Tom Sawyer/ENR Systems that rely on one person�s memory about where images might be found are the norm. Digital images are becoming more and more valuable to the companies whose work they record, and to the photographers to whom they, at least initially, belong. But they are also multiplying by the thousands on hard drives and CDs and if they are not organized to make them retrievable, they can quickly go to waste. The professionals call the process Digital Asset Management. They say having a functioning DAM system can be the difference between putting your hands on an image when
Patrick Hermans/FOTOLIA Construction is booming in all corners of the globe and the intense demand it is creating is keeping pressure on costs. The inflationary pressures felt in the U.S. market from rising commodity and oil prices mirror that worldwide phenomenon. The average building inflation for 20 countries in Europe, Asia, Middle East, Latin America and North America increased to 6.1% during 2006 from 5.3% the previous year, according to London-based international project and cost management firm Gardiner & Theobald Inc. in its fifteenth annual survey of international construction costs conducted exclusively for ENR. But the average masks a broad
As many design firms work at or near full capacity, they increasingly are finding it difficult to find qualified people to do all the work. This has led to heavy pressure on firms’ salary structures. But those structures now are threatening to shatter from the increasing threats of the first round of retirements of the Baby Boom generation and, for those working in the international market, a weakening dollar and changes in tax laws. Base salaries for senior managers at architectural, engineering and environmental firms are continuing to climb, according to a recent survey of design firm compensation published by
S�bastien Min/FOTOLIA Construction’s inflationary cycle turned the corner during 2006 and will continue heading downhill through 2007 and 2008, according to industry forecasts. ENR predicts that annual inflation measured by its cost indexes will decline as prices for most construction materials start to subside, after absorbing wave after wave of double-digit increases since 2004. But as the inflationary cycle moves into a new phase, it is shifting gears. Estimators say inflation is still sneaking into their bids as the large volume of work in the nonresidential building and civil works markets reduces competition and aggravates labor shortages. Weaker material prices
Who, what, when, where, why and how. Journalism’s Five Ws+H have become a major assignment for builders of a $425-million homage to the Fourth Estate in Washington, D.C. The content of the interactive museum, which has the media as its message, is meant to be “devoured” by “readers” section by section. But the form doesn’t only evoke a large-format newspaper. The glass press box on “Main Street USA” also is designed to resemble a television, a camera or a world stage. The architecture is so layered with symbolism that it is taking 24 structural systems and 11 exterior wall systems—with
Nothing is scarier for a crane operator than driving in the dark, with a heavy hook and load out of view, and taking instructions over the radio. It is an all too common situation for operators, who complain that few riggers and signalers know how to give them proper directions. As radios replace hand signals as the standard mode of communication among those who work near cranes, inconsistent signals can lead to accidents. They are costly and tragic, and this year has seen plenty of them. Vocal communication is a problem in construction that national standards are only beginning to
While crane operators, riggers and signalers work to improve jobsite communication, some of the electronic safety devices inside cranes are getting connected in new ways as well. Tudor Hampton/ENR Monitors are starting to appear on new cranes. Load indicators, which compute an overload situation, alert operators to danger and, in some cases, restrict movement. They typically use long strands of cable strung up and down the crane's boom to keep several sensors talking to each other. Troubleshooting and replacing these cables can be very difficult and time consuming, but new wireless technology, coupled with long-life batteries, is starting to make
Verbal signaling is a global problem that is most apparent in the United Arab Emirates, one of the busiest construction markets in the world. Michael Goodman/ENR Accidents are common in the UAE, where thousands of cranes are at work. The booming country, which is roughly the size of Maine, is home to a large percentage of the world's cranes. In Dubai alone, manufacturers estimate 1,800 to 2,000 tower cranes are taking part in hundreds of large-scale developments there. Local reports place Dubai's cranes at 15 to 25% of the global population. Suppliers think it is more like 1 to 2%.
For years, large owners have been campaigning for their construction service providers to come up with new methods to deliver projects faster, cheaper, safer and more efficiently. The industry has responded in fits and starts, providing technological advances and project delivery enhancements. But now, large owners are pressing the industry to put developing technology and project delivery advances together to rethink the way construction programs are conceived, designed and built. As part of its overview of the owners, ENR is once again presenting its Top 425 Owners list. This list ranks publicly held companies based on the construction-in-progress figures for
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