theme song for 2011

While  “Free Fallin’” may be a little bit of an exaggeration, I was thinking about something more like Tom Petty’s, “Won’t Back Down”, where Petty confidently boasts, “In a World that keeps on pushin’ me around, but I’ll stand my ground, and I won’t back down”.  Petty suggests that even at the gates of hell, just don’t back down.

Don’t worry Tom – we won’t!

I looked all over for some positive construction industry forecasts for 2012 and well, I didn’t really find any.  But why?

Everybody says how the economy is improving which may or may not be true, but the unemployment rate in the US appears to be decreasing.  However, the construction employment is still tremendously stagnant.  I suppose this is because construction improvement woefully lags the rest of the economy – lucky for us.

While I couldn’t find any economic info that made me want to “Whistle Dixie” (maybe next year’s theme song?), I did find a great report for construction economic data put out by the Gilbane Company.  While not overly positive, this report gives a great snapshot of what is going on and what can be expected.  If you’re into all the graphs and tables and things like that, you’ll love this.

It’s kinda funny that you’d think a website called Constructonomics would put a bunch of tables and graphs and stuff up as well but instead it has a bunch of touchy feely mumbo jumbo making analogies to rock songs from 1989.  Go figure that one…

But before we  give our Carharts to Goodwill and pawn the Hilti gun (neither of which I have ever owned), just take a deep breath and try to relax in the midst of industry-wide unemployment and underemployment.  Ok?

Now, everyone just needs to realize that things will improve and while it may not be this year, it will definitely be next year.  How do I know this?  Well, I don’t, however, I did read something from the AIA saying that architectural billings will be up nicely this year, which means….Plus, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

But seriously, it has to.  As companies hire more people they are going to need more office space to work and more hotels for travel.  As consumers make more money they’ll need more retail space for shopping and bowling alleys etc. for having fun.  It’s only a matter of time.

How much time?  I don’t know.  But until that time comes we’ll fight, claw, and scrape our way through what hopefully turns out to be the worst downturn of our careers.

And of course……We Won’t Back Down.

This isn’t the first time I’ve made a mention of Mr. Darnell on this blog.  Way back in February of 2010 I did a write up on the PPC shortly after reading it for the first time.  At the time, I was gung ho on emotional intelligence and transforming the construction industry into what I thought it should become.  However, 2010 brought challenges that made this difficult.

I didn’t fully realize how far I had strayed from my once unwavering ambition to infuse emotional competence into the construction world, until I re-read the PPC this weekend.  2010 brought challenges for me like none I had ever experienced.  I was for the first time, 100% responsible financially for the projects on which I was working.  Not only was I responsible, but the margins we were working under were slimmer than I had ever seen.  I was also doing hard bid, high risk work.

This stress produced more self interested thinking and my people skills tremendously declined.  I was snappy with clients, designers, and subcontractors.  I think I knee-jerked to the old school, “kick ass and take names” mentality.  Trust me, it’s easy to do when you’re doing a project with a liquidated damages clause of $1000 per day for a late finish.  One week late and I’m eating at the soup kitchen.

So I’ll cut myself a little slack because of the pressure I put on myself, but I won’t let myself off the hook entirely.  It just goes to show  how easily you can lose sight of this stuff.  I’ve studied this for years and when the pressure was on, I kind of lapsed into more entrenched ways of doing things.  You gotta be careful.

With all this said, the pressure of hard bid contracts certainly doesn’t help the movement of trying to get some more emotional competence in construction projects.  In bad economies, margins slim down and hard bidding increases.  But hopefully as things improve, we’ll get into more collaborative projects with a more even distribution of risk.  And hopefully, more emotional intelligence.

This graph was created by Crystal Soda Blast.

I didn’t know much, if anything, about fracking until about three months ago when I downloaded a podcast of This American Life that explored the issue and then specifically looked into two professors who had conflicting opinions about the benefits of fracking.  After listening to the podcast, I came to the brilliant acertion that the whole thing is totally fracked up. 

One of the professors from Penn State, in this NPR tale of good vs. evil, calculated the large amount of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale deep beneath the surface of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, and West Virginia and presented his admirable findings with pride to the administration of his University.       

The other professor from the University of Pittsburg did a calculation of the amount of toxic chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process that could be polluting ground water, streams, rivers, and eventually making its way into drinking water. 

One of these professors received wide acclaim and praise for his work, the other ended up out of a job.  

I starting trying to gather facts about fracking (I guess you could call them fracks).  The funny thing is that facts (fracks) are rather few and far between.  It doesn’t seem that anybody really knows if fracking is safe, dangerous, good, or bad.  However, this much we do know, fracking is big money.  It’s big money for drilling companies, but it’s also very lucrative for owner’s of land with gas underneath.  We also know that the fracking practice was exempted from the Safe Drinking Water Act despite knowing that the fluids used to fracture the rock contain many toxic chemicals including known carcinogens. 

Pennsylvania is sometimes described as Pittsburg and Philadelphia with Alabama in between.  In short, there are some depressed towns in central Pennsylvania and natural gas drilling has transformed these places.  The gas industry has brought money, luxuries, and to many of these people – hope.  But at what cost?  The word is very mum on that one. 

I’m honestly kind of torn about the issue.  I tend to knee jerk to the side of the environmentalists in situations like this, but I can also see the need for quality domestic energy and a decreased reliance on foreign oil. 

However, I do want to make sure we are dealing with the correct information before we rush to judgment.  For example, the drilling and gas companies cry from the mountaintops about how natural gas is so clean burning and a non-contributor to climate change.  This is not true.  While natural gas does burn cleaner and with less impact to climate change, the extraction process releases natural gas into the atmosphere which is a tremendous contributor to climate change, so the net effect is not much better than burning oil or coal.  Sorry, but gas companies didn’t quite hit the mark on that one. 

I guess I’m just an advocate of full disclosure of information and having smart people make good choices based on lots and lots of accurate information.  That’s all.  So when the EPA asked the drilling companies to disclose all the chemicals used in fracking fluids and they said, “No”, that kind of ticked me off. 

Hopefully we’re not fracked on this one.    

I would have loved to explain to Andy Rooney in 1978, when he started doing his bit for 60 Minutes, the whole blog phenomenon.  I’d have to start with explaining the internet, email, laptops, and worst of all, the extinction of the typewriter.  There would be no better sight than to see those eyebrows go up and down as I tried to explain to him what has happened with those machines with an apple on the side. 

However, in 1978, I was exactly zero years old and Andy Rooney was more interested in complaining about coffee cans and household cleaners than trying to speculate on the fate of the typewriter.  I can safely say that he and I were both rather oblivious as to what was about to occur to our World.   

Despite all this technological progress, or as Andy would probably write - ”progress”,  some things have remained rather consistent – people have a desire and maybe even a need to whine, quip, and cry about the minutia of everyday life.  People also, at times, like to hear others’ banter about what annoys them.  Also similarly, people tend to have an attention span of a goldfish for this kind of stuff.  So “A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney” was really more than enough time to get your weekly fill of entertaining complaints about our World. 

I remember watching his segment one time when I was about 12 years old – that’s right, circa 1990.  He did a thing on Hallmark cards and all the nonsense that is written in birthday, mother’s day, and father’s day cards.  He read a few of the cards he had strewn about his desk and then remarked, “If my kids gave me a card like this, I’d send them to bed without any supper!”. 

I don’t know why that stuck with me, but every time I go shopping for a card in CVS I think about Andy’s bit.  Some of those cards really are stupid. 

So why is Andy the world’s first blogger and not any other editorial writer of that time or centuries prior?  It’s because of the short, quick delivery and borderline nonsense of his content.  For lack of a better description, Andy spent a few minutes each week bullshitting about our World.  It was a stream of consciousness that sometimes made sense and sometimes did not.  Facts weren’t always checked, opinions didn’t always remain consistent, and there wasn’t always a clear position on what the hell he was really trying to say. 

These are the reasons people hate blogs, bloggers, and the world of amateur written commentary.  But while Andy Rooney was far from amateur, he was certainly a blogger. 

Please contact me if you have any interest in getting involved in this job.  I would need to know if you are interested by October 12, 2011.  Please call at 215-834-5155 or email at john@constructonomics.com

Thanks,

John Poole

My Uncle, who has spent his whole life living within the city limits of Philadelphia, used to call the Philadelphia tap water “Schuylkill Punch”.  That nickname didn’t always give me warm and fuzzies about drinking the Philly tap water.  However, I think the drinking water in Philadelphia is actually less of an issue than the quality of the river waters after major rain events.  This is because Philadelphia, like most older cities on the east coast, has a combined sewer system where stormwater and wastewater are both carried to the wastewater treatment facility in the same pipes.  This is all well and good, until the stormwater is extremely high and exceeds the capacity of the system.   In order to avoid sinks and toilets from backing up into people’s houses, the city has several combined sewer overflow points along the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers and some other smaller creeks. 

Yes, raw sewage pours into these rivers during large storm events.  And not only raw sewage, this water also contains plenty of chemicals and oils that are picked up from paved impervious surfaces. 

According to Rivercast (www.phillyrivercast.org), conditions on the Schuylkill River are unsuitable for certain types of recreation over 30% of the time due to high bacteria levels.  It also creates conditions that are unsuitable for wildlife. 

I suppose Philadelphia could embark on a plan to uproot the entire stormwater system and effectively separate the storm and waste water, but the chances of that happening are right up there with hell freezing over.  A less daunting solution may be to implement systems in the buildings and infrastructure of the city to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff.  Some of these strategies include the use of pavement that allows water to drain through to the soil below instead of rushing off to the stormwater system.  Vegetated roofing also slows the runoff of stormwater.  Stormwater can also be diverted to more vegetated areas prior to being release into the system. 

These and other stormwater mitigation techiques can be further reviewed at http://www.phillywatersheds.org/what_were_doing/green_infrastructure/programs.

But until we get about half of the houses in Philadelphia growing something on their roof, you better be careful about taking a dip in the Schuylkill.

Now it seems like there’s a casino in every town in the country with Philadelphia being the largest major city to have one.  On the east coast you can gamble in Philly, Connecticut, Jersey, hell, you can even throw a bet down in the Poconos.  In fact, there are 35 states in the US that have hotel casinos.  How did this luxury of going to the casino turn into a vice that can be accessed in nearly every town you pass through?

Well, it’s very simple.  There is an enormous market for gaming and the profit margins are equally ludicrous.  I recently read that the new Sugarhouse Casino in Philadelphia projects a profit margin of 20%.  Just as a comparison, general contractors project a profit margin of about 5%.  However, the profits on casinos are taxed heavily, those that can’t be evaded of course.  I read that the tax rate on casinos in Pennsylvania is 54%.

So here’s the deal.  The politicians in Pennsylvania, specifically Ed Rendell who made a complete ass of himself in his interview on 60 Minutes on Sunday, were unhappy that people were spending all their gambling dollars in Atlantic City; creating a situation where people where losing all their money and going broke, but spending that money in New Jersey instead of Pennsylvania.

Rendell was pressed on 60 Minutes about how people in Philadelphia may be more likely to gamble if a $500 million casino is built right in their back-yard.  He gritted his teeth, raised his voice and replied, “You’re not getting it, those people would lose that money anyway. Don’t you understand?”

No, we don’t understand.  And the reason we don’t understand is because it isn’t true.  You’ve got to have a screw loose to think that people will gamble the same amount over the course of a year when there is a huge luxurious casino on their way home from work everyday vs. casinos 60 miles or more away.

And just for the record, it’s not like the proceeds from the Sugarhouse Casino are going directly to the government like the lottery or something.  There are several very rich people profiting immensely off the operation of this thing, making rich people more rich and poor people more poor.

But at least they’ll save the gas money to AC.

This post was written by SPANCO, an industry leader in overhead cranes since 1979. You can find a variety of products on their website including jib cranes, gantry cranes, or an electric hoist.

THE EQUIPMENT

Reducing the likelihood of hazards during crane operation depends on several factors. We’ll cover a few of the basics here. Overhead and gantry cranes have three axes of directional travel: vertically in the direction of the hoist and load hook, laterally along the path of the trolley, and forward and back along the path of the bridge. Operators and workers should be trained in the crane’s capabilities, movements, speed, control settings, and safety devices.

While cranes are made of high-strength steel, one should never exceed the crane’s rated load capacity. Attempting to move a load greater than the crane’s capacity can put undue stress on the equipment and can endanger workers. Second, controls must be inspected regularly to be sure that all motions agree with the controls as marked. When working with overhead and gantry cranes, be alert for excessive drift or irregular stopping distances. Check hooks and wire ropes for damage or fatigue (excessive wear, nicks, gouges, fraying, broken strands, kinks, or deformations), and be sure all wire ropes are properly reeved. Be sure that any damage noted on daily inspections is properly documented, marked, and reported to supervisory personnel. Wire ropes should never be wrapped around a load or used as slings unless specifically designed for this use.

Also, check that upper-limit devices stop the load properly. Staying alert for other trouble signs—such as oil leaks or unusual sounds—not only promotes safety but may help avoid costly repairs. Be sure that all provided warning devices—bells, gongs, sirens, strobes, etc.—are in working order. Also check that the crane or hoist has not been tagged with a lock-out tag or cut-off order sign.

Finally, a clean and well-lighted work area can prevent mishaps. All cranes require regular maintenance to ensure safe operation. See the manufacturer’s guidelines for information and requirements.

THE LOAD

Moving large loads safely depends a great deal on the load itself. For example, loads should be stable and balanced. Testing a load by lifting it a few inches can help to determine whether the load is stable enough to be moved to its destination. Loads should be moved smoothly and at safe speeds to avoid jerking and shifting. Loads should never be moved over areas where other employees are working. Do not use cranes to attempt a sideways pull of a load. When not in use, loads should be lowered and secured. If a crane is to be left unattended, the operator must land any attached load, place the controllers in the “off” position, and open the main switch. Before closing a main switch, all controllers must be set in the “off” position.

THE HUMAN ELEMENT

The best asset in crane safety is having trained and qualified personnel. Well-trained operator and workers can mean the difference between safe operation and a needless hazard. Operators and workers who understand the safety features of their equipment are far less likely to experience costly or life-threatening accidents. An emergency response plan in the event of an accident can help prevent or reduce injury and damage. To ensure safe and accurate operation, workers and operators should know and practice proper hand signals. (See page 10 of the CMAA Crane Operator’s Manual for detailed illustrations of proper hand signals.) The crane operator should respond only to signals from the worker directing the lift. In the event of power failure, the operator must place all controllers in the “off” position. Workers should remain on the work floor and should never “ride the load.” Manual warning devices (when provided) or verbal cues should be used to warn workers when a load is beginning to move or when workers are in the path of the load. No repair, inspection, maintenance or other work should be done under a suspended load.