[DJC]

[Construction Equipment]
May 5, 1998

1997 may go down in the annals of construction history as one of the busiest on record. A booming economy, one of the nation's hottest commercial and residential real estate markets, and several major construction projects have created a construction market that has left many contractors scrambling to keep up with the work. In fact, the only significant negative that came out of this year's Construction and Equipment industry survey was the trouble many companies are having finding enough labor to do all this work.

Weldon & Jones
Ironworkers Keith Weldon (left) and Brian Jones, connect framing on the 13-story Expeditors Building at 1015 Third Ave.
Photo by John Stamets

But with these busy times have come several new issues that will have an impact on the industry in the coming years. The distinct possibility of listing the Chinook Salmon as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in the next two years could have far-reaching implications for the Northwest construction industry.

As well, the increased use of the design-build process in construction has presented new roles for contractors in the industry. Dan McTaggart of Construction Associates looks at some of the challenges and benefits of the design-build process.

These changes in the industry, as well as the new challenges brought to local contractors with some of the more elaborate projects being built in the area, have introduced new, revolutionary techniques in design and building. Noel Brady's story on the Jimi Hendrix Experience Music Project looks at how such a unique building demands new ways of conceptualizing a project. And a story by Carol Sanders describes a unique way of applying GIS technology to build the Mariner's Stadium.

You'll find these and other stories in this year's special section on Construction and Equipment. We hope this proves to be a helpful resource that allows DJC readers an in-depth look into today's construction industry.


- Maude Scott
Construction and Equipment Forecast editor


Local groups try to bring workers into construction
Look around the Puget Sound area and it is hard to miss the tower cranes dotting the landscape, signaling construction in progress. What is not immediately obvious is the difficulty companies are having finding trained craftspeople to work on those construction sites.
Construction is booming but local labor supply isn't
Contracting and gambling go hand in hand. Contractors often bluff their way into jobs, betting that they will make money even though the bid they submitted is lower than their competitors'. This year contractors face another wager. If they are awarded a contract, if the weather holds, if the permits fall into place, and if the project goes exactly as planned, will they have enough labor to finish the job?
Figuring profit must include equipment costs
To determine true profitability of construction projects, the use of equipment must be accurately applied to jobs as the project progresses. Otherwise, estimators and managers will be fooled into thinking jobs are profitable when they are not and will allow equipment to sit idle or under utilized.
Can you repeat your successes?
Your last project was a winner -- on schedule, under budget, superior quality, satisfied client. And your employees felt like it was a good experience. But can you repeat that success again and again, for different clients in different circumstances?
EMP challenge: turning sculpture into a building
To look at it is to wonder whether it's even possible to construct. World-renowned architect Frank Gehry's abstract design for the Experience Music Project is a wonder of physics and engineering. Putting it all together is often like space travel. For the contractors and engineers charged with the task of building this structure, every step of the process requires the ability to innovate.
EMP goes beyond CAD to CATIA
Lisa Wickwire can view every possible angle of the contorted Experience Music Project right from her desk in a trailer at the construction site. The building isn't built yet, but on Wickwire's computer screen it's fully formed in three dimensions.
`Visual engineer' building a record of Seattle construction
John Stamets has gotten used to hauling lots of equipment around to construction sites -- levels, hard hat, large camera case. "People on the bus guess I'm a surveyor and people on the site think I'm from OSHA."
Most construction companies succeed by becoming 'stars'
Construction company owners and managers, like most other business leaders, tend to think they are all alone. They believe the situations they face are unique and that solutions they come up apply only to them. But by talking with a number of other leaders they realize how much similarity exists.
Entering Canadian market tough but worth it
At first glance, The Crystal seems to be just another mixed-use project rising out of the ground in the booming construction market in Lower British Columbia. But dig a little deeper and you'll find that it's more than that.
10 tips to make your mediation successful
Developers and construction company owners facing construction claims, take heed: Federal and local state courts now require that civil claims and disputes be settled by alternatives to costly and time-consuming litigation.
Communication follows the hydroplow
With much ado these days about the explosion in telecommunications, including the Internet, wireless satellite networks and multiple home telephone lines, it is easy to forget that it is still necessary to lay communications cables on the seabed.
Is oversupply of surety credit cause for concern?
Most of us are familiar with the theory in economics of "supply and demand." Today's surety market is a classic example of the theory in practice.
GIS hits a home run for the new baseball stadium
Timely construction of the new Mariners Stadium requires efficiency, organization, hard work and a bit of luck -- not unlike environmental and aquatic cleanup projects.
No relief in sight for state's water permit backlog
Unlike most other Western states, Washington historically has enjoyed abundant water supplies in most of its populated areas. As a result of rapid population growth, however, municipal water suppliers face significant new water demands that are straining existing capacities.
Referendum 49: Is this as good as it gets?
Is the new highway proposal really all that it's cracked up to be?
Contractors play many new roles
Plan-spec jobs have been the lifeblood of general contractors, but the industry is rapidly changing.
Pollution insurance: what you need to know
Your present property, or any commercial real estate site you may buy, could be polluted with contaminated soil, ground water or structures, and it could even cause environmental damage to adjacent properties.
Building in Asia offers challenges to U.S. companies
The process of putting a deal together in a foreign country will take longer, but if you are open with your partners and explain to them why certain points are critical in the agreement and/or operating plan, you will end up with an agreement that is mutually beneficial and profitable for both sides.
What contractors should know about tribes
All parties on construction projects in which a tribal government or other entity is involved should understand some key issues that can come up in working with tribes.
Will salmon listing enganger developers?
Before the year 2000, the Puget Sound chinook salmon may be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. If the National Marine Fisheries Service decides to list the chinook, the effect on Puget Sound developers could be substantial.

Copyright © 1998 Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.