Category Archives: Business

Electronic Logging Device- Making Things Easier In the Construction Area

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Concerns about the safety are an integral part of the construction arena. Since the nature of the work is somewhat hazardous, construction company authorities have to be extra careful about maintaining safety at construction sites. It is keeping this aspect of the entire deal in mind that construction companies have come up with the electronic logging devices.

Electronic Logging Device- What Is It All About?

The construction area has come up with the electronic logging device in order to maintain and improve the safety quotient at construction area and driving in general. No more do truck drivers and heavy equipment operators need to resort to the manual mode of entering information in order to keep things going. With the government explicitly defining a particular HOS or hours of service regulation, more and more number of vehicle owners are opting for the electronic logging device including the arena of construction. This device has been designed to record the status of the equipment as to how long it has been running and how much time is left for its last run and things like that. Not only does this ensure optimum utilization of the equipment, but also ensures safety that may otherwise have been hampered due to overload on the part of the equipment.

Electronic Logging Device in the Construction Industry

The use of electronic logging devices in the construction industry has proved to be highly advantageous for those involved in the arena. The very fact that they do not have to manually maintain a record of things is perhaps the best part of the entire deal one could think of.

  • The electronic logging device allows heavy equipment operators and truck drivers to enhance the safety score of the concerned construction organisation along with providing a safer work environment for the employees. The device has been designed in manner so as to provide alerts and reports on the engine, speed and mileage of the equipment so that the equipment operators are well aware of the hazards.
  • One can be assured of significant reduction in the error percentage what with the records being entered and saved in the digital format. This means you save a considerable amount of time which would have otherwise gone into exhaustive paperwork and there is also the fact that you are never going to lose data with this system.
  • With the electronic logging device keeping track of the heavy equipment and truck drivers, one can be completely assured of improvement in the errant behaviour of the drivers. And with improvement in the driving skills, one can be sure of prevention of penalties.

Therefore, it can be easily concluded that proper driving of the heavy equipment and construction trucks contributes in quite a significant way to the entire gamut of the construction business. And the use of electronic logging device has definitely made things much easier for the ones involved in the area.

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Becoming A Successful Entrepreneur Lies In Your Ability To Learn New Things

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The word business sounds to be so lucrative to our ear which is why we all want to own a business. There we will not have any anybody to give orders to us and can do things as it pleases us. If at all, we need to leave a bit early, we have the privilege to do that and do not have to answer anybody for that. Overall, it may give you a sense of freedom, a fresh air to breathe and live life on your own terms. Well, all this sounds so good to hear but does it happen the same way in our practical lives? Well, that is a big serious question which probably a businessman or an entrepreneur may be able to answer. If we give a thought to the fact on how easy it is to run a business, we may find ourselves thinking for hours; because it is not at all easy to run a business. A businessman before starting up a business has to deal with many things and also has to sacrifice a lot of things which he wouldn’t have to do in case he had done a normal day job.

Most importantly, he has to keep himself present to new challenges and to learn to overcome them without hurting his finances. Alternatively, just learning about his business may not be enough but he also has to know a bit of the laws of the land. In order to start a business, one needs to know the government policies of the place and what are the procedures he needs complete to procure a license. Also knowing the time it may take for him to get the license plays mighty role in his business. Thus, he needs to keep himself abreast with few things inside the business as well as outside that will keep him going all the time.

Have a role model:-  Having a role model always helps in difficult times. You might want to make a distinguished person as your role model who is your favorite. A person to whom you respect for his work and also for the kind of attitude he has towards his work. Keeping him as your role model will help you remain motivated as you may feel that if he didn’t give up in a bad situation, so won’t you. You may just stick to your basics and work harder to get through it.

Always keep yourself open to learn new things:-  This attribute is essential in almost all the industry. Employers are always in hunt of employees who know the in and out of their domain. In order to know everything about your line of work, you have to keep yourself open to learn every new thing that comes in your way. For an entrepreneur, it becomes all the more important to keep himself abreast with any small update that concerns his business. He just can’t let them go away or it might prove fatal to his business.

Rain affects the construction project

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Rains ideally brings cheers on our faces but when it comes to the construction industry it may not always be the same case. When the workers are laying the foundation of a building, rains can be a boon. The rain water supplements for the cost of water that is required to put on the foundation slab. A construction company can save a lot when it is in the foundation phase but when the building is been given a shape and it starts raining, the entire work comes to a standstill. The builders can incur huge loses if it continues to rain for days. There are lot of places in US where the rainfall in heavy and the construction sector in these places take a backseat in such weather conditions. Many construction companies do not want to take any projects during the beginning of the monsoon as they have experienced good deal of problems due to heavy rains.

It hugely impacts the digging operation:-

For construction houses who have taken a new project at the beginning of the monsoon face tremendous issues to dig the foundation. If they start the digging process and it rains heavily, the entire place gets filled with water and then they have to take extra pain to pump the water out. In order to pump the water out, they need specialized equipments that are capable in pumping the water. This ideally cost them a fortune and many construction companies do not want to get into the hassle of digging the construction site during the monsoon. They would rather wait for the weather to change and then begin the work.

Can’t complete the project in time:-

Rain can play a huge role in spoiling the goodwill you have maintained over the years of completing the project in time. If the weather is not good, you have no other option than to wait till it clears off. You just can’t take any kind of risk and begin working. If it starts raining, you are left with no other alternative than to stop the work. Therefore, it is imperative that you either take the job at the time that you feel is appropriate and you can kick start the work from the word “GO” or if you feel the monsoon is going to be a spoiler, then you better inform the people involved that there may be some delays before you hand over the work to them.

Problem in transporting materials to the construction site:-

Heavy rains can disgust you when you are in dire need of construction materials to be transported to the construction site. Due to water clogging, vehicles carrying the construction materials will get stuck and can only move once the water level recedes. If the materials are coming from a far-fetched place and it gets stuck due to water jam then you have to pay your workers for doing nothing.

Speeding up of work can lead to a decline in the quality of work:-

Since the rains have delayed your work and you are running behind schedule, you will be hurrying things. This may lead to compromising the quality of work. If the quality is compromised, there are higher chances that you may not get any business from the same person.

Small construction companies should deploy used heavy equipment

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It is quite difficult to start up a new business and especially when someone tries to establish his business in the construction arena, it becomes all the more difficult for him. Firstly, there are many big players who have ruled the market for years and on top of that, there are many small companies who take the business that the big companies are not interested in. Now, when they see someone new coming in, they feel more uncomfortable and may try to put hurdles in your way. This is something that happens in every business but as far as the construction industry is concerned, this sort of stuff happens more often than ever. If someone is brave enough to take up this challenge, there is something harder waiting. They may have a hard time deciding if they should go for brand new heavy equipment or they should content themselves with used machines. Getting a brand new machine is no joke as it will cost thousands of dollars to buy one, may have to borrow the money.

This may really sound scary because if you lose paying up the due in time, they may impose a penalty on your loan amount which will make it a bigger sum. Just in case, you default in making payments too often, it will not only damage your credit score but you may also lose your hold over the equipment. In totality, you may have to completely shut down your business. Now, there is something simpler. Big construction companies do not tend use a machine for many years and they usually sell it off to small companies at a lower price. All you need to do is try to establish a contact with such big houses and try to buy the machine at dirt cheap price.

The above option may have some limitations. First, you have to buy anything that they are selling without even getting the time to inspect the machine. It means that you take whatever they give to you without having the power to even check if the machine is in order or not. Simultaneously, since there are many buyers like you interested to buy the item, you may know what you are buying only at the time when you are buying the equipment.  To avoid such a situation, there are platforms like online stores that sell used equipment. All you need to do is register yourself on their site and bid on the item. Try to place the highest bid and concurrently try to establish contact with the seller. Let the seller know that you want to inspect the item before you buy them. If the seller agrees to this, you can check the machine is in good order and strike the deal.

By having lower diesel prices, are you making a bigger profit in your construction business.

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The rise or fall in the price of fuel does have a big impact in the profitability of a construction business. A construction company tends to make good profit when the price of the fuel is down and it has to shell more money on fuel when its prices are high. For the last many years, we have seen that the diesel price was on an increasing trend. It has only been in the last few months that the diesel price has started to fall and things seem to be a bit better for the industry. Other than this, heavy equipment manufacturing companies find it easy to sell machines that run on diesel. The logic to this is quite simple.

The machines that move on diesel involves less cost to production which means that they can sell them off at a lower price than machines that are more environment friendly. However, giving due consideration to the current environmental condition, they are also producing machines that runs on diesel but release less toxic. This may not be at par to any environmental friendly construction equipment but it also does its bit in bringing down the level of pollution.

Construction companies want diesel prices to be down:-

You make good money when the price of the commodity that is mainly required in manufacturing the end product goes down. This is quite evident t happen and does not require any big thinkers to research on it. It is exactly the same way you tend to make good profits when the price of the diesel goes down. Fuel is one of a commodity that is required a lot in a construction project. Your require diesel to run the heavy equipment.

These heavy equipment do not consume fuel like your car does. They simply eat up all the entire fuel that is there in the tank in few hours. If you keep the engine running throughout the day, you need to make sure that you have enough diesels for the machine. Now, you run many such machines in case you have a big project to work on. So all the equipment need diesel to function and if the price of the fuel is high, you are obviously shelling out a chunk of money just for paying the fuel price.

Now, let us imagine the price of diesel goes down. This means that you will be paying less and still be using the same quantity of fuel. This leaves you with surplus funds which can be utilized in taking care of other business expenses. You can even invest this money into buying much needed heavy equipment that are more technologically advanced and perhaps is just the need of the hour. So a fall in the price of diesel can win you so many things which are apparently not possible with the prices being high. It is therefore the wish of every construction company to see the price of diesel falling down which will in turn give them more gains than ever.

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How to Select Pumps for Construction Site Dewatering

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Dewatering performs a vital role in the achievement and security of the most construction sites and can create several challenges which differ from one site to another. Some of the dares are choosing the exact pump and supplements for function, determining the place where to release the water, controlling the flow of water in the construction site with restricted space, and performing so as allowing by pertinent regulations like those created by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Tabulation of Pump Operation

The primary step in enhancing the plan of dewatering in the construction zone is to recognize the necessary capacity, release head and suction lift at the site. The amount of fluid and the speed in which it flows for the needed capacity is calculated in gallons per minute. The vertical gap of the suction that a pump ought to trounce to fetch the solution in to the pump is known as suction lift. The length is measured from the peak of the pumping liquefied solution to the tallness of the suction’s ending point. Prior to the selection of the pump for draining out water from the jobsite, assess the condition of the site and consider the below mentioned points:

  • Actual operation of the pump in a particular job site
  • Kind of fluid to be used in the pump
  • Materials involved in the liquefied solution
  • Velocity of the fluid
  • Consider the ambience of the construction site
  • Think about the noise of the pump that whether it will create an issue or not.
  • Determine the location of the pump in the jobsite
  • Decide the place of discharging the liquid.
  • Consider that whether your company requires filtration for dewatering the water.

Assorted Types of Pumps for Removing Water

The capabilities of the pump differ from focused to highly adaptable and from low physical force to high physical force. Some of the pumps have the ability to drain fluid more perpendicularly than others whereas some are proficient to budge water with wreckage. The pumps that are manufactured for discharging solid particles are economical. It is the duty of the construction business owner to select the suitable pump for the function that will assure a secure and triumphant task. Here in the below cited points, you will come to know the several types of pumps used in the construction site:

  • Portable trash pumps are chiefly employed in the jobsites where the water is drained out via hose or pipe. These pumps are obtainable with a wet priming technology.
  • Wellpoint pumps are mainly manufactured for wellpoint and sock draining out water applications. These pumps comprises of the chain of shallow wells.
  • Hydraulic submersible pump contains the unit of hydraulic power that helps in driving the pump to the end point.

Most of the pumps found in the construction sites are either trailer-mounted or skid-escalated. The jobsite where there is no extra space for releasing the fluid, skid-mounted pumps are the best ones. So, it is your responsibility to choose the most suitable pump for your construction site carefully.

Upgrading heavy equipment can boost the construction business

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Human race has been benefited a lot with the advent of new technologies. We can’t imagine our lives without the presence of these technologies that we are using on a daily basis. It has not only affected our lives but has also played a significant role in giving our businesses a new dimension. A successful business largely depends upon the kind of technologies being used by the employees.

The introduction of technology has also changed the way the construction industry looked decades ago.  Earlier most of the heavy equipment were run on diesel and there were hardly hydraulics used. But now that is not the case. Construction companies are demanding machines that are environment friendly and also consume less fuel giving more productivity. The heavy equipment industry has also seen tremendous changes in the last few years. Every year we get to see an upgraded design of machine in the cover pages of construction equipment magazines. This clearly shows how much they are in demand in the construction business.

Old technology will not get the desired results in a short span:-

We live in a fast paced jet world where we want everything to happen just instantly. It is quite evident that we can’t expect things to happen instantly when it comes to construction but still people will expect the construction companies to finish up the work as soon as possible. With heavy equipment equipped with old technology, it will be almost impossible to get the desired results in a short span. Either you have to give time for the completion of work or you got to compromise on the quality of the building. However, if you are not ready with either of them, then you have to switch to equipment that have the latest technology gadgets fitted in it. It simple means that you have to upgrade your machines by installing the new gadgets.

Upgrading heavy equipment can get you more businesses:-

Guys who give you businesses also try to know the kind of equipment you would be using. They ideally do not pay much heed on the machines that you possess but they walk on strict deadlines and they want you to complete the work within the desired timeline. A delay of few days is acceptable but nothing more than that. So if you work on machines that take ages to complete a task, it will only tarnish the reputation that you have built. It will also affect your relationship with project giver and things may end up in a mess. However, if you have the upgraded machineries at your disposal, then you can always create a positive impression by completing the project in time or at times before time.

Chances of accidents go down:-

Upgrading the construction equipment can bring down the chances of accidents happening in the construction zone to a larger extent. As the old parts of the machine will be replaced by technologically advanced ones, the operator will find it very simple to maneuver the machine diminishing the chances of accidents. This will establish goodwill of yours in the construction industry and more and more people will recognize you for your work. This in turn increases the chances of getting more businesses.

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How do you adjust brakes on a bulldozer?

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Have you wondered what will happen when you bump off to something while your car is at a good speed and you are unable to apply brakes on it? Well, there will be a disaster. This small example can be given to make somebody realize the importance of brakes in a car. Similarly, when it comes to heavy equipment, you need to be extra careful with its brakes. Mind you, that when you are dealing with heavy equipment, you become accountable for any loss that happens if you are not able to operate the machine properly which also includes its brakes not functioning properly. At times, when you apply brakes you can get to hear a sound that appears like the brakes are not well lubricated. This is perhaps the first indication the machine is giving you to work on the maintenance of the machine. It is always advisable that you do not start opening the parts of the equipment as long as you are not an expert who know the in and out of the machine and can indeed work things out and repair the brakes. You should get help of a mechanic who can fix the problem for you.

Apparently, not many people go to the mechanic in the first place. They would like to experiment things on their own and when they realize that this is not their cup of tea that is when they turn up to a mechanic. By the time, they have caused enough harm to the machine.

For people who are used to working on a bulldozer can try the following steps to adjust brakes on it. However, it is still recommended that they get in touch with a mechanic to work things out.

Firstly, you should remove the steel floor plate. Once you have done that, you should be able to see the drive shaft area. You should then check how long it takes for the drive shaft to stop spinning after you are done with depressing the clutch firmly. If you find that the spin time is taking quite long, then you should make sure that you grip the brake band aggressively. However, a word of caution will be that you do not try to be very aggressive in tightening the brake band as there is a possibility that you may end up causing a brake drag on the disk and in this process may overheat and damage the lining of the brake.

You should ensure that the disk spins smoothly when you put off the engine and monitor the temperature of the disk after it has ran smoothly for some time. This is done to check if it is getting hot. If it is overheating then that suggests there is a problem. You can do the same process again and check if it is overheating. If it continues to overheat, then it is better that you take this up to a mechanic and let him fix the problem.

 

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Acquire the Service of Ready-mix Concrete by Several Renting Ways

Construction companies are facing the problem of loan rejection by most of the banks and for that reason the budding construction organisations are in stress. To curb out the tension of the industry’s owners, the rental companies are proffering the service of heavy equipment on rental basis. Most of the contractors and the possessors of the construction firms opt for these rental companies because these firms did not ask for any financial documents. But it is essential for the trade owners to go through the leasing agreement carefully before confirming the deal. Ready-mix concrete is the most important heavy equipment in the construction industry. It can be rented from many of the authentic leasing concerns.

Application of Ready-mix Concrete

Ready-mix concrete is contrived in an industrial unit or in a concrete plant. It is a composite material that is created according to the requirements of the respective construction companies. Thereafter it is transported to the work site with the help of in-transit mixer. Some of its benefits in construction sites are as follows:

  • Ready mix concrete is often used in lieu of on-site concrete mixer because of the precision of mixture.
  • It can serve broad vicinity and can be normally placed in industrial zones.
  • In this ready-mix concrete, an enhanced quality of concrete is formed.
  • This concrete is used in attractive-stamped, uncovered and tinted aggregate.
  • It is also utilised in highway footpath for roads and flyovers.
  • This concrete is used in building tunnels, bridges and subways.
  • It helps in maintaining the decorative and architectural quality of the walls.
  • Sometimes these concretes are used in sheathing the optical fibre lines of electric, gas, water, TV cables etc.
  • Some of the concretes are available in lightweight that are especially used for ceiling and flooring purposes.

Types of Leasing Companies for Renting Ready-mix Concrete

  • Vendor leasing concerns provide heavy equipment in rental ground only by the vendor proprietors. Most of the time, the heavy equipment are outsourced by the vendor lessors. These companies charge a major amount for nonconformity returns and the returns are processed individually.
  • Independent leasing companies purchase heavy equipment from the reputed manufacturers by taking a loan from the bank and then provide the equipment in lease to the construction industry. The possession of the equipment is mostly attained by the independent leasing companies and banks are not responsible for bearing any storage or maintenance cost. These renting companies also proffer low-value equipment to the construction industries. Therefore sometimes, the contracts of these leasing companies are considered as of high risk to the clients.
  • There are many banks that provide construction heavy equipment on rental basis. Though banks charge a high interest rate but the capital cost claimed by the banks is comparatively low from other leasing companies.

It’s true that selection of correct renting company from the crowd is a frantic task but the apt selection of renting concern satisfies the construction companies by accomplishing their project successfully.

It’s Never Too Late To Set Up A Business In The Construction Sector

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We often wonder the right time for an individual to start a business. Is it suitable for him to start setting up his business when he is young or he should wait to gain some experience and then plunge into so that by then he has learnt the tricks of the trade and can compete with his competitors. Well, there is no thumb rule for when one should start a business. It all depends on how eager he is to establish his business, if he has enough money to go for it, can he devote his time to the business as it being new, will need a lot of his time and attention. Keeping these few things into consideration, one must take the decision of getting into a business.

If we talk precisely about the construction industry then many believe that there is no age limit to set up that industry. However, before you make your mind up to get into it, there are few questions that need to be answered. How much do you know about this business? What scale of business you want to conduct? Scale of business signifies the kind of projects you want to take. Have you chalked out a plan for your business? How will you strategize your plans as and when you move ahead in your business and if you have the right resources to flourish your business adjoining with the fact the finance required to keep it going. You got to understand the seriousness of all these questions and hunt the answers. Only when you have answers for them, you can take the next leap.

The scale of business that you want to carry is perhaps the most important and deciding point as far as setting up a business in the construction sector is concerned. I you are in your thirties and have sound knowledge of how the construction business is taken care, then you can dare to think big as you may have another 30 to 40 odd years to give to this industry. But if you start in your seventies, then it may not make much sense to put your hands in big projects. Other than that, big projects are given to guys who are experienced and have earned goodwill in this industry which one can earn by staying over a period of time. Therefore taking up small contracts should be something that a person in his 60’s or 70’s should look for.

Concurrently, this industry is a high pressure one. If you are not a person who can deliver in pressurized situations, you really can’t dream big here. People who can take pressure and deliver get more assignments. Having mere ambition may not do any good if you are not blessed with capabilities of working in pressure.

Last but not the least is your foresightedness. You got to have the capability to foresee opportunities and threats and it obviously comes with experience in this domain. Therefore, perhaps experience also matters a lot in this sector. So age is not a constraint but lack of experience is.