Constructorcast

There’s real potential that we will be printing large concrete buildings in the future. But on this episode, Ryan Shults of Gilbane Building Company and Steven Koehler of Linbeck hope to convince you that contractors can easily benefit from Desktop 3D printing technology right now. They share how they are using 3D printing in various construction applications to help them get, plan and execute projects. Guests: Ryan Shults | VDC Manager | Gilbane Building Company - https://www.gilbaneco.com/ Steven Koehler | VDC Coordinator | Linbeck - https://www.linbeck.com/ AGC Project Innovation & Delivery Forum – Volunteer Opportunity: AGC members can also join the Project Innovation & Delivery Forum. The mission of the forum is to align the execution of construction projects with the latest innovations in safety, quality and productivity, and to educate the industry on best practices in order to deliver quality projects on time and on budget. Visit www.agc.org/projectdelivery to learn more and to join the forum

The 2021 competition is now open for one of the country’s most rigorous business safety competitions – AGC’s Construction Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA), sponsored by Willis Towers Watson. This episode highlights AGC-member Faith Technologies – the 2020 Grand Award Winner. Faith’s CEO Mike Jansen and their VP of Safety Rocky Rowlett talk about their safety program, their video series called Charged! and share some of their very own best safety practices. Also hear WTW’s Construction Safety and Risk Control Leader Mike Fredebeil discuss an incredible additional benefit of the safety excellence awards: the annual publication of a free document that includes hundreds of “Safety Management Best Practices” gathered from the competing companies’ submissions. AGC’s safety lead Kevin Cannon fills in all the details so you know how to get involved and benefit from the sharing of ideas and strategies. Guests: Mike Jansen, CEO at Faith Technologies Rocky Rowlett, Vice President of Safety at Faith Technologies Mi

Since the start of the pandemic, the construction industry has shed more than 400,000 jobs as demand for projects has stalled in many parts of the country. In this episode, Ken Simonson, AGC’s chief economist; Allison Scott, Autodesk’s Director of Construction Thought Leadership and Customer Marketing; and Steven Sandherr, the chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America will talk about the key findings of the 2020 Construction Workforce Survey, observations about how the coronavirus is impacting the sector’s productivity and what AGC will be doing to support the construction industry going forward. Full report of the 2020 AGC Construction Workforce Survey and Fact Sheets by State: https://www.agc.org/news/2020/09/02/coronavirus-has-caused-significant-construction-project-delays-and-cancellations-yet

Generation Z will be the future of construction work as baby boomers retire and a new crowd of young people enter the industry. On this episode, an 18-year old Gen Z expert Josh Miller and two AGC student chapter leaders Anna Bennett and Tyler Korte offer authentic insights on how to leverage their unique skills to improve your business. Discover how to target your construction firm’s training and recruiting strategies to better engage with the 16 to 24-year old demographic. Speaker profiles: Josh Miller, Northwestern University – Medill School of Journalism; former director of Gen Z studies at XYZ University (Jan 2018 – July 2020) Anna Bennett, University of Louisiana at Monroe Tyler Korte, Crossland Heavy Contractors, Inc. Field Engineer; Pittsburg State University (Class of 2020 – Construction Engineering Technology)

On this special episode, AGC’s Senior Director of Safety and Health Services, Kevin Cannon and Director of Safety and Health Services, Nazia Shah, showcase the events scheduled for September 14-18, 2020, (Construction Safety Week and OSHA’s Fall Safety Stand-down) and how contractors and their partners can take this opportunity to recommit to sending every worker home safe each day. Find out how to participate, access online materials and best practice resources, and be recognized for your efforts. RESOURCES 1. Construction Safety Week: https://www.constructionsafetyweek.com/ • Resources: https://www.constructionsafetyweek.com/plan-for-safety-week/ • Certificate of Participation (via AGC): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2V7ZLP2 • Media Coverage Request Form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/summary/9bg7gA4eWUXCdgP_2BrNCDb3DF5ZYzqHnAjhb0Tvo9qF8A8obQFe9iQmazK1DWRREp 2. OSHA National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction: https://www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown/ • Resources: https://www.osha.go

On this episode of ConstructorCast, we feature three AGC member companies that are pioneering tech solutions to challenges faced daily by the industry. As a result, they were named the 2020 winners of the AGC Construction Innovation Award. Listen and be inspired by their creations. Guests: Anne Brown -- “CopperWorks” by Christman Constructors Inc. Christman Constructors developed a tool called CopperWorks – which is an iOS-based (or mobile) application that brings job-placement logistics into the 21st century. https://www.christmanconstructors.com/ www.copperworks.app VIDEO: https://vimeo.com/370152701/650d17a7e0 Eric E. Cylwik -- “Slab Former” by Sundt Construction Sundt Construction’s creation called Slab Former uses technology to automate means and methods to prefabricate concrete edge forms around a slab, saving contractors time, labor and money. https://www.sundt.com/ VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CiV43oCgpE&feature=youtu.be Susan Heinking -- “Net Zero Trailer” by Pepper Construction Pepp

The weather is consistently rated as one of the most frequent and harmful causes of construction project delays. Weather-related claims are also a frequent source of dispute between contractors and project owners. On this episode, Athenium Analytics explains how contractors, their risk management departments, and even their insurance carriers can use hyper-local forecasts as well as historical weather data to manage and mitigate delays, lost weather days, and onsite damages from natural hazards. Tool for Contractors: Protect your team, materials and timeline against weather-related risks. GaugeConstruction is the cloud-based weather analytics dashboard for the construction and business sectors, delivering short-term, long-term and post-event weather insights during every phase of your project – including hyperlocal forecasts, lightening alerts and analysis. You can also configure custom alerts for future weather events that may pose a threat to worker and site safety, based on the location and phase-speci

Our country is in desperate need of significant infrastructure investments. Tell Congress and President Trump to advance the $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill! The Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2) provides resources to build roads and bridges, public transit, airports, schools, hospitals, affordable housing, water infrastructure, locks, dams, levees and more. With 1,187,000 construction workers unemployed, and an increasing number of construction firms reporting cancelled or delayed projects, our elected leaders must act now to protect existing -- and create new -- construction jobs! In this episode, AGC’s VP of Gov’t Relations Jimmy Christianson lays out how the proposed House infrastructure package would provide needed investments in a broad range of aging infrastructure and support economic recovery by promoting demand for new construction careers, equipment and materials. Listen to find out how you can tell Congress and President Trump to enact the “Moving Forward Act” to combat the threat of more project d

Get the key facts on how the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 makes significant improvements to the original program that will allow businesses more flexibility in using their loan funds. AGC’s tax, fiscal affairs and accounting expert Matt Turkstra walks through the notable changes regarding how borrowers can spend the funds, and how long they can take to spend the funds, and still qualify for loan forgiveness. This episode also covers new safe harbors for hiring or rehiring qualified employees, as well as changes in the terms of the loan and the repayment timing of any unforgiven loan amounts. NOTES: Visit AGC coronavirus Web page for the latest news and information -- www.agc.org/coronavirus.

In this episode, three “Lean” practitioners and advocates share their personal stories on how to increase Lean engagement on construction jobsites to reduce waste, improve workflow and add value for project stakeholders. Hear Henry Nutt of Southland Industries, Keyan Zandy of Skiles Group, and Joe Donarumo of Linbeck explain their unique approach to getting earlier and more Lean buy-in from the “boots on the ground” leaders in the field (superintendents and last planners), rather setting Lean performance goals by using a top-down approach. Discover how a “Builder’s Lean” model can produce immediate, positive change on your projects. Guests: Henry Nutt III, Preconstruction/Business Development Manager at Southland Industries Keyan Zandy, Chief Operating Officer at Skiles Group Joe Donarumo, Senior Superintendent & Director of Lean Application at Linbeck Group, LLC All of the additional resources shown below can be found on: https://www.agc.org/news/2020/06/02/new-agc-podcast-episode-lean-construction

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on AGC educational programs. Since mid-March, all of AGC’s live events have been postponed or we’ve looked for a way bring the same caliber of information to contractors in a virtual format. On this episode, AGC staff goes over the changes AGC has made to move our programs and events online, including the upcoming Federal Contractors Virtual Conference (https://fedcon.agc.org/) and Construction Safety, Health & Environmental Virtual Conference (https://shec.agc.org/).

AGC’s Culture of CARE initiative is challenging leaders to take a bold and visible step towards ensuring their workplaces are welcoming, safe and inclusive for an increasingly diverse and talented pool of workers. On this episode, our guests share how this important program got started, how it’s growing, how it’s benefiting contractors in the AGC family, and how more contractors can sign the pledge and get started. Guests: Pastor Lawrence Willis, Urban League Seattle - https://urbanleague.org/ Shannon Gustine, Hensel Phelps - https://www.henselphelps.com/ Kari Karst, BX Civil & Construction - https://www.bx-cc.com/ Visit the website www.BuildCulture.org to find out how your company can take the Culture of CARE pledge. Companies that sign the pledge, are able to take advantage of the many online tools and resources to help them establish a Culture of CARE in their workplaces. These include hardhat stickers, jobsite posters, toolbox talks, sample company policies as well as tips and best practices.

On this episode, we talk with senior AGC staff about Congress’ next coronavirus relief funding proposal, expected policy disagreements, AGC’s top priorities, and the great deal of outreach and advocacy work that the association is doing to keep workers safe and keep construction going. NOTE: As of press time, House Democrats released their recovery bill, and AGC is working on its analysis of the measure.

COVID-19 has led to a surge of project cancellations and shut down construction almost entirely in some states, as per AGC’s coronavirus survey results. In this episode, Ali Mills from Plum Contracting Inc., talks about how the new federal Paycheck Protection Program has made a meaningful difference for her company, allowing her to rehire and retain employees and endure the construction stop order in Pennsylvania. As construction is given the green light in PA on May 1, Ali anticipates all her employees will be back to full salary, a story that she will also share at a press conference at the White House today.

On April 23, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued new and troubling guidance on the Paycheck Program. This guidance recasts one of the several vague certifications that borrowers have to make, suggesting that it requires borrowers to prepare themselves “to demonstrate” that, at the time they applied for the loan, that they did not have access to enough other “sources of liquidity” to support their ongoing operations. In this episode, two partners in one of Washington’s most prominent law firms, Crowell & Morning, put the new guidance into context and explain how borrowers should respond to it, including the potentially severe consequences of not assembling the documentation they might need. This information is significant as AGC’s Chief Economist reports that a large share of construction firms have received loan funds, allowing contractors to add and retain employees, as evidenced by AGC’s latest survey results.

In this episode, AGC explains key changes in Version 3.0 of the feds guidance for identifying the “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce,” which state/local governments may use to decide what construction activities may continue during the pandemic. Recognizing that many firms are struggling to retain their crews, we update you on the federal Paycheck Protection Program that ran out of funding last week, and what relief small business contractors can expect in the near term. Also this week, Congress is expected to release a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) reauthorization bill; listen as AGC shares its top priorities and key polices to protect the nation from floods and keep our waterways open to navigation.

Today, our host Leah Pilconis talks with Cory Gattie about how AGC of America is making infrastructure a key part of our economic recovery suggestions as we work with Congress and the Trump administration to rebuild the economy. Leah also talks with AGC’s Brynn Huneke about how the association’s new Culture of CARE program can help firms and workers as they cope with the challenges of COVID-19. Learn more about our Culture of CARE at www.buildculture.org.

The harsh reality is that 30 years of work can be destroyed in 30 seconds. It's difficult enough to plan for things that are happening, much less the things that might happen. But statistics show your company will, at some point, face a crisis situation of some type. Preparation is key to ensuring a professional and prompt response for your workers, customers/clients and the public. On this episode, Anthony Huey, president of Reputation Management and creator of CrisisDriver, shares communication tips, techniques and tools that any construction firm can use before, during and after any unfortunate incident to protect their hard-earned image and reputation. Anthony Huey, President at Reputation Management, LLC https://www.communicateclearly.com/ CrisisDriver -- An industry-focused incident response software solution that enables companies to quickly and efficiently respond to and manage negative events; learn more at https://www.agc.crisisdriver.com. Find additional tools and resources on AGC’s Crisi

This episode of ConstructorCast COVID-19 Special Edition offers a preview of the week ahead, including more details on the April 9th National Coronavirus Safety Stand Down and the steps AGC of America is taking to get the Small Business Administration to fix the qualification guidelines for its new Paycheck Protection Program loans so that all construction firms that employ 500 or fewer people can qualify.

Construction firms are vulnerable to many forms of cyberattack, including social engineering, ransomware attacks, wire fraud, and hacking. On this episode, Nikki Ingram, a cybersecurity risk engineer with Zurich North America, talks about what you need to look out for and shares some tips and preventative measures that will help contractors protect themselves. Nikki also presented a breakout session on cyber risks at AGC’s 2020 Annual Convention in Las Vegas. Link to her PowerPoint: https://bit.ly/39wmwIF Additional Resources: AGC of America has several on-demand webinar recordings covering cyber issues for contractors. Check out the collection on AGC’s Risk Management WebEd and Podcast Recordings page (https://www.agc.org/industry-priorities/risk-management/risk-management-webed-and-podcast-recordings), which includes: • New Cybersecurity – New Mandatory Requirements for Defense Contractors • New FAR and DFARS Cybersecurity Requirements for Federal Contractors - What You Need to Know • Wire Transfer F