By Don L. Short II In My Estimate, I'm an Architect's Best Friend I am an estimator. I have been estimating for about 35 years. I am a professional estimator and certified by the American Society of Professional Estimators. I am also an arbitrator and serve as a Neutral on the Panel of Arbitrators through the American Arbitration Association. There are not too many project types that I have not worked on during my career. I have been fortunate to be able to work on projects on all continents except Antarctica. Short Early in my estimating career, and it has
Long before McDonald's launched into the fast food industry, another burger chain was serving up some home-grown innovation. As loyal White Castle fans know, it patented the five-hole "Slyder," which channels steam up through a ground-beef patty to heat the burger and bun with- out flipping. The design created a unique flavor that had economic benefits—faster cooking times meant more sales per hour. Today, the construction industry is cooking up its own innovative products by tapping into an ever-growing supply of dazzling new building materials and systems. Designers, who now are more sensitive to environmental causes, want to create buildings
A condominium developer in California brags about a 30-in.-thick concrete core with double-helix-style stairwells that "enhance" safety. At about the same time, structural engineers testify at an International Code Council hearing that a proposed commercial building code to harden stairwells should be thrown out because, among other reasons, it is not based on any demonstrated "significant" risk to a building. Simply put, where's the projectile? The proposal is vetoed. At the same hearings, a proposal to add disproportionate-collapse resistance to commercial building codes is rejected. Engineers, vehemently opposed to the change, rejoice. But then they promise to come back with
Be Part of the Solution to the Work Force Crisis I've heard a lot of people at industry events complaining about the work force crisis in construction. We are desperate for professionals and desperate for craft workers. Now is the time to do something about it. DEROCCO Please join the editors of ENR as we brainstorm with Emily Stover DeRocco, the assistant secretary of labor for employment and training, and leaders from industry and academia at a think tank at the Sheraton Crystal City in Virginia on Sept. 25 and 26. Everyone who attends will help develop actions plans for
Nuclear Disposal an Issue Thanks for your detailed update on renewed interest in nuclear power, "New Realities Bring about a Construction Climate Change". Like many environmentalists, I opposed nuclear power in the 1970s and 1980s, before economic forces did what we could not achieve: stop the construction of unsafe plants "regulated" by a captive federal agency. Nuclear power is a fascinating and dynamic energy source, and it almost makes senseuntil you consider the devil's bargain that has to be made in the process of waste storage. Stories leaked from the deep salt bed injection research suggest that what once seemed
The development and construction of the world's first nuclear powerplants starting in the mid-1950s was thought to be the threshold of an age where the generation of electricity would be "too cheap to meter." That of course proved to be nonsense, but the world, it seems, is eager to place some new bets on nukes. They will be carefully considered ones, based on the positive experience of many powerplants that have been quietly churning out vast amounts of electricity over the past 50 years, and mindful of the ecological and financial disasters at the Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and Shoreham
Up to Date The recent Equipment Tracks & Trends article, "Case Regains Identity and Launches Models after CNH Executive Team Reshuffles," mentioned some of the one dozen new products rolled out at a recent media event held at the Case Customer Experience Center in Tomahawk, Wis. We appreciate the opportunity to see information about our new products shared with your readers. However, the article stated that Case's last major rollout was in 2002. In fact, in January 2005, at a media event held in conjunction with AED in San Antonio, Texas, Case introduced 22 new equipment models. In addition to
A year after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, progress is being made in the massive reconstruction effort. On critical infrastructure and economic projects, the pace seems to be limited only by the number of skilled people available to do the work. That refrain is being echoed around the U.S. on other projects, but nowhere else are the ramifications more important—health, safety and economic recovery for an entire region. That presents an opportunity for the nation and industry that appears only about once in a generation—the mobilization of a citizen army to build rather than destroy. It will take a
Front-end loaders on U.S. side reinforced stressed levees. (Photo courtesy of Rudy Gutierrez/El Paso Times) The summer's disastrous flooding in West Texas raised serious questions about whether traditional flood control systems are still viable. El Paso's rapid recent growth in private and public construction has been spurred in large part by expansions at the U.S. Army's nearby base at Ft. Bliss. This in turn put added strain on the city’s infrastructure and sparked debates about issues such as whether the city can handle the additional stress on its water, roads and other infrastructure and whether development on the city’s arroyos
The "Spanish Imposition" Hits San Diego The immigration issue in the construction industry in San Diego is something that is on the minds of everyone that is in the construction industry. This is also true in Los Angeles as well and many other parts of the country. . THOMAS Union Ironworkers have about 35% to 40% Hispanics working in our trade today. Union Ironworkers have a pretty decent market share of union construction in San Diego. However, we do not control the housing, tilt-up, and metal building markets in the San Diego area. The union ironworkers are doing around 95%
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