCs embracing the winds of change. The next read for your punch list is The One Thing. This book puts into perspective the simple truth of getting the results you want in your personal life and in business. With extreme heat in parts of the country, below are some tips for preventing heat stress for jobsite workers courtesy of Cameron Samuel, assistant safety director at Western Specialty Contractors: • Drink water frequently and drink enough water that you never become thirsty. • Wear light-colored, loose-fitting, breathable cotton clothing. • Wear safety glasses with UV protection, sunscreen, and brimmed hard hats. • Gradually build up to heavy work. • Take more breaks in the shade or a cool area. Cheers,Donna CampbellEditor in ChiefMAYPORT, FLORIDA (July 11, 2023) – Petty Officer 2nd Class Nautica Luzania, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, serves aboard Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Training Facility, Atlantic in Mayport, Florida. Luzania joined the Navy eight years ago. Today, Luzania relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Birmingham to succeed in the military. “I learned southern hospitality in Birmingham and to be kind and understanding to people,” says Luzania. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James GreenThe One Thingpunch•list60

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com8industry newsAIRTAME OFFERS ALL-NEW ‘SHARE FROM BROWSER’ FEATURE Airtame, creator of the hardware-enabled SaaS platform that allows seamless collaboration in businesses, launches a powerful new screen sharing feature that makes hybrid collaboration in construction boardrooms and sites simpler and more secure than ever before. With the new award-winning Share from Browser feature, employees in a corporate headquarters, local office, and temporary jobsite can use any popular web browser to instantly initiate screen sharing from personal devices to Airtame-powered displays without requiring any new app downloads, installations or cables and dongles, ensuring a simple and efficient hybrid meeting experience. Share from Browser is compatible with Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, for ultimate flexibility and easy access, and will be available on all Airtame screens on subscription. For more, visit www.airtame.com.TAKEUCHI EXPANDS DEALER NETWORK WITH THREE MORE LOCATIONSTakeuchi’s dealer network continues to grow with the addition of Anderson Equipment branches in Bridgeville and Somerset, Pennsylvania and Bridgeport, West Virginia. Anderson Equipment already carries Takeuchi’s compact excavators, track loaders, and wheel loaders at 12 of its locations across West Virginia, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, and Vermont. Each of the three newly added Anderson Equipment branches will have Takeuchi equipment and parts in stock, a dedicated and fully trained Takeuchi sales staff and an in-house, factory-trained technician to provide professional equipment service. For more, visit www.andersonequip.com or www.takeuchi-us.com.G4 CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT JOINS HYUNDAI NORTH AMERICAN DEALER NETWORKHD Hyundai Construction Equipment North America announces the addition to its North America dealer network of G4 Construction Equipment, Denver, Colorado. The dealership will represent the full line of Hyundai construction equipment products throughout the Front Range region of eastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming, from the New Mexico state line up through the Cheyenne area. HD Hyundai Construction Equipment NA offers sales, service, and parts through its dealer network. Hyundai delivers regular product and service training to ensure dealer partners are able to provide top-caliber support to meet the growing business needs of Hyundai construction equipment customers. For more, visit www.hceamericas.com.FELLING TRAILERS ADDS LARSON CABLE TRAILERS TO PRODUCT OFFERINGFelling Trailers, Inc. adds Larson Cable Trailers to its product offering with the, LCT-7500, LCT-5620, and LCT-5700. A division of Felling Trailers, acquired in May 2021, Larson Cable Trailers, Inc. is a known leader in

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com10industry newsfiber-optic cable-handling trailer products. Effective August 1, 2023, the Felling Trailers sales team is now offering the LCT models as part of their expansive product line. “We feel this move will allow us to provide enhanced regional dealer support, providing training, and product support,” says Nathan Uphus, Felling Trailers sales manager. With the two companies working together with seven regional sales managers, we can now provide sales and product support nationwide. This will, in turn, allow more time for Larson's Tech Training Specialists, Rick Larson and Mike Young, to focus on end-user support. For more, visit www.felling.com.DIABLO REVOLUTIONIZES METAL CUTTING WITH INDUSTRY-FIRST STEEL DEMON™ CERMET BLADE SERIES Diablo Tools, which offers a solution-oriented range of best-in-the-world, best-for-our-world products for the professional user, reinvents the metal cutting industry again with an unmatched line of Cermet saw blades designed for extreme durability, longer life, and faster cuts in metals and stainless steel. A perfect fit for cordless and corded saws, the Steel Demon™ Cermet blade features an exclusive, innovative design that delivers up to 25X longer life, 50X cooler cuts, and 10X faster cuts versus standard abrasive cut off discs—a groundbreaking design that is redefining the metal cutting industry. Diablo offers a full range of Steel Demon™ Cermet blades for thin, medium, and thick metals and stainless steels ranging in diameters from 5-3/8-inches to 14-inches. Diablo Cermet blades are available now wherever Diablo products are sold—including The Home Depot and independent retailers. For more, visit diablosohotitscool.com. STALLION INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES IS EXPANDING INTO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRYThe newly rebranded Stallion Infrastructure Services is expanding into the construction industry providing security, comfort, and connectivity from a single provider. A leader in workforce accommodations for the oil and gas industry for the last 20 years, the company provides a streamlined procurement process for temporary infrastructure. For construction sites, this could include temporary office space with all the luxuries of a downtown office, including power generation, lighting, sanitation services, communications, and connectivity, as well as security surveillance and monitoring.Stallion Infrastructure Services video surveillance systems help protect worksites by utilizing AI-enabled, advanced analytics, machine learning, cloud and local storage, real-time alerting, and sophisticated API integrations to ensure the most comprehensive surveillance capabilities available. The company’s sanitation services include clean, hygienic, stand-alone toilets and luxury multi-stall restroom facilities which are all supported by professional servicing and eco-friendly waste disposal. Stallion Infrastructure Services can also keep construction sites connected with both high-speed enterprise connectivity and

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com12industry newshigh-performance voice and data solutions as well as two-way handheld radios.By leveraging its proficiency in logistics, integrated solutions, and smart technology, Stallion Infrastructure Services can fulfill the role of a sole-source provider, thus eliminating the need to manage multiple vendors, across multiple sites. This increases accountability while also simplifying a company’s underlying support network allowing individuals to live and work efficiently in remote locations. For more, visit stallionis.com.TEREX UTILITIES USES GREEN ENERGY TO MAKE AERIAL LIFTS AND DIGGER DERRICKS IN SOUTH DAKOTATerex Utilities announces that 100% of the electricity that powers its facilities in South Dakota comes from renewable resources—and has since January 1, 2022. “This was made possible through the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from our local utilities,” says Eric Moore, facilities manager. “Not only is Terex Utilities committed to producing sustainable products like our HyPower SmartPTO by Viatec powered equipment and the industry’s first all-electric bucket truck, but we are also committed to engaging in sustainable initiatives,” says Moore. The purchase of RECs enabled Terex Utilities to reach 100% renewable energy consumption in Watertown, South Dakota. For more, visit www.terex.com.EARTHSAFE INTRODUCES NEW LINE OF HIGH-EFFICIENCY ABSORBENTSEarthSafe, known for its eco-friendly industrial cleaning solutions, responded to overwhelming demand for natural yet powerful absorbents and expanded its portfolio of spill containment products with FlashDry coir absorbent at its core. Only a small percentage of absorbents are made from readily renewable materials. FlashDry coir absorbent is not only highly sustainable but extremely versatile. Classified as both a universal and hazmat absorbent with hydrophobic and oleophilic properties for marine or land, FlashDry works for all types of spills including chemicals, biohazards, and hydrocarbons. For more, visit www.earthsafeca.com and www.evaclean.com.VERMEER LOOKS TO THE FUTURE AFTER 75 YEARS IN BUSINESSBuilt on Founder Gary Vermeer’s legacy of finding a better way, for Vermeer Corporation the last 75 years have centered around impacting people and the world for the better. As the company looks to the future, third- generation family member, president and CEO Jason Andringa says the next 75 years will continue to aim for the same purpose. Vermeer has expanded from its modest beginnings to an organization of more than 4,000 team members worldwide, recently having been recognized by Forbes magazine as one of America's Best Midsize Employers. For more, visit www.vermeer.com. 1-877-350-5584

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com14project profileSome buildings stand the test of time. A major renovation, aesthetic improvements, or even a new technological wrinkle can lengthen the service life of many structures. Sometimes, though, even a multi-million-dollar facelift can’t meet the needs for building owners or occupants. The only recourse is to start anew. That is precisely the situation where Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park found itself a few years back. In March, Moe and Jack’s Place – The Rouse Theatre opened its doors as the new home for the Playhouse. The $50 million, 62,000-square-feet theater replaced the Marx Theatre, which was built in 1968. The Marx Theatre served the community well, but it needed more than a refresh. “At some point we brought in engineers to determine if a renovation could do the trick,’’ says Blake Robison, the Playhouse’s producing artistic director. “And they came back and said this theater is so old and idiosyncratic that you’re better off just tearing down and building exactly what you want.”Planning for the new theater started in 2018 and construction commenced in 2020. The new structure has all the bells and whistles that have emerged in theater construction. “The level of stage technology alone far surpasses what Playhouse audiences have become accustomed to over the past 65 years,’’ Robison says. “It’s literally a game-changer for us.” IN WITH THE NEWInnovations in stage technology have improved the theatrical experience for showgoers significantly since the Marx Theatre opened. “The old Marx Theatre was built at a time when the focus was almost entirely on the actor,’’ Robison says. “So that theater was specifically designed to preclude the use of scenery on stage.”The new theater embraces the technological advantages that have shaped theater construction in the past half century. A “fly gallery” over the stage and allows for hundreds of new set design options. “Imagine seeing a musical where there are four or five different locations, and the sets can fly up and down,’’ Robison says. “We couldn’t do that in our old theater.”A thrust stage, which extends into the audience on three sides, adds intimacy to the theater. Actors will enjoy new rehearsal halls that match size and shape of the stage, increased backstage area to accommodate larger sets and casts, and upgrades to the costume shop, dressing rooms and green room. Patrons will enter through an open lobby with improved entrances and exits, and will appreciate increased accessibility and more amenities, such as lobby, bar, and dining area to visit before and after the shows. The theater includes 540 seats, while the Marx Theatre had 626. “There’s so much that we’re going to be able to do in this new space that was not possible in the old one,’’ Robison says. “First of all, this stage house is built on the spec of a traditional Broadway theater, which is what 90% of the theaters in America are built as. So, we can create something in Cincinnati and then send it out to the rest of the country and the entire production can transfer because the stage itself is a perfect match.”Aside from the theater improvements, The Rouse Theatre is much more user friendly for workers. “We had no loading dock in the Marx Theatre, everything had to be moved off trucks with a forklift and then rolled into the theatre,’’ says Josh Escajeda, the director of production. “The Rouse Theatre has a full loading dock with space for two trucks and dock levelers, which makes operations more efficient. We also have elevators to just about every floor, making moving equipment around so much easier.”SILENCING EXTERNAL NOISEMany theaters built over the past few years have included acoustical smoke vents, which guard against noise intrusion. They also include the advantages of standard smoke vents, which assist firefighters in bringing a fire under control by removing smoke, heat, and gases from a burning building. Acoustical smoke vents, however, were unavailable when many older theaters were Setting the StageSetting the StageCincinnati welcomes new state-of-the-art theater RENOVATIONBy Thomas Renner5 acoustical smoke vents from BILCO were included in a new theater in the Playhouse in the Park in Cincinnati. Photos by Snappy George Photography/George Paxton

constructed. Standard smoke vents were not introduced until the 1950s. Architects from BHDP specified five acoustical smoke vents made by BILCO, the manufacturer of specialty access products. The 5-ft x 5-ft acoustical smoke vents have industry-high ratings of STC-50, OITC-46, and ISO 140-18. The OITC rating is especially critical for theaters, as it guards against low-frequency sounds such as vehicular traffic and airplane noise. STC ratings guard against interior noise sources, such as voices. “The architect selected the BILCO product based on the product features and the requirements for this application,’’ says Todd Wright, senior project manager for Messer Construction Company, the general contractor for the project. Three BILCO thermally broken roof hatches were also included in the project. The hatches, 2-ft, 6-inches x 2-ft-6-inches and 3-ft x 5-ft were also included to allow for access to stage equipment from the roof. The thermally broken hatches, which include three inches of concealed polyisocyanurate insulation, have become especially popular in the past few years as building owners look to curb energy costs.CLOSING THOUGHTCultural buildings such as theaters capture the heart of every metropolitan community. The venues are a melting pot for all residents, and the building needs to reflect that. “The theater is going to be around for a long time,’’ says Tom Arends, design leader and partner at BHDP. “We wanted to be able to make sure that we could adapt to whatever changes are in the theater of the next 50 years. So, flexibility is built in as one of our key drivers. We recognize that we want to cater to a multi-generational audience, so we often say from grandchildren to grandparents. We want to make sure there’s an experience and something wonderful for everybody.” www.mcsmag.com AUGUST 202315about the authorThomas Renner writes on building, construction and other trade industry topics for publications throughout the United States.The new theater offers greater flexibility and improves comfort and accessibility, making for a far nicer experience for patrons.

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com16equipment solutionPopular EquipmentPopular Equipmentcommon, versatile, must-have machines on jobsitesBKTThe most popular construction equipment depends on the specific needs of a project, but there are certain must-have pieces that remain common across sites. These include loaders, articulated dump trucks, and graders. Loaders top the list as they are versatile and can use different attachments to perform various functions such as digging, leveling materials, or moving debris. All these tools function together to expedite processes while ensuring worker safety. LOADERS AND ARTICULATED DUMP TRUCKSLoaders are perhaps the most widely used form of equipment in the construction industry, as they're incredibly versatile. Loaders are used for digging and loading large quantities of soil, rocks, or debris into articulated dump trucks for movement from one place to another. Typically equipped with a front-mounted bucket, forks or grapple that can be raised and lowered as needed, wheel loaders are used to excavate and transport materials short distances from one location to another on jobsites. They are also used in conjunction with articulated dump trucks for longer transport distances, ranging from small residential builds to major infrastructure projects. EARTHMAX SR 30 (E-3/L-3) is an All-Steel radial tire which is dual-purposed for loaders and articulated dump trucks. The multi-layer steel belts and the rigid block pattern provide excellent traction, stability, and durability. The special cut-resistant compound makes EARTHMAX SR 30 the ideal solution for a variety of harsh operating conditions along with its low profile 65 series cousin the EARTHMAX SR 35. When extra traction and extended tread wear are needed, BKT’s EARTHMAX SR 41 with deeper tread is a great performer in these applications in standard and low profile 65 series sizes.GRADERSGraders are critical to road and infrastructure construction and maintenance projects. BKT provides several choices in both bias and radial construction to enable your dealer to provide the best tire for your needs. All offer lateral stability, resistance to cuts, and long tread life.EARTHMAX SR 25 PLUS (G-2/L-2) is an All-Steel radial tire, which has been specially designed for motor graders and loaders operating in the most severe road construction or mining applications. Its non-directional tread design offers excellent self-cleaning properties in addition to traction and stability off the road.We all know that it is important to use the right tires for the application. But why? • Leads to higher efficiency/less unscheduled downtime• Prevents rapid tire wear• Prevents tire damage • Saves money, adding to your bottom lineCLOSING THOUGHTBecause it is critical to choose the proper tire for the application, BKT has a technical staff and highly trained and certified sales managers to ensure the right tires are chosen to optimize a customer’s performance and cost of operations. for more informationFor more than 30 years, BKT has led the way in the creation and manufacture of safe, innovative, and performance-focused tires for a range of specialist sectors, including the construction, earthmoving, port, mining, and agricultural industries. For more, visit www.bkt-tires.com/ww/us/.

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com18Komatsu TechnologyKomatsu Technologydesigned to help owners improve efficiency and productivityCONEXPO Instilling predictability into operations, whether in construction, quarry, forestry, energy/utility, waste or other industries, can help drive greater productivity and efficiency. Komatsu recognizes that each business operation is unique and that finding the right tools is the key to business success. At CONEXPO, Komatsu showcased a wide variety of technology designed to optimize productivity, no matter where a business is on its technology journey.In addition to helping to improve efficiency and productivity, the right technology can help to: • Optimize fleet capabilities• Extend machine life and improve value • Help operators work with safety as a priority• Reduce employee downtime• Meet increasing environmental requirements and reduce carbon footprint• Upskill and retain employees and use them in the most productive waysKomatsu showcased the following technologies at ConExpo in March. SMART CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY• Komatsu can help with decisions reflective of jobsite, culture, and budget • Merging advanced automation and integrated technologies can transform jobsites through predictability.• Projects can go more smoothly when robust data is easily shared, replicated, and updated..• The currently available suite of Smart Construction products will be featured, including Dashboard, Design, Drone, Field, Fleet, Office, Remote, and Retrofit. SMART QUARRY TECHNOLOGY• Smart Quarry solutions are designed to help customers understand, visualize, and optimize their jobsites. Jobsite studies provide customers with customized, detailed data that may help them meet or even exceed their production targets. • Solutions such as Smart Quarry Site take it a step further with continual production monitoring aimed to help increase efficiency, improve production, and maintain a high level of performance. INTELLIGENT MACHINE CONTROL 2.0Designed to quickly lessen the skills gap between new and experienced operators, and improve the bottom line for contractors, Komatsu’s intelligent Machine Control (iMC) integrates with the company’s suite of Smart Construction products, services and digital solutions that incorporate a host of advanced, proprietary machine technology. Developed with input from leading construction companies, iMC gives contractors sophisticated, productivity-enhancing automation along with cutting-edge jobsite design. CLOSING THOUGHTKomatsu develops and supplies technologies, equipment and services for the construction, mining, forklift, industrial and forestry markets. For a century, the company has been creating value for its customers through manufacturing and technology innovation, partnering with others to empower a sustainable future where people, business and the planet thrive together. for more informationFront-line industries worldwide use Komatsu solutions to develop modern infrastructure, extract fundamental minerals, maintain forests and create consumer products. The company's global service and distributor networks support customer operations to enhance safety and productivity while optimizing performance. For more, visit www.komatsu.com. equipment solution

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com20equipment solutionVenco VenturoVenco Venturodelivers more than 70 years of expertise for work-ready reliabilityELEVATE OPERATIONNo matter what industry you’re in, if you don’t have the right equipment for the job, two things will happen: first, the work becomes much harder than it needs to be. Second, downtime and unnecessary expenses are almost sure to follow.If your projects keep going sideways like this, you’ll need to re-spec your equipment—leaving revenue on the table and pushing back timelines—all because you didn’t have what you needed to get the job done from the start. The trusted team and top-notch gear at Venco Venturo stop all that in its tracks.LONG HISTORYSince 1952, Venco Venturo has been a leader in developing a line of made in the USA service cranes, truck bodies, hoists, and accessories. The Cincinnati-based company prides itself on its long history of delivering durable, rugged equipment to handle any job—while providing excellent customer service and the fastest lead times in the industry. A commitment to understanding customers’ needs and then building them the right equipment to match the application has helped Venturo maintain its pioneering position in the world of work truck equipment.When construction and maintenance companies don’t get the right components for their fleets, they’re forced to re-measure and re-spend (sometimes start completely over), after the initial investment. This greatly increases operating costs and shrinks profit margins. Understanding this trap, Venturo is dedicated to two principles:1. Deliver only what is needed, not what isn’t. 2. Provide unmatched customer support and service. “We understand what goes into finding work-ready truck and crane equipment,” vice president of sales and marketing at Venco Venturo Ian Lahmer says. “If you don’t get what you need, you’ll have to re-measure everything and swap features as you go. That’s why we work directly with each customer to install the equipment they need so they can get back to the job. Simple as that.” MID-SIZE SERVICE CRANES Venturo also provides application-specific components with the bandwidth for several custom options. A prime example is the reliable HT45KX service crane. VENCO VENTUROVenco Venturo began in 1952 as Collins Associates, Inc., the largest manufacturer’s representative agency in the truck body and equipment industry. In 1964, they founded the Truck Equipment & Body Distributors Association, which is currently known as the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA). From those beginnings, the Cincinnati, Ohio-based company continues to build upon its ironclad foundation to deliver high-performing, heavy-duty work trucks, service cranes, hoists and equipment with the reliability and versatility needed for even the most challenging work environments.

This fully hydraulic crane has less weight for added versatility and is engineered for more crane capacity with a lighter payload. It is designed to work with all service body manufacturers and includes the following:• Hexagonal boom structure and crane housing• 7,800 lbs lifting capacity• 45,600 ft/lbs rating• 30 ft reach• Precision overload protection• Vehicle stability and grade controlThe real highlight of this crane is the Venturo Logic Controls (VLC™) management system.The VLC system contains a wireless, pistol-grip remote that gives operators ease of use (and peace of mind) with safety statuses and alerts on the LCD screen. The crane itself contains its own safety feature with bright colored alert lights on the underside of the boom, which go from green to yellow to red to indicate different safety warnings.VTEC CENTER, CUSTOM UPFIT In addition to its high-quality product lines, Venturo’s custom equipment services round out the complete customer experience. For installations, modifications or custom builds, Venturo has it covered. These capabilities have been keeping operations in several industries running smoothly for decades. There isn’t a job Venturo equipment can’t handle, whether it’s in stock or specially modified.When it comes to service cranes, truck bodies, hoists, and accessories, Venturo either has it—or will build it.Venturo’s VTEC Center is a custom upfit shop staffed by factory-trained technicians. They can build and install cranes and hoists on existing fleets or perform a range of custom work for a complete, work-ready package. “We’re happy to do custom builds. That’s where the VTEC Center comes in. Whether you need a new crane, a full work truck, or even if you aren’t sure where to begin, it doesn’t matter. We’ll customize the truck package for any job,” Lahmer says.To ensure each customer gets the right components, Venturo put a user-friendly system in place.“We designed a simple checklist,” Lahmer says. “All a customer needs to do is fill out the crane and truck specs they need—size, weight, operational requirements, and the accessories they want. Then we’ll handle the rest.”CLOSING THOUGHTVenturo equipment is purpose-built to help operators improve productivity and safety at any jobsite. From basic upfits to finished, work-ready packages, Venturo’s made in the USA, light- and heavy-duty cranes, hoists and truck bodies are ready to handle the challenges of any job, anywhere. www.mcsmag.com AUGUST 202321for more informationLearn more about Venco Venturo’s product and service offerings and request free quotes at venturo.com.

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com22equipment solutionWhen the word “barge” is uttered in a sentence, most people have visions of large river vessels filled with grain or coal, perhaps being pushed by a large tug on the Mighty Mississippi River. Add the word “sectional” and people normally raise an eyebrow. They fail to make the connection between the word “sectional” and “barge”. What is a sectional barge and what are its benefits? A sectional barge is one piece of a complete barge system composed of various sections of interlocking floatation barges to create a larger platform. Once assembled, these platforms can be used for many things: work decks for scaffolding, temporary dock systems, transportation decks, ferries, dredging operations, material platforms, and crane decks. That’s just to name a few. Sectional Barges are typically constructed from steel and are available in a variety of sizes and heights to accommodate the different challenges often found in marine construction and infrastructure development. The amount of weight that can be supported by the barge is typically directly proportional to the depth of the barge. A shallow barge (3-4 ft hull depth) is capable of supporting much less weight safely than a deeper barge (10 ft hull). Deeper barges require less square footage to support overall weight safely. FACTORS TO CONSIDERSupporting weight isn’t the only factor to consider when putting together a sectional barge platform. There must be consideration on how the deck will be used in a project, and the platform must provide adequate stability for the job. If a crane is to be used, the weight of the crane and accessories must be accounted for, but also boom length, max pick weight, and the pick radius. All of this factors into the success of the intended purpose of using the sectional barge platform on a project. THE BARGE ADVANTAGEAnother key advantage sectional barges provide over traditional river barges, is that sectional barges can be used on non-navigable waterways that other equipment cannot. Traditional river barges cannot always access certain rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Since sectional barges are transportable via over the road truck, they can access all these inland waterways. The truck delivers the sectional barges to the jobsite, a crane removes them from the truck, they are placed in the water and connected together. These sections are assembled according to a pre-determined layout and then the equipment to perform the project is loaded.Traditional river barges are also rectangular in shape and that is their permanent position. When a customer needs a barge, they are forced to adapt to the barge that is available. Sectional barges allow flexibility in configurations. Sections can be moved around to maximize stability while keeping the deck as manageable as possible. They can be arranged to fit into oddly shaped areas to provide platforms for employees to work on. CLOSING THOUGHTSectional barges provide flexibility, and endless options customers need to be successful on their projects by getting their equipment out into the middle of waterways where the work needs to happen. Some companies choose to add this valuable resource to their equipment fleet as a full-time resource. Others choose to rent for the short while that they may need them. Either way having the versatility of a sectional barge allows these customers to pursue business that they would not be able to perform any other way. Deck on the WaterDeck on the Waterinterlocking barges create a larger platformPOSEIDON BARGEfor more informationPoseidon, LLC d/b/a Poseidon Barge is a sectional barge manufacturer that rents and sells equipment for the marine industry. Poseidon’s corporate headquarters is in Berne, Indiana. For more information, call 866.992.2743, or visit www.poseidonbarge.com.Photo courtesy of Heath Weber

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com24equipment solutionFirst responders such as fire, EMS, and police depend on reliable two-way radio communication when lives and property are at risk. That’s not always an easy task in many buildings. In-building radio signals are often absorbed or blocked by structures that are larger, underground, or constructed of concrete or metal. Additionally, building features designed to create more sustainable facilities like Low-E glass windows can impact the signal from public safety radio systems. When this occurs, weak or non-existent signals result in radio communication “dead zones” within commercial structures, jeopardizing coordination among and the safety of first responders in emergencies.Most fire codes now mandate the installation of Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement Systems (ERCES) for both new and existing commercial buildings. These advanced systems boost the signal inside the building, providing clear, two-way radio communication without dead spots.“The challenge is that first responders operate on many different frequencies, which vary significantly from city to city. The ERCES equipment must be designed to amplify only the specific assigned channels,” says Trevor Mathews, wireless division manager at Cosco Fire Protection, a provider of business fire suppression and life safety systems for more than 60 years. Mathews adds that this design involves tuning the ERCES to prevent signal interference with other frequencies and avoid running afoul of the FCC, which can levy significant fines when violations occur. Companies often must install the entire system before the certificate of occupancy is issued. To meet tight deadlines, installers rely on ERCES OEMs to quickly deliver the system components.State-of-the-art ERCES can arrive “custom-tuned” by the OEM to the specifically required UHF and/or VHF channel. The contractor can then further optimize the device onsite to the actual band frequencies. The approach facilitates meeting all codes and requirements, reducing overall installation costs and difficulties. COVERING GROUND The ERCES was first introduced in the 2009 International Building Code. The latest codes require all buildings to have an approved level of emergency communication coverage.ERCES systems function by connecting through an over-the-air link the installer optimizes to the public safety radio communications tower network, using a rooftop directional antenna. This antenna is then connected via coaxial cable to a bi-directional amplifier (BDA), which increases the signal level to provide sufficient coverage within the building, based on life safety standards. The BDA is connected to a distributed antenna system (DAS), a network of relatively small antennas installed throughout the building that serve as repeaters to improve the signal coverage in any isolated areas.In larger buildings of 350,000 square feet or more, multiple amplifiers may be required to drive an adequate signal level across the system. Besides the building’s square footage, other criteria can also affect the number of amplifiers required, such as the building design, type of construction materials used, and the density of construction. DUAL EFFECTIVENESSRecently, Cosco Fire Protection was tasked with installing an ERCES alongside a comprehensive fire and life safety system at a large distribution center in Washington. To meet municipal requirements, Cosco Fire needed to install an ERCES tuned to VHF 150-170 MHz for the fire department and UHF 450-512 for police. The building was due to receive its certificate of occupancy in several weeks, so installation needed to be completed quickly. To streamline the process, Cosco Fire selected the Fiplex by Honeywell BDA and fiber DAS system, from a leading manufacturer of commercial building fire and life safety systems.The compliant and certified system was developed to reliably provide superior RF amplification and coverage without noise, enhancing signal strength inside buildings, tunnels, and other structures. The system is specifically designed to meet NFPA and IBC/IFC code compliance with the UL2524 Second Edition listing.According to Mathews, one vital aspect that sets the ERCES apart is the ability of the OEM to “tune” the device to the channels used before shipping. The contractor can then further optimize the BDA’s RF tuning onsite to the precise frequency required with channel selective, software programmable or adjustable bandwidths. This eliminates Emergency ServicesEmergency ServicesINFRASTRUCTUREBy Megan McGovern communication enhancement systems keep first responders connectedEmergency ServicesEmergency ServicesINFRASTRUCTUREBy Megan McGovern communication enhancement systems keep first responders connected

the issue of wideband transmission in highly congested RF environments, which can otherwise cause outside interference and potentially lead to FCC fines.Mathews points out another aspect that distinguishes Fiplex BDAs from other digital signal boosters: the availability of a dual-band option for dedicated UHF or VHF models.“Combining the UHF and VHF amplifiers simplifies installation because you have one panel instead of two. It also reduces the necessary wall space, the power requirements, and potential points of failure. Annual testing is also easier,” says Mathews.With conventional ERCES systems, fire and life safety companies must often source third-party components to supplement the OEM’s package. Where the wait time to receive equipment from OEMs extended across several months, Fiplex was delivered within a few weeks.“With other suppliers, it could take 8-14 weeks to receive an amplifier,” explains Mathews. “Now we can get a custom tuned amplifier and install it with the DAS in 5-6 weeks. That is a game changer for contractors, particularly when there is a tight window for installation.” ACT NOW, SAVE LATERFor building developers, architects, or engineering firms wondering if an ERCES will be required in a new or existing building, it’s best to consult with a fire protection/life safety company that can conduct an RF survey of the space.Results are then submitted to the authority with jurisdiction to determine if an ERCES system is required or if a waiver is appropriate. “If the building fails an RF survey at any point in time, whether completed construction is at 50%, 80% or 100%, the ERCES system will have to be installed, so testing earlier is better before installation becomes more difficult,” says Mathews.There can be additional challenges when conducting RF testing in structures like warehouses. An empty warehouse may not require an ERCES, but the signal strength can change dramatically in areas of the facility after racking and other equipment is installed, and merchandise is added. If a system is installed once a warehouse is already operational, the fire and life safety company must work around the existing infrastructure and any personnel.“Installers may need to use lifts to reach the ceiling, fix cable or place antennas, which is difficult to do in a fully operational structure,” comments Mathews. CLOSING THOUGHTTo avoid project delays and technical challenges, commercial building developers, architects, and engineering firms can benefit from an expert contractor’s familiarity with the ERCES requirements. www.mcsmag.com AUGUST 202325about the authorMegan McGovern is the director of external communications at Honeywell Building Technologies. She can be reached at megan.mcgovern@honeywell.com.

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com28environmental solutionAs more become aware of the impact construction operations and materials have on climate change, we’ve seen an influx of local, state, federal, and private policies that help move the needle toward decarbonization in the sector. Many of these policies focus on addressing embodied carbon emissions, or emissions that come from the manufacturing, installation, use, replacement, and end-of-life disposal of construction materials, which are responsible for 13% of annual global CO2 emissions. General contractors are uniquely positioned to drive real change as it relates to embodied carbon across the construction industry, so it's important for them to understand the role that policy plays across the sector not only to remain compliant but also to win more bids by prioritizing sustainability. Below offers a crash course on policy in construction and how contractors can use it to their advantage when planning a new build. POLICIES IMPACTING INDUSTRY A significant segment of environmental policies is those that support buy clean policies or low-carbon material procurement. As mentioned above, construction materials generate a huge portion of annual global emissions, which presents an opportunity for the sector to reduce these emissions through material specification.Contractors must understand the different types of policies that focus on material procurement and the terms they must follow to remain compliant. Here are a few examples of important policies affecting construction across different levels of government as well as in the private sector: THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA)In August 2022, President Biden’s Administration passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which is focused on correcting the climate crisis and supporting environmental justice. Within the Act, significant funds are allocated to the procurement of materials with substantially lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions—specifically concrete, asphalt, glass, and steel. This initiative will provide incentives for firms to procure lower-carbon materials through tax credits, grants, and loan guarantees. These incentive funds can make a huge impact as they are available to building and infrastructure projects under multiple government agencies, including the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). BUY CLEAN CALIFORNIA ACT (BCCA)As the first Buy Clean bill passed in the U.S., the Buy Clean California Act has made strides toward reducing the greenhouse gas emissions released on public infrastructure projects in the state. The Act requires the publication of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and establishes global warming potential limits for eligible materials or products. In 2022, a new portion of the Act was added, requiring contractors to submit material or product EPDs before a material can be accepted for installation for projects signed on or after July 1, 2022. This is an important addition to help reduce embodied carbon emissions of the built environment by educating contractors on the The Role of PolicyThe Role of Policythe impact on GCs and the ability to drive low-carbon procurement prioritizationBUILDING TRANSPARENCYBy Katie PossPART  OF 

importance of comparing product EPDs and specifying those with less impact. PRIVATE POLICY There is also an increase in large developers, especially technology companies, establishing their own policies and requirements related to embodied carbon. Companies like Microsoft are beginning to add language to their project specifications for new builds, requiring the calculation of embodied carbon and the achievement of reduction against an established baseline. Developers are also beginning to require EPDs and establish global warming potential limits in specific materials specifications such as concrete and steel.POLICY AS AN ADVANTAGE Now that we’ve looked at a few examples of policies impacting the industry, it’s important to understand how contractors can use these regulations to their advantage. As mentioned above, the IRA provides monetary incentives for procurement of substantially lower carbon materials, driving embodied carbon education throughout the sector. These incentives will save contractors money while also saving the environment.Additionally, contractors can take their policy knowledge to the bidding process, which can give them a leg up against their competition. Property owners are increasingly looking to contractors to identify lower-carbon products and strategies to meet sustainability requirements, especially for government-funded projects. If a contractor can show off their knowledge of green building standards before the build, it will pay off in the end. LOOKING DOWN THE PIPELINE As the construction industry continues to adopt sustainable practices, the list of policies affecting the sector will constantly evolve. There are current policies in the works that will make a huge impact but have not yet been enacted. Take the IRA as an example, the Act’s policies will impact the industry immensely, but the funding has not yet been used, and the sector is eager to take advantage. With policies such as the IRA coming down the pipeline, it becomes even more important for contractors to understand their regulations and have the tools to act once they are put into place. CLOSING THOUGHTResources are available for contractors to learn more through the Carbon Leadership Forum and Contractor’s Commitment. Additionally, the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) tool is a free and open-access tool that makes it easier for contractors to identify low-carbon products during material procurement. www.mcsmag.com AUGUST 202329about the authorKatie Poss is the program manager of procurement and policy at Building Transparency, a nonprofit organization that provides open-access data and tools to foster a better building future and aid in reversing climate change. For more, visit www.buildingtransparency.org.

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com30environmental solutionThe construction industry has a huge stake in the drive to sustainable building. But for all the discussion about net zero and the need to meet environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) goals in the methods and materials builders use, it’s time to walk the talk. Anything less is greenwashing, which the public—including insurers—frown on. And the best way around it may be an investment in the green certification process. The impacts of a changing climate are intensifying daily. The heat this summer has beat 125,000-year-old records. More than 800 wildfires consuming over 24 million acres are raging across Canada, as wildfires destroy more acreage than ever before. Warming oceans fuel more frequent and intense hurricanes. The construction industry is one of the biggest contributors to global warming: The built environment accounts for 39% of the world’s gross annual carbon emissions, according to the World Economic Forum.THE GREEN IMPERATIVEIt’s getting easier for the industry to adopt green practices and materials. The options have never been greater. Take cement, a major contributor to greenhouse gas. The process for making it results in about a twelfth of global carbon dioxide emissions. “Green” cement gets a lot of attention but not a lot of adoption due to performance concerns. Recently, though, a California startup with a new process got third-party certification for its product, aligning it with current standards and boosting the case for commercialization. Another solution is mass timber. Its renewable nature and negative carbon impact add to its appeal over traditional building materials. Other solutions include recycling road materials for reuse. In Spain, paper ash has been processed to pave a roadway in Valencia. The material looks and acts like concrete but saves up to 75% of concrete’s carbon emissions. Various tax incentives for green construction materials are a good impetus. The federal Inflation Reduction Act, for example, provides a total of $7,500 in per-unit credits through 2032 for new residential construction that meets energy efficiency guidelines. New Jersey has become the first state to adopt a green concrete tax credit of up to 5% of a project’s total concrete costs when materials with low levels of embodied carbon dioxide emissions are used. THE GREEN COMMITMENT There’s a lot of buzz about green construction solutions, but avoiding greenwashing is an issue. Insurers are concerned about the construction industry’s exposures as ESG class action suits generally rise. Law firm Norton Rose Fulbright found 28% of respondents to a survey say they have greater exposure to ESG litigation; 24% are expecting that to grow this year.In this environment, builders are well-advised to make the investment in green certification. The best-known is LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, but others, like the Green Building Business Certification, are also well-regarded. Another, Energy Star, measures the energy efficiency of everything from appliances to entire office buildings.By 2022, over 30% of office buildings in the U.S. were LEED-certified. Even more were certified in such cities as Chicago, Minneapolis, and San Francisco. Undergoing a LEED audit at any one of its four levels creates a variety of returns. LEED-certified properties generate 60% more Adopting GreenAdopting Greenhow builders can walk the environmental talkIN THE KNOWBy Ray Monteith and Phil CastoIt’s getting easier for the industry to adopt green practices and materials.

rent and sell for 60% more per square meter than non-certified buildings. Another benefit: reduced operating costs. The University of California/Davis has saved almost $150,000 a year in electricity and maintenance through its LEED lighting system. Certification also makes a compelling case to insurers of a construction firm’s sustainability commitment, supporting high operating standards and lower risk of claims. In fact, some insurers may give discounts on premiums because of the certification—helping to offset the LEED certification fees.A GREEN COMPONENT Even without a formal certification, firms can take measures to demonstrate their sustainability commitment. It starts with determining their end green goal and the extent of their commitment, even before materials are procured and work starts.Every stage of a building’s lifecycle, from inception to demolition, should be assessed from a sustainability perspective. Among the things to be considered:• How building materials are sourced and the environmental standing of the sources • How the building is constructed and how it functions after completion• Whether it uses less energy to heat and cool than a traditional building• How it will be recycled after demolitionCLOSING THOUGHTHere’s what LEED projects should stand for: Making a reverse contribution to climate change as they enhance human health and well-being. Water resources should be protected and reserved, and so should biodiversity and the ecosystem. Sustainable and regenerative resource cycles should be promoted as a greener economy is built. And ultimately, they should enhance community, social equity, environmental justice and quality of life. www.mcsmag.com AUGUST 202331CUTTING EDGE IMPALEMENT PROTECTIONCARNIE CAP is the most effective way to cap exposed rebar while keeping your workers safe and on the job.National OSHA Compliant • CAL-OSHA ApprovedPatent #5826398, 6073415ORDER TODAY!(888) 743-7725 www.carniecap.comWORKS IN HORIZONTAL, VERTICAL & INCLINATIONAPPLICATIONS✓ ASSEMBLE WITH 2X4 OR 2X6 LUMBER ALREADY ON SITE✓ SAFELY DISTRIBUTES WEIGHT ACROSS ENTIRE SYSTEM✓ NO MORE CAPPING EVERYREBAR!✓ about the authorsPhil Casto is senior vice president for Risk Services at HUB International. Casto has extensive experience in the construction, manufacturing, and petrochemical industries. He serves as a resource for the insurance brokerage operations, providing solutions in the areas of risk mitigation, safety, regulatory compliance, and workers’ compensation. Ray Monteith is senior vice president with global insurance brokerage HUB International’s Risk Services Division. He leads the Organizational Resilience practice and is the Risk Control Services Leader for the Canadian Region. He has more than 25 years of experience in risk consulting and has provided risk evaluations and risk mitigation strategies to a broad range of clients including agencies of federal, provincial, and municipal governments across Canada as well as to various institutions, universities, heavy industry, and major insurance companies.

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com34management solutionConstruction is facing an unprecedented labor shortage. The aging workforce, a longstanding issue in the industry, was exacerbated as many older workers chose retirement during the pandemic. Now, according to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), businesses are struggling to find workers with relevant job skills to fill open positions. Supply chain complications continue to make an impact on construction firms. Eighty-two percent say they’ve had projects delayed because they can’t get materials delivered on time. The mounting costs of those materials have forced firms to raise prices for customers. Both of these factors have caused some customers to cancel or delay projects. TRANSFORM FINANCE DEPTSWhether automating manual tasks or enhancing data analysis, finance leaders across the construction industry are implementing new technologies to help their teams work more efficiently and impactfully amid challenging industry conditions. In a recent AvidXchange/IOFM survey of finance professionals, 70% of respondents says investing in technology is a medium to high priority for their organization. Gartner says 40% of finance roles will be new or significantly reshaped by 2025 due to technology. It’s undeniable that emerging technologies like machine learning, automation and AI are changing the way we work. It’s unlikely that these tools will replace human workers. However, today’s workforce must adapt and learn new skills to maximize the potential benefits of digitization. The Association of General Contractors found that 87% of construction firms say their employees need to possess digital skills to be successful. When hiring new employees, some firms are prioritizing tech skills over construction industry experience. EMBRACE DIGITIZATION There’s a perception that finance workers are against the digitization of their roles. However, most of the AP professionals AvidXchange and IOFM surveyed in the 2023 AP Professional Career Satisfaction Survey are receptive to automation technology. Many finance professionals view automation as a way to streamline processes, reduce errors, and increase efficiency. The value of digitization in AP departments may not have always been clear but given the current economic conditions, labor shortage and push for remote work, it’s time to embrace technology rather than resist it. LEVELING UP WITH UPSKILLINGUpskilling programs are one of the most compelling ways to bridge the digital skills gap in construction. Upskilling refers to training and development opportunities that help employees expand their job-related skills and knowledge to advance their career path. These programs can take many forms, including online courses, in-person training, and on-the-job learning. By investing in upskilling programs, organizations can help their employees develop the skills they need to succeed in a digitized workplace. Employees aren’t the only ones who benefit from upskilling programs. Investing in these educational initiatives ultimately benefits the broader organization by increasing productivity, improving employee engagement, and driving innovation. Employees who receive training are better equipped to take on new challenges and are more likely to stay with the organization long-term. Additionally, upskilling programs can help organizations identify new opportunities and ways to streamline operations, leading to business growth without additional headcount. CLOSING THOUGHTMost importantly, employees want it. Upskilling is becoming a sought-after benefit. The recent AvidXchange, IOFM survey found that 84% of AP professionals says learning/skills development is “moderately” or “extremely” important when evaluating a new job opportunity. Nearly 60% of respondents have been working in AP for 10+ years proving that even tenured staff are interested in continuous professional improvement. AP TechnologyAP Technologybuilding digital skills for construction finance staff WORKFORCEArticle courtesy of AvidXchangefor more informationFounded in the year 2000, AvidXchange is a leading provider of accounts payable (AP) automation software and payment solutions for middle market businesses and their suppliers. For more, visit www.avidxchange.com.

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com36management solutionDistracted Driving & InjuriesDistracted Driving & Injuriesstrategies to keep employees safeTRAVELERS REPORTSTravelers released its 2023 Travelers Risk Index on distracted driving recently, which revealed that the number of construction business owners who have implemented a distracted driving policy has nearly doubled since 2022, with 65% saying they’ve implemented one in 2023. The index also showed that the construction industry’s number of accidents seem to be trending in the right direction. In 2022, 24% reported an employee being involved in an accident while driving for work due to distraction, this year, that number is down to 20%. With summer projects in high gear, Chris Hayes, assistant vice president of workers compensation and transportation, risk control, at Travelers, discusses what construction companies can do to continue this momentum and keep their employees safe while driving. MCS: What are the top three strategies to curb distracted driving? CHRIS HAYES: First, create a policy that states your organization’s position on mobile device use while driving, regularly communicate this policy to employees and remind them to be mindful of their behavior while driving. For instance, a policy could require employees to stow away their phones whenever they’re behind the wheel. While many contractors have rules in place already, the 2023 Travelers Risk Index found that the construction industry is slightly behind others: Some 65% of construction businesses surveyed reported that they have an official policy about employees using phones while driving, compared to 74% of businesses across all industries. Next, train employees on safe driving best practices so that all drivers understand vehicle safety policies and procedures. Make sure that managers are reinforcing the expected behaviors. The third strategy is to invest in technology, such as telematics, that monitors employees when they are driving. According to the Travelers Risk Index, 45% of construction companies do use technology to track employees’ behavior when they are driving company vehicles for work purposes. Contractors can review the data collected and use it as part of an ongoing safe driving feedback and coaching program, addressing any potentially dangerous actions and acknowledging safe behaviors. MCS: What types of training are best, other than classroom sessions? CHRIS HAYES: Classroom training should be used to reinforce skills, further your safety message and reinforce your expectations. By the time someone works for you, they should already know how to drive. Be sure to run a check on their license to make sure it’s valid. In addition, checking for violations is a best practice.Leading by example and modeling desired behaviors can help reinforce classroom training and your organization’s commitment to safety. For instance, avoid texting or calling employees when you know that they are driving. If they are behind the wheel when you call, ask them to ring you back once they are safely parked. And when you are behind the wheel, don’t make phone calls or send text messages. 2023 INJURY IMPACT REPORTDo you know how many days an injured construction worker is off the job? On average, it’s 99 days, according to data from Travelers, the country’s largest workers compensation carrier. The 2023 Injury Impact Report, found that average lost workdays in construction led other industries including manufacturing, wholesale and small business and are far above the all industry average of 71 days. Further, the data shows that construction workers compensation claims were the most expensive, more than double the average among all industries.Nick Wayne, managing risk control consultant, construction, energy & marine at Travelers, shares three suggestions for commercial contractors on how to reduce injuries on jobsites.MCS: What are three recommendations for commercial contractors on how to reduce the risk of injury on jobsites?NICK WAYNE: With proper precautions, many injuries can be prevented. Travelers recommends that its construction customers start by establishing and maintaining a strong safety culture. This means weaving safety into your company’s mission, policies and procedures, and planning for the unexpected.

It’s never too early to address potential safety concerns, including during the bid phase. Discussions on potential safety-related controls, equipment needed or changes to processes can help minimize risk. Ongoing risk management efforts can be enhanced by looking at potentially hazardous situations and taking steps to address them. For instance, if you identify an exposure to falls from heights, consider installing guard rails as a preventive measure. Or it might be better to use Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS). In that case, it’s critical to train workers on their proper use. If electrical hazards are present, implement lock-out-tag-out (LOTO) or other means of isolation. If a job requires employees to lift heavy objects, determine ways to redesign the job to reduce the physical burden of the task. Additionally, encourage everyone to speak up if they see something concerning so that it can be addressed promptly. When possible, engage front-line workers to assist with developing solutions, which helps promote effective implementation.Focus on hiring qualified candidates, and onboard and train them as they come on board. When hiring, create a detailed job description that clearly identifies job-related functions, including physical capabilities and safety expectations to help make sure you are attracting qualified applicants. After recruiting qualified employees, remember that onboarding is not a one-size-fits-all activity. Since jobsites vary, develop site-specific training to help keep employees engaged and safe. Orientation can include an overview of the jobsite, job-specific roles, and a review of the company’s overall culture of safety. Assign new employees a mentor who demonstrates your company’s safety culture and can guide them through this phase. It’s also important to train employees on the tools and heavy equipment they will be using. These efforts can help reduce the likelihood of a new employee getting injured, which is common in the construction industry. In fact, the 2023 Travelers Injury Impact Report found that almost half (47%) of all construction workers compensation claims occurred within the first year of employment. CLOSING THOUGHTInvestigate accidents when they occur to identify the root cause and take action to help prevent future ones. Use these insights to update your training and risk management practices, and consider using technology as an additional tool to help you address worker safety concerns. We regularly research various technologies that are available to contractors and share what we learn, including potential uses, benefits and risks, with our customers through the Travelers Innovation Network for Construction. For instance, wearables with proximity sensors can help mitigate risks related to the utilization of machinery, forklifts or heavy equipment. www.mcsmag.com AUGUST 202337for more informationFor more information about Travelers, visit www.travelers.com. Travelers.com/distracteddriving Travelers.com/injuryimpactreport

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com38management solutionOur recent Global Capital Project Outlook (GCPO), launched earlier in June, found that the construction industry is responding to recent inflation, supply chain volatility, and labor costs by doubling down on digital transformation to improve project certainty. The industry is increasingly adopting digital best practices such as harnessing historic data to fuel smarter plans and forecasts, and there’s been a substantial improvement in project certainty, especially in delivering on or ahead of schedule. Yet, there is evidence that improved performance on some project metrics is coming at the expense of others, with average overspend also increasing, especially among those that stay on time the most. A factor contributing to this, is that often delivery models and contractual arrangements can encourage contractors to consider time, cost, and scope in silos—or even prioritize some metrics over others. Perhaps unsurprising, as traditionally, projects have gone through very finite stages, one after the other. First define the scope and requirements, then perform the design, then carry out the construction. This “waterfall” approach does not lend itself to the kind of collaboration that can lead to predictable outcomes across all metrics. Contributing to this issue, traditional delivery models such as Design-Bid-Build also involve an uneven distribution of risk among stakeholders which can mean that project performance is monitored individually rather than holistically. All of these factors create an environment where different stakeholders are inclined, even incentivized, to protect their own self-interests (legally and otherwise). In turn, this fosters a mentality that sounds something like “collaboration is great, but only to the degree that we are contractually obligated.” WINDS OF CHANGENow for some good news. The industry is facing a massive labor shortage. Supply chain disruptions and inflation are battering project costs and schedules. Demand for construction is increasing faster than the industry’s ability to deliver. That’s the good news? Yes, because these factors, among others, are creating winds of change that are driving a significant transformation of the industry.In our recent industry survey, respondents stated that the most preferred project delivery models are now Integrated Project Delivery and Design-Build, both of which prescribe a more collaborative, more iterative process, improving visibility and predictability across all project metrics.Certainly, the desire for more collaboration correlates precisely with the desire for more predictability in project outcomes. But there’s also an intense need to drive efficiency and improve productivity—a notion that has transitioned from a worthy ambition to a matter of survival as organizations face the reality of having to do more with less.TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTIONWhile this desire for project certainty and increased productivity is nothing new, it’s now being enabled by a technology revolution that is finally transforming it into a tangible reality. The key is harnessing technology to enable more collaboration and therefore integration of project performance management across all project stages, stakeholders, and targets.Construction 4.0 technologies such as connected data and automation are now also allowing time, scope, and cost to be centrally monitored and managed in a unified way. Today’s digital project management platforms can now monitor EVM performance across all metrics to highlight the interplay between them, such as when accelerated project delivery can cause rising costs. This can help highlight trade-offs. For example, where projects stay on time by spending more on headcount or equipment, or by de-scoping the project. Construction-specific solutions that run in the cloud and take advantage of mobile devices inherently remove bottlenecks to timely collaboration. The valuable information these systems capture—and make easily accessible—is helping to achieve lofty goals like making crews more productive, reducing time wasted searching for (and sharing) information, and eliminating re-work resulting Predictive ConstructionPredictive Constructionembracing the winds of changeDIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONBy Brad Barth

from poor communication. Further, such systems enable project data to continually feed an organization’s knowledge library, becoming a valuable source of information for those planning future projects. In fact, the GCPO report found benchmarks and/or historic project data are now being used almost half of the time to improve project predictability. INTO THE FUTUREBut that’s just the beginning. Looking into the future, it’s not hard to envision a massive transformation occurring in the physical construction environment much like the one that has already happened in the virtual environment. Think about it: in the past couple of decades, design for construction projects has transitioned from 2D to 3D, meaning the design for a building is no longer represented by a series of lines in a drawing, but rather is now made up of thousands of objects, such as pilings, columns, and pipe spools. The real benefit in that transition is that all of those objects have intelligence baked into them. Meaning a pipe spool in a 3D model very likely knows what its dimensions are, what its material spec is, and so on. In the 2D world, getting any sort of intelligence out of design drawings required all sorts of human analysis—even just getting quantities required manually tracing over and measuring the drawings. In contrast, the “smart” objects now regularly found inside 3D models not only help automate the quantity take-off and construction planning process, but more importantly set the stage to automate the tracking of project progress itself.Today, if you want your 3D model to show the planned work in comparison to the actual work that has been accomplished, someone at the project site has to manually monitor, measure, and record the work that has been performed, then manually update that information into an as-built version of the 3D model to show the progress. After a lot of effort, the appropriate pilings and columns and pipe spools in the model light up and you can see the progress. BEING SMARTBut what would happen if we made the actual physical components smart, just like their virtual avatars in the 3D models? What if you could embed many of the constructed components at a jobsite with the innate ability to communicate information about themselves, so that they can participate in the as-built 3D model automatically? One of the largest semiconductor companies in the U.S. is already well down the road toward producing smart “stickers” that can be applied to just about anything, with the ability to communicate through the cloud using the same tech your mobile phone uses (but with years of battery life rather than hours).Whether applied during fabrication for objects like pipe spools, or at the point of construction for cast in place components like pilings or foundations, you could end up with a smart jobsite composed of objects with intelligence baked into them. That intelligence starts in the 3D model but would carry on into the physical world. It could lead to projects that continuously and autonomously report key information that is central to controlling cost, scope, and schedule targets. Smart physical objects could not only help communicate as-built progress information back to the 3D model during construction, but could also provide valuable information post-construction, during the maintenance and operations stages of the building. CLOSING THOUGHTWhile this future vision will soon be technologically possible, it’s not yet practical. In the meantime, the amount of data relative to a construction project continues to grow immensely. Modern cloud-based, integrated construction management solutions will be the conduits to share—and make sense of—all that information, to drive the visibility necessary to support the more iterative project delivery models to which the industry is moving. And for an industry that must find new ways to increase efficiency just to keep up with demand, construction is only at the beginning of its digital transformation. These changes are positioning the industry for a successful, more collaborative, and more predictable, future. www.mcsmag.com AUGUST 202339about the authorBrad Barth is chief product officer at InEight. For more, visit ineight.com.

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com40Few technological advances have been as transformative or controversial as artificial intelligence (AI). These pioneering technologies, ranging from autonomous machinery to predictive algorithms, are revolutionizing society, not just the construction industry. AI promises a future of increased efficiency, enhanced safety, and unparalleled precision; but at what cost? Further, as these systems proliferate, they continue to learn, adapt, and make decisions directly impacting projects and people. Perhaps the greater risk awaits those who do not embrace the power of AI, left behind in a world no longer recognizable or navigable. Whether novice or early adapter, those using AI in the construction industry should do so with a sense of caution, not just wonder. AI + CONSTRUCTION…AI is a broad term that refers to the capability of machines or software to mimic human intelligence. This spans several technologies, including machine learning, where algorithms learn and improve from experience, to robotics, where machines carry out tasks traditionally performed by humans. In the construction industry, AI has found a variety of promising applications like automated equipment. Self-driving trucks, drones, and robotic arms are now capable of performing tasks ranging from land surveying to bricklaying, all with a level of precision and efficiency that often surpasses human capabilities. In addition, AI has been integrated into project management and design. With machine learning, AI systems can analyze vast amounts of data from past projects to predict outcomes and make recommendations, thereby aiding in planning and decision-making.Perhaps the most promising area for early adoption of AI is project safety. The construction industry remains one of the most dangerous in many countries, particularly in America, where it accounts for 21% of all deaths among U.S. workers and nearly 200,000 annual recorded injuries, according to 2021 data. The reality is these incidents are preventable. With the emergence of predictive AI, workers may realize an unprecedented sense of safety. Machine learning programs already exist which classify project sites according to their safety risk profile, and predict accident occurrence and severity. If implemented, these tools allow stakeholders the opportunity to predict project safety performance and provide preemptive inspections or interventions in a targeted manner.Another effective application is AI’s ability to remove data silos. Solutions exist which allow team managers to see real-time data on workers on a project site, to assess obstacles to labor productivity, track equipment utilization, and enhance safety. Potential benefits could be better cost control, fewer delays and less waste, and a safer, more productive site. Welcome to the new “digitally measured mile!”…EQUALS, WE ASSUME, RISKAs the integration of AI in the construction industry deepens, an area that will witness a significant shift in dynamics is legal and liability issues. The introduction of AI and automation into a field traditionally driven by human decision-making creates complex questions about responsibility and accountability. Determining liability in the event of a failure, accident or “bust” to the schedule or budget is a question yet unanswered. If an autonomous machine, operating based on an AI algorithm, causes a loss event, the scope of potential parties to the inevitable lawsuit could potentially include the company that owns or operates the machine, the machine’s manufacturer, plus the programmers or creator of the algorithm, in addition to traditional parties to the claim. This ambiguity poses significant risk to all parties involved, as the law has yet to establish any clear precedent.Furthermore, AI, especially machine learning, is known for its “black box” problem, or lack of transparency or understandability in how the AI system arrived at its decisions or predictions. If a problem occurs due to an AI’s decision, it can be challenging to determine Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligencethe arrival of AI brings caution for use VIEWPOINTBy William S. Thomaslegal solutionArtificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligencethe arrival of AI brings caution for use VIEWPOINTBy William S. Thomas

why that decision was made and who should be held responsible. This lack of transparency poses significant challenges in construction, where decision-making processes often need to be open, clear, and justifiable, particularly in interactions with code officials, reviewers, and other stakeholders. If an AI system recommends a particular design modification, or a specific approach to a construction process, stakeholders need to understand why that recommendation was made, particularly if it contradicts human intuition or established practices.The approach presented by AI has been called “techno-solutionism,” a view of AI as panacea as opposed to another tool in the toolbox. As we see AI advance, there is a temptation to adopt it as a universal solution. But technology often creates larger problems in the process of solving smaller ones. For example, ethical issues arise from AI’s displacement of human labor, issues of access and the potential for exclusion of smaller firms, concerns about data privacy and intellectual property rights. Further, if AI is used to automate decision-making processes, there is risk it could replicate and amplify existing biases, leading to discrimination against certain groups of workers or resulting in unfair treatment.CLOSING THOUGHTIn the short term, there is a need for individual actors to adopt AI centered policies and procedures, which should urgently be elevated to an industry-wide oversight and advisory panel to prepare a stringent and exhaustive protocol for the industry as a whole. In situations involving critical decision-making, a hybrid model combining both AI and human judgment could be a pragmatic solution. While an AI system may provide recommendations, the final decision should rest with human professionals who can consider the AI’s input within the broader context of the needs of the project.If AI systems can perform construction tasks more safely or efficiently than human workers, a contractor who opts not to use such technology could potentially be seen as negligent, not just behind the times. We cannot turn away or refuse to see the road ahead; we can only begin to take those first steps forward. AI’s promise of a smarter, safer, and more efficient construction industry is enticing, but we must always remember to proceed with caution, and consider the potential cost. www.mcsmag.com AUGUST 202341about the authorWilliam S. Thomas is a principal at Gausnell, O’Keefe & Thomas, LLC in St. Louis, where he focuses his practice on construction claims and loss prevention. He is an AAA Panel Arbitrator, Fellow with the Construction Lawyers Society of America, and member of the International Association of Defense Counsel, serving on its Construction Law Committee. He also is a member of the ABA Forum on Construction, AIA, and ASCE. He can be reached at wthomas@gotlawstl.com.

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com44technology solutionToday’s highly sophisticated and evolving AI-driven tools and resources, including ChatGPT and Google’s new AI product, Bard, are creating many new opportunities for commercial construction organizations. However, the actual impact AI will have on transportation fleets in equipment asset managementstrategies, and operations such as maintenance and repair (M&R) remains to be seen.While these advanced AI tools possess incredible promise, executives still need to understand the pros and cons of how far they can rely on them in day-to-day operations. AI AND CHATGPTThe transportation and supply chain industries have been buzzing about new-age resources, like Open AI’s ChatGPT, since it was initially released in November 2022. ChatGPT is still in its infancy stages, but the technology has caught the attention of executives due to its ability to generate rapid responses and detailed answers. What’s more, because the tools are driven by AI, they leverage human-like language during interactions.ChatGPT promises to dramatically increase commercial construction organizational visibility, build a baseline for strategies and plans, streamline internal and external communication, and effectively optimize end-to-end operations. Asset management, equipment finance, and M&R planning and operations are three critical areas that could see significant impacts with the continued growth of AI and ChatGPT. When asking ChatGPT why asset management is important for equipment finance, it offers, “Asset management helps to maximize the value of equipment over its lifespan by ensuring that it is properly maintained and used efficiently. This can lead to reduced downtime, increased productivity, and extended equipment life, ultimately increasing the equipment's overall value. Asset management enables finance companies to effectively plan for equipment replacement or upgrades, ensuring that they can provide clients with the most up-to-date and efficient equipment possible. This can also help finance companies to manage cash flow and budget more effectively.”While this provides a somewhat compelling overview of the role of asset management, there are inconsistencies and inaccuracies . For example, traditional finance companies and banks play no role in the planning of equipment replacement or upgrades. If ChatGPT was asked to build an asset management plan for a Class 8, heavy-duty truck fleet, it will generate a high-level overview covering topics—equipment inventory, preventive maintenance, telematics and IoT solutions, driver training and safety programs, replacement and upgrade planning, budget and cash flow management, and reporting—all baseline topics that need to be considered for asset management.It’s important to keep in mind that ChatGPT will not answer financial nor mathematical questions, it will defer to pros and cons of a business transaction, like buying or leasing. It also tends to give wrong answers, because it pings millions of web references to what was asked and then compiles the most frequently mentioned text. Without the proper knowledge and expertise, it could lead to making wrong decisions that could negatively impact operations.It is crucial to understand that any inaccuracies produced by an AI tool may have consequences in the areas of financial loss outcomes, legal, or defamation toward a commercial construction organization. This includes defining the true source of who actually produces any material developed entirely or in part by an AI tool like ChatGPT. According to an article on TechTarget (2021), while there currently are no laws that determine the responsibility of any inaccuracies, it’s widely speculated that regulation could soon be forthcoming as a set of guidelines.Fleet Management and AIFleet Management and AIadvantages and disadvantages of using AI resources in leet operationsTHE FUTURE IS NOWBy Hadley Benton

CHATGPT LIMITSChatGPT won’t serve as a solution to help build a custom strategy that serves fleets specifically. Aside from general considerations, ChatGPT is not built to analyze actual miles of vehicle operating and utilization data to build an effective asset management plan. While it’s hard to fathom commercial construction organizations with transportation fleets will actually rely on ChatGPT to create their entire strategy, some may confuse it with fleet analytic tools in the market. Depending too much on a standardized approach during the planning phase without incorporating actual vehicle operating data along the way can be problematic.This added level of customization is essential. By scrutinizing truck operating data, fleets can build a proper, customized fleet modernization plan for their asset management, which is critical in arriving at a strategy that produces optimum flexibility and agility within their financial and operational business model. While ChatGPT on its own can’t produce a plan with this level of detail, asset management companies have fleet analysis and are providing AI-driven analytics that help commercial construction organizations closely monitor key fleet metrics that include:• Lease versus purchase analysis• Sales Tax analysis• Unbundled vs. Full-Service Lease Analysis• Comparative Cost Analysis to determine the optimal time to upgrade equipment, etc.• Per unit P&L• Predictive Lifecycle Modeling CLOSING THOUGHTTools like ChatGPT can provide high-level input and guidance, but not specific insight into a particular fleet. Customized TCO analytic tools that leverage predictive modeling allows commercial construction organizations to create future business insights with a significant degree of accuracy. With the help of data analytic tools and modeling, these firms can use past and current operating data to predict budget trends in milliseconds, days, or years into the future. As more AI-powered tools are introduced to fleets, it’s important for organizations to collaborate closely with their asset management partners to ensure these tools are being used effectively to improve operations and their bottom lines.By understanding the fleets’ specific challenges, asset management partners can also help identify which AI-powered tools are best suited and how to properly integrate them into their operations. www.mcsmag.com AUGUST 202345about the authorHadley Benton is executive vice president of business development at Fleet Advantage. For more, visit www.fleetadvantage.com. Our digital marketing campaigns can identify prospects interested specifically in your product, and then tell you exactly who they are! See what our customers are saying:The reports are awesome! Thank you. If we can get that level of information from all of our suppliers, we will be very happy! We have already made one machine sale to a prospect from the eBlast and I am sure there will be more. Paul Gazik,Business Development/International Salesfor You Need Leads!You Need Leads!We Have the We Have the Solution!Solution!Call us today to get started at 205.795.0223 or email us at russell@mcsmag.com.There's more: read how AI can help There's more: read how AI can help operations in this article on mcsmag.comoperations in this article on mcsmag.com

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com46technology solutionAll-Electric Scissor LiftAll-Electric Scissor Liftproves itself in cold-temperature applicationsPUT TO THE TESTMany remember the challenges they had operating early generations of electric hand drills or other battery-powered tools—the batteries would drain quickly, or these tools would perform poorly, when temps dip below freezing. These experiences left a lasting impression, even after several generations of battery technology later. Today, people are still hesitant to use electric equipment in cold-temperature applications like refrigerated food processing warehouses, cold-storage facilities, vaccine laboratories, or outdoors in winter weather conditions, to name a few. “Working in below-freezing temperatures can impact the performance of equipment, resulting in slow, sluggish functionality, as well as reduced battery runtime by up to 50%, in part due to hydraulics and previous battery technology,” says Bob Begley, JLG’s director of product management for scissor lifts.THE NEED FOR ELECTRICDespite concerns, electric scissor lifts are often needed on maintenance projects or construction job sites in colder temperatures because of restrictions in certain work environments, like noise and air pollution requirements, that prevent the use of internal combustion (diesel, dual fuel, or gas) machines. “One of the most important considerations when selecting battery-powered MEWPs for working in cold conditions is productivity,” says Austin Caskey, a product line manager at Sunbelt Rentals. “Our customers want to rent electric scissor lifts that are dependable and ready to work. But at any given time in a below-freezing work area, due to rapidly declining performance, you may need twice the number of scissor lifts that you’d usually need to get the job done.”Begley says that it’s commonplace for a hydraulic scissor lift equipped with flood-leaded acid (FLA) batteries to not even get a full shift’s worth of work in freezing temperatures. He also notes that it takes at least eight hours to fully charge these machines.But, what about the JLG® AE1932 DaVinci® lift with its all-electric components and quick-charging lithium-ion battery pack? “We had a lot of assumptions about how the DaVinci lift would perform in below-freezing conditions that we needed to put to the test,” says Begley. FREEZER APPLICATION TESTTo find out, JLG and Sunbelt Rentals teamed up to test the performance of the DaVinci scissor lift in an industrial freezer that reaches temperatures as low as 0°F (-18°C). “We chose to run the test in one of the harshest environments we could find,” says Caskey. “Scissor lifts are often used in freezers to complete cleaning and maintenance tasks.”To start the test, Caskey says that the team placed the DaVinci scissor lift in the freezer with a full charge (97% State of Charge, or SoC) and stored it there overnight. “We have a lot of customers in the northern U.S. and in Canada that have to store their equipment outside,” he says. “We wanted to simulate the machine being in that kind of environment because they need electric equipment that will work well in lower temperatures.”Begley says that the following day the team, once the machine was warmed up, began a series of duty-cycle tests (which include drive, elevate, descend, and return cycles) on the By Sara Vincent

DaVinci machine in one of the rows between the freezer’s racks. SERIES OF FULL TESTSAccording to Begley, the DaVinci performed a series of full test cycles in approximately two hours and showed no signs of performance degradation.“Based on our experiences with hydraulic machines in colder temperatures,” says Caskey, “we expected a loss of performance as we went through the cycles. That’s why we typically rent two scissor lifts at a time for freezer applications, so our customers can alternate machines every couple of hours to ensure their project stays on time (one machine works while the other one warms up and charges). “With these typical electric scissor lifts,” he goes on, “operators notice a slow decline in performance almost instantly, nearly as soon as a machine starts working. “But,” he continues, “in the hours we were cycle testing the DaVinci, it never lost functionality or speed in the freezer. We went up and down a lot with the machine during the tests—doing way more than a normal work cycle, and there was no degradation in performance.”He adds, “That’s a very different response than we would have gotten from a traditional electric-drive model. This capability will translate to huge savings for our customers, both in time (swapping out machines) and money (rental rates), because now they will only have to run one machine to complete the work.”After cycling power at the end of the test, the battery went from 0% to 2% SoC, allowing the team to move the DaVinci lift to an area where it could be charged. The machine’s internal battery temperature was 51°F (10°C), so the battery could be charged immediately.Begley notes that JLG has implemented provisions into the DaVinci lift’s proprietary software to protect the battery when the SoC is very low, reducing the risk of damage caused by fully discharging a battery. CONCLUSION FROM TESTINGBased on a detailed review of the JLG and Sunbelt Rentals test report, Begley says, “We are confident that this machine is suitable for working in cold-environment applications.”“The 19-ft scissor lift is one of the most commoditized rental machines in the world,” says Caskey. “But this one is unlike anything else available in the market—it charges faster and stays charged longer, and the difference is noticeable.”CLOSING THOUGHTHe concludes, “Because the DaVinci is engineered with no hydraulics, there is no risk of leaks or spills. This means that we can rent these machines into clean, sensitive environments without our customers being concerned about how the lifts will impact the jobsite. This offers a new solution for our customers in certain facilities to rent this machine to use during planned shutdowns. It’s a big deal.” www.mcsmag.com AUGUST 202347about the authorSara Vincent is the director of marketing with JLG. For more, visit jlg.com.

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com48technology solutionAs construction and builder companies look to modernize their vehicles by transitioning to electric vehicles (EV), the benefits of EV technology have driven considerable interest. Key to this transition is the use of connected vehicle data and analytics in the EV that can be useful to fleets for managing and maintaining each vehicle within the fleet.DEALING WITH DATAConstruction vehicle fleets, their insurance providers, maintenance and aftermarket companies are all looking to harness more of this intelligent telematics data from EVs. However, the amount of data produced every day keeps growing. As a result, these businesses have more data than ever at their disposal to help make informed business decisions. But, this vast amount of data brings in plenty of new challenges in capturing, digesting, and analyzing the entirety of the data in a cost-effective manner. To truly be effective and useful, data must be tracked, managed, cleansed, secured, and enriched throughout its journey to generate the right insights. Construction companies that transition to EVs for their fleets are turning to new processing capabilities to manage and make sense of this data.EMBEDDED SYSTEMS TECHTraditional telematics systems have relied upon embedded systems, which are devices designed to access, collect, analyze (in-vehicle), and control data in electronic equipment, to solve a set of problems. These embedded systems have been widely used, especially in household appliances and today the technology is growing in the use of analyzing vehicle data.NEED BETTER SOLUTIONSThe existing solution in the market is to use the low latency of 5G. Using AI and GPU acceleration on AWS Wavelength or Azure Edge Zone, vehicle OEMs can offload onboard vehicle processors to the cloud when feasible. This approach allows traffic between 5G devices and content or application servers hosted in Wavelength zones to bypass the internet, resulting in reduced variability and content loss. To ensure optimum accuracy and richness of datasets, and to maximize usability, sensors embedded within the vehicles are used to collect the data and transmit it wirelessly, between vehicles and a central cloud authority, in near-real time. Depending on the use cases that are increasingly becoming real-time oriented such as roadside assistance, ADAS and active driver score and vehicle score reporting, the need for lower latency and high throughput have become much larger in focus for fleets, insurers and other companies leveraging the data.However, while 5G solves this to a large extent, the cost incurred for the volume of this data being collected and transmitted to the cloud remains cost prohibitive. This makes it imperative to identify advanced embedded compute capability inside the vehicle for edge processing to happen as efficiently as possible.VEHICLE TO CLOUD COMMTo increase the bandwidth efficiency and mitigate latency issues, it’s better to conduct the critical data processing at the edge within the vehicle and only share event-related information to the cloud. In-vehicle edge computing has become critical to ensure that connected vehicles can function at scale, due to the applications and data being closer to the source, providing a quicker turnaround and drastically improves the system’s performance.Technological advancements have made it possible for automotive embedded systems to communicate with sensors, within the vehicle as well as the cloud server, in an effective and efficient manner. Leveraging a distributed computing environment EV TransitionEV Transitionhow technology is helping construction leets transition to electric vehiclesTHE FUTURE OF FLEETBy Sumit Chauhan

that optimizes data exchange as well as data storage, automotive IoT improves response times and saves bandwidth for a swift data experience. Integrating this architecture with a cloud-based platform further helps to create a robust, end-to-end communications system for cost-effective business decisions and efficient operations. Collectively, the edge cloud and embedded intelligence duo connect the edge devices (sensors embedded within the vehicle) to the IT infrastructure to make way for a new range of user-centric applications based on real-world environments.This has a wide range of applications across verticals where resulting insights can be consumed and monetized by the OEMs. The most obvious use case is for aftermarket and vehicle maintenance where effective algorithms can analyze the health of the vehicle in near-real time to suggest remedies for impending vehicle failures across vehicle assets like engine, oil, battery, tires, and so on. Fleets leveraging this data can have maintenance teams ready to perform service on a vehicle that returns in a far more efficient manner since much of the diagnostic work has been performed in real time.Additionally, insurance and extended warranties can benefit by providing active driver behavior analysis so that training modules can be drawn up specific to individual driver needs based on actual driving behavior history and analysis. For fleets, the active monitoring of both the vehicle and driver scores can enable reduced TCO (total cost of ownership) for fleet operators to reduce losses owing to pilferage, theft, and negligence while again providing active training to the drivers.CLOSING THOUGHTAI-powered analytics leveraging IoT, edge computing, and the cloud are rapidly changing how fleet management is performed, making it more efficient and effective than ever. The ability of AI to analyze large amounts of information from telematics devices provides managers with valuable information to improve fleet efficiency, reduce costs and optimize productivity. From real-time analytics to driver safety management, AI is already changing the way fleets are managed.The more datasets AI collects with OEM processing via the cloud, the better predictions it can make. This means safer, more intuitive EVs in the future with more accurate routes and better real-time vehicle diagnostics. This will ensure a smooth and beneficial transition over to electrified technology for vehicles in the fleet. www.mcsmag.com AUGUST 202349REPAIR SPALLS AND CRACKS IN 10 MINUTES!ROADWARE 10 MINUTE CONCRETE MENDER™It’s thin, it gets in, and it won’t pop out!See more at www.roadware.us or call 800-522-7623.Cartridge applied or bucket mixed, Roadware Concrete Repair Products will have your oors ready for trafc, coating, or polishing in about 10 minutes. Any size repair. Blend with sand and pigments to create unlimited colors. Permanent repair.800-522-7623ROADWARE INCORPORATED381 BRIDGEPOINT WAYSOUTH ST PAUL, MN 55075 www.roadware.usabout the authorSumit Chauhan is co-founder and chief operating officer of Cerebrum X, with more than 24 years of experience in automotive, IoT, telecoms, and healthcare. Sumit has always played the leadership role that allowed him to manage a P&L of close to US $ 0.5B across various organizations, such as Aricent, Nokia and Harman, enriching their domestic as well as international business verticals. As co-founder of CerebrumX, he has applied his experience in the connected vehicle data domain to deliver the automotive industry with an AI-powered augmented deep learning platform (ADLP). Sumit is also passionate about mentoring and guiding the next generation of entrepreneurs.

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com52safety solutionAlmost any job in the construction industry comes with its share of risk. On the average jobsite, you'll find multi-ton machines and construction materials moving nimbly from place to place with workers mere feet from them. It's a recipe for danger that's unlike anything you'd find in any other profession.Is it any wonder, then, that construction work is one of the most dangerous professions in the United States? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost one in five workplace deaths in 2021 happened in the construction industry. That's despite stricter-than-ever workplace safety rules and an industry-wide effort to improve site safety.However, construction professionals don't have to be at the mercy of the statistics. They have the power to improve site safety on their own by adhering to a few simple best practices. If you're among them, here are six ways for you to improve site safety. ADHERE TO ALL PPE GUIDELINESThe most important thing that construction professionals can do to improve site safety is to adhere to all applicable personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines. There are minimum PPE standards set by the OSHA that all construction professionals should familiarize themselves with. Knowing those guidelines improves your ability to keep yourself and others on your jobsite as safe as possible. EVALUATE SITE CONDITIONS FOR MAXIMUM SITUATIONAL AWARENESSIt's also a good idea for construction professionals to get in the habit of familiarizing themselves with potential danger areas within every jobsite they frequent. This helps provide the situational awareness necessary to avoid undue risk and navigate on-site dangers appropriately. Combined with the benefits of proper PPE usage, this is one of the most proactive steps any construction professional can take to improve their own safety. Plus, it has a knock-on effect of improving the safety of everyone on the site because situationally aware workers will often spot and defuse hazards before they cause accidents for others. UNDERSTAND THE MOST COMMON ACCIDENT TYPESAs a construction professional, you must also get to know the most common types of accidents that occur on construction sites. By doing that, you can more readily identify parts of your jobsite and task types that could involve elevated risk. According to OSHA, a full 60% of all jobsite accidents involve four specific circumstances: falls, electrocutions, getting struck by falling objects, and getting caught between or in objects. Knowing these, you can take extra precautions to avoid bad outcomes. Also, you can get to know the prescribed safety measures that your employer needs to have in place to prevent those types of accidents. UNDERSTAND AND GAME PLAN FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSEIt's also worth knowing that some of the worst accidents on construction sites occur when workers don't know how to respond to emergencies. Therefore, to protect yourself and those around you, it's a good idea to understand your site's emergency Safer JobsitesSafer JobsitesBEST PRACTICES6 ways for construction professionals to improve site safetyBy Robin Kix

response plan. It should detail where you should go and what you're expected to do during various types of emergencies. Once you've read up on those plans, you should perform a quick walk-through to make certain you have no questions about what to do in an emergency. This will help you react promptly and avoid panic if you need to execute the emergency plan.FOLLOW EQUIPMENT CHECKOUT PROCEDURESAnother way for you to improve site safety is to make it a habit to scrupulously follow all equipment checkout procedures before commencing work. Faulty equipment poses a major danger in the construction industry. However, it's a danger that you can all but eliminate by checking your equipment for flaws or damage before you use it. Doing so allows you to spot defects before they turn into failures that might cause an injury. Plus, it'll improve overall site efficiency by cutting down on work stoppages related to equipment malfunctions.NEVER HESITATE TO FILE A COMPLAINTThe final—and arguably most important—thing you can do to improve site safety as a construction professional is to file safety complaints when warranted. Your right to do this is absolute, and you should never hesitate to take this step when your employer isn't following all applicable safety regulations. And if you fear retaliation, you should know that safety whistleblowers qualify for protected labor status under OSHA regulations.OSHA even revamped the whistleblower intake process as of the beginning of 2023 to speed up the processing of retaliation complaints. That means you don't have to fear long-lasting career damage if you file a safety complaint. Nor do you have to fear an endless amount of bureaucratic red tape preventing you from attaining protection from retaliation. In other words, the complaint process gives you the means to force your employer to follow safety guidelines at minimum risk to your own standing.CLOSING THOUGHTBy making yourself an active participant in improving site safety, you'll be helping yourself and others to build thriving construction careers without fearing a life- or livelihood-threatening injury. Plus, you'll help your employer run an ordered and efficient jobsite where work gets done as fast as safely possible. This is a role that every construction professional must play if the construction industry, writ large, is to improve on its historically dismal safety record. www.mcsmag.com AUGUST 202353about the authorRobin Kix is currently the renewal department manager. Since joining Lance Surety in 2014, she has helped thousands of businesses throughout the nation remain compliant at the federal, state, and local level. She has significant experience supporting commercial bond lines, particularly in the automobile, transportation, and construction industries. For more, visit www.suretybonds.org.

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com54safety solutionManeuverability ValueManeuverability Valuewhy operator comfort should come firstWORKFORCEAccording to the National Safety Council, fatigued worker productivity costs USA employers between $1,200 and $3,100 every year. In the construction industry, which places significant physical stress onto workers, the numbers are likely to be considerably higher. Increasingly, construction companies are looking for ways to get the most out of their workforce without tiring them out. Dave Bigham, global director of training at surface preparation equipment manufacturer National Flooring Equipment, highlights some of the key benefits to equipment maneuverability.Flooring contractors typically spend their days lugging round huge, heavy machines weighing up to 500 pounds. This physically challenging job requires skill, strength, and determination, but there are ways to make it easier for operators. Enter, maneuverability. Essentially, this refers to how easy it is for the contractor to operate, transport, and load or unload a machine. It can not only improve machine performance, but operator safety and well-being, acting as a significant driver to long-term productivity.MANEUVERABILITY VITALSome level of maneuverability is needed in any setting to effectively remove flooring, but there are spaces where the value of maneuverability is seen more. If a contractor is working on a large space made up of smaller units, such as a hotel building or a school, continuously moving a heavy machine around from room to room, and storey to storey, requires significantly more energy from the machine operator than continuously operating in one larger location. If contractors are unable to move the machine throughout the area, they may be forced to finish the job using manual tools, which is inefficient and even more tiring.A difficult-to-transport machine can also cause serious safety concerns. For example, if contractors attempt to use elevators despite their machinery exceeding the maximum

limit, which risks not only the mechanisms of the lift, but their own safety. The other option would be attempting to manually lift the machine up and down stairs, which may lead to cause musculoskeletal problems and risks damage to the machine if dropped. If contractors are working on small spaces or areas where machines need to be easily transported up and down stairs, a machine that maneuvers around tight corners is highly valued. Machines with removable weights are also popular for these jobs, to make it easier for contractors to transport around a jobsite without excessive force. A MANEUVERABLE MACHINEThere are a range of factors that determine whether a machine is maneuverable, and these can be split into two main areas. First are features that make job completion more efficient, such as rear-view mirrors and windshield wipers for optimal visibility in ride-in machines. Flexible adjustment of blade pitch and angle, precision steering, increased travel speed, and user-friendly control systems are other helpful features to look out for. These features often improve accessibility, meaning that operators can easily find all of the controls they need and learn how to use the machine much faster. The other side is operator comfort. This covers anything that reduces operator input, from simplified controls, removeable machine weight for easy transportation and handle toggles for directing the machine to cup holders, noise reduction, and foot bars. National’s latest machines, Viking and Rogue have both been specifically designed to offer operators more maneuverability than before, taking real customer feedback and using that during the development stages. Interestingly, some newer machines to the market offer the benefits of larger, heavy-duty systems, while bringing in the maneuverability features of smaller systems, giving contractors another string to their bow.Added maneuverability allows for easier load in and out of transport, particularly in areas where there are multiple floors. Features like added machine control give operators the ability to reduce head pressure based on the strength of the concrete underneath to avoid damaging its surface. CLOSING THOUGHTWith businesses losing thousands every year due to worker fatigue, it is time operators had machines designed with their comfort in mind. Looking out for the features of a maneuverable machine is a great place to start in improving efficiency, safety, and productivity. www.mcsmag.com AUGUST 202355for more informationFounded in 1968, National Flooring Equipment designs and manufactures quality flooring equipment and supports it with unparalleled customer service. Almost five decades later, National’s commitment to these key principles remains as strong as the day the company began. At National Flooring Equipment, operator comfort is always a priority. Try out the latest walk-behind, the Rogue, visit nationalequipmentdirect.com/products/rogue/.

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com56maintenance solutionJoint EffortJoint Effortrepairing a busy California highway interchangeCRAFCO MASTIC ONEExit 17 at Clark Avenue is the first exit on California State Highway 135. The interchange serves the community of Orcutt, California—an unincorporated town in the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County—and a heavy volume of truck traffic entering and exiting the state highway every day.REPAIRING UNRAVELING JOINTS In 2017, the longitudinal paving joints at the interchange had begun to unravel. “They had gone from simple cracks measuring two inches deep and two to three inches wide to an extremely wide crack, essentially creating a long linear pothole,” says Andy O’Brien, North County Road maintenance supervisor for Santa Barbara County. Longitudinal cracking is a common issue on asphalt pavements. When roads are paved, the asphalt is laid in passes, creating joints or seams. As the pavement ages and experiences traffic repetition, pavement distresses accumulate, causing seams to unravel or separate, and cracks develop in those seams. Making the much-needed repairs created concerns for O’Brien and his team. The main issue they faced was the need to limit traffic disruption as much as possible. “What created a challenge for us was that, because 135 is a Caltrans roadway, instituting lane closures and other traffic restrictions would have required a lot of red tape,” O’Brien says. CHOOSING A SOLUTION Traditionally, there are two options for repairing cracks in pavement like those experienced at Clark Avenue. “In the case of a low-traffic area and a smaller crack, we’d usually use a traditional crack sealer,” says O’Brien. “In cases where the degradation is larger, we’d normally use hot mix asphalt (HMA) or cold mix asphalt to affect a patch. In other words, we’d fill in the hole with asphalt, which is time-consuming.” Traditional HMA patching or mill and fill, which involves grinding out a section larger than the original problem area and filling it in with asphalt, requires considerable planning and time. The process includes milling out and cleaning the area and filling it with asphalt—as well as curing time.Because Santa Barbara County does not encourage night work, the project needed to be completed during the day, so reducing the time needed for the repair was important. “And, considering the amount of traffic and turning motion that was happening on the section of road at Clark Avenue, the traditional HMA method would not hold up very well,” O’Brien adds. SPEEDY, LONG-LASTING SOLUTION O’Brien and his team were already familiar with Crafco products and had applied a substantial amount of Crafco crack sealant on previous repair projects. Gary Lewis, Crafco’s territory manager, came out and Longitudinal cracking is a common issue on asphalt pavements.Using the Crafco Patcher II melter, the crew applied 100 yards at a time of Mastic One with the drag box.

performed a demonstration of the Patcher II melter and Mastic One Crafco s polymermodified aggregate filled pavement repair mastic designed for use on wide cracks and distresses on roads and highway areas that are too small for repaving Because Mastic One cools quickly after installation and is ready for traffic when it has solidified sufficiently to support loads the crew was able to complete the repairs quickly and minimize disruption to traffic flow Mastic One is traffic ready in less than an hour from application O Brien says With a lot of heavy trucks using that intersection the time we saved was really important Using the Crafco Patcher II melter the crew applied 100 yards of the Mastic One material at a time with the drag box By laying such long runs all at once the crew was able to shave countless hours off the project time The project was completed in two days with a crew of eight versus HMA which requires a larger crew Additional time savings were realized because there has been no need for repeat maintenance If we had filled in the joints with hot mix we believe that they would have continued to unravel at the edges O Brien says Because Mastic One fills in the void and seals off the edge it kept the degradation from getting any worse The ability to apply future lane markings over the repair material was also a concern for O Brien because the joints are located where the lanes are split He also manages Santa Barbara County s sign and stripe crew so he was concerned about how well the paint striping would adhere and how long it would last We ve been pleased with how well the paint has held up he says Our fears were unfounded Mastic One bonds to asphalt cement concrete and Portland cement concrete pavements with a specially designed and treated aggregate that provides long term performance of five years or more Using Mastic One to repair wide cracks levels the uneven pavement surface ensuring a smooth ride for vehicles And its flexible sealant properties continue to adhere to the pavement when the pavement moves as a result of temperature change or traffic CLOSING THOUGHT We have not had to go back and do anything to any of the joints at the intersection since the original repairs says O Brien It s been almost five years and the Mastic One product has held up extremely well for more information Crafco delivers confidence through innovation quality and value since 1976 Crafco is the world s leading manufacturer in quantity and diversity of packaged pavement preservation products for asphalt and concrete such as hotapplied crack sealants silicone joint sealants hot applied mastics and cold mix for pavement surface patching and repair Crafco is the only company to manufacture these types of products and the equipment to apply them For more visit www crafco com For more about the Santa Barbara job click here Perhaps These People Know Something That You Don t Know 764 Prime Contractors 23 953 Subs 7 276 Projects 48 408 Users 7 276 Projects Easily Stay Compliant With Davis Bacon Encrypted 2 Minute Payroll Paperless emarsinc com Works with Prime and all Subcontractors 80 Savings In Time and Money Compared to Manually Prepared Payroll Call for Free Demo Ph 480 595 0466 www mcsmag com AUGUST 2023 57

AUGUST 2023 www.mcsmag.com58modern construction productsMi-T-M ChoreMaster Generators Mi-T-M’s new ChoreMaster Generators range from 6500 up to 8000-watts and are equipped with CO detection and automatic shutdown. These generators are designed to provide maximum power on jobsites and electrical backup during power outages. Both models include idle control, digital display for voltage, hertz, run hours and total hours, and are powered by a reliable Mi-T-M OHV Engine—the 8000-watt model also has electric start. Built with a heavy-duty powder coated wraparound frame, handles, wheels and outlet covers, these models are durable and can move from one jobsite to the next with expediential ease. This line of ChoreMaster generators come backed with a 1-year alternator and 3-year engine warranty. For more, visit www.mitm.com.WD- BRAND WD-40 Precision PenWD-40 Brand introduces its—the WD-40® Precision Pen, a compact, portable, and multi-use product with pinpoint precision. Ideally suited for tight spaces on projects of all sizes, the WD-40 Precision Pen is designed for use at home, on the job, in workshops, or for exploring new frontiers, and is a direct response from feedback received by end users. With more than 1,000 uses, the trusted Original WD-40 Formula stops squeaks, protects against corrosion, loosens rusted parts, frees sticky mechanisms, and drives out moisture. Available for purchase on Amazon. For more, visit wd40.com/products/precision-pen. Yanmar Compact Equipment introduces the TL100VS compact track loader—the first machine in its new compact track loader line. The TL100VS comes equipped with a 103.5 hp Tier 4 Final Yanmar diesel engine and standard 41 gpm high flow to optimize performance capacity and efficiency on the jobsite. Paired with a 3,780-lb standard operating capacity and 10,800-lb tipping load, the TL100VS stands out for more than just its distinctive Yanmar Premium Red color. Travel speeds up to 8 mph round out the performance-enhancing features while 4.4 psi ground pressure allows smooth performance on sensitive, unstable surfaces. For more, visit www.yanmarce.com.KOBELCO USA Large Short-Radius ExcavatorKOBELCO Construction Machinery USA launches its new model SK380SRLC-7 in North America. This KOBELCO excavator sets the standard for large, short-radius machines, offering full-size benefits with short rear swing capabilities and exceptional features. This KOBELCO SK380SRLC-7 has the highest digging power, swing torque, and travel performance in the 35-ton class. This machine takes on the heaviest up-close work with confidence with only 6.5” of counterweight tail swing radius. With the ability to operate safely in a single 12 ft-lane, this machine is ideal for highway projects as well as any application requiring the use of a larger machine within a limited work area. For more, visit www.kobelco-usa.com.YANMAR COMPACT EQUIPMENT Compact Track Loader KEEN UTILITY Camden Work BootBuilt to thrive on the toughest jobsites, KEEN Utility’s Camden work boot provides rugged capability without weighing you down. Product highlights include a full grain barnyard resistant leather upper, KEEN.DRY waterproof, breathable membrane, as well as a 360° Goodyear welt and air-infused Luftcell midsole to give an ultra-stable and all-day comfortable work platform. Safety features include asymmetrical carbon-fiber safety toes that are unobtrusive and 15% lighter than steel, an EH-rated oil- and slip- resistant rubber outsole, and a 90-degree heel to provide secure footing and stability while doing work on ladders, poles, and other structures. For more, visit www.keenfootwear.com.IRONCRAFT Snow Cannon™ IronCraft, LLC presents the Snow Cannon™ series of tractor snow blowers which move even the heaviest, wet snow quickly and efficiently. Durability is designed into each model, including welded augers with high-tensile strength ribbon flighting, a heavy-duty gearbox, and replaceable skid shoes. A manual pin-style deflector provides users with “set-it-and-forget-it” convenience. A 5-blade fan evacuates high volumes of snow quickly and features tighter tolerance to the housing for increased velocity. The time-proven heavy-duty gearbox transfers PTO power from the tractor into the driveline, ensuring consistent power input to the auger and fan assemblies. For more, visit www.ironcraftco.com.UUNNMMAATTCCHHEEDD MMOOBBIILLIITTYY AANNDD SSPPEEEEDDTHE ULTIMATE SAWING SOLUTION FROM CUTS INC.• Patented Technology• User Friendly• Hydraulic pressure relief• Auto blade brake• Blade feed speed control• Available accessories include laser guide and auto water feedmatt@cutsinc.org • www.skidsteersaw.com (865) 281-CUTS (2887)5638 Clinton Hwy • Knoxville, TN 37912, USACall today! (865) 281-CUTS (2887)

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punch list 0823 Welcome to punch list a new column for 2023 Each month I ll be providing a book review in an effort to add good reads to your punch list for the year The One Thing GARY KELLER JAY PAPASAN CO AUTHORS FOUNDERS T he eighth book on your punch list is The One Thing This book shares the simple truth about getting the results that are stellar WHY THIS BOOK The One Thing provides a proven method for focusing on what truly matters in areas of your life where overwhelm may creep in and wreak your mojo It takes work to make a change we are naturally resistant to change Ultimately we are made for more and can BE MORE in our daily encounters with tasks and people THE ONE THING The book shares area of your life where the one thing could make positive difference YOUR PERSONAL LIFE Bringing clarity to your life can help define your purpose What s one thing you can today next week or in 90 days to be better at golf better at communicating with project managers and better at bidding open jobs Start with one thing to move the needle forward YOUR FAMILY The family dynamic is best treasured with memories of vacations helping children with homework and experiences that build connections Take inventory of your family life that needs a one thing approach to turn good days into best days YOUR JOB Your job is an important facet of existence Are you happy with your career Are you where you want to be professionally Taking a closer at all the variables surrounding your profession CLOSING THOUGHT Imagine a workforce with each respective laborer focusing on their one thing so a project meets timelines with quality work practically ending the rework yo yo that frustrates project managers Would builds be better Would injuries be reduced Would the construction industry attract and retain workers with this simple concept It s worth thinking about and definitely worth putting in action Life isn t about finding yourself Life is about creating yourself George Bernard Shaw and job select the one thing you can do to complete a project on time find one thing to focus on to ensure you are not working yourself to death put one thing on the mental to do list and simply be present YOUR WORK TEAM As a manager supervisor or executive I m sure you ve led meetings scheduled meetings and sat in meetings Meetings eat up time What s one thing you can do to make meetings more productive Owner meetings are essential to projects be organized with information and tangible assets so decisions can be made and progress moved ahead for more information Gary Keller author co founder is the founder and chairman of the board for Keller Williams Realty the world s largest real estate franchise by agent count Jay Papasan coauthor co founder is a bestselling author who serves as the vice president of strategic content for Keller Williams Realty International For more visit the1thing com book P L 60 AUGUST 2023 www mcsmag com