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Tag: construction

  • Are Construction Service Businesses Recession-Proof?

    Are Construction Service Businesses Recession-Proof?

    There’s an economic downturn coming. Signs show economic growth is cooling off, and it’s time to batten down the hatches of your small business and prepare for tough times ahead. If you are in a recession-proof business like beverage alcohol or a tattoo shop, you are going to do just fine. If you aren’t, it’s time to reevaluate your position.

    Economic Downturns Present Opportunities To Do Better

    It’s time to cast off all the extraneous business that doesn’t truly have to do with your company’s core competencies. Before the economy swings downward, focus on your strengths and market those. But there are plenty of other ways to remain competitive during an economic downturn.

    Franchises are a great way to ride out a coming economic storm. These businesses are built upon an existing support network, which means that you won’t have to worry about certain elements of your business alone.

    Fast casual restaurant chains are one type of franchise, but there are also auto maintenance chains, construction business chains, and more.

    The Construction Business Can Hold Its Own

    Though real estate is often pummeled by economic downturns, certain areas of the construction business often do very well. People will always need plumbers, HVAC repair and replacement, new roofs, new siding, and more. Renovations are often a way to make do with what you have during an economic downturn, which means that certain parts of the construction industry will continue to do well.

    Renovations are costly, but at least half of homeowners have home improvement projects in mind. Only 36% plan to leave it completely to the professionals, while 30% plan to get professional help but supplement with their own labor.

    Nearly half of homeowners plan to spend $5000 on their next home improvement project. While many plan to skimp on interior designers and architects, these professionals can prevent hidden issues and costs before they happen. The most common budget breakers are:

    1. Choosing material upgrades
    2. Products and services cost more than estimated
    3. Project changes midstream
    4. Project increases in complexity due to unforeseen circumstances
    5. Unexpected construction issues

    In the long run, it’s often cheaper and easier to leave most projects to the professionals, which means construction is a fairly safe bet for the coming economic downturn. Professionals often know ahead of time what’s in the walls, so they are unlikely to screw into a water pipe or take a sledgehammer to an air duct.

    Common Renovation Mistakes Are Costly, And Professionals Know Better

    Most homeowners don’t know the difference between plaster and drywall, let alone how to patch a hole in drywall. Three in four first time homebuyers have no experience with home renovation projects, while even one in three long-term homeowners are in the same boat. Homeowners will always need construction professionals.
    If you are looking at a business that may be able to ride out the coming economic downturn, look toward commonly needed construction services. Learn more about common home improvement projects, the costs associated with them, and the likelihood that homeowners will need to hire a professional from the infographic below.

  • Mark Zuckerberg Reportedly Pissing Off His Neighbors with Round-the-Clock Construction

    Mark Zuckerberg Reportedly Pissing Off His Neighbors with Round-the-Clock Construction

    According to his neighbors, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has spent way too long and way too much turning a $10 million “fixer-upper” into a “fortress.”

    According to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle, a supervisor whose territory includes the Dolores Heights neighborhood says he’s received multiple emails from residents complaining about Zuckerberg’s fixing upping.

    Apparently, Zuckerberg’s construction on his 1920s-era home has left some residents flustered over the commotion. The Chronicle paints a picture of “dozens of construction workers, using backhoes and jackhammers, are busy installing everything from a new kitchen to bathrooms and decks — and tearing up the sidewalks for new fiber-optic cables that will connect to the home…” for nearly 17 months, since construction began in April of last year.

    Not only that, but some residents have found parking on the street scare, as construction crews have installed “no parking” signs around the site.

    In all, Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have reportedly taken out millions in construction permits.

    If this sounds familiar, that’s because Zuckerberg’s been in the news for his real estate ventures before. This Dolores Heights home? That’s just a second property. Zuckerberg’s original “fortress” sits in Palo Alto. Last year, Zuckerberg reportedly bought up the four adjacent lots, spending between $30 and $43 million on the properties.

    Why? Apparently, he just wanted a little privacy. According to Mercury News, Zuckerberg “acted after he learned of a developer’s plan to buy one of the properties next door to the Facebook co-founder.”

    Earlier this year, he was sued over that deal.

    Image via Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook video screenshot

  • The First 3D Printed House Will Be Built In Amsterdam

    Back in 2012, two technologies emerged that promised to build homes in less than 24 hours using a 3D printer. Since then, both Contour Crafting and 3D concrete printing have made progress, but not enough to print a house in a day. Now the Netherlands is going to take a crack at it with a publicly funded project called 3D Print Canal House.

    3ders reports that DUS Architects intends to build the first 3D printed home in Amsterdam this year. The company will be taking advantage of the 400-year-old tradition of building canal houses to prove that 3D printed housing is not only possible, but financially feasible.

    As you would expect, the 3D printer being used in the construction is one of the largest yet. The custom-made 3D printer has an enormous build volume of 2x2x3.5 meters. Canal houses are typically tall buildings to withstand flooding from the canals they’re built so close to so the 3.5 meter height of the printer ensures that rooms will be at least 11 feet tall. The 3D printer will be able to print 6x6x11 foot rooms that will then be assembled into a house.

    Of course, a large build volume is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to successfully 3D printing a house. The material has to be strong enough to stand on its own as its built. DUS Architects won’t say what kind of material they’re using yet, but it’s reportedly a sustainable material built by adhesives company Henkel.

    To help support the project, Amsterdam will allow the public to observe the 3D printer as it makes the house as part of what it calls the Construction Expo starting March 1. There will be an admission fee which the city will use to fund the project in the long term.

    Here’s a video of the 3D printer:

    3D Print Canal House from DUS Architects on Vimeo.

    Image via DUS Architects/YouTube

  • South African Mall Collapses, Causing Injuries

    South African Mall Collapses, Causing Injuries

    On Tuesday, horror struck when the roof of a South African shopping mall located in Tongaat (20 miles north of Durban) that was under construction collapsed. Massive rescue efforts involving police, countless rescue teams, sniffer dogs, and even spotlights were used to track survivors through the rubble.

    Original reports claimed that nearly 50 people had been pressed underneath the wreckage and debris. However, the current estimations claim that at least 29 survivors were found. Unfortunately there have been two fatalities reported at this time.

    According to Police Lieutenant Mandy Govender, “The dogs are now combing the area for survivors. There’s just chunks and chunks of concrete and we don’t know what’s underneath.”

    Unfortunately, the tragedy did not come without warning. The construction was supposed to have stopped due to inadequate work done by contractors involved with completing the three-story building. Nomvuzo Shabalala, who is the deputy mayor of the municipality, which includes the region of Tongaat recently spoke with the South African Press Association. “We took them to court a month ago. We thought they had stopped,” Deputy Mayor Shabalala said.

    Eye-witness accounts paint a disturbing and traumatizing scene. Fiona Mooneal, who lives close to the construction area and was in her kitchen when the collapse occurred, spoke with Reuters.

    “It was just after 4.30 (1430 GMT). Suddenly about 200 meters of concrete slab just collapsed all at the same time. The screams of the guys, above all of that mad noise, you could still hear them. It was like when you blow up a building, a bomb. That sound, it was terrible,” Mooneal said.

    Mooneal contacted a representative from emergency services who was able to offer some support. “She had to calm me down because I was so freaked out. For me, the most traumatic is the sound of the guys’ voices. That is the part that plays in my head,” Mooneal shared.

    [Image Via NDN]

  • San Francisco Bay Bridge Construction Remains on Schedule

    SF Bay Bridge is getting a makeover this Labor Day weekend as crews working on all things construction on the bridge. A “much more picturesque ride” awaits motorists in San Francisco on Tuesday, but say goodbye to the old East Span.

    The SF Bay Bridge was closed for a long weekend starting Wednesday at 8 p.m. and crews have already been well into construction and is to reopen on schedule, Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 5 a.m.

    (image)
    The New East Span provides a side-by-side configuration and will allow for panoramic views of the San Francisco bay and the East Bay hills. The new East Span is nothing like it used to be, according to the California Transportation Commission. Drivers are reminded to keep their eyes on the road, and let their passengers enjoy the new views. The improvements to the new East Span estimated cost is $6.416 billion, paid for by the toll revenues collected on state-owned bridges in the San Francisco Bay Area. The goal of the Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee is to replace the entire original East Span, and demolishing the damaged original due to substantial damage caused by 7.1 magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.

    On the West Span crews are repairing light fixtures, cleaning, painting the cable and make other cosmetic changes.

    The SF Bay Bridge was closed over Labor Day weekends in 2006, 2007, and 2009. Labor day weekend provides “light traffic on the bridge” according to California Department of Transportation. The elaborate scheduling has extended the project, due to the fact that the traffic must keep moving.

    This phase is the final stage of the series to open up the new East Span. Other than traffic being “sluggish” Thursday during the morning commute, all seems to be going well, while construction pushes through.

    (image)
    All Photos courtesy of baybridgeinfo.org

  • Check Out Pittsburg State’s Massive Tablet

    Check Out Pittsburg State’s Massive Tablet

    For the past few years, all technology has been racing to become the smallest device in its class. Now we’re heading back up again with companies trying to make the biggest phone and tablet. Well, I hate to break it to Lenovo, but Pittsburg State now has the king of massive tablets.

    Pittsburg State calls it the iPlan Table, and it’s part of the school’s construction management curriculum. You may have seen a foreman at a construction site using a massive paper blueprint, but the future is going paperless. The school wants to prepare its students for the construction sites of tomorrow by implementing digital technologies in the classroom of today.

    As you can see, the only thing special about the iPlan Table is its size. It’s a desktop running a normal version of Windows 7 with touch input. It’s still impressive to see a touchscreen of this size being deployed outside of very special circumstances though. The school even states that its the first construction management program in the country to use the technology.

    Of course, technology like this will be used in more classes around the country as it develops. I wouldn’t be surprised if the classroom of the future had embedded touchscreens in the desks for students to work on problems without the need for paper or pencils.

  • Dutch Architect Plans To Build The First 3D Printed House By 2014

    The 3D printed house has been a pipe dream for many years as engineers and architects think of ways to make 3D printers big enough to handle such a task. There have been some important breakthroughs over the years, but the day of the first 3D printed building may soon be upon us.

    3ders reports that Janjaap Ruijssenaars, a Dutch architect at Universe Architecture, has completed design work on a “one-piece building” that will be constructed by a 3D printer. He expects the technology to print the entire house will be available by 2014.

    So what exactly does a one-piece building mean? The Landscape House, as Ruijssenaars has dubbed it, is a house that takes on the continuing design of a Möbius strip. Here’s how he describes the project:

    One surface folded in an endless Möbius band. Floors transform into ceilings, inside into outside. Production with innovative 3D printing techniques. Architecture of continuity with an endless array of applicability.

    Of course, the building would be too large to print out in one go. Instead, the team will be printing out the building piece by piece and then attaching them together. The pieces will be about six-by-nine meters in size. The team also plans to reinforce the contours of the house with concrete so the building won’t fall under its own weight.

    So, which 3D printer will be Ruijssenaars being used for the project? He will be making use of D-Shape, a new 3D printing technology that uses sand and an inorganic binder to create unique shapes that would otherwise be impossible in traditional construction.

  • Build Your Own 3D Printer With A 3D Printer

    Build Your Own 3D Printer With A 3D Printer

    I think we have established that 3D printers are awesome. From organs and houses to guns and drugs, 3D printers are the future. Of course, you now want a 3D printer of your very own, but you don’t know where to get one. If you have the cash and a free weekend, one group will show you how to build your own.

    Starting on July 28, NextFab Studio will be hosting three weekend events in Philadelphia where people will be building their own MendelMax 1.5, the most advanced version of the RepRap 3D printer. How does that work? Well, the RepRap is a particularly awesome 3D printer because it’s made primarily out of plastic. That means that you can build a 3D printer with a 3D printer.

    The weekend classes will cost you $2,000. That’s about the price of an assembled RepRap printer so you get the printer and the knowledge of how to make your own for such a low price. As an added bonus, they will even thrown in a free copy of MOI v2, 3D modeling software that will allow you to make your own models for printing.

    So you’re already at the “Shut up and take my money” phase. What will you need to start building your new 3D printer? Surprisingly, not a lot.

  • A laptop + powercord (OS X 10.6+ and Ubuntu 11.04+ are recommended for robotics control and 3D printing. Windows should work but due to the variability in Windows systems you may have some hurdles to getting the proper software installed. You will need Python v2.7+, the Arduino environment, and a few other bits.)
  • Enthusiasm and a passion for learning and helping others learn.
  • Bring your friends! (3 Students MAX per kit): Bring a friend, a parent, your kids, anyone else you want to help you build your kit and learn all of its inner workings and how to fix it!

    • The deadline for session one has already passed, but you can still jump on the registration for the next two sessions. For the August 11 session, you will have to sign up by July 28. For the August 25 session, you will have to sign up by August 11. You can buy your ticket to the event over at EventBrite.

    Considering that you will be the envy of all your friends with a 3D printer, the price definitely seems worth it. Since you can bring up to two friends along for the ride, splitting the cost for the kit will be pretty easy.

  • Your Next Home May Be Constructed With A 3D Printer

    I’m a believer. 3D printing is going to change everything from how we create to how we consume. Once they become more affordable, you’re going to see people printing everything from new toys to new livers. Of course, 3D printers have so far only been seen creating small-scale projects, but what about large-scale projects like housing? It can do that too.

    The first technology to emerge on the scene was a technology called Contour Crafting. It was invented by Behrokh Khoshnevis, a professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering at the University of Southern California. His system is essentially a giant 3D printer can construct a home in less than 24 hours. This isn’t just laying the foundations and building walls either. Contour Crafting would be able to lay down the plumbing as well.

    Here’s a video of Khoshnevis talking about Contour Crafting and how it can aid in construction of cheap, yet sturdy, housing in poor nations and low-income neighborhoods.

    Another school in the UK has also come up with their own take on cheap construction – 3D Concrete Printing. It’s similar to Contour Printing except that it’s main purpose is to print the concrete in unique designs to complement the construction of a building. It still promises to make construction easier, cheaper and safer.

    Like most 3D printing projects, this technology is still primarily in the realm of scientists and researchers. The exciting part is that this technology is getting cheaper and cheaper all the time. It’s only a matter of time before people will begin downloading the design to a house and then printing it off themselves. I, for one, can’t wait until we start downloading houses.

  • Impaled at WTC: Construction Worker Falls Onto Metal Rod

    Impaled at WTC: Going forward, whenever people ask me why I’m extremely terrified of heights, I’ll simply show them this article. A 37 year-old construction worker at the site fell about six feet before landing on a two-inch thick piece of rebar, which punctured his left side. The man, whose name has not been released to the public, was rushed to Bellevue Hospital for treatment. Although his injuries are considered serious, he is expected to survive.

    The building, which designed by Japanese Fumihiko Maki’s firm as a “respectful and quiet backdrop” to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, just had its final beam locked down on Monday. According to reports, the interior of the building is expected to be completed by the fall of 2013.

    This isn’t the first accident that has plagued the construction site as of late. In February, a large quantity steel suspended by a crane fell roughly 40 stories onto a flatbed truck. Fortunately, no injuries occurred as a result.

    4 World Trade Center, which stands at 977 feet tall with 72 stories, is the second building to be completed on the site. In 2006, Seven World Trade Center was the first to be finished, which stands at 50 stories tall.