Tired of Breaking Even?
Letter from your president, Jim Bartley Dear Friends, Our long, tough recession has had one of two effects on most concrete foundation contractors. Either we went broke, or mastered the art of breaking even. If you are reading this, my guess is you are a fine-tuned, break-even machine! I know I am. Now that we […]
Casting Foundation Concrete in Cold Weather
Expanded from Q&A Article seen in Concrete Contractor magazine. by James R. Baty II, CFA Managing Director The Concrete Foundations Association explains how commonly and effectively residential concrete foundations are constructed during the winter. Question: Our foundations scheduled for installation these next few months will be affected by projected temperatures in the mid […]
Oil on Rebar
by JAMES R. BATY II As published by Concrete Contractor Magazine. Created: August 21, 2013 The Concrete Foundations Association explains the code reference and common misconceptions regarding oil on rebar for residential concrete. Question: On several of our most recent residential projects, the inspector in our area has been complicating our pour schedule when finding form oil over-sprayed […]
Shut Down: DOT Compliance in the Twenty-First Century
Shut Down: DOT Compliance in the Twenty-First Century What do you think about DOT compliance? Do you consider it your number one concern? Number two? Number three? The chances are it is not something that you think about very much. In your industry, DOT compliance has simply not been that big of a problem […]
THE UN-COMFORT ZONE: Defeating the De-Motivator
with Robert Wilson The sweet strains of a Puccini aria cut through the Saturday night clatter of the busy Italian restaurant in New York City, but it wasn’t coming from the aging voice of the Sicilian baritone who was hired to belt out favorites like Funiculi- Funicula. It was a soprano whose crystal clear voice filled the room. Within moments all the ambient noise came […]
The Road That Lies Ahead
2013 CFA Convention Theme The Road That Lies Ahead ‘The Road That Lies Ahead’ is the theme of the CFA Annual Summer Convention this year. Hopefully you have already made your plans to attend because this year’s event promises to be the best line-up for education we have ever presented. To use Scott Smith’s words, […]
Why Concrete Beats Wood
by JAMES R. BATY II As published by Concrete Contractor Magazine. Created: June 26, 2013 The Concrete Foundations Association explains why concrete foundations outperform wood in the majority of residential applications. The art, science and profession of residential concrete is centuries old, yet the farther we get from its origin the more complex the industry around us […]
OSHA’s new Crane Regulations Become Effective May 23rd
Are you aware that on May 23rd, the final ruling by OSHA (August 2010) takes effect for underground construction and demolition? “It is important that construction workers in these sectors receive the same safety protections as other construction workers,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “Extending this […]
What Does the Future Hold?
The following article is a synopsis of the January 16, 2013 PCA Market Intelligence Residential Construction Outlook. For a pdf of the full report, contact Ed Sauter (esauter@cfawalls.org) or Jim Baty (jbaty@cfawalls.org). RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION OUTLOOK Conditioned pessimism. That is the term Ed Sullivan, chief economist for the Portland Cement Association, used to describe the attitude and outlook of citizens, businesses […]
Are We Really A Family?
Dear CFA Brothers and Sisters, Many institutions claim to have a “family” environment. Is “family” an overused cliché…or is it real? This March, we at the Bartley Corporation, lost a dear friend and long-time employee. Betty was our dispatcher, also known as “Mother-Central”. Our employees sprang into action to help her, stood beside her, and continue to grieve her loss. We will never […]
