Western Builder articles from August 2008

Western Builder archives from August 2008

WisDOT 2009 Standard Specs Now In Print And On CD.
August 4, 2008... Staff Printed copies and CDs of the 2009 WisDOT standard specifications are now available from the Wisconsin Department of Administration's (DOA) print-on-demand service. Information about the new publishing schedule for the standards...

PCA Expects 2008 Housing Starts To Be Down 36 Percent.
August 4, 2008... Staff According to a recent Portland Cement Association (PCA) report, housing starts in 2008 are expected to be 36 percent lower than in 2007, creating three straight years of declines. PCA says the weakening economy, tight credit and...

U.S. Green Building Council Re-launches Website.
August 4, 2008... Staff The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has relaunched its popular www.Greenbuild365 website. Visitors will find increased educational offerings, podcasts and expanded resources, including green building courses; free, brief case...

ABC Of Wisconsin's Management Recognized For Excellence.
August 4, 2008... Staff The national leadership of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) has honored ABC of Wisconsin with the national Excellence in Association Management accreditation. The accreditation recognizes an outstanding track record...

$5.6-Million Fort McCoy Project Awarded.(United States. Army. Air Forces)(Brief article)
August 4, 2008... Staff The U.S. Army has awarded VT Griffin Services, Inc., Alpharetta, GA, a $5,590,300 firm-fixed-price contract for buildings and ground maintenance and repair, vehicle and equipment maintenance, supply support, facility issue,...

Strand Buys Engineering Company In Phoenix.
August 4, 2008... Staff Strand Associates, Inc., Madison, has purchased Brooks Engineers & Surveyors, Inc., of Phoenix, AZ. Brooks is a 30-person office that provides land surveying, civil engineering and construction administration services throughout...

Four Area Colleges In National Concrete Canoe Race.
August 4, 2008... Staff Four teams of civil-engineering students from Wisconsin and Upper Michigan recently were among teams from more than 20 schools competing in the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) 2008 concrete canoes competition in Montreal,...

SIMA Web Seminar On Cost Management August 28.
August 4, 2008... Staff The Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA) will hold a live web seminar entitled "Snow Strategies for Tough Times: How to Manage Rising Costs and Protect Your Bottom Line" on Thursday, August 28, at 2:00 p.m. Central Time. ...

More Than Just Another Company That Moves Dirt.(Editorial)
August 4, 2008... Edited by Mike Larson, Editor. 21st-century positioning technology and progressive attitude set Schneider Excavating apart "Nothing can replace the skill of a talented operator, but technology sure can make that operator a whole lot...

A Lot's At Stake; Keep Control Of Your Project.(Editorial)
August 4, 2008... By Mike Larson, Editor Decentralization and electronic technology have added speed and efficiency to construction-site staking. But they also raise the risk of costly errors. To build yourself a safety net, set up firm procedures and have...

Gehl Introduces Optional Solid-Rubber Tire For Telehandlers.
August 11, 2008... Staff Gehl Company, West Bend, now offers an optional solid-rubber tire for its DL Series and RS Series telescopic handlers. The single-aperture tires will not puncture, blow-out or go flat, and, says Gehl, will last up to four times...

Local Governments Receive Share Of Fuel Tax, Registration-Fee Revenue.
August 11, 2008... Staff The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has delivered quarterly checks totaling $103.5 million to help local governments across the state fund general transportation, connecting highways and expressway policing. The...

NCCER Craft-Skill Assessments Now Available In Spanish.(Brief article)
August 11, 2008... Staff NCCER, Gainesville, FL, has translated several craft-skill assessments for use with Hispanic workers who do not speak fluent English. Subject-matter experts fluent in both English and Spanish were key contributors to development...

ARTBA Says Iron And Steel Scrap Prices Up 93 Percent.
August 11, 2008... Staff In July, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) reported that prices for iron and steel components had been up 93 percent in May. Those prices were one force that helped make highway- and...

Michels Sets HDD Record.
August 11, 2008... Staff Michels Directional Crossing, a division of Michels Corporation, Brownsville, WI, recently completed what it believes is a record-setting "first" in the HDD industry by pulling 6,000 feet of 42-inch-diameter pipe in an interstate...

Governor Signs Airport Projects Totaling $21.2 Million.
August 11, 2008... Staff Governor Doyle recently approved projects for 20 airports all over the state. The work ranges from designing new terminals to building hangars; resurfacing or building runways, taxiways and other pavement; adding lighting; and...

Madison's Capitol West Completed.(Brief article)
August 11, 2008... Staff Madison's Capitol West condominium project, owned by The Alexander Companies and built by J.H. Findorff & Son, Inc., of Madison, was recently completed and is now seeing its first occupants. The 164-unit project sits just a couple of...

Wisconsin's Deck-Truss Bridges Found Sound.(WisDOT plan to electronically monitor 14 deck-truss bridges )(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Staff A WisDOT official has said that the electronic monitoring of 14 deck-truss bridges in Wisconsin has shown they are safe and functioning as WisDOT expected. After the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi...

Stone Construction Equipment Reappoints Fossand.
August 18, 2008... Staff Stone Construction Equipment, Inc. has reappointment Clark Fossand from Woodbury, MN, as district sales manager for several Midwest states, including Wisconsin. He had previously been part of the Stone sales team from 1999 to 2004.

Belan Recognized As Future Leader.
August 18, 2008... Staff Kristen Belan, PE, senior project engineer for Crispell-Snyder, Inc.'s Lake Geneva Storm Water Division, has been recognized by Wisconsin Builder as a future leader in the industry. Belan has been with Crispell-Snyder since 2000...

Gauthier And Schueler Join R.A. Smith National.(R.A. Smith National appointed John Gauthier and Justin Schueler)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Staff R.A. Smith National, Brookfield, has added two new employees in its transportation division. John Gauthier is a civil engineer. He holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, with an emphasis on transportation, from...

Bids For Sauk County Hwy. A To Be Awarded In Late August.(Highways)(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Staff If all goes according to plan, bids for reconstructing Sauk County Hwy. A are expected to be awarded in late August, with work to start in early September. The road is expected to open in December, and the repaired Lake Delton...

J&L Steel Erectors Relocates HQ To Wisconsin.
August 18, 2008... Staff J&L Steel Erectors, Inc. has moved its headquarters from Minnesota to the Wisconsin city of Hudson, just across the Mississippi River from Minneapolis. President and CEO LouAnne Reger said in a recent interview that J&L has...

Bobcat "Unleashed Me" Contest Winners.
August 18, 2008... Staff After 21 weeks of reviewing entries from Bobcat compact equipment enthusiasts, Bobcat company officials have selected a grand prize winner, five second-place winners and 10 third-place winners in the How Bobcat Unleashed Me Contest....

Vise-Grip Contest Features Chopper As Grand Prize.
August 18, 2008... Staff Irwin Industrial Tools, Huntersville, NC, makers of Vise-Grip brand locking tools, will give away a $25,000 custom-built Vise-Grip chopper motorcycle in its online "How Do You Use Your Vise-Grip?" contest. The contest asks...

AZCO's Job Site And Shop Safety Recognized Nationally.
August 18, 2008... Staff The Association of Union Constructors (TUAC) has awarded AZCO, Inc., Appleton, the Thomas J. Reynolds Award for Excellence in Construction Safety and Health, based on the company's 2007 safety record. The award commends...

National Crane Names Peretin V.P. Of Sales And Marketing.(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Staff Brian Peretin has been promoted to vice president of sales and marketing for National Crane. He is responsible for all aspects of sales and marketing for the National Crane line of boom trucks. Before his promotion, Peretin had...

Genie Launches Online Parts Ordering.(Brief article)
August 18, 2008... Staff Genie Industries, Redmond, WA, has launched a new online parts-ordering system designed to increase ordering accuracy and customer productivity. Used with Genie's Serial Number Smart Parts Lookup System, it will enable customers...

Yanmar Offers Three-Year Or 3,000-Hour Warranty.
August 18, 2008... Staff The construction equipment division of Yanmar North America, Adairsville, GA, has recently increased the warranty for its excavators, loaders and backhoes to three years or 3,000 hours. The warranty covers all elements of the...

Federal Government Provides Money For Emergency Road Repair.
August 18, 2008... By Mike Larson In mid July, a week or so before this is being written, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters has made available $1 million in quick-release funds to help pay for urgent repairs on Wisconsin roads and bridges damaged by...

Compact Track Loader Helps Contractor Do More In Less Time.(Dick Fuhrman & Son Bulldozing, Inc. purchased compact track loader )(Editorial)
August 18, 2008... Story by Mike Larson, Editor New, versatile CTL does work of small dozer - and more. Dick Fuhrman & Son Bulldozing, Inc., Hazelhurst, WI, has recently added Wisconsin's first new Case 420CT Series 3 compact track loader to its fleet of...

Bobcat Plus Opens New Locations.
August 18, 2008... Story by Mike Larson, Editor Milwaukee-area Bobcat dealer now serves Fox Valley, Green Bay, and other parts of northeastern Wisconsin Bobcat Plus, Butler, WI, has expanded its territory and now serves the Fox River Valley, Green Bay,...

Dual-Bit Drill Simplifies Road Repair.
August 18, 2008... Story by Mike Larson, Editor Pneumatic drill bores two perfectly spaced dowel holes simultaneously Michels Paving, a division of Michels Corp., Brownsville, is part of the team working to reconstruct part of Hwy. 96 on the west side of...

State Patrol Says Slower Traffic Must Keep Right.
August 25, 2008... Staff In Wisconsin, drivers must allow faster traffic to pass in the left lane on divided highways. To protect your sanity and safety, it's wise to let faster-moving vehicles just pass you by. This is especially true on Interstate...

Code Council Creates Sustainable Building Committee.
August 25, 2008... Staff In mid July, the International Code Council Board approved the creation of a Sustainable Building Technology Committee (SBTC) to support its many ongoing efforts in green, sustainable and safe construction. Among the...

PCI Offers Concrete Connections Manual.
August 25, 2008... Staff The Connection Details Committee of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) has released the first edition of the PCI Connections Manual for Precast and Prestressed Concrete Construction. The manual covers the array of...

Spancrete's McCormack Elected Fellow Of PCI.(Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute appointed Robert S. McCormack)(Brief article)
August 25, 2008... Staff Robert S. McCormack, former executive vice president and chief operating officer of The Spancrete Group Inc., Waukesha, has been elected a fellow of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI). McCormack's election...

MSA's Peterson And Grow Earn LEED Accreditation.
August 25, 2008... Staff Amy Peterson and Clayton Grow of MSA Professional Services have passed LEED accreditation testing, which confirms that these building professionals have the knowledge and skills to steward the LEED certification process. ...