New Generation Concrete Surface (NGCS)
In an effort to make concrete road surfaces safer, such as transverse tined surfaces to prevent hydroplaning, highways have become noisier. As a result of resident complaints, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) applied asphalt overlays in attempts to address the problem on a section of I-394. Meanwhile, in partnership with Purdue University, MnDOT had developed what is claimed to be the first new concrete pavement texture introduced in 30 years. The new system, which combines diamond grinding with longitudinal grooves, has proven to reduce tire/pavement noise by 50%. Click here to read more.
Civil Construction Tutorials - Concrete and Geotechnical
The folks over at civilblog.org have been busy with four articles on concrete technology, three articles on geotechnical subjects and three construction tutorials been posted in the past three weeks. Of particular interest are the posts on "no fines" concrete and "6 special materials" used in concrete construction. Click here to read more.
Construction Unemployment Way Down
In Georgia, at least, construction unemployment is way down, to near-full employment of 4.0 percent, according to Atlanta's The Biz Beat Blog.
This put Georgia to the third-lowest jobless rate among the states. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, we took our own look at employment levels in all 50 states plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Six states plus Puerto Rico experienced declines in employment from one year ago. The largest gains were experienced in California, New York, Florida, Colorado, Washington, Texas, Michigan and New Jersey. Click here to download our Excel spreadsheet, which includes tables by state, by total new jobs, by percent increase and by total jobs. Please here to download the report.
Poor Construction Management: The Impact on Success and Safety
Metal building fabricator Whirlwind closed out its 2015 blog posts on December 31 with a rundown of 11 typical problems it has identified as ineffective management practices that can drive up construction costs and impact safety. This is worthwhile reading primarily for owners and construction managers as well as contractors and subs. Click here to read more.
