[VIDEO] Watch Vintage Film of 1950s Construction of Michigan’s Mackinac Bridge

As many of America’s oldest bridges are being demolished to make way for newer, larger bridges, it’s important to look back and understand how those bridges –and other historic buildings- came to be built prior to modern technology. Last year, a collection of 55 year old pictures from the construction of the world famous Seattle Space Needle were released to the public, shedding some interesting insight into the process of the build and the people who built it.

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Average Hourly Wage of Roofers, By State

Roofers have one of the most uncomfortable jobs on any construction site, especially when installing a dark roofing material.  A traditional black roof, either asphalt shingles or EPDM, can be up to 50 degrees warmer than the surrounding temperatures.  

It's also one of the most dangerous professions in the industry.  Not only is it one of the most heavily cited group by OSHA, it also leads in number of fatalities per 100,000 workers.

Having said that, let's take a look at how they're paid in each state...

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‘World’s First’ 3D Printed Concrete Bicycle Bridge Installed in Netherlands

The Netherlands has a ton of bridges, especially pedestrian and biking bridges, thanks to its abundant system of canals.  Perhaps because of that, they have become a leader in 3D printing technology when it comes to bridges. 

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[VIDEO] Florida Construction Workers Encounter 5 Foot Alligator in Sewer Line

When construction workers cut through nature and dig in the ground, it shouldn’t be a surprise when wildlife is encountered, although some are a little bit more frightening than others.  Last year, crews had to help free a giant bear that was stuck in a cesspit and the bear was happy at all about it.

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Average Hourly Wage of Painters, By State

Painters are typically one of the last subcontractors on any construction site, who do their best to beautify the drywall with the colors of the architect's or interior designer's choosing. Some painters are also responsible for mudding drywall, patching holes, sanding, and caulking.

Let's take a look at how an average painter's hourly wage compares in each state...

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[VIDEO] Semi Hauling 50 Foot Long Prefab Concrete Beam Tips Over in Intersection

As annoying as it may be to deal with sometimes, there is a good reason why trucks carrying oversized loads have spotters and flaggers.  We’ve seen the worst of what can happen when the spotter fails to alert truck drivers in time, like the one that caused a 2013 Washington State bridge collapse, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

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6 Injured After Partial Roof Collapse at New York City Construction Site

Just one day after Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a new law requiring at least 40 hours of safety training for all 185,000 of the city’s construction workers, a partial roof collapse at a Brooklyn construction site left 6 workers injured, 2 of them serious.

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Watch an In-Depth Video of Two Bridge Demolitions from a Barge

I don’t think there is anyone in the construction industry that has a better marketing department than Priestly Demolition, a demolition specialty contractor based in Ontario, Canada.  Their Youtube channel is filled with high quality demolition videos in the form of timelapse videos and even a 24 minute long, highly detailed video of a bridge demolition so impressive it won awards for best in the world.  Implosion videos are a great source of entertainment in their own right, but the videos that Priestly put out are not only entertaining, but also great for education purposes.

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