Related Links: Paul Fallon: Rebuilding Haiti, Out of Square The Haitian approach to construction follows the dictum that work requires banging. Haitian workers are remarkably strong, and jobsite camaraderie thrives in displays of physical prowess. The carpenter who cuts formwork with such precision that it slides into place does nothing praiseworthy. But if the plywood is too long, he can force-fit it into submission. If it's too short, he can cram shims to fill the gap. Either way, the carpenter pounds repeatedly, reverberating over the entire site of the Be Like Brit orphanage in Grand Goave, where I am supervising
At the beginning of the year, I wrote that while no one liked the recession, some contractors and sureties were going to hate the recovery, too. A new set of risks will arise as contractors price their work aggressively, I wrote, and profit margins lag and some companies take on too much and burn through their capital.That’s pretty gloomy, but I didn’t give the complete picture about what can go wrong during the unfolding recovery. Because contractors will price their work aggressively and will be hungry for the cash needed for growth, financing will be essential.Unfortunately, the response from banks
Related Links: Beware the Recovery: What History Teaches Contractors and Sureties At the beginning of the year, I wrote that while no one liked the recession, some contractors and sureties were going to hate the recovery, too. As I said then, a new set of risks will arise as contractors price their work aggressively, profit margins lag and some companies take on too much and burn through their capital.That was pretty gloomy, but I didn't give the complete picture about what can go wrong during the unfolding recovery. Because contractors will price their work aggressively and be hungry for the
Courtesy of the Vitiello Family Michael Vitiello, retired cement mason and union business agent, now shares ties to construction with a daughter who had no intention of doing anything linked to the industry. Related Links: An Uphill Battle Against LEED-Based Codes Bash All the Lawyers? Not So Fast Lawyers as Constructors are Ruining the Business "It's only when you grow up, and step back from him, or leave him for your own career and your own home—it's only then that you can measure his greatness and fully appreciate it. Pride reinforces love." — Margaret TrumanMy father, Michael Vitiello, is a
The International Green Construction Code (IgCC) recently celebrated its first anniversary, and it has already been adopted by state and/or local jurisdictions in at least nine states. I believe this year will be crucial for IgCC because while the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system is raising its minimum thresholds, the appeal to governments of a building code rather than a rating system could become clearer.The jurisdictions that have adopted the IgCC—Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington—for the most part have adopted it as a voluntary
Related Links: Sandy Recovery, An ENR Special Report Moving On After Sandy Lessons Learned From a Superstorm Could New York City have foreseen and protected itself from Superstorm Sandy's tidal surge? The question has been asked many times. Some, including my colleagues and I, believe natural barriers in the form of artificial reefs, sturdy dunes and barrier islands can help do the job. But while these can reduce the damaging effects of waves—the cold temperatures during Sandy kept the winds at a high altitude, thus producing fewer waves—if we are to protect against the storm surge itself, a broader system
Courtesy Andrew D. Ness What lawyers contribute is important, argues Ness. ENR’s recent viewpoint, “Lawyer as Constructor,” was a classic example of lawyer bashing—reliably good fun that is as old as Shakespeare. I am not going to argue that it’s never deserved but I would like to point out some of the ways that construction lawyers make a strong positive contribution to our industry. At the front end of a project, the construction lawyer frequently adds substantial value. Almost every project has at least one key challenge that is not addressed by any form contract. For a manufacturing plant, it
Related Links: Viewpoint: OSHA Crane Rules Have Merit Crane Experts Challenge OSHA Rules In One Week, Crane Operators Receive A License to Learn Under the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's current rules for cranes in construction, candidates seeking operator certification must be tested on the type and capacity of crane they will operate. However, implementation of a capacity requirement is controversial in the crane world, and OSHA's final determination on this issue could have major implications for the entire construction industry.In July 2003, OSHA convened the Cranes and Derricks Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee (C-DAC); I was honored to be
Related Links: Viewpoint: OSHA Crane Rules Must Change Crane Experts Challenge OSHA Rules In One Week, Crane Operators Receive A License to Learn Testing crane operators by the capacity and type of machine to be used—which is required under today's federal crane rules—provides meaningful qualification of an operator's skill set. Without that, certification lacks the teeth to take a bite out of accidents. This level of testing reduces risks and can be done economically.Some would argue that capacity is not a useful indicator of an operator's skill. However, the capacity designations used in Crane Institute Certification (CIC) tests are not
Related Links: Transport P3s Lessons Learned Special Report: Which Way the Winds are Blowing on P3s Public-private partnerships (P3s) have burst onto the scene in the U.S. as a solution to help meet the overwhelming need for public infrastructure and the underwhelming public resources to pay for it.P3s, of course, are hardly new. Private funding sources have been used for decades to develop major infrastructure and social assets in Europe, Asia and Latin America. In the last decade, P3s have become common in Canada, and they were utilized in the U.S. in the 1970s to develop post offices.In many cases,
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