The Chinese are at it again. Last year, they built a 15-story hotel in 6 days. Now, the Broad Group has built a 30-story hotel in 15 days.
A big question that immediately pops up: “Is the building safe?” Well, Broad Group claims it can withstand a 9 magnitude earthquake and is 5 times more quake resistant than traditional buildings, thanks to a unique diagonal steel bracing system.
It also is 5 times more efficient than a traditional building, with 4-pane windows, exterior solar shading and interior window insulators. Building air is 20 times purer, thanks to a heat recovery system with 3-stage filtration.
Driving through my neighborhood this week I noticed a sign staked off the side of the road with the handwritten message: “Tree Removal.” The only other information on it was a phone number.
Seems like every time an event like the recent ice storm hits, there’s a slew of “contractors” that come out of the woodwork.
Before calling that guy on the sign, remember he is probably not registered with the state as a contractor. That means he may not have insurance if he trims a tree that subsequently falls onto your house. Also, I believe that if he falls and injures himself, the unsuspecting homeowner that hired him could be liable.
The state Department of Labor & Industries says a little homework upfront can protect homeowners from fraud, shoddy work or bad contractors.
L&I says to take these steps when hiring a contractor or tree trimmer:
• Visit www.HiringAContractor.Lni.wa.gov to verify the company is registered, how much insurance they carry and their bonding capacity.
• Beware of contractors who ask to be paid in cash, have a check made out to someone other than the business, work just weekends or use high-pressure sales tactics.
• Avoid paying a large deposit or the entire cost upfront, and be sure to get the required Notice to Customer disclosure for any project that is more than $1,000.
• If subcontractors are used, or costly materials from suppliers, get lien releases from them. Before making final payment on the job, make sure subcontractors aren’t owed any money. Unpaid subcontractors can hold you responsible for their work by putting liens on your home.
For the first time on any Department of Defense project, the U.S. Navy is requiring the use of a project labor agreement (PLA). AGC protests Naval Facilities Engineering Command’s (NAVFAC’s) use of a PLA for the building of the $450-550 million second explosives handling wharf at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor.
AGC is strongly opposed to government-negotiated PLAs. The Navy says it is setting the parameters of the PLA rather than actually negotiating the agreement between the selected contractor and the unions. However, it does not appear there is much negotiation “wiggle room” beyond the Navy’s parameters, which were preset with Labor.
The Defense Department is reportedly under pressure from the Obama Administration to increase the use of PLAs in its building plans. AGC is particularly concerned because the use of a PLA on such a large project could generate a large push for additional PLAs on federal projects in the State.
AGC strongly believes that the choice of whether to adopt a collective bargaining agreement should be left to the contractor-employers and their employees, and that such a choice should not be imposed as a condition to competing for, or performing on, a publicly funded project. Government mandates and preferences for PLAs can restrain competition, drive up costs, cause delays, lead to jobsite disputes, and disrupt local collective bargaining. In cases where use of a PLA would benefit a particular project, the construction contractors otherwise qualified to perform the work would be the first to recognize that fact and to adopt a PLA voluntarily. They would also be the most qualified to negotiate the terms of such an agreement.
AGC has worked with the short-listed contractors on their own response to the call for comments from the Navy, which has indicated it will soon respond to these comments.
NPR’s science blogger Robert Krulwich reports that helicopter robots in France have built a 20-foot tower out of foam bricks.
While the project was only a small-scale demonstration, it begs the question: Will the future construction workforce consist of robots directed by computer programmers?
More than 100 Vashon Island kids got Christmas presents thanks to some busy elves at Skanska’s Seattle office.
Spearheaded by Skanska’s Community Involvement Committee, the contractor donated new toys through the Vashon Kiwanis Club.
Next, Skanska teamed with Fred Meyer and the AGC of Washington to donate about $10,000 worth of meals to 200 students of Seattle Vocational Institute. The meals included a 10-pound turkey, can of beans and a box of stuffing. Leftovers were taken by Farestart to bolster local food banks.
Jolly good, Skanska, AGC and Freddy’s!
Here’s some more holiday cheer: PCL Construction Services’ Seattle office donated $5,000 each to the Food Lifeline and Northwest Harvest food banks.
The local donation is part of a national effort by the contractor to fight hunger. If you add in donations from 13 other PCL district locations across the country, the total hits $140,000.
PCL says it has funded food banks for the last three years because buying in bulk can yield 5 to 15 pounds of food for every dollar donated. The total donated over three years is $438,000, providing about 1.3 million meals to those in need.
Cheers to PCL!
The long awaited Sound Transit PLA study has been released. The study, which has been under review for months, was released in response to a public records request by the Laborer’s Union. Sound Transit had wanted to review the study with its officers prior to release.
According to Sound Transit, the study shows the PLA Program of Projects achieved most of its objectives except for apprenticeship utilization and clearly documents the issues contractors and the unions had with the PLA program.
It also provides lessons learned should the Sound Transit Board want to go forward with a PLA for the Sound Transit Phase 2 projects. The Board will begin discussion of that question next year. For more information and to view the report, click here.
The City of Seattle has revised its WMBE requirements in response to issues raised by contractors at an AGC-hosted workshop.
The revised plan removes the dual-elements used to determine marketplace availability. Instead, the City will utilize past performance alone. The new form reflects this change.
Further, the City has adjusted the point system to more clearly favor the two main features of the plan, aspirational goals and WMBE commitments. Other changes include posting the results of the WMBE Inclusion Plan scores on Ebid for each applicable project, right alongside the Bid results and ensuring that the Past Performance Category applicable to the project (for example, Roadways, Facilities, etc) is clearly stated within the Bid Ad and the Bid Specifications.
The bad: Some D-bags earlier this month stole about $4,000 worth of tools from Habitat for Humanity of East King County.
The tools were stored at Habitat’s La Fortuna construction site in Renton. The thieves cut the padlock on the jobsite gate and then drilled through a lock on a storage container to get to the tools, which included three circular saws, six nail guns, a drill and other items. They even took several spools of copper wire.
Volunteers said it had taken them several years to build up the tool supply and their productivity was threatened by the burglary. The good: The construction industry, Bank of America and others stepped up to donate more than $15,000 in cash and $4,000 worth of tools. BofA and The Mosaic Co. each donated $4,000 while other donations came from Complete Concrete, PCL Construction, Genie Industries and Schnitzer Steel.
“It’s like the final scene from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ ” said Habitat EKC Executive Director Tom Granger in a statement. “Thanks to the community’s generosity we will be able to replace all the tools that were stolen and we will put in a security system to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
That’s right.
Genie has issued a safety bulletin regarding instability in some of the GS-2669, GS-3369 and GS-4069 models. Serial numbers of the affected units range from GS6911-101 to GS6912-412.
Some of the machines in the serial range may have been manufactured incorrectly, including assembly of the hydraulic circuit in the oscillation system; and installation of axle pivot pins that are out of specifications.
Call Genie’s service department at (800) 536-1800 for more information.
Welcome to the Daily Journal of Commerce's Nuts and Bolts blog, a comprehensive look into the construction industry and its role in the local economy. We will talk about what’s being built, who’s building it, and the myriad of issues facing those in the industry.
Opinions expressed by bloggers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.
DJC construction editor Benjamin Minnick was born and raised in the Seattle area. He knows how to swing a hammer without smashing his thumb and can even perform some mediocre carpentry. His goal is to have this blog become the go-to point for construction workers in both the field and office.
Jerry VanderWood is communications director for the Associated General Contractors of Washington, where he gets to learn about construction issues from the best in the business. He's originally from South Carolina, then Washington, D.C., and moved to the Seattle area in 1989. He resides with his wife and kids in the suburbs of Issaquah.
Todd Henry is a partner at Oles Morrison Rinker & Baker, one of the Northwest's oldest law firms. He represents general contractors, subcontractors, project owners and design professionals in all aspects of construction law, from contract preparation to litigation. Prior to his legal career, Todd had a 20-year career in construction management. He is a frequent speaker on construction law topics and remains involved with Seattle University School of Law as a guest lecturer.
Vik Duggal founded and runs Konstructr, an online construction media property. He provides sales consulting services to developers, architects, consultants and contractors. He also runs a personal video blog where he takes a multifaceted approach to personal branding and business. His background is in engineering and sales.
Matt Stodola is an expert in wood-frame construction in the Northwest, with more than 22 years in the field. He is the quality control manager for Exxel Pacific in Bellingham, the author of "Stress Free Buildings" and the inventor of the Deflector Fastening System, which solves many issues in wood-frame construction, including drywall cracks and floor squeaks.
Kathleen Garrity has served as president of Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Washington since the chapter was founded in 1983. She sits on the state Prevailing Wage Advisory Committee and served on the committee that rewrote the state’s apprenticeship laws. She is also active on the NAIOP Community Enhancement Committee, is a guest lecturer at the University of Washington School of Construction Management and represents the chapter presidents on the National Diversity Committee.
Tonia Sorrell-Neal, LEED AP, is the Executive Director of the Washington State Conference of Mason Contractors, representing contractors and manufacturers working with brick, block, stone, marble, restoration, PCC and tile since 2008. She began her construction career focusing on construction defect litigation in Kentucky in 1994 and later transitioned to association government affairs where she has had the opportunity to lobby for the general contractors, subcontractors and homebuilders on issues including licensing, workers compensation and unemployment insurance.
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