Managing Today's Craftsmen
Labor is better than it was in the past, and managers must adopt new techniques in the quest for productivity improvement. Management's responsibility has six parts: (1) Be...
Productivity in Civil Engineering and Construction
According to one analysis, United States construction productivity has been declining for the last ten years. The percent of construction dollar volume going to research and development...
Better Trained Construction Supers Would Boost Productivity
Everyone complains about poor productivity in construction. One way to improve it, says a recent Business Roundtable report, is to provide better training of first and second level supervisors....
Union Construction is Fighting Back
To meet the threat of open-shop construction, union labor and contractors in several cities around the nation are working together in joint labor-management committees to improve the productivity...
Rehabbing Historic Buildings
Historic buildings often require structural upgrading before the cosmetics of restoration can be applied. Two case studies are presented here. The Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle required...
Earth Reinforced Dams: First in U.S.
Earth reinforcement has in recent years been applied in the restoration and construction of dams. Earth reinforcement has been used to raise dam heights, replace traditional earth embankments...
The Performance Evaluation
Effective performance evaluations set goals for professional advancement and also bridge individual and corporate values. The four specific stages of a performance evaluation consist of:...
Pier Stabilization Eliminates Need to Reconstruct Damaged Bridge
After an ice jam near a six-span bridge restricted normal water passage, the ensueing high velocity water caused underscouring of one of the piers, leaving it ineffective as a bridge support....
Labor-Contractor Dialogue Transforms Worksite Atmosphere
In a climate of three-way communication between management, contractors and labor, the project owner saved money, increased productivity, cut down on time off the job for illness and injury...
Structural Lumber: An Overview of Research Needs
Structural performance of lumber is influenced by the processing steps from forest to final end-use and by the end-use environment. Research needs in processing include: 1) selection of...
Mechanical Fastening of Structural Wood Members?Design and Research Status
A brief overview is provided of the current mechanical fastening research base as background for a discussion of future research needs and priorities. A summary is presented of the current...
Structural Analysis of Light-Frame Subassemblies
Conventional light-frame subassemblies have a long history of good performance. Until recently this performance could not be quantified adequately because of the complex ways in which...
Heavy Timber Structures and Bridges
Development and application of treated glued-laminated timber is a landmark event in structural engineering history. The inertia of this event has produced continued, rapid and dramatic...
An Overview of Structural Panels and Structural Composite Products
Plywood has been the principal structural panel for construction since the late 1940s. Today, structural panels are evolving into products such as composite panels, oriented strand board,...
Reliability-Based Design for Wood Structures: Potentials and Research Needs
Wood as a renewable resource is briefly discussed to provide an understanding of the complex nature of the relationship between its availability and its efficient use for engineered construction....
Wood Trusses and Other Manufactured Structural Components
Roof trusses, floor trusses, wood I and box beams, and glued-laminated timber are discussed. Some of the major recommendations for future research include improved analytical techniques...
Structural Analysis of Light-Frame Wood Buildings
This paper reviews the information currently available and lacking that is needed for improving design procedures. Some initial attempts at theoretical analysis of entire wood buildings...
Structural Wood Research
State-of-the-Art and Research Needs
Timber is an abundant and renewable natural resource and its use exceeds all other construction material. Structural wood represents a challenge of vast dimensions and attention to various...
At Four Western Stadiums, Wood Comes Out on Top
In recent years, several long-span timber roofs have been constructed atop large arenas and stadiums in the Western states. The choice of glued-laminated timber offers designers good economy,...
Rx�Treated Lumber & Metal + Corrosion Ailments
The use of metal elements in contact with fire-treated lumber requires special precautions. It is a problem that has not received much attention in the literature directed to the design...
Return to search