The old adage is that contractors are slow to adapt to new technology. That may have held true in the past, but go to any job site now and you’re likely to see iPads and other mobile devices hard at work.

Just how these devices speed productivity is the subject of two articles in the DJC’s Construction & Equipment special section. In one article, Skanska discusses how it’s moving toward a paperless job site. In the second, Howard S. Wright profiles its high-tech “Big Room” that is outfitted with various high-tech devices to streamline collaboration and communication between all of the project team members.

Even with all those high-tech gizmos in the Big Room, HSW still designed in a glass wall for posting sticky notes.

In its quest to crack down on unlicensed contractors, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries says it made surprise visits to 63 work sites in Chelan and Douglas counties this past weekend.

The result? Eleven contractors were cited for either lacking a state registration or for not being registered for the work they were doing. Each first-time offense carries a $1,000 fine.

“An unregistered contractor typically has no liability insurance, no bond, and pays no taxes or workers’ comp,” said Dean Simpson, manager of L&I’s construction compliance program, in a release. “That means they’re leaving consumers unprotected and are unfairly competing with reputable contractors who do great work and meet the requirements.”

Simpson said his program has stepped up staffing and focus, inspecting more than 10,000 jobsites in the last fiscal year — 56 percent more visits and 39 percent more violations uncovered than in the previous year.

Mark Straub, executive officer for the North Central Home Builders Association, said his group supports L&I’s crackdown.

“We continue to receive numerous calls from consumers who thought they were getting ‘a great deal,’ only to discover that they have little or no recourse when they’re ultimately left in a lurch by these bad actors,” Straub said in the release.

L&I has carried out surprise inspections at 257 work sites, issuing 41 citations, since the agency began sweeps in August. The agency also found a number of other violations relating to uncertified plumbers, underage workers and unpermitted work on manufactured homes.

“We want to show people we’re out there, even on the weekends,” Simpson said. “We want unregistered contractors to know we will find them and for honest contractors to know we’re not ignoring this problem.”

L&I’s contractor compliance program has 21 inspectors around the state that make random site visits and respond to tips. Contractors can register at www.ContractorRenew.Lni.wa.gov.

Skanska is in the midst of its eighth annual Safety Week, which it bills as the world’s largest workplace safety initiative. That means all of Skanska’s 53,000 employees around the world, including its 9,400 U.S. employees, are putting an extra focus on workplace safety and wellness. Subcontractors, suppliers and business partners are also included.

The program has thousands of activities held at Skanska jobsites and offices that educate employees on how to better avoid workplace risks and evade injuries. Examples are rescue techniques and fire training, flex routines, health and first-aid training, and ladder safety.
Speaking of ladder safety, Skanska is hosting a ladder safety presentation at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday at its UW Medical Center jobsite. Doug Wing from Little Giant Ladders will give a demonstration.

Skanska has developed some best practices for ladder safety:
• Always inspect the ladder prior to use.
• Choose the right ladder for the job based on if you are working at low, medium or high heights.
• Move slowly and deliberately while on a ladder. Over-reaching or leaning can lead to a loss of balance.
• Most importantly, always maintain three points of contact while ascending and descending a ladder. The user should keep either two hands and a foot or two feet and a hand on the ladder at all times.

Over the past six years, Skanska’s lost-time accident rate for employees has been reduced by 50 percent. By 2015, the company aims to eliminate three out of four lost-time accidents.

More information on Safety Week 2012 can be found at www.skanska.com/safetyweek. It runs until Sunday.

The state Department of Labor & Industries claims getting cited for a workplace safety violation can be good for a company.

L&I says a recent study of 10 years’ worth of inspection data found significant reductions in claims and claim costs following a safety inspection or consultation.

The greatest impact came when an inspection resulted in at least one citation. Research found a reduction in worker injury claims of as much as 20 percent over similar worksites that weren’t inspected.

“Safety is not always at the forefront of an employer’s mind. But when a significant event takes place, like a serious injury or an L&I inspection, it can really get their attention,” said Barbara Silverstein, director of L&I’s Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention program, in a press release. “This can lead to a greater recognition of what can be done in the workplace to reduce hazards, itself leading to safer workplaces and fewer injuries.”

The study found that enforcement inspections at fixed-site businesses were followed by a 4.3 percent greater decline in compensable claims rates than at non-visited businesses. At non-fixed-site businesses, such as construction sites, the number was 3.1 percent greater.

A study summary can be found at http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/OccHealth/DoshEval/DoshEffect19992008.asp.

DBM Contractors on Wednesday expects to finish what will now total 116 drilled shafts at the Colman Residence project across the street from the Journal Building.

The concrete and rebar filled shafts will support the 16-story, 208-unit apartment tower. Crews are now digging the grade beam foundations that will sit atop the shafts. They also have installed the rebar that will strengthen the concrete box that will support the project’s tower crane.

The project team is: Goodman Real Estate, owner; Turner Construction, general contractor; Weber Thompson, architect; and Magnusson Klemencic Associates, structural engineer.

The DJC has a front row seat for Goodman Real Estate’s Colman Residence project. With such a convenient location, look for frequent updates on this blog as construction progresses.

Crews from DBM Contractors this week have been drilling and installing concrete piles that will support the 16-story apartment building. That will be quite a task because plans call for 109 drilled shafts ranging in diameter from 24 to 48 inches, reaching depths of 40 to 145 feet.

Before DBM started drilling into the earth, Goodman pulled up 20 trees that had surrounded the site for decades. DJC colleague Katie Zemtseff wrote about that in May.

The project team has Turner Construction as the general contractor, Weber Thompson as architect and Magnusson Klemencic Associates as structural engineer.

The building will have retail topped by 208 apartments aimed at young urban professionals.

I wonder if any of them will cross the street to work at the DJC.

Workers in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this morning are expected to start an epic lift involving a 2.8 million-pound building.

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library was swamped during the 2008 flood and backers are moving it to a higher elevation to hopefully avoid a repeat. Jeremy Patterson Structural Moving will move the building from the banks of the Cedar River across the street.

The museum has a live webcam where you can view the action, which is scheduled to start at 6 a.m. Pacific time.

Studs in the wood-frame building have been bolted to 2-foot-square beams for the lift and move. The entire building sits on four main beams, each 210 feet long, which were cross-braced for the move. The corners of the building were tied together with steel cable and bracing.

Crews today will use a series of hydraulic jacks to lift the building so that they can place 140 motorized dollies below it. Then, a worker will drive the building to its new location, where it will be elevated 12 feet to fit onto a new pedestal.

The new museum will be expanded to 50,000 square feet in the future. Its final resting spot will be 3 feet above the level of the 2008 flood.

“It’s apparently the largest museum ever relocated for flood hazard mitigation, and probably the only museum ever elevated,” said Rod Scott of Jeremy Patterson Structural Moving in a press release.

Photo courtesy of Watts-DelHur

After taking  home the Eagle of Excellence award last month from the ABC of Western Washington, the Watts-DelHur joint venture is at it again — this time grabbing the top honor last night at the AGC of Washington’s Build Washington Awards.

The winning project is the Elwha water facilities in Olympic National Park. Watts-DelHur was able to finish the job a year ahead of schedule partly by diverting the Elwha River to a temporary channel. It also had a perfect safety record.

I can’t recall a contractor (or joint venture) ever winning both local associations’ top awards in one year. On top of that, the project also won an Aon Build America Merit Award earlier this year from the AGC of America.

Way to go W-D!

Sicklesteel Cranes won the grand award for safety at the Build Washington Awards banquet, which was held at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront hotel.

Check out all of the award winners in the DJC’s special section.

Photo by Benjamin Benschneider, courtesy NBBJ

The DJC is publishing a special section today on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation campus in Seattle. It was quite an accomplishment — just ask the team that designed and built it. Better yet, learn firsthand from the contractor, architects and engineers about how the campus came together by reading the special.

Want to get an idea of how local construction companies are riding out the economy, post-recession? Or how about a few tips on how to save gas with your construction fleet? Maybe you want to see some award-winning construction projects?

Those and other pertinent issues to the construction industry can be found in the DJC’s Construction & Equipment special section. Check it out!