The Pipeline Podcast

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 273 - ELB v. HDD or Jack and Bore or Microtunnel

 – With Scott Jennings

In this episode of The Pipeline Podcast, Scott explores trenchless pipe installation methods, comparing traditional …

Ep 272 - Get a Master’s Degree in Engineering?  Umm…

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 271 - Trench Talk: Paul Kennedy, Surety (Bonding) Agent

 – With Scott Jennings

In this episode of The Pipeline Podcast, …

Ep 270 - Selling Your Business – EBITDA is “Bullshit Earnings”

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 270 - Selling Your Business – EBITDA is “Bullshit Earnings”

Ep 269 - Know Your Audience – Legally and Practically

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 269 - Know Your Audience – Legally and Practically

 – With Scott Jennings

In this episode of The Pipeline Podcast, Scott emphasizes the …

Ep 268 - Your Construction Career Path – 90% is Your Drive

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 268 - Your Construction Career Path - 90% is Your Drive

 – With Scott Jennings

In this episode of The Pipeline Podcast, Scott …

Ep 267 - Forensic Reporting 101

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 267 - Forensic Reporting 101 – With Scott Jennings

In this episode of The Pipeline Podcast, Scott explores forensic engineering, which is vital in construction …

Ep 266 - What’s a Deposition?

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 266 - What’s a Deposition? – With Scott Jennings

In this episode of The Pipeline Podcast, Scott talks about what a deposition is in the context of the legal …

Ep 265 - Project Specifications – The Basics, in Five Minutes

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 265 - Project Specifications – The Basics, in Five Minutes – With Scott Jennings

In this episode of The Pipeline Podcast, Scott …

Ep 264 - Concrete Formwork Takeoff 101 – It’s All About SFCA

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 264 - Concrete Formwork Takeoff 101 – It’s All About SFCA – With Scott Jennings

In this episode of The Pipeline Podcast, Scott …

Ep 263 - The Differing Site Condition - Careful!

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 263 - The Differing Site Condition - Careful! – With Scott Jennings

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Ep 262 - Kobe’s Gym Rats and Angela’s Grit

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 262 - Kobe’s Gym Rats and Angela’s Grit – With Scott Jennings

This episode …

Ep 261 - Find a Mentor: They’ve Seen What You’re Seeing

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 261 - Find a Mentor: They’ve Seen What You’re Seeing – With Scott Jennings

In this episode, the importance of finding a mentor is …

Ep 260 - Constructive Acceleration: The Bully Owner

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 260 - Constructive Acceleration: The Bully Owner – With Scott Jennings

Ep 259 - Increase Profit By Knowing Design Intent

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 259 - Increase Profit By Knowing Design Intent – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline Podcast”. Discover …

Ep 258 - Internal Divisional Subcontracting: Like Swallowing Hemlock

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 258 - Internal Divisional Subcontracting: Like Swallowing Hemlock – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode …

Ep 257 - The Field Sketch: Kiss a Pencil Today

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 257 - The Field Sketch: Kiss a Pencil Today – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline Podcast," wherein Scott …

Ep 256 - Trench Talk - Paul Hartmann, Rebar Foreman

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 256 - Trench Talk - Paul Hartman, Rebar Foreman – With Scott Jennings

Ep 255 - Larry King and Katt Williams: Now It’s Your Turn

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 255 - Larry King and Katt Williams: Now It’s Your Turn – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline …

Ep 254 - Measured Mile: It’s Not Just for Contractors

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 254 - Measured Mile: It’s Not Just for Contractors – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline Podcast," …

Ep 253 - Partner, But Not Necessarily Via Partnering

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 253 - Partner, But Not Necessarily Via Partnering – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline Podcast," …

Ep 252 - Stroke: You’re Having One Right Now

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 252 - Stroke: You’re Having One Right Now – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline Podcast," wherein Scott …

Ep 251 - Contractor Estimating: Drop the Curtain

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 251 - Contractor Estimating: Drop the Curtain – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline Podcast," wherein Scott …

Ep 250 - New Civil Grads: Three Roads, Choose One!

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 250 - New Civil Grads: Three Roads, Choose One! – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline Podcast," wherein …

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 249 - Construction in Thailand: 1st and 3rd World Combined – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline Podcast," wherein Scott Jennings discusses his visit to …

Ep 248 - Your Last Choice: The Total Cost Claim Approach

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 248 - Your Last Choice: The Total Cost Claim Approach – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline …

Ep 247 - What is Extended Performance?

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 247 - What is Extended Performance? – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline Podcast," wherein Scott Jennings discusses …

Ep 246 - Mindset Differences – Major Leaguers v. Minor Leaguers

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 246 - Mindset Differences – Major Leaguers v. Minor Leaguers – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The …

Ep 245 - An Offering of a Contractor’s Standard of Care

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 245 - An Offering of a Contractor’s Standard of Care – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline Podcast," …

Ep 244 - Business In Hawaii Is The Same, But Totally Different

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 244 - Business In Hawaii Is The Same, But Totally Different – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The …

Ep 243 Pipeline Trench Talk 01 - Crane Operator Clem Conceicao

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 243 Pipeline Trench Talk 01 - Crane Operator Clem Conceicao – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The …

Ep 242 How To Start A Professional Construction Company

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 242 How To Start A Professional Construction Company – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline Podcast," …

Ep 241 What’s the Difference Between Unit Price and Lump Sum Bids?

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 241 What’s the Difference Between Unit Price and Lump Sum Bids? – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of …

Ep 240 The Low Bid Model – Time to Go?

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 240 The Low Bid Model – Time to Go? – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline Podcast," wherein Scott Jennings gives us a …

Ep 239 Utility Drawings 101: The Plan and Profile

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 239 Utility Drawings 101: The Plan and Profile – With Scott Jennings

Listen to the most recent episode of "The Pipeline Podcast," wherein …

Ep 238 Subsurface Disclaimers Don’t Hold – Travelers v. U.S.

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 238 Subsurface Disclaimers Don’t Hold – Travelers v. U.S. – …

Ep 237 Parkinson's Law - Hoping to Quantify Pacing

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 237 Parkinson's Law - Hoping to Quantify Pacing – With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The Pipeline Podcast,” where Scott …

Ep 236 The Preparatory Meeting: Priceless

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 236 The Preparatory Meeting: Priceless – With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The Pipeline Podcast,” where Scott Jennings talks about …

Ep 235 Legal Jargon and Process 101

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 235 Legal Jargon and Process 101 – With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The Pipeline Podcast,” where Scott Jennings talks about legal …

Ep 234 Bonds and Bonding Capacity 101

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 234 Bonds and Bonding Capacity 101– With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The Pipeline Podcast,” where Scott Jennings talks about bonds …

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 233 Construction is Broken - Give me the Onsite EOR – With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The Pipeline Podcast,” where Scott Jennings talks about the alignment of owner …

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 232 The Importance of As-Builts – With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The Pipeline Podcast,” where Scott Jennings talks about the importance of As-builts and their purpose. …

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 231 University Cooperative Education – the Real Deal! – With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The Pipeline Podcast” where Scott Jennings talks about the importance of …

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 230 Water in the Hole! What’s it Mean? – With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The Pipeline Podcast” where …

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 229 Smartsheet™  - A Contractor's Dream – With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The Pipeline Podcast” where Scott Jennings talks about Smartsheet™. Scott discusses in this …

Ep 228 Pipe Encasement Flotation – Archimedes was the Man!

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 228 Pipe Encasement Flotation – Archimedes was the Man! – With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The Pipeline Podcast” …

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 227 Owners Loosen Up Your Grip! – With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The Pipeline Podcast” where Scott Jennings talks about “Owners Loosen Up Your Grip!” – In this podcast, …

Ep 226 Reading Rebar Drawings 101

–The Pipeline Podcast – Ep 226 Reading Rebar Drawings 101 – With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The Pipeline Podcast” where Scott Jennings talks about “Reading Rebar …

–The Pipeline Podcast Ep 225 – Great Ways To Die – With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The Pipeline Podcast” where Scott Jennings talks about  safety hazard and risk assessment as it is important to be …

–The Pipeline Podcast: Episode 224 -
Don’t Get Your P.E. License - A Ridiculous Statement With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The …

–The Pipeline Podcast: Episode 223–
I wrote A Children’s Book Because I Could– With Scott Jennings

Listen to this latest episode of “The Pipeline …

Operating without a contractor’s license can be anywhere from inconvenient to illegal.  Hear here why you should consider obtaining a license.

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Building a business is ultimately about dollars and cents. You’ve got to not lose money to stay in business. Here’s some advice for those in business …

Gantt charts have long been the established norm for construction scheduling. Linear scheduling is not nearly as common, especially in America, but …

The effects on a Project by an Owner who untimely, in a “last minute” manner, postpones a bid are significant – here’s how.

http://sjcivil.net/news/a-kick-in-the-well-you-know-last-minute-bid-postponement/

Construction claims are generated using many tools and many different methodologies. Listen here to learn some of the basic to intermediate …

Knowing how to read a concrete mix design is helpful for the project management team: from project manager to foreman. Here are some basics.

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Being the best employee does require having traits which benefit your company, but one trait more than any other will help you as an employee benefit yourself and your own career. It’s called being coachable.

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In construction, or after the fact in the permanent structure, engineers are predicting structural behavior and trying to either control a failure or …

Basically, from the dictionary, a bridge carries a road across an obstacle. On top it could be a railway, or it could be a walking path, or it could …

Loss of productivity claims for contractors are common, and always difficult to be successful with against an owner. ASCE (American Society of Civil …

There exists an insurance product to mitigate the risk associated with catastrophic failure of a construction company. It’s called Project Loss Insurance.

http://sjcivil.net/news/project-loss-insurance-heard-of-it/

Debt, at least in the American construction business, is helpful when it comes to growth. Here’s a couple reasons why.

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Civil construction is the same, but different, in New Zealand. Some terms and methods which vary from American civil construction follow.

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Bluebeam Revu is a tool that’s been around for several years now to aid in the manipulation of pdf documents – hear a little bit about it here and …

In a world now so heavily reliant upon computers, many construction professionals try to automate the entire process, of whatever they may be working on. Some things will still have to be manual, and that’s ok.

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Properly planning and monitoring the work can result in a safer and more profitable activity. Here’s one way to do it in utility installation.

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Many approaches exist for estimating – two of them being a theoretical approach versus a production history approach. One is based on what you think, the other on what you know. These terms may not be familiar to you, …

Scott Jennings and Patrick Mullen gave a very frank presentation on what runs through the contractor’s mind in his/her creation of a bid, formulation …

Scott Jennings and Patrick Mullen gave a very frank presentation on what runs through the contractor’s mind in his/her creation of a bid, formulation …

Create a static bid item in all of your bids to serve as a checklist for indirect costs – both jobsite and corporate indirects!

http://sjcivil.net/estimating/using-a-static-indirect-bid-item-in-your-bids/

Joint Venture

Contractors deserve to be profitable. It’s necessary for business survival. A perceived exorbitant markup should not be fretted over. Mark it up!

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Working Capital

An effective meeting is one wherein the attendees are “with” the facilitator the entire time and can and do follow along. Here are some suggested …

Pay Width

Contractors that deal with tough projects, tough clients, and/or tough contracts need to be in a mindset of always being claim-ready. Here’s the start to being claim-ready.

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Unbalance

New business relationships do not come free of humps and bumps. Work through these challenges to develop lifelong partners.

http://sjcivil.net/management/the-calibration-period-plan-for-patience/

Minority Goal

As a contractor, the notification of delay is critical. Here are the important ingredients to a delay letter.

http://sjcivil.net/claims/delay-letter-a-template-how-to-write-one/

LLC

Whether in an estimate setup or change order negotiation scenario, if you do not know your equipment rates, start with a baseline cost.

http://sjcivil.net/estimating/equipment-rates/

Float

Charles Leonard performed a study which resulted in the Leonard curves. These curves may be a helpful tool to quantify your labor productivity loss …

Extended Overhead

If you’ve been running the accounts receivable and accounts payable out of a brown paper bag and want to go “legit”, here are the first steps.

http://sjcivil.net/news/going-legit-lose-the-brown-paper-bag/

Covenant

Jet grout has been, and continues to be, a successful means of ground improvement. It can serve many purposes – two of the most common are structural …

Entitlement

On February 20, 2021 a Boeing 777 airplane lost an engine during flight over Colorado. The engine failure was catastrophic and could have resulted in …

Force Account

A college degree sometimes seems overrated as it isn’t necessarily a measure of intelligence, nor a guarantee of success. A pigskin on the wall says …

Invert Spring Line Crown

When an owner determines the method of award is that the low bid wins, they shouldn’t expect contingency in a contractor’s bid. Here’s what they …

Spider Box & Bologna Cord

The categorization of costs incurred in a changed condition scenario is critical in dispute resolution. Account for costs by issue and sub-issue by …

Allowance

There’s power in simplicity. Harness the power to more efficiently communicate in-house and with your clients. …

F.A.R. (Federal Acquisition Regulations)

The word “incidental” is common to the construction industry and it can be damning if you’re not careful. Understand what you’re committing to when …

Latent versus patent

Contractors experience all sorts of delays. This article covers what, arguably, may be the four most common types: inexcusable, excusable, compensable, and concurrent delays.

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Purchase order

Starting a construction business has its unique requirements. These plus the norms will get you up and running at your new construction business.

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Squares

Our nation’s infrastructure bears on many types of foundations. Generally speaking, they can be classified into two different types: shallow or deep foundations.

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Post-tensioned concrete

Many challenges in a project can be flushed out in the pre-bid phase with clear and concise questioning to the Owner. Consider these questions as a part of your bidding procedure.

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Level vs plumb

When making regular payments throughout the lifespan of a construction project, there are two main ways a general contractor or owner can achieve a …

Prestressed concrete

Caring about your employees is human and it’s good for business. Combine the two to create solid and long-lasting relationships plus a healthy …

Concrete Slump

Setting of bid prices on a unit price bid can have significant effects on the financial performance of a project. Set your unit prices in your proposals to have positive impact. Be strategic.

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Formwork

Letters in the construction industry, during the course of a project, usually are reserved for contentious issues or to satisfy notification requirements. Here are six of the most important and common ingredients in …

Continuity Equation

Any noise beyond liquid simply flowing in a pipe is likely not a good thing. Two potentially dangerous noises in pipes/pumping systems are water hammer and cavitation.

http://sjcivil.net/engineering/pipe-goes-bang/

Beam-column

Construction contracts are almost always measured in some sort of day: a working day or a calendar day. In analysis and project communication, kill the doubt for the reader and always define the type of day in every use …

10 Civil Construction abbreviations

A common mistake in estimating is the cost of an overtime manhour.  Overtime is generally not one and one-half times the straight time rate.  It’s usually closer to 1.30.

http://sjcivil.net/news/closer-to-1-30-not-1-50/

Pre-Stressed vs Post-Tensioned

Construction often times does not go per plan. These unexpected variances in the plan can make or break a job. How you treat these “fires” can define your effectiveness as a manager. In construction there’s dozens, if …

Doctrine of Promissory Estoppel

Contract interpretation can be difficult for a construction professional. Contracts are comprised of thousands of words and hundreds of paragraphs. …

Trenchbox

As a general contractor you can rely on your subcontractor’s bid on bid day as a binding agreement.  But not in all states. Listen on to learn about protection granted by the Doctrine of Promissory Estoppel...

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Parapet

There are differences in an hour: a manhour, a crew hour, a 50-minute hour. And an hour’s not a day, so there is another calculation for a manday. …

Order of Precedence

Construction changes are generally handled in a similar way in most contracts. As a contractor you can develop good habits and controls to ensure you …

PK nail

Just three random important things for contractors that didn’t make up an article all on their own: the legality of audio recording, running one man …

EROPS / ROPS

There are very few “court-accepted” ways a contractor can quantify his or her loss as a result of labor productivity, or lack thereof. MCAA’s …

Air Entrainment

There are basic differences between cash and accrual accounting.  Here’s a quick review...

http://sjcivil.net/news/cash-v-accrual-accounting-whatchu-talkin-about-willis/

Grouser

Let’s run through an example. Let’s do an example so you see some of the challenges. Let’s take one cost code in your budget – let’s look at roadway subgrade. Below we have the budget for this cost. You can see the cost …

Escalation

Executive summary. An accurate job cost projection is vital to Company survival. And it’s not too complicated if you know the budget, the timing of your costs, and can do a little bit of estimating. It’s NOT about …

Serial Letter

Field overhead carries different names with different contractors and owners. Discussed here is what field overhead is, and why it’s important for owners to understand.

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Spreader Beam

A construction claim is a dispute in the Work as it was contemplated in the original construction documents. However, a large percentage of what drives a claim is not the Contract. It’s the people. It’s personalities.

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Active & passive soil pressure

If you are interested in communicating information to your audience, and you want your audience to absorb and remember what you’re saying, …

May vs Shall

Each day we hand contracts down to our subs or we are signing contracts down from Owners or General Contractors.  Know some of the basics of what to look for here.

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 Termination for Convenience

In this webinar we discussed small/medium business cybersecurity and best practices, especially during COVID-19. It is always a good time to check-in on the security of your network, computers, and websites. And now …

Invert Elevation

Many folks make changes based on temporary pains. More often than not, better the devil you know that the devil you don’t.

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PCO

Construction estimating isn’t wholly about the numbers. It involves a “feel” in its execution. This is why many say estimating is an art and a …

Cubic yard

Most traditional bond rates have two variables in their cost: the contract value and the time threshold. Do not forget to include both in time …

Surety

Construction Insurance & Bonding during COVID-19

http://sjcivil.net/webinars/

Builders Risk Insurance

Many video conferencing softwares are in existence. Which one suits you best? Which ones are easiest to use? Here’s one users’ opinions.

http://sjcivil.net/sjcc/video-conferencing-softwares-a-quick-review/

Pawl brake

Most Project Owners are convinced that Contractors thrive on change orders. The truth is that most would prefer to have none. Read below a sort of …

Entrapped air vs. air entrainment

Extra work on a construction project must be delivered at fair and reasonable prices. Owners should know they have this right in their Contract, and …

Notice to proceed

Most contractors use letters to communicate significant events in a project. Use letters to tell. Use RFIs to ask...

http://sjcivil.net/news/letters-to-the-owner-need-to-tell-not-ask/

Pressure

Whether in a bid situation or a change order negotiation, there is a way to boost your profit on paper by not “job costing” your equipment. Let’s talk depreciation.

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Plastic hinge

Scott Jennings, P.E. facilitated a live 2-hour webinar and Q&A with attorney Scott Batterman, Esq. of Clay Chapman Iwamura Pulice & Nervell, …

Hoptoe

Field experience is necessary to be a best of class construction and engineering professional. Can you or your employee relate to today’s article? Can you write your own article with similar anecdotes to these below? If …

Well graded material

The management structure of sizable projects usually involves four major parties:  the owner, the construction manager, the designer, and the …

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) or Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Ensure that before you sign a change order, all of the necessary components of your negotiation are included. Here’s what to look for in a change order before you sign it. And don’t forget – you don’t have to sign it.

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Constructive Acceleration

As a construction professional in the field, when information conflicts between plans and specifications, you should immediately seek the order of …

Retention Bond

There’s almost nothing more important than notifying your client, in accordance with the Contract, of a time and/or cost impact. Learn how to do it here.

http://sjcivil.net/communication/notice-writing-the-letter/

Arbitration

In a construction matter, the quality of evidence can be as important as the evidence itself. Using contemporaneous information can be invaluable in your legal matter against an opposing party.

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Unexcused delay

Whether bidding a job together in one shared document, or running comparison estimates, the setup in a joint venture effort is critical to success. …

GL Account

Do you often need a professional engineer to facilitate the construction at your projects? Here’s how to pick your engineer and to guarantee the quickest turnaround of the product you need.

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Collapsed as-built analysis

Maintaining employment is a factor of your performance, but for construction and engineering firms it is largely dependent on a firm’s ability to bring in project after project. Who’s responsible for bringing in these …

$1 Million, $2 Million

You’re probably reading this from America or Canada. Ever wonder what the infrastructure and construction means and methods are like in a smaller less developed country like Laos? [For those who haven’t tapped into …

A cubic yard is not a cubic yard when it comes to earthwork estimating and field operations. Know the difference to best estimate productions and to negotiate pricing in the field.

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Takeoff is a primary function in the estimation of construction costs. A good takeoff includes more than is plainly seen on the drawings. Here is discussed the definition and purpose of takeoff along with what makes a …

In a best case scenario, a construction claim will make the contractor financially whole again on the matter. In a worst case scenario, the …

Advice for life in general, and professional life, is often gleaned by the sharing of lessons and anecdotes. Here are some lessons to apply to both home and work.

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The reader is introduced to the process of contractor estimating from initial project evaluation through the call for bond, the takeoff, the actual estimating of a civil project, an even the turn in of the bid...

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A constructability review can significantly and positively impact a project. But what is it and what are the third-party reviewers looking for in their review? Here we look just at the drawings/plan review (not the …

Contractors are often brought into a project in the design phase to minimize cost.  Here are some guidelines on infrastructure project cost cutting measures from a Contractor’s viewpoint – it’s advice to a design team.

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On a project with multiple subcontractors, and say you’re one of them, implement a winning strategy for claims success by joining other …

Once the project starts, it is the Contractor’s project management team’s responsibility to update the client on a regular, usually weekly, …

Cracks in construction provide information to a superintendent. We identify what you’re seeing and what it could mean in specific scenarios.

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What are the “necessities” for software and apps for your construction business? Here’s a look at what’s out there – software and/or apps that are in …

How many RFIs (requests for information) are too many on a construction project? Is it time, is it possible, to tie the number of RFIs on a job to the cost impact suffered by a contractor?

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Time for any business is critical, perhaps more so in construction than many other industries. The role of time and its effect on a contractor are …

Discussed here, by a contractor, is arguably the #1 area of recommended improvement for infrastructure owners with fiduciary responsibility. The area in need of improvement: response time to construction issues.

In the construction industry, there are three main tools used for scheduling. Pros and cons of Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project, and Primavera P6 …

Education of your staff or of your client can be effectively done using SJ Construction Consulting LLC’s (SJCC) Crew Cost Clicker. Don’t talk about …

Landing the work has enough challenges in meeting the scope, schedule, and cost requirements of the client. You’re defeating yourself if you can’t be …

If you work for a public works construction contractor or you do construction management on public works jobs, Administration of Government Contracts by John Cibinic, Jr. and Ralph C. Nash, Jr. is the bible for …

A quick background on terms you hear every day in federal construction contracting: Davis-Bacon, OSHA, Jones Act, and Buy American. 

http://sjcivil.net/law/davis-bacon-osha-jones-act-and-buy-american/

It’s important as a contractor, or even as an owner’s representative, to know a bit more than the basics of scheduling. Familiarity of some of the …

Construction equipment is always evolving in its attempt to increase safety and efficiency of construction. One newer technology is the use of …

Several means exist in the way of gathering data from your operating fleet. Here are the basic ways and then a quick explanation of current …

Projects often experience delays for which the Contractor is awarded additional time.  The determination of the per day reimbursement to the Contractor for this time is fraught with protracted analysis and negotiation.  …

One of the top complaints of construction employers is the collection of completed timecards – in a timely manner that is. Here is a suggestion for …

Converting from one unit of measure to another is critical for any position of management in a construction company. Using the internet is one way of …

BI stands for business intelligence. It is the process by which information from all of your company’s different computer systems (estimating, job costing, accounting, operations, et cetera) is displayed on one screen. …

There are several trucking freight terms that a buyer should know. They’re important to know when contracting the transportation of your goods as …

One of the most basic properties of a beam is its section modulus. How does the section modulus, S, come into play in structural design?  And, why …

 A GL account is separate from a cost code financial and job cost reporting. Here we introduce the basics of GL accounts. 

Read more: http://sjcivil.net/news/whats-a-gl-account/

Many construction companies run their operations with too little specificity; costs ought to be reviewed on an activity-by-activity basis. Learn what, why and how to set up a good cost code structure.

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A recent article by the American Bar Association caught my eye. It was entitled “When is it okay for a lawyer to lie?” I could probably end the …

Contractors usually are mandated to attend a pre-construction meeting with the Owner. There’s no reason not to also have an internal pre-construction meeting.

http://sjcivil.net/sjcc/the-internal-pre-con-top-10/

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The importance of the daily report cannot be overstated. Knowing why to write them and what to put in the report is critical for defense of yourself, and offense against another party.

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One of contractors’ most reliable defenses, the Spearin Doctrine, has been upheld in a Missouri Court. Certainly, for Missourians, this is a good thing, and to the extent, others may be able to reference this case or …

Training is an investment in your company. In your people. And anyone who has had a business knows that the fanciest equipment and tools are still …

Once the decision is made to engage a consultant, choosing the firm to assist you can be one of the biggest challenges. Consider asking key questions …

Construction claims are an unfortunate part of the construction process in today’s world. When you have a claim, know the order of hierarchy in your presentation of the data for maximum remuneration from the client.

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Is there a process in your company that you’d like to have developed into a simple app, or made accessible via the web? Sometimes, with the right framework in place, developing these processes for you can be done …

A claim is made because a contractor has lost money and/or time on a project. The method is chosen by the contractor to substantiate these costs can …

A constructability review of a plan set can greatly benefit the project. On the surface, it looks like it benefits primarily the Owner, but the benefits to the design team and contractor can also be significant. All …

A credit union is a viable option for many small businesses. Consider the advantages of a credit union over a traditional bank.

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Construction equipment is a necessary tool to perform many types of construction work. How to acquire the equipment has a significant effect on the …

Construction companies have inventories that should be managed to improve efficiency and, in turn, improve the bottom line. Consider a mobile …

Landing the work has enough challenges in meeting the scope, schedule, and cost requirements of the client. You’re defeating yourself if you can’t be …

The purpose of a change order is to add work to an existing contract. Ideally this work is added with mutually agreeable terms in scope, time, and cost. These terms often cannot be agreed upon and contractors feel …

There’s an adage, fast/cheap/good, pick any two. This relates to the Project Management Triple Constraint. It also has other names like Iron Triangle and Project Triangle.

…

The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

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The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

The very first episode of SJCC's Site Survey!

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

Latest episode of SJCC's Site Survey

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

Latest episode of SJCC's Site Survey

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sjccsitesurvey/support

Do two things today to improve your company: (1) check to make sure you are current on your 940 and 941 taxes and (2) make sure you’re reviewing your fuel bill.

http://sjcivil.net/accounting/two-for-today-taxes-and-fuel/

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Cost and price are two different measures of money in a construction bid. Knowing the difference is fundamental and can improve profit.

http://sjcivil.net/estimating/cost-versus-price/

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Possibly the leading cause of contractor claim denials – lack of proper notice – just got a little bit easier for contractors thanks to the U.S. Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals’ conclusion that a request for …