Top 3 Energy-Saving Tips for Winter Construction + More

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By Kevin Bright Implementing sustainable practices on the jobsite is critical for a greener future. These methods reduce environmental impact, conserve resources and promote long-term economic viability. Incorporating eco-friendly materials, efficient energy usage and responsible waste management can contribute to a healthier planet, while saving long-term costs and meeting growing infrastructure needs. In addition to an efficient design that incorporates renewable energy, LED lighting and smart HVAC systems, the following are three top energy conservation strategies that superintendents can utilize on the jobsite. 1. Work sequencing opportunities due to weather When constructing a building in colder climates, wintertime can pose … Read more

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Lean Construction Approach Powers More Unified, Efficient Project Team

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By Ken Osmun Construction projects are rarely completed without a hitch, but the unanticipated issues don’t have to cause delays and cost overruns. With the Lean construction approach, a project team can more successfully and easily navigate around obstacles — and even prevent many of them from arising in the first place. Delays spring from countless variables and logistics. One company may have trouble obtaining a needed element such as a lighting fixture because of a hold-up with the supplier. Another company may anticipate being temporarily short-staffed in an upcoming week. Enter Lean construction. The method is a series of … Read more

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Together We Excel: 4 Benefits of Building Alliances with Architects

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By Lloyd Schoen Builders and architects rely on each other’s expertise to translate design concepts into completed spaces that serve the needs of their owners and occupants. Yet, despite the built-in synergies between design teams and construction teams, the relationship isn’t always a cohesive or collaborative one. Too often, it can deteriorate into an adversarial partnership that’s focused more on protecting each team’s self-interests than on meeting the client’s goals. In this scenario, no one wins. As a superintendent with more than a decade of field experience, I’ve learned practical lessons about the importance of building strong alliances with architects … Read more

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Interior Construction Site Separation of Waste

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4 best practices from the field when pursuing LEED certification By Michael Orbank As the climate crisis worsens, the impacts of traditional construction and demolition waste disposal have begun to stick out like a dirty, sore thumb. Historically accepted commingled C&D waste practices are becoming unsustainable as the industry quickly realizes that the promises of high landfill diversion, and material recycling percentages from the waste processor, don’t quite match reality. The question is, how can the construction industry improve our waste practices to help promote a cleaner, more circular future? Site separation is key, and superintendents play maybe the most … Read more

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The Threat from Below: Considerations for Subsurface Utility Mapping

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By Matthew Fitzgerald Every construction professional has been there at some point in their career — subsurface utility unknowns causing injuries, schedule delays, budget concerns, design updates or unhappy customers. Plagued by inaccurate and unreliable utility records and as-builts, the design and construction industry continues to see the negative impacts of underground unknowns. Imagine hitting a gas main next to a school or cutting off the oxygen to a hospital’s intensive care unit. What if a hidden set of trolley tracks suddenly derails your building schedule? Or you hit a decades-old fuel tank that was long forgotten until you find … Read more

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