Modern Contractor Solutions July 2022 : simplebooklet.com

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com46 WAYS GCs CAN KEEP PROJECTS ON SCHEDULEGuest Post by Emily Newton5 KEY ADVANTAGES OF A VoIP PHONE SYSTEMGuest Post by Jim GustkeMAKING OLD TRAILERS LOOK NEW AGAINGuest Post by William Chelak6 REASONS WHY CONTRACTORS SHOULD USE LED LIGHTINGGuest Post by Cory PetersonBENEFITS OF AUTOMATIONGuest Post by Shannon Flynn3236JULY 2022VOLUME 16 ISSUE 07Inside This Issue34special focusIN EVERY ISSUEIndustry News ............................ 08Modern Construction Products ... 55Coach’s Corner ........................... 56software solutionCloud Hosting3 contractors share thoughtsmanagement solutionDigital Toolsto survive and succeedsoftware solutionEarthwork Softwaregrading secret for profit38technologymanagement solutionInfrastructure Boomthe rise that will reshape the industryON THE BLOGDouble Coin REM2 26.5R25 all Steel Radial Earthmover on location with C5 Equipment Rentals based in Moreno Valley, California.Photo Courtesy of Double Coin Tires44safety solutionOverhead Viewdrone usage saves46technology solutionBid Readytech to win contractswww.doublecointires.com

Page 9

Page 10

PROJECT PROFILESTunnel Restoration..................................................... 14Betting Big ................................................................ 18Charleston Row ......................................................... 22EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONSWirtgen Promise ........................................................ 24On-Site Fuel Tanks ..................................................... 26MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONSSupply Chain ............................................................. 28Behind the 8-ball ....................................................... 30Infrastructure Boom .................................................. 32Digital Tools............................................................... 34SOFTWARE SOLUTIONSCloud Hosting ........................................................... 36Earthwork Software ................................................... 38LEGAL SOLUTIONWorker Shortage ....................................................... 40SAFETY SOLUTIONSJobsite Injuries .......................................................... 42Overhead View .......................................................... 44TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONSBid Ready .................................................................. 46Drone Benefits .......................................................... 48Points Well Taken ...................................................... 50FEATURED PRODUCTStout Conveyors TC-50 .............................................. 54SUBSCRIPTIONS For all changes, go to:MCSMAG.COMClick the SUBSCRIPTIONS button in the main menuwww.mcsmag.com P.O. Box 660197 | Birmingham, AL 35266DONNA CAMPBELL Editor in Chiefdonna@mcsmag.comMIKE BARKER Publishermike@mcsmag.com RANDY MOON Media Consultantrandym@mcsmag.comMICHAEL FISCHBACH Media Consultantmichael@mcsmag.com JOHN FRIEND Media Consultantjohn@mcsmag.comKEVIN MCCLARAN Media Consultantkevin@mcsmag.comLISA AVERY Art Directorlisa@mcsmag.comSETH SAUNDERS Digital Media Specialist seth@mcsmag.comINGRID 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 staff 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 2N1Modern Contractor Solutions Magazine@mcsmagModern Contractor SolutionsDonna CampbellEditor in ChiefTECHNOLOGY MATTERSWelcome to July! This month’s issue looks at technology in the back office and on the jobsite ranging from remote-controlled hydrodemolition to on-site fuel tanks and digital tools, plus software for effective bidding and estimating.The definition of technology is “the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life,” meaning a change to move forward to make a process or operation easier, faster, and designed to aid in the process overall. Some ways to make good use of technology is Cloud hosting (pg 36) and using software to help with estimating how much dirt to move and, ultimately, put in a bid to win (pg 38). Jobsites are in full motion in July and one piece of equipment getting attention for multiple facets is the drone. From using a drone to get an overhead view for safety issues and monitoring to capturing data points, check out the articles on page 44 and 48.2022 could be the year for an infrastructure overall—one that could reshape the industry. For more on this topic, check out the article on page 32.Lastly, this month’s Coach’s Corner focuses on self-development for leadership. With the current state of affairs, leading your team through the ups and downs of the industry and the economy is crucial to company success. For thought leader Randy Goruk’s 5 ways to self-improvement, read the article on page 56. DO THIS TODAY: If you have not signed up to receive a weekly Leadership Tip from Randy Goruk, leadership development expert, go to his website and register: www.leadersedge360.com.Cheers, 56COACH’S CORNER 5 steps to leadership self-developmentPACIFIC OCEAN (June 24, 2022) Airman Tyelan Chatman, from Birmingham, Alabama, fires an M9 service pistol during a small arms gun shoot on an aircraft elevator aboard amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli (LHA 7). Tripoli is operating in U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Christopher

Page 11

Page 12

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com8industry newsPARTNERSHIP TO STREAMLINE TEAM PTT COMMUNICATIONS Demanding work environments require powerful communication devices, reliable connectivity, and real-time information in order to operate at peak efficiency. Whether in an office or in the field, on a mission or on the run, today’s teams need next generation applications and advanced audio technologies to communicate effectively. To meet these needs, Pryme partnered with Streamwide to provide more streamlined collaboration and enhanced push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) communications for industries in both the public and private sectors. For more, visit www.pryme.com or www.streamwide.com. NEW TRIPLE-STEEL-BELTED ALLIANCE 590 FLOTATION TIRE FROM YOKOHAMA OFF-HIGHWAY TIRESThe new Alliance 590 flotation radial from Yokohama Off-Highway Tires features three layers of steel belts under a cut-resistant tread compound—a powerfully puncture-resistant combination for the heavy tankers, wagons, and pull-behind sprayers used on construction sites. “Tanks and trailers can encounter such a wide range of surfaces and conditions on construction projects, so the Alliance 590 is a great tire for ensuring that rolling equipment is fitted for great performance and durability wherever it goes,” Dhananjay Bisht, national product manager—OTR Products for Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America, Inc.Capable of speeds up to 40 mph, the Alliance 590 may be operated at low inflation pressures to minimize soil compaction. For more, visit www.yokohama-oht.com.HEXAGON DISRUPTS REALITY CAPTURE AGAIN WITH ITS NEXT-GENERATION, ULTRA-FAST LEICA BLK360 LASER SCANNERHexagon AB, a global leader in digital reality solutions combining sensor, software and autonomous technologies, announces the introduction of the all-new, next-generation Leica BLK360, which dramatically advances reality capture by delivering two of the most sought-after necessities: speed and efficiency.Drawing on the success and innovative features of the award-winning Leica BLK series, the new BLK360 creates stunning, photorealistic, accurate digital twins within just 20 seconds. Like its predecessor, the new BLK360 encourages new users to introduce reality capture to new industries and markets due to its speed, portability, and ease of use.Today’s projects demand fast, accurate, real-time data collection. The new BLK360 is an ideal sensor for any application requiring fast, up-to-date scanning, such as digital Handrail5000 lbsD-Ring360� RotationWorker with Fall-ArrestHarness Concrete OverhangSAPS SAFETY ANCHOR POST SYSTEM SAPS INBOUND SAP42D SAPS inbound SAP42D is Intertek Certified to meet ASIZ359.18-2017 safety requirements: ANCHORAGE CONNECTOR FOR ACTIVE FALL PROTECTIONCall today for an estimatesafetyanchorpost.com(800) 377–1632OSHA Compliant Guardrail andStair Rail SystemsSafety Boot® Guardrail SystemStringerShield® Stair Rail System1.800.804.4741safetyboot.com• Non-Penetrating Design• Rugged Steel Construction• Exceeds OSHA Regulations• Simple, Aordable & Reusable• Residential, Multi-Family & Commercial Applications• Unique Free Standing Design• Keep Post Attached For Reuse On Next Level Or ProjectFeatured on osha.gov website!

Page 13

Page 14

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com10industry newsconstruction and building lifecycle monitoring. It enables users to move quickly about any environment without interruption, viewing and sharing the data during the capture process to provide real-time access to updated digital twins. For more, visit hexagon.com.BROKK LAUNCHES BROKK CONNECT 2.0Brokk launches Brokk Connect 2.0, the next step in the online platform for connected Brokk robots that was launched earlier this year. This version includes several new features, such as a sophisticated geofencing function, user customization of the platform, and a weekly status report that helps Brokk owners to stay up to date on their fleet’s status. Most importantly, with Brokk Connect 2.0, the service is now available all over Europe and North America. Announced in February 2021, Brokk Connect has been available in three pilot markets. With the release of Brokk Connect 2.0, it is now available to Brokk customers throughout Europe and North America. Brokk’s solution includes both hardware and software that are unique to meet the specific requirements of the operation and management of demolition robots. To provide the best coverage and always-on operation, the robots are connected over the mobile network. For more, visit www.brokk.com. B2W SOFTWARE ADDS API CAPABILITIES TO INCREASE ESTIMATING SPEED, ACCURACY AND INSIGHT FOR HEAVY CONSTRUCTIONB2W Software adds API-powered features that automate data transfer to make estimating easier, faster and more accurate.A new B2W Estimate API (application programming interface) automates connectivity between B2W Software’s flagship estimating application and data sources used to generate estimates. The API also enables a new Production Rate Actuals feature within B2W Estimate, giving estimators streamlined access to current and historical performance data from the field. The information from B2W Track, an application for field tracking and analysis, can be used to improve accuracy of rates applied within current bids to ensure profitability.APIs connect software and data sources to each other and provide a shared standard for interoperability. B2W Estimate, an enterprise-class application for heavy construction estimating and bidding, features centralized cost data and specialized functionality for creating bids from databases, templates and cost structures. This approach maximizes accuracy and speed, enabling contractors to spend less time building bids and more time strategically optimizing them. For more, visit www.b2wsoftware.com.

Page 15

Page 16

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com12industry newsCATERPILLAR TO RELOCATE GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS TO DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREACaterpillar Inc. announces it will move its global headquarters to the company’s existing office in Irving, Texas, from its current location in Deerfield, Illinois.“We believe it’s in the best strategic interest of the company to make this move, which supports Caterpillar’s strategy for profitable growth as we help our customers build a better, more sustainable world,” said chairman and CEO Jim Umpleby. Caterpillar has had a presence in Texas since the 1960s across several areas of the company. Illinois remains the largest concentration of Caterpillar employees anywhere in the world. The company will begin transitioning its headquarters to Irving in 2022. For more, visit www.cat.com.BETTER COLLABORATION WITH SUBCONTRACTORS, IMPROVED CHANGE ORDER MANAGEMENT, AND NEW INSIGHTS INTO PROJECT RISKS FEATURE IN INEIGHT’S INNOVATIONS UPDATEInEight Inc., a global leader in construction project management software, announces the latest in its program of software innovations. This round’s enhancements enable greater, real-time collaboration with subcontractors, give both contractors and owners a better handle on change orders, enable deeper insights into cost and schedule threats, and provide opportunities through integration to optimize efficient project delivery. For more, visit ineight.com/innovations.ICP INVITES PHOENIX-AREA CONTRACTORS AND DISTRIBUTORS TO NEW TRAINING CENTERICP invites residential and commercial construction professionals to visit its new training facility in Phoenix. Now local contractors and distributors can explore ICP’s full line of building and maintenance solutions up close—including white, reflective roof coatings—while learning how best to apply the products.The new training center offers 2,300 square feet of space dedicated to making visitors comfortable with the latest APOC roofing primers, adhesives and sealants, along with proper application techniques. Attendees can also learn about Pli-Dek waterproof deck coatings and Polyset roof tile and commercial adhesives from ICP that give pros more convenient, proven options for ensuring a job done right the first time.Training sessions can now be scheduled per contractor request, with a full calendar of dates coming to APOC.com later this year. Sessions are led by some of ICP’s most experienced installers and can be tailored to crews of all skill levels with a focus on the specific work to be performed. For more, visit icpgroup.com

Page 17

Page 18

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com14project profileTunnels form vital traffic and railroad arteries across the United States, providing the backbone for people and goods to traverse challenging terrain. There are 541 highway tunnels in the nation, accounting for more than 381 lane-miles of Interstate, State, and local routes. The majority of these tunnels are between 60 to 110 years old, and combined they carry in excess of 15.4 million vehicles on the average day. As these important tunnels age, asset owners must find creative, efficient solutions for repair and maintenance. Unlike the horizontal surface of a bridge, a tunnel typically has a 360 degree surface of concrete that must be regularly monitored and restored if the structure is to last. The only alternative—tear down and rebuild—would be extremely expensive and environmentally damaging, if not impossible in many cases.In Portland, Oregon, the Portland Board of Transportation (PBOT) is putting the finishing touches on a project to restore the concrete ceiling and vertical walls of the Northwest Cornell Road Tunnel. With the repaired surface covering a total area of approximately 28,800 square feet, this project illustrates how innovative equipment can be combined with adaptive project execution to maintain the world’s tunnel assets.TUNNEL DETERIORATION The NW Cornell Road Tunnel consists of two tunnels that were constructed between 1939 and 1941 to support residential development in Northwest Portland. Tunnel 1 is 500 feet long and Tunnel 2 is 250 feet long, with both tunnels containing two lanes. Approximately 10,000 vehicles per day use the Cornell Tunnel.During a routine inspection by the PBOT, a large crack near the crown of Tunnel 1 was observed. In 2019, an in-depth field assessment and subsequent geotechnical engineering report recommended concrete strengthening and relining for both Tunnels to prevent structural failure and minimize the future permeability of harmful contaminants. The existing concrete was estimated to have an average strength of 5,500 psi but varied widely depending on the area.The project was awarded to general contractor MJ Hughes Construction. With offices in Washington and California, MJ Hughes is an experienced heavy civil contractor that has a strong track record of success in structures, earthwork, and utilities. It is known for embracing complex projects and strict schedules, and is always ready to adapt to evolving project demands. Pat McSorley, who has been a superintendent with MJ Hughes for more than 5 years, was the project superintendent responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Cornell Tunnel rehabilitation.MJ Hughes subcontracted the task of removing deteriorated concrete to CCS Industrial Services. Based in Longview, Washington, CCS is an experienced contractor that provides a number of solutions including hydro excavation, environmental remediation hydrodemolition, industrial cleaning, street sweeping, and waste disposal. Since 2015, CCS has been using Conjet ACR robots to perform hydrodemolition work.Tunnel Restorationversatility is the key to successNORTHWEST CORNELL ROAD Hydrodemolition is a revolutionary technology for restoring concrete assets because it efficiently and safely removes deteriorated concrete while preserving the remaining structure. Photo Credit: CCS

Page 19

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202215The concrete removal phase was awarded to CCS based on its impressive track record and fast projected timeline. CCS was confident that, using the Conjet Robot 557 MPA, it could outperform other contractors that would attempt to complete the concrete demolition with jackhammers and breakers. CONJET HYDRODEMOLITION Hydrodemolition is a process that uses high-pressure water to remove concrete or other surface materials. The technology has many advantages: It is more efficient and productive than using jackhammers or other concrete breaker tools—one Conjet robot can remove the same amount of concrete as 25 or more jackhammers. Hydrodemolition is also safer than competing technologies—operators are not exposed to silica dust or vibrations that are present with jackhammers and roto millers, and they can stand a safe distance away from the robot as it operates. Finally, hydrodemolition is the most sustainable method for structural preservation—because hydrodemolition does not create microcracks in the remaining concrete, pull-off tests show that a hydrodemolition-prepared surface forms a 2.5x stronger bond with the new concrete overlay compared to the same surface that has been prepared with a jackhammer. This extends the structure’s useful life and reduces concrete consumption. In addition, hydrodemolition preserves and cleans the rebar reinforcement whereas jackhammering and roto milling damage the rebar and require significant replacement.Further improving sustainability on the Cornell Tunnel project, CCS and MJ Hughes recycled the concrete slurry wastewater produced by hydrodemolition operations and reused it for additional blasting. This reduced total water usage and disposal costs.CCS’s fleet of hydrodemolition robots was supplied by Conjet AB. Conjet manufactures hydrodemolition robots in Handen, Sweden, with a domestic subsidiary in Charlotte, North Carolina, which provides local sales and support to the North American market. The founders of Conjet were inventors of the hydrodemolition process in the mid-1980’s, and in the 35 years since the company has been focused on developing the technology to maximize ease of use, productivity, and safety. Conjet’s 35+ years of innovation, collectively referred to as Automated Concrete Removal (ACRTM) technology, are incorporated into every robot manufactured.MULTIPURPOSE ARMFor the Cornell Tunnel, an important feature of the Conjet 557 robot was its Multipurpose Arm, or MPA. The MPA allowed CCS, with the push of a button, to quickly relocate the 557’s cutting head to remove concrete from different angles and reaches on the overhead crown and vertical sidewalls. Regarding the Conjet 557, the CCS onsite supervisor reports, “The flexibility of the 557 MPA was crucial for this project. We needed the ability to quickly adapt our cuts to different depths, angles, and reaches in order to meet the engineering requirements. The 557 MPA allowed us to accomplish this work with relative ease and, importantly, quickly. We also received valuable technical advice from Conjet’s customer success manager, Tim Best, on how to leverage the flexibility of the ConjetONE control system to set the 557’s cutting parameters to fit the curved tunnel radius. As a result, we were able to perform this complex job without purchasing and installing any additional attachments on our 557.”McSorley comments, “The Conjet 557 MPA performed great for us. I was impressed with CCS’s ability to easily adjust the robot’s parameters to the compensate for the radius of the tunnel. And due to the unexpected complexity of The versatility of the Conjet 557 MPA was important, as CCS utilized the Multipurpose Arm for reaching different angles and distances, the extendable tracks for stability, and multiple speed zones traversing the cutting head to ensure an even removal along the curved tunnel radiusPhoto Credit: CCS

Page 20

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com16project profilethe concrete removal that was needed, the 557’s versatility was crucial to our success on this project.”CONSTRUCTION BEGINSThe sitework began in September 2021. Tunnel 1’s project specifications called for a 14 ft wide x 2 in deep strip to be removed at its crown for the entire length of 500 feet. The removed concrete would be replaced with Shotcrete to seal and preserve the Tunnel’s rebar reinforcement beneath the surface.Tunnel 2 had experienced more severe deterioration than Tunnel 1 over the years. As a result, the project engineers initially planned to use hydrodemolition to cut 12 inch wide x 12 inch deep ribs every 7 feet for increased structural stability. In addition, the plan called for the top 2 inches of the entire overhead area and vertical walls, totaling 14,000 square feet to be removed and replaced with new concrete. Finally, in Tunnel 2 a new mat of #3 rebar would be added to the entire removed surface area, covered with mesh, and filled with Shotcrete. The #3 rebar mat would create a new reinforcement system to replace the original rebar which was damaged by the concrete deterioration and resulting permeability.CCS quickly mobilized its equipment and began removing the concrete. Tunnel 1 demolition operations went quickly and according to plan. However, as CCS began removing concrete on Tunnel 2, some unexpected challenges arose.PROJECT WITH CHALLENGESWhen CCS began operating the Conjet 557 in Tunnel 2, it was discovered that not only was the concrete extremely deteriorated, the thickness was also very inconsistent, ranging anywhere from 8 to 24 inches depending on the location. As a result, the original plan to cut 12 inches deep and place new concrete to form structural ribs had to be abandoned. Rather than installing ribs, the PBOT engineering team decided to pivot to a new structural strengthening approach that involved cutting thicker, 6 in deep x 10 ft long panel sections. Each panel section would have a reinforcing mat of high-strength #6 rebar. To maintain structural integrity during this process, each panel section would need to be cut to the proper depth, replaced with rebar and concrete, and cured before work could begin on the next section.CCS got to work executing the new project specifications for concrete removal. Using the ConjetONE control system, CCS was able to easily adjust the parameters of the 557 MPA to cut at different speeds across the cutting head, ensuring a 6 inch deep removal, even across the curved crown of the Tunnel. The MJ Hughes team then came back in and installed new rebar and mesh, filling in the new reinforcement system with Shotcrete.The revised construction plan was executed successfully, and the concrete repairs were completed in April 2022. McSorley states, “In view of the unexpected challenges, we are extremely pleased with the outcome of the Cornell Tunnel restoration project. CCS exceeded our expectations with respect to the concrete removal work. The hydrodemolition process provides an incredibly efficient, high-quality removal that is perfect for applying a new concrete overlay which will extend the useful lives of these tunnels for many years to come. Hydrodemolition was the only way to go for this work. It was far superior to any other methods we could have used for the concrete removal.”CLOSING THOUGHTThe Cornell Tunnel restoration project is a great example of how skilled contractors and engineers can deploy cutting-edge hydrodemolition equipment to preserve vital concrete infrastructure, regardless of the unexpected challenges that may arise in the process. for more informationFor more about Conjet hydrodemolition, visit www.conjet.com.Tunnel 2 restoration work was performed in phases to create new structural bracing, while also maintaining the Tunnel’s integrity during construction. Photo Credit: MJ Hughes ConstructionPhoto Credit: MJ Hughes Construction

Page 21

Page 22

Page 23

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202219As cities everywhere emerge from the global pandemic, New York is betting big on the return of the daily commute. With a $12 billion price tag, the long-awaited East Side Access project is giving the busiest commuter rail system in the United States a major upgrade.At present, commuters traveling into New York City on the Long Island Rail Road arrive at Penn Station, on Manhattan’s West Side—often overshooting their actual destinations on the East Side. Many Long Islanders can still make it to work on public transit in an hour or less. But workers living out on the farther reaches of “the Island” may need 2 hours— or even 3—to reach their destination. With the advent of East Side Access, help is on the way. By adding direct train service from Long Island to East Manhattan, the project will provide faster commutes, fewer delays, greater reliability, and more options for Long Island residents. East Side Access is the largest infrastructure project in the 57-year history of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Teams have carved out 8 miles of new tunnels beneath the East River, excavating more than 2 million cubic yards of rock, soil, and muck. Workers have laid more than 40.5 miles of new track. Construction required more than 1 million cubic yards of concrete and 90,000 tons of steel. NEW JEWEL IN THE CROWNThe public face of East Side Access is a brand-new terminal for the LIRR, built directly underneath Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The 350,000-square-foot concourse will include 25 retail storefronts, Wi-Fi and cell service, and digital signage with real-time train information. Seventeen high-rise escalators, the longest in the New York City transit system and covering 182 feet, will move commuters between the concourse and mezzanine. The mezzanine leads to upper and lower train levels, for a total of four new platforms and eight new tracks. Long Islanders are not the only commuters to benefit from this massive investment in public transit. For residents of Queens (one of New York’s five boroughs), the new station could shorten some trips by as much as 40 minutes. Congestion at busy Penn Station is expected to ease. At the same time, the LIRR’s capacity is expected to rise by over 40%.“As the first modern train terminal to be built in more than a half century, the East Side Access will expand rail service, cut down on travel times into East Manhattan from Queens and reduce crowding,’’ New York Governor Kathy Hochul says. “This is yet another example of New York leading the way as we recover from the pandemic.”AN UNSEEN WORLDThe new concourse is all that most New Yorkers will ever see of East Side Access. But the project required work on less glamorous forms of infrastructure as well. Major updates were required at Harold Interlocking in Queens, to coordinate the new East Side Access routes with the operations of Amtrak. Crews installed 97 new track switches, five new steel railroad bridges, and 295 poles for Amtrak’s overhead wires. Beneath the streets of Manhattan, the vast new spaces of “Grand Central Terminal Caverns” will house the “guts” of the new LIRR terminal. Two completely new caverns were constructed, each measuring 1,143 feet in length. Two existing caverns were fitted out with 830 precast beams, 844 precast panels, 694 precast walls, and 370 precast platforms.Workers linked the caverns and tunnels with 130,000 feet of track, 32 turnouts, 52 switches, and 35,000 cubic yards of track bed concrete. Power is supplied by 800,000 feet of underground raceways, 7,000 light fixtures, seven power stations, and two off-track facilities. SAFETY FIRSTNew Yorkers who have lived through 9/11 or Superstorm Sandy are aware of the need for safety planning in public projects of this scale. Amid all the tunnels and junctions for electrical and plumbing fixtures, the new terminal features 53 fire-rated floor doors manufactured by BILCO. The doors range in size from 30 inches x 30 inches to The new passenger terminal for the Long Island Rail Road at Grand Central Station in New York includes 53 fire-rated floor access doors manufactured by BILCO.

Page 24

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com20project profile42 x 60, one of the largest manufactured by the specialty access company. Fire-rated floor doors are often found in public buildings, dormitories, office buildings, and exit stairwells. BILCO’s fire-rated doors maintain the fire rating of a 2-hour floor ceiling assembly between building floors. The door hardware and sealants used in each fire-rated floor door are specially selected to maintain the fire rating. Fire-rated doors are provided with a self-closing device and an intumescent fireproof coating on the underside. When a fire breaks out, the closing device is triggered by the heat and closes the door to ensure fire protection. The fireproof coating on the underside of the door then expands and seals the door opening to prevent the spread of fire to the next floor. BILCO’s doors are UL-listed and include a pan cover designed to accept flooring materials for concealed access.The MTA frequently relies on BILCO to supply doors for their construction projects. Fontana Metal Sales provided the doors for the project. “It’s a product that the MTA knows and it’s easiest to purchase the known product,’’ says Jason Benfield of the civil engineering team working on the project, Tutor Perini. “It’s easier to get something approved when it’s a product that is known to work in these applications.”CLOSING THOUGHTThe Long Island Rail Road was founded in 1834—making it 52 years older than the Statue of Liberty. At that time, the population of Long Island numbered around 37,000. Today it exceeds 2.8 million. East Side Access marks the LIRR’s first expansion in over 100 years. For long-suffering Long Island commuters, the project will provide welcome relief. “This smart, transit-oriented development will help spur economic growth, provide better connections to Metro-North Railroad, and lead to reduced automobile traffic and improved air quality in the region,’’ MTA Acting Chair and CEO Janno Lieber says. about the authorsThomas Renner and Katherine Bonamo write about construction, engineering, architecture, and other trade industry topics for publications throughout the United States. Installing glass panels around one of the many escalators in the future LIRR passenger terminal.

Page 25

Page 26

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com22project profileCharleston RowCharleston Rowevokes old European aestheticECHELON’S FRANKLIN STONE Naperville, Illinois, consistently ranks among America’s top cities on several metrics, including lifestyle, safety, green space, and education. With nearly 150,000 residents, the city has maintained steady and well-planned growth over the years. The downtown area includes the historic Naper Settlement, the bustling Water Street District, and the popular River Walk as well as plenty of shopping, restaurants, and parks. In 2017, Charleston Building and Development, a family-owned firm since 1998, broke ground on a six-unit custom row house residence located within walking distance of Naperville’s vibrant hub. THE PROJECTAfter securing the land site, the developers contracted with local architect, Chris Derrick, principal and owner of Derrick Architecture, to design the building. He explains the original concept behind the project.“I had worked with Charleston Building and Development for years. The company’s founder, Larry Van Someren, came to me with an idea based on a building he had photographed while vacationing in England. He loved the Old European look and wanted to discuss the possibility of designing something similar in Naperville, provided we could find the right materials.”As founding president of The Institute of Classical Architecture, Derrick was quite a fan of the style, which was distinguished by its French Mansard roof, a four-sided hip roof originally designed to create more living space. Derrick recallS, “I told Larry, this is what I do. This fell perfectly within my wheelhouse. The thing I love about working with Charleston is they wanted to put together a quality project that looked beautiful and was well built.” MASONRY PRODUCTSIn choosing materials for the project, the Charleston team considered several factors, including aesthetics, cost, durability and, most of all, quality. Sustainable synthetic slate shingles were chosen for the French Mansard roof, while the exterior aesthetic would contrast stucco with Franklin Stone™, an Echelon masonry product that strongly resembles real stone. Erik Van Someren, president of Multi-Family and Development for Charleston B & D, recalls, “I have to credit our mason, Lukasz Kaplinski, owner of Wheaton-based Polbro Masonry Inc., for advocating for Franklin Stone. We like to consult with our trusted subcontractors to get recommendations in their areas of expertise. He often suggests superior products to us, and this one of them. We’re so proud of the results.”Franklin Stone is formulated with a mixture of white portland cement and fine aggregates, resulting in a highly dense product with excellent color consistency. The durable stone is mold and mildew-resistant and offers an ideal low maintenance alternative to traditional limestone. The aggregates are minimized, giving Franklin Stone its smooth natural stone-look finish. Kaplinski comments, “We had used Echelon masonry products in the past on various commercial and residential projects. The Franklin Stone was cost-effective and easy to install, especially compared to limestone. It went up nicely and turned out beautifully.” EXTERIOR FINISHINGAs for the exterior design concept, the stone veneer aided Derrick in achieving two key goals:“First of all, we wanted to tie the building together as one cohesive unit, not as six separate units,” he notes. “Historically, that was how these buildings were designed, and that’s the look we were going for. The Franklin Stone was a great product to help create that effect.“Another consideration was that one end of the building was visible from a well-traveled intersection of the city. Whenever you have a corner—residential or commercial—that side view must be addressed. So instead of the building

Page 27

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202223just wrapping around the sides, both end units protrude out a bit for emphasis, so they became more monumental—they essentially function as bookends.” On those visible end units, Derrick also scaled up the Franklin Stone to the second story façades, adding ornate stone sills, coping stones, and headers. Viewed from the front, the decorative tower-like structures bracket the interior units, creating an elegant symmetry, while the prominent corners provide striking side views, particularly noticeable from the busy Aurora/Webster intersection.The architect adds, “The Charleston developers gave me a lot of leeway in design, so that I could include so many great details on the building, which really establishes the look as you’re coming into the west side of Naperville. I was really pleased with the detailing of the stone product—it turned out so crisp.” PROJECT SUCCESSKaplinski concurs, “We are proud that Charleston Row is one of the most recognizable and beautiful buildings in Naperville. It fits nicely into the existing architecture of the city and adds to its charm.”While the exterior of Charleston Row was designed to project a cohesive look, each unit’s inside space was highly customized. Regardless of the scale of a project, the Charleston in-house design team has gained a reputation for approaching each interior as a blank palette while striving to incorporate the client’s distinct vision into the final outcome. The firm’s lead designer, Nicole Weiland comments, “The great thing about the design of the exterior of the rowhomes is that it’s timeless, which allowed us to run with any design style inside. Only one would be called traditional with inspiration stemming from the homeowners’ love of older Boston rowhomes. The other five are transitional to modern and incorporate details like floating stairs with glass handrails and extremely contemporary lighting & millwork.” CLOSING THOUGHTThe six initial Charleston Row units sold out before construction was completed, which led to plans for Charleston Row II, which also sold out quickly. Erik Van Somersen and his team are now working on plans for a third phase, which will keep this collaborative team busy for a long time. The regal structures will stand as a benchmark for quality development over the next several years. for more informationAs the consolidated masonry brand for Oldcastle APG, a CRH Company, Echelon Masonry is North America’s largest manufacturer of the highest-quality masonry products for the architectural and masonry industries. Since 2015, Echelon Masonry has been committed to supporting the time-honored tradition of masonry and advancing the craft for the 21st century and beyond. For more, visit www.echelonmasonry.com.

Page 28

Page 29

Page 30

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com24equipment solutionWirtgen Promise30 years and still going strongMILLING MACHINEThe good old milling machines are still around. Although no longer youngsters, they are still functioning and as reliable as when they were new. Day after day, an SF 1000 C, built in 1991 and owned by Borkowski GmbH in Langerwehe, proves that Wirtgen milling machines keep their promise of enduring quality.STRONG AND POWERFUL Everyone who sees the pristine paintwork and wonderful condition of this bright blue treasure when she rolls out of the company’s garage is absolutely amazed. In comparison with today’s ergonomically designed milling machines, this massive lump of steel has something of the rugged, almost unfinished, looks of a little, old-fashioned diesel locomotive. There’s no cabin roof, and no trace at all of assistance systems, cameras or high-tech equipment. Helmut Borkowski, an independent contractor since 1990, and the proud owner of this little gem, is used to hearing such reactions. “We once took the old girl to the Wirtgen plant, and everyone was called out of the workshops to see her. When we take her out on a job, people sometimes make fun of us when they see our SF 1000 C being rolled off her trailer. But she still does exactly what she was built for and works just as well as she did 30 years ago.”THE FIRST NEWFor Borkowski, the SF 1000 C was the first machine the only recently founded company bought new. Since then, the machine has clocked up over 7,000 operating hours, and her absolute milling record was 3,200 square meters in a single day—pretty impressive performance in the early 1990s. Today, the machine is primarily deployed on relatively small sites of around 300 to 400 square meters. Although her milling depth performance is no longer what it was (8 cm instead of 10), customers appreciate her maneuverability and speed and order her specifically for their projects. “Customers often say: Bring out the old machine—you can take the conveyor off it and you can mill at a 90-degree angle to the direction of travel—you can’t do that with one of those big machines.” In this respect, the SF 1000 C actually has a competitive edge over a modern W 50.MILLING MACHINE WHISPERERSNot only Helmut Borkowski, but also his colleagues Marco Mosebach and Udo Lehwald have worked with. “She’s a real classic if she was a car, she’d have to join a vintage car club,” says Mosebach. “So, it’s no wonder that the company’s three ‘old hands’ are the only ones allowed at her controls.”Udo Lehwald recalls an emergency call-out to a snowbound motorway in the middle of the night. The fuel tank of a truck had burst, and gallons of diesel oil had spilled out and soaked into the road surface. “I wouldn’t have been able to make it there on my own, so a quickly organized convoy of a snow plough, a road sweeper, and a gritter cleared the way for me and the SF 1000 C from here to the scene of the incident.” It all went well, and the machine showed her particular talents again.Since the beginning, Helmut Borkowski has always attached great importance high-quality features and equipment for his machines—and the SF 1000 C was not left out. When automatic pivoting of the right rear wheel became standard, the old milling machine was naturally on the list. Although the machine is not l to r: Helmut Borkowski and Udo Lehwald

Page 31

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202225equipped with the latest dust extraction systems, Borkowski was one of the first to upgrade his entire fleet of front loaders with this cutting-edge technology. BEST SPARE PARTS SERVICE As qualified car mechanics and machine fitters, Marco and Udo know all the little ailments of their classic machine, and exactly what to do when they appear. It helps enormously that Wirtgen genuine spare parts are still available. And, in the rare case that they aren’t, as happened recently when the pump broke down, the Wirtgen service team checks the maintenance part, overhauls it and sends it back in no time at all.Lehwald grins as he recalls an incident where a hydraulic hose ruptured during milling at night and left the SF 1000 C stranded across two tram tracks. Fortunately, he had a replacement hose in the toolbox, remained calm and collected in the hectic race to clear the tracks, and had the machine out of the way and working again in around 45 minutes. These days, if a machine breaks down on the project site, Wirtgen Spare Parts Service is on the spot almost right away.NO REASON TO LOOK BACK Nostalgia is all well and good, but the Borkowski team certainly appreciates the benefits of the latest generations of Wirtgen milling machines. “The most important thing,” says Helmut Borkowski, “is that the operator’s job is made easier with every new generation. The numerous different assistance systems make it easier and easier to deliver good results. The operator’s workplace is bigger and more clearly structured, the rear crawler unit is steerable and the hourly performance is higher.”Borkowski has grown along with the Wirtgen Group portfolio—also because of increasing demands and tighter completion deadlines. The customer has a fleet of 10 Wirtgen small milling machines, four Wirtgen compact milling machines, three Wirtgen large milling machines, and a Vögele mobile feeder that are all in service and ready to go at any time. These days, the once common modifications are a thing of the past and more or less limited to changing the milling drums—and even that is now much easier, thanks to the quick-change system.CLOSING THOUGHTWhether for pavement removal, profiling, surface rehabilitation, or cutting joints—the spectrum of applications is enormous. And, if you keep your eyes open, you might catch a glimpse of a classic milestone from the history of cold milling—a bright blue Wirtgen SF 1000 C. FOR MORE INFORMATIONFor more about the Wirtgen Group, visit www.wirtgen-group.com.

Page 32

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com26equipment solutionAlthough wet hosing is a traditional solution for jobsite refueling, next-generation on-site fuel tanks provide many advantages for contractors looking to manage rising fuel costs and take control of their fuel supply. These tanks provide an efficient solution for everyday refueling and offer the ability to fuel a generator at a moment’s notice. On-site fuel tanks excel as response-ready solutions to quickly fuel multiple generators and bring energy to a site, including in emergency situations.Let’s explore some common questions and considerations about on-site fuel tanks for everyday refueling and emergency preparedness situations. Why should contractors consider on-site fuel tanks?With the cost of fuel continuing to rise, on-site fuel tanks allow contractors to buy fuel in bulk to help mitigate costs. In addition to saving money, storing fuel on the jobsite adds a level of predictability because the fuel is available at a moment’s notice. With the current labor shortage affecting the nation, on-site fuel eliminates the stress and associated costs of relying on a driver for wet hosing. Plus, on-site fuel tanks increase safety for crew members by reducing traffic on the jobsite. What on-site fuel tank features should contractors prioritize? There are several types of on-site fuel tanks available, but there are a few features that contractors can prioritize to maximize ROI. One feature to look for in an on-site fuel tank is double-walled containment. Tanks with this design don’t require a secondary containment pan that takes time to set up. This means the tank is ready to go when it arrives. Double-walled containment also eliminates concerns about the secondary containment becoming filled with snow or ice and creating extra work to empty.Convenience should also be considered. At Western Global, each of its TransCube Global tanks has pumps and accessories pre-installed to create a plug-and-play solution, even on hard-to-access sites. Some tanks require customers to source each component separately and assemble the system themselves. This added convenience means the fuel tank is ready to work immediately without setup time or specialized training.Will my fuel supply be secure in an on-site tank? Contractors should look for on-site fuel tanks that keep the pump and assets locked in a secure cabinet with card-lock dispense controls. This combats potential theft by only allowing authorized individuals to access the fuel. Since each card key is unique, the system also records which driver is taking fuel, along with refueling frequency and the amount of fuel used. In addition to reducing the risk of theft, card locking systems allow contractors to track inventory levels at any time for complete control over their fuel supply. They can also help to determine overall efficiency or cost/price structures.When should contractors consider a transportable fuel tank? The more transportable the fuel tank, the more responsive it will be to evolving jobsite needs. Contractors should consider whether they will benefit from the ability to move the tank when it is still filled with fuel, such as with roadwork where the jobsite moves as work is completed. Traditional round On-Site Fuel Tankspower generators and other jobsite equipmentWESTERN GLOBALBy Ken Steury

Page 33

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202227tanks can be a hassle to move and set up but transportable fuel tanks like our TransCube Global come approved for transportation both around the jobsite and on the highway. This allows contractors to quickly move the tank to the most efficient location without the added time of draining the tank and setting it back up.Forklifts or cranes already on the jobsite can easily move the Western Global transportable fuel tanks, minimizing the need for additional equipment and providing ease of transport. Our TransCube Global can also be hauled in the back of a truck or mounted on a trailer. What are the benefits of using an on-site fuel tank to power generators? On-site fuel tanks can serve a dual purpose to fuel construction equipment or a generator. In instances when a generator is needed on the jobsite, the on-site fuel tank can quickly adapt from fueling equipment to powering the generator. The generator can be connected to the fuel tank to extend run time, which means contractors won’t have to face the hassle of refueling the generator on a daily basis. Contractors can also monitor the fuel tank remotely to be aware of its status and see when fuel is running low or if any issues arise. Tanks with remote monitoring systems transmit data to a browser or phone app, where contractors can generate specific reports to see the amount of fuel on hand (and the remaining capacity) as well as be alerted to abnormal level changes. How long can a generator run with a fuel tank?While generators average a run time of 24 hours on their own, pairing them with an on-site fuel tank increases that run time up to seven days. Our TransCube Global tanks take this benefit a step further with the ability to fuel up to three generators at once. This not only allows for quick response if unexpected problems come up, but also adds confidence for contractors to keep the job on track with a reliable power source.CLOSING THOUGHTWestern Global tanks are designed to be prepared for any situation. Investing in on-site fuel tanks can help contractors manage the challenges of rising fuel costs and labor shortages while improving efficiency when fueling their fleet. about the authorBy Ken Steury is Western Global Americas Region director of sales. Western Global is a global designer and manufacturer of industry-leading tanks and equipment for fuel storage. Building on a legacy that spans five decades, Western Global offers a wide range of solutions for the safe transportation and storage of fuel. For more, visit www.western-global.com.

Page 34

Page 35

Page 36

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com28Supply ChainSupply Chainresilient strategies will change the game U.S. ECONOMYBy Dan VarroneyResilient supply chain strategies are essential to deliver the long-term security, health, and economic prosperity that U.S. consumers expect. Surging demand, container shortages, port bottlenecks, shipping price increases, and trade imbalances are roiling the economies of the world. From the global pandemic to military conflict in Ukraine, supply chains in many industries have their own set of challenges, including food, microprocessors, construction equipment, cars, dishwashers, televisions, gaming systems, and many other products, bottlenecks and delays are costly, on top of extended waits for products, and higher costs for gasoline, goods, and services. The situation grows more unsettling by the day. Resilience becomes more possible with a move away from a “just-in-time” approach to thinking that incorporates “just in case.” SUPPLY CHAIN REIMAGINATION The magnitude of supply challenges is far too complex for any one company to address on their own. Interestingly enough, supply chain cracks existed before COVID-19, yet many of us were not aware of the magnitude of these fissures until the pandemic took hold. Between 80-90% of the world’s goods travel by ship at some point in their supply chain journey. As demand far exceeds supply, there are shortages in shipping containers and combined with port bottlenecks, decrease the ability of getting goods to the market. These problems—and the reasons for them—are many and complex. We are subject to global interconnectedness, interdependence, and interrelatedness, and it requires new thinking. Because of our ability to analyze systems and plan accordingly, we should design industry supply chains that have built in resilience, fail-safes, and redundancies. POOLING INDUSTRY RESOURCES A more expansive approach, one that incorporates collaboration and innovation within industries is a more likely way forward. After all, Industries bring combined wisdom, perspectives, and the scale necessary to build more practical and resilient solutions. From this perspective, industries can build their own structural frameworks consisting of their own supply chains. Within these frameworks Industry leaders can study points of failure and build pre-competitive strategies that help build durable and resilient supply chains. While this approach might have been off the table decades ago, strategies to address high-level policy and logistics issues are being implemented. American Eagle reached far past its traditional thinking to construct a logistics platform that can be utilized by other companies in the apparel industry. Similar to other innovations, it was the global pandemic that advanced the launch of this strategy. Pioneering this effort is Shekar Natarajan, chief supply chain officer at American Eagle. Almost 50 other companies are using the platform and Natarajan is seeking to add an additional 200 brands. STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS Strategic partnerships between industries and their trade associations are also proving invaluable. They can be positioned as strategic business units, serve as neutral integrators, and collect information on points of failure throughout the supply chain. From there, they develop policy solutions, implement advocacy strategies, shape a favorable business environment, and deliver roadmaps leading to resilient supply chains. This is possible because Trade Associations are moving beyond their traditional roles as industry advocates, and they are ready to meet the moment.Strategic partnerships between industries and their trade associations already help deliver unified advocacy strategies and convey outcome-focused messages to government officials. For example, the frozen food industry and uncrewed systems community have built their own strategic partnerships with their trade associations. In both industries, the American Frozen Food Institute and the Association for Uncrewed Vehicles Association serve as strategic business units for their industries, and they are changing the game. Through its strategic industry plan the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), Alison Bodor, president and CEO, and its board of directors are pursuing strategies to build upon its foundation and continue its double digit growth. One of its key initiatives is a strategic partnership between AFFI and FMI—the Food Industry Association, which represents food management solution

Page 37

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202229retailers (grocery companies), which is called the Power of Frozen. Their shared objective was to reset the conversation around the frozen food category by doing in-depth market research, collecting retail sales data—overlaying that with consumer trends and identifying opportunities for both retailers’ and manufacturers’ strategies to expand the frozen food industry. They were able to use that information effectively in dealing with both the business media and with consumer media to share the benefits and business of frozen. It allowed them to articulate how those benefits are translating into sales.Through its strategic partnership with the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the unmanned systems community is growing an ecosystem of strategic partnerships (through the value chain) that helps it achieve its primary objective, public acceptance. This partnership led by Brian Wynne; president and CEO and the trade association’s board of directors works to demonstrate the potential of unmanned systems and to win public acceptance. Civil Government Collaboration is part of an effort to win public acceptance, especially when it comes to public safety. The example of the Chula Vista Police Department stands out in Wynne’s mind where police responding to a possible dangerous situation had advanced information from a sophisticated drone. Early reports of someone waving a gun around in front of a fast-food restaurant turned out to be someone lighting his cigarette with a device thanks to the drone and its operator. These types of partnerships provide a way forward on everything from developing industry fail-safe options to where and how to store excess parts and goods in the next national emergency. Industries and suppliers seeking to reshore production can leverage their strategic partnerships to build cooperative local government relationships. For example, they can work with state and regional transportation authorities and advocate to secure the necessary transportation or rail infrastructure to ship goods. CLOSING THOUGHTAs the U.S. navigates its way through a sea of chronic uncertainty, Supply Chain Resilience is far more achievable through Industry and trade association partnerships. It’s a journey with an established roadmap that can help Industries and the Economy achieve long-term security, health, and economic prosperity. about the authorDan Varroney is the CEO of Potomac Core Consulting and the author of “Reimagining Industry Growth.” For more, visit potomaccore.com.

Page 38

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com30management solutionThe sharp rise in labor and material costs has rocked the construction industry. No party within the construction ecosystem has been affected more than subcontractors, who are often responsible for furnishing labor and materials. While this has been a well-discussed topic, lack of hard data has made it difficult to pinpoint just how acutely subcontractors have been impacted in this challenging environment.Until now.This spring, the Billd team released our 2nd annual National Subcontractor Market Report. Our report throws into sharp relief the deep challenges facing subcontractors, specifically how the effects of pent-up demand and supply chain disruptions have led to skyrocketing material and labor costs, and how the broken financing system has left so many with so few solutions to help them weather the crisis.SURVEY SAYS…Before discussing the report and what it shows about the construction industry, it is essential to know who participated in this survey. In total, 767 construction professionals from various trades across the industry participated. All work in commercial construction, with nearly half also working residential projects. These leaders provide a perfect snapshot of the industry. Fifty-one percent are subcontractors, 24% general contractors, with 25% working as both sub and general contractors. Established industry veterans, 92% have been in business for at least ten years. TOP 3 ISSUES:The 2022 National Subcontractor Market Report asked participants: What do you believe will be the most significant risk to your business in 2022? • 40% or 307 respondents said that their number one issue is the availability of skilled laborers• 30% or 230 respondents said material prices and volatility pose a substantial risk to their business• 16% or 122 respondents said material lead time delays pose a risk to their businessThe common denominator among these risks is their ability to be mitigated with financial capital. Two out of the top three pressing challenges center around material cost and procurement, with the number one issue being the availability of skilled workers to complete projects, in which cost also plays a significant role. MATERIALS COMPLICATIONS Today, higher material prices are crushing subcontractors. In 2021, flat steel prices rose 131%, lumber prices by 32% and copper by just a little over 50%. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 95% of contractors expect to experience at least one material shortage. How can subcontractors bid on their next project if the price of materials remains so volatile and may cause a project to become unprofitable? Indeed, 75% of our respondents stated increased material prices and volatility are hurting their business, and 88% said they expect volatility and price increases to continue over the next year. Part of the issue of rising costs is simply lack of availability. Scarcity drives up the costs and has made it more difficult to complete projects. Overall, nearly 80% of contractors said materials’ availability and increased lead times have harmed their business. Unfortunately, as demand continues to soar and supply chain issues continue to linger, this reality will not improve and subcontractors know it, with 87% stating long lead times will continue to plague their businesses.SKILLED LABOR SCARCITYLack of skilled labor, however, is the number one issue facing the construction industry. Labor shortages in construction have been building for multiple years. The workforce was already aging, then came the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting waves of early retirements. Other industries can deal with the labor shortage by raising wages. However, subcontractors are already dealing with a highly competitive bid environment, Behind the 8-ballspotlight on challenges subcontractors faceMARKET REPORTBy Christopher Doyle

Page 39

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202231which is putting strain on project profitability. Any major increases in labor costs will only amplify this issue. NEW SOLUTIONSThe 2022 National Subcontractor Market Report highlights a core construction industry issue: the payment cycle is broken and puts subcontractors in particular behind the 8-ball. Subcontractors are at the end of the payment road, often waiting 90+ days to get paid for completed work, limiting their potential to bid on new, and larger projects. Relying on cash on hand is too unpredictable to comfortably pay for labor or materials upfront, much less reliably finance the sizable expenses that come with scaling a construction business. Fortunately, innovative financing solutions help subcontractors’ projects come to life. These new options, specifically designed for subcontractors, allow project materials to be purchased with up to 120-day terms that align with payment cycles. Effective material financing solutions pay suppliers upfront, provide subcontractors with funding for same-day purchasing, and help subs lock in the best prices with the negotiating leverage of a cash buyer. Advance pay options also provide same-day financing to cover labor costs and provide a stable, secure source of revenue, eliminating the responsibility of the subcontractor to float their own capital to fund projects and pay their workforce. Designed specifically for subcontractors to guarantee quick payment, and with up to 120-day repayment terms, payment advance solutions can help subs more effectively manage expenses throughout the entire project.CLOSING THOUGHTAs we continue through 2022, subcontractors will be impacted by material prices and volatility, compounded with labor shortages. To give them every fighting chance, they will need more financial options to help them negotiate the complex construction industry dynamics and slow payment cycles. Subcontractors are left to support the $1.4 trillion industry with limited cash flow solutions. For subcontractors to succeed and thrive in this unpredictable economic environment, they will need the support of financiers who are built specifically for them, and who provide the credit limits they need to do the best work of their lives. about the authorChristopher Doyle is an entrepreneur and business leader with extensive construction industry experience and a record of launching successful startups. He is the co-founder and CEO of Billd, a disruptive payment solution for the construction industry that helps subcontractors grow their businesses with less hassle and risk. Recognizing the cash flow hurdles subcontractors face when purchasing materials, Doyle launched Billd to make traditional Wall Street working capital accessible to business owners in the construction industry. For more, visit billd.com.

Page 40

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com32management solutionInfrastructure underfunding has been a long-standing issue. When compared with the newly constructed infrastructure across other geographies such as Asia, the inadequacies of older infrastructure in the U.S. and the U.K. become apparent. With outdated systems that are no longer fit for purpose or are approaching end of life, these countries are sinking large sums into decaying networks. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the infrastructure investment gap has now reached $2.59 trillion over a 10-year period. And that’s not all, this lack of funding has greater costs than meets the eye. Estimates suggest that by the year 2039, this continued underinvestment could cost the typical U.S. household as much as $3,300 a year—the need for new and improved infrastructure is clear.Why is 2022 the year for an infrastructure overhaul? The timing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is no coincidence. Much like the New Deal after the Great Depression, so too the IIJA is hoped to boost jobs and economic activity in the aftermath of the pandemic. The much-needed improvements in U.S. infrastructure will have long-term business benefits but the there are other factors at play. Sustainability is another key driving factor. With new net zero targets set during COP26, infrastructure improvements will play an important role in helping the U.S. attain crucial ESG goals. INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTSThe government will be looking to get the highest rate of return on this substantial investment in infrastructure and will look to construction & engineering contractors that can secure the lowest cost, the optimum quality, the most efficient delivery, and the lowest maintenance and operational expense throughout an asset’s lifetime. Infrastructure and large-scale construction projects are often plagued with delays and cost overruns. So, in order to become the most attractive candidate to win the valuable PPPs on offer, contractors must ensure they operate effectively and efficiently with digital technology as the corner stone of every modern construction project. SEAMLESS STANDARDIZATION Standardization is the key to construction efficiency and project delivery. Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) play a huge role in seamlessly standardizing builds through the use of techniques such as modular, offsite, or prefab construction. Modular or prefabricated construction enables the standardization of builds to improve efficiency from design to construction. The assembly of pre-manufactured modules reduces the risk of delays by manufacturing large portions of the build in a controlled environment and reducing the complexity of on-site construction. A recent IFS study suggests that within 5 years, 50% of all construction projects will use modular manufacturing and/or 3D printing, with prefabricated modules accounting for up to 25% of the construction.BIM also improves efficiency by design by seamlessly integrating different data sets into a 3D model. Layers of data from existing construction assets can be added or overlayed, to allow repeated design processes and standardization of different construction modules. While in the U.K. BIM compliance has become part of the selection criteria for contractors, this practice is yet to reach widespread adoption in the U.S. However, its adoption could significantly Infrastructure Boomthe rise that will reshape the industry2022 NEW DEAL FOR C&EBy Kenny Ingram

Page 41

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202233improve competitiveness over less tech-adapted contractors.ADVANCED MONITORINGTo tackle the age-old problem of construction project delays and cost overruns, precise monitoring is essential for contractors to manage project timelines and budgets to keep progress on track. Augmented reality (AR) technology can be instrumental to this process. AR devices can automatically perform measurement scans of construction sites at precisely the same point as the previous scan, using enhanced mapping capabilities to plot the exact location. This provides accurate updates of construction project progress, to allow irregularities and errors to be detected and resolved faster.IoT (Internet of Things) sensors can similarly monitor and relay real-time data into a digital system creating a virtual overview of project activity. IoT sensors in construction equipment can help project managers organize efficient use of equipment and resources for optimal operation. IoT sensors can also be used to monitor conditions within construction sites, such as temperature and humidity, as these factors can cause delays and even damage to construction. Access to accurate, real-time data heightens project managers responsiveness to crises so that the right action can be taken at the right time to avoid incurring unexpected costs and delays.PROJECT MANAGEMENT As new infrastructure projects are proposed under plans set out by the IIJA, construction and engineering firms will be vying to win profitable contracts. The increased focus on contracting for outcomes means there is greater pressure for construction and engineering contractors to improve project management, increase efficiency, and deliver projects on time and on budget. Here project delivery is key, and the integration of critical digital technologies will be a crucial deciding factor in who is awarded high-value PPPs. These transformative technologies will reshape how construction and engineering contractors compete and change the construction landscape. CLOSING THOUGHTDigital technologies are the sure-fire way of enhancing project delivery and contractors that ignore modern methods of construction and digital processes will run the risk of missing out during this time of huge opportunity. about the authorKenny Ingram is vice president of C&E at IFS. For more, visit www.ifs.com.

Page 42

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com34management solutionIn the commercial construction industry, managing through uncertainty is the norm. But with the price of fuel at a record high, backlogs in the supply chains of critical materials, and a labor shortage driving up wages coincident with the demand for projects remaining strong, construction organizations are facing added pressures to keep their businesses on track. As evidenced from the pandemic, having cloud-based financial planning and analysis (FP&A) tools with scenario planning capabilities is essential to helping commercial contractors remain nimble in how they handle an ever-changing marketplace and remain competitive.IN A RECESSION OR NOT Over recent months, inflation has continued to push prices upward, making it extremely difficult to accurately forecast projected cost to completion. Adding even more complication to the mix is the threat of a possible recession. If the economy does begin to slow, contractors who have built static budgets and forecasts in Excel spreadsheets based on expected inflation rate, will struggle to keep up with their planning and budgeting as soon as market factors change. As a result, companies may overbid on projects and miss out on crucial business opportunities, or even worse, lose money.This is where corporate performance management (CPM) solutions with scenario planning capabilities can make the difference between thriving and barely surviving continued economic uncertainty. Through “what-if” analyses and driver-based modeling, businesses can quickly evaluate the impact of shifting market conditions on project revenues, costs, and profitability amidst multiple scenarios, allowing them to more accurately bid projects, win business, and maintain their profit margins throughout the length of the projects.SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGIESAs unpredictable supply chain delays continue, commercial construction companies are beginning to adopt procurement strategies that would have seemed outlandish only 2 years ago. Before the pandemic, contractors relied on strong global supply networks to provide materials just in time for them to be needed on the jobsite, helping to save money in areas like storage and inventory management. But delays and shortages in the supply chain over the last 2 years have led to stalls in project timelines, risking both contractors’ bottom lines, and their reputations. Nowadays, many commercial construction companies have adopted supply chain strategies that ensure materials are available “just in case,” including holding extra inventory and having multiple sources of supplies. To manage these supply redundancies effectively, contractors need strong visibility into different sources of raw data to prevent oversupply while warehouse space is scarce. And because holding excess inventory ties up working capital at a time when interest rates are on the rise, businesses need to be able to quickly evaluate the impact on their budgets and forecasts as inventory levels, cash flow, and job progress changes. Unified CPM platforms with scenario planning tools centralize data in one place for easy analysis, providing commercial contractors with the visibility they need to dive deeper into work-in-progress reports and align project schedules with material and equipment levels. With this single source of “true” data, the entire construction organization—from the finance office to the project manager—is working with the most up-to-date cost information, preventing cost overruns, reworks, and reputation-damaging project delays—all which cut into a job’s profit margin.NEW BUILDING CODES At the beginning of June, the White House launched a National Initiative to Advance Building Codes, hoping to encourage adoption of new standards that will make communities more Digital ToolsDigital Toolswhat’s needed to survive and succeedCONSTRUCTION FINANCE TEAMS By Daniel Fellows

Page 43

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202235resilient to climate change. These impending building code modifications add a new layer of complexity to an already complicated patchwork of building requirements across different states and localities in the U.S. For commercial construction companies, these new regulatory changes will have wide-ranging effects, impacting everything from bidding, to budgeting, to project timelines. How do companies stay ahead of their competitors while maintaining compliance?Automated CPM tools can mean the difference between success or failure in this type of evolving landscape. For instance, companies can model the implications of a new building code on their production capabilities and understand how the change would affect company financials. And because CPM software automates repetitive tasks, CFOs and their teams can become less reactive to these types of business changes, and instead, spend time uncovering new opportunities for strategic investment and growth for the company. MORE DATA, MORE PROBLEMSThrough the continued digital transformation of the construction industry, added connectivity with jobsite technology has allowed for productivity and efficiency gains while improving visibility into job status. And these new technologies generate data points that, when leveraged correctly, can drive the business toward profitability.To generate meaningful insights from this data, however, contractors need tools that seamlessly integrate data from disparate sources and automatically produce analyses. To this end, CPM systems can provide leaders with visibility into cash flow, accounts receivables and payables, and 30/60/90 timelines—information they can leverage to avoid borrowing capital in a time of rising interest rates. And CPM solutions integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) can sift through even more data and spot anomalies that the human eye might typically miss. CLOSING THOUGHTIn an unpredictable industry during uncertain times, there’s no concrete answer for how to stay competitive and profitable. But by embracing digital tools like CPM solutions with AI capabilities, you can help identify meaningful insights and variances in real-time data, ensuring that your business can detect leading indicators of upcoming market conditions that other contractors may miss—giving you a competitive edge. about the authorDaniel Fellows serves as product marketing manager for Prophix, a global leader in mid-market CPM software. For more, visit www.prophix.com.

Page 44

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com36software solutionTo host, or not to host? That is a question many contractors face as they add software capacity to gain competitive advantages in workflows ranging from estimating to accounting. The decision between on-premise servers or outside hosting in the Cloud hinges on performance, cost, accessibility, and security. Advantages in all four areas are driving the trend toward the Cloud.“Software is becoming more and more important in heavy construction, and as we acquired more technology, we realized we didn’t really want to be in the IT business,” says James Panapinto, president of Pinto Construction. “We wanted to stay focused on digging dirt, moving materials and building.”Pinto opted for cloud hosting when it adopted Foundation accounting software. Success led the company to then move its B2W estimating and field tracking applications to the Cloud. The family business headquartered in Buffalo was founded in the 1920s and completes demolition, environmental and infrastructure projects, as well as asphalt and concrete paving across western New York.Sentiments are similar across the state at Lancaster Development, based near Albany in Richmondville, New York. “When we look at our IT staffing and hardware, one of the things that we try to focus on is what it is that we are as a company,” explains Mark Galasso, president and co-owner. “We’re a heavy highway construction company, we are not an IT company.”PERFORMANCE AND RESPONSIBILITIESGalasso says cloud hosting eliminates in-house responsibility for daily maintenance of the hardware, ensures that software and data are backed up, and provides redundant storage facilities for disaster recovery. “That’s all outsourced to people who are better at it than we are,” he emphasizes.Ontario-based Priestly Demolition faced a choice between upgrading on-premise equipment or migrating to the Cloud, a decision based on the server capacity to handle an increasingly high-powered array of applications and the ability to support and provide access for geographically dispersed teams working in Canada and the U.S.“We vetted many different service providers, ruling out on-premise servers pretty quickly, since we weren’t sure how they would handle all our solutions, applications, and growth plans,” explains Shannon Kuyt, operations excellence manager at Priestly. Those applications now hosted by the LoadSpring Cloud at Priestly include Auto CAD, Oracle Primavera P6, Vista, and the B2W ONE Platform. 3D modeling software shared between several engineers, for example, was too heavy for existing on-premise servers, according to Kuyt.“We wanted enterprise-class horsepower,” adds Panapinto. “The speed and reliability of B2W elements are the same in the Cloud. The only difference is, we are no longer responsible for the hardware that supports that high performance.”Access to software applications was also a factor at Pinto. Panapinto says the company was moving to the Cloud anyway, but that the Covid situation and the value of easier remote access accelerated the process.“There are no VPNs or complexities required now,” he explains “It doesn’t matter if someone is in the office, on a jobsite, or at home—they can get on or get the information they need more easily.”WEIGHING THE COSTSThere are tradeoffs in assessing the cost of Cloud hosting versus maintaining on-premise servers and IT expertise. Factors like existing IT infrastructure and expertise as well as the overall ecosystem of software applications for estimating, operations, accounting, ERP, and other functions can impact the answer for each contractor.Contractors that opt for cloud hosting typically pay a monthly fee based on the number of users and the complexity of their applications. With an on-premise Cloud Hosting3 contractors share their thoughtsWEIGHING THE OPTIONSBy Greg Norris

Page 45

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202237environment, expenses don’t end with the initial setup of the system. Contractors will need to maintain and update infrastructure as technology advances and requirements evolve. That may require hardware and software updates as well as IT expertise.“The monthly bill for cloud hosting can be a sticker shock but, for us, the savings more than offset that expense,” says Panapinto. “We don’t buy and update servers, we need less IT expertise, we save the time spent supporting our own environment and we gain some capabilities and efficiencies that have tangible value.”KEEPING EVERYTHING SECUREWhile some contractors feel more comfortable controlling their own on-premise servers, a cloud environment can actually provide security advantages such as data centers with fault-tolerant servers, redundant storage, and state-of-the-art protection against fires, floods, and other physical risks. That type of security is difficult, if not impossible, to replicate in a construction office.Cloud providers also backup data at regular intervals automatically, so recovery is generally faster and easier. Redundant server capacity can also allow teams to continue working, even if there is an issue with a server.Panapinto believes the Cloud delivers a higher level of protection against physical and technical threats than his company could establish for its own servers. “Putting it another way, we would have to spend a lot more money and effort to get to that level of security ourselves,” he adds. “We also like not having to worry about backing things up. That happens automatically. We don’t have to think about it.”CLOSING THOUGHTGalasso sums up Lancaster Development’s decision in favor of cloud hosting with a construction analogy. “It’s no different than in heavy highway when we subcontract electrical work. We are not an electrical contractor. There’s a reason we go out and find companies that are really good at that and then work with them. It’s the same thing with cloud hosting. It puts the task in the hands of the experts to get the service we are looking for, which is making us the most efficient construction company we can be.” about the authorGreg Norris is director of marketing communications at B2W Software. The company’s ONE Platform connects people, workflows and data and includes advanced, unified applications to manage estimating, scheduling, field tracking, equipment maintenance, data capture, and business intelligence. Greg can be reached at: gnorris@b2wsoftware.com. For more, visit www.b2wsoftware.com.

Page 46

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com38software solutionThe popularity of lump sum bidding provides cost assurance for the developer but puts the financial risk on the general and grading contractor. To ensure profitability on earthwork jobs, these contractors rely on their estimators to accurately calculate quantities and provide validation to prove their numbers and get paid.ACCURACY REDUCES RISK Successful estimators must understand how to read data from the plans and how demolition, stripping of topsoil, or removing contaminated material affects site quantities. They also need to adjust the proposed grades to subgrade and quantify the cuts. The fills need to be itemized by structural and non-structural regions to determine if any or all the cuts can be reused. This will determine if the design is balanced or requires expensive import or export of material. In some projects, foundation over digs and phased construction complicates the takeoff even further. The difference between an estimate with accurate quantities or miscalculations directly impacts both winning bids and how much profit is made on the job. TECHNOLOGY SAVES TIMEEstimators with the skills to manage site data are highly compensated employees. Grading contractors who invest in earthwork software can maximize the estimator’s labor to bid on bigger and more profitable jobs. When contractors realize a savings of five times or more, there is no looking back.Of course, technology is constantly evolving. While older grading takeoff systems that traced a PDF on screen or used paper plans on a digitizer provided an advantage when first developed, modern systems that do takeoff from CAD and Vector PDF files save considerably more time and provide better accuracy and validation.VALIDATION PROVIDES CONFIDENCEWhile timesaving alone is a great justification for earthwork software, Earthwork SoftwareEarthwork Softwaregrading contractors’ secret to making a profitVALIDATE THE DATABy Steve Warfle

Page 47

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202239contractors quickly realize another big return on the investment is the ability to better validate data. In a competitive market, this confidence in the numbers allows more aggressive bidding to win more jobs. For example, when using an earthwork takeoff solution like InSite Elevation Pro, each takeoff item is immediately highlighted across all aligned PDF and CAD files to ensure all items are accounted for. Alternate displays of 3D’s, cross-sections, and cut and fill maps assure the data has been entered correctly and the quantities are correct. NEGOTIATE WITH HARD EVIDENCE The same validation that allows competitive bidding also becomes a demonstration of competence. It’s common for a detailed site takeoff to reveal that the original design yardages are not correct. As designed, a “balanced” site with no expectation of expensive haul-off or import of fill may show a completely different result when calculated under the microscope of someone required to put a dollar sign on the job. When a takeoff is done manually, the task of making the numbers believable to the design engineer is difficult.When using a modern software solution, exporting PDFs or DWGs with the marked-up original plans overlaid with the takeoff showing exactly how the numbers were calculated is irrefutable proof that resolves any disputes over quantity during and after the bidding process. These electronic documents also provide quick communication to resolve disputes and improve outcomes. Options to recontour the design grades and communicate the changes with the design team can result in money-saving ideas and demonstrates the competence of the contractor.SITE COMMUNICATION IS KEYCell phones and tablets have the ability to hold the entire documentation of a project, and GPS-enabled apps now allow positioning for site walk-throughs that show the cut and fill and plan data at any location. This proof becomes even more critical as GPS machine control minimizes or eliminates stakes on the job. While no substitute for survey-grade GPS or total stations, the ability to easily communicate site data to the team on their personal devices is a competitive advantage. Problems on the site can easily be marked up and sent back to the office for immediate clarification, which keeps production moving on schedule.AFTER THE JOB IS WONAfter the quantities are calculated, the task of planning the production is the next step. The same earthwork software tools that provide bidding quantities can be used to calculate haul distances, determine slopes, and stockpile locations.Additionally, GPS Machine Control has become a tremendous tool for increasing production with less skilled labor. Many contractors outsource the GPS machine control model building. Unfortunately, this process creates an external dependence on a third party that can be expensive and cause delays. A takeoff produced with vector data from a CAD or PDF file using software based on triangulation can be modeled carefully and exported to GPS machine control ensuring deadlines are met.GET PAIDImporting existing topography from GPS or drone survey data to confirm the existing grades on the original bid documents are correct is a good first step. Use the same technology to create graphical proof for progress calculations and scheduled payments.CLOSING THOUGHTWell-designed earthwork takeoff software is a competitive advantage that allows your staff to be as productive as possible. When looking for earthwork takeoff software, pick a company that provides easily accessible training and immediate technical support. Bidding is a time-sensitive process, and answers can’t wait. Finally, look for a technology partner who is committed to improvement. about the authorSteve Warfle is the co-founder and president of InSite Software, Inc., the industry leader in CAD and PDF earthwork takeoff and GPS modeling solutions. The company’s newly designed software solution Elevation Pro takes the guesswork out of bidding, increase accuracy, and speeds up the bidding process so estimators can bid on more jobs in less time. For more, visit www.insitesoftware.com.

Page 48

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com40legal solutionWorker Shortageimpact of the “great resignation” on contractorsSTATE OF THE INDUSTRYSince the emergence of COVID-19 two-and-a-half years ago, the unpredicted consequences of the pandemic continue to affect nearly every industry in the United States, including the construction industry. From the passage of the trillion-dollar Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November 2021 to the continued shortage of materials and supplies across the nation, the construction industry has experienced both unexpected and rapid change within the past few years, including changes within the hiring arm of the industry. While hiring difficulties existed before the pandemic in the construction industry, the consequences of the pandemic have exacerbated this issue, leading to the Great Resignation trend (which began in early 2021).THE GREAT RESIGNATION In recent years, quit rates (the number of quits in a month as a percentage of total employment) within the construction industry mirror national trends associated with the Great Resignation. In both the general labor market and within construction, quit rates bottomed out at the start of the pandemic, dropping as low as 1.4% for construction in August 2020. Since this low point in the summer of 2020, quit rates continue to climb into 2022. The overall quit rate nationally reached 2.9% in recent months, while the quit rate within the construction industry peaked at 3.3% in March 2022.Since 2021, a variety of factors continue to fuel the spike in resignations across all industry sectors. Notably, American workers cite a lack of opportunity for advancement, low pay, and feelings of disrespect in the workplace as major reasons they resign. Construction industry workers echo these viewpoints. Based on a 2021 survey conducted by the Building Talent Foundation (BTF) for the residential construction industry, BTF found that the main reason employees reported for leaving the industry is a lack of opportunity for career advancement. Conversely, the top reasons for why construction employees stayed in their jobs is the opportunity for advancement and respect by management in the workplace. Therefore, as contractors attempt to address the worker shortage, they should consider policies that encourage worker advancement and opportunity to succeed.MODERN TRENDS In recent years, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and BTF conducted studies to analyze and address the modern employment trends within the construction industry; these studies focus on addressing the shortage of nearly 650,000 construction workers required to meet the current demand for labor within the industry (the demand for which has only increased since the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act). Recent expansions, like the 2021 shift to completely online testing for the ABC’s National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER), intend to increase construction worker access to opportunities for continued education and training during the pandemic. Additionally, modernization efforts within the industry are taking traction and appealing to the interests and values of younger generations. The modern cultural focus on workplace “flexibility,” particularly popular with Generation Z, is one such area where contractors will potentially benefit from new and creative approaches to traditional workplace scheduling.Private organizations and contractors are not the only groups that are proactively attempting to reverse recent trends within the construction industry. Although contested within the industry itself, states like California and Massachusetts are focusing on the enforcement of prevailing wage laws with the purported benefit to boost workplace retainment within the construction industries of each state. California’s addition of Section 1785 to the Labor Code in 2021 creates a new strategic enforcement unit under the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), which is tasked with enforcing prevailing wages for publicly-funded “construction, alteration, and repair projects.” Similarly, New York enacted Bill A-3350, effective Jan. 4, 2022, which establishes general contractor liability for any wage-related claims owed to a wage claimant by a subcontractor, in an apparent effort to better guarantee employee payments. By Danielle Waltz and William Lewis

Page 49

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202241Although wages are the explicit focus of these new state initiatives, additional underlying themes of workplace training and safety are also enshrined within these policies.CLOSING THOUGHTThe Great Resignation exacerbated the pre-existing hiring and retention issues afflicting the construction industry. In response to this, private organizations, contractors, and state governments have taken proactive steps to improve employee retention and hiring rates for the industry. It remains to be seen if current efforts are enough to have a meaningful impact on the industry. Contractors continue to face potential economic and legal consequences, like a failure to meet contractual deadlines due to hiring shortages and low retention rates within the industry. Contractors must be mindful of these potential legal pitfalls and address accordingly until hiring and retention issues improve. SOURCESThe House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. transportation.house.gov/committee-activity/issue/infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-actConstruction Dive, The Dotted Line: Supply chain woes lead to possible breach, defect claims (Nov. 30, 2021). www.constructiondive.com/news/the-dotted-line-supply-chain-woes-lead-to-possible-breach-defect-claims/610545/U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Table 4. Quits levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted (Jun. 1, 2022). www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.t04.htmForbes, Are We Past the Great Resignation…? Or Is the Second Wave on Its Way? (Jun. 16, 2022). www.forbes.com/sites/garydrenik/2022/06/16/are-we-past-the-great-resignation-or-is-the-second-wave-on-its-way/?sh=6ffbea9921acConstruction Dive, Construction’s career crisis: How did we get here? (Oct. 20, 2021). www.constructiondive.com/news/constructions-career-crisis-jobs-shortage-skilled-trades-work/608331/U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, FRED, Quit: Construction (Jun. 1, 2022). fred.stlouisfed.org/series/JTS2300QURU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, FRED, Quit: Total Nonfarm (Jun. 1, 2022). fred.stlouisfed.org/series/JTSQURPew Research Center, Majority of workers who quit a job in 2021 cite low pay, no opportunities for advancement, feeling disrespected (Mar. 9, 2022). www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/03/09/majority-of-workers-who-quit-a-job-in-2021-cite-low-pay-no-opportunities-for-advancement-feeling-disrespected/Building Talent Foundation, Homebuilding Workforce Engagement Study Shows that Upskilling Workers and Career Pathways are the Keys to Better Retention (Feb. 15, 2022). www.prweb.com/releases/2022/2/prweb18495381.htmNational Center for Construction Education & Research, Historical Timeline. www.nccer.org/about-us/mission-vision-and-core-values/historical-timelineConstruction Dive, Construction’s career crisis: Can the industry attract millennials and Gen Z? (Oct. 27, 2021). www.constructiondive.com/news/constructions-career-crisis-young-workers-flexibility-higher-pay-Gen-Z/608836/Department of Industrial Relations, LETF Announces Enforcement of Public Works Construction Sites (Jan. 26, 2022). www.dir.ca.gov/DIRNews/2022/2022-12.htmlabout the authorsDanielle M. Waltz is a commercial and construction litigator and government relations specialist in Jackson Kelly PLLC’s Charleston, West Virginia, office, where she is a member. She represents a variety of construction clients. She is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) and is active in its Construction Law and Litigation Group. She can be reached at dwaltz@jacksonkelly.com. William Lewis is a first-year summer associate in Jackson Kelly PLLC’s Charleston, West Virginia, office. Prior to starting law school, he was a structural engineer for 4 years in the defense and construction industries.

Page 50

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com42safety solutionIn a recent analysis of Travelers’ workers’ compensation data over a 5-year period (2015-2019), we found that almost half—48%—of all construction workers’ compensation claims occurred within the first year of a worker’s employment. This was across both age and experience levels, meaning it wasn’t just those who were new to a construction career or to the workforce in general. In fact, according to our data, when looking at construction injuries with workers within their first year of employment, 35% of those claims came from employees who were 35 to 49 years old. With regard to injuries across all construction workers, we found that the most frequent causes were slips, trips and falls (27%), overexertion (25%), being struck by an object (14%), cuts or punctures (7%), and motor vehicle accidents (6%). Slips, trips and falls, being struck by an object, and motor vehicle accidents were also among the most expensive causes of construction injuries.The most frequent resulting injuries were strains and sprains (30%), fractures (20%), dislocations (10%), cuts or punctures (8%), and contusions (6%). The most severe resulting injuries were electric shock, multiple traumas, cardiovascular injuries, amputations, and head traumas. The most common body parts affected were the lower back, shoulders, and knees.What safety initiatives might be implemented to help reduce first-year injuries?With proper precautions, many of these injuries can be avoided. Safety initiatives can start before a worker’s first day, during the hiring process. Clear job descriptions that convey an organization’s safety culture and expectations around best practices can help attract qualified job candidates. Behavioral interviewing techniques can help ensure that candidates have the right experience and training for the positions. Asking safety-related questions can help determine if the prospective employees believe in safety values similar to those of the company. For instance, when trying to get an understanding of a candidate’s previous use of various machinery on jobsites, ask the candidate to run through their pre-start checklist.Once hired, onboarding and training can begin on day one, even before an employee starts executing the tasks of their new role. This process includes orienting new employees to their jobs, their crew and assigned tasks, as well as to any tools or machinery, and reviewing the organization’s safety expectations and procedures. Continuing safety training programs and practices throughout an employee’s time at an organization is also critical.And because employees are still at risk for injuries at work after the first year on the job, it’s important to encourage employees at all levels to get involved with safety initiatives, model the right behaviors to others and provide feedback, as more experienced employees are often aware of issues and can offer insights as to how to improve the work environment. What can construction companies do to keep their safety programs and training from becoming stagnant or stale?One thing that construction companies can do is to periodically examine workforce strategies to determine if they are enough to keep their employees skilled, safe, and resilient. This evaluation could include conducting a critical analysis of all jobs on a jobsite to determine if they’re designed to be as safe as possible, thus helping reduce the chance that employees make unsafe choices, or to conduct a workforce pressure test to uncover any potential issues. Construction companies can also ask employees for their input. Have an honest, open conversation about what workers see, what they want to change and how they think tasks can be completed more safely. Incorporating that feedback can greatly improve existing safety and training programs. Jobsite Injurieswhat the numbers show about safetyTRAVELERS INSURANCEBy Ken Wengert

Page 51

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202243Outside perspectives help, too. Contractors typically only see their jobsites and may only have a limited line of sight to the types of losses the industry is experiencing. But some of their external partners, such as the insurance carriers, could provide some valuable insights. At Travelers, our dedicated Risk Control and Claim professionals conduct benchmarking across the country and can share with customers what peers are doing differently and what trends in safety they are seeing.What are some of the initiatives that are successful in keeping workers safe?Construction companies that prioritize a culture of safety and regularly communicate these values and best practices are the ones that tend to be most successful at keeping workers safe and preventing loss. This starts with top management, who lead by example, plan for the work ahead and hold workers accountable to already established safety programs. In terms of specific initiatives, one is an accident analysis program, which can aid in the identification of the root causes of injuries after accidents have occurred. Companies can develop corrective actions to help reduce the subsequent occurrence of similar accidents and injuries. Each analysis documents a description of an accident, where it occurred, what may have caused or contributed to the accident, and whether the employee involved was new to the position or company, along with recommendations to help avoid similar accidents. This analysis can be used to better understand employee injury risks and then to update your training programs and mitigation plans.CLOSING THOUGHTLastly, put a post-injury management process in place. This can provide supervisors with best practices for responding immediately and nonjudgmentally when an injury takes place and thus help injured employees feel valued. Assigning transitional duties when medically possible is a part of this process, keeping those who are injured engaged and connected to the workforce as they recover. This is especially important in construction, given the amount of time workers can miss if they’re injured. Our data shows that construction workers on average missed 98 days, the most in any industry we analyzed. about the authorKen Wengert is vice president, risk control – construction, energy & marine at Travelers. For more, visit www.travelers.com. Travelers offers a workforce pressure test on its website for any business to take (www.travelers.com/quiz/workplace-safety/workforce-pressure).www.sunflowerboatandbarge.com • 563-583-0556• Sectional Barges• Spud Barges from 75x32 to 195x70• Hydraulic Dredges• Truckable Tugboats from 300 – 600 hp• Traditional Tugboats• Support EquipmentAvailable for Lease:

Page 52

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com44safety solutionTechnology offers benefits to our lives in so many astounding ways. Various machines and devices have evolved in size and function over time to help people live, play and work. Take the camera, for example. Once a large bulky apparatus, the camera has changed in mass, portability, and purpose over the past centuries. One camera-wielding device that is growing in demand is the unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone. In May 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration reported that 855,179 drones were registered in the U.S.DRONES AND CONSTRUCTIONAccording to DroneDeploy, a cloud software platform-maker for commercial drones, there has been a 239% increase in usage of drone technology. This sharp increase is due in part to the construction industry, one of the fastest growing industries to use drones. From surveying to monitoring the jobsite for Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance, these days, drones have proven to be almost indispensable to the success of a progressive construction company. They offer an eagle eye for EHS managers and occupational safety and health professionals. In fact, DroneDeploy reported a 55% increase in safety on construction sites that use drones.While the overall usage of drones at construction sites is very beneficial, it is the pre-construction phase that allows them to shine. It is during this time, before the project fully advances, that drones can be used to not only inspect and safeguard areas by OSH standards, but they can also help owners, construction superintendents, and others successfully strategize to maximize profit and protect workers.From an overall standpoint, the bird’s eye view of the site from the drone allows for accurate planning and decision-making based on real-time information. The drone provides aerial insights that can boost progress tracking, monitor worker pace, give heads-up about surrounding area conditions and structures, and compare real-time site conditions with pre-project map plans. Drone photography can help provide documentation that a task or project under warranty was done correctly.WHAT DRONES CAN DO BESTThe most crucial thing drones can offer in construction is the opportunity to catch problems before they drive up costs or add to a project’s timeline. Aerial photography and video can make it very easy for a team to see existing hazards that may have been missed by either the engineer, architect or owners such as power or gas lines, property boundaries or nearby waterways.Finding problems early is also key to meeting building and zoning codes, OSHA standards and regulations, which if not met, can lead to serious fines, delays, and even shutdowns. When workers’ safety and millions of dollars are at risk, it’s much easier to be proactive than reactive. In the construction world, it is very rare when things go exactly as planned. Photographs and video from the drone can provide insight on clearances, elevations, existing buildings’ conditions, or even conflicts workers might have to face.For example, by comparing historical data related to a planned renovation or addition, drones can help everyone involved by determining the amount of effort and time it will likely take to match the existing structure, nearby buildings, and neighborhood, etc. For an estimator or scheduler, this information is vital to assessing the amount of time and cost that needs to be allotted to that phase of the construction.PRE-CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIESThe pre-construction phase is a time when safety professionals can really hone in on preparing for possible safety issues, whether they be site, equipment or worker related. For instance, there is plenty of software that allows measurements to be taken from photos with incredible accuracy. Since many of OSHA’s compliance guidelines require certain distances or measurements, drone photography and planning can ensure a company prepares to follow safe practices. This is vital for preventing fall and excavation violations.In addition, taking aerial photos of the jobsite before construction starts can help the team with determining the Overhead ViewOverhead Viewsave lives and moneyDRONES FOR SAFETYBy John Macahan

Page 53

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202245safest and most efficient area to make a construction entrance or set up a muster point in the event of an emergency. From an insurance perspective, a drone can eliminate the cost of lift equipment needed to inspect a potential exterior project on an upper level. Time and date stamps on the photos also can help mitigate risk in the event litigation was ever to occur or OSHA-required documentation. As a side note, drone use to supplement the cost of certain equipment can also benefit the safety of the EHS professional by keeping that person away from the dangerous or difficult-to-reach places, especially when height is involved.MONITORING SAFETY There are many ways drone videos and photography can help safety professionals monitor the progress and success of guidelines, rules or processes that were set in motion during the pre-construction phase. For example, a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) is a site-specific document that identifies all of the activities and conditions that could cause water pollution and details what the facility will do to prevent the discharge of any unpermitted pollution. This plan reduces the risk of OSHA imposed citations by maintaining the proper and required safety plan. Through the duration of the project, a safety professional must monitor this for OSHA compliance. A quick glance at an aerial photo can make this effort easy and manageable.SAVING MONEY, LIVESData gleaned from aerial photography and video allows estimators, construction superintendents, project managers, and safety professionals to form strategies to help the project meet its deadline and goals. By using the data accrued during the pre-construction phase, the construction company can fine-tune estimates, make allowances for real-world conditions changes, reduce equipment rental and usage costs, plan for more accurate worker safety measures, and reduce the project timeline overall. This can help to predict and realign project estimates so that the final costs and deadline are achieved safely.CLOSING THOUGHTDrones are cost-efficient advents of technology that can help construction companies find ways to save money and ensure the safety of their workers, particularly during the pre-construction phase. All with the help of a little ol’ camera. about the authorThis article was originally written by Columbia Southern University Alumnus John Macahan and published on The Link. To learn more about degree programs that will help you meet the safety needs of today’s workplace, visit columbiasouthern.edu/osh.

Page 54

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com46technology solutionAt long last, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—now commonly referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—has published project information and guidelines to help contractors prepare to bid on the $1.2 trillion in funding that will soon be released to projects nationwide. According to recent guidance released by the White House, about half of the funding will be sent to the states via “implementation coordinators,” who will organize and support projects in their local communities, while the other half will be granted by the federal government. The guidance demonstrates how the first $65 billion will be distributed through 25 applications given out by state and local governments. Most of these applications will open soon, which means that now is the time for contractors to take a look at their technology and internal processes to ensure they have the right procedures and protocols in place to competitively bid on—and win—these highly lucrative contracts. REQUIREMENTS Government contracts tend to have a bevy of stringent rules, regulations, and demands attached to them, and the projects associated with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be no different. In order to meet those requirements and reap the monetary benefits of these projects, contractors should have the following capabilities implemented into their workflows and business practices: • A technology-forward operational platform that provides open collaboration capabilities across all project stakeholders and gives transparency to governing bodies • The ability to collect, store, and report on information in real time—from cost and project progress to safety, HR data, data security, and more• Workflows that ensure consistent compliance with payroll, prevailing wages, health, safety, environmental, and other regulations outlined in federal construction contracts• The right HR tools and strategies to find, hire and train new workers, build long-term construction careers and meet employment, DEI, and other workforce requirements• Ability to work efficiently with unions and collective bargaining efforts because while the law doesn’t preclude non-union contractors, it was designed to significantly favor labor union employment• Flexibility and scalability to meet equipment, materials and supply chain needs, including an emphasis on buying American-made goods• A strategy or roadmap for sustainable construction, including meeting current environmental standards and creating future efficiencies that further reduce carbon emissions• Up-to-date data security and cybersecurity measuresCONNECTED DATA Given the many governmental requirements and the fact that competition for contracts is expected to be fierce, the biggest winners will likely be those who have moved their construction management operations to the cloud and are using connected construction management software to achieve a single source of real-time data. “Having a centralized way to collect and share data—from jobsite productivity and project management information to project accounting and human capital management—helps ensure that everyone is working off of the same information in real time, which is key to ensuring that major infrastructure projects stay on track,” says Matt Harris, vice president and general manager of Trimble Viewpoint. “Because when data is unified and easily accessible, workflows are streamlined, costs and timelines are better managed, and issues can be caught immediately so that they don’t become bigger issues down the road.” However, the benefits of modernizing operations are not limited to meeting government contract requirements. Project owners of all construction disciplines are demanding more project insight, efficiencies, and on-demand reporting and financial status updates. With connected, cloud-based construction solutions, contractors have faster, easier access to data, helping them make better-informed business decisions. With these solutions in place, contractors can share and Bid Readytech to help win lucrative infrastructure contractsAPPLICATIONS OPENBy Jenn Said

Page 55

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202247communicate data seamlessly, even from remote locations; access the latest project data like job costs, WIP, employee or safety stats in real time; get immediate material pricing, load counts, inventory updates, and much more to save costs and reduce project downtime; mitigate project risks and safety issues by spotting problems before they ever occur; easily set and measure against benchmarks and identify trends, like spotting potential profit fade before it occurs; and capture more accurate data on heavy machinery usage and performance to ensure that equipment fleets are achieving maximum efficiency.ADOPTION OF DIGITAL DELIVERY The adoption of digital delivery is another critical technology upgrade that many contractors would benefit from implementing. Digital “as-builts” are 3D models that bridge design, construction, and operations, enabling a project’s stakeholders—from an owner to the engineers to the contractors—to all work collaboratively from the same model in real time. Unlike 2D paper drawings that aren’t easily shareable and don’t accurately reflect changes to a project as it evolves, which can lead to a breakdown in communication and execution, 3D models enable stakeholders to collaborate in ways that facilitate communication, efficiency, visibility, and transparency. By allowing everyone involved in the project to access, share, review, and comment on data-rich building information models (BIM) in real time, costly change orders, tedious tasks and time-consuming coordination meetings can be reduced, helping to prevent schedule delays and cost overages.“According to a recent report released by Trimble and Dodge Construction Network, more than two-thirds of project owners contractually require contractors to use some form of digital documentation and practices,” says Cyndee Hoagland, senior vice president for Trimble’s Owner and Public Sector. “Project owners clearly see the advantages these technologies provide, and it would benefit contractors to embrace these technologies as well, since they enable infrastructure assets to be designed and built faster, safer, cheaper, more efficiently, and more sustainably than before.” CLOSING THOUGHTAs funding for infrastructure projects is set to roll out, contractors would be wise to review their technologies and digital practices and determine whether they’re up to par for bidding and winning these infrastructure contracts. about the authorJenn Said is a freelance writer who covers the construction industry.

Page 56

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com48technology solutionDrones have become invaluable for collecting data from the hardest-to-reach places on a jobsite.Recent technological advancements have made drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), easier to use. This evolution has reduced their costs while increasing the level of the data they capture—similar to the introduction and increased use of laser scanners.According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), more than 314,600 commercial drones are registered in the United States. The number continues to grow.Contractors have started to use drones to generate accurate orthophotos, 3D models, and high-density point clouds. This is a great start, but the use of drones can be incorporated into every step of a jobsite’s process, from the earliest site preparation and planning phase to ongoing build verification to the final stages of a commissioning handover.Drones regularly deliver better and more detailed data in a fraction of the time needed by ground-based scanners. This rapid data collection allows companies to simplify their workflow and leverage vast amounts of data to make actionable decisions.CAPTURE DETAILED DATABecause of their versatility, drones are helpful in both new and existing projects. They can quickly and safely capture the data needed to track progress on projects of any size.Manually capturing data for a modest-size, multi-story building could take workers the better part of a day, and they still won’t be able to capture data in places that are too costly or too dangerous to send crews.By comparison, a drone can capture hundreds of thousands of data points per second and millions of data points in a matter of hours, giving project managers the insight into a project’s progress they need to track against plans. Such an incredible amount of data provides a complete view of a project, eliminating any guesswork and ensuring that all decisions are based on facts.Once teams capture the data, they can integrate it with many software platforms used on the jobsite or share it with colleagues off-site. And as jobs advance, drones are ideally suited to capture additional data needed to track progress.Additionally, teams can automate the process. In doing so, they could program a drone to automatically capture data regularly—as frequently as a job demands updated information.Using Simultaneous Location and Mapping (SLAM) spatial awareness technology, the drone collects data to map its environment. The SLAM technology, integrated into a solution’s Visual Inertial System (VIS), leads to a more complete data capture, making the operation less manually focused, which reduces the risk of human error. Combined with onboard RTK GNSS positioning, drone data is quickly georeferenced with other measured site data.Drones are ideally suited to work in tandem with other manual processes employed on some jobsites. They are solving once very complex workflows with an incredibly simple solution that meets the need of the customer.DRONES HAVE EVOLVEDWhen drones first entered the construction space, companies generally envisioned that every project manager would have a drone at their disposal. It would be used when needed to capture data and check on a site’s progress.Over time, many changed their approach, and dedicated, highly specialized drone teams were created instead of training all project managers on staff. These special teams would go from one project to another to capture data as needed and share it with a project manager.But the deployment and use of drones is changing once again. The industry is now seeing its initial vision becoming a reality; companies don’t need to have highly specialized operators within their organization to use drones effectively. Drone BenefitsDrone Benefitschanging how jobsite data is capturedINNOVATION BESTBy Travis Rauscher and Bryan Baker

Page 57

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202249The simplicity that new technologies have brought to drones makes it easier for a range of workers on a jobsite to pilot them and download the necessary data. That said, while drones are increasingly easier to use, deploying them still has some limitations.Consider that the United States has a healthy set of regulations governing drone operations, including where they can be operated. Drone operators must be certified and earn their UAS pilot’s certificate.TOMORROW’S JOBSITEContractors should look at technology with an eye toward the future. The jobsite of tomorrow will be autonomous; deploying technology such as drones will help companies prepare for these inevitable changes.The pandemic and the ongoing labor shortage alone didn’t push contractors to adopt and deploy more onsite technology. The jobsite has been moving toward technology for years, and the pandemic proved how these technology-enabled tools could help contractors weather and navigate uncertainties.The broader use of onsite technology is significant because of its positive impact on many elements of the jobsite, from productivity to safety. Contractors should no longer look at technology such as drones as another tool in their toolbox; they should look at technology as a professional partner that enables them to drive their business forward.CLOSING THOUGHTDrones have the power to potentially spot problems early and save companies money. As companies continue to rebound from the pandemic and navigate new challenges—from inflation to higher gas prices—saving time, resources, and ultimately money become ever more critical. about the authorsTravis Rauscher is business development director UAS at Hexagon Geosystems. His background is in civil engineering, heavy construction, and multifamily housing. He has been in the industry for 15 years, joining Hexagon in March 2021. Rauscher has his Part 107 certificate and has been flying and utilizing UAVs over the past 8 years.Bryan Baker is the North American UAS sales manager for Leica Geosystems Inc. He has more than 35 years of experience in the geospatial industry, focusing on sales management, software and application development, training, and technical support for land surveying, civil engineering, and GIS. Bryan is an instrument-rated, commercial pilot and certified flight instructor, along with being a field representative for the FAA Safety Team and an ASPRS certified mapping scientist.Drones have become invaluable for collecting data on the jobsite.

Page 58

Page 59

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202251When A.O. Reed took on the project to provide HVAC design/layout/install services for University of California San Diego’s (UCSD) new Theater District complex, they came with a progressive game plan in mind. Brandishing a host of strengths in Building Information Modeling (BIM), they streamlined and enhanced the design workflow, then, turning to a robotic total station, nearly quadrupled the layout speed of the job. The company, though steeped in a 100+ year history, knows when tradition should rightly give way to progress.COLLEGE BOUNDFounded in 1914 as a small, family-owned plumbing business and incorporated at the outset of the Great Depression in 1929, A.O. Reed has proven it has what it takes to both survive and thrive. Today, the San Diego-based company employs close to 500 people and has established itself as the preeminent HVAC specialist in Southern California and beyond. The scope of its projects has also grown over time, going from small residential projects to some of So Cal’s largest municipal and state university expansions—including the one at UCSD, according to Matt Borg, Reed’s detailing manager for plumbing and piping.“Formally known as the UCSD Theater District, the project is actually a complex of five new multi-level structures ranging in size from nine stories up to 21,” he says. “It will feature more than 800,000 square feet of added residential space, providing beds for an additional 2,000 students, as well as 105,000 square feet of non-residential space to accommodate administrative functions, five additional classrooms, a 480-seat lecture hall, meeting facilities, dining and retail, and parking for 1,200 vehicles—an increase of 360 spaces over pre-construction parking. We started detailing that about a year ago, and we will be on that job for at least another 18 months.”The detailing to which Borg refers is actually Reed’s BIM-based work. He says that they model and coordinate all of their sheet metal, plumbing and piping systems using Autodesk Revit and Fabrication, then coordinate with other trades using Navisworks, also from Autodesk. “We ensure agreement among all the trades and then once that’s done, we sign off and produce shop drawings and fabrication sheets,” he adds. “With all that in place, we use the Sokkia instruments to lay out the massive number of points generated in the BIM process.”OUT WITH THE OLDObviously, the layout process for a project with nearly a million square feet of floor space can be daunting. However, A.O. Reed long ago determined traditional layout methods to be outdated, choosing to replace them with use of optical instrumentation. According to Borg, their choice of instruments varied over the years until roughly 5 years ago when they replaced their existing total stations with Sokkia iX units.“A friend of mine talked me into a different system which we actually used, with decent success, for a while,” he says. “But he then introduced me to Chad Dickey from Topo Element, the regional Topcon and Sokkia dealer, and Chad and I hit it off really well. Chad showed me the Sokkia machine, how easy it was to operate and the improvements we could make in our operation, and I was sold. Today, we own 11 of the Sokkia iX units, have two on rent, and every one of them is continually in use in the field.”The iX Series that Borg cites is a trimmed down, high-performance, robotic total station solution. It provides his teams with a range of options, including the efficiency of a single-operator robotic system, the power of long-range reflectorless measurements, and if needed, performance as a hybrid positioning solution. “The guys in the field are extremely reliant on that machine, making it one of our most used tools,” adds Borg. “But Chad and Topo Element have been the keys to our success throughout this whole process. He is extremely knowledgeable, very responsive to our needs, and the level of service he provides cannot be matched by anyone else we work with.”TIGHT IS RIGHTFrom an end-user point of view, the use of the iX units has taken them into territory they never imagined being in, according to Curtis Sorchy, A.O. Reed’s 13-year veteran plumbing foreman.

Page 60

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com52technology solution“First of all, the accuracies are incredibly tight, made possible by us uploading the point data from Matt through MAGNET Field to our FC-5000 field computer,” he says. “Doing so ensures the points are landing on the grid just right. I take that data up to the deck where I get control from the general contractor in either offsets or civil coordinates, backsight to make sure that control is tight, and get to work.”For Borg’s crews, “getting to work” means gathering points for the plumbing, fitting, and sheet metal trades working the job, with each point representing a connection for sheet metal straps, hangers and sleeves for both fitting and plumbing. And the volume is substantial: a typical floor has about 1500 points, with the lower/collection floors having closer to 4000, meaning more than 160,000 points will be marked by project’s end. Given that immense volume, Borg is more than grateful for the change in collection technology.“In the old days, we were constantly referring back to a set of drawings, trying to pull dimensions, used a stringline or chalk lines on the deck, and needed a tape to measure in two different directions,” he says. “And, because of the way the trades came on site, it was not uncommon to have iron workers leaning up against our lines, or someone running a welding lead over our stringlines, impacting the accuracies. Now, we can be on the deck at the same time as every other trade—it makes no difference because there are no stringlines. Back then, we’d be lucky to gather 100 points in a single day. Now, one guy can do upwards of 500 points a day and our accuracies are through the roof.”STAYING CONNECTEDAlthough the use of robotic total stations for layout work is hardly new— A.O. Reed, itself, has been using them for more than a decade—the company’s move to the Sokkia solution has provided a host of unforeseen benefits.“For us in the field, the outstanding connectivity is really the key,” says Sorchey. “With the system we had prior to this, we couldn’t get more than 200-300 feet away from the machine before losing the signal. Then, it would take forever to find us again, generally forcing me to look for a new setup location. All of that messes with productivity.”By way of a comparison, Sorchey says he recently worked an 18-acre development project and was able to set up the Sokkia iX and shoot points anywhere on that job without any issues.“The unit followed me everywhere; as soon as it found that crystal it would lock on,” he says. “Plus, I was able to get the correct triangulation and layout in the areas that I needed. As a result, our productivity was off the charts. On jobs like that, when people ask me where my machine is and I tell them it’s on the other side of the jobsite, they’re just amazed. It’s really been outstanding for us.”APPRENTICES WELCOMEThe user-friendliness of the solution is also not lost on A.O. Reed. According to Borg, the inherent simplicity of the solution is key, particularly now, as finding and keeping workers proves challenging.“In the past, an apprentice could not be called upon to do this; you needed a journeyman on site—at twice the price—to pull the tape, chalk the lines, nail down the points, etc. It was cumbersome and far more expensive. Now, with the Sokkia units, I can take a first-year apprentice, most of whom are tech-savvy to start with, tell them how to set it up, and quickly have them out getting points. So, not only have we cut our layout time in half—maybe more—with this approach, it is much easier to bring on new people, which ultimately helps us move forward as a company.”CLOSING THOUGHTThe UCSD Theater District project is slated for a 2023 completion. about the authorLarry Trojak is president of Trojak Communications, a Minnesota-based marketing communications firm. He has written for the construction, recycling, demolition, scrap, and aggregate processing industries. For more about the Sokkia iX, contact your regional Topcon and Sokkia dealer or visit us.sokkia.com.

Page 61

Page 62

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com54featured productSTOUT CONVEYORSMeet the TC-50Technology is evolving on the daily and with that comes new opportunities to create new ideas to advance the construction industry. Stout Conveyors was able to do just that with the introduction of the TC-50. In the material handling space within the construction industry there was a lack of smaller, more mobile, and more affordable machines. Equipment in this space has always been created with the mindset of “bigger is better;” however, that is no longer the case. Today’s jobs are evolving and contractors are becoming more specialized, and with that comes the need for the perfect tool for the job. COMPACT AND MOBILEThe TC-50 fits that need. It is small enough and mobile enough to fit into jobsites where telebelts, pumps, and cranes can’t fit yet affordable enough that smaller companies can afford it. In the end it always comes down to pricing, and if you can now afford something you never used to be able to, it means you now can compete with the bigger companies and create more opportunities for growth within your organization. The TC-50 is transforming the telescoping conveyor market. Redefining how material is placed on jobsites: from 4-inch minus aggregate to concrete, and everything in between. With a strategically placed front-end hopper, 50 ft+ placement reach, and 240 degrees of rotation, any tough-to-navigate jobsite spot just became accessible. Despite its compact size, it can place material up to 100 cubic yards per hour! The TC-50 was designed to be unhooked, set up, and running in 5-10 minutes. With its built-in pressure washer, cleanup is quick and seamless, too. PRODUCTIVITY, SAVINGSThe labor force is on every contractor’s mind in 2022, and for good reasons. With the introduction of the TC-50, we are now able to remove many of those labor hours from the equation. Lowering overhead, jobsite mistakes, and just flat-out increasing productions. A typical backfill job with a skid steer and 2 guys used to take 8-12 hours. We have now reduced that to 1 guy in 2-4 hours. The ability to make money and increase production has tripled due to this innovation. For more, visit stoutconveyors.com.

Page 63

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202255modern construction products Hilti Group releases new features to the Hilti Jaibot, a semi-autonomous, mobile-drilling robot. The Jaibot now has the capability to drill on corrugated metal deck ceilings and concrete walls. The robot also has a range of new features to improve operator safety, ease-of-use, and accuracy. The Jaibot can now identi-fy and map installed profiles of corru-gated sheet metal deck structures, align with the digital plans, and automatically adapt planned drill holes to pre-defined installation zones. To avoid obstacles such as existing installations or structur-al elements, Jaibot detects objects and adjusts its working area and arm move-ments accordingly. For more, visit www.hilti.com. HILTI GROUPJaibot Hexagon AB announces the introduction of the all-new, next-generation Leica BLK360, which dramatically advances reality capture by delivering two of the most sought-after necessities: speed and efficiency. The new BLK360 creates stunning, photorealistic, accurate digital twins within just 20 seconds. The new BLK360 is an ideal sensor for any appli-cation requiring fast, up-to-date scan-ning, such as digital construction and building lifecycle monitoring. It enables users to move quickly about any envi-ronment without interruption, viewing and sharing the data during the capture process to provide real-time access to updated digital twins. For more, visit hexagon.com. HEXAGON ABLeica BLK360 Laser ScannerBosch Power Tools introduces the GLM-165-27CG BLAZE Connected Green-Beam 165 ft Laser Measurer. Features include a tape measuring mode, level function, rounding function and built-in tutorials—with incredible memory func-tions and an option to delete all memory at once. Designed with a durable, full rubber housing to protect every impact point, this laser measurer is built to with-stand tough conditions. USB charging capabilities and lithium-ion battery op-tion to increase operation time. The easy intuitive interface has laser accuracy up to ±1/16-inch, supplying precision to ev-ery project. Available at The Home Depot and Lowe’s. For more, visit www.boschtools.com. BOSCH POWER TOOLSBLAZE Laser MeasurerBrass Knuckle’s new Spike (BK-ADJ-5060AFP) eye protection combines a two-pronged strategy for vision protection with a legion of comfort features for the ultimate in custom-izable, long-wear glasses. Check out this abundance of leading features: the best anti-fog protection in the world; the highest UV protection available; and custom comfort at the temples, nose, and brow. The toughest anti-fog standard in the world is the EN 166/168 standard, and this crushes it. Add to that ANSI Z87.1/U6 ultraviolet protec-tion, the highest standard in the world, to eliminate 99.99% of damaging UV rays. For more, visit www.brassknuckleprotection.com BRASS KNUCKLESpike Safety Glasses www.sunflowerboatandbarge.com • 563-583-0556• Sectional Barges• Spud Barges from 75x32 to 195x70• Hydraulic Dredges• Truckable Tugboats from 300 – 600 hp• Traditional Tugboats• Support EquipmentAvailable for Lease:sunflowerboatandbarge.com563.583.0556

Page 64

JULY 2022 www.mcsmag.com56coach’s cornerStart Planning5 steps to leadership self-developmentJUST A THOUGHTBy Randy GorukWith the challenges leaders face in today’s labor pool, they are wise to boost their efforts when it comes to retaining their people. One way to retain your employees is to help them grow in their professions. Nobody wants to be stuck doing the same job for an entire career, and everyone seeks to learn and grow. The solution? Create a development plan for all—or at least your future leaders.In fact, the on-going process of developing future leaders is critical to the short- and long-term success of your organization. However, busy schedules, crucial deadlines, and tight budgets get in the way. When training budgets are cut or don’t exist, individuals can be left to their own resources. What happens? They put their professional growth aside as they wait for a better time to advance their careers.But when it comes to professional growth, waiting isn’t acceptable. Encouraging employees to create their own leadership self-development plan is a viable solution. They can start by following these steps. MAKE A TIME COMMITMENT TO PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENTFor example, if they commit 10% of their time to professional development, that’s 4 to 6 hours a week or a staggering 26 to 39 days a year. This may not seem practical; however, start by getting rid of items that waste time, then dedicate 30 minutes a week to self-development. Follow that with 60 minutes twice a week, then three times a week, and so on. In a gradual way, they’ll soon be honoring their commitments for self-development. IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT What specific skills, characteristics, qualities, or attributes are required for employees to work on their plans? Consider these realistic approaches to identifying opportunities for improvement:• Ask supervisors and mentors for feedback on the plan.• Ask co-workers for feedback on the plan.• Complete a formal 360-degree feedback survey.• Complete an online self-assessment. DETERMINE METHODOLOGYEveryone learns a bit differently, so each employee should evaluate his or her best learning style. Here are a few valuable options for learning:• Attend relevant workshops, seminars, and webinars.• Listen to educational CDs, MP3s, or podcasts.• Watch educational videos online.• Work with a professional coach.• Find and read books, articles, and online blogs.• Use role playing to practice challenging situations.Tracking progress helps them keep goals visible. PRIORITIZE ACTIONS, OUTCOMESProper and complete execution of any plan requires prioritizing actions and defining desired outcomes while staying focused and disciplined. Employees work on these actions during the time allocated in Step One while using the methodologies identified in Step Two. REGULAR REVIEWSConduct 90-day reviews to evaluate progress and adjust their self-development plans as necessary. about the coachAs a leadership development expert, Randy Goruk works with construction industry leaders to improve employee engagement and business growth. Contact Randy directly to learn how he can help you and your team: randy@LeadersEdge360.com. For more, visit leadersedge360.com.ONE LAST THOUGHT Employees want to contribute to their organizations, and they also want to build toward a promising future. Well-designed and carefully implemented self-development plans help them accomplish both. As a leader, you can set the stage and retain good people in the process.

Modern Contractor Solutions July 2022

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8