A publication of the Concrete Foundations Association
Concrete Facts Magazine Online
Feature
Subcontractors, Beware! Your Assumptions Can Cost You
One of the most dangerous words in the English language for subcontractors is “assume.” For example, do you assume that your company will be reimbursed for costs incurred as a result of project delays caused by another subcontractor on a project or by the general contractor? If the subcontract document doesn’t say it and the […]
Change in Lumber Affects Contractors
New preservative treated lumber requires new fasteners, bolts and anchors for most building applications. Ohio, as well as other states, recently warned residents and the building industry to be aware of the lumber, anchors, and fasteners used on their construction projects. The preservative-treated lumber used for the last 60 years was deemed unusable because it contains […]
Construction Materials in Short Supply
As the construction season heats up for the summer, the economy improves and slow construction starts begin to turn around, report s are indicating possible cement shortages. In Florida, ready mix companies are on four-day-a-week allocations and California and other U.S. markets are also on or headed toward allocations. The domino effect is that demand […]
CFA Announces 2004 Basement of the Year
Wendy Ward, Constructive Communication Today’s homeowners are constantly pushing the envelope to ensure their home meets their needs, which has caused concrete foundation professionals to respond with inventive techniques and employ new technologies. Such is the case with the Concrete Foundations Association (CFA) 2004 Basement of the Year competition (sometimes referred to as the Basement from […]
Change is Coming
J. Edward Sauter, CFA Executive Director The Board of Directors had a busy schedule during their meeting, Saturday, April 17th, especially with the discussion that ensued the prior day regarding membership and growth. Below are the highlights of action and discussion: NEW DUES STRUCTURE Dues for the association have not changed in several years while benefits […]
Hurry hurry hurry, “click” right up and see the most amazing feats of engineering and information technology unfold at your very finger tips…
Jim Baty, CFA Technical Director Do I have your attention now? I bet I do. The time you were hearing about and waiting for is at hand. The collaborative effort from the CFA Board of Directors, CFA Staff and the software engineers at Consulting Engineers, Corp. produced the most convenient way of analyzing and designing concrete […]
Magazine Issues
CFA MEMBER RECOGNIZED
Carol Mulready and her company CBJ Foundations was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” during the annual Harold Webster Smith Awards presentation at the Waterbury, CT Chamber of Commerce January meeting. The RepublicanAmerican newspaper writes: “Mulready, 52, is one of the three small business owners in the region who will be honored Thursday at the 12th annual Harold Webster Smith […]
CFA CERTIFICATION SUCCESS AT WORLD OF CONCRETE
In February, the CFA Certification Program took a major step forward with the first public offering of the Foundation Technician Certification Exam. During the World of Concrete, thirty four (34) persons attended the inaugural technician seminar and twenty eight (28) sat for the exam. This very challenging exam is not for the curious of mind as evidenced by […]
Certification Has Arrived!
CFA’s Certification program is exceeding our expectations! Since the inaugural kick off last summer at the “08”, summer meeting in New Mexico the program now boasts seven (7) fully certified companies and thirty (30) certifi ed technicians with fifty one (51) individuals having taken the exam. The momentum the program has going can be seen in the number of inquires CFA is getting by foundation […]
CFA Summer Meeting Shake-Up
The CFA Summer Convention for 2009 is moving full speed ahead. We haven’t been to the ocean since Myrtle Beach and the venue for 2009, Amelia Island Plantation on the coast between Florida and Georgia, is a fantastic location. Every room has a view of the Atlantic Ocean and the pools and patios of the resort, like the photo below, overlook the readily accessible […]
ANSI Approves National Green Building Standard
WASHINGTON -The National Green Building Standard for all residential construction work including single-family homes, apartments, and condos, land development and remodeling and renovation was approved in January by the American National Standards Institute. “The National Green Building Standard is now the first and only green building rating system approved by ANSI, making it the benchmark for green homes,” said Ron Jones, who chaired the consensus committee charged with developing the […]
Welcome our new member!
In each issue of Concrete Facts we bring you the companies that have most recently made the decision to join this Association with goals of improving their business and their employees. This month, this list includes: Commercial Contracting Corporation 4260 N Atlantic Blvd Auburn Hills MI 48326 248-209-0435 Silvio Amato
Your Membership = Your Partner During The Tough Times
Continuing to feel the effects of this deepening recession? Your Association is working to bring you increased value to your membership dollars while providing ways to diversify your company and build your corporate image. One way the CFA can help you in this 2009 fi scal cycle, is a two-for-one membership in both the Concrete Foundations Association and the Concrete Homes […]
Look At The Bright Side
There is a bright side to what most of us are going through in this recession. I know at times it does not feel that way, but there are some positives. As we contract in size, reduce, conserve and find new opportunities for revenue we are setting our companies up for a more efficient profitable future. During the good years, […]
Certification Expands Certified Foundation Technician Designation Created
The CFA Certifi ed Foundation Contractor program has exceeded all expectations since it was introduced at the 2008 Summer Convention. Not only have more companies than anticipated signed up for the program; several companies have joined the CFA simply to participate. Many more are attending the preparatory seminar and sitting for the basic knowledge exam. You do not need […]
8 Reasons to Feel Good About the Economy
by Kevin Stirtz Despite all the bad news we hear in the media, there are good things happening in our economy. You just have to look past the popular headlines. Before I go any further, I’ll say this. I am NOT a financial or economic expert. Not even close. So, please don’t take what I’m saying as gospel. It’s not. It’s just my opinion and the opinions […]
When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Turn to Professional Associations
by Kim Douglas When the economy is in a slump, most of us look for ways to reduce spending, ruthlessly slashing every expenditure that doesn’t deliver direct bottom-line benefit. But sometimes well-intended cost-cutting can fall victim to the law of unintended consequences. Take professional organization membership, for example. You might think your annual dues, event fees and other association costs are fat that can […]
What You Missed at World of Concrete
The World of Concrete 2009 has come and gone. Much trepidation and cautious anticipation existed as time marched toward this event. Above all, our industry needed to know the impact that this recession would have on both the number and the attitude of the attendees as a predictor of what is to come. Face it; we’re all tired of listening to the media and the […]
