Construction Equipment Owner

Now here’s a troubling news being reported by CNNMoney.com: Some 14 states have only a few weeks left to gain approval for highway projects or risk losing millions of stimulus dollars.

States will have to “obligate” at least half their share of stimulus funds for road and bridge improvements by the end of June. Otherwise the federal Department of Transportation will redistribute half the leftover money.

For the workers, economy, etc. in those states (Alaska we’re talking to you with only 6.3% of its $122.8 million in funds obligated to this point) I hope they are able to gain approval for their projects from the Federal Highway Administration. There is still time to get projects approved as that is the criteria to this point, not having actually spent the money by the end of June. So let’s not panic yet. I’ll continue to believe the delays are due to careful selection and planning (see Ohio’s Unusual Path in article) as opposed to a lack of organization or other factors as missing out on any part of this stimulus would be a big mistake by the states.

In an economy where ever dollar counts, construction companies are looking for ways to make their 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.

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 is Queen of the Sandbox!

I want to congratulate Rick, winner of Concrete Quiz #1. The Question: What is the name of the oldest concrete 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.

I’m using the latest news about a man having his fingers crushed during a road building project by a concrete pipe as an opportunity to bring up the topic of safety. It’s not so much just to point out an accident in the construction industry as it is an attempt to add another wrinkle to how you think about safety.

There’s not enough information from this article to say either way if this were merely an accident or cause of lack of proper safety protocols. Regardless, it is an opportunity to be aware of how someone was hurt and that is how we all learn. It doesn’t always have to happen to you or your crew. I’m sure you take safety seriously and have the proper steps in place to manage your risks. But if you and your crew are aware of how another accident and injury happened, maybe you’ll be able to foresee the same situation arising and avoid being mentioned in the paper for an accident instead of being recognized for the completion of an outstanding project.

Contractors offering milling services can support their work with a report prepared for the Washington Dept. of Transportation that supports the use of pavement milling — even without a tack coat — as a pavement preservation technique.

Reported in the Winter edition of Centerline published by the Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon, milled pavement surfaces had a better bond than non-milled surfaces. The study also found that when milled pavement was overlayed without a tack coat the lack of tack did not adversely affect the bond between the layers.

However, the same was not found for non-milled pavement. Pavement that was not milled prior to an overlay and that did not receive a tack coat exhibited decreased bond strength — actually no bond at all.

The impact is this: Milling, with or without a tack coat, is an effective way to place a pavement overlay. If you’re not milling the surface then a tack coat is essential.

If there’s one thing I’ve heard from everyone in the industry is for contractors to stay competitive they need to find ways to be more efficient. There are many suggestions, tips and ideas out there and here is another one - in a form of a webinar - if you are still searching for a solution to increase efficiencies throughout your operations.

Time is Money: Technological Tools in “Productivity Tool Box” to Improve Construction Performance and Efficiency
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Presented by: Dr. Janaka Ruwanpura, Canada Research Chair, University of Calgary

The webinar will highlight the technological tools developed to improve performance of construction projects. The webinar will also briefly highlight the other tools developed and successfully implemented in the industry by the research team that had improved tool time, productivity, worker satisfaction, motivation and proactive planning.

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/856756313

Its been a couple of days since I was able to get a post up and there are a few items that have come to my attention that I would like to include in this blog post, so its time for another Construction Industry Round-Up!!!

10 Ways to Improve Lease Negotiation Skills and Save Money - Webinar

Learn tips top negotiators use that result in successful "win-win" negotiations.

• How to negotiate with everyone.
• How to polish and fine tune your negotiation skills.
• When to hold ‘em or fold ‘em, and when to walk away.
• Why you need a Plan B or C in every negotiation.
• What to do with the "tough guy."
• The negotiator’s Rules of the Road.

Webinar is scheduleed for May 21st at 1:00 PM (CST) Register here.

ICUEE to Commemorate the Utility Champions
Share your utility story on how electricity was restored as a result of exceptional effort, when homes were saved from flooding, or how families received help by determined volunteers in recovery efforts. The stories of these Utility Champions need to be told and need to be commemorated.

Tell ICUEE your story at www.icuee.com/champions today and they will help share it with the world. Get that colleague or company the recognition they deserve.

Volvo Sponsors World’s Toughest Ocean Race
Since its 2001-02 running, Volvo has been the primary sponsor of the Volvo Ocean Race. Viewed as the “Everest of Sailing”, this nine month-long event is held every three years, covers 37,000 nautical miles and is considered one of the most demanding team sporting events in the world.

Following are images taken by Equipment Today editor, Becky Schultz, who attended the in-port races held during the crews’ scheduled stopover in Boston during the 2008-2009 event. The race itself will conclude in St. Petersburg, Russia, in late June. For race details, updates, related stories, images, an interactive game and more, visit www.volvooceanrace.org

Anyone who lives in, near, or drives through Chicago will soon get an eyeful (and probably have plenty of time sitting in construction traffic from which to watch) how some of the federal stimulus money is getting spent.

Typically Chicago resurfaces about 35 miles of streets a year, though Chicago DOT says only a few miles were repaved in 2007 and 2008 because state funding basically dried up. But through 2010, largely because of stimulus dollars, Chicago will reconstruct from the subbase up four sections of major roads and resurface another 100 or so miles of some of the worst streets in the city. And drivers in Oak Park, IL, will finally notice construction on a section of roadway that has begged for repair for years.

Whether or not you support the stimulus, this work is a good thing. New and repaired roads are important for communities, they’re good for drivers and driver safety, they’re good for the paving industry — and ultimately good for the pavement maintenance industry.

There’s no question the infrastructure of the country has to be rehabilitated, and that means roads have to be repaired before they are too far gone. You know, “proper maintenance in a timely manner.” If the stimulus gets that done it will have a lasting impact on the infrastructure while hopefully providing a long-lasting boost to paving and pavement maintenance contractors.

What kind of work, stimulus-generated or not, is going on in your area? How does that affect the work available to your company? Are you getting more requests for bids? Are you encountering fewer competitors? Are big pavers moving away from parking lot work?

Let us know.

The DIY Network’s webpage for its program “Rock Solid” has some inspirational concrete-themed videos to check out. Happy viewing!

Got your own video on a decorative concrete project? Post the link in the comments section and share with the rest of us.

And don’t forget to submit an answer to my first Concrete Quiz.