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New Construction Technology. GPS. Can do all earthwork using GPS attached to bulldozer blades, excavators, scrapers, etc Cost: GPS equipment including receivers and base stations, digital mapping of project Benefit: faster, more accurate, less surveying
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GPS • Can do all earthwork using GPS attached to bulldozer blades, excavators, scrapers, etc • Cost: GPS equipment including receivers and base stations, digital mapping of project • Benefit: faster, more accurate, less surveying • Can be done with less experienced operators • BUT you need good operators for non-GPS jobs
Modular housing • Factory built house • Can be completed faster than a stick built house • Need excellent quality control on foundation • Must be square and level • Estimating and scheduling are a large part of the modular home industry • Workers work piece work • Need to move houses so many stations a day
Modular housing • No change orders – lowers cost • Each house has individual set of plans • Limitations on size of house – 16’ wide sections
New waves in home building • Sustainability • Using renewable resources • OSB, Wooden I beams, trusses, finger jointed products • Use less wood, use smaller size trees • Building with load transfer in mind • Building smaller, more efficient houses • Bamboo • Blue jeans insulation
Energy Star • Costs: more insulation, high efficiency heat and water heater, high e windows and doors • Benefits: supposed to use less energy • Problems: Architects and contractors not clear on the concept • Counts bulbs, efficiency of furnace, insulation, windows, • http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=new_homes.nh_features
LEED certification • Looks at whole project • Impact on environment • Waste, carbon footprint, recycling • Energy usage • Water/Storm water • http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=220
Teaming & Leadership CTC-470
Peer Review • When does Peer Review start? • College Projects • Your boss asked for your opinion of a fellow worker • Your Annual Review – your boss wants you to succeed • You become the boss
Peer Review • Should not be confrontational • Need to be able to give honest critique • Feedback is essential to a good project • A good project depends on people doing their job -> how do you help others? • Words to avoid • Stupid • Idiotic • 3 year old could do better
Peer Review • How do you get to the point where people know that your opinion is valid? • Honesty • Ethics • Knowledge base • Reputation
Peer Review • How do you move up in Company • Based on ability • Based on interaction with others • Based on peer review • Based on ability to work and lead a team
Peer Review • 2 career paths • Senior Engineer – can’t communicate, works well alone, very competent • Management – can communicate ideas to others, works well with others, team player, competent • Which do you want to be? • Your peers will review you and put you in a niche based on competency and need
Team Leading • What makes a person a good leader? • Give some examples
Team Leading • How do you get people to follow your lead? • Have a plan • Everyone has input (ownership) • Have milestones • Work harder than everyone else • Be fair • Celebrate project completion
Team Leading • Get people to want to work for you • Give praise for good work • Thank You Cards • Take all the hits • Recognize personality types • You need to know how to react to people and why they are reacting to you
Meetings • Can be huge time sink • Ex: Weekly meetings for company • How often? • Depends on project • Keeps coordination between people at meeting • Lets everyone know what is happening • More complicated -> more meetings • Only when necessary • How do you know? • Must have information to present or pass
Meetings • Only for those who need to be there • Everyone at meeting is costing Company $ • Efficiency = (Billable hours)/(Total hours) • Meetings are a good place to chat • People have coffee, a seat, and other people around table • Can formalize meetings • No coffee urn • No chairs
Calling Meetings • Who needs to be there • How long is it going to take • No more than 1.5 hours without a break • What is going to be discussed • Give people as much notice as possible so that they can be productive and participate in meeting
Leading Meetings • Keep on time – use the agenda • Keep on track – don’t let side discussions into meeting • You can always schedule a meeting • End on time • You want people to come to your meetings • Run a meeting that you would want to attend
Agenda • Most important part of meeting • Tells participants • What will be discussed • How long a topic will be discussed • What they should bring to meeting • When it will end • Don’t try to crowd items • Have 2 meetings or increase time
Agenda • Send out preliminary agenda • What do you think is important • Get feedback • Do some items need to be discussed • Do some items need their own meeting • Finalize agenda
Agenda • Are meetings a place where people catch up on other people’s lives? • Schedule time in meeting to do that • Call it announcements, old business • But stick to schedule • Takes away from productive meeting time