2015 PROJECTS OF THE YEAR HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED BY THE CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS ASSOCIATION
Mount Vernon, Iowa—Following evaluation by the industry and general public during the World of Concrete and online at www.cfawalls.org, the Concrete Foundations Association (CFA) has announced the recipients for the 2015 Projects of the Year.
The awards will be presented publicly during CFA Convention 2015, to be held in Williamsburg, Va. July 23-25. Among the projects receiving recognition this year are three residential foundations, an above-grade concrete home and a college educational facility.
“Projects of the Year” is a competition held annually by the CFA to increase the recognition of the substantial challenges faced and met by today’s professional cast-in-place concrete contractor. Projects are awarded by category and one project is selected as the “Overall grand project.”
“It is clear the markets across this country have been increasing as the number of entries to this program are increasing,” stated Jim Baty, executive director for the CFA. “What is even more impressive is the growth of types of projects submitted including apartment complexes, educational buildings and even a fire station along with another great year of challenging foundations.”
Categories for the competition include foundations for single-family residences split into three sizes (less than 2,000 square-feet, between 2,000 and 5,000 square-feet and greater than 5,000 square-feet), above-grade concrete homes, and commercial/multi-family structures. Projects submitted this year once again represent a broad cross-section of the continental U.S. According to Baty, the submissions represent the broadest cross-section of construction being designed and constructed by CFA members.
Overall Grand Project—Commercial/Multi-Family
The project recognized by popular vote as this year’s overall grand project is the Science & Engineering Hall at George Washington University. Submitted by Ballinger AE, a professional member of the CFA, this project also demonstrates the growing network of design professionals within the membership of the association.
The George Washington University- Science and Engineering Hall is a new 700,000- square-foot building located in Washington. Of the total 700,000 square-feet, 300,000-square-feet encompass the 6-story subgrade structure.
There were many unique design and construction challenges that came with such a substantial and complex subgrade structure. The substructure extends to a maximum depth of occupied space of 74-feet below grade. The perimeter basement walls were designed to withstand the intense soil pressures caused at these depths. It is also located in close proximity to three existing dormitories, which remained occupied during construction. These dormitories required deep underpinning so as not to disturb the original foundations, and also imparted a surcharge onto the new substructure walls.
Rock elevation on the site varied from 74-feet below grade to 34-feet below grade, therefore significant rock excavation was required. This was accomplished with localized blasting, which again was done while the neighboring dormitories remained occupied.
Ed Zinski, associate principal and chief structural engineer for Ballinger AE was asked about the firm’s role in the project. “Ballinger has extensive experience with unique foundation and concrete design, as well as designing university lab spaces,” stated Zinski. “Working with our in-house design team and assisted by A&F Engineers local to Washington DC provided us with the ability to closely collaborate with the architectural and mechanical design of the building, in order to provide the most efficiently designed structure.”
Extensive computer modeling was used in all aspects of design including the deep basement walls with high soil and surcharge loads, the substructure slabs with open and sloping diaphragms translating extraordinary lateral soil loads, NIH caliber vibration resistant lab floors and high-bay post-tensioning design.
The high-bay testing lab featured a “strong-wall” and “strong-floor” designed and located 12-feet below grade level. Despite being located below grade, this lab was actually an elevated floor five stories above the building’s foundation. The elevated condition resulted in a unique design, as these types of intensely loaded labs are typically founded on grade. The design loads for the lab included more than one million pounds ultimate load applied laterally at the wall and vertically at the floor. The lab also houses a 20-ton crane and a drive-through truck receiving area to deliver specimens to the testing site. Again, extensive computer modeling was used to design this area. Ultimately it was determined that the strong-wall and strong-floor would be reinforced using solid post-tensioning rods. This is another area that required close collaboration with Clark Construction, as well as with the civil engineering faculty of George Washington University during design and construction.
Also located within the building are several sloping columns, column transfers and a central core transfer with eccentric column loads of up to 5-million pounds. The slabs were designed to transfer the lateral load induced by the sloped columns. For three of the major column transfers over the main floor auditorium, it was determined that the best solution would be to utilize an exposed composite concrete and steel truss solution. Ballinger’s structural group worked closely with Clark Construction during the building of this unique truss to ensure all of the design requirements were met.
“We are thrilled that the CFA has honored our project, the George Washington University – Science and Engineering Hall, with this award,” stated Zinski. “I have long thought that something so critical as a structure’s foundation is often overlooked or taken for granted. That is why we joined the CFA and look forward to greater participation within the organization. This is also why we are so honored to be recognized by the CFA with this award.”
For more information on this foundation project, contact CFA Member Edward J. Zinski, PE of Ballinger at ezinski@ballinger-ae.com or (215) 446-0684.
Above-Grade Concrete Home
Since the start of the new millennia, the recognition of performance and aesthetic advantage for all concrete homes has been a focus for the CFA and many throughout the concrete industry. Over the years, many fine works of construction and design have been recognized in this award category. Certainly no less impressive is this year’s “Above-Grade Concrete Home Project of the Year,” Clifton Concrete Home by Bartley Corporation.
“We were selected for this project when several recommendations for this type of complex structure pointed our way,” stated Jim Bartley, president of Bartley Corporation. “The construction manager hired for the project desired to partner with us based on our previous experience in building a concrete home.”
Bartley was asked about what makes this type of a project such a challenge. “Working with owners, construction managers and architects as well as other trades that are new to concrete homes can be a major time commitment,” stated Bartley. “Meeting on site and collaborating with the entire team was the key to success. Having an architect that saw the project all the way through construction made everything go as planned.”
Prior to the kickoff meeting the homeowners wanted to see a sample of the normal cast-in-place wall finish, one delivered on any foundation project. Bartley built and poured the mockup and made sure it wasn’t “perfect.” To their surprise the owners loved the bug holes, imperfections, ties and form-lines. They are in the building industry and like the industrial construction look with natural imperfections. Therefore, extreme measures were taken to avoid using any patching materials on the walls. With the exception of one or two spots honeycombs were avoided. Surprisingly, a crew patched one of these honeycomb regions and when the homeowners saw the patching they asked that it be removed. This kept the project on track and consistent with the approved aesthetic negotiated early in the project.
Another unique characteristic of this design was the presence of two different insulation systems, Thermomass and ThermaEZE, both products that the company had prior experience but separately on projects. The standard wall section consisted of two reinforcement bar mats, Thermomass in the center with all the connectors, conduits, block outs and wall ties. However, where the weight of steel could not bear on insulation, the ThermaEZE system was brought in to provide an alternative support system. All walls were to be left exposed concrete as the final interior and exterior finish.
The most complex part of the project was the first and second floor walls. Gang forms were used to provide the large structural walls and Bartley engaged their commercial crew and a full time commercial superintendent to take the lead in these areas. Difficult block outs and forming along with many recesses for utilities, electronics and built-in features had to be as accurate as possible. Further complicating these walls was the flashing detail. The design called for flashing between the second floor and roof deck to cover the inside of the wall through to the Thermomass insulation sandwiched in the center of the wall. Although Bartley preferred to approach the design with a monolithic roof and second floor based on their experience, the design called for flashing to separate this interface into separate placements with flashing installation between.
Some of the other challenges faced on the project included unique window jambs and an elevator shaft. Many of the windows called for the sides of the window block out to be at 105-degrees rather than perpendicular to the face of the wall. The 3-story elevator shaft challenged the safety on the jobsite with openings that were constantly managed. The shaft was produced by first forming the outside of the elevator shaft and then, when the walls were ready to be closed, a crane carefully placed large interior panels on the inside of the wall.
For more information on this foundation project, contact CFA Member Jim Bartley, Bartley Corporation, at jim@bartleycorp.com or (301) 384-2700.
Foundation for Private Residence: Less than 2,000 sq.ft.
This year’s award for a private residence foundation under 2,000-square-feet goes to Purinton Builders of East Granby, Conn. for the project known as Point of the Woods in Old Lyme, Conn. This extreme challenge included concrete piers excavated into and setting on rock at the waters edge. Craftsmanship was the primary goal and reason for the selection of this contractor for the project. Anything but a straightforward foundation, this project demonstrated how demanding and intense a small project could become, especially for the portions of the project that will go largely unnoticed as the completed work takes shape.
“The architect’s vision,” stated Dennis Purinton, president of Purinton Builders, “was to make the house appear to be growing out of the rock. When we visited the site and reviewed what they were trying to accomplish, we proposed options on different foundation designs.”
Ultimately, a tapered pier was chosen. On paper it looks like this very simple little job of a few piers and some slab work would be a quick turnaround. However, Purinton discovered that a low bridge protected access to the site. This required air to be let out of the tires of all ready mix trucks arriving and leaving. Additionally, the use of boom trucks, cranes or any large delivery trucks was prevented due to a combination of the bridge and the site location at the end of a half-mile long winding street with no turnaround.
From the start of this project, once the final design was set, challenge after challenge was uncovered and met. Tolerances for building location and elevations were set at a critical ± ¼-inch. in order to comply with FEMA and local government regulations. Layout reference points were only given as centerlines, so the pier bases had to be set from those centers and then figured with the 5-degree tapers across the variable rocky surface to determine each individual pier configuration. Even the variable rocky surface presented the challenge of maintaining code required footings slopes of no more than 1:10, so cutting of individual pier bases for support was required.
If this wasn’t enough challenge for such a small site, the location proximity at water’s edge along with the steepness of the site necessitated safety awareness. Purinton Builders used caution throughout the project and during the layout and forming stages, safety harnesses made maneuvering at these early stages more difficult while holding such tight tolerances.
“Every tapered pier was different in either size or height and the largest challenge was anchoring them down to ensure that they did not rise up during concrete placement,” stated Purinton. “When it came time to form the slab, the form system was all designed and built on site, since it not only had to support the concrete work but generate a work platform on which to construct the house.”
For more information on this foundation project, contact CFA Member Dennis Purinton, Purinton Builders, at purintonbuilders@yahoo.com or (860) 653-6664.
Foundation for Private Residence: 2,000 to 5,000 sq.ft.
Following the recognition received for their “Overall Grand Project” award in 2014, Hottmann Construction Company receives the award for a private residence foundation between 2,000 and 5,000-square-feet with the Pappas Residence in Fox Lake, Wis.
“We submitted the Pappas Residence this year largely on the complexity of the sloping lot for this intermediate sized structure,” stated Mike Thole, project superintendent for Hottmann. “With a height difference from front to back of 14-feet, the footings on this job jumped or stepped four different times.”
The location for this home was on a mature lake but located within a stretch of relatively new and updated “lake houses”. Every other lot was filled with house while this lot remained filled with trees. After clearing and excavating, there was no room for convenient concrete delivery so placement challenges were met with conveyor and extra labor. Despite these challenges, including the multiple steps, the foundation was square and true and delivered according to schedule.
Prior to the start of the house framing, a precast concrete patio was installed immediately after backfilling the foundation. This further complicated the sequencing on the project and required care in the backfilling procedure to protect the unsupported foundation walls while erecting the patio.
The house design took advantage of several other techniques Hottmann has delivered for clients in the past. A wine cellar was created under the front stoop. While this is not necessarily a unique feature, their experience in curved walls delivered walls with an 8-foot-4 radius on the backside of this room with recesses for cabinets to be installed on the interior of the wall. This is complimented by a curved wall on the back patio. Finally, roof drains were internal to the structure and exit the foundation walls through block outs placed by Hottmann.
For more information on this foundation project, contact CFA Member Mike Thole, Hottmann Construction, at mthole@hottmannconstruction.com or (608) 849-1155.
Foundation for Private Residence: Greater than 5,000 sq.ft.
The final project to receive recognition this year represents the large-scale single-family residences over 5,000-square-feet category. Herbert Construction of Marietta, Ga. maintains their presence in the annual awards program with a private residence entry from Acworth, Ga.
“We estimated this project three separate times,” stated Doug Herbert, president of Herbert Construction. “The first estimate was submitted before the site was cut. Then, once the site was cleared and we could talk with the general contractor about the schedule we re-estimated. Next, we were asked to do one final estimate once the site was dug to the proper grade so that all variances in wall heights could be established.”
In all, 14 different wall heights were required varying from 3-feet to 18-feet and a cumulative total of 27-feet of vertical jumps (footing steps) were required. The walls themselves were configured with four different thicknesses ranging from 8-14-inches.
There were many additional outstanding features selected by popular vote for this project as award-worthy. The project included two sub wall areas that required six different details to accommodate the change in elevation. A curved retaining wall 70- feet long by 16-feet tall and 18-inches thick was designed to have brick ledge on both sides. The client asked for a safe-room under one of the porches with an internal concrete wall and integral door opening.
“The contractor viewed this as a very complicated project,” stated Herbert, “and we had to agree. However, we have grown accustomed to such challenges and using a combination of our CAD system, robotic layout and planning experience, we were able to decipher the challenges, plan an effective schedule and approach and deliver a very high quality foundation for this repeat customer.”
For more information on this foundation project, contact CFA Member Amanda Morris, Herbert Construction, at amandam@herbertconstruction.com or (770) 765-0103.
Each year, the CFA “Projects of the Year” offers a challenging competition to the industry. This publicizes the craftsmanship and creativity of the cast-in-place concrete industry that largely goes unnoticed or unseen. It is free to CFA members and brings to light the quality and accomplishments that happen daily in the concrete industry, many which become quickly covered never to be recognizable or appreciated within the final product.
More Information
For more information on these projects, visit the “CFA Projects of the Year” at http://www.cfawalls.org/awards/project/index.html where you will find more images and facts for this year’s winners, the historical archives for the competition and information on the competition itself including voting basis and entry guidelines.
If you would like more information, please contact Jim Baty at the CFA. Phone 866-232-9255 or jbaty@cfawalls.org.
The CFA is a voluntary, nonprofit association that brings together concrete contractors and professionals nationwide to improve the quality of cast-in-place concrete walls and foundations. The CFA provides promotional materials, educational seminars and networking opportunities to its members and the industry. CFA also works on behalf of its members and the entire industry to develop support and influence code bodies. For more information about CFA, please visit www.cfawalls.org or call 866-CFA-WALL (232-9255).
CFA CONVENTION 2015 WILL BE FOCUSED ON FINDING AND MANAGING LABOR
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Finding and Managing Labor Education | Networking | Certification Entertaining Kick-off Bash Awards Gala Construction Day Program Technology on Display
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Sales of New Single-family Homes Hit Highest Mark Since Early 2008
SOURCE: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS MAR 24, 2015
Regionally, new home sales increased 152.9% in the Northeast and 10.1% in the South. Sales dropped 6% in the West and 12.9% in the Midwest.
Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 7.8 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 539,000 units from an upwardly revised January reading, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the highest sales pace since February 2008.
The inventory of new homes for sale was at 210,000 in February, which is a 4.7-month supply at the current sales pace.
Regionally, new home sales increased 152.9 percent in the Northeast, which experienced its lowest sales level in 43 years back in January 2015. Sales were up 10.1 percent in the South, which was the highest level since early 2008. The West saw sales dropped 6 percent reaching the level established in the fourth quarter of 2014. The Midwest saw a slight softening in sales with a 12. percent decrease.
“Today’s numbers are a great start to the spring buying season,” said Tom Woods, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Blue Springs, Mo. “Hopefully, this is an indicator of how the rest of the year will fare.”
“Most sales activity continues to be among existing home owners who are trading up to new construction and taking advantage of low mortgage rates,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “First-time home buyers remain absent from the market, restricted by tight lending conditions.”
Building a Seaside Foundation on the Rock
published March 2015 in
by Joe Nasvik
Every year the Concrete Foundation Association (CFA), based in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, holds a contest to honor the best and most difficult foundation projects of the year. So, Purinton Builders, East Granby, Connecticut, decided to submit their “Point O’ Woods” cabin retreat foundation and deck project located near Old Lyme, Connecticut.
Old Lyme is a small peaceful beach community along the Connecticut coastline. The coast has rocky points and sandy bays that owners of beach houses flock to during the summer months. However, building these resort homes can be a daunting project, especially when they are built on rock. That’s the challenge Purinton Builders accepted when they won the contract to provide the footings, piers and a concrete deck for a small resort home on an uneven rock point on the edge of the ocean.
The original cabin was run down; resting on an old rubble foundation and the footprint was about 1,400 square feet. The lot size was approximately 50 feet wide and 150 feet long, all on rock with the front of the building cantilevering five-feet out. Water surrounded three sides of the project and there was almost no working room—additional safety equipment was provided as conditions dictated.
Dennis Purinton, President of Purinton Builders, says Old Lyme is a vacation area with “Hammer Law” rules in effect—no construction work is allowed from Memorial Day to Labor Day, so the construction season is fall and winter.
Job challenges
There were many challenges that made this construction a perfect candidate for the CFA contest:
- FEMA regulations mandate floor elevations to be a minimum of sixteen feet above medium tide elevation. In addition, local building code requires the maximum height of the roof of a structure not be above a certain elevation. So for this project all vertical elevations were critical.
- The footprint of the new building was allowed to be minimally varied from that of the old building. The owner wanted the maximum size building permitted so measurements were of high concern.
- The entire project was on rock with uneven surfaces and elevation changes as much as 10-feet. Each footing pad was different and forms had to be scribed to fit each location. The rock surface under each pad required milling to create flat surfaces with no more than a 10 percent pitch.
- The owner and environmental requirements mandated that the site was to be left in pristine condition, so no concrete spillage was allowed anywhere and all anchoring was to leave absolute minimal scarring.
- A bridge over the only entrance to the community was a little too low for ready-mix trucks to pass under, so tires were deflated on one side and re-inflated on the other, a time consuming process that aged the fresh concrete.
- Purinton reports that on windy days workers got wet from waves spraying water as they hit the rock, making for cold uncomfortable working conditions.
- Materials and equipment had to be secured because winds were often strong.
- The “Hammer Law” meant that concrete work would be completed under winter conditions.
Laying out pads and piers
With no flat surfaces and elevation differences of several feet, layout became the most difficult part of the job. “The elevation and center of the top of the piers was all we had,” says Purinton. “We knew the footing pads had to be 18 inches thick and the pitch of the rock under the piers couldn’t exceed 10 percent. Starting with the top center point of each pier we located each point in space in order to locate the bottom center point for each of the 12 piers.” They used a total robotic station and string line for this work, but Purinton says using the string line was the most helpful. After the points were located a subcontractor cut and chipped out the rock to provide the specified surface for the footing pads. Two of Purinton’s men worked half a day on each footing pad to scribe forms to the rock—no concrete spillage was allowed.
The plans also defined the top length and width of each pier so, working backwards, they laid out the tops of piers with string line. Then by measuring the length of each pier and calculating the five degree pitch, they were able to lay out the bottom shape on each footing pad. The tapered piers were cut and assembled in their shop using 2×12 inch lumber, plywood and surrounded by Western aluminum forms.
Securing all the formwork so it didn’t move during concrete placement was also a challenge. They decided to use Hilti “Qwik Hus” screw anchors for rock—employing several thousand. Holes were drilled in the rock to receive the anchors that secured both forms and braces.
Reinforcement
With layout as the most difficult part of the job, placing the engineered reinforcement was the most critical. Large waves rolling up on the shore could potentially cause the floor slab to lift. The space under the floor is wedge shaped, with the widest part of the wedge (10-feet high) facing the ocean. Atlantic storms occasionally produce waves big enough to roll to the back of the wedge, pushing up on the floor slab. So the careful installation of reinforcing steel was all important.
All reinforcement was epoxy coated, vertical pieces were three-quarter inches in diameter (#6 bar) and horizontal members being five-eighths inches in diameter (#5 bar). Workers drilled 18-inch deep holes in the rock and anchored them with epoxy. Purinton especially likes Hilti products and bought their largest drill with a clutch for worker safety—if the drill-bit caught on something in the hole the operator wouldn’t suffer arm damage. It also featured a Hilti dustless drilling system with an attached vacuum and they were surprised to see how dust removal increased drilling efficiency. Purinton’s son, Mike, enrolled in and passed, the ACI-CRSI “Adhesive Anchor Installation Certification Program” and set all the anchors to specification. Proper anchorage was seen to be very important.
After concrete placement in the foundation pads, holes were drilled, rebar for the piers was installed and anchored with adhesive. The same procedure was followed on top of the piers to anchor rebar to the double reinforcing mats for the slab. In this way, a continuous load-path went from the concrete slab into the rock below.
Concrete requirements
The biggest issue for the concrete on this project was durability—everything is exposed and gets regularly soaked by ocean salt water. So the engineer specified that concrete couldn’t exceed a 0.45 water/cement ratio. The mix contains 600 pounds of cementitious material, 30 percent being fly ash and slag. Six percent air entrainment is included for freeze-thaw resistance. A super plasticizer admixture was added to increase durability, allow a placing slump of eight-inches, and to keep the ready-mix concrete fresh longer.
In total, the job only required about 80 yards of concrete.
Placing concrete
There was little room to work on the site and footing was especially difficult. Purinton said they employed the necessary safety precautions as dictated by the jobsite environment. They also extended the deck forms just so there would be a place for workers to stand. The form is also being used by the contractor to construct the building.
Working under winter conditions concerned Purinton when they placed the deck concrete because it was only eight-inches thick—the piers were fine because the thick concrete produced enough heat for protection. So workers insulated above and below the deck forms and covered the top with plastic sheeting. Maturity meters were used to monitor the slab, five were located in the areas of greatest concern. The requirements of ACI 306-10, tables 305.1 and 307.1 were followed. Strength gain turned out to be uniform and there were no freezing issues.
They were able to rent a concrete boom-pump that could fit under the bridge and everything was placed by pump.
Earning profit
Jim Baty, the Executive Director of the CFA, says that making profit on a very difficult project is one of the ground rules of their awards competition. “There is no point to giving an award to a project if it loses money,” he says. Purinton says this project was successful, his company achieved the profit they expected, in spite of considerable weather variables and the many unforeseen site challenges. “Our specialty is difficult projects like this, ones that most of our competition avoids, so we have learned how to bid them,” he says. “But the many layers of difficulty presented in this job made it our most challenging to date and I particularly wanted it,” he added.
An interesting footnote is there was no room on the property to place an air conditioner or heat pump, as the footprint of the house went to the property lines. So a geo-thermal well was drilled 350 feet into the rock and pipe was tunneled under the floor slab and into the house.
R.F. Woehrmyer – First Ohio CFA Certified Foundation Company
For Immediate Release March 13, 2015
R.F. Woehrmyer Becomes First
Certified Foundation Company in Ohio
Mt. Vernon, Iowa – Concrete foundations constructed in the state of Ohio will now be produced by Ohio’s first certified foundation company, R.F. Woehrmyer Concrete Construction of Minster, Ohio.
The Certified Foundation Company distinction is a program rating established by the Concrete Foundations Association ™ of North America (CFA) offering third-party quality assurance for professional concrete foundation companies.
Recognizing the need for a national program to establish a consistent base of knowledge and quality assurance for the cast-in-place concrete foundation industry, the CFA created the Certified Foundation Company a decade ago. The program recognizes certified companies in the states of Missouri, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, Virginia and now Ohio.
“The Certified Foundation Company program was an ideal extension of the introduction of Certified Foundation Technician,” states Jim Baty, Executive Director for the CFA. “Introduced in 2007, the technician program established a grueling examination of the knowledge base for understanding the codes and standards that shape the minimum requirements for today’s residential concrete foundations. However, having a person on staff, or even multiple project managers that know the important sections of code documents was just the start. This industry needed a recognizable standard for operation of a quality foundation company.”
R.F. Woehrmyer became interested in becoming a certified company when they learned about the growing success of the program and the adoption of the technician certification into the American Concrete Institute (ACI). “It was important to us to show our region that we are serious about our foundations,” states Nick Woehrmyer. “When ACI took over the certification of individuals seeking to become Certified Foundation Technicians, we realized that this program would signal our commitment to our customers. My brother Greg and I received our certifications in November.”
The next step for the Woehrmyers was establishing the company with CFA certification. A member of the CFA since 1995, the process to become a certified company forced the brothers and their father who founded the company to look much deeper into their processes. Certified companies must prove their safety programming, commitment to workforce safety and performance, financial stability and quality of relationships.
“We are very pleased to have been through this process as it demonstrated just how much we already knew about our company but also some new ways to improve our processes and our commitments,” offered Ron Woehrmyer, company president.
For more information on R.F. Woehrmyer Concrete Construction, please contact Nick Woehrmyer at (419) 628-3480 or visit their website, www.rfwconcrete.com.
For more information on the CFA, please contact James Baty, Executive Director, at 866-232-9255 or jbaty@cfawalls.org or visit the Association website at www.cfawalls.org and go to keyword Certification.
For more information on the American Concrete Institute and their individual certification programs visit their website, www.concrete.org.
Further information, including electronic files, logos and photography, is available from Lindsey Bloomquist, Manager of Communications and Networks for the Concrete Foundations Association, lbloomquist@cfawalls.org | 866-232-9255.
IRVING EQUIPMENT ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR 4.4 MILLION DOLLAR EXPANSION
Irving Equipment has announced that plans are underway on a 4.4 million dollar expansion. This includes a 40,000-square-foot building on 8 acres of land located at 1785 CR 1, near its existing facility in Tiffin, Ohio. The expansion became necessary due to growth and increased demand for products, such as concrete pumps, and cranes.
The newly acquired facility is equipped with six overhead cranes (10-20 ton). The service area is five times larger than the current . The increased ceiling height allows for even the largest of units to extend, while inside. The expansion will include a state-of-the-art, fully-stocked parts department. This will compliment our parts specialists which have over 75 years of experience combined.
The new building is heavily- insulated, and equipped with hi-efficiency lighting, making the work environment a much brighter, more inviting space. In keeping with the improved workspace, the floors throughout the workshop have been stained, and sealed for a cleaner, safer work area.
During the most recent phase of development, a newly-constructed, two-story office complex will sit directly in front of the service facility. This addition is to include conference areas, training rooms for operators and technicians, as well as much needed office and storage space.
The Irving family is very appreciative of the amount of local support, and the support of the concrete pumping industry, regarding the project. “We have invested so much in our company and in the community; these are very exciting times for us”.
RISK MANAGEMENT: Cyber Crime: An Evolving Threat
NOW IS THE TIME TO REVISIT THE TOPIC OF CYBERCRIME AS CRIMINALS HAVE ELEVATED THEIR GAME AND CONTINUE TO CARRY OUT MALICIOUS ATTACKS ON AMERICAN BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS
By Kristen Long, Senior Vice President, Arthur J. Gallagher
In September 2014 I wrote an article titled “The Threat Posed by Cyber Criminals.” In the article, I discussed the emerging risk of Cybercrime and the link between main street American businesses and the Fortune 500 company attacks.
Now is the time to revisit this topic because, since that time, cyber criminals have elevated their game and continued to carry out malicious attacks on American businesses and individuals through phishing emails and malware viruses. Several large data breach events have taken place in the mere five months since I last addressed the issue. JP Morgan Chase, Staples, Sony, Michael’s, Home Depot, Albertson’s, Kmart and Dairy Queen have all fallen victim to cyber criminals. Even last month we witnessed possibly the most devastating breach to date – the attack on a health insurance giant, Anthem Inc.
As the level of sophistication and number of attacks continue to increase, it can be overwhelming to attempt to protect your household or your business. In the following article, I am going to share some basic information and tips to help equip you in the fight against cyber perils.
CYBER-ATTACKS ON YOUR HOUSEHOLD
The breach on Anthem Inc., the second largest health insurer in the U.S., compromised the information of over 80 million people or 1 in 4 people in the United States. The attack included spouses, dependents (such as children) and even deceased family members. The information stolen includes the following: social security numbers, DOB’s, addresses, names, phone numbers, email addresses, and even salary information. Having all of this confidential personal information is like giving a criminal or outsider a passkey into your life.
What is concerning is the lack of outcry from the public. Hundreds of millions of people have been affected by the data breaches over the past year and yet there remains no urgency to fend off the hackers. Why is that? Up until now, data breaches have mostly affected credit cards. Credit card companies have provided fraud protection, paying out of their corporate pockets any expenses/damages and replacing credit cards when customers’ information has been compromised.
While these attacks reached a huge number of people, the outcome for most individuals is a minor annoyance rather than a crippling event. Now, imagine instead of merely needing to update your Netflix payment method, you discover that your credit rating has been damaged, your social security number was used by another person to obtain employment, or you are now unable to receive healthcare when needed. Take it one step further, what if somebody stole your child’s identity? That’s the very real possibility and touches on the magnitude of Medical and Social Security Identity Theft.
Monitoring and correcting Medical/ Social Security Identity Theft can be a difficult and time-consuming task. Since this is a new breed of attack, we are just learning the power of these crimes, and it could take years or even decades to understand the true enormity of the events. Below are the definitions and details of Medical/ Social Security Identity Theft:
- Medical Identity Theft occurs when someone steals your personal information (like your name, Social Security number, or Medicare number) to obtain medical care, buy drugs, or submit fake billings to Medicare in your name. The Coalition against Insurance Fraud offered the following warning regarding Medical Identity Theft, “But be warned: Correcting records can be hard. In general, federal law lets patients’ correct medical records created only by the medical provider or insurer that now maintains your information. A hospital or insurer that later receives your information doesn’t have to correct its records— even when they’re wrong. But… you do have the right to have your records state that you disagree with the information, and why. Be sure your complaint is entered into your records”.
- Social Security Identity Theft involves fraudulently using someone’s social security number to get a job, file for governmental benefits, fraudulent
tax returns, credit, and medical care. The Social Security Administration says, “If you have done all you can to fix the problems resulting from misuse of your Social Security number and someone still is using your number, we may assign you a new number”.
According to the Identity Theft Assistance Center (ITAC), “Adults can monitor their own credit reports every few months to see if someone has misused their information, and order a fraud alert or freeze on their credit files to stymie further misuse. But most parents and guardians don’t expect their youngster to have a credit file, and, as a result, rarely request a child’s credit report, let alone review it for accuracy. A thief who steals a child’s information may use it for many years before the crime is discovered. The victim may learn about the theft years later, when applying for a loan, apartment, or job”. Further the ITAC states, “Until recently, very little was known about the scope of the crime and how the stolen information is used. ITAC sponsored the 2012 Child Identity Fraud Report to get verifiable data that can be used to develop solutions to identity theft”. Prior to the current string of data breaches, ITAC conducted a study into Child Identity theft, below are the key findings:
2012 CHILD IDENTITY THEFT KEY FINDINGS
2012 Child Identity Theft Key Findings Social Security numbers are the most commonly used piece of information by identity thieves targeting children. In fact, 56 percent of respondents reported theft or misuse of a child’s SSN.
The most common way criminals use a child’s personal information is to combine a child’s Social Security number with a different date of birth to create a new identity that can be used to commit fraud. Fraud involving “synthetic identity” is especially difficult for victims and industry to detect.
The study found that 2.5 percent of U.S. households with children under age 18 experienced child identity fraud at some point during their child’s lifetime. This equates to 1 in 40 households with minor children being affected by this crime.
Fraud committed by family and friends is to blame in many child identity theft cases. The data shows that 27 percent of respondents reported knowing the individual responsible for the crime.
Low-income households are disproportionately affected by child identity theft. As family income decreases, the risk of child identity fraud increases. While 50 percent of households of child identity theft victims had incomes under $35,000, only ten percent of households of child identity theft victims had incomes of more than $100,000.
Child identity theft is more difficult to detect and resolve than adult identity theft. The survey showed that these crimes took 334 days to detect and 44 hours to resolve, and 17 percent of children were victimized for a year or longer.
If these data breaches have taught us anything, it is that every
American household, child, and business should be taking at a minimum, the following steps to monitor their identity:
- Credit Monitoring/Freezing – Sign up for monitoring with all credit bureaus directly or via a credit monitoring company, remember to include children
- Child Identity Protection – http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0040-child-identity-theft
- Medical Identity Monitoring – Review health insurer monthly and annual report of charges.
- Review Social Security Activity – http://www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount/
The opportunity for children to socialize online has risks and rewards. As adults, we must reduce the risks by talking to kids about making safe and responsible decisions. SafeKids.com offers many suggestions on areas of discussion with your children.
CYBER-ATTACKS ON YOUR BUSINESSES
The massive Target attack in late 2013 was a perfect example of how cyber criminals hone in on small businesses to gain access points to larger prey. In that instance, hackers penetrated an HVAC contractor in Pittsburgh that performed contracting work for a local Target. Once the hackers had taken control of the HVAC contractor’s systems, the thieves discovered an online portal that Target used for its vendors for payment and contract delivery. That was all the hackers needed to hit the mother- load. So, how many larger companies do you do business with? Large general contractors, banks, owners, suppliers, etc. could all be targets, and you could unknowingly serve them up on a platter. Does your company execute vendor contracts that allocate liability and indemnification for data breaches? When protecting cyber risks, companies often ignore the risks created by their vendor agreements. Your business partners create exposures outside of your internal IT business network. Cyber breaches involving a 3rd party muddy the waters and spill into complex litigation.
As a first line of defense, every company should establish training and a risk management program for its cyber exposure, including remote access, cell phones, laptops and even tablets. This should include a response plan in the event your company is hacked… who will you call first? Your company IT professional should be included as a strategic partner to help guide your plan and company training. Equally important is the purchasing of Cyber Liability Insurance. Cyber insurance is a continuously developing product that can cover both liability and property damage losses that may result when a business engages in various electronic activities, such as selling on the Internet or collecting data within its internal electronic network (such as payments from clients via credit cards). Cyber insurance policies can cover a business’ liability for a data breach in which customer information, such as social security or credit card numbers, are stolen by a hacker who has gained access to the firm’s electronic network. The policy would cover a variety
of expenses associated with data breaches including: notification costs, credit monitoring, costs to defend claims by state regulators, fines and penalties, and losses resulting from identity theft.
Currently, there is a market for cyber liability insurance, but as the amount of attacks have increased, insurance carriers have tightened up their underwriting guidelines before accepting new policyholders. The insurer will need verification that the company is up to date on firewalls, antivirus, anti-malware, and if it monitors how access is granted to company systems. So, please be aware that bringing you “up to code” in terms of insurability and finding the proper market for your company may require time and effort.
When considering the probability of whether you or your company will suffer a cyber-attack, it is no longer a question of “if” but “when”. In October of 2014, FBI Director James Comey stated in an interview with CBS, “There are those who’ve been hacked by the Chinese and those who don’t know they’ve been hacked by the Chinese”. As Cybercrime continues to evolve and the stakes become more severe, it is our responsibility as heads of households and professionals to educate ourselves as to how to defend our own information, as well as others’. Kaspersky, Internet Security Company, has an excellent training tool called “Stop Cyber Crime Guide”.
As an insurance professional who specializes in the construction industry, and a victim of identity theft, it troubles me to say that less than five percent of my clients have implemented the security procedures discussed above. I implore each of you to take this issue seriously and to be proactive in protecting your personal, business and client’s information. While the thought and expense of putting a security plan into action may seem daunting, it is a fraction of what you will be forced to deal with if you are attacked without one.
The Salesperson’s Handbook: FIVE COMMON OBSTACLES AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM
Veteran salespeople know that while every customer is unique, the obstacles to a sale are predictably the same and occur rather frequently. Once you understand these obstacles and the strategies to overcome them, you will have all of the tools you need to make the sale.
OBSTACLE 1: IDENTIFYING AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE DECISION MAKER(S)
Too often, salespeople will focus solely on their initial contact at an organization. Whether that person is a mid-level manager or an HR executive, they are probably not the only person who is going to have input on the proposal process. Smart salespeople know that there are usually other decision makers who will have input in the deal, and the challenge is to figure out who they are and how you can meet with them. In order to get the information you want, you will to have to ask your current contact some questions that might seem awkward. Some questions to broach the issue are:
• What is your time frame for making a final decision?
• What criteria will you be evaluating to ensure you are making the best decision? • What measurable outcomes are you looking to achieve?
Once you are able to determine who else will be involved in the decision making process, you can ask this follow up question: “I really appreciate this insight. So that I can propose the best solution that is going to meet the needs of everyone else involved, I would love to talk with these other individuals and get their input. When can I meet with them?”
OBSTACLE 2: UNCOVERING THE BUDGET
Nothing will derail a deal faster than a mismatch between your proposal and the customer’s budget. Unfortunately, prospects are often reluctant to discuss their budgets with salespeople. It is your job to press them further to get a number, or at the very least, a range of what their budget is for the project. There are two options to making this happen.
You can politely—but firmly—suggest that your prospect determine their budget prior to soliciting bids. Stress the importance of an advance figure, and express your interest in receiving them before you reconnect.
This approach puts the focus on the prospect, not you. It tells them that you care about them and their financial security and you do not want them to make a mistake.
The second option involves framing the interaction through the lens of recommending a program that best suits your prospect’s needs and expectations, and expressing how budget parameters can shape the direction for both parties.
If they say they cannot give you a number because they’re not the ones putting the budget together, ask to be introduced to those who are involved in crafting the budget. This will minimize price objections later on in the process, especially when you are put in front of people who are not as concerned with budget, as they are with their ROI.
OBSTACLE 3: WORKING WITH CUSTOMERS WHO DO NOT WANT TO COMMIT
There is nothing more frustrating that getting ready to close a sale, only to have a customer say, “I still need to think about it.” When this happens, a seasoned salesperson knows that he or she needs to follow up on the customer’s statement. You should respond by saying: “I can understand you need to think about this. After all, it is an important decision and you need to do what is best for you and your organization. Tell me, what specifically stands out from our conversation that is of interest to you?”
The goal of this question is to get clarification on how much the prospect is really interested in what you have shared and whether or not the prospect feels they want to move forward. Is there sincerity in the response, or are you being blown off?
Once you get an answer to your first question, you can acknowledge that the customer has concerns, and ask them what they are. Ask what is holding them back from making a decision, and then hopefully you can help alleviate their concerns and get the sale back on track.
OBSTACLE 4: UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER’S VALUES
Too often, salespeople get stuck on the issue of price. If you sell on price, you lose on price. As soon as someone cheaper comes along, a customer will not give you a second thought before cutting you loose. Instead of getting caught up in price wars, you need to steer a customer’s attention to other issues. This means you need to ask your customers about value. What characteristics does the organization value in a vendor? Are they most concerned with good customer
service, high quality products, speedy delivery, or ease of use? Once you get a customer talking about these areas, you can determine what their needs are and how you can position yourself to get those needs met.
OBSTACLE 5: ESTABLISHING YOUR CREDIBILITY
Many salespeople make the mistake of spending an initial meeting talking all about themselves and their products. This is a mistake. During an initial call, your goal should be for the prospect to do 70% of the talking. Why? For two reasons:
1.You want to hear about his/her problems, goals, concerns and ideas. 2. You want to qualify if there is a genuine
opportunity with this prospect.
You cannot do either of those things if you are trying to sell during the first meeting. As much as you want to sell yourself, you should never bring out PowerPoint, samples or company literature during an initial meeting.
What should you do at an initial meeting? You should start the meeting with a unique value opening statement, which is a 30-60 second description of who you are as a company and what you do. The value opening statement should detail the benefits of your company to the prospect, the impact that hiring you will have to their organization, and an immediate follow-up question to gauge their expectations and interest.
Remember Lucy? She started to utilize these tips and strategies with her customers. She found that she was able to ask great questions of her customers and this in turn led to increased sales and increased overall performance in her office.
By: Paul Cherry
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Paul Cherry is President of Performance Based Results and is the leading authority on customer engagement strategies. He has more than 23 years’ experience in sales training, leadership development, sales performance coaching and management coaching. He is also the author of ‘Questions that Sell: The Powerful Process for Discovering What Your Customer Really Wants’ and ‘Questions that Get Results: Innovative Ideas Managers Can Use to Improve Their Team’s Performance.’ For more information on Paul, please visit www.pbresults.com. You can also reach him at 302-478-4443 or cherry@pbresults.com
CFA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: What Comes Around Goes Around
ASK MOST ANY CONCRETE CONTRACTOR FOUND IN TODAY’S CAST- IN-PLACE CONCRETE INDUSTRY AND HE/SHE WILL TELL YOU THAT THEIR BUSINESS IS A GENERATIONAL AFFAIR…AFTER ALL, CONCRETE DOES GET IN YOUR BLOOD AND ONCE THERE, IT NEVER LEAVES.
Ask most any concrete contractor found in today’s cast-in-place concrete industry and he/she will tell you that their business is a generational affair. There are few exceptions and if the company has changed ownership, chances are that generationally the new ownership has ties to a history of involvement with concrete. After all, concrete does get in your blood and once there, it never leaves.
Thirty seven years ago, Dennie Hill took an opportunity and an introduction to the concrete industry and began working as a laborer for a contractor. Fifteen years later he was given the chance to become an owner of a company and started Hill Construction located just north of Detroit, Michigan.
“I have a passion for pouring walls,” states Dennie. “I believe it was what I was put on earth to do. After starting my company I found out just how competitive this industry was but also how exhilarating it could be.”
Ten years ago, the northern Detroit, Michigan area had ten good poured wall companies. There was plenty of work and the industry was moving, even in Detroit, a regional market that had taken its fair share of economic hit. “Then the recession came and companies started dropping left and right,” describes Dennie. “When it was all said and done, only we and another good company some forty miles north were left.”
It is a scene all to familiar to some markets and then again, many others can be described by all ten companies hanging around and driving down the price points just to stay alive. When asked how they were part of the 20% that survived, Dennie stated, “I was raised to be frugal and fortunately was able to pay off our debt. The growth that we had enjoyed during the fruitful periods I kept working on to make sure it didn’t leverage us beyond our means. Things were also going well and I thought of our company as a leader, so I joined the CFA. Back then, however, we were so busy and I didn’t have the time to see what CFA was about and I certainly didn’t feel I could break away during the summer to attend an event, no matter how nice the location.”
The number of companies working in the northern Detroit market isn’t the only thing that has changed, so has the mindset for Hill Construction. “I picked up the phone toward the end of last year and called the CFA. I figured I had made it through the recession and considered myself secure and ready to help out. I felt I had a story to tell. What I wasn’t quite prepared for was just how much I would ended up learning in such a short time, the number of fantastic companies that are out there freely offering discussion of their past and their goals for the future. I’m really learning here now.”
Dennie was welcomed into the Association and connections began to happen immediately. After a couple of members reached out from seeing his member announcement, questions like what forms do you use, and what do you do in the winter months to keep busy, were immediate conversation topics that establish some exciting potential. “My son is getting involved today,” states Dennie, “and this makes my business one of those generational affairs. I’m really excited about that and want him to learn as much as he can. He needs to be able to surround himself with challenging conversations and peers rather than just seeing through my eyes. I need to give him the chance to learn how to do things differently.”
The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. World of Concrete was right around the corner and the start that he experienced through a few email and telephone conversations was quickly expanded to several sit down meetings at the CFA booth and during specific networking events. Dennie Hill is convinced that he has hit the jackpot and connected his company to a vital resource for their future.
When asked about what he sees in the future, Dennie quickly responded, “I’ve experimented in the past with a lot of things including expensive liners to try and make concrete look certain ways or achieve an image that I wanted to see in the concrete. With time on my hands in the upper Midwest during these cold months, I’ve figured out a way to engrave concrete with some pretty detailed images. Being able to sit and talk about this product with some like-minded contractors is opening the doors to a much broader opportunity for us to add to our business.”
“Listen, we had started to get really big before the throws of recession, big at least for us. Today, I run a crew of six guys and I’m actively involved. I love it and couldn’t imagine being bigger than we are. We might have to, especially if that is a direction my son and I begin to sense, but right now, we are really happy and enjoying learning.”
Stories like the Hills’ are not surprising nor are they unique in this industry. They can be found and expanded upon every year at the watering hole many companies stop at during the summer at the CFA Summer Convention. It continues to grow as the largest annual gathering of the cast-in-place concrete contractor. Take some time to get the dates on your calendar so that you too can benefit from the conversations that Dennie and his son will participate in.
