Adapt or Be Left Behind: The Role of Today’s Construction Superintendent

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By Keyan Zandy Change isn’t fun, but it is inevitable. Resenting or resisting what you can’t avoid is a waste of time and energy that could be better used working to create a mindset that embraces transformation. This is especially important in our industry, where new technologies and delivery methods, coupled with an accelerated pace of work, present an unpleasant choice: adapt or be left behind. Superintendents, no matter their leadership style, are expected to get a project completed on time and within budget. This hasn’t changed—however, the way these projects are built and delivered certainly has changed. Field leaders … Read more

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Not Your Average Shop Class

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Career Academies provide learning opportunities, hands-on tech training By Wade Engebretson Not everyone in high school knows what they want to do with their lives or where they want to work. Even if a student wants to pursue a particular field of study, a traditional four-year degree may not turn out to be the right fit. In addition, the exorbitant costs and long-lasting debt may be too steep to consider. Yet today’s reality is the great majority of jobs require some post-high school education. One creative approach to tap into a person’s individual interests and personalized skill set is through … Read more

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Means & Methods: Prebuilding for Precision

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3 advantages of leveraging prebuild facilities By Nick Effenheim With the increased demand for speed, safety and precision on construction sites, many in the industry are looking offsite to tackle these challenges head on and ensure the certainty of results our clients have come to expect. One way JE Dunn teams are doing this is through our prebuild facilities, where we can incorporate value-added steps into components that get sent to construction sites for installation. While this is very similar to prefabrication, the distinction is in the scope of components prebuild facilities offer. When people hear prefab, they think of … Read more

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3 Strategies for Superintendents to Tackle Labor Shortage, Create Diverse Participation

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By Dannis Mitchell The Associated General Contractors of America reports that 89% of contractors are having a hard time finding craft workers and 61% said their firm’s projects are being delayed because of workforce shortages. The number of unfilled construction jobs nationwide neared its highest level in 20 years last July, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. And yet, those statistics also reveal an untapped labor market among minority and women business enterprise communities, with women representing only about 10% of the construction industry’s workforce and African Americans a mere 6%. Involving MWBE and other disadvantaged business enterprises … Read more

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Tips to Minimize Damage, Protect Parking Structures During Winter

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Chemical deicers and snowplows are commonly used in winter to eliminate hazardous ice and snow from parking decks and structures. While deicers are doing their job melting away snow and ice, some may actually be corroding the parking structure’s concrete and reinforcing steel, and some snow removal techniques may actually be doing more damage than good. Western Specialty Contractors offers several tips to minimize unnecessary damage to parking structures during the winter months, and keep drivers safe. Snow removal tips Clearly mark expansion joints in a way that will be visible to the equipment operator when the deck is covered … Read more

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