Soft Skills Training: Next Step in Evolution of Project Culture

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By Bruce Worcester For many of us who have spent our careers in the field, there’s no place we’d rather be. Each time I’ve wrapped up a big project and spent a few weeks in the office starting up a new one, I always find myself eager to get back to the field. As we aim to attract more talent into the trades, never has there been a better time to invest in our people to provide them with the meaningful careers they desire—in the field or in the office. In the trades, training tends to focus on technical building … Read more

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5S Makes Jobsites Safer, Cleaner and More Productive

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By Mark Jagiello The 17-story Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel, under construction in downtown Chicago, Illinois, recently topped off six weeks ahead of schedule and with 293 days and 90,000 work hours without an injury. While Mortenson implemented an array of innovative techniques to reach this milestone safely and ahead of schedule, the Lean approach known as 5S played a critical role. We use 5S to maintain neat, clean, orderly project sites and work areas improving safety, quality and efficiency. 5S was originally based on five Japanese words: seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke. It has been adapted in English … Read more

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Driving Schedule through Teamwork

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Methods for staying ahead, anticipating future challenges By Josh Farr As a superintendent, there are three things that are completely non-negotiable on a job: creating a safe culture on the jobsite, ensuring customer satisfaction and meeting the schedule. For many, even the word “schedule” can evoke immediate feelings of stress as it can be one of the most obstacle-riddled parts of construction. What makes it that way, is how it ties into every decision a project team makes. When evaluating safety, there are countless opportunities to ensure safe work planning. While you’re digging into drawings and establishing your job flow, … Read more

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‘Lean’ by Example: 3 Tips from One Superintendent to Another

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How to implement commitment, buy-in from your team & subs By Tony Creed Those of us who follow Lean construction methods understand the value behind a full project team working in sync. When one contractor isn’t in sync, it can cause the whole process to stall. On the jobsite, your schedule is dependent on that non-Lean contractor. That can impact the bottom line for both companies, so any improvement to one is an improvement to all; however, you can’t force other contractors to follow Lean. Your best bet is to show them all the benefits through your own processes, easy-to-understand … Read more

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Pushing the Envelope to Deliver Iconic U.S. Olympic Museum in Colorado Springs

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By Sean O’Keefe Leaving a legacy often requires a lifelong fortitude of purpose and character that only the best among us can realize regardless of pursuit. In athletics, the pinnacle of success is that of an Olympic gold medalist, a champion among mankind. In construction and design, legacies may not be as easily quantified but once the truly spectacular is achieved it’s hard to overlook. When the new United States Olympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado opens to the public, it will add to the legacies of design architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro and general contractor/construction manager GE Johnson Construction … Read more

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