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MAY 2023 SELF LEVELING BOOM LIFT SAFER ACCESS TO RISK PLANNING PREPARE EARLY WORK AT HEIGHT SITE PREP PROTOCOL KNOW COSTS TAKEOFF TECHNOLOGY NEXT LEVEL BENEFITS WWW MCSMAG COM

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com4SMARTPM TECHNOLOGIES ADDS AUTOMATED NARRATIVE REPORTING TO PLATFORMGuest Post by Art Sesnovich5 BEST PRACTICES FOR DEMOLITION CONTRACTORSGuest Post by Emily Newton1640MAY 2023VOLUME 17 ISSUE 05Inside This Issue36special focusIN EVERY ISSUEIndustry News .............................. Modern Construction Products.......Punch List ....................................legal solutionDocumentation 101documenting the project matterssotware solutionAccurate Estimatesbenefits for takeoff technologyproject profileLevel Upself-leveling boom lift20PROJECTSproject profile A Ranch in the Worksautomation helps meet challenges in South Florida development projectON THE BLOGPoseidon Barge, Ltd. P10 BARGEChicago Decking floating a Manitowoc 2250 on the Poseidon P10 Barge Sections. The barges were used to construct the lower floors of thebuilding before tower cranes were installed. The project was started in 2018.poseidonbarge.com44technology solution Poor Site Prepattention to costs22equipment solutionUp and Runningextend generator runtime

PROJECT PROFILESA Ranch in the Works ........................................... 16Level Up .............................................................. 20EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONSUp and Running ................................................... 22Standardization Benefits ...................................... 24ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONSDecarbonizing the Industry: Part 1 of 4 .................. 26Indoor Air Quality ................................................. 28MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONSAge of Information: Part 4 of 4 .............................. 30Infrastructure Support .......................................... 32Neuroscience Principles ....................................... 34 SOFTWARE SOLUTIONSAccurate Estimates .............................................. 36Cloud Technology ................................................ 38LEGAL SOLUTIONDocumentation 101 ............................................. 40TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONSSoybean Oil ......................................................... 42Poor Site Prep...................................................... 44Risk Planning....................................................... 46AI Technology ...................................................... 48MAINTENANCE SOLUTIONRoad Repair ........................................................ 50SUBSCRIPTIONS 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 SolutionsPROJECTS IN HIGH GEARThis month’s issue focuses on projects, starting with a development project in South Florida utilizing Topcon MC-MAX, page 16. Moving dirt is part of the job for site prep. For productivity on rough terrain, the JLG self-leveling boom lift makes working at height safer, page 20. To extend generator runtime on jobsites, Western Global’s auxiliary fuel tanks meet the need, page 22. To learn about the key considerations to optimize trailer fleets, the article on page 24 offers insight from Talbert Manufacturing. From infrastructure support to offset the skilled labor shortage (page 32) to understanding how the brain works (page 34), the May issue provides informative content to tackle the projects that make America. Technology is making waves for accurate estimates (page 36) and cloud options for a sustainable IT infrastructure (page 38). Documenting the project is important from every vantage point; check out the legal article on page 40. Rounding out the issue of the topic of the monetary and human costs of poor site prep, page 44, and risk planning, page 46. All this and more, so enjoy the issue and add the next read to your punch list: The Business Playbook by Chris Ronzio.Cheers,Donna CampbellEditor in ChiefSAGAMI WAN, JAPAN (March 19, 2023) Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Jaela Price, from Birmingham, Alabama, signals to an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the "Golden Falcons" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12 prior to taking off from the flight deck of U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge. Blue Ridge is the oldest operational ship in the Navy and, as 7th Fleet command ship, routinely interacts and operates with Allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Trinity BenjaminThe Business Playbookpunch•list56

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com8industry newsMCANANY CONSTRUCTION REPAVES MORE THAN 500 MILES OF ROAD WITH INNOVATIVE PROCESSMcAnany Construction Inc., a third-generation family-owned construction company based in Kansas City, recently marked an important milestone in its revolutionary pavement resurfacing process. To date, the company has repaved 555 miles of road using the Ultrathin Bonded Asphalt Surface (UBAS) process, which provides a “coat of armor” for neighborhood streets and is unlike anything else currently available to municipalities.UBAS is nine times less expensive than complete road reconstruction and a third more cost-effective than the traditional “mill and fill” resurfacing method. UBAS removes just ½-inch of existing roads to maintain the pavement’s integrity. UBAS was already being used to resurface arterial streets, but McAnany is the first to employ UBAS on residential streets, using specialized equipment designed to navigate narrower roads. The innovative UBAS application also combines steps, spraying emulsion while laying hot mix asphalt simultaneously. The result is a durable yet flexible surface drivers can use almost immediately. For more, visit mcananyconstruction.com.HOLCIM US ELEVATES SUSTAINABILITY IN COLORADO WITH ROLLOUT OF ECOPACT™ LOW-CARBON CONCRETE Decarbonizing the nation’s ever-expanding urban built environment to stabilize global warming and the impact of population growth is more urgent than ever. The state of Colorado is pursuing one of the nation’s most ambitious climate action plans, working toward reduced emission targets of 50% by 2030 and 90% by 2050. To help the construction industry meet these evolving standards, Holcim US is expanding its innovative ECOPact low-carbon concrete to the fast-growing Colorado Springs, Denver and Pueblo markets. ECOPact reduces the embodied carbon of concrete building materials from 30% to 90%, compared with standard concrete, and its global warming potential (GWP) is verified in an environmental product declaration (EPD). For more, visit www.holcim.us/ecopact.INEIGHT’S INNOVATIONS ENABLE UNMATCHED CONSTRUCTION VISIBILITYInEight Inc., a global leader in construction capital project management software, announces new innovations that further realize its strategy of connecting 16 essential project controls business processes on a single, integrated platform. The new capabilities provide visibility across all construction project phases with live, “self-service” dashboards spanning scope, cost and schedule, providing the data foundation for AI to learn from past projects.The new innovations include a significant expansion of InEight Explore: live digital dashboards that provide full-spectrum visibility into project progress, costs and schedules, and changes and risks across entire projects and portfolios. Because the InEight dashboards are powered by embedded Microsoft Power BI, teams can easily define their own project specific KPIs,

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MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com10industry newsmetrics and dashboards, with no database or programming knowledge required. This unique, self-service approach to dashboards and project analytics is a key ingredient in the elevated visibility and collaboration enabled through the InEight platform. For more, visit ineight.com.TAKEUCHI DONATES ENGINES TO DIESEL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AT ATHENS (GA) TECHNICAL COLLEGEStudents enrolled in the Diesel Equipment Technology program at Athens (GA) Technical College will soon be able to learn their trade by working with real-life excavator engines courtesy of Takeuchi-US. The compact equipment manufacturer has donated four diesel engines worth approximately $66,000 to the school as part of its “Takeuchi Gives” philanthropic program. “We’ve been coming up with new ways to support our local communities,” says Rick MacLeish, national parts manager for Takeuchi-US. “Donating diesel engines to Athens Tech will help students gain valuable hands-on experience they can take into their careers. Our local economy also benefits with the addition of more skilled workers that Takeuchi and other businesses can employ in the future.”Graduates of Athens Tech’s Diesel Equipment Technology program can launch careers in fields like equipment repair, over-the-road logistics, parts and supply and customer service. Industries that employ the most diesel service technicians include truck transportation, government, repair and maintenance, motor vehicles, and manufacturing.Takeuchi’s donation includes two Yanmar and two Isuzu diesel engines typically installed in some of its compact excavator models. These engines will be placed in Athens Tech’s service shop labs where students learn diesel engine maintenance and how to use various tools like pneumatic wrenches, welding and flame-cutting equipment and jacks and hoists. The students are also trained on computerized testing equipment used to pinpoint and analyze malfunctions in electrical systems and engines. For more, visit www.takeuchi-us.com. TELETRAC NAVMAN STUDY FINDS THAT TELEMATICS CUT FUEL COSTS BY 40% FOR CONSTRUCTION FLEETSTeletrac Navman, a global leader in telematics technology, launches the results of its TS23 Telematics Survey that captured the thoughts of over 500 construction fleet professionals across the globe to understand the toughest challenges they are facing and how they plan to adapt in 2023.The survey found that vehicle and equipment maintenance are a major expense across construction fleets, with 44% of operators saying it is one of their largest areas of expense, ranking it above the purchase of new equipment, including vehicles, fuel, and payroll. With increasing pressure on the supply chain, maintenance teams are faced with inflated costs for parts and extended periods of downtime.Construction fleet operators are using telematics technology to help reduce these costs while also improving safety. 97% of telematics users have seen a reduction in fuel cost of up to 40% after implementing telematics.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com12industry news95% have seen fewer accidents because of their telematics solution with 94% using driver performance benchmarking to improve safety.Further, 45% of respondents report the most significant benefit of their telematics program was improved customer service. With the ability to effectively manage resources across jobsites, management teams can keep projects on schedule without their budgets slipping. For more, visit www.teletracnavman.com.FLEETWATCHER’S NEW DYNAMIC YIELD CALCULATOR SLASHES WASTE FleetWatcher introduces its Dynamic Yield Calculator (DYC) which automatically determines mat thickness and project yield, enhancing efficiency and slashing waste. This new functionality accounts for materials on hand and en-route, paver speed, and more, and integrates it with data from the scale tickets, KPIs, and other project information to determine when the project will be completed, and how much material is needed to do so. Variables such as material density, width, and length can be adjusted to reflect actual project parameters. With this new functionality, contractors can control mat thickness to ensure that they are not applying more (or less) materials than specified; and they will know exactly how much material is required to finish the project, so they can avoid ordering more material than required for completion. In addition to more accurate “last batch” ordering, DYC allows contractors to avoid keeping the asphalt plant operating in case extra materials are needed to finish. These costs avoided can add up quickly and enhance the project’s bottom line. In addition to Dynamic Yield Calculator, FleetWatcher has integrated with the most popular software programs, and continues to do so, allowing contractors to use their data to run their business more efficiently and more profitably. Earthwave Technologies manufactures construction-specific wireless telematic products which provide complete visibility to all components used within the process. Its industry leading FleetWatcher Materials Management Solution (MMS) is being used by asphalt paving contractors across the US. For more, visit www.fleetwatcher.com. CASE ENHANCES SITEWATCH TELEMATICS PLATFORM WITH NEW DASHBOARD AND SIMPLE NAVIGATION CASE Construction Equipment launched the next generation of its SiteWatch telematics platform in April 2020 with an all-new dashboard, more intuitive navigation, and new overview sections that spotlight critical information without requiring the user to search extensively for the data. CASE SiteWatch comes standard for 3 years on all CASE heavy equipment with ProCare, standard on all CASE backhoes, and is available as an aftermarket installation kit throughout the entire CASE equipment line. SiteWatch complies with the AEMP 2.0 telematics standard. Contact your local CASE dealer for more details, or visit casece.com/sitewatch for more information.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com16project profileFlorida is all about the master planned community. From its numerous Del Webb developments to Jimmy Buffet’s Latitude Margaritaville sites to the nearly 85,000 residents, three zip code-large grandaddy of them all, The Villages, MPCs are driving Florida’s non-stop growth. Tough as it might seem for a new development to establish an identity in this tough market, Babcock Ranch, located just outside Ft. Myers, Florida, is betting that its residents want more, rather than “more of the same.” To that end, they are making every home certifiably “Green” in terms of energy-efficiency; making fiber optic-based, gigabit-plus broadband service available to all residents; and, most importantly, laying claim to the distinction of being the nation’s first large-scale, net-zero, solar-powered, community, made possible by an adjacent 870-acre solar farm operated by Florida Power & Light. It’s only fitting then, that the contractor tasked with creating the lakes and preparing the site for that cutting-edge development should, itself, be progressive in its approach to its work. Drawing upon a wealth of the latest GNSS-based solutions, Mitchell & Stark Construction (MSC) is transforming previously undeveloped acreage into the community of tomorrow using a smaller—yet far more efficient—workforce than ever, helping set the stage for Babcock Ranch to become The Sunshine State’s preeminent new community. Now that’s a master plan!ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGEEstablished in south-central Indiana in 1955, MSC saw an opportunity for serious growth in the southern U.S. and in 1981 established a branch in Naples, Florida. Today, the company employs more than 200 company-wide and is recognized in both geographic areas as the go-to source for quality work, even when facing tough challenges. And, as MSC’s project manager, Chris Anderson (and anyone working today) will attest, challenges currently abound.“There’s no sidestepping the fact that, as it is for everyone else, many supply chain issues are hitting us hard,” he says. “The lead time on brass needed for utility work, which used to be a month, can now be as long as 6 to 8 months. Concrete for curbs and reinforced concrete pipe, normally products that are easy to obtain, are tough to get, forcing us to order a couple months out. In addition, the cost of standard 2,000-3,000 psi ready mix concrete, has gone up 30% in the last 6 months.”He adds that the cloud of uncertainty hanging over the industry is causing some developers to re-think plans for how much they want to build, how many phases, what facets of the job to begin, etc. “It's an interesting time; we’ve really had to make adjustments.”A CONTROL ISSUEThe situation Anderson describes is complicated even further by the ongoing lack of new blood—particularly equipment operators—entering the industry. To deal with that, MSC has been aggressive in embracing technology designed to maximize the effectiveness of their existing workforce. Proof of that effort is evident in the GNSS antennas on more than a dozen excavators and dozers successfully working every facet of the job at Babcock Ranch.A Ranch in the WorksA Ranch in the Worksautomation helps meet challenges in South Florida development projectTOPCON MC-MAXBy Larry Trojak

www.mcsmag.com MAY 202317“We have a range of machine control solutions at work throughout the site—everything from indicate-only units to the latest, fully automatic systems,” says Anderson. “While we’ve embraced the speed, efficiency, and accuracy of GPS machine control for years, in Topcon MC-Max, the latest automated excavator and dozer solution, we are quickly discovering what could be its most valuable trait: the ability to essentially stretch our workforce. And it could not be more timely.”Part of the recently announced MC-X machine control platform from Topcon, the system which Anderson cites, MC-Max, offers increased processing power, speed and accuracy. Modular in design, it can be installed on a full range of dozers and excavators, using the same basic components. The redesigned user and product interfaces—developed from both real-world applications and customer feedback—provide a simplified experience dramatically shortening the demanding learning curve common to other systems.BEST AUGMENTATION Adding MC-Max to their operation at Babcock Ranch—MSC currently has four fully automated excavators and 12 dozers at work there—has proven valuable as a means to augment the skill set of their operators. “Starting a number of years back, there was a generational change that occurred in our workforce,” he says. “We had a sizeable number of operators who came of age in the early ‘90s and gained experience through the ‘90s and 2000s, people who are adept at operating and didn’t need the feedback of an indicate system or an automatic one. But the downturn that occurred between 2007 and 2014 slowed the influx of people coming into this industry. By the end of the 2010s, those veteran operators started aging out and retiring—and we were seeing a hefty skill set disappear”To counter that loss of expertise, MSC looked skyward and saw the benefit GNSS technology could provide to a new, different-thinking workforce.“This new generation of operators grew up on XBox and PlayStation and is comfortable with that environment—they understand it better than anyone before,” Anderson says. “So they grasp new technology and embrace it quickly. As a result, the Topcon MC-Max solution is taking a person who has a couple years’ experience and quickly making it possible for them to perform complex tasks. For us it is a force multiplier: instead of having two or three operators at Babcock Ranch who can finish slopes, we now have five, so we are able to increase throughput with the same size workforce. That’s been huge for us.”KEEPING IT MOVINGFor MSC, the benefits provided by the equipment running under the MC-X platform extend to the logistics and planning facets of the Babcock Ranch job as well. And those parts of the job are key, given that roughly 3,000 cubic yards of earth are being moved daily and more than 4 million cubic yards will have been moved in the next 12 months. A good example of that, says Anderson, is an ability to use their newfound talent pool to maximize efficiency and productivity.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com18project profile“Within our operator ranks, we have some who are experts at quickly moving a lot of dirt, essentially our bread-and-butter operation,” he says. ”Yet there are also instances when we need specialized work done—making key cuts in a pond, for example. In the past, we would have been forced to use that better, high-volume operator to do the specialty work. Now, thanks to the automated capabilities, we can allocate those jobs to other operators and keep the mass-ex portion in motion. Simply put, by leveraging the tools available to us through this force multiplier, we can keep our most expensive people productive.”In one of the most challenging facets of the Babcock Ranch project, constructing a lake slope to pre-defined specs, the inherent strength of the MC-Max system shines through. Authorities in the development’s jurisdiction prescribe a specific slope and make permit approval contingent on accurately creating that slope. “When having to excavate the lake in a dry condition, you need an experienced operator and ultimately a bulldozer to finalize the slope,” says Anderson. “Here, using an automatic excavator, we are able to utilize a less experienced operator and accomplish the same task. Similarly, when we are unable to de-water a lake, the system allows the operator to understand where the bucket is in relation to the prescribed slope. Again, the automated solution enables a less-experienced operator to function as a far more experienced one. That’s been invaluable to us.”SURVEY SAYS …The reduced numbers of skilled people entering the construction realm extends well beyond MSC’s doorstep. As a previously heavy user of surveyors for staking their underground utility projects as well as earthwork and roadway work, Anderson has seen the impact the shortage of well-trained surveyors can have on MSC’s overall productivity.“Now, because of the dramatically reduced need for staking on our projects, we have reduced that surveyor’s workload by roughly one-third,” he says. “We will always have stakes at the very end to make sure everything is as it should be—we call it our ‘sanity check.’ But being able to free up that surveyor’s time has already saved us on multiple occasions, including being able to keep a scheduled concrete pour. So, even though surveyors are understaffed, a better allocation of their time made possible by automation is allowing them to keep up.”Although the supply chain issues mentioned earlier are real and impactful to any operation, Anderson is quick to add that the supplier for both their Topcon and John Deere equipment, the Ft. Myers branch of Dobbs Equipment, has been outstanding in staving off any such interruptions for them. “We have had no stockouts up to this point; we’ve not run into an instance when one of our GPS systems was down due to lack of a part,” he says. “And Dobbs has capitalized on using technologies such as FaceTime and GoogleDuo to help troubleshoot any issues that might arise. They’ve been good for us.”A FITTING ARRANGEMENTAnderson sees the company’s commitment to machine control technology continuing to grow along with the company itself, citing it as one of the keys to their success in these challenging times.“The new automated solution is another means of ensuring that the overall throughput of our system for building homes is maintained, even though we are being buffeted by all these exogenous shocks,” he says. “With MC-Max and the full complement of Topcon solutions we employ, we’ve been able to keep production levels up to where they were when we had far more people—with much more experience—on staff than we do now.”CLOSING THOUGHT“When it’s complete, this is going to be an amazing community—the first of its kind and probably a model for others to follow. How appropriate that we drew upon the latest technology to help make it happen.” about the authorLarry Trojak is president of Trojak Communications, a Minnesota-based marketing communications firm. He has written for the construction, recycling, demolition, scrap, and aggregate processing industries. For more about Topcon’s MC-Max, visit topconpositioning.com.

www.mcsmag.comMAY 202320project profileLevel UpLevel UpPRODUCTIVITYFrom the first time Skanska heard about JLG’s new self-leveling boom lift, they were all in.Tragedies in the industry had led Skanska to believe there must be a better way to work at height on uneven ground. Here was their answer.The JLG® 670SJ boom lift uses a fully integrated, smart adapting steel chassis with self-leveling technology to automatically adapt to terrain on slopes up to 10 degrees in any direction. This means the 670SJ can more easily navigate rough jobsite terrain while the platform is elevated with full machine functionality, and it reduces the need for cribbing or pre-grading the pad in order for it to get to work.Contractors like Skanska, say technology like this lowers the risks of tip-overs, makes operators more comfortable while traveling at height, improves access with its ability to get closer to the work area, and saves production time spent leveling the site before work can begin. A BETTER, SAFER POSITIONIt was 2017 when Mason Ford, director of sustainability and equipment services for Skanska, met with the JLG team about the self-leveling chassis, at that time only a concept.“We have been a supporter of it since the moment we heard they were building it,” Ford says. Once ready for the field, Skanska put the 670SJ to work on the Lynnwood Link L300 project in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, a nearly 4-mile raised extension of the Sound Transit rail line outside of Seattle. Skanska USA, headquartered in New York City, New York, is the sole contractor for the project. Ford says it was the perfect test case for the self-leveling boom lift, because of the site’s unprepared surfaces located where they needed to access girders for the line. Normally for that type of work, Skanska would use a 60-foot boom lift only after a significant amount of grading, which can take 2 to 3 hours.This means extra machines are basically doing unproductive work, since the pad would need to be graded out once the boom lift’s portion is completed.“It would also involve cribbing and blocking,” Ford says. “Even more so, it would mean slower project transitions and production, because to do a lot of the work, the operator would have to boom down, move the lift on an uneven surface to get to the next prepared work surface, and then raise back up and stretch back out to do the work.”On top of this, the creation of the pad in congested areas may prevent other equipment from accessing the site. “It's more than time and direct cost—it's whether you even have the opportunity to make that footprint available,” he says. “There are even cases where instead of using the 60-foot boom lift, we'd have to go to an 80-foot because we need more reach to access the area.”But none of these challenges are concerns for the 670SJ. With four independent control arms instead of a solid oscillating axle in the front and a fixed axle in the rear like with traditional boom lifts, each wheel is attached to an arm that separately adjusts as sensing technology recognizes uneven ground.self-leveling boom lit used to access work at height on uneven terrain By Sara Vincent

Another benefit is that it provides operators with a smoother, safer ride as they travel on the site. In a traditional boom lift, it doesn’t take much for operators or objects to bounce around when you’re at height—even pebbles on the ground can have an impact when elevated. “The self-leveling chassis absorbs changes in the surface that you’re working on,” Ford says. “It provides a safe experience for that person who's in the platform.”Skanska has also used the 670SJs on the Hunts Point Peninsula interchange project in New York City and on the State Route 60 road widening project in hilly Southern California. After initially putting several models to work, Skanska now owns them, and Ford says they’ve become an essential part of their fleet. “For us heavy civil contractors that work in dynamic conditions with varying slopes and varying terrains, the 670SJ is important,” Ford says.SAVING TIME, MONEY All that the crews requested for a Maine substation project was a 60-foot straight boom lift. When they tried the 670SJ, it exceeded their expectations, says Jeremy Moody, assistant project superintendent for Cianbro.The contractor, headquartered in Pittsfield, Maine, used the 670SJ to install switches and above-grade electrical components as part of the Bowman Street substation expansion in Farmingdale. Cianbro handled the earthwork, concrete foundations, steel erection, and electrical work for the project. It was the time- and cost-saving capabilities of the 670SJ that made the most impact, says Chad Burgess, dispatch supervisor for Cianbro.“The amount of time this self-leveling feature saves is a huge asset to any fleet,” Burgess says. “Typically, if we need a lift on the back of an elevated site, we would need to have earthmoving equipment, such as—but not limited to—excavators, dump trucks, skid steers, or even rollers.”He found that in most cases, the 670SJ curbs the renting or reassigning of additional equipment on the site for grading.“This saves on permits, hiring trucks, the number of operators with special licenses, and countless other cost savings,” Burgess says.As a result, it can radically change equipment planning and selection, as well as project timelines, he says.“They liked that when traveling, the platform wasn’t moving around,” Moody says. CLOSING THOUGHT“Companies performing work in cities where one side of the machine needs to be on a sidewalk would also benefit from a self-leveling unit,” finishes Burgess. “The cost savings to the job are endless.” www.mcsmag.com MAY 202321about the authorSara Vincent is the director of marketing with JLG. For more, visit jlg.com.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com22equipment solutionEnsuring generator fuel levels are in check can be a challenge when they are constantly running. Most generators contain internal tanks with enough fuel to power the machine for 24 hours, so someone must be tasked with regularly monitoring the fuel level and then refilling the tank at least daily. Though it may not sound like a lot, this can add up to considerable lost time and revenue over the duration of a job. Falling behind on fuel monitoring can lead to surprise downtime for refueling or worse—the unit running entirely dry.Opting for an external fuel tank with a direct connection to the generator provides for a simple, time-saving solution to keep generators going. An auxiliary fuel tank can extend a generator’s runtime from 24 hours up to a week, leading to considerable time and cost savings. It’s important, however, to consider several crucial factors to get the most out of an auxiliary fuel tank. CHOOSING THE TANK SIZEAuxiliary fuel tanks range in capacity from less than 150 gallons to ISO-container-sized tanks that hold upward of 25,000 gallons. To determine the capacity best suited to a jobsite, account for the equipment the tank will fuel and determine how often a fuel truck will stop by. For example, a 100-kilowatt generator burns about six gph at a three-quarter load, or 144 gallons per day. If a tank will fuel a couple of these generators around the clock, a 2,100-gallon tank allows for about 7 days between fuel deliveries.Some on-site fuel tanks can supply up to three pieces of equipment at the same time, providing the ability to refuel haul trucks, excavators and other jobsite equipment while extending the generator’s runtime. It’s important to include fuel needs for this additional equipment when calculating the tank’s capacity.Even in situations where the auxiliary tank is not much larger than the generator’s onboard tank, connecting the generator to the auxiliary supply means there is always an emergency reserve of fuel. If something were to interrupt the fuel supply—a late delivery or the equipment being overlooked during a fuel drop—the contractor can simply flip the three-way fuel valve on the generator and switch over to the other fuel tank, providing 12 to 24 hours of additional runtime. Without this redundancy, a generator is always in a situation where it is merely hours from running out of fuel. TRANSPORTABILITY NEEDSContractors should determine whether the generator is stationary or if it will move around the jobsite. Look for fuel tanks that offer more options for maneuverability, such as forklift pockets, to ensure the tank can quickly and easily be relocated along with the generator. Some transportable fuel tanks even offer the ability to be mounted to a trailer or hauled in the back of a truck for easy transportability around the jobsite or over the highway for on-the-go fuel delivery where needed.Transportable fuel tanks can also improve fuel efficiency on jobsites since they don’t need to be drained and restocked with fuel with each move. Additionally, tanks with double-walled containment eliminate the setup time required with a secondary containment pan. So as generators move around the work zone, the transportable fuel tanks can follow each step of the way without the time and expense required to move a traditional fuel tank.ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDSIt’s a given that fuel tanks need to meet environmental standards, but some do so in ways that expend less time and money. Choosing a tank with built-in 110% containment eliminates the need for secondary containment pans, which not only require a time-consuming setup process but are also a nuisance and an additional expense to clean. Double-walled units with removable Up and Running Up and Running extend generator runtime with an auxiliary fuel tankJOBSITE POWER By Jeff LoweTo simplify compliance with Tier 4 Final engine requirements, consider adding an on-site diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) storage tank.

inner tanks further reduce cleaning time by making it easy for workers to thoroughly clean a tank following a contained spill. Additionally, contractors should consider adding an on-site diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) storage tank to simplify compliance with Tier 4 Final engine requirements. Some manufacturers offer DEF solutions that provide bulk storage—either as a standalone tank or mounted to the top of a fuel tank—to conveniently store DEF in quantities that will maintain the proportional relationship of about 10% of DEF per gallon of diesel. For stationary equipment like generators, some of today’s solutions feature an innovative system that monitors the level of DEF in the equipment and automatically replenishes the fluid as needed. These systems bring the same benefits of an auxiliary fuel supply so neither fluid needs frequent monitoring and refilling.MITIGATING THEFTFuel is a significant expense, so preventing theft is a critical factor for an on-site fuel supply. Next-generation transportable fuel tanks keep ports and pumps inside a secure cabinet. These cabinets contain card-lock dispense controls that only allow authorized individuals to access the fuel for an additional level of security. For added peace of mind, consider a fuel tank that is equipped with a remote monitoring system to track the fuel supply and receive alerts. This helps managers track fuel levels without constantly traveling to the generator, and to become aware of any sudden changes or drops in the fuel supply. CLOSING THOUGHTAdding on-site fuel storage to a jobsite provides benefits across the board. The same solutions that extend generator runtimes can also boost efficiency and cost savings for the jobsite’s entire fleet when all factors are brought into consideration. Pairing the right fuel and fluid storage solutions with the jobsite can go to great lengths in keeping the operation up and running efficiently. www.mcsmag.com MAY 202323about the authorJeff Lowe is vice president, product marketing with Western Global, a global designer and manufacturer of industry-leading tanks and equipment for fuel storage. Building on a legacy that spans five decades, Western Global offers a wide range of solutions for the safe transportation and storage of fuel. They have been serving the rental industry throughout all of these decades. Because every application is unique in its operational storage needs, Western Global engineers industry-specific solutions to ensure success in a variety of business endeavors. For more, visit www.western-global.com.Auxiliary fuel tanks provide a time-saving, simple solution to extend generator runtime.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com24equipment solutionStandardization BenefitsStandardization Benefitskey considerations to optimize trailer leetsOPTIMIZATIONFor fleet owners looking to standardize their operation, selecting a trailer manufacturer might feel more like picking a favorite sports team than a strategic move to maximize hauling equipment investments. To some extent, it is. Teams with dedicated fans play smart and deliver results year after year. Similarly, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who inspire “die-hard” customer loyalty have a proven track record for durable, high-quality products. For savvy fleet owners, who base decisions on spec more than brand, these manufacturers also provide diverse product lines and exceptional customer service that make it easy to jump on the bandwagon. But how do you pick the right team for your operation? Some equipment needs might be immediate, but the real value of standardization lies in a long-term partnership. Unlike sports affiliation, standardization can significantly impact efficiency and profits for 10, 20, or even 50 years down the road. Fleet owners should carefully weigh their options before making a decision. Not every manufacturer has what it takes to become a dynasty, so to speak, and no amount of rally caps can turn around a poor investment. Here are four key stats to consider for optimizing trailer fleet standardization. DIVERSE PRODUCT LINEConsider this: A sports franchise with a deep roster of high-quality players has a better chance of making it to the championship year after year. The same is true when it comes to equipment standardization. A manufacturer with a diverse product line provides flexibility to meet an operation’s unique needs—both now and in the future—maximizing earning opportunities while limiting equipment investments.Interchangeability is perhaps the most obvious benefit of standardization. Accessories such as axle attachments, axle extensions, deck inserts, or jeeps are often designed to pair with a specific manufacturer’s line of trailers. Purchasing accessories for each individual trailer results in unnecessary expenditures and a lot of equipment lying around the yard. Working with a single manufacturer, on the other hand, means operators can limit accessory investment without limiting potential through proper planning.For example, an operation might have two lowboys—a 55-ton and a 60-ton—they’d like to run with a fourth axle. It’s important to note that these trailers must be designed to accept a fourth axle from the very beginning, which is why thinking ahead is important. Simply adding another axle onto a trailer that wasn’t designed for it does not increase capacity—and doing so can lead to stress and premature failure. However, if the trailers were designed by the same manufacturer and can each accept a fourth axle, the operator only needs to purchase a single axle attachment to optimize capacity on both trailers. This represents a significant savings.Standardization can also streamline processes in the maintenance bay. Stocking common components and wear parts for a single brand minimizes the investment and necessary storage space, since manufacturers will often use the same wearables throughout their product line. CUSTOM ENGINEERINGIn addition to a diverse product line, OEMs that offer custom engineering can help maximize standardization benefits. Working with the right manufacturer can provide equipment that meets current needs but also allows for future growth, resulting in better ROI for the long haul. For a small operation just starting out, funds might be tight. An off-the-lot trailer might provide the capacity needed for current applications, but what happens when it’s time to grow? They can’t just add an axle to increase the capacity. And maybe they aren’t ready to invest in another trailer, leaving them stuck.As in the above example, flexibility can be designed into a trailer, but it must be done at the outset to minimize the trailer’s final weight. This is where working with established OEMs makes a difference. There’s nothing that says all the elements of a custom-designed trailer have to be built right away. Instead, with the future in mind, operators and OEMs can work together to design a trailer that will meet not only immediate hauling needs but also those 5 years down the road. The customer can choose the trailer as a stand-alone purchase initially. As the operation grows and equipment needs change, they can purchase additional components, such as axles, deck inserts or jeeps, to accommodate new applications. HIGH-QUALITY PARTSAs a long-term, forward-thinking strategy, standardization only works if the trailer lasts. By Troy Geisler

Therefore, it’s important to partner with an OEM that uses premier parts and components that can stand up to challenging conditions. Look for a manufacturing partner that uses materials like heavy-duty T-1, 100,000-psi minimum-yield steel. This material allows the most capacity with the smallest impact on trailer weight for extreme durability and longevity. Apitong flooring is another high-quality component to be on the lookout for. This tightly woven and incredibly dense South Asian wood is less susceptible to chipping and cracking, so it stands up better than traditional oak and pine decking and provides more traction than metal. Investing in higher-quality materials and components can double the life of the trailer, significantly enhancing ROI.Quality components also play a significant role in overall safety, which leads back to longevity. Safety ratings illustrate how well the trailer is equipped to deal with the extra stress that comes from things like bumps, chuckholes and railroad tracks as it travels down the road. These bumps cause the trailer to experience a momentary magnification of payload. In general, trailers can expect an average magnification of payload ratio 1.8 to 1. Safety ratings range from no margin to up to 2.5 to 1, an industry high.Heavy-haul trailers built with lower-quality materials offer a lower safety rating, are more prone to premature damage and require more maintenance. On the other end of the spectrum, trailers designed with extra margin in the safety rating will experience less stress, wear and damage, resulting in reduced maintenance costs over time. CUSTOMER SERVICEFinally, to ensure long-term standardization success, operators should look past the trailer and consider the brand itself—specifically its commitment to customer service. There’s no point planning for 10 years down the road if getting service or support for the here and now is impossible, right? In addition to dependable, high-quality trailers, look for a manufacturer with a knowledgeable and expansive dealer network. Matching an operation’s unique needs to the right trailer requires answering a lot of questions, but it’s the only way to find long-term success. Having someone who can ask the right questions ensures the trailer will meet not only today’s requirements, but tomorrows’ needs as well. CLOSING THOUGHTStandardization should be part of every fleet owner’s playbook. It provides a number of benefits that boost efficiency and increase profits. Even if an operation starts out small, nobody plans on staying small. And while picking up trailers here and there based on need is an option, a fleet of mixed manufacturers will never provide the flexibility or ease of use that comes with standardization. Working with a manufacturer that offers a range of safe, durable trailers—from 60-ton lowboys to 10-ton tag-a-longs—can result in unlimited growth potential. Finding a manufacturing partner is about more than picking a favorite team—it’s about the long-term benefits standardization can provide. www.mcsmag.com MAY 202325about the authorTroy Geisler is the vice president of sales and marketing for Talbert Manufacturing. He has more than 15 years of experience in the trailer industry, including 10 years with Talbert. Talbert has been building world-class heavy-haul and specialized trailers to rigorous customer specifications since 1938. The company offers complete lines of heavy-haul trailers and specialized transportation equipment for the commercial, industrial, military and government sectors. For more, visit www.talbertmfg.com.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com26environmental solutionWe are in a global climate crisis, as outlined in the latest IPCC report, which notes the world is now experiencing widespread changes in weather patterns and an increase in climate-related natural disasters. However, the building industry is finally at a place where we understand the major role that we play in contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions. As we now work to actionably reduce the sector’s climate impacts and as more business owners and building managers begin to join the conversation—placing sustainability at the forefront of business operations—it’s important to both understand the construction industry’s role in the larger issue and how to act on it. A huge opportunity for decarbonization lies within the building and construction industry, as it currently contributes to nearly 40% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with 13% coming directly from the manufacturing of building materials. It’s important for contractors and building managers alike to think long-term and prioritize the planet when procuring materials for new builds and retrofits to make a lasting impact on the sector. But where should they start, and why are materials so important? IT'S ALL IN THE MATERIALS When considering the steps needed to decarbonize the construction industry, contractors should begin by analyzing their materials. Contrary to popular belief, the carbon impact of a construction project starts long before a shovel hits the ground.The manufacturing, installation, use, replacement, and end-of-life disposal of construction materials can be defined as embodied carbon emissions. The manufacturing emissions—typically the lion’s share of a product’s lifecycle emissions—are locked in during the material decision-making and procurement phases of a construction project. So, solving for embodied carbon emissions presents a huge opportunity for the construction industry. But contractors may not be aware of a material’s impact, or if they are, they may not know of an alternative, low-carbon option. That’s why it’s so important for contractors to understand the carbon impact of a certain material prior to procuring it. KNOWLEDGE IS POWERWithin a construction project, contractors are focused on staying within budget, remaining compliant, and completing the build on time. Now, sustainability and a project's overall carbon impact are beginning to be included in this list. So, where does material procurement fall in the sequence of decisions? For contractors, it should be right next to cost and thought of as an additional budget that must be managed.The more a contractor understands the materials in the marketplace and their impact on the environment, the better decisions they can make to prioritize low-carbon options. This is where Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) come in. EPDs are third-party verified technical documents that communicate the lifecycle impact of a material, helping the industry analyze the carbon emissions associated with a procurement decision, new buildings, and retrofits. EPDs provide a product’s carbon intensity per declared unit (kgCO2e), enabling the accounting of embodied carbon emissions at a product and project level. This information is integral to the decarbonization of the construction industry as contractors can compare products with EPDs, making it easier to procure low-carbon options. Or, if a product does not even have an EPD attached, contractors can choose to rule them out from the very beginning of the procurement process. An accessible tool that leverages EPD data and makes it easier to compare and select products is the Embodied Carbon and Construction Calculator (EC3), a free, easy-to-use, open-access tool that allows benchmarking assessment and reductions in embodied carbon per material category. Today’s contractors are increasingly utilizing this tool alongside procurement decisions and in overall construction operations. The tool has grown to include almost 35,000 users and over 120,000 EPDs in the 3 years since its launch.Another important factor to consider is the price of low-carbon materials. A myth that continues to be debunked across industries is that building with low-carbon materials is more expensive. A recent RMI study explored the idea that low-carbon building practices were more expensive, finding that construction projects can, in fact, be completed with a 19%-46% reduction in carbon emissions at cost premiums of less than 1%. This is an energizing statistic for the construction industry, realizing that decarbonizing the built environment is actually more attainable than it seems. For contractors, knowledge really is power. To understand the difference between carbon impacts of materials and the prices attached to them is a step in the right direction to lower the carbon footprint of projects. Contractors Decarbonizing the IndustryDecarbonizing the Industrywhere to start and how materials play a roleBUILDING TRANSPARENCYBy Stacy SmedleyPART  OF 

can then begin to advocate to their clients that using these low-carbon materials at little to no cost increase is a win-win as it also goes a long way in bettering the health of the planet. CLOSING THOUGHTMore than ever, contractors have the opportunity to act as stewards for their industry and make a positive impact on the built environment by prioritizing decarbonization practices and procuring low-carbon materials. It’s helpful to examine our current construction practices, making a note of those that do not put low-carbon decisions at the forefront to understand how the industry can make changes to impact the future positively. www.mcsmag.com MAY 202327about the authorStacy Smedley is the executive director of Building Transparency, a nonprofit organization that provides open-access data and tools to foster a better building future and aid in reversing climate change. Building on her 20 years of experience in the architecture and construction professions, Smedley is keenly focused on the continuous development and refinement of the resources, education, and technological advancements needed to drive decarbonization strategies and investment in green procurement. She leads a growing team of experts driven to execute on the nonprofit’s mission with speed, quality, and efficiency. 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

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com28environmental solutionIndoor Air QualityIndoor Air Qualityreal-time monitoring of environmental conditionsEPASince the EPA’s last review of the critical national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for fine particle pollution (PM2.5) in 2012, thousands of new scientific studies have demonstrated the dangers of fine particle exposure. Fine particles in the air can penetrate the lungs, resulting in serious health effects such as asthma attacks, heart attacks, and premature deaths. The numerous sources of fine particle pollution in the air include construction sites, unpaved roads, smokestacks, and fires; other particles form in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemicals, which are pollutants emitted from power plants, industrial facilities, and vehicles. In light of these recent studies, the EPA proposes to strengthen the primary (health-based) annual PM2.5 standard from 12 micrograms per cubic meter to a level between 9 and 10 micrograms per cubic meter [January 6, 2023]. NOTE: This is an EPA proposal. After reviewing comments, the EPA plans to issue final standards later this year.Below is a Q&A with Serene Al-Momen, Ph.D., the CEO of Attune, regarding the EPA air quality standard and how Clark Construction has been benefitting from using Attune.MCS: Explain how construction adds to particulate matter and emissions.Al-Momen: Construction sites produce very high air pollutants, with workers and surrounding communities exposed daily. The mixture of particles and gases includes fine PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), Total Volatile Organic Compound (TVOC), and carbon monoxide (CO) enter the atmosphere from construction activities like the transfer of materials, land clearing, and wind erosion of exposed soil. These activities generate high dust levels (typically from concrete, cement, wood, stone, and silica) that can be dangerous, even lethal if inhaled. MCS: How does monitoring indoor air quality lessen the pollution factor?Al-Momen: Most of us spend most of our time indoors, and a building’s ability to mitigate the effects of outdoor air pollution is critical. Construction sites are known contributors to PM pollution in the outside air quality, but other PM sources contribute to air pollution in non-localized manners. To mitigate the outdoor pollutant that comes indoors, visibility is necessary. Unfortunately, the digitization of buildings is in its infancy, with building inspections being functionally obsolete or nonexistent monitoring systems in place. Class A office buildings have little to no real-time Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring as part of the Building Management System (BMS). Adopting a digitized and real-time monitoring apparatus is the first step businesses should take to promote a universally healthy work environment in buildings. Real-time indoor air quality monitoring can enable assessment of the efficacy of advanced air filtration systems designed to address PM pollution. Through the advancement of the internet of things (IoT) with real-time monitoring, however, we no longer have to take an “out of sight, out of mind” approach to mitigating pollution indoors. MCS: What is Attune? How can real-time monitoring improve construction sites (commercial)?Al-Momen: Attune provides IAQ and outdoor air quality (OAQ) monitoring systems that provide real-time data designed to assess the safety of air quality levels based on the presence of CO2, Particulate Matter (PM), and other TVOCs in the air. Attune’s air quality product line uses IoT innovations with 50 patents that enable the next-generation air quality sensors into our products faster than the rest of the industry. Our IoT solutions go far beyond air quality and include real-time solutions in energy metering/submetering, HVAC asset condition monitoring (ACM), and remote facility management. This data is crucial for construction companies to manage their on-site emissions and ensure the safety of their on-site personnel. Attune’s wireless real-time monitoring units can be installed throughout a construction site to gather indoor or outdoor air quality data. Attune is an expert in bringing needed data about the physical environment to the cloud in real time. MCS: How is Clark Construction utilizing Attune? What benefits does Clark Construction attribute to Attune?Al-Momen: Clark Construction deploys Attune’s IAQ monitoring units, including PM sensors and volatile organic compound (VOC) sensors, to assist in the flush-out process of the air in a building. This assures that the building meets the requirements for occupancy and helps accelerate the process of handing over a building to the building owner.

Clark also deploys Attune’s Temperature and Humidity sensors to monitor the building envelope where HVAC systems have yet to be installed. The real-time monitoring of environmental conditions enables Clark to protect materials such as woodwork under warranty from getting damaged during that phase. Attune pioneered a new product kit for Clark to facilitate real-time water management at a construction site. The kit features a variety of sensors and analytics to monitor and control water usage and help prevent significant water incidents (and attendant damage). The kit comes on a cart with all necessary piping and sensors installed for easy integration into a building’s main water supply. Additionally, Clark has incorporated Attune’s integrated air and environmental quality monitoring units at a construction site. The air quality sensors enable Clark to monitor the level of particle emissions. In contrast, the environmental quality sensors enable Clark to monitor the noise and vibration levels generated by the construction work. This real-time monitoring helps Clark meet construction guidelines and keep the conditions safe for the construction workers.MCS: How can other commercial construction companies learn more about Attune?Al-Momen: The easiest way to learn more about our cutting-edge technology is to schedule a demonstration and get our hardware in your hands. Our advanced IoT hardware is designed from the ground up for ease of use. Installation takes just a few minutes, and you’ll have immediate access to real-time data in our cloud dashboards. You don’t need to be an expert to install and configure our hardware and cloud software. CLOSING THOUGHTS?Through ventilation and filtration, residential and commercial buildings can function knowing they have real-time information on the unseen pollutants responsible for poor air quality. Air quality is just one of many use cases where real-time data can critically impact the efficiency and safety of on-site operations. Like most other industries, the construction industry is increasingly seeing the value in leveraging real-time data. After establishing the industry’s most comprehensive and flexible IoT sensor platform, Attune is dedicated to delivering needed real-time data for digital transformation. www.mcsmag.com MAY 202329for more informationSerene Al-Momen, Ph.D., is CEO of Attune, which is the only customizable indoor air quality monitoring solution. Attune, formerly known as Senseware, has rebranded to reflect our transition in the marketplace. For more, visit www.attuneiot.com.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com30management solutionIt’s 2023, and we are solidly in the “Age of Information” for architecture, engineering, and construction. Innovations, like Building Information Modeling (BIM) and artificial intelligence, continue to improve, providing more and more benefits to our field.However, the industry isn’t necessarily quick to adapt. A recent McKinsey report described the AEC industry as making progress at a “glacial pace.” It’s not that we aren’t developing the tools and technologies—it’s that we’re hesitant to put them to work.Working on the cutting-edge of building technology at cove.tool, I’ve seen firsthand how embracing modern solutions can improve building projects for all stakeholders and, perhaps most importantly, create a pathway for the next generation to join the profession.DRIVING EFFICIENCYA former boss of mine used to say, “there is profit being made in inefficiency,” and that’s stuck with me ever since. It sounds like an oxymoron—more efficient building processes save stakeholders time and, thus, lots of money, right? That’s true, but there are also those who may stand to benefit from using legacy technology.For example, at an old job, one of my tasks was to count toilets and doors within digital plans. For hours at a time, I’d go through the pages and highlight each one. I was getting paid for something that, today, a computer can accomplish in a fraction of the time—I was profiting from the inefficiency.Now, computers do have that job. But I didn’t lose mine—instead, technology allows me to put my time and labor into the tasks that rely on my education and human insight. Access to data and technology is, at its core, access to transparency. This visibility reveals clear inefficiencies. Data transparency also helps all participants in a project align on costs. As supply chains continue to shift, so do costs, and teams need to be able to share that information with each other. With transparent data, this information can be communicated easily, helping teams plan mitigation tactics ahead of time and better adapt on the fly as needed.THE NEXT GENERATIONOne of the other major ways living in the Age of Information benefits AEC professionals is via the transfer of information. This is especially critical now because rather than replacing human jobs, technological advances in AEC have simply created new ones, and we’re running low on skilled labor to fill them. More and more professionals are reaching retirement and leaving with the knowledge they’ve gained over their years in the field, and there aren’t as many people entering to take their place. We’ve got to build and train the next generation of AEC professionals—and once again, technology offers a solution.In the past, training often happened on-site and on the job. While there’s still a lot best learned by doing, people new to the field can now complete training programs online before they begin working, saving time on-site and allowing seasoned experts to pass down their knowledge.BIM is another tool that’s made entry into the AEC profession easier than ever. Working with advanced tools is no longer limited to those who earn a college degree; because technology is so much more accessible, students can enroll in vocational education or apprenticeship programs to pursue careers in drafting or modeling. CLOSING THOUGHTWith these tech-powered training programs, we can encourage more young people to join the building design and construction field, facilitating better infrastructure growth for years to come. Age of Age of InformationInformationBEST PRACTICESwhat this means and how it will improve operations By Patricia KusumadjajaPART 4 OF 4about the authorPatricia Kusumadjaja, CEP, Assoc. AIA, is the virtual design and construction director at cove.tool, a leading provider of building design and construction software. She has more than 8 years of experience working in the AEC industry, namely in architectural cost estimating, VDC, and project delivery. She strives to make a difference in the way owners, construction and architectural professionals view high-performance design, with the hope that sustainability and environmental consciousness becomes a non-negotiable priority in all future building design and construction.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com32management solutionThe Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) has received significant attention for its potential to stimulate the economy. New job opportunities are—and will—arise to execute projects to repair or update roads, bridges, and airports, improve broadband access, modernize power grids, and so on. In fact, the current U.S. administration estimates the $1.2 trillion-dollar investment will result in the creation of 1.5 million new U.S. jobs each year, and funding has already been distributed to 6,900 projects in all 50 states and U.S. territories. However, a recent report from the Brookings Institute highlighted challenges that may arise from this increased demand, including the potential to intensify the labor shortage. Infrastructure-adjacent industries struggle with recruitment and hiring, implementing effective on-the-job training, and lack of employee retention. These industries are also facing a “silver tsunami,” with nearly 50% of workers above the age of 45, and about 25% older than 55. To no surprise, the National Center for Construction Education and Research predicts that 41% of current U.S. construction workers will retire by 2031. So, the industry will face a hefty loss of experienced workers, increasing the need to address the existing cracks in the workforce. Otherwise, the impact of the investment in U.S. infrastructure could be at risk.Project Management Institute (PMI) released a Talent Gap report which highlights a growing demand for project professionals in the global economy. Approximately 25 million new project professionals will be required by 2023 to meet this demand, and to fill that talent gap, 2.3 million people will need to join the project management profession every year. Effective project management plays a vital role in getting almost anything done, but certified project managers at the helm of a project are even more crucial to ensure they’re executed in a safe, sustainable, and cost-effective way.Here are three ways to help secure and develop project management talent to lead these important projects: ADOPT FLEXIBLE RECRUITING AND HIRING PRACTICESEighty-eight percent of construction contractors report moderate-to-high levels of difficulty in finding skilled workers. The infrastructure workforce, however, skews older, male, and white. Women make up only 18.5% of infrastructure workers and Black, Latino or Hispanic and Asian-American workers are similarly underrepresented. Women and groups currently underrepresented in the workforce are a source of previously untapped talent. Consider creative recruitment approaches by partnering with educational institutions, trade and labor groups, and community organizations in your area or nationally. Local colleges and professional organizations like Women of Project Management, which supports women and women of color in the project management industry, can help create a new pipeline of potential recruits. INVEST IN UPSKILLING AND RESKILLING YOUR WORKFORCEUpskilling and reskilling are essential in the infrastructure field. Not only do they contribute to greater efficiency and improved outcomes, but they also serve as powerful motivators for project professionals. PMI research indicates that upskilling Infrastructure SupportInfrastructure Supportskilled project managers needed to bridge talent gap LEADERSHIPBy Raphael Ani

opportunities are more important than higher salaries in motivating senior level employees. So, what kind of skills are most valuable? Technical skills, particularly in scoping, scheduling, and budgeting are important. But so are interpersonal skills, such as communication, collaborative leadership, and empathy. Research by PMI and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) suggests that a mix of technical and interpersonal, or what we at PMI call “power skills,” will be most desirable in project managers of the future.PMI research also shows that organizations that place a high priority on interpersonal skills are more likely to meet business goals (72% vs 65%), experience less scope creep (28% vs 40%) and suffer less budget loss (17% vs 25%) than organizations that do not prioritize these skills. BOOST RETENTION EFFORTSWhile there’s not much organizations can do to stop the rising tide of industry retirements, companies can do more to enhance their attractiveness as employers. The key is investing in employees. Ninety-four percent of employees in LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report said they are more likely to stay with a company that invests in their career.Salary, benefits, and training are all part of this equation. But some companies are going further—taking a more holistic approach to professional development programs that include industry certifications and memberships in professional service organizations. For example, PMI now offers a certification created specifically for project managers in the construction industry, Construction Professional in Built Environment Projects (PMI-CP)™. Professional certifications can be enhanced by creating a community around them. A professional membership—like the PMI® membership—creates a community across industries to help project professionals evolve their skills, broaden their perspectives, and find community, support, and encouragement. CLOSING THOUGHTThe Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act creates a sizable opportunity for the infrastructure industry to create new job opportunities. Still, the success of the investment hinges on the availability of a skilled and capable workforce, especially in project management. By implementing creative new recruitment practices, investing in upskilling and reskilling, and enhancing retention efforts, organizations can bridge the talent gap and build a more sustainable and thriving industry, benefiting the workforce and communities across the United States. www.mcsmag.com MAY 202333about the authorRaphael Ani is global business development lead, construction, at Project Management Institute (PMI). Ani is responsible for growing PMI’s global impact through the organization’s first vertical offering: Construction Professional in Built Environment Projects (PMI-CP)™. Through organizational relationships, education, and sales centered on PMI-CP, Ani supports and enables project managers across the world to gain the skills and knowledge needed to transform the construction industry. For more, visit www.pmi.org.The latest rugged tablet in the Mesa® family featuring 11th Generation Intel® processing power with a 10-inch, sunlight-readable display. As rugged as all the Mesas before it, the Mesa Pro will go wherever you go.YOUR OFFICE,ANYWHERE.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com34management solutionSeveral neuroscience principles limit our ability to creatively solve problems and generate innovative ideas. Understanding some of these principles can help you optimize your creative thinking and innovation processes. WHILE YOUR WHOLE BRAIN IS WORKING ALL THE TIME, THERE ARE SERIOUS ENERGY CONSTRAINTS.The brain stores no fuel and running on empty degrades performance significantly. Therefore, it needs frequent breaks from high energy usage.One of the places you experience this brain energy constraint most acutely is during the brainstorming phase. It's a fast and furious pace of generating ideas, potentially for a long time. Leaders have always known that taking breaks from ideation makes for better results, and this neuroscience principle is obviously why. However, it's also important to help people understand they actually need to take a brain break, and to have the willpower to do it (instead of checking email or doing other work during the “break”). To help them, plan a little "enforced fun." This can be things like group juggling, kid-like games, or songs like "Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes," or an impromptu dance session.You’ll notice many of these activities have a physical element. This physicality also helps with restoring some energy for the intensive brain work. Another energy-enhancing tip: feed people. A growling stomach is not conducive for maximum output of ideas. Be sure to feed them satisfying food—not just sweets. Offer nuts, cheese, veggies, or fruit. Oh, you can offer sweets too—but always make sure there's some more sustaining fare as well. THE BRAIN NATURALLY LIMITS SYSTEM 2 THINKING.Your brain has two types of thinking: System 1 (Fast) is the "easy" type of thinking that we use most of the time. It's intuitive and automatic. So, obviously, it's also energy-efficient. System 2 (Slow) is thinking that requires more deliberation, more focus, more conscious thought, and literally uses more energy. So, we subconsciously avoid it whenever we can. If you avoid (or limit) System 2 thinking when it's needed in your innovation process, you will, at the least, miss out on really good ideas—and at the worst, make some bad judgment calls that you might have avoided if you had effectively used System 2. One of the phases where people frequently try to avoid System 2 thinking is immediately after idea generation, when it's time to select the best ideas. The brainstorming is usually lots of fun. It's fast, and our brains are making subconscious and intuitive connections. Then comes the time we have to be focused and deliberate to narrow to a manageable set of ideas. Suddenly, it all becomes … a Lot. Less. Fun.Know that your team will try hard to avoid System 2 thinking, and you need to be prepared to counter the objections, and ensure that the needed deliberate thinking will happen. For example, people will say, "It takes too long to review all the ideas. We don't have time." or, "Let's just have everyone champion a few ideas instead of reviewing all of them. The ones we remember are probably the best ones anyway." (Which isn’t true, but that’s another topic.)Another all-too-common scenario: the team has gotten together and spent several hours generating ideas. Then, everyone gets 5 Neuroscience PrinciplesNeuroscience Principleshow your brain limits creative thinkingINNOVATIONBy Susan Robertson

sticky dots to vote for top ideas. Most people will do this in 5 minutes and immediately dash out the door. They weren't forced to engage System 2 thinking, so they won't. Their decisions will rely on System 1, with all its concurrent biases, shortcuts, and mistaken intuition. There will never be the deliberate, conscious, effortful thinking that's needed at this stage. If this is the typical process in your innovation sessions, you need to make some significant changes. THE BRAIN IS A "BAYESIAN INFERENCE MACHINE." Huh? Bayesian logic is a very specific, formulaic method that provides a disciplined way of combining new evidence with prior models. So, the reference to our brains being a Bayesian inference machine is obviously a metaphor, although a very apt one.Whenever people are faced with new information, they use it to only slightly refine—not completely rethink—their existing models/beliefs/hypotheses. Rarely do we assume new data means our existing beliefs might actually be wrong. Instead, we make only incremental and minimal adjustments to our existing beliefs; the least possible change in our thinking that will account for the new data. Further, the more experience you have in a subject, the more of these existing assumptions you have about it. You are likely not even aware of all these embedded assumptions; many of them are so ingrained in your thinking that it wouldn't occur to you to question them. They are presumed to be fact—if you even consciously recognize that you have these beliefs.Obviously, to reach truly breakthrough insights and ideas, you must go beyond incremental thinking. To get there, we need to consider the possibility that our view of the world (or the market, or our product category, etc.) might need shaking up. Given that our human tendency is to retain existing mental models, you need to consciously be doing things to help you and your team break out of this natural limitation on new thinking.CLOSING THOUGHTOur brains are constantly making short cuts, mostly in the interest of conserving energy. As a result, your brain will subconsciously limit your thinking in ways you’re not aware of, unless you consciously and actively manage it. Remaining vigilant about these neuroscience-based barriers can help you dramatically improve your creative thinking and your innovation processes. www.mcsmag.com MAY 202335about the authorSusan Robertson empowers individuals, teams, and organizations to more nimbly adapt to change, by transforming thinking from “why we can’t” to “how might we?” She is a creative thinking expert with more than 20 years of experience speaking and coaching in Fortune 500 companies. As an instructor on applied creativity at Harvard, Robertson brings a scientific foundation to enhancing human creativity. For more, visit susanrobertsonspeaker.com.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com36sotware solutionsAs construction businesses navigate a number of challenges including a qualified worker shortage, rising costs, and slim profit margins, it is more critical than ever that they begin projects on the right foot, with accurate project estimates. This is where preconstruction technologies, particularly takeoff software, can have a big impact. While construction firms have benefited from takeoff software over the past few decades, artificial intelligence (AI) has recently taken these benefits to the next level. EVOLUTION OF TAKEOFFTraditionally, quantity takeoff relied on manual processes as estimators entered blueprint measurements into spreadsheets (or notebooks). This can be a tedious, time-consuming, and error-prone process. Digitizers in the ‘90s helped speed up the process, and even more gains were achieved once takeoff software became more commonplace in the early 2000’s. eTakeoff launched its first electronic takeoff solution, eTakeoff Dimension, in 2004. Takeoff technology offers highly productive and increasingly accurate tools to perform takeoff directly from electronic plans. More recently, the use of 3D building information modeling (BIM) has offered estimators an even better way to visualize projects and provide early cost feedback to the building team. And now AI has delivered another significant improvement in productivity for electronic takeoff. SNAP TECHNOLOGYeTakeoff launched SnapAI in 2021, enhancing eTakeoff Dimension Premier with inherent AI capabilities. In the past, generic snap technology has enabled estimators to “snap to” points in a vector PDF, eliminating the need for an estimator to zoom into a drawing to find the most accurate corner or endpoint by hand. SnapAI adds intelligence to vector takeoff by predicting what the estimator will do next and enabling point, logical line, and polyline selection for maximum flexibility. Allowing an estimator to instantly grab an entire line’s measurements instead of having to click on each end of the line cuts electronic takeoff time in half.SnapAI can also recognize logical connecting lines, so, when an estimator clicks on one line, the technology “hunts” for the next logical connecting line, quickly tracing building components (while showing the estimator an outline of what is being taken off) for even faster takeoff. And regardless of which takeoff method an estimator chooses (endpoint, line, or connecting lines), SnapAI delivers precise dimensions. SnapAI is the only practical snap technology for 2D PDF takeoff and does not require any special preparation of the PDF to work. Additionally, users can switch takeoff modes during a measurement, eliminating the need to start over if underlying vector data is incomplete.STRONG PARTNERSHIPeTakeoff took its commitment to deliver the latest AI technology even further when recently announcing a new partnership with Togal.AI, a fast-growing company bringing artificial intelligence to the construction industry. The partnership integrates Togal.AI’s innovative artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies with eTakeoff Dimension. By integrating these solutions, eTakeoff is able to offer one of the most powerful and complete takeoff solutions on the market. Additional benefits of integrating AI with takeoff solutions include:Automates the estimating process. Togal.AI automates the estimating takeoff process, which includes measuring the size of each room’s square footage as well as wall lengths and object counts. Typically, estimators do this manually with rollers and rulers, or with a click and drag of a computer mouse. However, Togal’s algorithms can use AIA measurement standards to automatically detect, label, and measure project spaces in mere seconds. It can complete architectural floor plan measurements in minutes. Accurate EstimatesAccurate Estimatesnext-level benefits for takeoff technology AI-POWERED By David Snedaker

Gets even better with use. Integrating AI with takeoff solutions provides immediate gains in time savings, accuracy, and efficiency, and it gets even better with use as projects will become more tailored to the needs of the user over time. Freeing estimators of more tedious and time-consuming tasks empowers them to be more strategic, helping their clients save money and build better jobs.A WINNING COMBINATIONTogal.AI can analyze any architectural floor plan drawing (PDF or TIF) and boasts 98% accuracy. At eTakeoff, we are able to offer Togal’s groundbreaking AI technology along with our own SnapAI technology. SnapAI is built into eTakeoff Dimension Premier, and is focused on individual measurements, as opposed to whole drawings. Togal is designed for architectural plans, while SnapAI can deliver measurements for plans Togal is unable to accommodate and also offer an alternative when users need just a few measurements. Combining these two powerful AI technologies ensures estimators have all of their bases covered. Togal.AI will quickly deliver measurements for the whole plan and then with SnapAI additional individual measurements can be taken off, helping users improve the speed and accuracy of entire takeoffs as well as measurement work. eTakeoff is the only takeoff provider in the market offering both drawing-based and measurement-based AI technologies.SEAMLESS INTEGRATIONSAn early pioneer in the electronic takeoff software space, eTakeoff continues to innovate and raise the bar for estimating accuracy and efficiency standards. eTakeoff has long championed seamless integrations with best-in-class industry solutions to further streamline and automate the estimating process. eTakeoff has great industry reach as its products are also distributed by industry powerhouses such as Sage, Trimble, and Gordian.CLOSING THOUGHTeTakeoff was founded on the belief that estimators shouldn’t have to sacrifice speed for accuracy. We’ve always been at the forefront of takeoff technology, ensuring our customers have the best available tools to deliver faster and more accurate estimates. We have no doubt that AI technology in the takeoff space will continue to improve as developers and industry professionals join forces, and we look forward to what we can achieve together. www.mcsmag.com MAY 202337about the authorDavid Snedaker is president of eTakeoff, an industry leader in electronic quantity takeoff, delivering award-winning software with sophisticated assembly capabilities that is powerful, versatile, and easy to use. Thousands of contractors in every construction trade use eTakeoff to deliver more accurate estimates while boosting productivity by as much as 15 times over paper takeoff. eTakeoff is also led by industry veteran Curtis Peltz, CEO of eTakeoff. For more, visit etakeoff.com.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com38sotware solutionsCloud technology has become a necessity in the construction industry as construction firms face bigger and more complex projects while navigating a host of challenges. Whether you are ready to move to the cloud today or still need a bit more time, it is crucial to plan ahead to ensure you are selecting the right tools today that will benefit your business for years to come. Every business is different so it’s important to choose a path to the cloud that addresses your individual business needs. In helping you plan for your eventual move to the cloud, we’ll take a look at the benefits of cloud technology, cloud options, and the importance of designing a scalable and sustainable IT infrastructure.BENEFITS OF THE CLOUDCloud technology delivers many advantages, perhaps the most important being that it can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. This means your teams can collaborate more efficiently and have anytime, anywhere access to the business-critical information they need. Additional benefits include cost savings, security, and cloud performance.Cost savings: We used to spend 80% of our IT budget to build and operate our technology and 20% to run it. Gone are the days of high costs to manage servers and deploy expensive upgrades. The cloud removes the build and operate costs as firms can now leverage the technology without the IT expense. Security: Hyper-scaled cloud providers can provide enterprise grade security, covering you from all angles: physical, network, application, and data. You can rest assured that your financial information will be protected in a highly secured environment, as providers work continuously to stop threats and upgrade protections so that you don’t have to.Cloud performance: Hyper-fast network connectivity is making cloud performance comparable to or even better than traditional in-house networks. Cloud options can also provide peace of mind in proven disaster recovery protocols, helping you keep your mission critical solutions up and running whenever you need them.CLOUD OPTIONSAt Sage, we believe in the power of choice, the power to choose the best mix of solutions that make the most sense for your business. It’s essential to understand your options when it comes to experiencing the benefits of the cloud. These options include a private cloud, hosting, software as a service (SaaS), and add-ons and mobile applications.Private Cloud: Managing the move to the cloud on your own. All aspects including updates, maintenance, security, and support are managed by internal IT staff or a trusted IT partner. This option requires the most internal resources and a high upfront investment, plus ongoing costs for maintenance and upgrades.Hosting: Working with a third-party hosting partner to host your on-premises solution in the cloud. The hosting partner manages the technology—including updates, maintenance, security, and support. There would be an initial upfront investment for moving the solution to the cloud as well as monthly or annual fees for the hosting service. SaaS: Moving to a native cloud solution, such as Sage Intacct Construction. All aspects of the technology, including updates, maintenance, security, and support are included with your software subscription. This option has a smaller upfront investment to cover any necessary costs for data migration and Cloud TechnologyCloud Technologyfueling the future of constructionOPERATIONSBy Dustin Stephens

software implementation, and then a business would only incur the monthly subscription cost. Add-ons & Mobile Apps: Extending your on-premises solution with cloud-based add-ons and apps. This can be a good option for businesses who are not in a position to completely overhaul their current solution but want to reap some of the benefits of cloud technology. These add-on solutions and mobile apps integrate with on-premises solutions to provide some remote functionality. This option is usually relatively quick to implement and includes a monthly subscription fee.DESIGNING A SCALABLE AND SUSTAINABLE IT INFRASTRUCTUREIn the past, most IT infrastructure was owned and managed by a business on their premises; however, as businesses are increasingly turning to cloud technologies, many aspects are now managed by third-party vendors. As you look for new technology solutions, it is important to think beyond your immediate needs. Consider where you want your business to be in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, and beyond. Then consider how can technology help you achieve those goals.Be sure to involve key stakeholders early in the software selection process. This will help get buy-in and support a smoother transition. Determine a timeline and set smaller goals such as cleaning up existing systems, vetting software vendors, and creating an implementation schedule to move closer to your goals. Selecting the right solutions and building an effective IT infrastructure takes time and resources, so it’s important to turn to solutions that address your current needs and are scalable to keep up with business demand. When selecting cloud technology, look for solutions with an open API. This enables you to integrate the best-of-breed solutions you are using today and will use in the future. Other factors to consider when evaluating solutions are security, uptime, training, and support. You need a vendor you can trust to keep your data secure and your technology up and running. CLOSING THOUGHTCloud technology will continue to power the future of construction. Wherever you may be on your cloud journey, we’re here to support you every step of the way. The Sage team and our robust network of partners are committed to helping construction businesses select and implement the right solutions so you can achieve your goals and maximize your technology investments. www.mcsmag.com MAY 202339about the authorDustin Stephens is vice president of construction and real estate at Sage. He is a dynamic construction software executive with more than 25 years of experience serving the industry. Stephens is responsible for go-to-market strategies and building partner and customer programs for Sage’s construction business in North America. He is keen about driving healthy change in construction through technology. For more, visit www.sageCRE.com.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com40legal solutionSometimes disputes are simply unavoidable. Whether addressed at the project level or through litigation, construction disputes often involve a series of interrelated, complex issues and multiple parties. Regardless of setting, good documentation plays a significant role in the effective and timely settlement of disputes. Yet too often a lack of proper documentation throws a wrench in the works and undermines the party’s position. What is “documentation?” For our purposes, documentation references the detailed written and photographic history of a construction project. Documentation takes the form of anything tangible that serves as a record of what existed, happened, did not happen, was represented, or was said during the life of the project. Note, the word “tangible” is key. Intangibles (i.e., recollections, conversations, etc.) are not documentation. Project documentation includes what is referred to as “the Contract Documents.” These include the Owner-Contractor Agreement, the General Conditions, the Special or Supplementary Conditions, the Specifications, the Drawings, the Addenda, and project Change Orders. For project field performance issues, and project closeout, the focus is on field documentation. That is, the documentation that takes place from the point in time when the project physically begins. Examples include schedules, project meeting minutes, emails, daily logs/reports, and progress and cost reports. This field documentation is critical to every project. ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTATION The basic purpose of documentation is to provide written evidence of what actually occurred, was represented, or was said on a construction project. In other words, a record of who did what—including when, why, and how—and a summary of important circumstances surrounding the event. The primary use of the documentation is to inform someone of what happened or is happening on the project. Documentation may also help others to interpret cost reports from the project—to analyze significant variances from expected costs, to understand whether the project is on budget and on schedule, and to incorporate into a company’s cost database for estimating future projects.A secondary use for documentation of the daily events and details of the project is to substantiate and prove changes and claims and allow recovery of damages for the contractor. To prove a point and “win” a claim, a contractor must be able to present facts and figures which support its claim position. Documentation preserves and records such facts. The reality of conflict over construction changes and litigation over construction disputes is a good basis on which to analyze the quality of the field documentation. If the field documentation is insufficient to prove the party’s case in an arbitration hearing or before a judge, the documentation is inadequate. It also will be inadequate for clearly and accurately communicating actual performance to company supervisors.REQUIREMENTS FOR GOOD DOCUMENTATION Accuracy. Write down the facts the way they occurred. If facts are misstated in one instance, the other parties (or a court, jury, or arbitrator) may conclude that you have misstated them throughout the documentation. The best approach is to record everything as accurately as you can—the good, the bad, and the ugly.Objectivity. State the facts in an unbiased way. If you are documenting a claim, tell it the way it was. Resist the urge to play armchair lawyer or color the facts to your benefit. The truth is always better.Completeness. Keep track of the day’s events. When an item that should be documented arises, immediately write it down. Documentation 101Documentation 101why documenting the project really mattersFACTS MATTERBy Christopher S. Drewry

The information can be transferred later to the appropriate company form, but the important thing is to always carry the pad and pen (or electronic equivalent) to make certain nothing is forgotten or lost. If your company provides a form for certain kinds of documentation, fill it out completely. Assume that every item on that form has a useful purpose.Uniformity. Record all matters in a systematic manner, both precise and consistent. Document each field directive, order or communication with the project architect or engineer in the same, systematic manner. Avoid the temptation to cut corners when documenting directives or orders that may not require additional time or money.Credibility. Do your documentation in such a way that other project parties, your company supervisor and any judge, jury, or arbitrator will believe that the documentation was reported in a timely and unbiased manner. This usually means not to worry about crossing out or misspelling words, or the coffee stains on the daily reports. Records that look too good often lack credibility. Just do your documentation according to these six basic principles, make sure it is legible, but otherwise do not worry about how it looks.Timeliness. Complete your documentation during the day, every day. Do not put it off until tomorrow. Do not leave a jobsite until the daily paperwork is finished.WHAT TO DOCUMENT (OR WHAT NOT TO DOCUMENT)Some project management personnel are uncertain about what to document. The easiest answer is to document everything. Do not try to determine what is important and what is not. Often, the most important item is something thought at the time to be very insignificant. Avoid the temptation to document only those events that may be involved in a change or claim. Do not put your company in the position where it cannot submit a claim because necessary supporting documentation is unavailable or insufficient.Remember Murphy’s Law, that if something can go wrong, it will! In documentation, this means it is wise to assume: (a) the item or occurrence that appears to be the least significant item or occurrence in the situation may well become the most important item to document; and (b) the item or occurrence you fail to document will become the item that you, your supervisor, or your company’s attorney will wish most that you had documented. It is much better to follow your company’s documentation policies or practices to the letter. You simply cannot know what will be important later, so be sure to document everything now. Additionally, documentation must convey facts. Do not fill out reports with opinions; do not offer gratuitous remarks; and do not attempt to place blame. Avoid including guesses or theories on why something happened. Such comments add nothing to the facts and may come back to haunt you. Similarly, do not go back and modify existing project field notes! Get it right the first time. If you learn or remember new information later, even the next day, put that new information in a later report, and explain that you just remembered it, or someone brought it to your attention, or provide some other reason. Once you finish your daily documentation, let it stand. Documentation that looks altered lacks credibility. CLOSING THOUGHTFinally, remember that documentation must cover any potential dispute or claims that may be made. It is just as likely that your documentation will be needed to dispute claims made against your company. Your documentation practices should also anticipate any potential claims by suppliers and subcontractors, or other contractors on site with whom you have no contract. www.mcsmag.com MAY 202341about the authorChristopher S. Drewry is a partner with the law firm of Drewry Simmons Vornehm, LLP, in Indiana (www.dsvlaw.com), where he focuses his practice on construction law and litigation, as well as labor and employment law and litigation. Chris is the immediate past chair of the Construction Law and Litigation Committee of the International Association of Defense Counsel, and he can be reached at cdrewry@dsvlaw.com.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com42technology solutionSoybean OilSoybean Oilsustainable polymer solution for asphalt COLORBIOTICSColorbiotics has successfully completed the first 3-year test cycle of their soybean-derived polymer at the National Center for Asphalt Technology’s (NCAT) Test Track at Auburn University. Biomag™ Hot Mix is a new generation of polymer asphalt additive, designed for high-traffic and heavy-load applications such as interstates and highways. “It consists of one part of our soybean rejuvenator (Invigorate) and one part soybean-derived polymer,” explains Austin Hohmann, product manager for Colorbiotics, Ames, Iowa. “It is a hyperbranched polymer that helps to interconnect and extend the styrene butadiene styrene domains within asphalt.” According to Nam Tran, associate director at NCAT, this is the first biobased polymer of its kind undergoing lab and track testing at NCAT. “We have tested some rubber-based polymers, but polymers are typically derived from petroleum. The purpose of the polymer is to improve the rutting and cracking resistance of the binder.” Soybean plants help to reduce CO levels in the atmosphere. Plants absorb CO, a benefit for the environment and sustainability efforts. “Polymers made from plants and trees can be considered carbon negative, possibly offering carbon credits,” adds Tran.Further environmental benefits are reaped along the production chain of bio-based polymers. “On average, it takes two pounds of oil to make one pound of polymer,” offers Hohmann. “By contrast, it takes just under one pound of soybean oil to make one pound of polymer.” Test results so far also indicate that the mix design may be optimized to increase the amount of RAP used to make the asphalt mix. PASSING GRADEBiomag includes soybean oil to improve the resistance of asphalt binders to oxidative aging. It was blended at an asphalt terminal and delivered to East Alabama Paving, who produced the mix paved at the test track. The difference between the two new surface mixes tested by NCAT showed only in the type of virgin asphalt binders. Test Track Section W10 was paved with mix using the asphalt binder modified with the Biomag biopolymer, while the control section E5A included the binder modified with the traditional petroleum based SBS polymer. “We produced a mix with the biopolymer that matched the SBS polymer control mix to get an apples-to-apples comparison,” offers Buzz Powell, associate director at NCAT and research professor at Auburn University. Aggregate gradation for the surface mix included a 12.5-millimeter (0.50 inch) nominal aggregate size, and 20% RAP was introduced at a 12.5-millimeter (0.50 inch) size with 5.5% binder and granite aggregate plus a local sand. Volumetric design parameters for both included 4% air voids, 5.3% total combined binder content with a 4.9% effective binder, and a 2.5% maximum specific gravity. Binder analysis was based on test results of both the virgin binders and the extracted plant-produced asphalt mixtures that included RAP. A PG 76-22 SBS modified binder was used for the control for E5A, while the supplied W10 experimental binder mixed at the terminal offered a performance grade of PG 70-16. Reviewing the binder test results, researchers noticed differences in the biopolymer when comparing the test results of the virgin and extracted binders. The asphalt samples at the plant were mixed at a higher temperature than in the lab, and as a result, the extracted W10 biopolymer binder offered a high-temperature performance grade of 88˚C, like the E5A control mix. Additionally, the low-temperature performance of the extracted E5A binder increased from -22˚C to -16˚C, whereas the extracted W10 binder maintained its low-temperature performance of -16˚C. Both extracted mixes showed the same performance grading. Hohmann explains the W10 performance improvement of the extracted binder. “There Biomag Hot Mix is designed for heavy-load, high-traffic applications such as interstates and highways.Colorbiotics Biomag Hot Mix product passed several different asphalt tests with minimal rutting at the NCAT test track.

is a reaction that occurs when mixing plant temperatures that we didn’t anticipate happening. Between tank to pavement, the increase in heat catalyzed a reaction not seen in the lab. We thought the increased heat would extend the Biopolymer but didn’t realize it would help to mature it. Therefore, we can add RAP to the mix and increase the performance grade of the biopolymer binder.” He also noted the Multiple-Stress Creep-Recovery test improvements from the virgin binder to the extracted binder. “With RAP introduced to the mix, the control sample’s performance lowered, while the Biomag Section W10 sample showed improvement to better than that of the control, which could indicate a better resistance to rutting,” Hohmann adds. A series of standard mixture performance tests were also performed on the samples: Dynamic Modulus, Hamburg Wheel Tracking, Illinois Flexibility Test (I-FIT), Energy Ratio, Indirect Tensile Asphalt Cracking, High Temperature Indirect Tensile, Cantabro Percentage Loss, and Disc Shaped Compaction Tension tests. All results showed similar or minor performance differences between the control and experimental mixtures. EXCELLING IN THE FIELD Passing the test with minimal rutting, E5A showed only 2.4-millimeters (0.094 inch) of rutting and W10 had 4.7-millimeters (0.185 inch), well below the threshold commonly considered failing of 12.5-millimeters (0.5 inch). “These results are impressive, as you want some level of rutting of the mix. Otherwise, it will be too stiff, which can result in cracking. The experimental biopolymer binder asphalt is a healthy mix,” comments Powell. The second 10 million EASLs cycle is scheduled for completion in 2024. Both Powell and Hohmann offer some thoughts about the Biomag W10 test results and the potential for optimizing the design. “As mentioned, the original goal of W10 design was to match the control mix with 20% RAP added. These test results indicate that the biopolymer produces a healthy mix that could be optimized for RAP content,” says Powell. CLOSING THOUGHTHohmann agrees and adds, “A producer reaps significant ROI benefits at RAP content of more than 25%, as this saves on virgin binder and aggregate. We can achieve this with Biomag Hot Mix while offering cost, performance, and sustainability advantages for the producer.” www.mcsmag.com MAY 202343www.mcsmag.com MAY 202343for more informationColorbiotics, headquartered in Ames, Iowa, has been innovating products that enhance the beauty of homes, businesses, parks and athletic facilities for more than 30 years. Colorbiotics is the industry leader in the science behind landscape colorant, recreation surfaces and the equipment that makes them better. Colorbiotics is also transforming asphalt production and construction with environmentally friendly additives and topicals that restore flexibility of RAP and extend service life. For more information on markets and applications, visit www.colorbiotics.com.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!✓

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com44technology solutionWhen it comes to construction, the most important work occurs before the first shovel hits the dirt—or at least it should.“If a contractor uses technology, like site positioning technology, the first thing they’re going to want to do is to go out and verify three major things before they move an ounce of dirt,” Justin Humphries, North American sales manager for Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, says. “The first thing is they need to check to make sure that the control that they’ve been given is accurate. That way, everything is tied back to a known control point and put where it needs to be put.“The second thing is they need to confirm that all elevations they’ve been given to build off of are accurate,” Humphries adds. “And then the last thing they need to confirm is that the designs they were given are accurate. And, if done right, all those checks can be done before any dirt has been moved.”Too often, workers in the industry gravitate toward what’s been passed down from generation to generation. When sitting in a machine grading a slope, many operators say they “can feel it in their bones.”It’s nt until they meet with a technology provider and test technology that they realize how much it can help improve their operations. “Historically, in the industry, most people start to move dirt before they perform those checks, and what happens is that you end up finding discrepancies or errors after you’ve already started to move dirt,” Humphries says. “We all know what that means—that’s rework, and people start losing money. Those initial checks could take a day, but they could save millions.”A RENEWED FOCUS But there’s more to site prep than just moving dirt. Companies must take into consideration the human preparation and protection that are necessary for success. According to the CDC, the construction industry’s suicide rate is one of the highest of any industry. However, the official numbers likely don’t capture the full crisis facing the industry.Federal numbers show that in 2016, the suicide rate (49.4 per 100,000) for men in the “construction and extraction occupations” was nearly twice the suicide rate for civilian working men between 16 and 64 years old in 32 states (27.4/100,000). It was also five times more than the construction industry’s fatal work-related injuries rate of 9.5/100,000 in 2018.While the agency suggested additional research will help the industry understand why the suicide rate is higher for workers in construction than in other industries, job strain, long work hours and other “psychological risk factors,” such as depression and stress, could contribute to the rate.The latest edition of The Civil Quarterly (TCQ) from Dodge Construction Network, produced in partnership with Infotech and Hexagon, revealed that only about a third of contractor respondents (34%) say that staff at their companies have “good access to resources that help address mental health issues.” While this survey is specific to civil contractors, it’s likely indicative of the entire construction industry.Roughly three in four (77%) of civil contractors indicate “some level of effort.” However, only about a third of respondents use employee assistance programs and provide information on where workers can access mental health assessment websites, the most widely used means of addressing mental health.When asked about their organization’s state of mind/mental health compared with 5 years ago, twice as many civil contractors (36%) report improvements than worsening conditions (15%).This could be the result of the high levels of job security at most companies in an industry struggling to attract and retain workers. It could also be due to the increasing attention to mental health, which has occurred since the COVID-19 pandemic.LET’S TALK ABOUT ITPoor Site PrepPoor Site Prepturning attention to the monetary and human costBy Troy Dahlin

“Seeing mental health improve because visibility to long-term plans and daily activity benchmarks is improving—everybody’s on the same page reading the same sheet of music, so we’re able to measure ourselves and aim at the same target,” Humphries says.THE PATH FORWARDAaron Witt, CEO of BuildWitt, believes there’s no easy answer to addressing the mental health dilemma on the jobsite, but it will require courage to speak out.“I don’t know if there’s a single reason why, but my mind goes very quickly to the fact that this is a macho, manly big-time industry, and you don’t want to appear stupid; you don’t want to appear weak. You want to be accepted by the tribe,” Witt says. “The tribe is a bunch of tough guys, and you’re going to do what you need to do to blend in.“So, if you’re hurting, or you’re getting divorced, or you have a substance abuse issue—whatever it is, chances are you’re going to cover that up because you don’t want to be perceived as the weak one in the group,” Witt adds. “So, I think that’s a big reason.”Witt says success starts with how an organization cares for its people and makes itself a place people want to work. Witt often shares his experience with counseling with his team, hoping they’ll warm to the idea of talking with a professional if needed.“I’m guilty of this too, especially as a leader of an organization, you get caught up in the day-to-day, and you get buried under the lawyers, and the paperwork and the contracts and the insurance and this and that,” Witt says. “And a month goes by, and you haven’t gotten to the jobsite; you haven’t taken the time to shake people’s hands, but that’s all it takes.“Maybe just once a week getting out onto the jobsites, shaking peoples’ hands, and saying ‘hey, how are you; how’s your family; thank you; I really appreciate you; I appreciate everything you’re doing,’” Witt says. “The organizations that don’t have a big workforce challenge right now are those organizations where people at the top are out in the field very often, and all they’re doing is just saying thank you.”CLOSING THOUGHTWhen it comes to site preparation, the focus often centers on avoiding costly mistakes. While deploying the solutions that help avoid those mistakes and help save money is a noble effort, the most significant savings come when companies focus on their teams. Often the most important investment isn’t made in a piece of equipment or technology but in people. After all, that’s what truly powers an organization. www.mcsmag.com MAY 202345about the authorTroy Dahlin is vice president of heavy construction US/Canada with Leica Geosystems, a part of Hexagon. For more, visit leica-geosystems.com.about the authorTroy Dahlin is vice president of heavy construction US/Canada with Leica Geosystems, a part of Hexagon. For more, visit leica-geosystems.com.Machine control-based jobsite safety solutions, like the Leica PA80, add a necessary level of technologically advanced safety to any site, which can contribute to a positive mental health environment.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com46technology solutionRisk PlanningRisk Planningprepare for project issues earlier and more otenINFRASTRUCTURERecent extreme weather events causing construction delays and cost overruns have demonstrated the increasingly shifting position of risk within which infrastructure developers operate. Supply chains—already disrupted by shortages of key commodities, from copper to steel—have been further hit by major extreme weather events, including wildfires affecting lumber supplies and winter freezes affecting plastic production. With globalized supply chains traversing regions of varying and volatile risk landscapes, there is a growing imperative for earlier risk planning encompassing key suppliers and project stakeholders. Yet many capital projects remain mired in sequential, siloed construction models where suppliers are excluded from risk planning and interrelated risks to budgets or schedules are considered in isolation. Risk planning is often late and limited to certain scenarios, stakeholders, or project stages rather than being done early and collectively. Project risks are also often disproportionately loaded onto contractors, which means risk identification and mitigation is not often baked into upfront project planning and engineering, only to arise as an issue during construction. THE GLOBALIZATION OF RISKAs supply chains become more globalized to encompass more regions and suppliers, the risk surface for capital projects is widening with events in one region increasingly affecting projects elsewhere. An extreme weather event can disrupt numerous suppliers, or supplies to suppliers, and have a domino effect across projects, from delays and cost increases to reactive scope changes. Hurricane Ida not only affected chemical plants making plastics for everything from wind turbines to gas pipelines, but also caused road closures, showing how major risk events can simultaneously affect multiple links in the supply chain from production to transportation. The resulting supply chain shortages and commodity price increases can cause project delays and cost overruns, illustrating how upstream disruption increasingly flows downstream and ripples out across all project metrics from time to cost. The increasingly fluctuating nature and far-reaching effects of project risks require more agile, adaptable, and resilient infrastructure projects. This means more upfront and holistic risk planning involving early-stage collaboration between owners, designers, builders, and key suppliers to understand supply chain dependencies and logistical risks.Yet much of the construction industry remains wedded to non-iterative approaches where risk assessment is a static exercise performed on an interval (as opposed to ongoing) basis, often after key scope, design, and sometimes even supplier decisions have already been made by the owner. The trend toward more iterative project delivery models—such as design-build and progressive design-build—is addressing the need for earlier stakeholder involvement, but there remains a need to democratize risk management so it is performed continuously throughout the project’s lifecycle.EARLY-STAGE PLANNINGThe construction industry needs to move from reactive “fire brigade” risk management to proactive, preventive risk planning. Risk By Brad Barth

management must be baked into projects at the planning stage and involve all stakeholders from design to build teams. Key suppliers should also be included so that appropriate risks can be considered in upfront design decisions, such as vulnerability to extreme weather, geopolitical instability, and price volatility.Yet this hinges on adoption of open, interoperable project management systems and connected data that can enable collaborative risk planning among all project partners. Integrated project controls platforms can provide a unified view of risk that incentivizes risk transparency through digital dashboards that aggregate data from multiple stakeholders for a real-time overview of a project’s progress and risks. Connected data and cloud technology can create a single source of truth on systemic risks to inform holistic mitigation measures. Open, interoperable tools can encourage and enable more open and collaborative project management models. The Union Station Enhancement Project, now underway in Toronto, is a perfect example of this shared risk approach. The $560 million transit project is utilizing an alliance agreement involving Metrolinx (the owner-operator) and the constructors, designers, and signalling work providers. The ONTrack Alliance team is utilizing the InEight project controls platform to plan and execute the project, which includes collaborative change management and risk management as part of the contract.Another benefit to using integrated project controls technology is the ability to capture historical data on how risk events affected past projects, highlighting opportunities on future projects to identify and reduce risks early in the planning stage. This way, painful lessons learned on one project can feed into improved, risk-adjusted planning for subsequent ones. Similarly, lessons captured from past projects can facilitate more realistic project cost and schedule targets, enabling a data-driven, benchmark-based planning process.CLOSING THOUGHTThe increasing globalization and decentralization of supply chains means contractors are increasingly at the mercy of events beyond their control, and even beyond their borders. The fast-changing and systemic nature of recent risks, from global pandemics to extreme weather events, underscores the need for risk planning to be earlier, more collaborative across stakeholders, and extend deeper into the supply chain. Fortunately, cloud technology and major advances in integrated project controls software are enabling owners to move toward new and more iterative project delivery models, with the goal of enabling project teams to deliver scope, cost, and schedule outcomes in line with expectations. www.mcsmag.com MAY 202347about the authorBrad Barth is chief product officer at InEight. For more, visit ineight.com.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com48technology solutionArtificial Intelligence (AI) tools are becoming more mainstream, and an increasing number of professionals, such as designers, engineers, and manufacturers of heavy-duty equipment are looking at ways to incorporate various AI-driven technologies into their workflows.Automation technology using AI can be programmed to complete logical processes for construction equipment manufacturers. With the already large array of technological applications and programs businesses use, what makes AI technology the next best thing? First, AI technology is flexible. It can be used by many industries in their own unique way, such as aiding them in data mining, targeted marketing, or constructing precision-based financial models. AI today can also be found in other markets such as medical equipment manufacturers, construction equipment producers, tech and engineering firms for aerospace and automotive, mining precincts, utilities, oil and gas. Not only is the technology flexible in its implementation, but in what it is compatible with. This technology can work with diverse business applications and structured or unstructured data.THE POSSIBILITIESChatGPT is the latest technology driven by AI that uses natural language processing. It leverages deep learning algorithms to enable users to converse with chatbots. Because it was developed with conversational AI capabilities, it can immediately comprehend user queries and generate natural-sounding responses that are tailored to the conversation context. It also has built-in memory capability that stores information from past conversations to better respond to subsequent messages. EDITOR’S NOTE: According to John Rampton in his article on Entrepreneur.com, dated April 24, 2023, “One of the biggest cons of ChatGPT or any other AI chatbot is that it cannot be used as an authoritative source of information. At the time of writing (April 2023), the technology still relies on content from the internet, as in 2021.”Engineers and designers are also realizing that many projects throughout vertical industries require more than just the development of text and responding to prompts. That is why these professionals are combining the powers of AI tools along with other progressive technologies like mixed immersive reality (augmented reality and virtual reality). They are building AI-models like ChatGPT to help create virtual worlds in the metaverse to run simulations and increase productivity/efficiency metrics. More specifically, AI tools like ChatGPT and the metaverse can help create a 3D environment that replicates the real world, and the data used can be harnessed for analysis, running simulations, and interacting with data more efficiently.SHORTFALLS TO CONSIDERThere are still some limitations with ChatGPT. As an example, when engineers are designing tools or products, AI technologies cannot recognize when physical items move and must be manually told that it is in a different location. That being said, technology such as ChatGPT can significantly assist with coding the virtual 3D world and running simulations. Historically, this coding has been done manually but with AI tools the developer time can be increased ten-fold.Developers writing code will benefit because ChatGPT can create the vast majority of the code, while developers are then left to use resources to debug much less of the code. They can actually spend more time on innovation. Workers on the manufacturing floor will then better understand the code and language produced by ChatGPT through its natural language ability. As an example, the tools can provide alerts that increase safety standards when entering a hazardous section of the plant floor or when operating heavy equipment. Training and test simulations conducted within metaverse environments will also benefit from increased safety practices. ANOTHER TOOL TO USEAI tools such as ChatGPT will also play a leading role in helping to create code and language used in the development of digital twins—the virtual world where people, consumers, workers all gather to communicate, collaborate, and share through a virtual presence on any device. This means companies will build immersive virtual spaces, and it will allow employees to virtually collaborate using their digital twin through chats, emails, video calls, and even face-to-face meetings.AI TechnologyAI Technologyleveraging AI tools like ChatGPT and AR/VRVIRTUAL WORLDBy Dijam Panigrahi

The power of simulation will be an exact game-changer for enterprises and businesses throughout the metaverse in a variety of industries, such as optimizing production planning in the automotive sector, accelerating design in the aerospace industry, improving overall production efficiency for manufacturers, and increasing accuracy for consumer packaged goods companies, many companies are poised to leverage virtual simulation to make better business decisions and generate the greatest return on investment. Following are several other examples how AI tools such as ChatGPT will benefit designers, engineers, and manufacturers:Automation Support. Engineers will have proximity to leading technology that supports automation processes and reduces time spent on manual tasks, like collecting data, preparing reports, and monitoring trends in their industry.Task Planning and Management. This is particularly critical for engineers since it requires a vast amount of organization, discipline, and time management when completing tasks effectively. Technology like ChatGPT can improve the process by enabling an intuitive platform for task planning and management.Knowledge Sharing. Engineers and their teams will be able to increase collaboration and efficiency in the workplace since tools like ChatGPT allow for streamlined knowledge sharing between engineers and other employees at work.Error Detection. This is an area that has always been a large issue for engineers as they continue to seek the most efficient ways to identify errors, which lead to time and cost savings. The use of natural language processing will now be leveraged to visualize errors in text-based data faster than ever before, critical in code review, error analysis, or debugging.Security and privacy: Security and privacy is one of the biggest issues facing today’s world. Since metaverse environments have the digital twin as an integral part, the metaverse will have much richer data. The security and privacy in metaverse environments cannot be solved by traditional security tools. However, technologies like AR/VR leveraging leading AI tools are better equipped to handle security and privacy related to digital twins. CLOSING THOUGHTEngineers, designers, and manufacturing employees will continue to leverage virtual worlds built with metaverse environments because they will be important for all businesses, enterprises, and consumers. Today, with the help of AI tools such as ChatGPT, businesses will see an increase in productivity like never before. www.mcsmag.com MAY 202349about the authorDijam Panigrahi is co-founder and COO of GridRaster Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based AR/VR platforms that power compelling high-quality AR/VR experiences on mobile devices for enterprises. For more, visit www.gridraster.com.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com50maintenance solutionRoad RepairRoad Repairsolution provides versatility and cost savingsCLARK AVENUEThe Clark Avenue interchange is a highly traveled, four-lane road serving as a primary access point to California State Route 135 in Santa Barbara County. It is also an arterial roadway for the Town of Orcutt. The one critical problem that the County needed to address was the deterioration of the longitudinal paving joint at and around the Clark Avenue Interchange (Figure 1). This type of deterioration can often lead to premature pavement failure if left untreated. THE CHALLENGE“Considering standard crack sealing to address this type of problem was not an option. The deterioration that was occurring to the joint progressed beyond the point of performing a typical crack sealing treatment,” says North County Road Maintenance Supervisor for Santa Barbara County Andy O’Brien. “An application using a cold mix or HMA was also not a viable option due to high traffic volumes. Extensive road closures would have caused severe disruption to traffic flow.” Finding the right solution would be a challenge. The repair material is needed to treat and preserve the pavement, but also not create significant disruptions to traffic flows or safety hazards when applied. According to O’Brien, “We were looking for a repair material that could be quickly and easily installed, flexible, durable, and capable of receiving road paint markings that would hold up well in high traffic.” THE SOLUTIONThrough a product demonstration, Mastic One® by Crafco met all the requirements Figure 3: The crew applied 100 yards of the Mastic One material at a time with the drag box, saving the county countless hours.Figure 2: Mastic One cools quickly after installation and is ready for traffic when it has solidified sufficiently to support loads.

because of its ease of installation, the proven service life of more than 5 years, and the ability to receive traffic when cooled. Almost 6 years have transpired since the County installed 4200 lbs of the hot Mastic One material to treat the longitudinal joint cracking at and around the Clark Avenue Interchange (Figure 2). The work started at Foxenwood Lane on the west side of the SR 135, applying 200 yards of the hot Mastic One at a time with a drag box. This time and labor-saving installation method continued under SR 135, ending at the northbound on/off ramps. The County Public Works Department maintenance crew recognized that utilizing Mastic One to treat longitudinal joint raveling resulted in significantly less traffic interruption, less equipment and crew, less cost and time spent, and an improved long-term repair. These benefits along with ensuring a smooth ride for vehicles provided an unrivaled solution to one of the most prevalent forms of distress in asphalt roads.“The performance has been excellent,” says O’Brien. Mastic One has performed how we expected. The unraveling of the joints/seams has stopped. Another concern was how the mastic material would accept traffic line paint. To our delight, the paint has adhered to the mastic material exceptionally well.” (Figure 3)CLOSING THOUGHTThe performance of Mastic One on this project has led the County of Santa Barbara to use the repair mastic on other projects. Mastic One enabled the county to complete the repair in a safe, effective, and efficient manner. www.mcsmag.com MAY 202351for more informationFor more information about Mastic One, contact Chris Vacca at chris.vaccca@crafco.com, or visit www.crafco.com. Figure 1: Untreated longitudinal joints at Clark Avenue. Mastic One® performed as expected. The unraveling of the joints/seams stopped and the traffic line paint adhered to the mastic material exceptionally well.

MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com54modern construction productsVENCO VENTUROVENTURO HT60KXBig jobs in challenging industries need strong, safe heavy-duty equipment you can depend on. From construction to municipalities and truck repair, the Venturo HT60KX is a made-in-the-USA heavy-duty service crane that is purpose-built to handle your work demands. Rated at 60,000 ft lbs with a hefty 10,000-lb lifting capacity and 25 and 30-ft reach options, the HT60KX delivers the brute power you need to tackle any job, anywhere. The operator-friendly design and safety-redundant features of the VLC™ remote control system help make the HT60KX the long-lasting, durable crane jobsites demand. For more, visit www.venturo.com. ATLAS COPCO B-Air 185-12Atlas Copco expands its portable electric product portfolio to include an all-new battery driven portable screw air compressor. The B-Air 185-12 features 5-12 bar of pressure, a stable flow rate of 5.4-3.7 m3/min and 55-kWh battery storage capacity. With power delivered from its onboard power pack, in operation a fully charged unit is independent of the need for fuel or a local power source to plug into, and has the capability to perform for up to a full typical work shift. The B-Air 185-12 is scheduled to go into production in September. For more, visit www.atlascopco.com. INDCO Gear Drive Mixers INDCO presents its BGTC-series gear drive IBC bracket mount mixers designed specifically to mix heavy viscosity materials or re-suspension of settled materials, including traffic paint formulations. BGCT series gear drive mixers are available with air, electric, and variable speed electric operation, from ¾ to 2 hp, to provide various levels of torque. Units include shaft, folding impellers to easily fit through 6-inch tote openings, and expandable mounting bracket. INDCO BGCT-series mixers are ideal for traffic paints and other heavier bodied primers, and other coatings, including those high solids content, and reflective glass beads. For more, visit www.indco.com. RICHWAY INDUSTRIES, LTD. Sub-Compact Articulating LoaderRichway Industries, Ltd. introduces its rear steer SCL-210 sub-compact articulating loader. The SCL-210 is rugged, versatile, and turf friendly. The small footprint provides easy access to confined areas. Equipped with a 24.8 hp Kubota diesel engine, manual locking “mini-skid” universal quick-tach, traction control, 2-inch receiver hitch, heavy duty all steel body, suspension seat, greaseless bushings allow for low maintenance hinge points, pilot control joystick, and 12 gpm/2500 psi auxiliary valve and innovative hydraulic oil reservoir requiring only 2 gallons of fluid. 2 year/1000 hour warranty, whichever occurs first. Dealership opportunities available. For more, visit www.richway.com. LINEWISETLL-300 Triple Line LiterThe new TLL-300 Triple Line Lifter is designed to support up to three phases during distribution work below 34.5 kV. With models available for bucket trucks, cranes and digger derricks, the economical TLL-300 significantly increases efficiency on pole change-outs and other maintenance tasks. The TLL-300 features a fiberglass mast and crossarm with three adjustable wire holders. The wire holders can be moved along the crossarm in 3-inch increments without the use of tools. For added versatility, the crossarm can rotate 15 degrees each direction, both inline and perpendicular to the boom. For more, visit www.line-wise.com. CATERPILLARRM600 Reclaimer⁄StabilizerThe new Cat RM600 reclaimer/stabilizer offers power, performance, and productivity to efficiently complete full-depth reclamation and soil stabilization projects. The turbocharged Cat C18 engine gives the RM600 up to 17% more power than the RM500B. Featuring a belt driven rotor drive system, the machine is capable of flush-cutting on the right side. The new System K rotor uses the same cold planer fastener-free, dual-taper toolholder and base block components to deliver superior material quality. Exit and return-to-cut features simplify operation, save time, and ensure a consistent depth of cut. For more, contact a Cat dealer or visit www.cat.com.

punch•listHeadlineHeadlinedek lineHEADLINExxx By authorThe fifth book on your punch list is The Business Playbook. This book is designed to help you document and delegate what you do so your company can scale and grow.WHY THIS BOOK?Starting a business, like a construction company, takes entrepreneurial spirit. You have the knowledge that backs your expertise, your vision is to start small and scale, you hire a few folks you know, and get to work. And, work consumes you. Every job is one where your people are not as highly skilled as you and you haven’t made the time to train. The business is getting away from you, and instead of growing the business to run without you, you are getting burned out. Something has to change. You need a business playbook to help you navigate the business infrastructure and benefit from the endeavor you started. One person in a company in charge of everything and doing everything leads to failure. It’s time to do, document, and delegate.HOW TO GET STARTEDThe author recommends reading the whole book first. Then, share the book with your key team members. Creating a playbook is a team sport, not a solo journey. Ask your key people to write down their responsibilities. Essentially, you’ve done the work in your business and have a process that gives you consistent results. To put your company on the path for success and growth, the system defined in The Business Playbook makes way for communicating areas of your business to others on the team or when onboarding new hires. The book also shares how to delegate the work so you are not doing everything yourself. DOCUMENTATION IS KEYCreating a playbook is more that simply documenting what you do so others can do the work as well. A playbook unburdens you for more, establishes consistently high standards for growth, and enhances the employee experience. Yes, customers are to be treated well. Employees matter too. A playbook shares what’s expected of team members, shares skills to advance employee growth, creates backups to support the company’s foundation, and keeps everyone aligned on the company’s vision and core values. ESSENTIAL QUALITIESThere are seven essential qualities of a successful playbook: accessible, searchable, collaborative, instructive, fluid, structured, and trackable. Learn about these qualities and how they work together to provide the framework for your business. The Business Playbook guides you through the process and explains why documenting and delegating is so important.CLOSING THOUGHTWith a playbook of your company, you’ve created an asset, which is the combined experience and knowledge of your entire company … including you. This process by which the company runs without depending on you or one person increases the company’s value. Let The Business Playbook take you through the people, policies, and process for success. Cheers, MAY 2023 www.mcsmag.com56The Business PlaybookCHRIS RONZIO, 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 informationChris Ronzio is the founder and CEO of Trainual, a leading SaaS platform transforming the way small businesses onboard, train, and scale teams. For more, visit www.thebusinessplaybook.com.P•Lpunch•list | 0523