Cranes, Concrete, Construction...and Computers
Computers are already firmly entrenched in the design process. Now, they're touching all corners of construction. Applications range from traditional project management tasks...
Agricultural Option Contracts
A plan for developing and implementing option contracts on agricultural water supplies by municipalities in Northern Colorado is presented. Two water supply projects - the Colorado-Big...
Advancing Anchorage Technology
An overview of earth anchorage technology, with emphasis on current U.S. corrosion protection practice as compared to that used in Europe. Comments from U.S. practitioners involved in...
Realistic Specifications for Steel Bridge Painting
Specifications play a vital role in a steel bridge painting contract. They not only can ease problems with painting construction, but can also provide a common standard for all parties...
Proper and Improper Use of Specifications
The contractors have an obligation to the clients to provide a product that meets their requirements. In order to accomplish this, these requirements must be properly translated into the...
Overhead and Profit on Change Orders
Have you ever wondered how many change orders it took to build the Egyptian pyramids or the Great Wall of China? The concepts of overhead, profit, and change orders have been around for...
Engineering Pre-engineered Buildings
Pre-engineered buildings have become more sophisticated. There are several manuals and guides on how to engineer the so-called pre-engineered structures, but none are complete. There are...
Improving Specifications
Ambiguous and unclear specifications cause confusion, disagreements, and, often, lawsuits. All too frequently the writer is at fault for not making clear exactly what he or she means....
Rethinking the Competitive Bid
Concern that the U.S. construction industry is losing its competitive edge is nothing new. Ironically, the problem is not so much rooted in foreign technical expertise as it is in our...
Rebuilding an Illusion
A dam that controls the level of Fall Lake, a major entry to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of northern Minnesota had to be rebuilt, but federal agents barred constructors from...
When It's Time to Sell
Although ownership transition is sometimes achieved through an internal or management buyout, in many scenarios, the retirement of a shareholder or partner will result in a sale to an...
The Standard Contract's Delivery Commitment Schedule Process
The Standard Contract for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and/or High-Level Radioactive Waste specifies various activities necessary for the eventual acceptance of spent nuclear fuel...
Long Term Durability of Geomembranes
The most frequently asked question about geosynthetic materials is how long they will last. Precise answers, especially for geomembranes, elude researchers as well as manufacturers, design...
Construction Contract Documents for Stormwater Facilities
This paper provides an overview of the elements of an acceptable package of contract documents for stormwater facility construction. Thoughtful an meticulous assembly of contract documents...
Recapturing Boston's Heritage
Structural upgrading of Boston's Old State House and Faneuil Hall is part of an extensive restoration project undertaken by the National Park Service at a cost of $10.6 million...
Unit Pricing and Unbalanced Bids
Unit price contracts were meant to provide a simple and equitable way to pay contractors. However, to offset the uncertainties inherent in construction, contractors unbalance bid items....
Manufacturing Planning 4 ? 440 MW Turbines Short Delivery
DBS Escher Wyss Inc. is building the largest turbines ever to be manufactured in Canada for the third expansion of the Tarbela project in Pakistan; four (4) Francis turbines each rated...
CPM Techniques for Claims Avoidance and Preparation
Virtually all major construction claims consist of some aspects of delay, disruption or acceleration. Since all of the foregoing relate directly to the timing and sequencing of the project...
The Benefits of U.K. Guidance for Temporary Works
In British contracts the Contractor is responsible for the design and execution of temporary works unless the Design Engineer or the Client expressly instruct how the work is to be undertaken...
Legal Principles and Theories
Legal issues are intertwined with all aspects of the technical considerations relating to temporary structures. This paper presents an introduction to the legal theories which relate to...
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