Photo courtesy of Sundt Construction Contractors are using BIM for San Diego International Airport's $1.2-billion Green Build project. Related Links: BIM: Not Just for Buildings Read the Free Smart Market Report Building information modeling is quickly expanding beyond vertical construction into infrastructure, and as project teams gain more experience with parametric modeling, they are finding ways to boost their return on investment.Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation is a case in point. It plans to include civil 3D models as part of standard design for all new projects starting in mid-2014. At that time, WisDOT also will deliver a 3D surface model
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Qualified crane workers are tough to find, said attendees at a recent Link-Belt sales event. Photo by Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Skill sets have changed for factory jobs, said Chuck Martz, president and CEO of Link-Belt. Related Links: Construction Jobless Rate Falls, But Industry Adds Just 1,000 Jobs New Survey: Get Ready for Workforce Shortages Companies that manufacture, sell, repair and use construction cranes complain that qualified workers, such as welders, machinists, maintenance technicians and operators, remain extremely difficult to locate even as U.S. construction and manufacturing joblessness remain high."The skill sets
Spurred on by the demand to build infrastructure bigger, faster and safer, the lifting capacities of the world's largest construction cranes are getting supersized.
Source: J.D. Power European diesel truck and engine brands placed highest in recent J.D. Power studies. Related Links: Ford Offers Gas When Diesel Is Too Much Navistar Makes U-Turn, Arrives at Cummins The biggest diesel trucks on the road have taken a "precipitous drop" in reliability as vehicle manufacturers have incorporated new emissions controls required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, says one expert at J.D. Power and Associates.In two separate studies this summer, J.D. Power surveyed fleet managers in the heavy-freight and vocational, or work truck, vehicle categories. The studies cover Class 8 trucks and engines for the 2011
India has an ambitious goal to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure over the next five years, but the country's high interest rates, growing public debt and ongoing policy issues threaten to put the brakes on foreign investments.
Courtesy Ford Motor Co. The new Ford Transit next year will begin replacing the aging E-Series contractor van. Related Links: A Turbo Twist Comes To Ford's Commercial Van Test Drive: Ford Transit Connect Ford Motor Co. has taken the first wraps off its new Transit commercial van, which will begin replacing the aging E-Series van lineup next year in North America.The Euro-styled, unibody, rear-drive Transit, unveiled Sept. 6 in Amsterdam, will provide at least 25% more fuel economy than the body-on-frame E-Series, Ford says. The company plans to offer the sleek-looking van with short and long wheelbases, varying roof heights
Photo courtesy of Chrysler Group LLC The 2013 Ram 1500 will be available in the fall. Photo by Tudor Van Hampton Chrysler is using the 2013 Ram to introduce its next-generation Uconnect telematics system. Here, an app compares local fuel prices. Related Links: Test Drive: 2012 Ram Tradesman 1500 Whats New for the 2013 Ram Automotive suppliers know they must do more to win over contractors than just hiring Sam Elliott's western drawl to talk up the trucks in commercials. That's why Chrysler's Ram division is boosting fuel economy and internet connectivity in its latest full-size pickup.Earlier this month, Chrysler
Related Links: Hard Times Draw the Line For Bargaining Op/Ed: The Truth About Cat and Jobs Nearly 800 machinists at a Caterpillar plant in Illinois narrowly reached a deal to extend their labor agreement after a three-and-a-half month strike that weighed heavily on the workers, many of whom crossed the picket line to continue receiving their paychecks.The six-year contract, which comes with a $3,100 signing bonus, places a freeze on cost-of-living increases and pensions while migrating workers to a 401(k)-style retirement plan with a 6% corporate match. The deal also forces workers to pay a portion of their health-care premiums,
Courtesy of Ford Motor Co. Ford's first gasoline-powered 2012 F-650 rolled off the assembly line on August 15. Courtesy of Ford Motor Co. The 6.8-liter V-10 gas engine fills a void among medium-duty trucks, which are dominated by higher-costing diesels. Related Links: Truck Quality Suffers From Cleaner Diesels A Turbo Twist Comes To Ford's Commercial Van Many private contractors and public fleet owners have been switching their truck fleets to gasoline lately due to the high upfront cost of diesel engines, reliability concerns and the ongoing hassle of maintaining the added emissions equipment. When diesel is not mission-critical to the
