Western Builder articles from September 2008

Western Builder archives from September 2008

Mobile Gantry Makes Dam Job's Heaviest Lifts.(Editorial)
September 1, 2008... By Mike Larson, editor Four-point lifting system effectively handles 58-ton hydroelectric components Miron Construction Co., Inc., Neenah, WI, is using a hydraulic gantry system to place 58-ton hydroelectric-generating components as it...

Personnel Lifts Raise Productivity For Marquette Interchange.
September 1, 2008... Written by Larry Trojak, edited by Mike Larson Fleet of aerial lifts lets workers easily reach work sites up to 120 feet high. Milwaukee's recently completed Marquette Interchange project was an ambitious and successful effort to...

Code Council Issues New Storm-Shelter Standards.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff A new set of construction guidelines will increase public safety for people evacuated to storm shelters and those who use safe rooms in their homes during hurricanes and tornados. The International Code Council/National Storm...

Post-Tensioning Institute Publishes Supplement To Slab-On-Ground Design Book.
September 1, 2008... Staff The Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI), Phoenix, AZ - a non-profit organization for the advancement of post-tensioned, pre-stressed concrete design and construction - now offers the 2008 supplement to the third edition of PTI's Design...

Madeline Island Gets $3 Million For Airport And Highway Work.
September 1, 2008... Staff Governor Jim Doyle has awarded $3.29 million in transportation grants for projects to improve the airport and lone county highway on Madeline Island, WI. This goal of the funding, said Doyle, is to help improve access to the...

ISO 15743 Will Help Manage Risk In Cold Workplaces.
September 1, 2008... Staff A new ISO standard provides comprehensive methodology for assessing risk and managing work in cold environments. ISO 15743:2008, Ergonomics of the Thermal Environment - Cold Workplaces - Risk Assessment and Management describes...

Morris Material Handling Now Inspects All Brands Of Overhead Cranes And Hoists.
September 1, 2008... Staff Morris Material Handling, Inc., Oak Creek, WI, the original-equipment manufacturer of P&H cranes, hoists and replacement parts, now offers inspection services for all brands of overhead cranes and hoists. During inspections,...

Racine Federated Inc. Names New Chairman And President.
September 1, 2008... Staff Racine Federated Inc., Racine, WI, a manufacturer of flow-measurement instruments and internal concrete vibrators, has named John Erskine Jr. as its new chairman of the board and Dave Perkins as its new president. John Erskine...

Dens Named Bri-Mar Dealer For Northwestern Wisconsin.(contract between Don Dens Sales Inc. and Bri-Mar trailers)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff Don Dens Sales, Carlton, MN, has been appointed a dealer for the full line of Bri-Mar trailers in Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. Bri-Mar's products include hydraulic dump trailers, equipment and car haulers, tilt trailers,...

New Catalog Of Bird-Control Products Available.
September 1, 2008... Staff Bird-B-Gone, Inc. has announced its new catalog of its products. The new full-color, 45-page catalog includes Bird-B-Gone classics and also features new products such as Bat Net and new hardware. For more information, e-mail...

MSA Promotes Ruhland.(MSA Professional Services Inc.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff MSA Professional Services, Inc., Baraboo, WI, has promoted Kevin Ruhland, P.E., to lead a traffic-engineering team that serves clients throughout Wisconsin, Iowa and northern Illinois. Ruhland earned a bachelor's degree in civil...

Recob Joins Miron.(Miron Construction Co., Inc. has appointed Jason Recob)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff Miron Construction Co., Inc., Neenah, WI, has added Jason Recob as a project manager. Recob holds a master's degree in business administration from Cardinal Stritch University and a bachelor's degree in building-construction...

Hubing Joins R.A. Smith National.(R.A. Smith National appointed Robert Hubing)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff R.A. Smith National, Brookfield, WI, has added Robert Hubing as construction services manager in the Construction Services Division, which provides construction oversight for urban and rural highways, bridges, other structures, and...

Holden Joins MSA.(MSA Professional Services Inc. appointed David Holden)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff David Holden has joined the Madison, WI, office of MSA Professional Services, Inc. (MSA) as an associate planner. His experience includes working with public and private clients to provide community, transportation and...

WisDOT Website Pinpoints Lane Closures.(Website overview)
September 8, 2008... Staff A WisDOT website that's updated hourly can help drivers avoid - or at least plan for - travel delays caused by road maintenance or construction. Named http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/road/laneclosures/closures.htm , the new...

Deere Parts Service Expands For Faster Delivery.
September 8, 2008... Staff Deere & Company, Moline, IL, is enhancing its parts service capabilities in the U.S. and Canada by investing in capacity expansions at its primary parts distribution center in Milan, IL, and three additional locations in the western...

Brookfield Academy Breaks Ground For Patriots Hall.(Contract between Brookfield Academy and Groth Design Group for school construction)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Staff In early September, Brookfield Academy, Brookfield, WI, broke ground for a new high school on its campus. Groth Design Group, Cedarburg, WI, designed the more-than-100,000-square-foot new school to be the visual center of the...

New EPA Guide Helps Businesses Confront Climate Challenge.(United States. Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Staff EPA is releasing A Business Guide to U.S. EPA Climate Partnership Programs, a resource for businesses committed to addressing the risks and opportunities associated with climate change. The guide features profiles on 35 EPA...

Total Team Construction Moves To New HQ,Sees Fifth Anniversary.
September 8, 2008... Staff Total Team Construction, LLC has relocated its corporate headquarters into a newly remodeled building at 237 Harrison Ave., Waukesha, WI. The remodeling project included demolition of existing medical offices and a beauty salon....

Triad Construction Inc. Awarded Teen Challenge.
September 8, 2008... Staff General contractor Triad Construction, Inc., West Allis, WI, was awarded the Teen Challenge renovation and addition project in Milwaukee, WI. The project consists of a 3,500-square-foot chapel renovation, 5,000-square-foot dorm...

Triad Construction Adds Paque As Project Manager Assistant.
September 8, 2008... Staff Triad Construction, Inc., West Allis, WI, has hired Ryan Paque as a project manager assistant. Paque was previously a customer service representative for Busch Precision and has experience in project management support.

Kasmiskie Named LDPI Regional Sales Manager.
September 8, 2008... Staff LDPI Lighting, Eau Claire, WI, a manufacturer of lighting products for hazardous locations, harshenvironments, and general industrial and commercial applications, hasannounced the addition of Kevin Kasmiskie as regional sales manager...

Rhinelander Receives Waterfront Grant.
September 8, 2008... Staff Governor Jim Doyle recently awarded Rhinelander, WI, a $12,000 Wisconsin Waterfront Initiative grant to help the city develop a plan to spur redevelopment of abandoned and vacant waterfront. The proposed plan will target areas...

Riley Construction Names Sinsky CFO.
September 8, 2008... Staff Riley Construction Company, Inc., Kenosha, WI, recently named Pete Sinsky, CPA, as its new chief financial officer (CFO). Sinsky was previously withClifton Gunderson, LLP and was a partner in its Kenosha office for the last seven...

Wisconsin's July Unemployment Like June's.
September 15, 2008... Staff Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has announced that Wisconsin's unemployment rate for July was 4.8 percent. That is a 0.1-percent drop from June 2008, and the same level as it was at the same time last year....

Weston's New Electric Generating Unit One Of Country's Cleanest.
September 15, 2008... Staff The new $774-million, state-of-the-art Unit 4 at the Weston power plant just south of Wausau in central Wisconsin is one of the country's cleanest fossil-fueled power plants, according to Wisconsin Public Service Corporation...

ARTBA Offers OSHA Answer Books.
September 15, 2008... Staff ARTBA is now selling three employer's guides that answer questions about OSHA safety and health regulations, including training, recordkeeping and reporting. The OSHA Answer Book features comprehensive explanations of OSHA...

Kenworth Environmental Programs Site Debuts.
September 15, 2008... Staff Kenworth's new environmental programs website offers information about Kenworth's green products and initiatives. The site covers: the Clean Power no-idle system, including a calculator to help figure savings; alternative-fuel...

PACCAR Offers Special Financing For Kenworth Class 8 Vocational Trucks.
September 15, 2008... Staff PACCAR Financial is offering a special vocational program for customers who buy new, eligible Kenworth Class 8 vocational trucks and finance the purchase or lease through PACCAR Financial. The program offers a no-cost, two-year,...

Miller-Bradford Offers Biodiesel-Ready Construction Equipment.
September 15, 2008... Staff Miller-Bradford & Risberg has announced that B20 biodiesel fuel blends have been approved for more than 85 percent of the Case construction equipment line it handles. B20 blends are composed of 20-percent biodiesel fuel and...

New BASF Website Focuses On Construction Products.(Website overview)
September 15, 2008... Staff BASF, a chemical company whose customers include the construction industry, has launched a new website, www.BASF.com/construction , that provides detailed information and solutions in more than 75 product categories. The...

JLG Builds 1,000th Millennia Military Vehicle.
September 15, 2008... Staff JLG Industries, Inc., McConnellsburg, PA, an Oshkosh Corporation company and manufacturer of aerial work platforms and telescopic material handlers, has shipped its 1,000th Millennia Military Vehicle (MMV) telescopic material...

WSPE Names Lefebvre 2008-2009 President.
September 15, 2008... Staff The Wisconsin Society of Professional Engineers (WSPE) has elected Michael J. Lefebvre, P.E., as its president for 2008-2009. The society's membership of more than 750 licensed engineers statewide represents all branches of the...

Tilt-Up Association Adds Keast To Staff.
September 15, 2008... Staff The Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA), Mt. Vernon, IA, a nonprofit organization that serves to expand and improve the use of site-cast tilt-up as a construction method, has hired Craig Keast as membership services director.

Mead & Hunt Adds To Team.
September 15, 2008... Staff Mead & Hunt, Madison, WI, an architectural, engineering, and planning consulting firm, has added a number of engineering employees in recent months. John Hutcherson, P.E., is a senior mechanical engineer specializing in HVAC,...

PSI Promotes Wood To Project Manager.
September 15, 2008... Staff Professional Service Industries, Inc. (PSI), Oakbrook Terrace, IL, has promoted Jeffrey Wood to manager of the company's Columbia St. Mary's special project in Milwaukee, WI. Wood holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering...

Lodde Joins Total Team Construction.
September 15, 2008... Staff Joseph Lodde has joined Total Team Construction LLC, Waukesha, WI, as an assistant project manager/assistant superintendent. Lodde is pursuing a bachelor's degree in construction management at the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Editor's Report.(Editorial)
September 15, 2008... by Mike Larson Common Ground Alliance Works To Prevent Damage If you're interested in preventing damage to underground utilities, you should check out the Common Ground Alliance for Damage Prevention. In mid-August, I sat in on a...

Marquette Interchange: Gold Medal Project.(Editorial)
September 15, 2008... Story and photos by Mike Larson, editor Wisconsin's largest highway project is now done. It's a winner all around. Except for a few minor finishing touches, the Marquette Interchange in the heart of Milwaukee has been finished - three...

Highway Crossovers Built In 48 Hours.
September 15, 2008... Story by Mike Larson, editor. Photos courtesy of Hoffman Construction Government and contractors team up to answer emergency. s rising flood waters threatened to cut the main interstate highway connecting two of Wisconsin's...

IPAF Video Shows Why To Wear Harness.
September 22, 2008... Staff The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has released a dramatic video that demonstrates the danger of not wearing a full-body harness on a boom-type access platform. In the video, a crash dummy that is not wearing a...

Professional Societies Offer Guidelines For Fire-Protection Systems.(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... Staff To address inconsistencies in state and local regulations about qualifications for those who design fire-protection systems, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), and...

WPS Breaks Ground For New Rhinelander Service Center.
September 22, 2008... Staff In mid-August, electric and natural gas provider Wisconsin Public Service(WPS) broke ground for its new environmentally designed service center inRhinelander, WI. The 76,000-square-foot, multipurpose building is targeting LEED...

UPPCO To Examine Boney Falls Dam.
September 22, 2008... Staff Upper Peninsula Power Company, Ishpeming, MI, a subsidiary of Integrys Energy Group, is drawing down Boney Falls reservoir to resume investigating seepage below the dam. The reservoir will be lowered to 16 feet below its normal...

Synthetic Axle Lube Standard On All Kenworth Models.
September 22, 2008... Staff Kenworth estimates that its owners will get up to 1-percent better fuel economy now that PACCAR is making fully synthetic axle lube standard on its Class 5-8 models in the United States and Canada. Kenworth says other major...

R.A. Smith Provides Site Engineering For Sun Prairie Target.
September 22, 2008... Staff R.A. Smith National, Brookfield, WI, is providing site engineering to Ryan Companies US, Inc., for a new, 130,000-square-foot Target store at the Prairie Lakes mixed-use development in Sun Prairie, WI. R.A. Smith National is also...

ACS Starts Construction Of Gehl R&D Center.(research and development center)(Brief article)
September 22, 2008... Staff ACS, Madison, WI, has started construction of a $7.7-million research and development center at Gehl Company, West Bend, WI. ACS is converting an unused plant into a 73,000-square-foot lab designed to test Gehl equipment used in...

Yale Equipment & Services Adds JCB Construction Equipment.(Company overview)
September 29, 2008... Staff Yale Equipment & Services, Menomonee Falls, WI, has expanded its product offering to include the full line of JCB construction equipment, which it will represent throughout Greater Milwaukee. The company's nearly 100 employees...

Tweet/Garot Works Six Years Without A Lost-Time Accident.
September 29, 2008... Staff Tweet/Garot Mechanical, Green Bay, WI, has reached the safety milestone of 4 million work-hours without a lost-time incident. Reaching the milestone spanned six years, from June 2002 to May 2008. Tweet/Garot has received...

Triad Breaks Ground For Addition To Sussex Safety Building.
September 29, 2008... Staff Triad Construction Inc., West Allis, WI, recently broke ground for a 6,200-square-foot addition to the Public Safety Building in Sussex, WI. The company is also beginning the Teen Challenge renovation and addition in Milwaukee,...

Wisconsin Vehicle Inspector Best In North America.(Brief article)
September 29, 2008... Staff Daniel J. Slick, a Wisconsin State Patrol commercial motor vehicle inspector based in Spooner, WI, has won the Grand Champion Award at the 2008 North American Inspectors Championship (NAIC) held recently in Houston, TX. ...

VP Of Iowa Operations.
September 29, 2008... Staff Jason M. Imhof has re-joined Miron Construction Co., Inc., Neenah, WI, as vice president of Iowa Operations. He had previously been with Miron as a project manager from 2003 to 2005. Based in Cedar Rapids, IA, Imhof has complete...

R.A. Smith Employees Earn Certifications, Promotions.
September 29, 2008... Staff Four Survey Division employees of R.A. Smith National's Brookfield, WI, office have either earned professional certifications or received promotions. Alan Geary, survey field technician, has earned certified survey technician...

Laracuente Joins MSA.(MSA Professional Services Inc.)(Brief article)
September 29, 2008... Staff Luis Laracuente has joined the Madison office of MSA Professional Services, Inc. (MSA) as a transportation engineer. His experience includes several types of traffic engineering studies and designs, as well as research in which...

Manitowoc Names Hull VP Of Sales.
September 29, 2008... Staff Manitowoc Crane Group has named David Hull as its new vice president of crawler- and mobile-crane sales for North America. Hull had been serving as Manitowoc's general manager for the Australia and New Zealand region, based in...

Ellis Stone's Chizzo Earns LEED Accreditation.
September 29, 2008... Staff Steve Chizzo, an architect for Ellis Stone Construction Company, Stevens Point and Wausau, WI, has earned the U.S. Green Building Council's nationally recognized LEED Accredited Professional certification. Having LEED accredited...