ENR Research Related Links: Will Proposed Anti-Bullying Laws Bring a Wave of Lawsuits? What Companies Do to Fend Off Abuse Lawsuits The rooftop was getting hotter. All day it was the same with Bob, the chief of our four-man crew, who barked orders for materials: "Nails!" "Shingles!" He yelled at everyone, especially me, the low man. I was a 20-something student on a break from college, earning money for school. We were putting a roof on a suburban home on a hill overlooking Coraopolis, northwest of Pittsburgh. Bob's shouting punctuated the days."Water! Where the hell is that kid with the
Related Links: Download ENR's Free Mobile News App Foundation Flaws Make Kentucky's Wolf Creek Dam a High-Risk Priority The field of ground engineering and construction often is characterized by unknown conditions, a high level of uncertainty and risk. In the difficult economic conditions we see around the globe today, it seems as if the entire construction industry is on shaky ground, too. As the CEO of Soilmec, a heavy equipment manufacturer in the ground engineering sector based in Italy, I would like to offer my insight into how the European economic crisis is affecting the worldwide construction industry.In Europe, stronger
Related Links: U.S. Commercial Services website with additional details Under Secretary for Trade Francisco J. Sanchez explains the mission (video) On Nov. 11-17 of this year, the U.S. Commercial Service of the Dept. of Commerce’s International Trade Administration is leading a trade mission of U.S. companies to explore Vietnam's and Indonesia’s infrastructure markets. Together, these countries are undertaking billions of dollars' worth of projects in sectors such as environmental, construction and engineering, aviation and energy—all of which hold great promise for U.S. exporters looking for growth opportunities. Sarah Kemp and David Gossack, senior commercial counselors with the U.S. embassies in
In recent years, we've witnessed a fundamental shift in how architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms implement growth strategies. As once-explosive organic growth has generally ground to a halt, companies have shifted away from using acquisitions to add resources and size to keep up with the market. They now have become highly strategic formarket access and expansion of capabilities. This follows the well-established trend of project owners seeking single-contract solutions with AEC firms that "can do it all." SIEGELThese strategic acquisitions often have involved smaller specialty firms that can expand the purchaser's capabilities and increase the potential for work. But
Leading construction-industry companies have successfully withstood the adverse effects of the global economic downturn by growing company revenue in spite of it. But the real challenge for engineering and contracting firm managers has been the ability to turn that growth into increased value for shareholders. ROCAIn a 2011 analysis of 37 major global construction-industry companies, management consultant Accenture found that the firms reported a 6.4% compound annual growth rate in revenue between 2007 and 2010. But they also had relatively low profitability over the five-year and three-year periods ending in 2010.Firms' average total return to shareholders was -4.8% annually for
Photo by AP Wideworld The Chicago hospital's design pioneered complex curvilinear structure. Related Links: Prentice Women's Hospital on the Betrand Goldberg Official Website Paul Goldberger on the Fight to Save Chicago's Prentice Hospital In the early 1970s, Bertrand Goldberg Associates, my father's architectural and engineering practice in downtown Chicago, was a whirlwind of activity that created many memorable structures. Now, one of his practice's most important creations is threatened by the wrecking ball and Northwestern University. The city of Chicago, where architecture is revered, should preserve it.During those years, Bertrand Goldberg Associates designed projects at Harvard, Stanford and Northwestern. After
Related Links: Also by Rakesh Tripathi: Casual Insults Sap Engineers' Prestige Toll roads—just those two words bring out extreme reactions. Either you hate them or you think they're the panacea for all that ails transportation. The conflict dates from the birth of the nation, and since then, the proper roles of government and private enterprise have been debated ad nauseam. Through prudent historical compromises,we have created a transportation system that is the envy of the world. In the new political world where compromise is a dirty word, I'm reminded of George Santayana's admonition that those who cannot remember the past
U.S. businesses are expanding their presence into China to take advantage of the country's growing consumer base, improving infrastructure, trading centers and special economic zones. However, understanding the country's cultural, legal and regulatory differences can be extremely daunting. It takes vision, commitment and—in many cases—a guide.By 2003 I had spent several years working for Mortenson Construction in the United States. As a Chinese national, I was struck by the differences between Mortenson and typical Chinese construction firms. The extraordinary capital spending in China resulted in an industry where many firms were driven by short-term gains without a long-term strategy for
Related Links: Float May Be Sinking the Project Website of PKR Consulting Inc. I was recently asked to participate in a debate on scheduling specifications at Stanford University. A representative from the contractor sponsoring the conference would take the position that most scheduling specifications were onerous or unnecessary. My role, if I agreed to partake, would be to defend them before an audience filled with contractors.This would not be an impromptu discussion—I was the owner's scheduling consultant on a project with the person I would be debating. "You won't be personally attacked," I was assured.After much deliberation, I reluctantly agreed.
Related Links: News story on Kids-for-Cash scandal Juvenile Law Center and Kids for Cash Is it your liability insurer’s job to defend you in a civil lawsuit over an admitted felony? To Pennsylvania contractor and felon Robert K. Mericle, it is.Thankfully, a federal appeals court last month ruled against Mericle, saying that his crimes didn’t constitute an occurrence under his commercial general liability policy with Travelers Property Casualty Co. of America. Occurrences under liability policies are a controversial matter in other states where insurers have declined to provide coverage to honest contractors, sometimes based on legal hairsplitting. But if ever
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