Construction Bulletin articles from February 2005

Construction Bulletin archives from February 2005

Two-Way Communications Can Beef Up Contractor Productivity.
February 4, 2005... By G.C. Skipper A water truck rolls into a remote construction work site only to find out it won't be needed for another week. "Didn't they tell you the schedule changed?" the project manager asks the driver. "You'll have to call dispatch...

Condo Construction Boom.(Condominiums)
February 4, 2005... Staff Twin Cities-area condominium construction continues at a rapid pace Condos, condos everywhere. While the overall privately financed building market in the Twin Cities metropolitan area was down in 2004 when compared with...

Pawlenty's New Bonding Plan.
February 4, 2005... Staff Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has introduced a revised bonding bill for the state. Pawlenty's $816-million capital improvements plan represents a $62 million increase over what he called for at the start of the 2004...

Revenue Exceeds Forecast.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Staff Minnesota State Economist Tom Stinson reported that the state took in approximately $66 million more than had been forecasted by his department for the months of November and December of last year. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty...

Largest Show Ever.(CONEXPO-CON/AGG )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Staff CONEXPO-CON/AGG exhibit sales have topped a record-breaking 1.85 million net square feet, making the 2005 show the largest ever. The co-located International Exposition for Power Transmission (IFPE) has reported a record 110,000...

AIA-Minnesota Awards.
February 4, 2005... Staff The American Institute of Architects (AIA)-Minnesota announced the winners of the association's annual Honor Awards. The annual awards program recognizes architectural excellence in building construction. The winners are:...

Job Site Noise.
February 4, 2005... Bill Sokol If recent OSHA stakeholder meetings are of any indication, developing effective and enforceable hearing protection standards for the construction industry will not be any easy task. The construction industry is different...

North Dakota Road And Bridge Projects.(Department of Transportation)
February 4, 2005... Staff State maintains a large road network but a small population base to support it North Dakota has more miles of road per capita than any other state in the nation. There are 166 miles of roads and bridges for every 1,000...

Bidding To Win.(BID2WIN Software Inc.)
February 4, 2005... Staff More highway construction company estimators are relying on sophisticated computer programs In 1994, the firm now known as BID2WIN Software Inc., created the first approved program to produce computer-generated bid sheets for...

Conexpo-Con/Agg.
February 4, 2005... Staff March 15-19, 2005 Co Las Vegas, Nevada Co www.conexpoconagg.com Come see these exhibitors at the show! BOMAG's New BW190AD-4 HF Tandem Roller Staff With 79-inch-wide drums, BOMAG's new BW190AD-4 HF tandem vibratory...

Jobsite Communications.
February 4, 2005... By Neil Smit I am at a ready-mix dispatch center. To my left is a screen with eight columns and 15 active rows. This means I have 15 concrete mixers in service and each mixer is in one of eight positions. With a click on any of the...

Slow January For Construction Contract Awards.
February 11, 2005... Staff New year brings in sluggish returns for the Tri-State's volume of construction contract awards Similar to results posted in December, the volume of construction contract awards in the states of Minnesota, North Dakota and South...

Cutting Construction Costs.(Anderson Builders avoiding unnecessary material costs)
February 11, 2005... Staff Contractor, architect discover economical way to create a natural stone look for exterior walls A cost-cutting solution to efficient building construction recently allowed the general contracting firm of Anderson Builders, St....

Editor's Report.(contractual agreement)(Editorial)
February 18, 2005... By George Rekela A recent study published by the Foundation of the American Subcontractors Association (FASA) concludes that the widespread practice of retainage tends to reduce competition and increases the costs of construction projects....

Pumping The Library.(Central Library)
February 18, 2005... Staff Massive Minneapolis Central Library project relies on services provided by E-Con-Placer Construction work continues at 300 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, the site of the new Central Library, scheduled to open in the spring of...

Bobcat Boosts North Dakota Economy.
February 18, 2005... Staff Bobcat's expansion plans for Bismarck signal continued growth The Bobcat Company, West Fargo, has announced a $9.5-million facility expansion in Bismarck including development of a manufacturing support center (MSC). The...

Major Changes Under Way At Builders Exchange Of St. Paul.(Collins Electrical Construction Company)(McGough Construction)(appointments)
February 18, 2005... Staff Roger E. Miller steps down after long and successful career Philip J. Scheidnes of Collins Electrical Construction Company was elected president of the Builders Exchange of St. Paul at the association's 105th annual meeting. ...

Minnesota Senate Bonding Bill.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2005... Staff The Minnesota Senate has approved a bonding bill that could increase the state's long-term debt by nearly $1 billion. By a vote of 57-7 on January 24, the Senate approved a $976-million capital improvements bill that would...

New AEM Members.(Association of Equipment Manufacturers)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2005... Staff The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has elected two Minnesota companies to membership in the international trade group for firms that manufacture construction-related equipment and services. The two new Minnesota AEM...

New Ingersoll-Rand Dealer.(Trenchers Plus Inc)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2005... Staff The Ingersoll-Rand Company has expanded its dealer network with the addition of Trenchers Plus Inc., Burnsville, Minn. "Ingersoll-Rand has an unparalleled reputation in the construction industry," said Brian Folkman, owner and...

Horton Acquisition.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2005... Staff Horton Holding, Inc., Roseville, Minn., has purchased Engineered Cooling Systems (ECS), Inc., Carmel, Ind. ECS will be renamed Horton Fan Systems, Inc. ECS produces fans for applications including heavy- and medium-duty trucks...

Federal Highway Contractors.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2005... Staff The firm of Edward Kraemer & Sons, Inc., Plain, Wis., was listed as the nation's fourth largest federal highway contractor in 2003 with $323,103,913 in total awards, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders...

NUCA Alliance.(The National Utility Contractors Association)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2005... Staff The National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) has signed an alliance with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) to affirm the association's earlier commitment to reducing and preventing worker exposure to...

Gas Tax Amendment.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2005... Staff The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce has called for a voter-approved amendment to the state's constitution that would raise the gas tax by 5 cents per gallon and direct 80 percent of the revenue from the motor vehicle sales tax (MVST)...

OMAC, ISA Merger.(Open Modular Architecture Control User's Group)(Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2005... Staff The Open Modular Architecture Control User's Group (OMAC) and the Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society (ISA) have announced their intention to merge to promote the successful development and application of automation...

Rapid Park Site.
February 18, 2005... Neal St. Anthony, Minneapolis Star Tribune The "Twinsville" promoters are throwing in the towel on a new stadium, at least for now. The partners who control the 24 acres of land north of Target Center, considered Minneapolis' best bet...

American Success Story.(Krystal Quade, Rock On Enterprises)(Biography)
February 25, 2005... Staff How an enterprising young woman grew her company to become a major player in the Minnesota construction industry The American dream of individual entrepreneurship continues and may be best represented in central Minnesota by...

LEED Leader.(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, Westwood Elementary School)
February 25, 2005... Staff Zimmerman, Minn., school is the first in the state to gain Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design certification The $12-million Westwood Elementary School construction project in Zimmerman, Minn., has been named as the first...