Build America Podcast

A quick background on terms you hear every day in federal construction contracting: Davis-Bacon, OSHA, Jones Act, and Buy American.  http://sjcivil.net/law/davis-bacon-osha-jones-act-and-buy-american/

It’s important as a contractor, or even as an owner’s representative, to know a bit more than the basics of scheduling. Familiarity of some of the terms is helpful regardless of what side of the table you’re on:  Contractor or Owner.  http://sjcivil.net/news/the-basics-of-advanced-scheduling-terminology/

Construction equipment is always evolving in its attempt to increase safety and efficiency of construction. One newer technology is the use of “wings” on construction cranes. Learn more about the wings on the Manitowoc®Grove GMK6400 MegaWingLiftTM crane here.  Our partial analysis showed a lifting capacity increase of up to 68%.

Several means exist in the way of gathering data from your operating fleet. Here are the basic ways and then a quick explanation of current technology.  http://sjcivil.net/news/fleet-management-ways-to-gather-data/

Projects often experience delays for which the Contractor is awarded additional time.  The determination of the per day reimbursement to the Contractor for this time is fraught with protracted analysis and negotiation.  Owners should consider the  time related overhead  bid item for instant resolution. http://sjcivil.net/claims/instant-resolution-of-contractor-overhead-daily-co...

One of the top complaints of construction employers is the collection of completed timecards – in a timely manner that is. Here is a suggestion for improvement you probably haven’t heard. http://sjcivil.net/sjcc/timecard-collection-like-youve-never-heard/

Converting from one unit of measure to another is critical for any position of management in a construction company. Using the internet is one way of doing it but knowing the simple process of fraction multiplication and the value of the number “1” gets it done too. Unit conversion is nothing more than taking a unit and multiplying it by “1” as many times as it takes to get a result in units you d...

BI stands for business intelligence. It is the process by which information from all of your company’s different computer systems (estimating, job costing, accounting, operations, et cetera) is displayed on one screen. You may not  need  it, but you better understand it – it’s coming. http://sjcivil.net/technology/whats-bi-do-i-need-it/

There are several trucking freight terms that a buyer should know. They’re important to know when contracting the transportation of your goods as well as when it’s time to pay the bill. http://sjcivil.net/financial/freight-terms-over-land/

One of the most basic properties of a beam is its section modulus. How does the section modulus, S, come into play in structural design?  And, why should I care? http://sjcivil.net/sjcc/what-is-section-modulus-s/

 A GL account is separate from a cost code financial and job cost reporting. Here we introduce the basics of GL accounts.  Read more: http://sjcivil.net/news/whats-a-gl-account/

Many construction companies run their operations with too little specificity; costs ought to be reviewed on an activity-by-activity basis. Learn what, why and how to set up a good cost code structure. http://sjcivil.net/news/cost-codes-what-why-how/

A recent article by the American Bar Association caught my eye. It was entitled “When is it okay for a lawyer to lie?” I could probably end the article right here. I’ll keep going. [QR] Contemplating a law career. Yup, I get it, you know someone who watched television like the rest of us and you became a lawyer because of Perry Mason, Law & Order,or Boston Legal. Don’t get me wrong, I loved A Few...

Contractors usually are mandated to attend a pre-construction meeting with the Owner. There’s no reason not to also have an internal pre-construction meeting. http://sjcivil.net/sjcc/the-internal-pre-con-top-10/

The importance of the daily report cannot be overstated. Knowing why to write them and what to put in the report is critical for defense of yourself, and offense against another party. http://sjcivil.net/news/the-construction-daily-report-why-what/

One of contractors’ most reliable defenses, the Spearin Doctrine, has been upheld in a Missouri Court. Certainly, for Missourians, this is a good thing, and to the extent, others may be able to reference this case or use a similar approach in claims, is a win for the construction industry.

Training is an investment in your company. In your people. And anyone who has had a business knows that the fanciest equipment and tools are still only as good at the workers who use them. Invest in making better workers. http://sjcivil.net/training/training-now-i-see-the-value/ http://sjcivil.net/remote-training/

Once the decision is made to engage a consultant, choosing the firm to assist you can be one of the biggest challenges. Consider asking key questions to flush out the quality and value of the service. http://sjcivil.net/sjcc/choosing-a-construction-consultant/

Construction claims are an unfortunate part of the construction process in today’s world. When you have a claim, know the order of hierarchy in your presentation of the data for maximum remuneration from the client. http://sjcivil.net/sjcc/construction-claims-hierarchy/

Is there a process in your company that you’d like to have developed into a simple app, or made accessible via the web? Sometimes, with the right framework in place, developing these processes for you can be done quickly and for reasonable cost. http://sjcivil.net/sjcc/customized-programming-easy-access-and-low-cost/

A claim is made because a contractor has lost money and/or time on a project. The method is chosen by the contractor to substantiate these costs can vary. Some popular methods of calculating cost are presented. http://sjcivil.net/news/some-basic-analysis-techniques-in-claim-preparation/

A constructability review of a plan set can greatly benefit the project. On the surface, it looks like it benefits primarily the Owner, but the benefits to the design team and contractor can also be significant. All project parties should encourage this service on their projects.

A credit union is a viable option for many small businesses. Consider the advantages of a credit union over a traditional bank.

Construction equipment is a necessary tool to perform many types of construction work. How to acquire the equipment has a significant effect on the financial aspect of a company. There are many options which should be considered when temporarily or permanently acquiring a piece of gear. http://sjcivil.net/news/equipment-buy-rent-rto-rpo-lease-which-one/

Construction companies have inventories that should be managed to improve efficiency and, in turn, improve the bottom line. Consider a mobile solution or at least one that gets away from the clipboard. http://sjcivil.net/assets/inventory-tracking-a-money-saver/