Construction Equipment Owner

In today’s economy, business owners face tough 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!

 Doug Staebler to give talk on business financing at CFA Summer Meeting: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (27)

I ran across an article at The Architects’ Journal web page 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, that shows a few frames from “Closer Than We Think.” Take a look at the bottom one, showing pre-fab, gravity-free homes. Looks like a design that could easily be made from concrete! And if Radebaugh would have imagined the benefits of insulated concrete homes, he wouldn’t have had to dream up the anti-gravity device that helps homeowners beat the heat. Save money on energy costs AND stay cool? That’s the Sci-Fi vision of concrete housing that is slowly but surely becoming a reality.

One of the focuses for the 2009 Concrete Foundations Association (CFA) 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 contractors 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 Harris of the Decorative Concrete Institute to speak to CFA members on the topic of decorative concrete. Hear Bob talk about what he’ll discuss at his seminar.

 Bob Harris to give decorative concrete seminar at the CFA Summer Meeting: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (85)

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 of Lego kits to build two Frank Lloyd Wright structures – the Guggenheim and Falling Water. Check out the pictures below.

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.

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.

I’m starting a little trivia fun on the “Concrete Thoughts” blog. Every month or so, I’ll post a concrete-themed quiz question. The first person to post the correct answer in the comment or reply area will win an attractive and useful Concrete Contractor coffee mug! (I’ll contact you personally after the quiz to get your mailing address.) The first Concrete Quiz question is:

What is the name of the oldest concrete street in America and in what city and state can it be found?

Concrete is a versatile building material with countless uses in the built world. And the industry continues to advance. National Geographic online posted an article “Bendable Concrete Heals Itself — Just Add Water.” Check it out!