Safety Really Is Job #1
by Levi Schrock, chair of CFA Safety Committee Throughout the years, safety has been a subject of conversation at the CFA. We confess, however, that it has usually been brought up as a reaction to a hot topic posed by OSHA. Today, we hope to be advanced enough in our thinking to be talking about […]
Tricks of the Trade: “Droopy Tie Syndrome”
from Dennis Purinton, Purinton Builders, East Granby, Conn. This issue’s Tricks of the Trade is shared by a CFA member (the current president) in the spirit of continuing to share great ideas and to challenge you, the reader, to consider the ways you overcome annoying details and situations to be more effective and economical […]
Twisted Steel Micro-Rebar in Load-Carrying Concrete Walls
by Samhar Hoz, Jeff Novak, Luke Pinkerton Concrete walls are widely used in building construction. Concrete is strong in compression; however, its tensile strength is only 8 to 15 percent of the compressive strength. Thus, plain concrete does not have good tensile properties. Cracks can develop due to loads, restrained shrinkage, or temperature changes […]
3 Tips from a Seasoned Concrete Contractor
Follow these ideas to become a more profitable contractor. In the Farmers Insurance commercials, the tagline is: “We know a thing or two, because we’ve seen a thing or two.” I feel the same way about the concrete construction industry. I’ve seen a lot of changes in the industry, as well as noticing that […]
Letter from the Director: Endings Really Are New Beginnings
Over the last few months I have been reminded time and time again of the impact companies and leaders in this Association have had on the blueprint for this industry and the legacy they have left behind. I have such vivid memories of leaders like Ron Colvin (p.17, 19), a former president of the CFA, […]
Letter from the President
For many of us the usual winter weather has generated scheduling problems, loss of work volume, and many unproductive days. On the brighter side, we have all been blessed with the ability to be profitable by the plentiful volume of work during the nicer seasons of the year, I call this “inside the box work” […]
Letter from the Director: OSHA Regulations Bring Increased Relevance
Just from the title, I presume you have already slid to the edge of your seat or crossed your arms in frustration or defiance for what you might read in this letter. After all, in the marketplace there are more real cases now than ever before of contractors and projects impacted by the increased attention […]
Letter from the President: Business Does Not Change Effectiveness
It has been a very busy year for both our company and the association. We left the summer meeting with renewed enthusiasm for our business and, equally important, enthusiasm for subject areas the CFA needed to address. We live in an ever-changing world, and I have come to realize and understand the need to […]
Tricks of the Trade: Rebar Racks for Crew Trucks
This issue’s Trick of the Trade is shared by CFA member, Doug Herbert of Herbert Construction in Marietta, GA. Doug continues the challenge to you the reader to think about the ways you’ve overcome annoying details and situations to be more effective and economical in your work. If you are from an active CFA member […]
Water: Is It The Basement Contractor’s Worst Enemy?
Sit down at any contractor’s round table and start a discussion about the predominant headache or source of callbacks for basements and you are likely to get common agreement that it is water or moisture. The presence of moisture is a sure sign to the homeowner that a) something dire is wrong with the foundation […]
