What's Inside...

The Construction and Equipment Forcecast takes an in-depth look at issues that affect the local building industry, including earthquakes, the Internet, health and safety, risk assessment and more. Click on the Featured Stories headlines to the left, or the pictures below, to read the full story.

The construction industry survey, prepared by DJC staff, profiles a cross section of local firms and tells what to expect from them in the coming year.

Finally, we profile the winners of Associated Builders & Contractors’ Excellence in Construction Awards.

	Kingdome teaches lessons on earthquakes Specialized devices were used to measure ground motions during the Kingdome implosion. The data will be used to create new design charts, which could lead to new ways of estimating earth movement during non-seismic events. By Susan W. Chang, Robert A. Mitchell and William J. Perkins, Shannon & Wilson
	Kirtley and Cole end 27-year partnership Over the past 27 years, Kirtley-Cole Associates of Snohomish has become one of the Northwest’s most successful design-build contractors. Now the two Everett High School graduates who started it all are going separate ways, no longer partners but still good friends. By Terry Stephens, Special to the Journal
	Ask yourself: Is this lift really necessary? Many workers spend their days in awkward postures, sometimes doing repetitive tasks such as hammering or lifting heavy materials. Finding solutions requires creativity. By Kate Stewart, Prezant Associates