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WWW.MCSMAG.COMTHE ART OFTHE ART OFBUSINESSBUSINESSEXPANSIONEXPANSIONATTACHMENTATTACHMENTADDITIONSADDITIONSBUZZING BUZZING BUILDERSBUILDERSHONEYCOMB HONEYCOMB RESEARCHRESEARCHTOOLS TOOLS MATTERMATTERHAND TOOLHAND TOOLSAFETY TIPSSAFETY TIPSSECTOR SECTOR INSIGHTSINSIGHTSDOMINO EFFECTDOMINO EFFECTJUNE 2023Type in keywords to searchCLICK THE LOOKING GLASS MCSMAG.COM

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com4MAXIMIZE TOOL TRACKING WITH ASSET MANAGEMENT SOFTWAREGuest Post by Emily NewtonSTRIVING TO REACH NETZERO SURVEY FINDINGSGuest Post by Emily SakamotoUNDERSTANDING GREEN RETROFITTINGGuest Post by Jane Marsh5046JUNE 2023VOLUME 17 ISSUE 06Inside This Issue38special focusIN EVERY ISSUEIndustry News .............................. Modern Construction Products.......Punch List ....................................technology solution Buzzing Buildershoneycomb research for building conceptsmanagement solution IT Securitycombat rising costs with asset managementequipment solutionAttachment Additionsthe art of business expansion18TOOLS + ATTACHMENTSmaintenance solution 1,241 Lane Mileshow to maintain the roads without breaking the bankON THE BLOGFRD-USAFRD-USA offers a wide range of large series breakers that are perfect for working in quarries, breaking hard rock, or large demolition jobs. The 12,000 lb class Fx770 Qtv breaker has a carrier range of 48.5 to 83 tons. Design improvements to the through bolts, including larger thread diameters, can increase durability by 20%. Other unique features are incorporated to minimize downtime and improve performance.www.frdusa.com48safety solutionTools Mattersafety tips for hand tools22equipment solution Gun Performanceflux−cored welding guns

PROJECT PROFILESConcrete Removal ................................................ 14Waterproofing ...................................................... 16EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONSAttachment Additions .......................................... 18Stud Finder ......................................................... 20Gun Performance ................................................. 22The Right Fit ........................................................ 24ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONBuilding Trust ...................................................... 28MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONSUsing EPDs: Part 2 of 4 ........................................ 30Next-Gen Tech .................................................... 32Sector Insights ..................................................... 34Closing the Gap ................................................... 36IT Security ........................................................... 38 LEGAL SOLUTIONMulti-Employer Worksite Policy ............................. 40TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONSAMPShare – Powered by Bosch ............................ 44Buzzing Builders .................................................. 46SAFETY SOLUTIONTools Matter ........................................................ 48 MAINTENANCE SOLUTION1,241 Lane Miles ................................................. 50FEATURED PRODUCTSTUDSON Full Brim Safety Helmet ........................ 55SUBSCRIPTIONS For all changes, go to:MCSMAG.COMClick the SUBSCRIPTIONS button in the main menuwww.mcsmag.com 3100 Lorna Rd, Ste 101Birmingham, AL 35216DONNA CAMPBELL Editor in Chiefdonna@mcsmag.com MIKE BARKER Publishermike@mcsmag.com RANDY MOON Media Consultantrandym@mcsmag.com MICHAEL FISCHBACH Media Consultantmichael@mcsmag.com JOHN FRIEND Media Consultantjohn@mcsmag.com KEVIN MCCLARAN Media Consultantkevin@mcsmag.com LISA AVERY Art Directorlisa@mcsmag.com SETH SAUNDERS Digital Media Specialist seth@mcsmag.com INGRID BERKY Office Manageringrid@mcsmag.comTIM GARMONCEORUSSELL HADDOCKPresidentCHRIS GARMONCFODONNA CAMPBELLVice President, EditorialTONYA BROWNINGVice PresidentNo part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage-and-retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher. The views expressed by those not on the sta of Modern Contractor Solutions, or who are not specifically employed by Highlands Publications are purely their own. All Industry News material has either been submitted by the subject company or pulled directly from its corporate website, which is assumed to be cleared for release. Comments and submissions are welcome, and can be submitted to donna@mcsmag.com.For reprint information, contact Chris Garmon at chris@mcsmag.com.Canada Post Publication Agreement #41578525. Undeliverables 355 Admiral Drive, Unit 4, Mississauga, ON L5T 2N1 Modern Contractor Solutions Magazine@mcsmagModern Contractor SolutionsTOOLS OF THE TRADEThis month’s issue focuses on tools and attachments. Whether it’s milling concrete or below grade waterproofing, the tools of the trade take a project from concept to completion. The utilization of adding attachments is the art of business expansion and smart working as explained in the article from CASE on page 18. Having proper fitting PPE is the focus of the article on page 24 from KEEN Utility on footwear designed exclusively for women. From daylighting systems to ways to reduce carbon emissions, the conversation shifts back to recruiting talent into the construction industry. Next-generation technology may help close the gap to engage today’s workforce and open doors to women wanting a career in the varied segments of the industry. Read about asset management to combat rising costs for IT security and the unpleasant safety surprise that may come with a multi-employer worksite. A recent launch of AMPShare – Powered by Bosch shares a multi-brand 18V battery platform for the crew with a mixed arsenal of tools. And with summer around the corner, learn about the research of honeycombs from nature’s architect the honeybee. This issue rounds the corner with safety tips for hand tools and how Crafco is crack sealing lane miles without breaking the bank. With all the chatter about AI, add the next read to your punch list to be prepared: The Brand Mapping Strategy: Design, Build and Accelerate Your Brand by Karen Tiber Leland. Cheers,Donna CampbellEditor in ChiefYOKOSUKA, JAPAN Petty Officer 3rd Class Jordan Wyckoff, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, serves in Japan aboard a forward-deployed U.S. Navy warship. Wyckoff joined the Navy 3 years ago. Today, Wyckoff serves as a boatswain's mate aboard USS Shoup. “I joined the Navy because I didn't know what to do, so I made the decision to start my career in the Navy,” says Wyckoff. Today, Wyckoff relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Birmingham to succeed in the military. Photo by Lt. Cmdr. Jake Joy, Navy Office of Community OutreachThe Brand Mapping Strategypunch•list56

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com8industry newsKEEN UTILITY EMPOWERS NEXT GENERATION OF TRADESWOMEN WITH $1M PLEDGEKEEN Utility, a leader in safety footwear and the work boot division of KEEN Inc., announces the six recipients of its 2023 She Builds Grant Program. Launched by KEEN Utility in 2021, the She Builds Grant Program was created to help advance the empowerment of more women entering the skilled trades. Between 2021 and 2026, the program has pledged $1M in product and financial support to nonprofit organizations in the United States and Canada that are leading the way to provide trade skills education and support for the next generation of tradeswomen.This year, six She Builds grants will be awarded to Black Women Build-Baltimore, British Columbia Institute of Technology’s Trades Discovery for Women, Girl’s Garage, Grid Alternative’s Women in Solar Program, Oregon Tradeswomen, and Vermont Works for Women. These grants will help provide hundreds of thousands of hours in quality trade skills education, expansion of workplace inclusivity training, and KEEN Utility’s women’s specific safety footwear. Recipients were selected by KEEN Utility and its fans. For more, visit www.keenfootwear.com.EARTHCAM EXPANDS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CAPABILITIES TO IMPROVE CONSTRUCTION SAFETYEarthCam, the leader in live camera technology, content and services, announces a breakthrough in its AI camera technology for jobsite safety. Its latest AI algorithms can now detect when workers are operating at height with significant accuracy. An incremental improvement in safe practices due to better awareness created by objective AI camera analytics has real potential to prevent many injuries and deaths.EarthCam’s new Edge Computer Vision and AI Object Detection software sends customized alerts based on predefined actions such as when people climb a ladder, work on scaffolding, or operate an elevated scissor lift. Safety personnel can retrieve detailed recorded video to verify safe practices are being observed, fall protection is applied, and PPE is correctly worn. In-person site visits by safety inspectors can be supplemented with remote, visual validation of safe behavior. For more, visit EarthCam.net/AI. ISUZU AND BUILTMORE CELEBRATE ASSEMBLY OF 100,000th ISUZU N-SERIES GASOLINE TRUCK Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc., distributor of America’s best-selling low-cab-forward trucks, announces the 100,000th gasoline-powered Isuzu N-Series truck was produced at the Builtmore Contract Manufacturing facility in Charlotte, Michigan. Since April 2011, all Isuzu N-Series gas trucks for the U.S. and Canada markets have been assembled in Charlotte by Builtmore, the go-to-market brand of The Shyft Group. The production milestone comes less than 5 years after the 50,000th gas-powered N-Series truck was built in Charlotte. Builtmore also assembles the Cummins B6.7 diesel-powered Class 6 and 7 Isuzu FTR, FVR Derate and FVR at the Charlotte facility. For more, visit www.isuzucv.com.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com10industry newsCEMEN TECH CELEBRATES DELIVERY OF 5,000TH VOLUMETRIC CONCRETE MIXER Cemen Tech announces the production and delivery of its 5,000th volumetric concrete mixer this past January from the company’s manufacturing facility in Indianola, Iowa. The Cemen Tech C Series was ordered by Bauman Landscape and Construction based out of San Francisco, California, and is the latest to join a fleet of Cemen Tech mixers working across the world.Cemen Tech is the world’s largest manufacturer of volumetric concrete technology. Its C Series is the bestselling fully automated volumetric concrete mixer in the world and is the most innovative on the market today. It allows jobs to be batched, measured, mixed, poured, recorded and analyzed all in one unit. Each C Series mixer is equipped with an electronic touch interface, AUTO-STOW™ and AUTO-WASHOUT™ for a fully automated concrete production solution. This means electronic mix designs will be accurate for exact mixtures on every pour. The C Series is also ACCU-POUR™ ready, a Cemen Tech proprietary technology that allows an operator in the field to track when a unit was in operation, how much concrete was poured, the mix design used for each job and many additional features. The information displays on a digital readout and shows the exact amount of aggregate, sand, water and cement used for the specific pour. Contractors can expand the profitability of their business with this technology. Find more, visit cementech.com/c-series/.NATIONAL EQUIPMENT DEALERS, LLC ADDS THUNDER CREEK FUEL, LUBE & SERVICE SOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT HEAVY & COMPACT EQUIPMENT LINESNational Equipment Dealers (NED), LLC announces the addition of Thunder Creek Equipment fuel and service solutions to its robust product offering serving its regions—which includes everything from excavators, articulated trucks and wheel loaders, to telehandlers and compaction equipment. NED, LLC is a large heavy equipment dealership with more than 30 years of industry experience in equipment sales, rentals, and customer support with current operations in South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. Thunder Creek Equipment designs and manufactures innovative, premium diesel fuel and service and preventative maintenance solutions that are used in a variety of industries including construction, roadbuilding, oil and gas, and utility construction. This includes the original, industry-leading, No-HAZMAT Multi-Tank Trailer (MTT), the Multi-Tank Oil Trailer (MTO), and the Service and Lube Trailer (SLT). For more information on the full lineup of equipment and services provided by NED, visit nedealers.com. To learn more about the innovative fuel and service solutions made possible by Thunder Creek, visit thundercreek.com. SENCO OPENS GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS IN CINCINNATIKYOCERA SENCO Industrial Tools (SENCO), a global leader in fasteners and power fastening tools, announces the opening of its official

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com12industry newsglobal headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. The newly renovated facility will bring employees from all SENCO divisions under the same roof, allowing closer collaboration and improved quality control, as well as fostering innovation.The grand opening follows an extensive expansion and renovation of the company’s production facility that began in 2021. Prior to completion, the 500,000-square-foot facility was home to SENCO’s manufacturing plant, where SENCO nails and staples have been made since the 1970s, as well as the company’s engineering and product management teams.The renovation project added 32,000 square feet of new office space for business operations staff, including executive, sales, marketing, and administrative teams. SENCO employs 400 American workers, approximately 80% of whom are now headquartered at the new facility.The facility also features 8,000 square feet of newly renovated and optimized manufacturing space, including a dedicated assembly line for SENCO’s new built-in-the-USA pneumatic framing nailers. These new framing nailers—the FN81T1 and FN91T1—deliver 18% more nail-driving power than previous models and competing tools.Kyocera Corporation, of Kyoto, Japan, acquired SENCO in 2017 and has invested millions of dollars in the Cincinnati facility to support manufacturing equipment and research and development projects over the past four years. The construction project began in January 2022 and was recently completed with all Cincinnati based employees now working from the updated facility. Besides office and manufacturing space, the new facility is designed to have a campus-like atmosphere that inspires employees’ personal and professional development and engagement. It includes a cafeteria serving hot meals and a dedicated training, product education and innovation center. A grand opening ceremony was held on May 25. For more, visit www.senco.com.SAFE SOFTWARE AND TRIMBLE ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION TO ADVANCE CONNECTED CONSTRUCTION WORKFLOWSSafe Software, the creators and developers of FME, the data integration platform with comprehensive support for spatial data, and Trimble, a technology company serving the agriculture, construction, geospatial and transportation industries, announces a collaboration to advance connected construction workflows. The work will continue to provide additional pre-developed APIs to drive innovation and enable more customers to take advantage of total process improvement without the cost and time associated with DIY solutions. The collaboration demonstrates a commitment to develop long-term connections between Trimble and other third-party enterprise software solutions prominent in the design and geospatial fields, furthering Trimble's strategy of expanding access to geospatial and construction data for a range of stakeholders in the public sector and the construction industry. For more, visit www.trimble.com or www.safe.com.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com14project profileConcrete RemovalConcrete Removalcold milling at Leipzig/Halle Airport WIRTGENIt was necessary to completely remove the north-side runway due to “concrete cancer,” an alkali-silica reaction also found in older concrete-paved highways, which irreparably destroys the concrete from within. A project of this magnitude requires high-performance machines and optimal cutting tools for the milling drum. With over 1,000 hp, the Wirtgen W 250 Fi class always has sufficient power reserves. The large milling machines were equipped with additional ballast weights in order to exploit their full performance potential in the cutting process. The greater operating weight leads to greater traction of the track units and optimal cutting performance by the milling drum. The large milling machines for the Leipzig Airport project were also fitted with ECO milling drums and special picks. ECO milling drums have up to 50% fewer picks at larger tool spacings than standard milling drums. Using fewer cutting tools reduces cutting resistance, which also makes it possible to mill harder concrete pavements.The powerful milling fleet removed 350,000 metric tons of concrete within just 30 days. This means that each machine had to mill off an average of over 1,100 tonnes of concrete a day. The first step was to remove the concrete surface in layers as quickly as possible. Once this was done, machines with extremely precise 3D leveling technology on-board were used to create an optimal base for the subsequent resurfacing.CONCRETE MILLINGConcrete milling is an established technology worldwide and Wirtgen has successfully applied it in many projects. It can also remove reinforced concrete containing tie bars, dowel bars, and steel mesh. Additionally, selective removal enables the separation of concrete layers with different properties, thereby reducing contaminated material. A further benefit: In most cases, milled concrete can be recycled without any further treatment. MINIMAL CARBON FOOTPRINT Even the granulated concrete generated by the airport project in Leipzig was 100% reused as valuable recycled building material. After being stored temporarily near the building site, it was used in later renovation stages for the roadbed of the new runway. The short transport route and minimal need for new material left a very small carbon footprint. 15 COLD MILLING MACHINES TAKE ON ONE OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST EVER MILLING PROJECTSThe renovation of the Leipzig/Halle Airport required the complete removal of more than 2 miles of runway as well as the connecting taxiways in under 30 days. 350,000 metric tons of extremely hard concrete reinforced with rebar mats (Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement - CRCP) were removed in the course of the cutting process. To complete such a large project, the contracting company used powerful machines from Wirtgen’s W 250 Fi class with special modified milling drums.

On top of this, the Wirtgen cold milling machines themselves offered a broad spectrum of environmentally-friendly machine technologies. Fuel-optimized speed ranges in milling mode controlled by Wirtgen Mill Assist and engine-temperature-controlled fan speeds, for example, help protect the environment and conserve valuable resources. Automatic activation and deactivation of the water spraying system and water metering dependent on milling performance considerably reduce water consumption.PLANNING AHEAD IS KEYTo ensure a smooth process, project planning began far in advance. Practical use tests started as early as 8 months before the job began. This enabled precise consumption estimates for picks and other wear parts and the procurement of sufficient replacement stock that was stored at the site, minimizing machine downtimes for pick replacement and maintenance and assuring maximum productivity.Thus, the large-scale runway rehabilitation project at Leipzig/Halle Airport was successfully completed within the allotted timeframe, and the groundwork for this success was the timely removal of the concrete as well as the optimal milling results.CLOSING THOUGHTProject and branch manager Bernhard Fischer from Kutter, the construction company leading the project, expressed his satisfaction with its successful completion: “In contrast to milling in asphalt, the extreme hardness of this concrete meant that we had to use slower milling speeds. The wear on the milling tools was also significantly higher. The additional costs of increased wear on material were more than compensated for by the rapid progress we made and the precision of the results. The removal of the concrete by cold milling was the ideal method for this project.” www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202315for more informationFor more about Wirtgen’s equipment, visit www.wirtgen-group.com.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com16project profileWaterproofingWaterproofingbrings massive transit project back on trackBELOW GRADEWhen the mayor of San Francisco, state legislators, city councillors, and other dignitaries gather together for a building event, you figure it’s a high-profile ground breaking or ribbon-cutting ceremony, not a technical presentation of a below grade waterproofing solution for a transport infrastructure. Such are the sky-high stakes surrounding the $4.185 billion Transbay Transit Center.“We literally had 20 to 30 people standing over my shoulder as we presented mock-ups of our alternative waterproofing solution, from the mayor on down,” explains Dean Edwards, project lead for Best Contracting Services, Inc., the waterproofing subcontractor on the transport business project.THE CHALLENGESThe officials had good reason to be concerned. The transport infrastructure project had fallen up to 2.5 months behind schedule. The top challenges included: a below grade waterproofing method “… that was taking forever to cure” in the damp, deep immensity of a four block-long excavation. The budget clock was ticking, costly workers were waiting, and water extraction pumps were thundering 24/7.At issue was the original asphalt-based fabric solution. It wasn’t curing as predicted due to jobsite conditions. In addition, the hydraulic forces compressing the worksite on all sides were incredible. If the pumps stopped even briefly, the walls started to immediately TRANSBAY TRANSIT CENTERLocation: San FranciscoSubcontractor: Best Contracting Services, Inc.GCP Solution: PREPRUFE® waterproofing

weep. “We were at least 30 feet below the water table,” Edwards says. THE SOLUTION“We brought GCP to the table,” Edwards states. “GCP’s PREPRUFE® is a pre-applied, zero-cure waterproofing membrane proven across hundreds of major infrastructure projects over the past 25-plus years. And by removing time for curing, we knew we could expedite the schedule.”PREPRUFE waterproofing is designed to deliver exactly what the transport infrastructure needed, with: • Fast and easy installation• A robust product design able to withstand the rainy San Francisco weather during installation, as well as in situ performance lasting the life of the structure• Permanent adhesive bonding to the concrete in all circumstances, be it after UV exposure or after water immersion to the concrete• A clean, neat, asphalt- and clay-free product that is highly resistant to contaminated and aggressive soils, and no impact of TCE/PCE to the waterproofing performances• Immediately trafficable with same-day rebar setting and tyingAfter approval to use PREPRUFE, the transport business contracting teams set to work, sealing-off the walls and floor. With cure times off the table, installation proceeded swiftly.THE OUTCOMEToday, the Transbay Transit Center continues to operate with no below grade leaks, accommodating more than 100,000 passengers each weekday, adding an estimated 10,000 daily transit trips in the Caltrain corridor by 2030. The multi-modal Transit Center is the “Grand Central Station of the West,” centralizing the region's transportation network.CLOSING THOUGHTWith more than 1.5 billion square feet installed around the globe, in the most challenging situations, PREPRUFE waterproofing is trusted by owners, architects, building envelope consultants, and contractors. Like the Transbay Transit Center team, many rely on PREPRUFE to help accelerate project completion, gain greater peace of mind, and improve the durability of their structure. The PREPRUFE comprehensive waterproofing system has been protecting structures across the globe for more than 25 years and brings together pre-applied and post-applied waterproofing into a complete, best-in-class system. www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202317for more informationFor more information about GCP PREPRUFE®, visit gcpat.com.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com18equipment solutionAttachment AdditionsAttachment Additionsthe art of business expansion, increased profitability, and smarter work UTILIZATIONYour machine—skid steer, compact track loader, backhoe loader, etc.—is the core asset that drives your work. The way that you can expand and grow your business and work more intelligently is through the right attachments. Two separate core themes in business—growth/expansion and lowering the total cost of operation—can both be tied to utilization. Truth one: finding new ways to use existing assets allows you to do more styles and types of work—therefore allowing you to bid on and win more work within the footprint of your existing business. Truth two: Utilization = billing hours. Greater utilization = more billing hours = greater profitability for an asset that you already own (Machine carrying costs are a constant. Profitability is the variable). Earning more money with an asset over the course of its life significantly lowers its total cost of ownership because you’re increasing its profitability. An extremely simple example: using your skid steer for snow removal in the winter months instead of wintering it in your garage. Sure, you have more inputs (service, oil changes, etc.), but the increased profitability is well worth it. The machine you already own—skid steer, compact track loader, compact wheel loader, backhoe loader, excavator, etc.—is the core asset. Its carrying costs (monthly payments, insurance, etc.) are relatively fixed. The more you earn with it, the more value it drives your business—in this article we’ll look at how the relatively cost-effective addition of attachments (be it through purchase or rental) drives massive growth and profitability for businesses. All anchored in that most powerful word: utilization. GROWTH/OPPORTUNITY Businesses and work demands grow and change. Whether through the great recession (not that long ago, historically) or through the pandemic, the businesses that excelled the most at being able to pivot from one core function to another, or one capability to another, were the ones that survived and succeeded.Business diversification—in good times or bad—is smart. It’s even smarter to do it in the good times so that you’re ready to power through the bad. Make more money now and fortify your business for future challenges. Attachments are a critical gateway to doing this. Think of the full life cycle of a jobsite—what are the tangential tasks that other contractors do right now that you could do yourself? If you’re a contractor or landscaper, could you also do the land clearing and site prep? If you do a facility’s landscaping, could you also do its winter snow removal? Is your equipment capable of being used in disaster cleanup or other large-scale material handling or processing work? The simple addition of an attachment in each of those cases—a mulcher, a snow push, and a grapple bucket—suddenly turn that asset into something you can use to bid on and win more jobs.INCREASED PROFITABILITY Everyone loves money. The core principle of utilization is that the more something is used, the more money it makes. Attachments allow you to do that—but it’s even deeper than that! In the previous section, we talked about the ability to do more/new things—and that fits the bill: I’m using an asset more, so it’s making me more money, and therefore it’s more profitable (all true). Profitability is a marathon, not a sprint. It can also be looked at in another way: what can I do to keep more of our earnings in-house versus subbing out to other businesses? You might not think much of subbing out a few thousand dollars here and a few thousand dollars there during the course of a larger, long-term job—but all of those subs add up. Could the simple addition of an attachment or two minimize the amount of work you have to farm out? Does the addition of a 4-in-1 bucket allow you to move, grapple, spread, and grade more material on the jobsite? Does the addition of a soil conditioner allow you to do final grade and seeding vs. contracting that out to a landscaper? Does an angle broom on a skid steer, compact track loader, compact wheel loader, tractor loader, or tractor loader backhoe allow you the ability to clean up a jobsites, streets, and parking lots as well as remove snow in the winter? Does a rototilt bucket with machine control on an excavator allow you to complete final contouring and grade that previously would have had to be done with a whole other machine?

In each of these cases, the addition of an attachment creates a world in which you are spending less money on other services or equipment to accomplish the same job. SMARTER FLEET MANAGEMENT Which brings up another great point: can the addition of an attachment allow you to do more with fewer machines? It’s a shocking thought coming from an equipment manufacturer, but it’s true: the addition of the right attachment to “Machine A” may make “Machine B” obsolete, and therefore allow you to sell it (lower business carrying costs) or deploy it to other jobsites where it can be more profitable (increased productivity/getting ahead of schedule). It also allows you to keep fewer machines on site for less clutter and less hassle. LABOR ISSUEWe talk a lot about how the right attachments help you work smarter, not harder. And in a day and age when good skilled labor is hard to come by, the addition of the right attachments helps you do more with fewer workers on site and/or minimizes the amount of strenuous physical labor that you/your existing workforce has to perform. A good soil conditioner reduces the amount of manual raking. A tilt rotator and grapple bucket on an excavator simplifies boulder wall construction. A simple set of forks helps move palletized material off of trucks and throughout the jobsite closer to where the work is happening vs. relying on workers to carry/move materials in more physically demanding ways. Attachments are a way to do more with fewer people, and to make sure your current staff is working with less strain and less opportunity for injury. RENT VS. OWN And you might read all of this and say “that all makes sense, but I’ll use that attachment on like 20% of my jobsites, so it’s not worth it!” That’s what your local dealer rental or independent rental outlet is for! Most equipment rental businesses carry an extensive array of attachments. This allows the rental company to shoulder the owning and operating costs of those attachments, and you can pass the rental fee for the attachment right on to the job. Don’t let a low percentage of use for an attachment cloud your vision for greater use of the machine/asset to drive more utilization and profitability. When in doubt, rent it. CLOSING THOUGHTThese are just a few of the ways that attachments can help improve and evolve your business. As we’ve been known to say: think beyond the bucket for ways that you can grow, improve, and enrich your business. Sometimes it’s not the addition of a new machine with a massive capital investment—sometimes it’s as simple as a much more practical/cost-effective addition of an attachment. www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202319for more informationFor more about CASE attachments that make sense for your business, visit casece.com.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com20equipment solutionStud FinderStud Finderutilizes multiple sensors and signal processing to filter out false positivesREINVENTEDFor decades, stud finders have been designed based on capacitive technology that identifies changes in density behind the walls. While this technology can indicate the location of wood stud framing, it also discovers metal, plastic, wiring, and other objects in walls just as easily. Hypersensitive “deep scanning” modes further increase the potential for “false positives,” objects inaccurately identified as studs. The result is that traditional stud finders frequently chirp or flash LED lights – often to the point of distraction – to indicate something was sensed. But what exactly? Now new, more advanced technology is being introduced to this popular tool category that promises to redefine and even reset the standards for stud finder performance and accuracy. These next-generation “intelligent” models incorporate multiple sensors and sophisticated signal processing technology to filter out “false positives.” In doing so, these technologically advanced stud finders locate wood studs – as intended – and also recognize and filter out non-wood objects such as plumbing, conduit, straps, brackets, screws, protector plates, ductwork, plastic pipe, PEX tubing, and wiring behind the walls. For professionals and DIYers, this innovative technology will provide a more accurate representation of what is behind the wall and significantly improve confidence that what is detected is truly a wood stud. The benefits are significant: minimized rework, less damage created, and increased safety.And yes, it’s about time.A COMMON EXPERIENCEToday, the challenge is only increasing. In addition to metal plumbing and wiring, there is more behind the walls than ever, including network cabling, plastic pipes, and tubing. Complicating matters, wood framing in homes, old or new, can be inconsistent at best. Not all construction follows standard stud spacing practices of 16” or 24” on-center, and there are often additional support beams, fire blocks, and other framing features that can further muddy the picture.Time and time again, contractors and DIYers often think they’ve found a wood stud only to drill into empty voids or attempt to insert fasteners and meet resistance in the form of false positives, such as copper pipes or metal protector plates. Worse yet, a pop and a spark might indicate the discovery of plastic-sheathed wiring.The abundance of false positives detected can be frustrating enough that some users opt Only next-generation stud finders like those from Zircon can locate wood studs and also recognize and filter out non-wood targets such as plastic pipes and plumbing.

to leave stud finders in the toolbox in favor of techniques such as rapping on walls or drilling pilot holes.Still, knowing the location of pipes, wires, and other dangerous obstacles behind the wall is just as valuable as knowing the location of the wood stud. Heavy items need to be mounted securely into the center of studs or they can fall, causing damage or even injury. Likewise, drilling into water lines can lead to costly repairs, and attempting to insert fasteners through live electrical wiring can result in significant safety issues. For professionals and DIYers alike, the consequences can be considerable rework, loss of time, and decreased productivity. CATEGORY INNOVATIONToday, basic models at varying price points are available from big name brands better known for products in other tool categories. Zircon Corporation, however, has been in the stud finder game for more than 40 years. In 1980, the company manufactured the original StudSensor™ stud finder and invented the category. The Silicon Valley-based company produces more than just stud finders, to be clear. They design and manufacture an extended range of sensor technologies in electronic hand tools spanning wall scanners, metal detectors, circuit breaker finders, drill guides, water detectors, and leveling tools.With this background, the company continues to lead the path to innovation in the category. The latest invention is Wood Stud SuperScan® with Target Control® Technology + FILTERz™. By analyzing the complex data streams from multiple sensors and controlling the result using sophisticated intelligence, the stud finder finds wood studs and filters out metallic objects, such as plumbing, conduit, straps, brackets, screws, protector plates, or ductwork in the wall. Additionally, the technology alerts the user to the presence of other low signal-strength, non-metallic targets, like plastic pipe, PEX tubing, and wiring. To simplify the delivery of this seemingly complex information to users, Zircon invested extensive time and research to understand the user experience. A new and improved user interface provides an intuitive “go/no go” indication in response to what is being sensed. With a new haptic vibration and a patented SpotLite® Pointer that shines an arrow-shaped beam on the wall, users can clearly understand the target’s location and areas to avoid. CLOSING THOUGHTBy filtering out false positives, users can be confident they have located a wood stud and not something else. Given the opportunity for a much clearer picture of what is behind the wall, contractors would do well to upgrade their existing stud finder with an affordable, next-generation model that is sure to become the new standard in scanning. It would be the “intelligent” decision. www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202321for more informationFor more, call Zircon Corporation at 408.963.4550, or visit www.zircon.com.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com22equipment solutionSelf-shielded flux-cored welding is frequently used for structural construction and other jobsite welding since it offers a significant productivity advantage compared to stick welding. Welders using this process are likely holding their welding guns for much of the day, and they may be standing on elevated girders or lifts trying to get into tight places to complete a weld. Because of this, it’s important to choose a self-shielded flux-cored gun that is comfortable, lightweight and maneuverable to help get work done efficiently. Here are several key factors to consider when selecting a self-shielded flux-cored welding gun and tips for properly maintaining it to optimize performance. FLUX-CORED GUN OPTIONS Not every welding gun fits every application. They come in various amperages and configurations, with features that include heat shields, configurable necks and adjustable cable lengths. The key is finding a flux-cored gun that works for each welder, since many options come down to operator preference. AMPERAGE Guns rated at 350 or 450 amps are common in structural field welding applications. Guns rated at 600 amps are also available but used less often due to being heavier. It’s important to avoid undersizing the welding gun since it can lead to overheating and other problems.When selecting the gun amperage, consider the wire sizes that will be used most often. Typical wire sizes for a 350-amp gun are 1/16 inch and smaller. Wire sizes for 450-amp guns are 0.72 inch and larger, including 5/64 and 3/32 inch. REPLACEABLE OR FIXED CABLE LINER Some self-shielded flux-cored guns are available with either a replaceable cable liner or a fixed cable liner. The demanding environments where self-shielded flux-cored welding takes place can be hard on the gun and consumables, so replaceable liners provide benefits. They offer quick and easy cable maintenance and can extend product life, since welders can change out components that have high levels of wear. Guns with replaceable liners also tend to have a lighter weight cable and provide more flexibility to weld around edges or corners. Guns with fixed cable liners are often larger, which can be an issue when welding in tight spaces. The cables are also typically stiffer and more rigid, so they can take more abuse. Once a fixed cable liner has reached the end of its useful life, the entire gun must be replaced. NECK Gun necks are available in varying lengths and bend angles. The choice for the application often comes down to operator preference or weld joint access and configuration. A slimmer neck provides a better view of the weld pool and improved access to tight areas. A shorter neck typically provides more control compared to a longer neck. Still, operators may prefer a longer neck to increase the distance between themselves and the heat of the weld puddle — especially in higher amperage applications. Keep in mind that lightweight, rotatable necks help reduce operator fatigue by aiding with posture and positioning, and they improve weld visibility. TRIGGER In the field, triggers that get wet or covered in dirt still need to work, so it’s important to purchase a quality gun that includes a durable trigger. Look for a gun with an enclosed trigger. This protects the contacts inside a housing, so the trigger is less prone to wear and breakage.If you’re using a replaceable cable liner, it may have an internal or external trigger lead. Be aware that external trigger leads may require more maintenance because they can Gun PerformanceGun Performancechoosing a lux-cored welding gun OPTIMIZING RESULTSBy Stephen BennettSelf-shielded flux-cored welding is frequently used for structural construction and other jobsite welding since it offers a significant productivity advantage compared to stick welding. The Bernard Iron Pro 450 FCAW gun is designed for structural steel erector sites.

easily get snagged or catch on things like bolt heads. However, they are typically quick and easy to replace. HANDLE A handle needs to be rugged and durable for the jobsite, but it should also feel comfortable in the operator’s hand.A self-shielded flux-cored gun with an optional dual schedule switch allows for wire speed adjustment while welding. In some guns, this switch is integrated into the handle to keep it protected from spatter. The ability to toggle between weld parameters easily—without having to stop welding and change settings—saves time and improves productivity.THE BEST RESULTS Beyond choosing the right gun for the job, it’s also important to use and maintain it properly. Consider these tips for optimizing gun performance.Store and handle it properly: Jobsites can be dusty, dirty places. Be sure to store guns and cables properly when not in use. Roll the cables up and put the gun away in a clean, dry place so there’s less risk it will be damaged. Maintain it as needed: Keep the gun and all components clean and check all connections periodically. Loose connections can cause electrical resistance and heat buildup, which can result in premature wear. Take the time to regularly blow out the liner with clean, compressed air to remove dirt and debris. Immediately address any damage to the gun components with maintenance or replacement. Invest in quality consumables: Consumable choice often comes down to cost or operator preference. However, investing in high-quality consumables can help extend the life of the gun, provide better performance and reduce downtime for changeover. CLOSING THOUGHTThe self-shielded flux-cored process can deliver significant benefits for productivity and efficiency. Choosing the right gun and components—and maintaining them properly—plays a key role in optimizing your results. www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202323about the authorStephen Bennett is a mechanical engineer with Bernard. For more, visit www.tregaskiss.com. The Bernard® Dura-Flux™ FCAW gun with replaceable power cable liner offers quick and easy cable maintenance and can extend product life, since welders can change out components that have high levels of wear.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com24equipment solutionWhile the United States continues to face a skilled trades shortage, the number of women entering the trades is actually growing. Although the trades continue to be male-dominated, the number of tradeswomen entering the field has increased by over 30% in the last 5 years. In fact, in 2022 women made up 11% of the construction workforce. Welcoming more women into the construction industry will be essential going forward. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2021 and 2031, there will be approximately 723,400 openings each year from a combination of job growth and replacing retiring workers. In 2023 alone, the Associated Builders and Contractors, a trade association dedicated to construction, reports the industry must attract an estimated 546,000 additional workers in 2023 to meet the demand for labor. The increasing number of women in the trades is promising, but many women in these fields have still remained underserved when it comes to accessing properly fitting personal protective equipment (PPE). Generations of tradeswomen have often grown accustomed to settling for safety gear that was designed for a man’s frame such as poorly fitting boots, gloves, belts, harnesses, respirators, and more. As more women enter this workforce, these disparities have become increasingly apparent. Everyone deserves to feel safe on the job and offering properly-fitting PPE can directly impact comfort, happiness and wellbeing, while enhancing performance on the job. When it comes to outfitting tradeswomen with PPE, this often comes down to offering the best fit.NOT ONE-SIZE FITS ALLPPE serves as the last layer of protection when it is not possible to eliminate workplace hazards. Given its critical role when it comes to jobsite safety, the necessity for properly-fitting safety gear cannot be understated. Unfortunately, many tradeswomen have been underserved in terms of access to properly fitting PPE for decades. The lack of inclusivity in PPE can be traced back to its development in the 1950’s and 1970’s by the National Institute of Health and Safety, which collected data from military personnel and the general work population of that era. Now decades old, this data no longer reflects the diverse workforce of today’s trade industry, which encompasses more women, body shapes, and sizes. Initiatives to address these disparities must go beyond offering safety gear in smaller sizes or a pink colorway—these measures ignore the anatomical differences between men and women. Additionally, the lack of accessible PPE can also send a misleading message to tradeswomen that they are either not welcome or that their safety is not valued. SAFETY FROM THE GROUND UPWhen discussing the importance of PPE, safety footwear serves as a key example of why simply scaling down to smaller sizes is insufficient. In the case of footwear, women tend to have smaller feet as well as differently shaped bones and tendons. Because of this, women’s feet differ not only in size, but also in width, shape, and overall bone structure. These differences impact how they move, walk, stand, and distribute weight. Additionally, men’s boots are often heavier to lift with each step which increases the potential for slips, trips, and falls—the leading cause of injury on jobsites. Footwear not specifically designed for the unique anatomy of women’s feet can result in a variety of consequences beyond an uncomfortable fit. This includes hot spots, blisters, and abrasions as well as unnecessary bulk that can cause workplace injuries. In this case, properly fitting footwear enables women to focus on the job at hand rather than having to worry about her feet.ADVANCEMENTS IN FOOTWEARMany recent innovations in footwear technology highlight the progress being made to offer tradeswomen a more comfortable and The Right FitThe Right Fita step towards inclusive PPE for womenFOOTWEARBy Kevin Oberle

safer fit. For example, carbon-fiber safety toes have become popular in the industry—these caps are 15% lighter than steel, removing unnecessary weight without sacrificing safety. Additionally, carbon-fiber toes are also non-metallic, which can be beneficial to workers whose jobs require them to go through a metal detector over the course of the day. Fit improvements such as a heel locking technology have also provided tradeswomen with footwear that offers a better fit. This technology gives workers a more customized fit by “locking in” their heel to help it prevent slipping out of the shoe, ultimately reducing friction that can cause blisters and excess wear. Other innovations include footwear with non-marring, high-tensile strength fabrics that resemble athletic-inspired silhouettes, while still offering the protection of a safety shoe with an upper construction that can more easily form to the foot to provide stability. These are just a few examples of the many advancements in women’s safety footwear demonstrating that comfort and safety do not have to be mutually exclusive.WHY FIT MATTERS It should be noted that PPE specifically designed for tradeswomen is not any less durable. In the case of safety footwear, more manufacturers are seeking to design PPE for women with the same quality of leather, stitching, and materials. This means the differences between men and women’s offerings has more to do with design and fit rather than construction or materials.With this in mind, we recommend women seek out PPE brands that design products with the biomechanics of their bodies in mind rather than shrinking down men’s PPE. In the case of footwear, this means designing footwear based on a woman’s last. At my company, we also bring working tradeswomen into the product development process. Our tradeswomen tested program utilizes the feedback of working tradeswomen on the fit and overall performance of our products. These insights are then incorporated into the initial stages of product development all the way to release. CLOSING THOUGHTNow is the time for manufacturers and purchasing managers to invest in recruiting women to the skilled trades. This begins with outfitting and creating a safe space for tradeswomen to work, including access to proper fitting PPE. Although there is still a long road ahead, setting a high bar for women’s PPE is a step towards ensuring everyone on the jobsite feels safe and empowered to take on the task at hand. www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202325about the authorKevin Oberle is the senior director of global insights & engagement at KEEN Utility. KEEN Utility, a leading industrial and service footwear brand, successfully exceeds footwear safety standards while combining advanced durability and innovation with the same comfort and unparalleled classic fit offered by KEEN outdoor, lifestyle, and kids’ footwear. KEEN Utility footwear is grounded in protection with the goal to make boots to fit you better. The whole you. For more, visit www.keenutility.com.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com28environmental solutionBuilding TrustBuilding Trustcontractors weigh in on daylighting systemsNO LEAKING ISSUENatural sunlight has long been known to be superior to any kind of artificial light source. It contains the full spectrum of colors and studies show that people are generally happier and healthier living, working, and shopping in sunlit environments. Although windows enable natural light to enter a building, organizations often use artificial lighting inside. Today, many seek to allow natural lighting to illuminate the interior.As a result, business and warehouse owners are turning to daylighting systems to reduce and sometimes even eliminate the need for artificial lighting during the day. Daylighting systems, which passively harness and enhance the sun’s light, are not simple skylights. Rather, applying physics to standard glass domes facilitates and diffuses the light entering a building without harshness or glare. These energy-efficient systems can evenly illuminate building interiors of any size with pleasing daylight. The dramatic effect floods the space with bright light, enabling true color perception, which is crucial for selling many products.Even with these tangible benefits, the contractor is usually focused on ease of installation and reliability. The contractor’s prime concern typically is “After the job, can I sleep at night without worrying about getting a callback [for leakage] after the first rain?”After all, any penetration of a watertight roof membrane can introduce a potential pathway for water, which no one wants. So, contractors need exceptional trust that the systems they install will have a high level of leak-free integrity.DAYLIGHT SOLUTIONIn the industry, one reliable daylighting system, Campbell Hill, Illinois-based DayStar Skylight Systems, is specifically engineered for leak-free installation. Contractors make it clear to their customers that the installation process gives them confidence in its watertight integrity. The DayStar system is composed of four parts. First, sunlight is gathered and diffused through an ultra-clear outer dome and inner collimation lens. A light shaft made of insulated panels with highly reflective interior surfaces amplifies natural light as it is captured. And finally, an attractive ceiling lens, engineered to diffuse highly concentrated light into a broad lighting pattern, is installed on the interior ceiling. The product comes in three common sizes, 2’x2’, 2’x4’, 4’x4’, although others are available.As a general contractor for 30 years, Jonas Yoder, owner of JY Construction, has installed many natural daylighting systems.“For natural lighting in roofing I wouldn’t think about installing anything but a DayStar system because the lighting and reliability is superior. It is a quality product that you can install without a leak. With other choices, you may get callbacks when they leak,” says Yoder.According to Yoder, in other systems he has used the fiberglass construction is prone to distortion, which diminishes the natural light over time. In addition, when cracks emerge in the fiberglass, leakage occurs.CUSTOM ROOF CURBSOne of the reasons for DayStar’s reliability is how the system is designed and engineered to prevent leaks. This begins with a properly installed essential roof curb that ensures the daylighting components have a level platform for attachment.Rooftop curbs are raised metal frames designed for mounting structures safely to the roof. Typical skylights are comprised of a dome Business and warehouse owners are turning to daylighting systems to reduce and sometimes even eliminate the need for artificial lighting during the day.One of the reasons for DayStar’s reliability is how the system is designed and engineered to prevent leaks.

with pre-attached metal flashing, which the contractor cuts around to fit into an opening, and then seals with caulk. However, this arrangement is more prone to leakage. Some manufacturers rely on the contractor to find a supplier for a roof curb or even to create their own. In contrast, DayStar’s insulated roof curbs are made of galvalume steel or aluminum, and feature continuously welded watertight seams. The curbs can be fitted to almost any roof pitch and metal rib design. The systems also come in regular slope and ridge-mounted versions. The company also supplies rib caps to fit the roof panel as well as the mastic sealant to be applied between the roof curb flange and roof metal. All these elements are crucial to DayStar’s unique engineering to create a well installed, leak-free system. THERMAL EFFICIENCYAfter concerns about potential water leaks, many contractors seek a system that will prevent outdoor hot or cold air intrusion, or transfer through the components. The challenge is that typical daylighting manufacturers utilize a roof jacket which incorporates a tube like an uninsulated stove pipe that allows hot or cold air to enter.In contrast, DayStar uses an insulated roof curb, double-glazed top dome with a vinyl thermal barrier. The system’s insulated, enhanced light shaft and lens provide a 40-50% better thermal value than other daylighting designs. In addition, the system has a low solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) as well as U Values (a measure of insulating performance) that are over twice the thermal efficiency ratings of common skylights. This means the customer will lose less heat in the winter and gain less heat in the summer.“The [DayStar] daylighting system insulates against indoor heat or cooling loss better than any other system I have seen,” says Yoder.CLOSING THOUGHTAccording to Yoder, he originally installed 40 DayStar systems in a 24,000-square-foot, pre-engineered steel building about 10 years ago. “Now, the same, industrial warehouse customer looking to build another 9,000-square-foot structure with 12 more daylight systems. In my mind, that shows the system’s long-term value and reliability,” he concludes. www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202329for more informationFor more information on natural daylighting systems, email info@daystar1.com, or call 618.426.1868.These energy-efficient systems can evenly illuminate building interiors of any size with pleasing daylight.

Using EPDsUsing EPDskey steps for lowering the carbon emissions of a project BUILDING TRANSPARENCYBy Vaclav HasikPART  OF JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com30management solutionA paradigm shift is occurring in the architecture, design, and construction industry as leaders are increasingly prioritizing low-carbon initiatives during the new building or retrofit process. We can attribute this shift to the fact that data is more accessible than ever to designers, contractors, and material specifiers, helping them make informed decisions that can significantly impact the carbon emissions of a project. This data comes in the form of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which provide a “carbon roadmap” to AEC professionals when comparing construction materials. At first glance, these technical documents might seem convoluted, but there are tools available in the marketplace that make EPDs easier to digest and understand. Also, there are simple steps that contractors can take to apply their knowledge of EPDs across the construction lifecycle to make tangible progress towards decarbonization. A few of these steps are outlined below: UNDERSTAND WHAT AN EPD IS TRYING TO TELL YOUEPDs can be thought of as a nutritional label for construction materials. However, instead of sharing nutritional facts, they show the environmental impact of producing a given material. They also describe a material’s intended applications, performance and specifications and provide a glimpse into its production process.Understanding the data an EPD provides can give contractors a leg up in a project’s planning phase, especially when it must meet specific certifications related to operational and embodied carbon, such as LEED v4.1 and IFLI’s Zero Carbon Certification. One common misconception across industries is that having an EPD makes a material inherently sustainable. The product and material data on an EPD are not all the same. A material can have an EPD while still having a higher impact on the overall emissions of a project when compared to another option, making it even more important for contractors to understand how to read the data EPDs provide. Through tools such as the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3), contractors can compare materials and understand their impact on the overall emissions of a project in an easy and digestible way. There are also various trainings and educations, through Building Transparency and other organizations such as CLF, ACLCA, and USGBC, that contractors can participate in to gain more knowledge on how to read an EPD.

TAKE YOUR KNOWLEDGE TO THE BIDDING PROCESS Understanding the power of an EPD and its data can be integral when considering a project bid. As the industry continues to adopt sustainable construction practices, more and more property owners will be looking to contractors and subcontractors alike to specify lower-carbon products to meet sustainability requirements, especially for government-funded projects. With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), grants, technical assistance, and tools are now available for the AEC industry to take actionable steps towards lowering the carbon emissions of a construction project. There are also increased government-regulated green building standards for federally funded projects that property owners must adhere to. If a contractor understands the intricacies of an EPD and how to compare materials in order to specify the lowest-carbon option, they have a leg up against their competition when submitting a bid. PARTNER WITH THE RIGHT MATERIAL MANUFACTURERS A final piece of the puzzle that can drive carbon reductions for a construction project is to partner with the right manufacturers. By working with manufacturers that disclose the environmental impacts of their products through EPDs, the AEC industry can make informed decisions for material specification and give preference to manufacturers who prioritize transparency.Creating a long-standing partnership with a manufacturer who places sustainability at the forefront of operations can help you win more business and support a healthy, sustainable built environment. CLOSING THOUGHTLearning about EPDs and what the data demonstrates is only half the battle when considering what it takes to decarbonize projects, industrywide. Currently, the AEC industry is at a crossroads where leaders are becoming more aware of low-carbon initiatives and making strides toward transforming processes but are coming up short when attempting to utilize EPDs due to the lack of widespread adoption and alignment. It's critical that the AEC industry asks manufacturers for EPDs as part of the specification process to change this. By demanding data and transparency, we expect that more will invest in and publicize EPDs, accelerate improvements in the EPD system, and help us all specify low-carbon materials on our journey to reduce the carbon impact of construction. www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202331about the authorVaclav Hasik is the program director for North America at Building Transparency, a nonprofit organization that provides open-access data and tools to foster a better building future and aid in reversing climate change. For more, visit www.buildingtransparency.org.REPAIR SPALLS AND CRACKS IN 10 MINUTES!ROADWARE 10 MINUTE CONCRETE MENDER™It’s thin, it gets in, and it won’t pop out!See more at www.roadware.us or call 800-522-7623.Cartridge applied or bucket mixed, Roadware Concrete Repair Products will have your oors ready for trafc, coating, or polishing in about 10 minutes. Any size repair. Blend with sand and pigments to create unlimited colors. Permanent repair.800-522-7623ROADWARE INCORPORATED381 BRIDGEPOINT WAYSOUTH ST PAUL, MN 55075 www.roadware.us

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com32management solutionThe construction industry is on the road to a major labor crisis. ABC figures show the U.S. construction workforce shortage topped half a million going into 2023. The sudden rise in labor-intensive infrastructure megaprojects means there is now a heightened demand for workers. But older, highly experienced workers leaving the industry and a lack of younger skilled workers entering the industry, is creating a deep and growing imbalance in construction workforces. This article explains how construction businesses can remain competitive in the job market, attracting new talent while retaining existing talent with a cultural reset—led by innovative construction technologies.The construction labor pool is experiencing increasing pressure on two fronts. The new Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Chips and Science Act have propelled developments in infrastructure and chip foundries, creating a boom in construction megaprojects and therefore, a dramatic increase in demand for labor. However, on the flip side, the pandemic and subsequent Great Resignation meant a lot of highly skilled workers retired from the industry, taking with them the deep knowledge and expertise only attainable through years of experience. This, coupled with the low uptake of younger workers into the construction and engineering industry has created the conditions for a workforce crisis. This labor shortage is set to last well into the future unless things change. The need for strategic action to bridge the gap between the older generation exiting and the younger generation entering the workforce is clear. ATTRACT NEW TALENTTime for some image control—fixing construction’s low-tech reputation: Construction and engineering as an industry has become an increasingly unattractive career prospect for younger generations. This is due to misconceptions around the traditional nature of the industry. Recent research found that 23% of high school students disagreed that skilled trades work with cutting-edge technology, while in the same survey, 89% of skilled tradespeople stated they did in fact work with cutting-edge technology. Here the adoption, use, and promotion of innovative technologies in the industry could breakdown the low-tech image the construction and engineering sector has acquired and appeal to the tech native generation of workers, who are looking for careers where they can use the technologies they have grown up with and are used to using in their personal lives at work.Breaking new ground—exciting tech is the best way to bring in the internet generation: Innovative technologies have a key role to play in making the construction and engineering industry more accessible to younger, inexperienced workers. Augmented Reality (AR) and other remote technologies can help make the onboarding process more engaging and can make training safer, as trainees can gain real-hand experience necessary to learn key trade skills in a low-risk environment, away from hazards which inexperienced workers would be more vulnerable to.Construction businesses can use the adoption of technological work processes to provide the new generation of construction workers with opportunities to work with innovative technologies and gain new tech-related skills in the line of work, such as, using BIM design tools and 3D modeling, financial planning and project control technologies, and IoT monitoring and digital twins programs. These are crucial skills in the new industrialized construction model and will appeal to the tech savvy younger worker. RETAIN EXPERIENCED TALENTEnsure the older generation of construction workers aren’t left out of the tech revolution: The labor-intense nature of construction and engineering activity often means that this type of work can be more challenging for workers as they age, which can cause many to leave the industry. Here, remote technologies can be used to increase the safety of all workers, but particularly older workers by providing more opportunities to work offsite or to offer support quickly and efficiently on-site. Other innovative support technologies, such as, wearables that can monitor workers’ physical conditions and can alert workers to nearby hazards that may be difficult for them to perceive will help make the industry more accessible for older workers.Next-Gen TechNext-Gen Techhow technology is uniting generations of workersWORKFORCEBy Kenny Ingram

With the introduction of new industrialized construction models and technologies, businesses should also provide training for older workers in these new technologies to help upskill workers, progress the careers of older workers and ensure all workers, regardless of age, are able to make use of the technologies that are revolutionizing construction and engineering processes in a safe and secure manner.Don’t lose valuable industry expertise—flexibility and options for late careers are necessary to retain talent: The use of technology and industrialized construction models, such as, remote technologies and modular construction, can help to streamline construction project processes, reducing the amount of labor needed to complete projects. This means that greater job flexibility can be offered to older workers who have families or are nearing retirement and wish to reduce workload without leaving the workforce entirely. This will provide workers with flexibility so they don’t have to choose between work and retirement but can do a happy medium. An increased range of options for later careers is necessary to avoid forcing older workers out of the workforce before they are ready or want to.Businesses can also establish consultancy and mentorships programs for older workers of retirement age. Overseeing and advising on projects or training up and mentoring the next generation of workers is vital to ensure these important skills can be passed on to the next generation and offers older workers a way to continue to engage with the industry they have dedicated many years to. This means businesses are able to retain the experience and knowledge of older workers, while older workers can continue working at a pace and intensity that best suits them. IMPROVE WORKFORCE AND PROJECT OPTIMIZATION—THEY DESERVE IT!Ensure project management isn’t doing a disservice to construction workers: Solving the construction labor crisis isn’t just about having a larger number of workers. Businesses also need the right tools to enable their teams to perform at their best. Advanced project planning and procurement technologies will help construction businesses ensure they have the right equipment and materials ready at the right time, so their workers are able to do their jobs and also ensure workers and subcontractors are paid on time and for the right number of hours—fostering good working relations with construction teams.The first step is getting control of a construction business and ensuring project managers have accurate, real-time information about how their projects are performing. By integrating improved systems for project planning, procurement and execution, some IFS construction customers have reported an 18% productivity increase per user. It’s also important to have teams who are well-trained in the new technologies entering the industry. Having a highly skilled workforce in both new technologies and core trade skills is invaluable to optimize project delivery. In turn, construction businesses will be able to reap the benefits of true project optimization.Wake-up call to use technology to create cross-generational collaboration: Bridging the gap between different generations of construction workers means supporting older generations with more flexible working options and attracting younger generations with exciting tech options, but also providing both groups with the opportunities to upskill across the board. Technology promotes employee welfare and worksite safety, provides new skills, and improves job accessibility and flexibility while laying the foundation for new working models. There is something to be gained for everyone. CLOSING THOUGHTBut most importantly, this labor crisis is a wake-up call to encourage the collaboration between different generations through mentorship and training to help pass on experience and skills—from one generation to the next. www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202333about the authorKenny Ingram is vice president of construction and engineering at IFS. For more, visit www.ifs.com.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com34management solutionSector InsightsSector Insightsthe domino effect across industries variesEXPERT COMMENTARYBy Ben JohnstonGiven the current economic climate and the recent debt ceiling crisis avoided, what could happen in the commercial building/construction market? What do general contractors need to do to survive what could be another turbulent year or are there any signs of hope in 2023? According to top management at Kapitus, the following are expectations from now until year-end.FINANCING APPLICATIONSWe are seeing tightening across the banking sector since at least the spring of 2022, and this tightening accelerated after the failures of SVB and Signature bank. As banks have pulled back from extending credit to small businesses, we have seen an increase in quality applicants who are looking for additional growth capital and are unable to obtain the financing they need from the banking system.ECONOMYThe Federal reserve seems determined to slow the economy through additional rate hikes until inflation comes under control. As a result, we do expect the economy to continue to slow in the coming months and this slowing could place greater strain on the construction industry. Ultimately, we see the employment rate as the greatest indicator of demand in the construction industry. If unemployment begins to rise, demand for new housing and home renovations is likely to decline. BUSINESS LOAN INTEREST RATESThe cost of capital to small businesses has risen at a rate this is likely in-line with the rise in the Federal Reserve rate. This has been challenging for businesses which depend on regular financing as a core part of their regular operations. Businesses which consistently fund the purchase of inventory or raw materials are especially impacted. Higher cost of capital also makes the financing of certain new projects and expansion opportunities uneconomic, slowing overall growth. RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATEHigher interest rates are cooling the real estate market across the country, but we continue to see strong credit demand from contractors as a shortage of affordable housing, coupled with low unemployment rates, generate demand for new housing stock. In addition, higher interest rates mean that many homeowners are locked into lower rate mortgages and are choosing to stay in their home rather than selling and repurchasing in a higher rate market. As a result, many of these homeowners are looking to renovate existing housing stock, driving demand for contractors.While consumer savings has declined significantly from its post-pandemic high, higher earners have by in large maintained their savings while lower earnings have burned through much of theirs. With strong rates of employment across all income levels, consumer spending has remained elevated. This is especially true for high earners who have continued to invest in real estate and home improvement despite a higher interest rate environment. However, we do believe that the failure of SVB and Signature has made high-end consumers more cautious about the overall state of the economy and we would

not be surprised to see a further slowdown in high-end real estate purchases, especially if interest rates continue to rise.EXPECTATIONS FOR OTHER INDUSTRY MARKETSOverall, we believe the shortage in affordable housing across the country will drive demand for multi-family construction for years to come. However, we are more pessimistic about commercial office space which we expect to suffer in many major metropolitan areas as remote work becomes a permanent fixture in American life and many long-term corporate leases expire. All real estate markets will be susceptible to the negative effects of higher interest rates and constrained bank liquidity which may create significant volatility in real estate prices should another banking shock occur.CLOSING THOUGHTWe expect the remainder of 2023 to be volatile as Fed rate hikes continue to slow the economy while combatting inflation. We expect increased volatility in the capital markets which will translate into volatility in real estate prices. We do expect unemployment to rise but see higher unemployment disproportionately impacting the lowest wage earners who are already showing signs of weakness through higher credit delinquencies and reduced purchasing power. However, the high-end consumer will remain strong throughout the year, while being more price conscious and looking for bargain investment opportunities. High-end consumers will continue to build and invest in real estate but will be looking for price concessions and better overall terms as the cost of financing these projects continues to rise. www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202335about the authorBen Johnston is COO of Kapitus, a leading provider of financing for small and medium size businesses. For more about equipment financing and other services, visit www.kapitus.com. High-end consumers will continue to build and invest in real estate but will be looking for price concessions and better overall terms as the cost of financing these projects continues to rise.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com36management solutionThe construction industry has been under pressure for years on the labor front. There’s plenty of work to go around but the continuing shortage of skilled workers keeps it in a bind—one that’s only tightened with ongoing supply chain issues and inflationary pressure on costs. There’s no single solution to loosen the pressure, but the industry, which has long been dominated by men, could make one by creating a more welcoming environment for women. With the shortage of workers expected to reach about 500,000 in the next 2 years, especially as Baby Boomers among them retire, the time is now. The numbers tell the story. Women accounted for 12.5% of the construction workforce in 2016, which only increased to 14% by 2022. And nearly 75% of the women in the industry believe they’ve been passed over for advancement because of their gender. By turning that trend around, construction firms will be better able to weather the pressures of the current times and position themselves for the longer term. It’s not all that complicated. Putting five best practices into play will level the playing field, result in a more inclusive environment and give a boost to recruitment and retention initiatives. Here are top considerations: ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALLToo often, management thinks one size fits all for personal protective equipment (PPE). However, when female employees are forced to scramble to find the correct size work gloves and hard hats, it jeopardizes their personal safety and their ability to do the job effectively. There are PPE vendors that offer the right-sized PPE for women, but contractors often don’t have sufficient amounts in stock. Firms should make the effort to contract with such vendors and keep sufficient stock of PPE on hand to meet all employees’ needs. RETHINK UNSANITARY FACILITIESIn many cases, small jobsites may only have one portable unit that’s too often not maintained. Contaminated toilet seats are an issue, and forgoing use can lead to bladder and kidney infections. Improved toilet facilities with gender-designated units—as well as more facilities for larger jobsites—would be a major step forward. It’s also helpful to make their internal locking systems adequate and functioning, along with sufficient lighting around them for added protection at night. Another must-have: a regular toilet cleaning and sanitation schedule that’s strictly followed. CONSIDER ERGONOMICS IN ORDER TO AVOID WORKPLACE INJURIESOverall, ergonomic injuries such as musculoskeletal disorders and repetitive motion strains account for a third of all worker injuries, and women are two to five times more likely to suffer from one. Construction firms can offset the risk—to all their workers—by monitoring their workplaces, training people in body mechanics and instituting pre-shift stretching exercises.One of the greatest risks for women comes from using equipment not designed for their Closing the GapClosing the Gapopening doors for women in the construction industryWORKFORCEBy Ashley Henderson

body composition, compounded by personal risk factors such as personal fitness and medications. A safer environment results when employees are provided with tools designed for their anthropometry in terms of weight and handle sizes. Further, safe lifting limits should be instituted. And finally, adjustable equipment handles will help accommodate a woman’s lower center of gravity for pushing and pulling tasks. BE AWARE OF REPRODUCTIVE RISKSA construction site can host any number of issues that can affect a female worker’s reproductive health, from chemicals on the jobsite to dust or lead. Construction companies should post safety data sheets (SDS) listing any chemicals on site, to ensure everyone’s diligent about wearing appropriate PPE at all times to reduce the risk of exposure. Employers should take into account that remedial actions can be taken by the employees if they do not accommodate pregnant employees with doctor orders. CULTURE COUNTSEstablishing a workplace environment that is not merely safe, but also inclusive, is a big challenge for an industry as male dominated as construction has historically been. The lack of inclusivity has held the industry back in its urgent quest to attract and retain workers. Nearly 25% of women say they’ve often been sexually harassed on the job, leading half to leave or consider leaving the industry.It takes time to shift a culture, but there’s a payoff in recruitment and retention success. It involves formulating an employee value proposition that revolves around an environment that’s safe, takes into account mental health, and is free of harassment. Led from the top with an emphasis on an open system of communication between workers and managers, culture should be reinforced by regular training sessions on the values and their importance in the workplace. It should include a policy for investigating incidents of harassment or other concerns, and women should be made to feel comfortable reporting them. An inclusive environment also requires equitable compensation regardless of gender—an important consideration, as women construction managers are only paid 75 cents for each dollar paid to male managers. CLOSING THOUGHTThe reality is that construction firms that make themselves more inclusive for women will become more inclusive to all. The shortage of skilled workers is not going to fix itself. Not only will this shift fill a big employment gap, but it will give firms the added luster to prospective clients that they are forward thinking. www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202337about the authorAshley Henderson is an assistant vice president and senior risk consultant for global insurance brokerage Hub International. For more, visit www.hubinternational.com/industries/transportation-insurance.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com38management solutionIT SecurityIT Securitycombat rising costs with asset managementBEST PRACTICESPity the poor chief information security officer (CISO). On one hand, their needs are real: emergent cybersecurity threats are increasingly sophisticated and numerous. On the other hand, the cost of defending against these threats follows the same trajectory. Organization’s resources are finite, but not investing in the right technology or tactics could place the organization in the same inauspicious gallery as Hollywood Presbyterian, Riviera Beach, or Colonial Pipeline. Then again, what other value-add IT services should be cut? There is one group inside the department who is in a position to help: IT Asset Management (ITAM). Few CISO and cybersecurity professionals realize the “hand in glove” relationship ITSec and ITAM should have. In 2016, an article published in a technology research magazine insisted up to 30% of a corporation’s software budget could be cut by implementing a software asset management (SAM) program. The article identifies three best practice activities that must be performed to achieve this remarkable return:• Optimize Software Configurations: make sure to use the features and tools you pay for, and avoid paying for features and tools you do not use.• Recycle Software Licenses: remove unneeded software installations so the corresponding software license can be applied somewhere else.• Use SAM tools: invest in specialty license management systems that can accurately calculate complex software license rules and point out cost-saving opportunities.In many organizations, software-related expenditures make up a significant portion of the overall IT budget. Any reduction in that line item would fund a number of other projects, so IT Security needs to present a good case to justify redirecting some of those funds to them. Interdepartmental budget strategy sessions can be cutthroat, but most will respect the “Little Red Hen” rule: you only get the bread if you help with the baking. If our intrepid CISO is going to ask for a part of the savings ITAM can deliver, they need to demonstrate how their team, or tools, or data are actively helping in those three SAM practices. Most ITSec professionals are familiar with the ISO/IEC 27000 standards, which require an “asset inventory” to be made of the corporate computing environment. The trouble is, the methodology of ISO 27000 focuses on information security management and does not provide necessary details and data attributes for effective SAM. But, dig deeper into the supporting standards and you will find ISO/IEC 19770, which specifically addresses ITAM and SAM process requirements. Last updated in 2017, it contains a maturity model constructed of three tiers:• Tier 1: Trustworthy Data: knowing what you have so that you can manage it.• Tier 2: Life Cycle Integration: achieving greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness throughout the asset lifecycle (i.e., purchasing, inventorying, using, recovering, and disposing).• Tier 3: Optimization: achieving greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness across functional management areas.In typical fashion, the ISO/IEC standards do not describe how “trustworthy data” is obtained or derived, but do describe four processes where ITAM will find “trustworthy data”: • Change Management• Data Management• License Management • Security Management This makes sense; if IT Security is maintaining an asset inventory (as mandated by ISO 27000), why not harvest reliant parts of their data to build out an asset inventory for a SAM tool just like one prescribed in the aforementioned Gartner article!Is that enough, though, for a typical CISO to claim a portion of the ITAM savings for their own expenditures? Maybe not, but let’s consider the second cost-savings source from the Gartner article: recycling software licenses. Typical security vulnerability tools are licensed by either the software agents deployed and installed on objects discovered within the computing environment, or by total found objects discovered in a passive sweep of IP address ranges. Unfortunately, IT By Jeremy BoergerFigure 1 ITAM TiersTier 1Tier 2Tier 3OPTIMIZATIONAchieving greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness through functional focusLIFE CYCLE INTEGRATIONAchieving greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the IT asset life cycleTRUSTWORTHY DATAKnowing what you have so you can manage it

Security might not catch and remove retired, duplicated, or incorrect records from its own asset inventory lists. That, in turn, risks an over-count of needed licenses and an over-charge to IT Security’s budget. However, if IT Security partners with ITAM and purges recovered and disposed asset inventory records from its vulnerability tools, the overall total cost of ownership for IT Security’s tooling can be significantly reduced. And those savings will unarguably return to IT Security.ENGAGING ITAMThe final factor—optimizing software configurations—might seem like a stretch, but IT Security does have a say in the matter. Consider this example: while advising a client a few years ago, the IT Security department identified a number of high-risk security vulnerabilities in the corporate-standard PDF viewer. The CISO recommended removing the standard issued software outright before the next phishing attack successfully exploited the known bugs within the tool. The IT Service Support team resisted, arguing re-platforming to the IT Security recommendation would be too costly and could be rejected by the end-user community. The ITAM team stepped in, identified a comparable tool with more features than currently offered (satisfying the end-users), with a better vulnerability score (satisfying IT Security’s concerns), and at a total-cost-of-ownership of 60% less than the current PDF standard (more than covering the cost of deploying the new tool). The moral of the story: simply by engaging ITAM, the CISO was able to improve the security position of his organization without incurring any extra cost to his department nor the rest of the organization.CLOSING THOUGHTModern IT Security initiatives are necessary and expensive. Smart CISOs should always be on the lookout for cost-reduction and spend-justification opportunities. Both best business practice proponents and independent researchers identify the IT Asset Management team as a willing partner. By working together, ITAM and ITSec can improve the overall organization’s security position and simultaneously reduce the overall cost-of-ownership for IT. RESOURCES“Hollywood hospital pays $17,000 in bitcoin to hackers; FBI investigating”, 18Feb2016, Los Angeles Times“How Riviera Beach left the door wide open for hackers”, 21Jun2019, Palm Beach Post“Cybersecurity Attack Shuts Down a Top U.S. Gasoline Pipeline”, 8May2021, NPR"Cut Software Spending Safely With SAM”, 16Mar2016, Gartner ID: G00301780International Standard ISO/IEC 19770 — Information technology, asset management, Third edition 2017-12www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202339www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202339about the authorJeremy L. Boerger, the ITAM Coach, founded BOERGER CONSULTING with the idea of helping organizations “cut their software budget without buying less software.” He speaks professionally to pass along his 20+ years’ experience to the next generation of ITAM and SAM professionals. His book, “Rethinking Information Technology Asset Management,” is in paperback and ebooks. For more, visit www.boergerconsulting.com.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com40legal solutionMost contractors and subcontractors understand that the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) requires virtually all employers to maintain safe workplaces for their employees. In most instances, who is an “employer” and who is an “employee” are straightforward questions. But in the construction context, a longstanding OSHA rule known as the “multi-employer worksite” policy complicates the issue. This policy changes the basic requirement that an employer is only responsible for the safety of its own employees. Instead, on a “multi-employer worksite”—like a construction project with a general contractor, multiple subcontractors, and even the owner’s separate contractors all working together at the same time—one employer can be cited for a safety violation even if the employee exposed to the hazard worked for a different company. Several employers can be cited for the same single violation. For the multi-employer worksite policy to apply, the general contractor or subcontractor must fall into one of four employer categories created by OSHA—a “creating,” “exposing,” “correcting,” or “controlling” employer. An employer may fall into more than one category. The remainder of this article explains each category and offers some tips to avoid a citation under the multi-employer worksite policy. CREATING EMPLOYERA “creating” employer is the simplest of the four categories. A creating employer actually creates a hazard that violates a safety standard. This category reflects an employer’s basic obligation under OSHA—not to create hazards for its employees. It differs from the standard approach in that the creating employer need not have created the hazard for its own employees. If an employer on a multi-employer worksite creates a hazard to which the employees of another company are exposed, the employer can be cited. To avoid a citation as a creating employer, a contractor or subcontractor should adhere to all applicable safety regulations. EXPOSING EMPLOYERAn “exposing” employer is an employer whose employees were exposed to a hazard created by another employer. (If an exposing employer also created the hazard, it will be cited as a creating employer instead.) However, mere employee exposure to a hazard is not enough to warrant a citation. An exposing employer will only be cited if it had actual knowledge of the hazardous condition or did not use “reasonable diligence” to discover the condition and did not take steps within its authority to protect its own employees. If an exposing employer does not have authority to correct the violation, it must do three things to prevent a citation: (1) ask the employer creating the hazard to correct the condition; (2) inform its employees of the hazard; and (3) take reasonable alternative measures to protect its employees.To avoid a citation as an exposing employer, a contractor or subcontractor should be reasonably familiar with the condition of the area where its own employees are working. If the employer observes any violations, it should make a request in writing that the violation be corrected immediately and follow up to determine whether the request has been honored. The employer should also take reasonable alternative steps to protect its employees, such as suggesting they avoid the area where the hazard is located and document such instruction. CORRECTING EMPLOYERA correcting employer is an employer engaged in a “common undertaking” with an exposing employer and is responsible for correcting a hazard. Most often, a correcting employer is one responsible for installing or maintaining particular safety measures. For example, a carpenter hired to install and maintain safety guard rails in a building project could be a correcting employer, because its task focuses on meeting a safety standard. A correcting employer must take reasonable steps to prevent and discover safety violations and meet its obligation to correct the hazard. A correcting employer is not responsible if it could not reasonably have known about a violation. To avoid a citation as a correcting employer, a contractor or subcontractor hired to perform certain safety tasks should be reasonably diligent about inspecting its own work (such Multi-Employer Multi-Employer Worksite PolicyWorksite Policyan unpleasant safety surpriseOSHA RULEBy Luke J. Farley and Dixie T. Wells

as the guard rail example above) and making sure any deficiencies are corrected. CONTROLLING EMPLOYERA “controlling” employer is an employer with general supervisory authority over the worksite, including the power to correct safety violations itself or require others to correct them. An employer’s right of control can be based on the language of its contract with other employers working at the jobsite (for example, a subcontract giving the general contractor the right to direct a subcontractor’s work). A right of control can also be based on how two employers interact with each other on the job—whether one in practice controls the other. Often times, the general contractor on a project is deemed a “controlling” employer. A controlling employer must take reasonable steps to detect and prevent violations on the site. A controlling employer’s obligation to take reasonable steps is less than what is required of an employer when it comes to protecting its own employees. This means that the controlling employer is not normally required to inspect for hazards as frequently or have the same level of knowledge of the applicable standards or trade expertise as the employer it has hired.To avoid a citation as a controlling employer, a contractor should conduct periodic safety inspections and implement a system for promptly correcting hazards and enforcing safety requirements with a reporting system, graduated enforcement, and follow-up inspections. CLOSING THOUGHTFor many general contractors and subcontractors, it will come as a surprise that they could receive an OSHA citation even when someone else created the hazard or someone else’s employee is exposed to a hazard. But that risk exists under OSHA’s multi-employer worksite policy. Employers can minimize their risk under the policy by being aware of safety conditions at the jobsite and taking a reasonable, proactive approach to addressing violations, regardless of whether they created the condition. Disclaimer: This article is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202341about the authorsDixie T. Wells is a partner in the Greensboro, North Carolina, office of Ellis & Winters LLP. She represents clients in lawsuits involving engineering issues, higher education law, complex commercial transactions, and products liability. She is a member of the Construction Law and Litigation Committee of the International Association of Defense Counsel. She can be reached at dixie.wells@elliswinters.com.Luke J. Farley is a construction lawyer and partner in the Raleigh, North Carolina, office of Ellis & Winters LLP. His practice is devoted to contract disputes, mechanics’ liens, bond claims, and OSHA citations. He also assists clients with contract negotiation and project-level advice. He can be reached at luke.farley@elliswinters.com.

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JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com44technology solutionAMPShare AMPShare simplifying the jobsite for workers with a multi-brand 18V battery platformPOWERED BY BOSCHBosch Power Tools, with founding partners; FEIN and Rothenberger, launches AMPShare – Powered by Bosch, now available in the U.S. and Canada. This global multi-brand battery alliance advances these companies’ shared vision for battery efficiency, offering trade professionals the best and widest reaching 18V power system that’s compatible across brands, applications, and even countries. This launch expands on the previously launched AMPShare platform in the EU in 2022.“At Bosch, we remain committed to making hard work easier for professional workers by delivering quality products, offering full-system solutions and equipping a truly cordless jobsite,” says Robert Hesse, president and CEO of Robert Bosch Tool Corporation. “AMPShare is the creation of our common vision to create power efficiencies for workers, no matter the task at hand, and pushing industry technology forward. It’s a cordless system that professional workers can build on.” AMPShare – Powered by Bosch launches in the U.S. and Canada with founding partners; Bosch Power Tools NA, FEIN Power Tools US, and Rothenberger USA. In addition to these founding partners, 12 additional brands join the Alliance with products launching in 2023 and/or 2024: HONSEL, Ledlenser, Mato, Medmix Cox and MK, Orgapack and Signode, PerfectPro, Steinel, Bosch Rexroth Corp, Titan, and Wagner. THE BATTERY PLATFORMThe AMPShare battery is the current Bosch 18V battery that workers in the U.S. and Canada have relied on. The physical batteries have been updated to include the AMPShare branding. Alliance member brands are adopting this battery platform for selected tools, thus increasing the platform’s compatibility by allowing professionals to use the same powerful 18V battery platform with additional cordless tools.Through the AMPShare – Powered by Bosch alliance, the founding partners are setting industry standards built for workers. “As a leading manufacturer in our industry, our team at Rothenberger is proud to bring an expertise in joining, installing, and maintaining pipes to the AMPShare alliance,” says Kevin Rewerts, president and managing director at Rothenberger USA. “Focused on creating maximized value for our user through the quality of our products, AMPShare allows us to provide the best pipe tools, including batteries, with extended compatibility and leading technology to power a range of products.” For the team at FEIN, the AMPShare – Powered by Bosch alliance represents another milestone within its collaboration with Bosch

Power Tools, following the joint-creation of the Starlock universal mount system for oscillating multi-tools in 2016. “AMPShare is a natural evolution of our partnership with Bosch, with whom we share the drive to discover and elevate powerful solutions,” says Bill Craig, president of FEIN Power Tools U.S. “Through AMPShare, we can strengthen our lineup of cordless tools and reinforce our vision. We look forward to bringing that to users across the North American market throughout 2023.”FEATURES AND BENEFITSA battery platform to build on, the AMPShare – Powered by Bosch alliance aims to make the tough workday easier and promote a cordless jobsite. The AMPShare – Powered by Bosch battery system offers advantages including extensive compatibility, advanced battery design and fast charging to support workers across a variety of applications.• Compatibility: The AMPShare – Powered by Bosch batteries are compatible with select and newly launching tools in the multi-brand alliance, including the current and future Bosch 18V system. • Leading Battery Technology: Within the AMPShare System, a range of batteries with CORE18V technology delivers an optimal power-to-weight ratio, high-power performance, and COOLPACK 2.0 heat management technology for longer lifetime compared to AMPShare batteries without this technology.• Professional Expertise: Created by the expert brands in their respective fields, users can be confident in the AMPShare – Powered by Bosch system when used across applications. • Save Time, Money & Space: Leveraging AMPShare batteries across applications and tools allows users to save space in their toolbox, as well as time and money through fewer battery and charger purchases. The AMPShare branded battery platform will begin rolling into various retailers and distribution partners throughout the U.S. and Canada beginning in June. Current Bosch Power Tools batteries and AMPShare alliance products are compatible with the AMPShare battery, as well as future Bosch Power Tools products launched in 2023 and beyond. FEIN users will be able to use the AMPShare battery system on MULTIMASTER 500 and 700 oscillating multitools to start, with additional tools in various categories coming soon. Rothenberger will offer AMPShare compatibility on select battery-powered products including its press tool, bending tool, and vacuum pump in 2024. CLOSING THOUGHTPower tool users are encouraged to stay tuned for specific brand announcements on tool compatibility with the AMPShare platform from current alliance-member brands and those to join. www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202345for more informationFor more information on AMPShare – Powered by Bosch, visit boschtools.com/ampshare.CUTTING EDGE IMPALEMENT PROTECTIONCARNIE CAP is the most effective way to cap exposed rebar while keeping your workers safe and on the job.National OSHA Compliant • CAL-OSHA ApprovedPatent #5826398, 6073415ORDER TODAY!(888) 743-7725 www.carniecap.comWORKS IN HORIZONTAL, VERTICAL & INCLINATIONAPPLICATIONS✓ ASSEMBLE WITH 2X4 OR 2X6 LUMBER ALREADY ON SITE✓ SAFELY DISTRIBUTES WEIGHT ACROSS ENTIRE SYSTEM✓ NO MORE CAPPING EVERYREBAR!✓

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com46technology solutionBuzzing BuildersBuzzing Buildersresearch of honeycombs could lead to new building conceptsPURDUE UNIVERSITYPurdue University engineers and entomologists are making some sweet discoveries about how honeybees build and structure their honeycombs, which could lead to new fabrication techniques taken from the buzzing builders.4D RESEARCHNikhilesh Chawla, the Ransburg Professor of Materials Engineering at Purdue, is one of the first to utilize four-dimensional (4D) imaging to delve further into the complexities of the honeycomb. The imaging allows a time-lapse view of the bees’ work without cutting into their home.The innovative view of the bees’ construction found techniques that could eventually translate into new concepts for structural materials or additive manufacturing for the construction industry. Chawla says some of the junctions between the honeycomb cells were created using less material, with the resulting porous connections resembling Swiss cheese.“It’s a lesson in materials utilization that could lend itself to new ideas and practices in structures,” Chawla says. “Their honeycombs are still perfectly fine. From that perspective, humans may not actually need as much material in some areas that are not quite as important from a structural point of view.”Honeycombs are the self-built, multifunctional homes for honeybees, providing a place to store food and serving as a nursery for eggs and larvae in addition to shelter. Made from wax produced by the bees, the hexagonal cells are easily recognized.BIOMIMICRYChawla’s work shows how humans can draw important lessons from the plant and animal world in a discipline called biomimicry, which investigates naturally occurring materials and behaviors and draws inspiration to design new products, systems, and buildings. Chawla says there are aspects of honeycombs already used in several applications, from construction and structural materials to shoes.The Purdue research team is made up of Chawla; Brock Harpur, assistant professor of entomology in the College of Agriculture; and Rahul Franklin, a graduate research assistant in materials engineering. Their work was published in the journal Advanced Materials.Chawla says people don’t truly understand how bees make the honeycombs. For example, most theorize the honeycomb chambers start as cylinders and then are molded by the bees into the well-known hexagonal shape.But a sophisticated three-dimensional (3D) X-ray microscopy technique combined with a time lapse provided an unprecedented means of studying and quantifying the honeycomb’s microstructure.

HONEYCOMB STRUCTUREThe resulting 4D imaging showed chambers are built with panels. Research also found bees go to great lengths to strengthen the honeycomb structure by first creating a vertical spine for support and then building the hexagon cells out horizontally.“Over time, they continue to make the spine thicker because they understand there is more weight from the wax on it, and they need that backbone to be strong and rigid before they can add more and more of these cells growing outwardly,” Chawla says.Chawla’s overall research focuses on four-dimensional materials science. The approach—called tomography—uses nondestructive X-rays to add time as a fourth dimension to 3D measurements and analyses. The 4D approach is important in examining structural evolution, including deformation and corrosion that take place over time.Learning from honeybees is just the first step in the Purdue team’s biomimicry research. Successfully applying those lessons with tools like 3D printing is next. Chawla says there are plans to build honeycombs of different sizes and even different shapes and evaluate their durability with compression tests.CLOSING THOUGHTIn addition to honeybees, Chawla’s biomimicry research involves looking at the porous cellular structure of cacti and how fluids are moved up and down throughout the plant.“It's just a lot of fun to work with these kinds of natural materials because you just never know what you're going to find,” he says. www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202347for more informationPurdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last 5 years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. For more, visit www.purdue.edu.Studying the honeycomb structure is a lesson in materials utilization that could lend itself to new ideas and practices in structures for several industries, including construction.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com48safety solutionHand tools are crucial to the success of any project—and with a wide selection of hand tools available, finding the best tool for the job can be a simple process. However, neglecting to maintain your tools, or misusing them, poses serious health and safety problems.Unfortunately, for people who use their tools day in and day out, it becomes all too easy to work on auto-pilot mode, ignoring basic safety practices and becoming casual with the way these tools are handled. Proper tool inspection, use, and maintenance will help ensure your safety and assist you in completing the job on schedule. Therefore, we’ve outlined some hand tool safety tips for you to keep in mind before, during, and after your project.BEFORE THE PROJECTThere are some important steps to take before beginning every project. Selecting the best tool, performing an inspection and preparing your workspace will help you to work safely and efficiently.First, consider the shape, size, and handle of the tool. You should only use tools that are properly sized for the job and workspace. Close quarters with several workers require not only smaller hand tools, but also ones with better safety features.Next, inspect the tool for any defects. This might include an ill-fitted handle, a chipped hammer head, a worn screwdriver tip, mushroomed chisels, and more. If a damaged tool cannot be fixed by a professional, it will need to be replaced to prevent future injury. A damaged tool might cause broken pieces of the tool to chip, fly off the handle or shatter, among other concerns—potentially causing injury to you and any other people present.Additionally, ensure the tool is comfortable to hold and operate. A tool should maintain wrist stability and not require you to engage in any straining postures. Your tool should require minimal force to complete a task and should be easy to grip and use. Lastly, before beginning a project, ensure you are equipped with the required tools and that your workspace is clean and cleared of debris. Following these simple practices will help prevent damage to the tool and mitigate the risk of injury.DURING THE PROJECTOnce you are ready to begin the project, there are some other important safety tips to keep in mind.Tools MatterTools Mattersafety tips when using hand toolsBEST PRACTICESBy Paul Dean

Only use hand tools for what they were designed to do. While many people on the job will use a wrench as a hammer or a screwdriver as a pry bar when they’re in a pinch, this will ultimately put you, your project, and your team at risk.Ensure you are wearing all required protective equipment such as gloves, boots, hats, and goggles. Not doing this could put you at risk for injury, and you could also face a hefty fine if the site’s safety supervisor sees you without these items. Furthermore, all equipment should be well-fitted. Using a hand tool with an oversized glove, for example, could put one at risk for injury.If moving hand tools to and from a worksite, ensure you have invested in a high-quality, durable toolbox. While on the job, store hand tools in a secure, well-kept belt. The tool belt is one of those items that can diminish in quality over time without realizing it. A small hole or a few loose stitches can quickly result in the inability to properly hold tools. If carrying any sharp tools, ensure they are stored in a sheath or holster and not on your workbench to be dropped or otherwise misused.Additionally, while working on a ladder or at height, hand tools should be hoisted up and down using a bucket or bag. This prevents tools from slipping or falling and also ensures you are able to work without the weight of a belt.AFTER THE PROJECT Upon completing your project, there are still some important safety procedures to follow.First, ensure you are properly maintaining and storing hand tools to prevent further damage. Tools should be cleaned regularly and kept in a clean, dry place. Cover any sharp edges and point sharp hand tools away from the aisles. Ensure no tools hang over the edge of storage or work benches. Also make sure any storage cabinets or boxes with wheels are locked and stored.Finally, replace any tools that have been damaged. It’s important to note that even a small crack in a handle means it is due for replacement. Any tools that have been damaged should be tagged so that you or a colleague do not use them.CLOSING THOUGHTTaking the proper precautions before beginning a project, ensuring you adhere to safety practices while working, and properly cleaning and maintaining tools when finished will ensure you are able to complete any project efficiently and successfully. And using the above safety tips before, during, and after the job will help make sure you get the most out of your hand tools. www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202349about the authorPaul Dean is the vice president of operations at Gray Tools. He has more than 30 years of manufacturing and operations experience, helping thousands of professionals build and maintain their Gray and Dynamic tool collections for years of reliable use. For more, visit graytools.com.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com50maintenance solution1,241 Lane Miles1,241 Lane Mileshow to maintain the roads without breaking the bankTEMPE, ARIZONAA stitch in time saves nine. That 17th-century proverb sums up the City of Tempe, Arizona’s strategy for keeping its streets in the best possible shape without running into a budgetary dead end.“My biggest thing is pavement preservation—keeping the new streets good—because once they go bad, it’s very difficult to bring them back to the level that they need to be within budget,” says Ed Bond, the senior civil engineer who supervises the city’s pavement management.In fact, the city estimates that preservation is so much cheaper than major rehabilitation or replacement that it can maintain four to 10 times more streets than if fixing bad roads was the higher priority.Each street—most of which are asphalt—is assessed every 3 years using a specialized vehicle equipped with imaging technology and sensors that look for problems such as cracks and potholes. That information is used to assign a pavement quality index (PQI) score for each street in the city’s 1,241-lane-mile network, which equates to 532 centerline miles. Those scores are fed into Stantec’s RoadMatrix software to create deterioration curves for each segment, enabling Bond’s team to identify the ones that are good candidates for pavement preservation.FINDING THE RIGHT CRACK SEALERCrack sealing is a key part of Tempe’s preservation program. The city’s go-to sealers are Crafco’s PolyFlex hot-applied products designed for asphalt or Portland cement concrete pavements. Crafco PolyFlex comes in several types designed for different climates. They are designed to resist cracking in the winter temperatures and bleeding or tracking in the hot summer months. The exceptional performance of this sealant comes from the unique properties achieved with the combination of recycled rubber, polymer, process oils, viscosity modifiers, and select asphalts.Asphalt acts as the foundation and binder in the sealant, while process oils keep the asphalt “young” and prevent it from becoming brittle. Rubber provides flexibility and acts as a “sponge” that keeps the process oils in the mixture. Meanwhile, polymers add elasticity and recovery to compensate for thermal expansion and contraction. Viscosity modifiers are used to achieve the right resistance to flow, depending on the conditions. Crafco developed this technology over decades of experimentation and helped create the ASTM specifications used today. “The PolyFlex Type 3 is used on local/collectors, and Type 4 is used on arterials,” Bond says. “Type 4 can withstand higher temperatures and correlates with the extreme heat experienced on our busier arterial roadway system.” Both types are based on asphalt rather than reclaimed rubber, so they’re much more resistant to flow and pickup in very hot climates—a major plus in Tempe, where the average temperature is above 100 all summer. They also resist cracking in the winter temperatures, which can dip to freezing in Tempe.Bond says Tempe’s hot, dry weather leads to pavement deterioration like brittleness, which increases the likelihood of cracks. “Usually, it starts out with the initial transverse and longitudinal cracking. If we don’t crack seal it within the first 3 to 5 years, then eventually it turns into potholes.”Bond’s team particularly likes the way PolyFlex performs, especially after the first year.“Crafco is required to give us at least a one-year warranty for the full product,” Bond says. “After that, it’s on us to watch it. We’ve seen good performance even after the one-year initial application.”PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCETempe’s success with crack sealing has helped Tempe’s transportation department

get the funding it needs to maximize preventive maintenance.“We have the history of what’s been done; we’re able to use the software to predict where we’re going,” Bond says. “Then we can go to our budget office to say, ‘Based off of the allocations that we’ve been receiving, this is where we’re going, and this is what we would like to do going forward.’ It helps tremendously.”Crack sealing also helps the city meet the goals of its Tempe Accelerates program, whose initiatives include creating a safe and secure community, improving quality of life, achieving sustainable development, and more. For example, the Refresh Tempe initiative focuses on quality-of-life goals such as rehabilitating and maintaining roads.“Tempe’s pavement quality is a Council priority that has been identified for acceleration, allowing the city to reach its goal of a PQI of 70 by 2028, due to increased budgetary funding,” the city said in a September 2022 press release describing the 20 projects scheduled for fiscal year 2023.The city traditionally plans road improvement projects over a 5-year period, but Tempe Accelerates adds flexibility.“In the past, we would just get a standard amount of money on a yearly basis, and there wasn’t really much room for changing that because it was always a 5-year plan,” Bond says. “But Tempe Accelerates gave us the ability to ask for increases over and above what the standard budget amount was.“It has worked out great,” he says. “Besides the one year we went through COVID reductions, we’ve pretty much almost doubled our pavement budget amount on the yearly basis.”CLOSING THOUGHTAll of these benefits highlight the importance of having not only a diligent crack-sealing program, but also one that uses a high-quality, high-performance sealant. For Tempe, Crafco PolyFlex sealant has proven to be the ideal choice for ensuring that the city’s drivers can look forward to smooth roads. www.mcsmag.com JUNE 202351for more informationFor more, visit crafco.com.

JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com54modern construction products EDCTool OrganizerIntroducing the 1791 EDC Heavy Duty Easy-Slide with Large Flex Loop Tool Organizer for Large/XL multitools designed for tradesmen and everyday carry enthusiasts. Crafted from full-grain American leather, this versatile organizer securely holds all your essential tools and accessories. Experience unmatched convenience and efficiency with this stylish and durable tool pouch. Fits 1 LARGE / XL multitool, 1 large accessory & 1 small accessory. Multitool Pocket: Fits tools up to 1.8-inches wide. Accessory Sleeve: Fits accessories up to 1.2-inches wide with clips. Large Flex Loop: Fits accessories up to 1.2-inches in diameter. For more, visit 1791edc.com. PHILIPPI-HAGENBUCH Load Ejector System Philippi-Hagenbuch’s Load Ejector System allows the full-rated capacity with each load and reduce downtime with removing carryback. Load Ejectors are engineered to fit the make and model of any articulated or rigid frame off-highway haul truck. The overlapping jointed plate lattice design rests flat against the front slope and floor inside of the truck body. When the body is raised, the Load Ejector separates from the truck bed by gravity, removing material as it hangs vertically away from the body. This leaves an empty truck with its full capacity for the next load. For more, visit www.philsystems.com. CONTINENTALWorking LightsContinental introduces 16 new working lights as part of its NightViu Lighting Solutions line. NightViu LED Lights are built to withstand harsh conditions. NightViu Working Lights operate safely from -40°F to +190°F. They’re rated IP6K8/IP6K9K for resistance to impacts, dust, and high-pressure water. With a choice of ultra-wide, wide, flood, and spot beam patterns, NightViu Working Lights enable operators to spot obstacles and hazards around the entire jobsite. Each of the Working Lights beam patterns is offered in a choice of 1,500, 2,500, 3,500, and 4,500 lumen performance. For more, visit continental-aftermarket.com. IRONCRAFTForestry Disc Mulcher IronCraft, LLC relaunches its redesigned Forestry Disc Mulcher which quickly eradicates 6- to 14-inch diameter materials and standing or felled trees. A robust 60-inch fully machined disc includes 44 beaver teeth located on the top, bottom, and perimeter of the disc, with 5 additional beaver teeth located on the inside of the deck for even more mulching capacity. An angled throat design guides material into the mulching chamber to speed the shredding of brush. Available with either 150cc motor that requires 32-44 gpm of hydraulic flow, or 200cc motor that requires 45-60 gpm of hydraulic flow. For more, visit www.ironcraftco.com. BRASS KNUCKLE Cut-Resistant GlovesBrass Knuckle SmartCut™ BKCR2403 Cut-Resistant Gloves offer ANSI level A2 cut protection balanced with extreme dexterity for tasks calling for very fine motor skills. They’re perfect for the dual demands of automobile manufacture: ruggedness and tactile sensitivity. Application expertise is critical to delivering personal protection equipment that suits its function precisely. It’s not just about material thinness, but fit, feel, and functionality. It’s not just about grip, but the appropriate amount of grip. SmartCut™ BKCR2403 is an 18-gauge glove. A black polyurethane palm coating delivers reliable abrasion protection. For more, visit www.brassknuckleprotection.com. TRIMBLE Laser Scanning System Trimble announces the Trimble X9 3D laser scanning system. The X9 is built on Trimble’s proven laser scanning technologies, engineered to enhance performance in more environments while leveraging innovations such as Trimble X-Drive technology for automatic instrument calibration, survey-grade self-leveling, and laser pointer for georeferencing. Trimble X9 data can be delivered directly from Trimble Perspective or FieldLink software to Trimble’s office software, including Trimble Realworks™ 3D scanning software, Trimble Business Center office software, SketchUp and Tekla, or exported to industry-standard formats to produce application-specific deliverables. For more, visit geospatial.trimble.com/X9 or fieldtech.trimble.com/X9.

In pursuit of creating the safest and most technologically advanced industrial safety helmet, North American safety helmet innovator STUDSON recently introduced the SHK-1 Full-Brim ANSI Type II Safety Helmet, representing the first of its kind in the Type II safety helmet category.STYLED FOR PROTECTIONThe safety helmet is designed to prevent traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), featuring technologies to absorb impacts from fall-related injuries on any jobsite. It is the only full-brim safety helmet that complies with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z89.1 Type I and II safety standards, meaning it is designed to reduce force as a result of impacts to the front, back, sides, and the top of the head. Most existing hard hats are only Type I compliant, meaning they are only rated to protect the head from falling objects. “In the U.S. construction industry, 68% of TBIs are caused by work-related falls, yet traditional hard hat systems are only designed to protect against falling objects, leaving a significant safety gap that STUDSON addresses,” says Ryan Barnes, founder and CEO, STUDSON. “We developed the SHK-1 Full-Brim safety helmet as an extension of our leading SHK-1 safety helmet, to provide the industry with our safest helmet style yet, to better protect workers from the elements, offering more shade from the sun and redirecting rainfall away from the face and neck.” DESIGNED WITH TECHThe new SHK-1 Full-Brim safety helmet is designed in conjunction with existing safety technology from the SHK-1 helmet model, including Koroyd welded tube polymer for absorbing impact. The Koroyd material also improves heat dissipation and venting via its cellular-structure design in comparison to traditional EPS foam which helps combat heat stress. The embedded twICEme technology digitally integrates a wearer’s vital health data within the helmet. In the event of an emergency, that data is accessible via a smartphone NFC chip reader viewable through an SMS text message or the twICEme app for iOS or Android devices. “With STUDSON’s mission to continue to advance helmet safety for the jobsite, it felt natural to accompany them on this journey,” says Chris Ellerby, director of industrial safety, Koroyd. “We are excited to innovate together through the integration of the world’s most advanced impact technology, Koroyd, providing unrivaled helmet breathability within an ultralight form factor for the STUDSON SHK-1 Full-Brim safety helmet.” MARKET DISRUPTORFounded in 2019, STUDSON has quickly disrupted the hard hat safety market, now supplying tens of thousands of safety helmets to most of the largest commercial general contractors in the U.S For more information on the Full Brim Safety Helmet from STUDSON, visit studson.com. featured productFull Brim Safety Helmet to Protect Against Brain Injurywww.mcsmag.com JUNE 202355The SHK-1 Full-Brim Safety Helmet from STUDSON offers significantly improved head protection for those working in outdoor environments. RESOURCE“Fall Prevention Campaign”, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2020, www.osha.gov/stop-falls

punch•listHeadlineHeadlinedek lineHEADLINExxx By authorThe sixth book on your punch list is The Brand Mapping Strategy: Design, Build and Accelerate Your Brand. This book is designed to help you build a personal and business brand.WHY THIS BOOK?The online competition for attention and engagement has never been more intense. And the rapid rise of AI is exponentially increasing the tension, bringing things to a game-changing level. To stand out from the crowd and compete, leaders need to get their personal and business brands AI-ready. Leland explains that AI language models (such as the hyper-popular ChatGPT) rely on large datasets of text from the Internet to learn and generate responses. "You have to teach Google who you are and what your company is about—across the net," says Leland. "If you don't have online discoverability, credibility and relatability, you can't compete." PREPARING FOR AILeland explains that if you are looking to build thought leadership, do a capital raise, find investors, sell your company, entice potential employees or convert customers, not being on the radar becomes a huge opportunity cost. She recommends taking essential yet straightforward steps to prepare personal and business brands for AI. Stop Avoiding AI and Embrace Education and Experimentation. Educate yourself with the abundant online resources and experiment to see how it could work for your personal and business brands. Accept the Need to Create a Parallel CEO Brand. Many C-suite leaders believe they don't need to create a parallel brand. "What they fail to understand," says Leland, "is that they already have one. It is just a matter of if they want their brands to be by default or design." Consistently Create an Abundance of Online, High-Quality Content. AI models can better understand and generate contextually relevant and accurate responses as they become more advanced. If your content is visible on Google and considered an authoritative source, it is more likely to be referenced by AI models when generating answers to relevant queries. Take a Fresh Look at Your Target Audience. Knowing whom you are trying to reach and their concerns is critical in being AI-ready. AI itself can be a good source of gaining data and insights about what your target audience is now wanting and needing. This allows you to create brand messaging and content that resonates with them. Monitor Your Online Reputation Monthly. Keeping track of when you are mentioned online, by whom and what is said is necessary in today's wired world. A whole host of AI online reputation management tools can help you stay on top of your personal and business brands and allow you to address any issues sooner rather than later. CLOSING THOUGHTLeland says the bottom line is that ignoring the trend of AI and chatbots in business and personal branding is a significant mistake. Remember that even if you are not preparing your personal and business brands for AI—your competitors are. Cheers, JUNE 2023 www.mcsmag.com56The Brand Mapping Strategy: Design, Build and Accelerate Your BrandKAREN TIBER LELAND, AUTHORWelcome to punch•list, a new column for 2023. Each month I’ll be providing a book review in an effort to add good reads to your punch list for the year. for more informationKaren Tiber Leland is the founder of Sterling Marketing Group, a branding and marketing strategy and implementation firm specializing in personal, business and CEO branding. For more, visit www.karenleland.com. P•Lpunch•list | 0623