Sometimes walls aren't straight and corners aren't at 90 degree angles and we’re left scratching our heads trying to figure out exactly how to lay out a frame or rebar. Many times we’re caught in situations that we have never seen before and instead of trial and error (which causes expensive rework), a nice and simple calculator could save a whole lot of time and frustration.
Read moreTSheets Makes Time Sheets Easy For Contractors
We’re all for reducing paper use at Construction Junkie and, if you’re still using paper time sheets, it’s time to take a step in the right direction and automate your process. With many jobsites being far away from your company’s office, transferring paper time sheets can be extremely time consuming and costly.
Read moreMeasure Length and Area of a Site or Building with Google Maps
If you need to put together a quick estimate or just gain some general information on a building or site, you can gain some valuable information using Google Maps.
Read moreConstruction Fail: Concrete Buffer Spins Out of Control
An oldie, but a goody, this video shows what happens when someone lets the concrete buffer get loose and spin out of control. It also answers the age old question of, “How many contractors does it take?” The answer is 18 and thankfully none of them were hurt in the making of this hilarious video...
Read moreCreate an Employee Handbook to Protect Your Company
Employee handbooks not only let your employee what you expect of them, it can also protect your company from legal issues. If your company does not currently have a handbook or you're looking to update your existing one, be sure to continue reading.
Read moreVote for Your Favorite Construction Podcast
The nomination ballot is now closed on Construction Junkie’s Best Construction Podcast of 2015 and the voting ballot has officially opened, submit your votes on the form below. Voting will end at 5pm CST on May 6th and the winner will be crowned shortly after. Good luck to all of the finalists!
Read moreA Better, Stronger, Future Alternative to Cement
Photo courtesy of the Official US Navy Imagery
Cement has been around for a long time, historically since the Ancient Babylonians and Assyrians, whom used bitumen to bind materials together. In modern times, Portland cement has been the leader in the cement industry since it was created in Britain in the mid-1700s. Annually, Portland cement manufactures roughly 76.7 million metric tons of cement in the United States alone. There’s no telling how much they’ve manufactured for China, who has used more concrete in the past 3 years than the US did in the entire 20th Century!
Read moreKite Bricks Aims to Revolutionize the Way Structures Are Built
Remember back to when you were a child, playing on your living room floor with hundreds of multi-colored Legos littering the area around you as you attempted to assemble your dream house. Now, imagine doing that as an adult, but for real. That’s exactly what the inventors of Kite Bricks hope to accomplish.
Read moreHow Much Slope Should Your Trench Have?
photo by Andy Rogers
Trenches and excavation happen on nearly every new construction site and in many cases, not much is thought about them; it’s just a hole in the ground, right? Not quite. Trenches can be extremely dangerous, especially for those working in them. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of 35 workers die from trench and excavation cave-ins EVERY YEAR.
Read moreStop Wondering When Your Next Batch of Concrete is Arriving
Truckest
There’s nothing worse for productivity or your schedule than sitting around the job site twiddling your thumbs waiting for materials to rise, especially when it comes to concrete. For most jobs, concrete pours are milestones that just can’t be missed without devastating consequences. The problem is, concrete deliveries place the contractor at the mercy of the supplier, making call after call following up to make sure there are no delays.
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