Six Reasons to Use Regular UAV Surveys on Every Construction Project
October 14, 2019 —
Dustin Price - Construction ExecutiveUAVs are the future of the construction industry. From accurate 3D modeling simulations to regular safety and maintenance checks, UAVs can improve construction projects in many ways—and the value and applications for UAVs is consistently growing. Drones are agile, cost-effective and safe.
Here are some reasons why UAV surveys should be part of any construction project.
1. UAV scans are much faster than human inspections
Drones can cover large territory much faster than human inspectors can. They can also be used over more difficult terrain, and they can survey areas that are otherwise inaccessible. A drone survey can be completed in a day; not only does this mean that the territory is well-surveyed each time, but it also means surveys can be done more frequently.
Construction projects need to be inspected regularly and on time if the project is to meet its deadlines. Delayed construction projects can cost a company millions of dollars, as construction projects need to be completed stage by stage, usually on a strict timeline. Drones will improve the consistency of the project and, in turn, this will improve the reputation of the company itself.
Reprinted courtesy of
Dustin Price, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved.
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Preventing Common Electrical Injuries on the Jobsite
February 03, 2020 —
Kelsey Rzepecki - Construction ExecutiveDespite the overall decrease in electrical workplace fatalities, construction workers remain the most at risk of death from electrical accidents. In 2016, 53% of all fatal electrical injuries were in the construction industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Employers can improve their bottom line by implementing prevention strategies to reduce chances of electrical injuries and create a safer, more efficient jobsite.
What Are the Most Common Electrical Injuries in Construction?
The three types of electrical injuries that occur the most often on construction jobsites are:
- electrocution (such as electric shock and burns) through unintentional contact with high-voltage lines or equipment;
- severe burns or death from explosive gases accidentally ignited by electrical equipment; and
- injuries from falls or from contact with moving equipment after worker experiences a low-voltage electrical shock and can no longer keep balance or physical control of the tools or equipment they have when shocked.
Reprinted courtesy of
Kelsey Rzepecki, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved.
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Ms. Rzepecki may be contacted at
krzepecki@graphicproducts.com
Planes, Trains and Prevailing Wages. Ok, No Planes, But Trains and Prevailing Wages Yes
October 25, 2021 —
Garret Murai - California Construction Law BlogThe California Supreme Court doesn’t often delve into construction-related issues, but this year we’ve got two cases, both related to the payment of prevailing wages on California public works projects.
The first, Mendoza v. Fonseca McElroy Grinding Co., Inc. (2021) 11 Cal.5th 1118 which we discussed in our last blog post, concerned whether mobilization work qualifies as a “public work” and in turn requires the payment of prevailing wages. On the same day that the Supreme Court issued its decision in Mendoza, it issued a decision in Busker v. Wabtec Corporation, et al. , Case No. S251135 (August 16, 2021). This is the equivalent of being struck by lightning twice.
In Busker, the California Supreme Court considered whether on a public transportation project “field work” (e.g., building and outfitting radio towers on land adjacent to train tracks) and “onboard work” (e.g., installing electronic components on train cars and locomotives”) requires the payment of prevailing wage.
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Garret Murai, Nomos LLPMr. Murai may be contacted at
gmurai@nomosllp.com
Dallas Condo Project to Expand
November 20, 2013 —
CDJ STAFFCooper & Stebbins has announced that they are building additional units at Southlake Town Square. One set of additions will expand the Garden District Brownstones, which were built in 2006. There will additionally be a five-story building to be called The Residences.
Southlake Town Square is a mixed-use development, combining retail and residences.
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Traub Lieberman Partner Michael Logan and Associate Christian Romaguera Obtain Voluntary Dismissal in Favor of Construction Company Under the Vertical Immunity Doctrine
June 21, 2024 —
Christian Romaguera - Traub LiebermanIn a lawsuit filed in Orange County, Traub Lieberman Partner Michael Logan and Associate Christian Romaguera achieved a voluntary dismissal in favor of their Client, a construction company. The Plaintiff claimed that he was seriously and permanently injured, and demanded $1,000,000.00. The Plaintiff turned out to be an employee of our Client’s subcontractor, and the Plaintiff received worker’s compensation benefits from his employer, the subcontractor. Under Florida Statute § 440.11(1), “The liability of an employer . . . shall be exclusive and in place of all other liability, including vicarious liability, of such employer to any third-party tortfeasor and to the employee . . .” When a subcontractor provides workers’ compensation benefits to its injured employee, workers’ compensation immunity would not only apply to the subcontractor but to the general contractor as well. This is also known as “vertical immunity.” The Traub Lieberman team filed a detailed motion and memorandum of law to argue its case, and the Plaintiff voluntarily withdrew the claim against the Client just before that motion was set to be argued before the Judge.
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Christian Romaguera, Traub LiebermanMr. Romaguera may be contacted at
cromaguera@tlsslaw.com
History and Gentrification Clash in a Gilded Age Resort
October 05, 2020 —
Alex Ulam - BloombergNewport, Rhode Island, is a small New England beachfront town with a permanent population of 26,000 and an amazing collection of historic homes. Billed as “America’s First Resort,” the 350-year-old city on Aquidneck Island hosts more than 3 million tourists every year. They come for the boating, the famous folk and jazz festivals (both canceled this summer), and the architecture.
The narrow streets of the Point along the waterfront are lined with hundreds of modest homes from the early 1700s, one of the largest ensembles of colonial architecture in the country. On Historic Hill sits an assortment of grander antebellum, classical and Gothic Revival structures from the latter part of the 18th and early to mid-19th century, many built by Southern plantation owners. Newport also boasts what is probably the most opulent thoroughfare in the country, a several-mile stretch of Bellevue Avenue lined with shade trees and palatial limestone mansions built by Gilded Age robber barons and industrialists.
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Alex Ulam, Bloomberg
New Standard Addresses Wind Turbine Construction Safety Requirements and Identifies Hazards
October 09, 2018 —
Christopher Daniels - Construction ExecutiveAmerican Society of Safety Professionals’ industry consensus standard, ANSI/ASSP A10.21 – 2018 Safety Requirements for Safe Construction and Demolition of Wind Generation/Turbine Facilities, is the first standard to identify and address hazards specific to wind turbine construction. It includes nearly a dozen appendices that provide additional consideration and guidance for hazards that vary between projects, turbines and geographical areas.
The new A10.21 standard starts by requiring a site hazard identification prior to construction commencing. It establishes the general contractor as the responsible party for site hazard identification assessment. This is because the general contractor is usually one of the first entities on site able to assess the various challenges/concerns such as: geography, utilities, environmental, etc. This assessment is usually done by driving the project site and identifying GPS coordinates of specific challenges.
Reprinted courtesy of
Christopher Daniels, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved.
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Mr. Daniels may be contacted at
chris.daniels@mortenson.com
Changes to Judicial Selection in Mexico Create a New Case for Contractual ADR Provisions
November 25, 2024 —
Juan Pablo Sandoval - The Dispute ResolverThe Mexican Congress recently discussed and approved a Constitutional Amendment called the “Judiciary Amendment” which was ironically published in the Official Gazette on September 15, 2024, the day before Mexican Independence Day.
With this Judiciary Amendment, the Mexican Congress determined that Federal Judges, Federal Magisters and the Ministers of the Supreme Court will now be elected through direct and popular election. Before the Judiciary Amendment, Federal Judges and Magisters used to have a judicial career; many of them started as law clerks and were promoted step by step until becoming Judge or Magister.
Ministers of the Supreme Court were appointed by the Senate through an election of three candidates designated by the President.
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Juan Pablo Sandoval, COMAD, S.C.Mr. Sandoval may be contacted at
jpsandoval@comad.com.mx