Blog Archives
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Are you patient enough to pave driveways?
By Allan Heydorn - Wednesday August 22, 2007Paving residential driveways is so different from paving roads and parking lots that we probably should come up with a different term for the work. Where roads (and some parking lots) are about volume, and commercial paving is about margin, driveway paving is about neatness, care, and cash flow. Residential homeowners are picky, they want everything to be "just so," and they value their patios, sidewalks, gardens, shrubs, and lawn - to say nothing of their houses - almost as if they own them. If you haven't already had the chance to flip through the August/September issue of Pavement, check it out, especially if you're a driveway paving contractor. Top Quality Paving's John Ball uses more than 20 driveway-paving photos to offer tips and... -
Concrete Contractor readers choose top products
By Rebecca Wasieleski - Wednesday August 22, 2007Concrete Contractor recently announced its annual list of the 25 most popular products of the year, according to the magazine's readers. To learn more about these products read about them in your Aug/Sept issue (hitting your mailbox soon), visit an online photo gallery at ForConstructionPros.com or visit the online version of the Aug/Sept issue of Concrete Contractor. Did your favorite product make the list? If not, leave a reply below about a piece of equipment or product that makes your concrete jobs easier and more efficient. -
Welcome to Allan's Blog!
By Allan Heydorn - Thursday August 16, 2007Well, this is going to be interesting, if not entertaining. I've been accused, by family, friends, co-workers - in other words people who know me - of being a Luddite. And for those who don't know, Luddites were members of an early 1800s movement of English textile workers who protested - often by destroying textile machines -- changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution. That's the origin; more recently the term Luddite has been used to describe anyone opposed to technological progress or technological change. OK, so maybe there's some truth in that, but only a little. I like music but don't have an iPod, I don't own a cell phone (but will borrow one from my wife when I head off to National Pavement Expo or National Pavement Expo... -
The power of humans
By Rebecca Wasieleski - Wednesday August 15, 2007As the world looks to alternative energy sources to replace our usual sources of energy such as coal and oil, people come up with some interesting solutions, as described in this article about foot power. The article explains the idea of capturing the energy created in human footsteps and using it to create electricity. Mallrats, students changing classes throughout the school day, attendees to sporting events and concerts, and subway commuters all become possible sources for energy! With the green building movement gaining momentum every day, you'll see more ideas like this spring up in the news. If you run across any interesting green building ideas, please, e-mail them my way! -
Home after the CFA Conference
By Rebecca Wasieleski - Monday August 13, 2007I'm back at my desk in good ol' Wisconsin after spending several days in Vermont for the Concrete Foundations Association summer conference. Foundation contractors from all over the country had the opportunity to learn about some of the latest technology in site prep and layout, GPS tracking for vehicle management, and green building. Green building was probably the topic that was on most people's minds, with poured wall contractors talking a lot about their experiences building concrete homes. Van Smith presented a seminar on VanDeck, a new removable concrete forming system for concrete decks offered by Western Forms. In the exhibit area, information was also available on the Thermomass product and Western Forms' Comfort... -
Live from the CFA!
By Rebecca Wasieleski - Friday August 10, 2007I'm in Vermont right now attending the Concrete Foundations Association summer meeting. This morning I attended seminars on succession planning, crisis communication and in-house training. In a couple of minutes I'm going to eat some Ben and Jerry's ice cream , but before I do I want to leave you with a quick tip a contractor mentioned during the crisis communication seminar. One of this contractor's employees had a medical emergency on the job, and the "in case of emergency" contact numbers the employee had given the owner many years ago were out of date. With cell phone numbers changing constantly, and people's "call in case of emergency" choices potentially moving or changing too, it's a good idea for you to... -
Internet calling
By Rebecca Wasieleski - Monday August 6, 2007I'm always looking for a way to lower my monthly bills, as I'm sure you're always looking for a way to lower your overhead. Something I've been investigating lately is Internet phone service as a replacement to a land line at my home.  I ran across this article on Internet calling at the New York Times. The article reviews several Internet calling services and lays out their benefits and drawbacks. I'm not sure any of these services are ready to replace a phone line at a business, but the technology seems to be advancing quickly. It might be a subject worth keeping your eye on for some future overhead savings at your business. -
Increase safety in the workplace
By Rebecca Wasieleski - Thursday August 2, 2007The cover story for the August/September issue of Concrete Contractor (coming soon to a mailbox near you) focuses on safety. It's something that should be on the mind of every business owner and worker. If you think there's room for improvement in your business when it comes to workplace safety, check out OSHA's free workplace safety consultation program. Designed for small businesses, it's not an inspection and you won't be penalized for hazards -- they are there to help you recognize potential hazards in the workplace and devise a plan to make your business a safer place for employees. -
Concrete Cartographer?
By Rebecca Wasieleski - Friday July 27, 2007This morning's New York Times ran an interesting article on the rise of amateur map makers. The story has links to some interesting maps, such as the Top 10 Oregon Vineyards and Biodiesel Stations in New England. This article got me thinking about how a concrete contractor could take advantage of these online mapping tools. If you're a techy contractor, you could map out finished projects you've worked on in your community, adding photographs and descriptions of the job to each site. With the map posted on your website, potential clients could see images of your work and have the option of driving to the site to see the work up close. -
Carbon monoxide safety
By Rebecca Wasieleski - Monday July 23, 2007I recently heard about a tent camper who died of carbon monoxide fumes emitted by a nearby generator and it got me thinking about how careful construction workers need to be when working with gasoline-powered construction tools indoors or in enclosed spaces. It's important to make sure you're working in a properly ventilated workspace when using gas-powered saws, power trowles, generators and so on. Headaches, drowsiness and nausea are some of the early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. Remind your employees and co-workers of the dangers of carbon monoxide on the work site. OSHA offers tips on how to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning in English and Spanish.
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