Spring is Coming... Forewarned is Forearmed!

Spring is truly a season of transition and, for many of us, a season we are anxiously awaiting!

However, as the earth thaws from months of cold winter chill, and as the snow is melting, the sun is warmer and spring rains are frequent. And this all creates slick, slippery and potentially dangerous working conditions for workers and other personnel who have access to job sites.

If, as the poem goes, we experience the typical "April showers," there are a number of conditions affected by rain storms, such as slippery surfaces, cold stress, and visibility.

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Scheduling Pitfalls!

Scheduling is an important factor for projects of all types and sizes, as mistakes associated with timing, material deliveries and processes can be very costly.

According to a study published by Angotti Engineering of CA, three of the top project schedule risk factors include:

• Optimistic Scheduling - "tell them what they want to hear" without regard to real and practical limitations.
  
• Piling on People – All will go well if we throw people at the project, especially at crisis points.
  
• Refusing to anticipate learning curves when new people, tools or processes are introduced.

Innovative Idea

Wood has been a construction and carpentry staple for thousands of years. As architects and engineers look for more sustainable, green materials to build with -- new research has brought the material back into the spotlight, in an entirely unexpected way. Scientists at the University of Maryland have developed a transparent version of wood.

Design/Build Continues to Grow in Popularity

Due to the competitive nature of the construction industry, it's no surprise that design/build continues to be the fastest growing method of project delivery in the country; and not only among owners, but also among developers and design professionals. 
 
In fact, according to statistics compiled by the Design/Build Institute of America, the percentage of design/build contracts will hit 55% this year. Reasons cited include:

• Cost effectiveness
• Less risk
• Promotes a collaborative work environment
• Most often results in a higher level of quality

Quote of The Week

Fun Fact

The Empire State Building in New York City was the tallest building in the world from 1931-1972 and was the first building to have over 100 floors. The skyscraper has 10 million bricks,  6,514 windows and 73 elevators.

Quote of The Week

Time is Money!

People often say that "time is money," and this is especially true during construction projects of all types and sizes.

For example, a regional organization was in the process of expanding their headquarters by adding a new wing. The initial decision-making and approval process took a little longer than expected, and consequently the project began six weeks late. This delay brought-about a time-challenge for the company, as winter was quickly approaching.

In addition, the communication between site management personnel, suppliers and sub-contractors was not the best. In certain instances the main crew was unable to work productively because materials were late in arriving. In other cases sub-contractors didn’t arrive on site because they were confused about the schedule. As the frequency of these types of misunderstandings increased, the "ripple effect" became significant and it soon became apparent that the facility would not be weather-tight prior to winter’s arrival, thus bringing about a need to import additional workers and to authorize overtime work – expensive solutions to say the least!

Managing a schedule is not always easy, but the upshots associated with failure to do so can be costly in multiple ways. In addition to delay-related costs, some contracts include punitive fines if certain deadlines are missed. In other cases the negative impact on worker morale can result in safety or quality lapses, as the overall job-site culture becomes one of mediocrity. Finally, a contractor’s brand-value can be damaged once they get a reputation for missing timelines.

Job Site Safety is No Accident!

Safety in the workplace is the joint responsibility of the entire workforce of any organization.

The benefits of maintaining a safe work environment are many, but first and foremost, safety is about proactively protecting workers and those around your work area... who are often customers.

For example, Joe Jones was serving as Project Manager for a renovation project during which the customer site was to remain open-for-business while the work was being done. This meant that a number of people who were unfamiliar with construction work and site protocols would be passing-by and working-around the work area.

Fortunately Joe was well-trained in safety rules and best practices, and he took the initiative of applying this knowledge to maximize safety during the project.

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Brookstone Builders, Inc.-Newsletter-Drones

Our latest newsletter has been published, check it out on our website: http://www.brookbuild.com/nlv152.htm  Remember if you want to receive it automatically, please be sure to sign up for it right on our website. 

Impediments to Mitigation?

In our previous post we noted the importance and scope of mitigation. Like others we've spoken with, you might be wondering why risk-reduction and mitigation programs have not been more widely applied. 


There are several factors including denial of the risk, political will, costs and lack of funding and the taking issue. Many individuals don’t want to recognize that they or their communities are vulnerable; and, of course, recognition requires action.

Yet some people are willing to try to beat the odds and if the odds do not work in their favor they know the government will help them out. Potential liability issues are making communities more aware, media attention to disasters in this country and around the world has brought public pressure and the government has provided both incentives and penalties for taking preventive action.

Mitigation also costs money, but it is always better to be proactive rather than reactive.

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Mitigation: Important but Often Not Embraced

Defined as actions taken to prevent or reduce the risk to life, property, social and economic activities, and natural resources from natural hazards, mitigation includes such activities as: Complying with or exceeding flood plain management regulations. Enforcing stringent building codes, flood-proofing requirements, seismic design standards and wind-bracing requirements for new construction or repairing existing buildings Adopting zoning ordinances that steer development away from areas subject to flooding, storm surge or coastal erosion. Retrofitting public buildings to withstand hurricane-strength winds or ground shaking. Acquiring damaged homes or businesses in flood-prone areas and returning the property to open space, wetlands or recreational use. Revamping of our infrastructure, roadways, utilities to better meet our needs during a recovery period. Mitigation also involves a broad spectrum of players outside the traditional emergency management circle. Among others, these parties might include land use planners, construction and building officials (both public and private), business owners, insurance companies, community leaders, politicians and individual home owners. As important as mitigation is, it is frequently looked-upon as a "cost," and is, therefore, not always embraced by all of the players. Perhaps you've had some experiences you'd like to share in this area?