Three construction cranes have had trouble this month - one collapsed in New York, one fell through a highway in Michigan, and another collapsed in Miami. Because of these incidents, in Denver they are talking about requiring licensing for crane operators and increased OSHA inspections. Here are links to some of those stories: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_8722600
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=88896
Meanwhile, the labor union battle is heating up, with bills being considered in the legislature that would require increased time in apprentice programs and additional licensing. The AFL-CIO is reorganized and a Right-to-Work Ballot Initiative is gaining steam.
http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2008a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/1E2368BBD0F6CBD587257387005C77D3?Open&file=HB1170_C_002.pdf
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/27/local-afl-cio-regains-control-year-after-by/
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/27/backing-right-to-work-plan/
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Looking for Employees?
The Construction Industry Job Fair is April 23 at the National Western Complex from 9:30 to 4:30 p.m. Employers can sign up for a booth at www.coloradoconstructioncareerdays.com (watch out the web site may not have been updated from 2007 yet - it wasn't as of yesterday, you may need to call Associated General Contractors of Colorado at 303-388-2422 and request that they email you a registration form.)
The job fair is intended to give companies and training programs the opportunity to recruit and hire potential employees for permanent or summer work.
The job fair is intended to give companies and training programs the opportunity to recruit and hire potential employees for permanent or summer work.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Orchard sets grand opening events
The Orchard Town Center, Westminster’s newest shopping, pedestrian mall at 144th Avenue and I-25, and AMC Entertainment are offering two exciting grand opening events that benefit the Westminster Legacy Foundation and the Westminster 7:10 Rotary Club. The AMC Orchard 12 Gala, featuring family-friendly movies, will take place on Wednesday, April 2, the eve of The Orchard´s opening, at the new all-digital AMC Orchard 12. Moviegoers can get these exclusive tickets by purchasing a tile for the "Prints of Pride" program, which invites children and dogs to leave a lasting impression at the new lifestyle center by imprinting clay tiles with their hand and paw prints. The tax-deductible donation for each tile is $60 and attendees must register online (see below).
More information
Westminster Legacy Foundation
Prints of Pride registration
Style: An open-air, lifestyle and entertainment center featuring an eclectic mix of
fashion, home décor, restaurants and entertainment merchants in a
pedestrian-friendly setting. The center is designed to be reminiscent of the
Main Streets of small town America in the first half of the 20th century.
Inspired by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, Orchard Town Center
will provide between 80-100 retail establishments that will blend with the
surrounding neighborhoods, with convenient access to services for
existing and future residents.
Developer: Forest City Enterprises, Inc. is an $8 billion NYSE-listed national real
estate company. The company is principally engaged in the ownership,
development, acquisition and management of mixed-use projects, retail
centers, apartment communities, office buildings and land development
projects throughout the United States.
Master Planner: Peter Calthorpe, Calthorpe Associates, Berkley, CA
Lead Planner: The Mulhern Group, Denver, CO
Elkus Manfred Ltd., Boston, MA
Field Paoli Architects, San Francisco, CA
Lead Contractor: Roche Constructors, Inc.
Civil Engineer: V3 Companies of Colorado
More information
Westminster Legacy Foundation
Prints of Pride registration
Style: An open-air, lifestyle and entertainment center featuring an eclectic mix of
fashion, home décor, restaurants and entertainment merchants in a
pedestrian-friendly setting. The center is designed to be reminiscent of the
Main Streets of small town America in the first half of the 20th century.
Inspired by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, Orchard Town Center
will provide between 80-100 retail establishments that will blend with the
surrounding neighborhoods, with convenient access to services for
existing and future residents.
Developer: Forest City Enterprises, Inc. is an $8 billion NYSE-listed national real
estate company. The company is principally engaged in the ownership,
development, acquisition and management of mixed-use projects, retail
centers, apartment communities, office buildings and land development
projects throughout the United States.
Master Planner: Peter Calthorpe, Calthorpe Associates, Berkley, CA
Lead Planner: The Mulhern Group, Denver, CO
Elkus Manfred Ltd., Boston, MA
Field Paoli Architects, San Francisco, CA
Lead Contractor: Roche Constructors, Inc.
Civil Engineer: V3 Companies of Colorado
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
New Rules for Construction Industry
A bill passed by the Colorado Legislature during the 2007 legislative session – HB 1366 – made a change to workers’ compensation coverage for workers in the construction industry. This new law requires that every person performing construction work on a construction site be covered by workers’ compensation insurance or have a Rejection of Coverage Form that has been filed with the Division of Workers’ Compensation when the subcontractor is the sole owner or partner with no employees. The law went into effect on October 1, 2007.
Compliance
Under this law, the individual on the construction site directly contracting for the work is responsible to assure that:
Employees of subcontractors are covered by workers’ compensation insurance.
Owners have rejected coverage through their carrier or have filed the Proof of Rejection form with the Division of Workers’ Compensation.
Rejecting Coverage
A sole proprietor or a partner (general partner, limited partner, limited liability partner, limited liability limited partner) without employees can reject coverage through the Division of Workers’ Compensation.
To obtain specific information on how to reject coverage, download a rejection form from the Division of Workers’ Compensation (DOWC) Website, http://www.coworkforce.com/dwc/. Look for “Official Forms” in the left column, select “Forms by Number,” scroll down to “WC45” and choose either a PDF or an MS Word format. Detailed information on HB 1366 can be obtained by clicking on “Do I Need Insurance” in that same section of the division’s Website.
You can also contact the Division of Workers’ Compensation directly at: Coverage Enforcement Unit,
633 17th St., Suite 400, Denver, CO 80202-3660; 303-318-8700.
This provision of the law does not apply to owners of a personal residence unless the worker is an employee of the owner.
Important Facts
1.The Division of Workers’ Compensation has the authority to assess a penalty of up to $500 per day if all workers are not covered by workers’ compensation insurance or have not filed the forms with the division.
2.HB 1366 adds this additional step to prove an individual is exempt from workers’ compensation coverage. Individuals who are not covered by workers’ compensation must still meet the criteria of an independent contractor outlined in the Colorado Workers’ Compensation Act.
Compliance
Under this law, the individual on the construction site directly contracting for the work is responsible to assure that:
Employees of subcontractors are covered by workers’ compensation insurance.
Owners have rejected coverage through their carrier or have filed the Proof of Rejection form with the Division of Workers’ Compensation.
Rejecting Coverage
A sole proprietor or a partner (general partner, limited partner, limited liability partner, limited liability limited partner) without employees can reject coverage through the Division of Workers’ Compensation.
To obtain specific information on how to reject coverage, download a rejection form from the Division of Workers’ Compensation (DOWC) Website, http://www.coworkforce.com/dwc/. Look for “Official Forms” in the left column, select “Forms by Number,” scroll down to “WC45” and choose either a PDF or an MS Word format. Detailed information on HB 1366 can be obtained by clicking on “Do I Need Insurance” in that same section of the division’s Website.
You can also contact the Division of Workers’ Compensation directly at: Coverage Enforcement Unit,
633 17th St., Suite 400, Denver, CO 80202-3660; 303-318-8700.
This provision of the law does not apply to owners of a personal residence unless the worker is an employee of the owner.
Important Facts
1.The Division of Workers’ Compensation has the authority to assess a penalty of up to $500 per day if all workers are not covered by workers’ compensation insurance or have not filed the forms with the division.
2.HB 1366 adds this additional step to prove an individual is exempt from workers’ compensation coverage. Individuals who are not covered by workers’ compensation must still meet the criteria of an independent contractor outlined in the Colorado Workers’ Compensation Act.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Keeping Up with the Law
It's always a challenge to keep up with all of the laws that impact construction - whether it's labor, safety, contracts or immigration. Add to that the ever-changing interpretations of Colorado's construction and immigration laws, and some days it is hard to do business. There's a new blog by construction practice group Holland & Hart that is dedicated to construction law topics. Check it out at www.coloradoconstructionlaw.com
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Q. How big should the air gap be in a cavity wall?
A. According to the Brick Industry Association, air gaps should be:
1" minimum
2" preferred
4" maximum
The size of the air gap is measured from the back side of the brick to the facing edge of the sheathing or structural wall behind the veneer.
If your wall has a big air gap, the ties that anchor the veneer in place tend to buckle when the wind pushes the exposed veneer with a lateral load. You can tolerate a wider air gap if you use stronger brick ties. You can also simply put in more brick ties or you can make the air gap smaller.
If you are building a fence that is exposed to weather on both sides, you are building a “composite wall” not a “cavity wall”. You should sandwich the brick directly to the CMU with no air gap at all. If you are constructing the wall of a building with an inside face and an outside face, it should have an air gap, flashing and weep holes to direct moisture to the outside face of the wall.
1" minimum
2" preferred
4" maximum
The size of the air gap is measured from the back side of the brick to the facing edge of the sheathing or structural wall behind the veneer.
If your wall has a big air gap, the ties that anchor the veneer in place tend to buckle when the wind pushes the exposed veneer with a lateral load. You can tolerate a wider air gap if you use stronger brick ties. You can also simply put in more brick ties or you can make the air gap smaller.
If you are building a fence that is exposed to weather on both sides, you are building a “composite wall” not a “cavity wall”. You should sandwich the brick directly to the CMU with no air gap at all. If you are constructing the wall of a building with an inside face and an outside face, it should have an air gap, flashing and weep holes to direct moisture to the outside face of the wall.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Q. How do I calculate the fire rating of my concrete block wall?
I often get questions from architects, masons or suppliers who need to prove to code authorities that their walls are properly fire rated. The code guys are used to seeing U.L numbers for assemblies that have been tested at Underwriters’ Laboratory. Unfortunately, if you ask for these tested assemblies you must use concrete block units that are “classified” and have been tested by the U.L. folks. The closest source of classified CMU is Boise, Idaho. I do not recommend importing block from Idaho. Not only is it a waste of transportation money, the block can be cracked and damaged by the long trip.
I tell people to use Table 7-B of the 1997 UBC or Table 719.1 of the 2000 IBC. These two tables give essentially the same information. They tell you how many inches of masonry you need to achieve a given fire rating.
There is a slight twist to this chart. If you read the footnotes in the table you will find that the code is interested in “equivalent thickness” of the concrete block, not actual thickness. Equivalent thickness is essentially the solid thickness that would be obtained if you recast the unit using the same height, same length and same amount of concrete, but eliminated the core holes. You can contact the block supplier to get the equivalent thickness of his product or you can consult Tek Note 7-1a from the National Concrete Masonry Association. According to this Tek Note, typical equivalent thicknesses are:
4” CMU 2.7” equivalent thickness
6” CMU 3.1” equivalent thickness
8” CMU 4.0” equivalent thickness
10” CMU 5.0” equivalent thickness
12” CMU 5.7” equivalent thickness
If you fill all the core holes with a non-combustible material, you can count the actual thickness as the equivalent thickness. Acceptable fill materials are grout, sand, pea gravel, crushed stone, pumice, scoria, expanded shale, expanded fly ash or perlite.
Your last challenge is to determine which category of concrete block you are using. The aggregate used in your block will define which classification you need to use. Again, contact the manufacturer and ask which aggregate is specified for your project. Pumice and expanded shale are the two most commonly used lightweight aggregates. Calcareous or siliceous gravel aggregates are used to manufacturer normal weight CMU.
Using the chart in the Code you will see that all lightweight block mixes will give you
1-hour rating with a 4” deep block
2-hour rating with an 8” block
Normal weight block (also called sand-and-gravel block) is not as efficient at dissipating the heat of the fire. You need more thickness to achieve a given fire rating
1-hour rating requires a 6” deep block
2-hour rating requires a 10” deep block
If you need to achieve a 4-hour fire rating you can either use a 12” deep lightweight block or you can fill all the core holes with sand, grout or perlite. If you fill all the cells:
4-hour rating requires a 6” deep lightweight unit
4-hour rating requires an 8” deep normal weight unit.
I tell people to use Table 7-B of the 1997 UBC or Table 719.1 of the 2000 IBC. These two tables give essentially the same information. They tell you how many inches of masonry you need to achieve a given fire rating.
There is a slight twist to this chart. If you read the footnotes in the table you will find that the code is interested in “equivalent thickness” of the concrete block, not actual thickness. Equivalent thickness is essentially the solid thickness that would be obtained if you recast the unit using the same height, same length and same amount of concrete, but eliminated the core holes. You can contact the block supplier to get the equivalent thickness of his product or you can consult Tek Note 7-1a from the National Concrete Masonry Association. According to this Tek Note, typical equivalent thicknesses are:
4” CMU 2.7” equivalent thickness
6” CMU 3.1” equivalent thickness
8” CMU 4.0” equivalent thickness
10” CMU 5.0” equivalent thickness
12” CMU 5.7” equivalent thickness
If you fill all the core holes with a non-combustible material, you can count the actual thickness as the equivalent thickness. Acceptable fill materials are grout, sand, pea gravel, crushed stone, pumice, scoria, expanded shale, expanded fly ash or perlite.
Your last challenge is to determine which category of concrete block you are using. The aggregate used in your block will define which classification you need to use. Again, contact the manufacturer and ask which aggregate is specified for your project. Pumice and expanded shale are the two most commonly used lightweight aggregates. Calcareous or siliceous gravel aggregates are used to manufacturer normal weight CMU.
Using the chart in the Code you will see that all lightweight block mixes will give you
1-hour rating with a 4” deep block
2-hour rating with an 8” block
Normal weight block (also called sand-and-gravel block) is not as efficient at dissipating the heat of the fire. You need more thickness to achieve a given fire rating
1-hour rating requires a 6” deep block
2-hour rating requires a 10” deep block
If you need to achieve a 4-hour fire rating you can either use a 12” deep lightweight block or you can fill all the core holes with sand, grout or perlite. If you fill all the cells:
4-hour rating requires a 6” deep lightweight unit
4-hour rating requires an 8” deep normal weight unit.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
General Contractor running for Congress
There's a General Contractor in New Mexico who is running for Congress.
Dan East is owner-operator of Cone Construction Inc., in Albuquerque. Cone Construction is a general contracting firm that builds water and wastewater treatment facilities.
If there's anybody who can deal with mountains of red tape and bureaucratic paperwork, it's a GC. More power to him!
Here's a link to the story in the Los Alamos Monitor
http://www.lamonitor.com/cgi-bin/storyviewnew.cgi?075+News.200838-5133-075-075007.Full+News
Dan East is owner-operator of Cone Construction Inc., in Albuquerque. Cone Construction is a general contracting firm that builds water and wastewater treatment facilities.
If there's anybody who can deal with mountains of red tape and bureaucratic paperwork, it's a GC. More power to him!
Here's a link to the story in the Los Alamos Monitor
http://www.lamonitor.com/cgi-bin/storyviewnew.cgi?075+News.200838-5133-075-075007.Full+News
Territorial Design Wars
Sometimes in the masonry building design business, its hard to keep the character of the neighborhood and the historic preservationists happy at the same time. Some architects designing a government building remodel in Santa Fe are caught between a rock and a brick.
Here's the story from the Santa Fe New Mexican :
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/New-county-courthouse-Commissioners--Latest-design-lacking
Here's the story from the Santa Fe New Mexican :
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/New-county-courthouse-Commissioners--Latest-design-lacking
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Masonry's Impact on History
Dating back to about 4,000 BC, the first masonry arch of sun-baked brick was constructed in the ancient city of Ur, located in what was then Mesopotamia.
One of the great engineering feats of all time was the stone masonry structure known as Stonehenge. Stretching the concept of “unit” masonry, Britain’s Stonehenge was constructed over 4,000 years ago of 80 bluestones weighing 4 tons each and dozens of giant sarsen stones weighing as much as 50 tons each. Modern studies suggest that at least 600 men were needed to transport just one giant stone from its source to the temple site.
The famous Great Wall of China is possibly the greatest example of masonry’s impact on history. Constructed around 210 BC, it stretched for 1,400 miles and contained 3,873,000,000 brick. Durable and resilient, brick was chosen as the building material for the structure that protected an entire civilization.
As civilization advanced and cities arose, the need for buildings increased. Many cities that built first with lumber learned early on about the tremendous costs of rebuilding. After the great fire of the late 1600s, London rebuilt with brick and stone. Chicago’s great fire also transformed it into a masonry city and strict building codes were enacted, some of which are still on the books today. Denver’s great fire of 1863 had a similar effect. Masonry ordinances requiring that all buildings within the city limits be built of fireproof materials, i.e., brick and stone, remained in place for nearly 80 years.
One of the great engineering feats of all time was the stone masonry structure known as Stonehenge. Stretching the concept of “unit” masonry, Britain’s Stonehenge was constructed over 4,000 years ago of 80 bluestones weighing 4 tons each and dozens of giant sarsen stones weighing as much as 50 tons each. Modern studies suggest that at least 600 men were needed to transport just one giant stone from its source to the temple site.
The famous Great Wall of China is possibly the greatest example of masonry’s impact on history. Constructed around 210 BC, it stretched for 1,400 miles and contained 3,873,000,000 brick. Durable and resilient, brick was chosen as the building material for the structure that protected an entire civilization.
As civilization advanced and cities arose, the need for buildings increased. Many cities that built first with lumber learned early on about the tremendous costs of rebuilding. After the great fire of the late 1600s, London rebuilt with brick and stone. Chicago’s great fire also transformed it into a masonry city and strict building codes were enacted, some of which are still on the books today. Denver’s great fire of 1863 had a similar effect. Masonry ordinances requiring that all buildings within the city limits be built of fireproof materials, i.e., brick and stone, remained in place for nearly 80 years.
Friday, March 7, 2008
National Women in Construction Week
This week has been National Women in Construction Week, and it has passed quietly. I did not see a single Hallmark or American Greetings card specifically made for women in the construction industry. Neither Flowers.com nor Lehers had commercials reminding men to send flowers to their wives, sisters and mothers who sling mud, weld or drive a backhoe for a living. There wasn't a single Whitman's candy or Enstroms ad about sending chocolate to your hard-hat wearing gal. Wonder why.
Here's info on the week:
http://www.nawic.org/nawic/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=27&SnID=1509167674
Here's info on the week:
http://www.nawic.org/nawic/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=27&SnID=1509167674
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Q. My wall has a crack in it. Should I be concerned?
A. That depends on where the crack is, and how it has been behaving. Some cracks are caused by simple masonry expansion or shrinkage and are normally not a cause for alarm. Other cracks, such as over a door or window opening, could lead to instability and can be very serious. Contact a structural engineer to help you out - especially if you have noticed the crack getting wider recently. Find out the cause of the crack before attempting any repairs.
The type of repair the engineer chooses depends on if the crack is active or dormant . Active cracks open and close with regular cycles of temperature, loads, or foundation movement. Either cure the source of the movement and repoint the crack with mortar, or use a flexible crack filler such as sealant. You can also cut in a new movement joint at a convenient location, and then repoint the original crack. Dormant cracks that have not moved in several years are usually safe to grind out and repoint with mortar.
The type of repair the engineer chooses depends on if the crack is active or dormant . Active cracks open and close with regular cycles of temperature, loads, or foundation movement. Either cure the source of the movement and repoint the crack with mortar, or use a flexible crack filler such as sealant. You can also cut in a new movement joint at a convenient location, and then repoint the original crack. Dormant cracks that have not moved in several years are usually safe to grind out and repoint with mortar.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Keeping Terrorists Out, and Dealing With the Ones at Home
The immigration debate is far from over. The New York Times has weighed in, taking a hard look at the unsuccessful construction of border fences - primarily because the fence project was poorly researched and begun without effective planning. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/opinion/04tue1.html?th&emc=th
Meanwhile, terrorists at home are taking on builders who constructed homes using "Green Building Practices." Once of the best quotes in this article from the New York Times says it all "This is releasing more carbon into the air than they ever would have by building the houses,” Patti Smith, the listing agent for one house that burned to the ground, said of the fires. “That’s the tragic irony.” Here's the link to the entire article http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/us/04homes.html?th&emc=th and a related story in the Rocky Mountain News regarding the legimacy of green building efforts http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/04/green-efforts-genuine-builders-say/
Meanwhile, terrorists at home are taking on builders who constructed homes using "Green Building Practices." Once of the best quotes in this article from the New York Times says it all "This is releasing more carbon into the air than they ever would have by building the houses,” Patti Smith, the listing agent for one house that burned to the ground, said of the fires. “That’s the tragic irony.” Here's the link to the entire article http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/us/04homes.html?th&emc=th and a related story in the Rocky Mountain News regarding the legimacy of green building efforts http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/04/green-efforts-genuine-builders-say/
Monday, March 3, 2008
Wanted: Rail Station Designer for DIA
Denver International Airport is looking for architects & developers to design its future light rail station. It makes sense that a light rail station at the main tourism and business portal to the city should be made of load-bearing masonry. Why? Because Denver has a strong history of masonry buildings, dating back to the laws put in place after the great fire in the 1800s. In addition to the city's history with masonry, think about the statement masonry makes - it is strong, permanent and beautiful. That's why banks, libraries, schools and government buildings are almost always masonry (as well as shopping centers, grocery stores, homes and safe apartment buildings).
A masonry rail station at DIA would make a statement to our city's visitors - we are strong and we are here to stay.
Here's a link to the Rocky Mountain News article about the search for a rail station designer: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/01/dia-looking-for-firms-to-design-rail-station/
A masonry rail station at DIA would make a statement to our city's visitors - we are strong and we are here to stay.
Here's a link to the Rocky Mountain News article about the search for a rail station designer: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/01/dia-looking-for-firms-to-design-rail-station/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
