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Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s top news and happenings in the construction industry. Each week, we’ll take a look at some of the interesting local, regional, and national stories about construction to keep you better informed of the goings-on in the industry.
Six Graves Unearthed at High School Construction Site in Ohio
During construction of a new high school in Upper Arlington, six graves have been discovered under the current building which was built in 1955. The original school was built on land that had previously belonged to Pleasant Litchford, a freed slave who bought the land to serve as a cemetery for his family and other African Americans who weren’t allowed to be buried in white cemeteries. – August 23, 2020 (WTRF)
JCB Introduces Electric Dumpster Tracked Carrier
JCB is adding to their E-Tech line with the HTD-5e E-Dumpster, an electric version of their HTD-5 Dumpster tracked carrier. The E-Dumpster is powered by a 48V lithium-ion battery that can be recharged within 2 hours. The electric dumpster can travel at just under 2 mph and has a carrying load of 1,100 pounds. – August 27, 2020 (KHL)
Contractor Charged With Fraud & Money Laundering of PPP Loans
Federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering have been filed against Kyle William Brenizer and his company, True-Cut Construction LLC. After being initially denied a Paycheck Protection Loan, Brenizer filed a second application under the name of another individual who he falsely claimed owned 90% of the business.
He also falsely stated the amount of the company’s payroll and falsely claimed he had no pending criminal charges. The second application was approved for a $841,000 loan and Brenizer then put $650,000 in an account not linked to his business and bought a $29,000 motorcycle. – August 21, 2020 (KARE 11)
Associated Builders and Contractors Launch Tech Alliance
The ABC has launched a new Tech Alliance to introduce its members, a majority of which are classified as small business, to construction technologies and digital solutions to improve business operations, safety, profitability, and more. The Tech Alliance will also help produce resources for ABC members like free tech programs, educational webinars, and beta testing of new tech.
Members of the Tech Alliance include: Autodesk, BuildOps, Flashtract, myComply, Penta, Procore, ProEst, Real Time Risk Solutions, Riskcast, Safesite, StructionSite, SubHQ, and Tenna. – August 25, 2020 (CONTRACTOR)
Over $3 Million in Construction Liens Filed Against MSG Sphere Project
Three subcontractors working on the $1.66 billion MSG Sphere construction project, an entertainment venue being built in Las Vegas, have filed mechanics liens totaling $3.3 million for unpaid work. Harris Rebar Las Vegas Inc. filed a lien on June 5 for $2.7 million, Parsons Electric LLC filed a lien on July 7 for over $554,000, and Commercial Scaffolding of NV Inc. filed a lien on April 10 for $119,270. Work resumed on the project earlier this month after a stoppage back in March due to effects caused by COVID-19. – August 25, 2020 (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Construction Worker Uncovers Civil War-Era Cannonballs
So, this last story is a little older but we’re including it because we thought it was pretty cool. A construction worker with Franjo Construction unearthed a cache of active cannonballs while doing sitework at the Arsenal II construction site which was formerly the Alleghany Arsenal which manufactured military supplies during the Civil War for the Union Army.
The cool part is that the same construction worker found 715 cannonballs at the site during construction of Arsenal I back in 2017. Because the cannonballs are unexploded ordnance, the Pittsburgh Bomb Squad and U.S. Army are working to unearth and remove the remaining cannonballs. – August 14, 2020 (KDKA)
