ConstructConnect Blog

Although the construction industry is in the midst of a boom, project managers can’t seem to find enough qualified workers. As a result, more teenagers and young adults are joining the construction workforce. While construction jobs are an excellent way to teach youth practical skills and to help them gain work experience, they come with some caveats.

At first glance, the concept of the “fatal four” may sound like a scare tactic implemented by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) to keep construction workers on their toes. However, these four hazards accounted for nearly 64% of construction worker deaths in 2016.

A few months ago, The Economist referred to data as the oil of the modern times, underlining its immense importance for every aspect of society both on a professional and personal level.

ConstructConnect partnered with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Hanley Wood Media and industry volunteers to revitalize the Jacquelyn House at the Santa Maria Hostel in Houston, Texas as part of AEC Cares’ eighth annual “blitz build.”

Whether in the concrete or walls and ceilings trade, most small contractors are on the hunt for their next project. With razor-thin profit margins and competitors popping up overnight, it’s easy for contractors to lose sleep as they struggle to stay in the game and grow their business.

This past July, Public Citizen, a non-profit consumer and health advocacy group, submitted a petition to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requesting the agency create a new safety standard to protect workers from exposure to excessive heat. In their petition, they claim that many workers, including those in construction, have to work in extreme heat with no protection from heat stress or heat-related illnesses.

For many construction businesses the biggest obstacle they face isn’t finding enough qualified workers or even bidding for jobs, it’s actually cash flow — specifically, not having enough of it to pay for liabilities like bills and payroll. According to a recent study conducted by TSheets and zlien, 1 in 5 construction companies faces a cash flow problem.

In the wise words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?’” This age-old question is one that is taken into consideration in many companies today. Given the construction industry’s great and lasting impact on society, some may even argue that it’s more important for our industry to incorporate community service into everyday business practices. It can seem daunting, but by creating a culture of service within your business - no matter how big or small — you can go beyond profits and productivity to make a positive impact on the communities in which you work.

If you’re a construction project manager, you’ve probably heard about the great benefits of virtual design and construction (VDC) and how fantastic it is to be able to construct a three-dimensional, visual model of your project before you ever break ground. The trouble with new technology isn’t always finding the benefits though – it’s making the business case for why your company should be going after those benefits and answering questions like “How does this help us make more profit?” and “How will this add more value?”

According to a recent post, the construction industry as a whole has seen little to no improvement in productivity over the past eight decades. While productivity plateaus and construction projects become more complex and time-intensive, construction companies also face tedious day-to-day management and inaccuracies that can tank a project’s profitability.