Everyone agrees that sprinklers and alarms save lives and dramatically reduce the risks associated with fire. There is no question that they should be installed strategically and widely. However, sprinklers and alarms only address two issues: how to detect fires and how to suppress them. And if they are anything less than 100 percent effective, it is critical to also have systems in place to aid in the compartmentation of the fire and smoke.
Molding and millwork are often referred to as the icing on the cake. After the walls and ceilings are finished, detailed moldings are put in place to top off the job and make a dramatic visual statement that everyone remembers.
At the New York Times Building underway at 620 Eighth Avenue, New York City, Jacobson is beta-testing new software. It’s a state-of-the-art production control system that provides total visibility across every phase of labor, enabling Jacobson’s timekeepers to manage the project from an electronic tablet – automatically, accurately and in real time.
In rare cases things do go as planned and all works out as planned. However, all too often, just like in a murder mystery, the best-laid plans tend to go south. When this happens there is a lot of blame that gets passed around, and in worst-case scenarios, it can end in litigation.
I am always guilty of taking a principle and trying to apply it to other areas of my life. For me the three P’s in life fit nicely: purpose, plan and patience.
Q: I recently was completing a steel stud and drywall tenant improvement on a single-story business park. The inspector insisted we need draftstopping in the ceiling on a single space. He said it was because it was over 1,000 square feet. I have never had to do that before. Is this new code or was he wrong?
A change in top leadership can, and often does, make a profound impact on the bottom line. On Jan. 1, 2007, the Plasterers and Cement Masons Union made such a change, and I had the opportunity to interview their new general president, Patrick D. Finley, about his background and the challenges he faces in today’s changing environment for unions.
For every boss, firing someone is the least favorite part of the job. These days it can also be perilous from a legal standpoint - and occasionally physically threatening - as well. Yet, sooner or later, almost every employer finds it necessary to carry out this unpleasant duty.
It’s just been a great year of seeing my co-workers achieve so many of their personal and professional goals. What could be better? However, the year did have its ups and downs. The most significant “downer” is a job we are just now finishing. Have you ever had a job where you just can’t seem to figure out what went wrong? Material quantities and production rates were right but the job still didn’t go well? I think I figured out why.
Last month, in Part One, we began a discussion about gypsum recycling coming to America. We saw how a Danish company, Gypsum Recycling International (GRI), has revolutionized the gypsum recycling industry and how, in Europe, the European Union has mandated stricter landfill regulations making gypsum recycling much more practical and economical than in the past.
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