Author: pstask

In an effort to keep its community and business partners in the loop, Miron Construction Co. Inc. has announced the launch of www.miron-constructionnews.com — an interactive newsroom designed to further Miron’s brand experience through interactive resources and ongoing engagement. The new site features a blog, as well as newsroom, press kit and resource pages.

Miron employees will serve as contributors in updating the blog about construction industry news and trends, innovation, green building, health and wellness tips, safety in the workplace and more.

“The ways in which people find and receive information is changing. At Miron, we recognize these changes, and therefore, in addition to our current involvement in social media, we are excited to announce the launch of our new blog and media newsroom,” stated Jen Bauer, director of marketing, Miron Construction Co. Inc. “This will be one more avenue to keep our clients, partners and community members informed about what’s going on within our organization.”

Visitors to the newsroom are encouraged to interact with contributors through the comment function where they can post their thoughts on blog entries.

In addition to the blog, information on Miron Construction can be found on the newsroom, press kit and resource pages. It will also be a resource to access Miron’s recent news releases, media alerts, Miron stories in the news and background information on the company.

Updates on the website can be followed by visiting the site and subscribing via e-mail or RSS. You can also follow Miron on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and SlideShare.

Want to head to the putting green or to the office? Now, there’s no need to choose. In keeping with tradition of creating unique courtyards for its office buildings, Mammoth Equities Property Management Group has designed a 9-hole putting green for the courtyard in its recently constructed Rocklin Professional Building in Rocklin, Calif.

Created as an amenity for office tenants, the courtyard’s design surpassed all of Mammoth’s previous concepts in its complexity. The courtyard features an elaborate waterscape with a 5-ft waterfall surrounded by a 9-hole, 7,000 sq ft professional putting course. The synthetic-turf putting course has fringe grass around the edge of each green and also incorporates real sand traps. Golf and athletic field construction company Turf Solutions Group (TSG) was chosen as the design and construction company for this project. TSG applied its expertise in synthetic turf, water features and drainage to bring this “wow” concept to life.

“This Rocklin courtyard was one of Mammoth’s most complex creations,” said Kent Ahlering, Mammoth’s finance and entitlements manager. “We wanted it to appear dramatic from the office suites, so it is designed with elevation spreads that are close to 9 ft. Not only did TSG accommodate our unique, stringent design requirements, but thanks to them it was a relatively smooth project. TSG listened to what we were trying to achieve and made it happen. Plus, they were very responsive and easy to communicate with.”

The 9-hole putting course is open to the general public, as well as available to building tenants. The suites all have balconies overlooking the courtyard. Since the amenity is offered to the public, the building, as well as the putting course, needed to be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant.

“The ADA requirement affected the course design,” said Mead Babcock, TSG president and general manager. “Seventy-five percent of the putting greens needed to be wheelchair accessible, but the ball also needed a backstop so it couldn’t fall into the water. In addition, a disabled patron needed to be able to continue in a circle around the course without having to backtrack.”

And the award goes to... Bridgestone!

Bridgestone, the world’s largest tire and rubber manufacturer, was awarded the prestigious title of Volvo Premium Supplier this past June. The award recognizes Bridgestone’s leading performance across a broad range of strict criteria. Bridgestone is the first tire manufacturer to receive the Volvo Premium Supplier Award.

Now in its 5th year, the annual Volvo Premium Supplier Awards recognize those suppliers who book the best measured performance in the areas of quality, safety, environmental performance, cost, logistics and corporate responsibility. Close attention is also paid to the supplier’s capacity to work with Volvo’s teams in the spirit of continuous improvement. A total of nine awards were presented for 2009 including Bridgestone’s.

“This is a great honor for Bridgestone, especially as we are the first tire supplier ever to be recognized by the Volvo Premium Supplier Award Program,” said Takashi Tomioka, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Bridgestone Europe. “Bridgestone looks forward to maintaining its high level of quality service and its status as one of the Volvo Group’s long-term strategic partners.”

As a Volvo Group Premium Supplier, Bridgestone will continue to set the standard for original equipment supplier performance in the years to come.

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is giving a big round of applause to the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Yesterday, the ABC showed its support of the USACE for removing a proposed, mandatory project labor agreement (PLA) for the construction of a $100 million to $250 million technical applications center at Patrick Air Force Base in Brevard County, Fla.

A project labor agreement is a special interest scheme that discourages competition from nonunion contractors and their nonunion employees by requiring a construction project to be awarded only to contractors and subcontractors that agree to recognize unions as the representatives of their employees on that job; use the union hall to obtain workers; obey the union’s restrictive apprenticeship and work rules; and contribute to union pension plans and other funds in which their nonunion employees will never benefit unless they join a union.

“Less than 2 percent of the construction workforce in Florida is affiliated with a labor organization, yet the federal government was willing to increase costs for all taxpayers and discriminate against 98 percent of the industry just to reward special interests,” said ABC president and CEO Kirk Pickerel. “We hope that other federal agencies will heed this example and recognize that project labor agreements ultimately harm taxpayers by reducing competition from the qualified contractors and their skilled employees that have successfully built similar federal projects in Florida and across the United States.”

Hundreds of ABC member firms in Florida and around the country contacted the USACE to voice their opposition to the proposed PLA on the Patrick Air Force Base project. The USACE deleted the clause that mandated the PLA and substituted new language that makes a PLA submission optional, but specifically states PLAs will not be an evaluation factor.

“ABC will continue to fight any attempt to impose PLAs on federal construction projects, as these special interest schemes violate competitive bidding laws, reduce competition, increase construction costs and needlessly inject political favoritism into the federal procurement process,” said Pickerel.

NOTE: This is the third of many blogs detailing an industry-wide summary of compact wheel loaders. Be sure to check back throughout August for the entire listing.

Terex compact wheel loaders offer economical, quiet and low-maintenance operation without sacrificing cutting-edge technology. Ideal for digging, loading and hauling jobsite materials, the progressive Terex range addresses the needs for a variety of construction site work, nursery and landscape applications.

Each model incorporates transverse-mounted engines for optimal stability — so Terex wheel loaders can lift and transport high payloads, and in turn lower fuel consumption. Designed with an oscillating rear axle, it provides comfort and easy handling on rough terrain by maintaining four-wheel traction, as well as articulated steering to effortlessly maneuver in tight spaces.

Operators can easily and accurately control movements even when giving the loader full power — making Terex hydrostatic wheel loaders the choice for powerful breakout and fast lifting.

Terex compact wheel loaders range from 50 to 175 hp with bucket capacities between 0.65 cu yd and 6 cu yd and achieve breakout forces from 8,325 to 26,995 lbs.

Terex compact wheel loaders come standard with a general purpose bucket. Terex also offers the following optional attachments for its compact wheel loader line: side-dump bucket, light material bucket, forks and carrier, brooms, multi-purpose bucket and crane jib.

Other features on Terex compact wheel loaders include:

• Articulated, full hydraulic steering for fast and low effort steering for increased stability while operating even at low engine speeds.
• A universal coupler system to make the wheel loader compatible with all skid-steer attachments, as well as to make it fast and easy to switch from a loader to a material handler.
• Hydrostatic, four-wheel drive with creep mode and dynamic braking to give operators speed control and efficient engine rpm when working in tight areas. The hydrostatic drive also reduces tire slippage which results in faster cycle times and less wear and tear on the tires.
• Low front windshield and right- and left-hand side windows to offer operators the best possible view of the jobsite, especially important for jobs when people are working alongside or moving around the machine.
• A large, roomy operator’s cab that provides easy access from both sides. 

Advice to Buyers
When choosing a wheel loader, make sure the piece of equipment is going to be adequate for 85-90 percent of your jobsites’ needs — don’t sacrifice power, breakout force or anything else just to save a dollar. Also, always buy quality — a wheel loader needs to durable and reliable because downtime is expensive.

When considering one brand over another, consider the reliability of the machine and how well you know and understand its parts. Are you comfortable with the technology that’s under the hood? If you can handle the small maintenance issues yourself, you can help reduce overall cost and downtime. Also, how responsive and expansive is a brand’s dealer network? You should look for a distributor who is conveniently located to your jobsites and who can deliver the parts and services you need quickly.

Productivity features are also important in building a case for investment to meet on-site productivity requirements and project time constraints. ROI will be considered in the context of the hours the machine is working and revenue generated so whether a customer bites the bullet during tough economic times ultimately depends on the financial situation of the company and the anticipated level of current and future work/projects.

If you want some new tracks for your hard-working mini excavator or compact track loader, take a look at the new website from TrackBoss Inc. (www.TrackBossUSA.com). The site features information about aftermarket rubber tracks and undercarriage parts for use on mini excavators and compact track loaders for most brands sold in North America.

The site features tread pattern options and a request for quote form, which can be submitted 24 hours a day, seven days a week for user convenience.

For more information or to contact TrackBoss, call 1-888-205-1404.

To get into the back-to-school spirit, the Historical Construction Equipment Association (HCEA) is offering its own history lesson designed just for construction equipment enthusiasts. The HCEA is holding its 2010 International Convention and Old Equipment Exposition at the Washington County fairgrounds in Richmond, R.I., September 10-12.

The show features demonstrations and displays of horse-drawn, gas- and diesel-powered antique construction machinery, cable and hydraulic shovels and cranes, hit-and-miss engines, antique trucks and tractors, and displays by the Quonset Air Museum and the Navy Seabees Museum. It is open to the general public, and hours are Friday, 8 to dark; Saturday, 8 to 5; Sunday, 8 to 3. Admission per person 12 or over is $5.00 daily or $10.00 for a weekend pass.

The HCEA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of the construction, dredging and surface mining equipment industries, and it operates the National Construction Equipment Museum and archives in Bowling Green, Ohio. For more information, visit www.hcea.net.

Want to know more about woody biomass? Well, here’s your chance to learn.

John Deere Construction & Forestry has recently launched a woody biomass website (www.woodybiomass.com) designed to educate and inform about the importance of harvesting woody biomass.

The user-friendly website explains what woody biomass is, why harvesting it is important, how it works as a fuel and what types of innovative public policies are needed to encourage responsible harvesting and the use of woody biomass.

"Woody biomass harvesting can provide a significant source of renewable energy, promote forest stewardship and generate economic recovery for the country's forestry communities," said John Deere Marketing Manager Andrew Bonde. "We launched this website to explain just how it works."

In three short, informative videos available on the website, experts — from scientists to state senators — provide insight to help educate the interested public, loggers and other industry members, policymakers and the press. The videos include:

• "Harvesting a Cleaner Environment," which shares how woody biomass can be processed into liquid fuel.

• "Healthier Forests," which discusses how uncollected forest floor residue can be an accelerant in forest fires.

• "Stronger Rural Communities," a review of how harvesting woody biomass helps provide out-of-work loggers with a new revenue stream and revitalize rural communities.

The website's "Making It Reality" section gives visitors the opportunity to fill out a simple form that sends an automated letter, which encourages inclusion of woody biomass in the new renewable energy standards, to their legislators in Washington, DC.

To learn more, visit www.woodybiomass.com.

Lincoln Electric wants to know, “Are You Ready?”

To ensure that employers and the general welding community are up-to-date on the latest OSHA regulations, Lincoln Electric is now introducing phase 2.0 of its “Are You Ready?” campaign. The campaign and its supporting materials are designed to aid fabricators in understanding the effects and requirements associated with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Metal Fabrication Hazardous Air Pollutants (MFHAP) and National Emissions Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) regulation.

The campaign promotes effective welding fume control and safety practices, offering access to a comprehensive one-stop shop of reference materials, tools and product solutions.

The company has created an interactive press kit on the campaign, which includes:

• A campaign overview release and background information on the NESHAP regulation.
• Access to resources about fume control safety and welding safety training programs.
• An area devoted to information about products for extracting fumes and harmful emissions and improving indoor air quality.
• A robust image library that contains fume control product and application images.

To access the “Are You Ready 2.0” press kit, visit http://bit.ly/cjMEK0.

Saving money is as important as ever, and we at CE love hearing about products that help contractors add a little extra green to their bottom lines. Thanks to Multiquip’s EZ Grout Hog Crusher, Tanner Excavating is able to turn its concrete waste into cash.

Challenge
Pat Tanner, owner of Tanner Excavating, encountered a dilemma when removing excessive concrete waste from his company’s jobsites. Tanner was charged $10 per yard of construction trash at the local land fill, in addition to the cost of transporting the debris from the site to the landfill. He soon realized this was not a cost-effective way to run a business.

Tanner began transporting the debris to his farm, where he had plans to eventually dispose of it. In less than 12 months, the excessive concrete waste on Tanner’s property quickly grew from a small pile, to approximately 200 ft long by 25 ft wide and 10 ft tall.  

Solution
After researching various solutions, Tanner read about Multiquip’s EZ Grout Hog Crusher online. Multiquip quickly arranged for a demonstration at Tanner’s farm through its local dealer, Michigan CAT.

The EZ Grout Hog Crusher was able to compress large slabs and chunks of concrete, with the assistance of a mini excavator, into a useable grade of fill. Within two hours, Tanner had approximately 12,000 lbs of useable fill that he could now sell.

“In Michigan you are not permitted to create a dump site or landfill on your property; however storing for rescaling is allowed,” said Tanner. “As an owner of the EZ Grout Hog Crusher, I am in compliance with all of the disposal laws. I have literally turned my trash into cash, contributing to our company’s bottom line.”

Results
The EZ Grout Hog Crusher Job Site Material Recycler was capable of pulverizing recyclable material in minutes, thus eliminating the need to have debris removed from Tanner’s various construction jobsites.  It also was capable of handling materials of differing sizes and composed of varying strengths of concrete.

The EZ Grout Hog Crusher provided a cost-effective, reliable and durable product that helped excavators perform their job faster and easier.  It has also saved tens of thousands of dollars annually to Tanner Excavating from expensive disposal costs.