For Construction Pros

Today in Concrete History ...

By Rebecca Wasieleski - Thursday July 16, 2009

On July 16, 1867, F. Joseph Monier patented reinforced concrete. The idea came to him while trying to design a concrete flower pot. Read the whole story at Wired magazine.

Scientists create carbon-neutral cement replacement with rice husks

By Rebecca Wasieleski - Friday July 10, 2009

Â Concrete's contributions to sustainable construction are many -- pervious concrete, insulated walls, low-albedo values, supplementary cementicious materials (SMCs), recycling opportunities, and moreÂ -- but many people continue to focus on concrete's negative affects on the environment, namely carbon dioxide emissions from cement production. The industry has been working on sustainable manufacturingÂ and increasing the use of cement substitutes like fly ash and slag, which lessen the amount of cement needed in concrete production.Â And scientists have recently found another cement substitute that's carbon neutral -- rice husks. The Discover Channel reports that rice husk ash could replace up to 20 percent of the cement in a...

Obama administration expands use of E-Verify

By Rebecca Wasieleski - Thursday July 9, 2009

The New York Times ran a story today on the Obama administration's decision to require businesses thatÂ work on federal projects to verify the legal work status of their employees through the E-Verify system. The rule will affect contractors who gain new contracts after Sept. 8, 2009.

Doug Staebler to give talk on business financing at CFA Summer Meeting

By Rebecca Wasieleski - Tuesday June 30, 2009

In today's economy, business owners face toughÂ challenges in the lending arena. Doug Staebler, CFO with Custom Concrete, will talk about some of these challenges and how contractors can overcome them at the 2009 CFA Summer Meeting. I talked with Doug about his upcoming seminar. Listen here!

Architecture and Sci-Fi

By Rebecca Wasieleski - Wednesday June 24, 2009

I ran across an article at The Architects' Journal web pageÂ on the architecture of Star Wars. Good stuff. Who wouldn't want to live in the Ewok Village!? I think the Sci-Fi world is a great place to look for futuristic design ideas and inspiration. I've always been intrigued and humored by the past's vision of the future. (Do you remember that silly "war room/president's office" in the original Dead Zone?) One of my favorite futurist illustrators is Arthur Radebaugh, a commercial artist and cartoonist from the mid-1900s. His stuff can be hard to find, but believe me, he had a great futurist mind and was a talented artist. His "Closer Than We Think" was comic strip Sci-Fi. I found this link on another blog, Paleo-Future,Â that shows...

Bob Harris to give decorative concrete seminar at the CFA Summer Meeting

By Rebecca Wasieleski - Friday June 12, 2009

One of the focusesÂ for the 2009 Concrete Foundations Association (CFA)Â Summer Meeting, which will be held July 29 - August 1 at Amelia Island, Fla., is "Why Waste a Good Recession?" The CFA has assembled a great line-up of educational programs to assist commercial and residential foundation contractors through this time of economic hardship. The speakers will discuss topics that encourage contractorsÂ to take advantage of the downturn to kick-start their marketing, educate themselves on sustainable offerings and learn new skills. My magazine, Concrete Contractor, is sponsoring our columnist Bob HarrisÂ of the Decorative Concrete InstituteÂ to speak to CFA members on the topic of decorative concrete. Hear Bob talk about what...

Attention Lego lovers

By Rebecca Wasieleski - Monday June 1, 2009

The Lego company has introduced some pretty cool special sets over the years -- Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pirates and even SpongeBob SquarePants. Even though SpongeBob has a special place in my heart, I'm really impressed by the recent introduction ofÂ LegoÂ kits to build two Frank Lloyd Wright structures -- the Guggenheim and Falling Water. Check out the pictures below.

A 'Hollywood touch' for construction

By Rebecca Wasieleski - Wednesday May 27, 2009

In an economy where ever dollar counts, construction companies are looking for ways to make theirÂ jobsites more efficient and their projects more profitable. Many of them are turning to technology. NPR ran a great story this AM on 3D construction design company Autodesk's software program that helps turn "shovel-ready" projects into computer simulation previews of road and bridges. We won't see Spiderman swinging his way around tomorrow's bridges, but the software does bring a little bit of Hollywood into the construction market. Listen to the story here.

Some serious sandbox action

By Rebecca Wasieleski - Friday May 22, 2009

Take a look at this humorous article, about a 3-year old in New Zealand who bought a piece of earthmoving equipment in an online auction. Watch out, kiddies, this gal isÂ Queen of the Sandbox!

We have a winner!

By Rebecca Wasieleski - Thursday May 21, 2009

I want to congratulate Rick, winner of Concrete Quiz #1. The Question: What is the name of theÂ oldestÂ concreteÂ street in America and in what city and state can it be found? Rick's answer was Court Street in Bellefontaine, Ohio. Congratulations, Rick! Your Concrete Contractor coffee mug is in the mail. Stay tuned for the next Concrete Quiz, available here in a couple of weeks.